What this amazing video where Pranav Mistry’s Sixth Sense is showcased !!
WHENEVER
I find a little time at my city railway station
while waiting to receive somebody,
I make it a point to spend that time
near the railway parcel office.
There is this guy
(Management guru)
in his late forties
who works as an unofficial agent
for handling railway parcel goods both coming in and going out.
I have been observing this character
for the last eight years
and I wonder with
what alacrity he manages the show.
He is a school dropout,
wears a rustic look and is a down-to-earth person.
He possesses all the characteristics
of a corporate CEO.
Please wait while images are being loaded…..
He has five to six loyal chaps to assist him,
a fleet of autos and trolley rickshaws
for transporting goods.
I do not know
the personal chemistry between him and his staff,
but all of them are very loyal to him.
He knows his job thoroughly
— he can make out the contents of a parcel,
its destination, its value and its tax component.
No parcel can come in or go out at the station
without his knowledge.
No parcel is ever misplaced, lost or wrongly delivered.
Nobody has ever complained about his service.
He collects his commission also with equal ease.
His information network is one of the best
I have ever seen.
Apart from his own trade,
he keeps the latest information from
all around the world like the US presidential election
to capitation fee of a particular engineering college.
He maintains an excellent rapport with
all government departments relating to his trade.
He keeps the local musclemen in good humour
for the smooth flow of his trade and to keep rivals at bay.
He has a positive frame of mind,
full of energy and vigour with new ideas to solve problems.
He has a good sense of humour as well.
Overall,
he is a good soul,
helpful and highly religious.
He observes all pujas and festivals
with utmost sincerity.
He will go on lecturing on religious topics.
No one will return without having a cup of tea with him.
If a known person happens to board a train,
he will see that the person
is comfortably seated in the train.
He will give a bottle of mineral water
and some eatables for the journey without fail.
Similarly,
if he happens to see
an acquaintance alighting from the train,
he will ensure that the person reaches home safely
in one of his autorickshaws.
He donates money generously
to temples, pujas and charity,
which is quite akin to corporate social responsibility.
By doing all these he has earned
a lot of goodwill from the people around.
Therefore whenever he is in need,
help automatically reaches him.
I often wonder that here is a person without
any formal education who is able to develop
a comprehensive and flexible system for achieving,
sustaining and maximising business success.
He has achieved with his simple management tricks
what an IIM educated manager will find difficult to achieve.
He tells the story of his life
— his path from rags to riches after taking a couple of drinks.
He has shown that
real leadership
is not about prestige, power or status.
It is about responsibility.
There is a lot to learn from this
ever happy and smiling management guru.
It was a sports stadium.
Eight Children were standing on the track to participate in the running event.
* Ready! * Steady! * Bang !!!
With the sound of Toy pistol , all eight girls started running .
Hardly have they covered ten to fifteen steps , one of the smaller girl s slipped and fell down , due to bruises and pain she started crying .
When other seven girls heard this sound , stopped running, stood for a while and turned back , they all ran back to the place where the girl fell down.
One among them bent, picked and kissed the girl gently and enquired ‘ Now pain must have reduced’ . All seven girls lifted the fallen girl , pacified her, two of them held the girl firmly and they all seven joined hands together and walked together and reached the winning post.
Officials were shocked . Clapping of thousands of spectators filled the stadium. Many eyes were filled with tears and perhaps it had reached the GOD even!
YES. This happened in Hyderabad [ INDIA ], recently!
The sport was conducted by National Institute of Mental Health .
All these special girls had come to participate in this event and they are spastic children .
Yes, they were mentally retarded Challenged .
What did they teach this world?
Teamwork?
Humanity?
Equality among all?Huh?
Successful people help others who are slow in learning so that they are not left far behind. This is really a great message… spread it!
We can’t do this ever because we have brains!!!!!!!!!
In 1930, C. V. Raman was the first `non-white’, Asian and Indian to receive the Nobel Prize in physics for his work on scattering of light and discovery of the Raman Effect.
The Nobel prize is one of the prizes known to a great part of the non-scientific public and is considered as the highest honor to be awarded to scientists. Raman received the Nobel Prize in a record time of two years after his prize- winning discovery.
Niels Bohr (1885-1962), who received the Nobel prize in 1922 for investigation on the structure of atoms and the radiation emanating from them, had contacts with Raman. In a letter dated 21 March 1923 he wrote `We often think of your visit here some years ago, and I hope very much that I shall have the pleasure of meeting you again before too long’. In the same letter he wrote, `I take this opportunity to express my most cordial congratulations to you to your great discovery of the new radiation phenomenon which has added so immensely to our knowledge of optics and atomic physics’. Bohr stated, `This phenomenon (Raman effect), the explanation of which agrees so well with the quantum theoretical ideas, will undoubtedly become a most important source in increasing our knowledge of the states of the atoms or molecules of matter in transitions, between which their characteristic spectra are emitted.’ (N. Bohr to the Nobel Committee for physics, Translated from Danish.)
C. T. R. Wilson (1869-1959), who received the Nobel prize in the year 1927 and E. Rutherford (1871-1937), wrote, `. . . There seems to be no doubt that a study of the change of frequency in liquid and solid media provides valuable information on the natural frequencies associated with the molecules-information which is difficult to obtain by other methods-and will prove of great service in increasing our knowledge. . . We are both of (the) opinion that Raman is a physicist of exceptional ability, who in the difficult conditions in his own country has built up a successful school of research which has already produced work of high quality. He is a man strong both on the theoretical and experimental side and this is well illustrated by many of his papers. We are of the opinion that his work is of the outstanding quality required for this great honor.
J. Stark (1874-1957), who also got the Nobel prize in 1919 for his discovery of the Doppler effect in canal rays and the splitting of the spectral lines in an electric field, pointed out the practical side of the discovery by Raman. He observed, `Answering your invitation I present to you a proposal for the Nobel prize in physics for the year 1930, and to be precise I propose: Professor C. V. Raman in Calcutta for the discovery of the effect of the change in the frequency of light when scattered which was named after him. This discovery means-independent of the transience of theories-a permanent progress in the knowledge of physical reality.’ (J. Stark to the Nobel Committee, Translated from German.)
R. Pfeiffer from Breslau praised not only the discovery of the effect but also the earlier research works of Raman. He stated, `I propose the professor of physics at the University of Calcutta Venkata Raman (Fellow of the Royal Society) for this year’s Nobel prize for physics. Professor Raman has developed a fruitful research work since several decades from which I want to mention only his extensive investigations about the acoustics of Indian musical instruments and those about the diffraction of light in molecules (Tyndall phenomenon). These latter investigations led him to his great discovery namely the establishment of the effect which was named after him (Raman effect); as a result, Raman moved up to the very front of those physicists studying the problems of modern atomic physics. The Raman effect provides inner Eigen frequencies of the molecules that means a property of them due to their inner constitution, that means it (the effect) provides a powerful method for the exploration of molecules. It is of particular interest that the Eigen frequencies determined by this method which are situated in the spectral range of ultra-red frequently cannot be found by the help of spectroscopic methods. Therefore ultra-red research and Raman Effect have a stimulating influence upon one another so that everyday surprises us with fresh evidence. In summary, I have to express my conviction that the Raman Effect is one of the most important and most fruitful discoveries of the last years.’ (R. Pfeiffer to the Nobel Committee, Translated from German.)
The above evidences amply show that experts in the field recognized his work, which qualified him for the Nobel Prize.
Thus, Raman received the Nobel prize `for his work on diffusion of light and for the effect named after him’. The objections raised by some historians that Raman did not share the Nobel prize with others or that the Committee ignored Raman’s collaborators as well as Russian colleagues is not correct; as he was awarded the Prize not only for the Raman effect, but for other work in this field as well. The Nobel Committee had to take the decision according to certain rules and regulations imposed on it by the Nobel Foundation. Raman was nominated 10 times and the nominators wrote convincing recommendations in favor of him; thus the Committee decided for Raman. He received the Nobel prize in record time due the practical significance of the discovery, as well as the good opinion of the famous contemporary scientists about his work.
The article is originally by : Rajinder Singh and Falk Riess and can be found at http://www.iisc.ernet.in/~currsci/nov10/articles33.htm
“The whole problem lies in serious preparation for work of this kind, and in the actual formation of the proposed societies.”
- Henry Dunant.
Dunant remains a mysterious person, despite the pages written about him. As a boy he was quiet and spent his time mainly in study, in enjoying family picnics, and in taking solitary walks in the lovely country around Geneva. As he grew older, he exhibited personal magnetism. He could stir people to enthusiasm by his writing and private talks, although none of the projects in which he was interested turned into a permanent occupation.
For an idea to attract Dunant, it apparently had to be something grand and almost impossible to achieve. Surely, the basic ideas behind the Red Cross looked impossible enough to suit the most idealistic: to muster and train volunteer help in peacetime; to get national governments to agree on neutral aid to the wounded; to protect medical and nursing personnel; and to furnish necessary relief supplies. He was influential in the founding of the international YMCA, which had its first meeting in Paris in 1855.
Nothing in Dunant’s early history, however, prepared him for the realities of war. The casualties of Solferino shook him to the depths and brought on the “craving” to serve humanity.
The moral sense of the importance of human life; the humane desire to lighten a little the torments of all these poor wretches; the furious and relentless activity which a man summons up at such moments: all these create a kind of energy which gives one a positive craving to relieve as many as one can.
The moral energy of Dunant made him the prophet of the Red Cross. His craving to bring relief to humanity in pain has made itself felt throughout the world.
Red Cross ideal: “Tutti fratelli,” which means, “All are brothers.”
Two Choices . . .
What would you do?….you make the choice. Don’t look for a punch line, there isn’t one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?
At a fund raising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: “When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. “I believe, that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”
Then he told the following story:
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, “We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.”
Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still
behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the there team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved n a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, “Shay, run to first! Run to first!” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the
baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, “Run to second, run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball … the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, “Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay”
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, “Run to third! Shay, run to third!”
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, “Shay, run home! Run home!” Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.
“That day”, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world”.
Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
Hopefully this stub will change the racist mindset which still exists in some people. There was an article written earlier which pointed out the racism in America. This compilation is superb and thought is worth sharing it with fellow readers 
A very humorous and revealing story is told about a group of white people who were fed up with African Americans, so they joined together and wished themselves away. They passed through a deep dark tunnel and emerged in sort of a twilight zone where there is an America without black people.
At first these white people breathed a sigh of relief.
At last, they said, No more crime, drugs, violence and welfare.
All of the blacks have gone! Then suddenly, reality set in. The “NEW AMERICA†is not America at all-only a barren land.
1. There are very few crops that have flourished because the nation was built on a slave-supported system.
2. There are no cities with tall skyscrapers because Alexander Mils, a black man, invented the elevator, and without it, one finds great difficulty reaching higher floors.
3. There are few if any cars because Richard Spikes, a black man, invented the automatic gearshift, Joseph Gambol, also black, invented the Super Charge System for Internal Combustion Engines, and Garrett A. Morgan, a black man, invented the traffic signals.
4. Furthermore, one could not use the rapid transit system because its procurer was the electric trolley, which was invented by another black man, Albert R. Robinson.
5. Even if there were streets on which cars and a rapid transit system could operate, they were cluttered with paper because an African American, Charles Brooks, invented the street sweeper.
6. There were few if any newspapers, magazines and books because John Love invented the pencil sharpener, William Purveys invented the fountain pen, and Lee Barrage invented the Type Writing Machine and W. A. Love invented the Advanced Printing Press. They were all, you guessed it, Black.
7. Even if Americans could write their letters, articles and books, they would not have been transported by mail because William Barry invented the Postmarking and Canceling Machine, William Purveys invented the Hand Stamp and Philip Downing invented the Letter Drop.
8. The lawns were brown and wilted because Joseph Smith invented the Lawn Sprinkler and John Burr the Lawn Mower.
9. When they entered their homes, they found them to be poorly ventilated and poorly heated. You see, Frederick Jones invented the Air Conditioner and Alice Parker the Heating Furnace. Their homes were also dim. But of course, Lewis Lattimer later invented the Electric Lamp, Michael Harvey invented the lantern and Granville T. Woods invented the Automatic Cut off Switch. Their homes were also filthy because Thomas W. Steward invented the Mop and Lloyd P. Ray the Dust Pan.
10. Their children met them at the door- barefooted, shabby, motley and unkempt. But what could one expect? Jan E. Matzelinger invented the Shoe Lasting Machine, Walter Sammons invented the comb, Sarah Boone invented the Ironing Board, and George T. Samon invented the Clothes
Dryer.
11. Finally, they were resigned to at least have dinner amidst all of this turmoil. But here again, the food had spoiled because another Black Man, John Standard invented the refrigerator.
Now, isn’t that something? What would this country be like without the contributions of Blacks, as African-Americans?
Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “by the time we leave for work, Americans have depended on the inventions from the minds of Blacks.â€
Black history includes more than just slavery, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Marcus Garvey &W.E.B. Dubois.
As the article shows, there is a lot more than just slavery. The achievements by the blacks in America is far more than actually appreciated. Just imagine the world without their achievements.
Learn to respect people for what they are not for the color they have .
[tags]racism, anti racism article, racism against blacks, achievements by blacks in America [/tags]
Today, 8th of March is International Women’s Day (IWD). Everyone speaks how a modern woman should be, what she should be doing and how she’s supposed to live. But, not very often we get to hear about incidences, which speaks about a Woman’s Bravery Act. It’s not that women are not brave. Just that media really doesn’t showcase such issues … well probably they would if they get time from covering episodes over episodes of the political warfare which most of the times make no sense or is of no importance to a common man.
When the whole world was busy with their hectic schedule, not having time to know what’s happening in their neighborhood, a smart teenager took control of the situation when an intruder tried to break in to her house.
Loon girl is not just another hot teenager. She’s a smart teenager as well. Her dad’s away to India and at this point of time its just her mom n Loony at home. Perfect time for someone to break in to her house isn’t it and that’s what exactly happened, someone did try to break in!!
But our brave Loony didn’t lose her composure in such a moment. She stayed calm, took control of the situation and made the scene look very simple. It’s definitely not all that simple to think and act accordingly in such a situation.
Loony’s post points out a few important precautionary notes that everyone should keep in mind:
1>Necessary or unnecessary lock all the doors when you are home alone. Recheck them to ensure they are locked properly.
2>When you sense danger, don’t assume them to be one of your hallucinations. For all you might know it might be real danger lurking around.
3>It’s always a good practice to know your neighbours in person. Not that you need to spend hours together with each other, but knowing them personally and having their contact numbers can be really helpful especially if live in one of those suburb regions. It’s better if both of you discuss about such situations before hand and be prepared for it.
4>Its always better have burglary alarm at home and LEARN to activate it.
5>Know the numbers where the police can be contacted in such times. It’s advisable to store their number in the emergency list. Most phones give this feature by default; just learn to activate and use it.
6>Never allow strangers inside when you are alone, no matter who they claim to be. If you find anything or anyone suspicious immediately call the police.
7>There are a lot of these self-protective eye sprays available in town. Always make sure you keep one with you. It’s useful even when you are out alone.
8>Most important of all, learn to deal with the situations in a calm n composed way. If you panic that’s when you tend to do all sort of mistakes and put yourself in a more messier situation. Think and act smart and kick those butts :-p
Well if anyone is interested in knowing Loon gal up close then here you go … She’s definitely an hero
[tags]Fight intruders, stay calm under pressure, things to keep in mind when someone breaks in, calm, composed [/tags]
They say that perfection is an unattainable state. Yet, there was a woman who showed a glimpse of perfection through a portrayal of her ideal world, with ideal men and women. Her name was Ayn Rand. An excellent writer, she went a step ahead of most writers and created a unique philosophy of her own, known as “Objectivismâ€, which outlined her philosophy and vision about how life on earth can and perhaps, should be lived. Though the validity of her vision of perfection can be argued to be relative, her fans choose to believe that what she advocated is and will remain true perfection.
Many people consider her an extremist, which no doubt she can be called, in that she never compromised with her basic values and always stuck to her beliefs. Maybe her extreme aversion to communism can partly be attributed to the fact that she actually experienced living in Soviet Russia, and endured the appalling conditions there. Also, her devotion to individualism guaranteed antipathy to any form of totalitarianism.
Though she was born in Russia, she accepted America as her home. Born in 1905, she was witness to the political turmoil in Russia by the time Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown. She supported the Kerensky revolution, and denounced the Bolshevik Revolution. Her yearning for a free nation with no force or control is understandable in the face of the fact that she encountered the true nature of collectivism in which an individual’s life is meaningless and all that matters is a huge, mindless collectivity. Her flight to America and her job as a screen writer there are well known facts, as is her fifty year old marriage to actor Frank O’ Connor.
Before she left Russia, an acquaintance had asked her to tell the world the truth about the conditions in Bolshevik Russia, describing it as “a huge cemeteryâ€. In her first novel, “We the living†she showcased the effects of a totalitarian regime in the context of Russia and through her principle characters showed how it could have only three ends in any sane individual – death, suicide or an extreme apathy towards life, a condition where the soul dies.
The protagonist, Kira, is one of the strongest characters she ever created, being the principle and most superior character in the novel. Kira represents Ayn Rand herself in terms of her values, as Miss Rand herself puts it, “The specific events of Kira’s life were not mine; her ideas, her convictions, her values, were and areâ€. Leo and Andrei are the other two main characters who represent versions of the arrogant individualist and the misguided but honest man who understands his mistakes too late, respectively.
Ayn Rand had just learned English when she began developing this novel, yet her descriptions and portrayal of the situations and characters in this book are stark, honest and extremely beautiful. Even though she herself managed to escape to the States, Kira dies in the attempt, bearing Leo’s love still in her heart and the vision of the success of her personal revolt against outside and unwanted coercion. The last line of the book says it all, as it describes how a shot Kira lies dying just outside the Russian border, in her white dress and in the white snow, “She smiled, her last smile, to so much that had been possibleâ€.
The book also uncovered the blatant hypocrisy of the communists, who claimed that their system of government was the most extreme form of democracy. In fact, what had happened under the Bolsheviks was just a transfer of power from the bourgeoisie to the so called proletariat. The people were no more equal than they had been under the Tsar. Miss Rand also contradicted the assumption some people tend to make, that communism is not pragmatic as a practice but ideal as an ideology. However, her two masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged are perhaps better known and more popular than all of the other works that she produced.
The Fountainhead is about the core values that Miss Rand prized, within the context of the creative work of an individual, the pioneer, the creator, Howard Roark. Atlas Shrugged is about the relationship between these kinds of people and the rest of the world and what happens to the world without them. Howard Roark is the personification of the qualities of self esteem and independence, and his character is delightfully uncompromising and full of integrity. His indifference to people like Toohey, who know of his worth and are consciously out to destroy him, and his pity of Keating, the inefficient parasite in his life, makes him a very strong and admirable character. Dominique’s love for an equal match in Roark, Keating’s hatred for being dependent on the brilliance of his mind, Wynand’s potential to be like him and Toohey’s extreme polarity to him mark the other major features of The Fountainhead.
Here was a woman who refused to believe that as a human being, she had inherited the original sin, and that in itself shows her rejection of determinism in any form whatsoever. She glorified a human as a heroic being, yet she claimed that a normal human being can and should be like the characters she created, and that there was nothing extraordinary or impossible about that. As she says, “I trust that no one will tell me that men such as I write about don’t exist. That this book has been written – and published, is my proof that they do.â€
In Atlas Shrugged, John Galt personifies all that a perfect person could be, and shades of him are strongly seen in the other amazing characters like Dagny, Francisco and Ragnald.It has a complex and brilliant plot in which Miss Rand demonstrates what can happen to the world if the prime movers, i.e. the people who move the world and make everything work but are often not given credit for it, especially in the realm of ideas-go on strike.
In this “Strike†of Atlas, i.e. symbolically the people who hold the world on their shoulders and thus make it function, the supreme irony lies in the fact that such people are the ones who never declare strikes, while all the rest of the world which functions because of them, does so repeatedly. Though Galt appears only in the last part of this magnum opus, his presence is felt throughout the novel, as everybody repeats the refrain “Who is John Galt?†and Dagny yearns for her ideal and builds the “John Galt†line, one of her greatest achievements as a railroad runner. It demonstrates the primary mistake of the prime movers, their acceptance of bad treatment by less efficient people who have no right to do so, and shows the ultimate rebellion, and victory, of the great mind against brute force.
Apart from these books, she has written Anthem, a novelette which portrays an imaginary society which is completely collectivized and how even one individualist can make a difference and create an entirely new and improved world of his/her own. Miss Rand’s fiction works are widely known and acclaimed and those who are inspired by them choose to go deeper into her philosophy through the other writing that she has produced. However, essentially these books contain the applications of her unique philosophy and open the reader up to the world of one of the most inspiring and influential thinkers of our time. As Miss Rand said, a human being is essentially an individualist, and she considered it her duty to keep reminding everyone of this fact.
So as long as a great mind is appreciated in this world and the values of self esteem, integrity and independence exist, Ayn Rand will be immortal.
[tags]Ayn Rand, Objectivism, We the living, Fountainhead [/tags]