A Violinist in the Metro

A Violinist in the Metro

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that a few thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the tin and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell's performance sold out "House-full" at a theater in Boston and the ticket prices averaged $100.

This is a real life story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Regards,

N

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Deceptive Looks!

Deceptive Looks!

Dear Friends,

A lady in a faded grey dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun suit walked in timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University President's outer office.

The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Harvard.

"We want to see the President," the man said softly. "He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped. "We'll wait," the lady replied.

For hours the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away.

They didn't and the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the president." Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, they'll leave," she said to him.

The President, stern faced and with dignity, strutted toward the couple.

The lady told him, "We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed.

My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere incampus." The president wasn't touched....

He was shocked. "Madam," he said, gruffly, "we can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery.

 "Oh, no," the lady explained quickly. "We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard."
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, and then exclaimed, "A building!"

Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical buildings here at Harvard.

"For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. Maybe he! could get rid of them now.

The lady turned to her husband and said quietly,  "Is that all it costs to start a university? Why don't we just start our own?"

Her husband nodded.

The president's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment.

Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford got up and walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they established the University that bears their name.
Stanford University, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.

Most of the time we judge people by their outer appearance, which can be misleading. And in this impression we only tend to treat people badly .By thinking they can do nothing for us thus we tend to loose our potential good friends, employees or customers.

Regards,

N

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Office inspiration

Office inspiration

Top 10 sayings we'd like to see on those office inspirational posters:

1. Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings, they did it by killing all those who opposed them.
2. If you can stay calm, while all around you is chaos...then you probably haven't completely understood the seriousness of the situation.
3. Doing a job RIGHT the first time gets the job done. Doing the job WRONG fourteen times gives you job security.
4. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
5. Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity
6. A person who smiles in the face of adversity...probably has a scapegoat.
7. Plagiarism saves time.
8. If at first you don't succeed, try management.
9. Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid altogether.
10. TEAMWORK...means never having to take all the blame yourself.

Regards,

N

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Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and says, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough."

"Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams.

"We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the father says. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like hell they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this," She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, "You are not getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, Do you hear me?" and hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Okay," he says, "they're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way."

Regards,

N

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Trivia - Just for you

Trivia - Just for you

In these recessionary times, many of you (or your friends) will be back at home wondering what to do. Now's the time for you to catch up with all the Trivia that may come in handy for you in any rare party that you may attend, whether or not it adds value in an interview!

Enjoy the trivia:

1. Coca-Cola was originally green.
2. The most common name in the world is "Mohammed".
3. The name of all the continents ends with the same letter that they start with.
4. The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
5. TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be typed sing the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
6. Women blink nearly twice as much as men!
7. You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.
8. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different
9. People say "Bless you" when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond.
10. It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.
11. The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.
12. If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze; you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.
13. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents great king from History."Spades" King David; "Clubs" Alexander the Great; " Hearts" Charlemagne; "Diamonds" Julius Caesar.
14. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 =12,345,678,987, 654,321
15. If a statue of a warrior on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has a all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
16. What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common? Answer: All invented by women.
17. Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil.
18. A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
19. A snail can sleep for three years.
20. All polar bears are left-handed.
21. American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.
22. Butterflies taste with their feet.
23. Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
24. In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
25. On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
26. Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.
27. Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left-hand.
28. The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
29. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
30. The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
31. Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over million descendants.
32. Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
33. The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
34. Most lipstick contains fish scales.
35. It is impossible to lick your elbow.
36. And finally over 90% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow.

Regards,

N

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Time for some Campaigning!

Time for some Campaigning!

Nice video, this!

Enjoy:

• http://www.peteyandpetunia.com/VoteHere/VoteHere.htm

Regards,

N

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Credit Crisis Jokes ... ... ... ... ...

Credit Crisis Jokes ... ... ... ... ...

Masked man holding a bank cashier up with a gun ... ... ... ...

Cashier: Sir, don't shoot. Please take all the money that you want!

Masked man: I don't want any money - I just want you & all you bankers to start lending to each other ... ... ... ...

Regards,

N

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Credit Crisis Jokes ... ... ... ... ...

Credit Crisis Jokes ... ... ... ... ...

What's the difference between an investment banker and a large pizza?

A large pizza can comfortably feed a family of four!!!

Regards,

N

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All about Recruitment

All about Recruitment

Got this gem from a friend. Read on and enjoy!

HOW TO RECRUIT THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB?

Put about 100 bricks in some Particular order in a closed Room with an Open window.

Then send 2 or 3 candidates in The room and close the door.

Leave them alone and come back After 6 hours and then analyze The situation

 

 

·       If they are counting the Bricks.

Put them in the Accounts Department.  

 

·       If they are recounting them.

Put them in Auditing.

 

·       If they have messed up the whole place with the bricks.

Put them in Engineering.

 

·       If they are arranging the bricks in some strange order.

Put them in Planning.  

 

·       If they are throwing the bricks at each other.

Put them in Operations.

 

·       If they are sleeping.

Put them in Security.

 

·       If they have broken the bricks into pieces.
Put them in Information Technology.

·       If they are sitting idle.

Put them in Human Resources.

·       If they say they have tried different combinations, yet not a brick has been moved.

Put them in Sales.

 

·       If they have already left for the day.

Put them in Marketing.

 

·       If they are staring out of the window.

Put them on Strategic Planning.

 

·       And if they're TALKING to the bricks.

Put them in Communications.

 

·       And if they've DRESSED the bricks in pretty clothes, given them individual NAMES and REBRANDED them as THE STONES.

Put them in Public Relations.

 

·       And then last but not least. if they are talking to each other and not a single brick has been moved.
Congratulate them and put them in Top Management.

 

Regards,

N

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Financial Bubbles - A simple illustration for the financial dummy!

Financial Bubbles - A simple illustration for the financial dummy!

Here's a gem that I got from a friend. Didn't know whether it deserves mention on this blog or my "Financial Views" blog. Hence I'm posting it on both!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Once there was a little island country. The land of this country was the tiny island itself. The total money in circulation was 2 dollars as there were only two pieces of 1 dollar coins circulating around.

1) There were 3 citizens living on this island country. A owned the land. B and C each owned 1 dollar.

2) B decided to purchase the land from A for 1 dollar. So, now A and C own 1 dollar each while B owned a piece of land that is worth 1 dollar.

* The net asset of the country now = 3 dollars.

3) Now C thought that since there is only one piece of land in the country, and land is non producible asset, its value must definitely go up. So, he borrowed 1 dollar from A, and together with his own 1 dollar, he bought the land from B for 2 dollars.

*A has a loan to C of 1 dollar, so his net asset is 1 dollar.
* B sold his land and got 2 dollars, so his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C owned the piece of land worth 2 dollars but with his 1 dollar debt to A, his net residual asset is 1 dollar.
* Thus, the net asset of the country = 4 dollars.

4) A saw that the land he once owned has risen in value. He regretted having sold it. Luckily, he has a 1 dollar loan to C. He then borrowed 2 dollars from B and acquired the land back from C for 3 dollars. The payment is by 2 dollars cash (which he borrowed) and cancellation of the 1 dollar loan to C. As a result, A now owned a piece of land that is worth 3 dollars. But since he owed B 2 dollars, his net asset is 1 dollar.

* B loaned 2 dollars to A. So his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C now has the 2 coins. His net asset is also 2 dollars.
* The net asset of the country = 5 dollars. A bubble is building up.

(5) B saw that the value of land kept rising. He also wanted to own the land. So he bought the land from A for 4 dollars. The payment is by borrowing 2 dollars from C, and cancellation of his 2 dollars loan to A.

* As a result, A has got his debt cleared and he got the 2 coins. His net asset is 2 dollars.
* B owned a piece of land that is worth 4 dollars, but since he has a debt of 2 dollars with C, his net Asset is 2 dollars.
* C loaned 2 dollars to B, so his net asset is 2 dollars.

* The net asset of the country = 6 dollars; even though, the country has only one piece of land and 2 Dollars in circulation.

(6) Everybody has made money and everybody felt happy and prosperous.

(7) One day an evil wind blew, and an evil thought came to C's mind. "Hey, what if the land price stop going up, how could B repay my loan. There is only 2 dollars in circulation, and, I think after all the land that B owns is worth at most only 1 dollar, and no more."

(8) A also thought the same way.

(9) Nobody wanted to buy land anymore.

* So, in the end, A owns the 2 dollar coins, his net asset is 2 dollars.
* B owed C 2 dollars and the land he owned which he thought worth 4 dollars is now 1 dollar. So his net asset is only 1 dollar.
* C has a loan of 2 dollars to B. But it is a bad debt. Although his net asset is still 2 dollars, his Heart is palpitating.
* The net asset of the country = 3 dollars again.

(10) So, who has stolen the 3 dollars from the country? Of course, before the bubble burst B thought his land was worth 4 dollars. Actually, right before the collapse, the net asset of the country was 6 dollars on paper. B's net asset is still 2 dollars, his heart is palpitating.

(11) B had no choice but to declare bankruptcy. C as to relinquish his 2 dollars bad debt to B, but in return he acquired the land which is worth 1 dollar now.

* A owns the 2 coins; his net asset is 2 dollars.
* B is bankrupt; his net asset is 0 dollar. (He lost everything)
* C got no choice but end up with a land worth only 1 dollar

* the net asset of the country = 3 dollars.

************ **End of the story; BUT ************ ********* ******

There is however a redistribution of wealth.
A is the winner, B is the loser, C is lucky that he is spared.
A few points worth noting -

(1) when a bubble is building up, the debt of individuals to one another in a country is also building up.
(2) This story of the island is a closed system whereby there is no other country and hence no foreign debt. The worth of the asset can only be calculated using the island's own currency. Hence, there is no net loss.
(3) An over-damped system is assumed when the bubble burst, meaning the land's value did not go down to below 1 dollar.
(4) When the bubble burst, the fellow with cash is the winner. The fellows having the land or extending loan to others are the losers. The asset could shrink or in worst case, they go bankrupt.
(5) If there is another citizen D either holding a dollar or another piece of land but refrains from taking part in the game, he will neither win nor lose. But he will see the value of his money or land goes up and down like a see saw.
(6) When the bubble was in the growing phase, everybody made money.
(7) If you are smart and know that you are living in a growing bubble, it is worthwhile to borrow money (like A) and take part in the game. But you must know when you should change everything back to cash.
(8) As in the case of land, the above phenomenon applies to stocks as well.
(9) The actual worth of land or stocks depends largely on psychology (or speculation)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Regards,

N

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Positive Approach

Positive Approach

Here's one from my numerous friends who keep me smiling!

Father : I want you to marry a girl of my choice.
Son : "I will choose my own bride!"
Father : "But, the girl is Bill Gates's daughter."
Son : "Well, in that case...OK"

Next Day
 
Father
approaches Bill Gates.
Father : "I have a husband for your daughter."
Bill Gates : "But, my daughter is too young to marry!"
Father : "But, this young man is a Vice-President of the World Bank."
Bill Gates : "Ah, in that case... OK"

Finally
Father goes to see the President of the World Bank.

Father :
"I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president. "
President : "But, I already have more Vice- Presidents than I need!"
Father : "But, this young man is Bill Gates's son-in-law."
President : "Ah, in that case... OK"


Moral: Even if you have nothing, you can get anything .........

Regards,

N

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Of dogs, human beings and their excreta

Of dogs, human beings and their excreta

Trust the Israelis to do things differently:

• http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/our-dog-feces-dream-is-finally-a-reality/

Wonder what their reaction will be when they travel by train to several parts of India (I'm too scared to mention the states for fear of repercussions!) - which will offer them remarkable scenes of human beings (of both sexes) doing their morning ablutions by the sides of railway tracks .... ... and quickly covering their FACES(!?!?!?!?!) when they hear the sounds of an oncoming train!!!

Regards,

N

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Why pregnant women are topple-proof?!?!?!?

Why pregnant women are topple-proof?!?!?!?

Look at the kind of stuff on which folks are investing precious time, money and energy - Scientists have actually studied the "topic" of pregnant women and why they don't lose balance and topple despite being "overgrown up front" - Read on:

• http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=RVRDSC8yMDA3LzEyLzE0I0FyMDEyMDA=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

Regards,

N

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Jumbos Pee to track family members!

Jumbos Pee to track family members!

This one is truly surprising. Didn't actually know about it earlier:

• http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=RVRDSC8yMDA3LzEyLzA2I0FyMDI0MDE=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

Regards,

N

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Gift of Life

Gift of Life

Read this touching news item:

• http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQ0gvMjAwOC8wNC8xNiNBcjAwMjAz&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

Brought back some of my faith in humanity. And a big smile. Wonder if I've already shared this one with you folks earlier. If so, my apologies for the repeat blog. But probably worth it.

Regards,

N

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You must be an Indian if ... ... ... ... ... ...

You must be an Indian if ... ... ... ... ... ...

• Everything you eat is savoured with garlic, onions and chillies.
• You try and re-use gift wrappers, gift boxes, and of course aluminium foil.
• You are standing next to the two largest size suitcases at the airport.
• You arrive one or two hours late to a party, and think it's normal.
• You peel the stamps off letters that the Postal Service missed to stamp.
• Your toilet has a plastic bowl next to the commode.
• All your children have pet names, which sound nowhere close to their real names.
• You talk for an hour at the front door when leaving someone's house.
• You load up the family car with as many people as possible.
• You use plastic to cover anything new in your house whether it's the remote control, VCR, carpet or new couch .
• You live with your parents even if you are 40 years old. (And they like it that way).
• If she is NOT your daughter, you always take interest in knowing whose daughter has run with whose son and feel it's your duty to spread the word.
• You only make long distance calls after 11pm.
• If you don't live at home, when your parents call, they ask if you've eaten, even if it's midnight.
• When your parents meet an Indian abroad for the first time and talk for a few minutes, you soon discover they are your relatives.
• Your parents don't realize phone connections to foreign countries have improved in the last two decades, and still scream at the top of their lungs while talking.
• You have bed sheets on your sofas so as to keep them from getting dirty.
• It's embarrassing if your wedding has less than 600 people.
• You list your daughter as "fair and slim" in the matrimonial no matter what she looks like.
• You're always interested to know/interfere in others' personal matters, what they are doing, where they are going, etc.
• You have really enjoyed reading this mail because you know some, or most of them, applies to you!

(Source: Yet another email from my loyal bunch of friends!)

Regards,

N

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Colleges ban "Aamir Khan - Ghajini" Hair-style

Colleges ban "Aamir Khan - Ghajini" Hair-style

All of you must have read the news item about colleges banning / restricting the now famous "Ghajini Hair-style" of Aamir Khan.

This one certainly brought a smile - A sad and perplexed smile, indeed:

• Firstly, don't the college / school authorities have anything better to do in terms of imparting education, inculcating values, etc.?
• Since when did the hair-style of an individual become so noteworthy as to be banned?
• Does this hair-style cause any lack of concentration, hygiene problems, etc.? Is it in any way indecent or vulgar?
• What happened to the concept of personal freedom and free choice?

My dear professors, please think it over!

Regards,

N

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Black & White

Black & White

Things are rarely black and white. Usually, they have different hues of grey.

However, here's a rare instance of new-born twins who are ... ... ... Guess what??? ... ... ... Black & White, indeed!

Check out this link:

• http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/17/1205061.aspx

Regards,

N

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Cat sent by parcel - Survives!

Cat sent by parcel - Survives

Here's a one suitable for "Ripley's Believe it or not!" - A true life story of a cat being sent by post/parcel, travelling a few hundred miles before being found out - alive and enjoying the trip!

Read on:

• http://www.young-germany.de/news-verwaltung/news-singleview/article/5824dcdb40/cat-gets-sent-across-germany-via-post.html?no_cache=1

Apparently, cats do seem to have nine lives!!!

Regards,

N

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Passenger-friendly Platforms @ Central Station

Passenger-friendly Platforms @ Central Station

I've had the opportunity to see the evolution of Central station, Chennai over the years. For at least the past 3-4 decades, it used to become increasingly difficult for passengers, especially senior citizens, to navigate the platforms without the assistance of the omnipresent (and, most unfortunately, omnipotent - at least within the precincts of the railway stations) porters.

Hence, it was indeed a most pleasant surprise a few days back when I had the occasion to catch a train at Chennai Central Station for a whole host of reasons:

• Firstly, the platforms were surprisingly spic and span
• Secondly, the floors of the platforms were smooth without being slippery, enabling people to use their trolleys
• Porters were still available for those who needed them, and a few of them whom I approached were actually polite and courteous - both in absolute terms and in relative terms in comparison with the (in)famous Autowallas of Chennai
• Quality of food & beverages - have certainly improved beyond recognition vis-a-vis what used to be available in yester-years
• The displays of arrival and departures - pretty visible compared to what used to be the case

In the midst of all the Public-sector battering that is increasingly fashionable in these "post-reform" years, here's another example of what can be achieved by the public sector folks with the right kind of leadership, motivation and a bit of competition (in this case from both the inter-city buses and low cost airlines).

Certainly brought a big beaming smile on my face.

Thanks a ton to all the folks who made it feasible.

Regards,

N

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Incredible Car-driving

Incredible Car-driving

Got this clipping from an uncle of mine. Watch this incredible display of driving skills:

• http://www.wonderfulinfo.com/wvideos.php?vid=27

Guess that these folks are fit enough to drive on Velachery Main Road, Chennai!

Regards,

N

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Drunken Wheelchair Driving!

Drunken Wheelchair Driving!

I wonder whether we should be smiling about it - After all,

• Driving on city roads is bad enough - nothing to smile about;
• Drinking (especially drinking too much) causes all kinds of negative consequences
• Drunken driving - a deadly combo - designed to kill
• Being on a wheel chair - certainly not a cause for smiling by itself.

But then, ... ... ... ... it is not every day that one comes across instances of someone in a wheelchair being accused of "Drunken driving of one's wheelchair" ... ... ... Read on:

• Canberra, Australia - http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2345430,00.html
• Berlin, Germany - http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2233116920070522
• Toronto, Canada - http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9906E4D91F30F93BA35755C0A9619C8B63

Regards,

N

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Want a proof of "Shining India"?

Want a proof of "Shining India"?

Wé've had anecdotal evidence about the kind of prosperity that Indians have achieved post-1991, post-liberalisation.

However, the fact that this economic prosperity has had other positive side-effects like increasing the average height of Indians is rather interesting.

Read on and be happy - A nice article by Udayan Ray in Outlook Money:

• http://www.outlookmoney.com/scripts/iih021c1_new.asp?sectionid=10&categoryid=75&articleid=7488

Regards,

N

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Impact of Translation

Impact of Translation

Dear friends,

 

Folks who know Tamil will know the pain... of this!! - The purpose is not to hurt the feelings of Tamilians, but to give an illustration of the impact of translation. Please do bear in mind when you watch the latest fancy of a lot of Tamil Channels - Vijay, Sun, Kalignar TV, among others - Of course, I'm referring to the trend of showing Hollywood movies in Tamil!

 

The identity of the original translator of this superhit song of Rajni is unknown.

 

Read on, and enjoy, if you can!

I AM AUTOFELLOW

 

I AM AUTOFELLOW

I am autofellow autofellow
Four knowing route fellow
Justice having rate fellow
Good people mix fellow
Nice singing song fellow
Gandhi borning country fellow
Stick take means hunter fellow
Big people's relation fellow
Mercy having mind fellow da
I am all poor's relative fellow da
I am always poor people's relative fellow da
Achak means achak only; Gumuk means gumuk only
Achak means achak only; Gumuk means gumuk only

Town become big, population become big
Bus expecting, half age over
Life become hectic in time, exist in corner of street
Ada eye beat means love coming they telling
You hand clap means auto coming I telling
Front coming look, this three-wheel chariot
Good come and arrive, you trust and climb up
Mercy having mind fellow da
I am always poor people's relative fellow da
Achak means achak only; Gumuk means gumuk only
Achak means achak only; Gumuk means gumuk only

Mummy motherfolk, danger not leave
Heat or cyclone, never I never tell
There there hunger take means, many savoury
Measurement food is one time
For pregnancy I come free mummy
Your child also name one I keep mummy
Letter lacking person ada trusting us and coming
Address lacking street ada auto fellow knowing
Achak means achak only ; Gumuk means gumuk only
Achak means achak only ; Gumuk means gumuk only

HOW IS IT!!!!!!!!

 

Super!

 

Regards,

N

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Plane Conversation

Plane Conversation

A stranger was seated next to Little Johnny on the plane when the stranger turned to the Little Johnny and said, "Let's talk. I've heard that flights will go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."

Little Johnny, who had just opened his book, closed it slowly, and said to the stranger, "What would you like to discuss?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the stranger. "How about nuclear power?"

"OK," said Little Johnny. "That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. "A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat grass. The same stuff. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?"

"Jeez," said the stranger. "I have no idea."

"Well, then," said Little Johnny, "How is it that you feel qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don't know shit?"

Moral: Kids will be kids - they often know better - Beware of kids!

Regards,

N

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(In)famous Interview Goof-ups

(In)famous Interview Goof-ups

This one is a nice article by Anne Fisher, Fortune.

 

While it does provoke incredulous smiles all around, it also makes us think and wonder?!?!?

(Fortune) -- Folks, with layoffs mounting, gas prices surreal, mortgage defaults on the rise, the stock market in a swoon, and much of the U.S. staggered by truly awful weather of one kind or another, we could all use a good laugh right about now. So how about a look at the results of a new poll of hiring managers, by staffing firm OfficeTeam (www.officeteam.com)? The firm's researchers spoke with executives at 1,000 big U.S. companies, plus 100 in Canada, and asked them to recall the most embarrassing or bizarre interview moments they had witnessed or heard of. A sampling of their answers:

"The person was dancing during the interview. He kept saying things like, 'I love life!' and 'Oh, yeah!'"

"One job applicant came in for his interview with a cockatoo on his shoulder."

"The candidate sent his sister to interview in his place."

"The candidate stopped the interview to ask me if I had a cigarette."

"We had one person who walked out of an interview straight into a glass door. The glass shattered."

"The candidate got his companies confused and repeatedly mentioned the strengths of a competing firm, thinking that was who he was interviewing with."

"A guy called me by the wrong name during the entire interview."

"We're a retail company, and when we asked the candidate why she wanted to work for us, she replied that she didn't want to work in retail anymore."

"An interviewee took his bubble gum out of his mouth and held it in his hand. Then he forgot about it and shook hands with me."

"A job seeker gestured with his hands so much that he then sat on them to stop it."

"A candidate fell asleep during the interview."

"An applicant was doing really well in the interview until we got to the question about why she had left her previous job. She told us everyone there was out to get her."

"A candidate insulted the interviewer's tie."

Okay, so these are obviously dumb moves - but what if something happens that falls into the category of plain bad luck? A few of the hiring managers in the survey mentioned candidates who suddenly fell ill during an interview. One hapless candidate had cut his lip shaving (alas, the cut opened up while he was talking and bled throughout the interview - ouch!).Interviewees have also been known to spill coffee on themselves or others.

"Handling problems gracefully may actually impress interviewers," notes Dave Willmer, OfficeTeam's executive director. "But if the situation can't be overcome, move on and focus on the next opportunity. It's a learning experience that will someday make an entertaining story." If you can bear to recall it.

Readers, what do you say?

Hope we'll avoid most of the above goof-ups!

Regards,

N

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Petrol - Costly or Cheap???

Petrol - Costly or Cheap???

Read this interesting article comparing prices of different liquids - Made me wonder whether I'm wrong in cribbing about zooming petrol prices!!!

• http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2008/apr/04inflation.htm

Regards,

N

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What should a "Pretty Young Thing" do to marry a rich guy?

What should a "Pretty Young Thing" do to marry a rich guy?

I've come across quite a few original and interesting stuff on the net.

Here's one such stuff which apparently represents a query of a pretty young thing who wants to "hook" a rich life partner, and the reply posted by someone claiming to be JP Morgan! Enjoy reading:

• http://tjenarvi.com/love/pretty-lady-wished-marry-a-rich-guy

Keep smiling!!!

Regards,

N

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Valuable Gift

Valuable Gift

Dear folks,

It is some time since I sent a post - I've been slightly busy doing "other things"!

However, here's something that will, hopefully, make up for lost time! Do read this wonderfully touching short story that I came across ... ... ... ... ...

• http://www.frozenthoughts.com/pdf_wisdom/apr_07.pdf

Regards,

N

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Thirsty Cat

Summer time - Even the cat is thirsty!

Chennai summer is back again.

And all of us are thirsty.

Even the cat:

Let's hope that nobody disturbs this poor little cat till it quenches its thirst!

Cheers!

N

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Gift of Life

Gift of Life

This is a touching example of organ donation - A "must read" for all of us

• http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQ0gvMjAwOC8wNC8xNiNBcjAwMjAw&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

 - And made me smile knowing that humanity still values the right things - at least in pockets.

Regards,

N

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Eight Amazing Facts You Didn't Know About the Internet

Eight Amazing Facts You Didn't Know About the Internet

Think that you know a lot about the internet???

 

Well if you do, keep reading and see how much you really know. The first Internet connection was made in 1960 and so those of you (including myself) who thought the Internet was relatively new, it will actually be 50 years old in two years time ! Not that new anymore, hey! So now let's get down to business!

1. The Internet took five years to reach 50 million people. Television, by comparison took 13 years and radio, 38! The Internet has grown amazingly fast!
2. Google had indexed an estimated 25 billion web pages at the start of 2007 and even Google can't index the whole web with millions more pages being added each day the web is huge beyond belief.
3. The average Internet user spends about 25 hours a month surfing the web in sessions lasting approximately 50 minutes while visiting over 1,100 pages.
4. In the US, more women use the Internet than men: 97 million women use the Internet compared with 90 million men (66% percent of women over the age of three and 64% of men over the age of three in the US)
5. The web still has a huge potential to grow as only around 2.9% of the world are online. You're not quite connected to the whole world yet!
6. For those of you that thought the US had the highest percentage of Internet users, actually it is Sweden. That one got me by surprise. In Sweden, 75% of people use the Internet!
7. The web is made up of code, mostly consisting of HTML and CSS and you can actually see the code of the page you are viewing by clicking view then page source on your browser! Give it a try, it will look like a load of gibberish at first, but if you spend some time learning it you will understand the Internet a lot better!

The guy who invented and coined the phrase World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, is really the guy who made the whole thing available to all of you who are using it right now!

(Source link: http://www.webupon.com/Web-Talk/Eight-Amazing-Facts-You-Didnt-Know-About-the-Internet.106027)

I'm sure that the above web site will lead you to many more such interesting facts!

Regards,

N

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Thank God for Small Mercies!

Thank God for Small Mercies!

Take a look at this news item in Fox News that was forwarded to me by a dear friend:

• http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,343128,00.html

I had actually seen a brief version of the same in Economic Times a couple of days back:

Toddlers can no longer marry in Arkansas

Arkansas' marriage-age crisis is over. A law that mistakenly allowed anyone — even toddlers — to marry with parental permission was repealed by a measure signed into law on Wednesday, ending embarrassment for the state and confusion for county clerks. Lawmakers didn't realise until after the end of last year's regular session that a law they approved, intended to establish 18 as the minimum age for marriage, instead removed the minimum age to marry entirely.

Good to know that child marriage is illegal once more at Arkansas!!!

Regards,

N

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Oh! For a Tech-free world ... ... ...

Oh! For a Tech-free World ... ... ... ...

Coming from me, this article by Jay Dubashi must sound even more funny:

• http://www.valueresearchonline.com/story/storyview.asp?str=11133

However, I often wonder why we can't live again in a world without:

• Mobile phones
• Emails
• Instant Messengers
• Blogs
• Second Life Avatars
• Faxes
• Aeroplanes
• Cars, bikes, scooters
• Submarines
• Computers
• Ipods

Come to think of it, not having the above will certainly make life much more relaxed.

While some of us will consider such a life dull and unexciting, such a life may bring back lots of "small things" that we've been living without for years (with a guilty feeling right through, in many cases):

• A walk in the park with one's spouse - chatting with her (and not through mobiles and laptops)
• A morning on the terrace, watching the sun rise
• A trip (by the so-called tortuous bus / train) to a distant village and a nearby forest / hill / river
• Listening to the chirping of birds
• Just sitting by the banks of a small pond and throwing small stones into the pond
• Chasing a butterfly
• Trying to pluck that flower that is just out of reach
• Writing a post card to a dear old friend (if we can figure out her / his postal address)
• Sitting under the banyan tree (if we can recall what one looks like) and gossiping with friends
• Leaning on a pillar (if we can still locate one) and reading a novel
• Sleeping till 10 am, staying awake till 3 am - preferably both on the same day

While not all of the above are within the realms of possibility, one must certainly try to think of such a life at a point of time not too far off in the future.

Regards,

N

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George Carlin's Views on Age

George Carlin's Views on Age

Got this from yet another of my regular sources - RA.

Do read - not only provokes a smile, but also makes one think.

Thanks, RA!

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Quite interesting, pls read on .......................
 
Rgds
RA

 


George Carlin on age.

George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21 YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!'
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them , at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

And if you don't send this to at least 8 people - who cares? But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

Regards,

N

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