Life is Beautiful

This is a reallly touching story...definitely share it with those you know!

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always therefor her. She told her boyfriend, "If I could only see the world, I will marry you."

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her, 'Now that you can see the world, will youmarry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote anote to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, before they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a Gift
Today before you say an unkind word -Think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.
Today before you complain about life -Think of someone who went too early to heaven.
Before you complain about your children -Think of someone who desires children but they'rebarren.
Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep -Think of the people who are living in the streets.
Before whining about the distance you drive -Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.
But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another -Remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one MAKER.
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down -Put a smile on your face and thank GOD you're alive and still around.

People of the Year

The Person of the Year: Vladimir Putin

In a year when Al Gore (very nice article about another man who really defined this year) won the Nobel Peace Prize and green became the new red, white and blue; when the combat in Iraq showed signs of cooling but Baghdad's politicians showed no signs of statesmanship; when China, the rising superpower, juggled its pride in hosting next summer's Olympic Games with its embarrassment at shipping toxic toys around the world (a great article on Hu Jintao, one of the reformers behind China's great success); and when J.K. Rowling (very interesting insight for Harry Potter fans) set millions of minds and hearts on fire with the final volume of her 17-year saga—one nation that had fallen off our mental map, led by one steely and determined man, emerged as a critical linchpin of the 21st century.

Russia lives in history—and history lives in Russia. Throughout much of the 20th century, the Soviet Union cast an ominous shadow over the world. It was the U.S.'s dark twin. But after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Russia receded from the American consciousness as we became mired in our own polarized politics. And it lost its place in the great game of geopolitics, its significance dwarfed not just by the U.S. but also by the rising giants of China and India. That view was always naive. Russia is central to our world—and the new world that is being born. It is the largest country on earth; it shares a 2,600-mile (4,200 km) border with China; it has a significant and restive Islamic population; it has the world's largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction and a lethal nuclear arsenal; it is the world's second largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia; and it is an indispensable player in whatever happens in the Middle East. For all these reasons, if Russia fails, all bets are off for the 21st century. And if Russia succeeds as a nation-state in the family of nations, it will owe much of that success to one man, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

No one would label Putin a child of destiny. The only surviving son of a Leningrad factory worker, he was born after what the Russians call the Great Patriotic War, in which they lost more than 26 million people. The only evidence that fate played a part in Putin's story comes from his grandfather's job: he cooked for Joseph Stalin, the dictator who inflicted ungodly terrors on his nation.

When this intense and brooding KGB agent took over as President of Russia in 2000, he found a country on the verge of becoming a failed state. With dauntless persistence, a sharp vision of what Russia should become and a sense that he embodied the spirit of Mother Russia, Putin has put his country back on the map. And he intends to redraw it himself. Though he will step down as Russia's President in March, he will continue to lead his country as its Prime Minister and attempt to transform it into a new kind of nation, beholden to neither East nor West.

TIME's Person of the Year is not and never has been an honor. It is not an endorsement. It is not a popularity contest. At its best, it is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world—for better or for worse. It is ultimately about leadership—bold, earth-changing leadership. Putin is not a boy scout. He is not a democrat in any way that the West would define it. He is not a paragon of free speech. He stands, above all, for stability—stability before freedom, stability before choice, stability in a country that has hardly seen it for a hundred years. Whether he becomes more like the man for whom his grandfather prepared blinis—who himself was twice TIME's Person of the Year—or like Peter the Great, the historical figure he most admires; whether he proves to be a reformer or an autocrat who takes Russia back to an era of repression—this we will know only over the next decade. At significant cost to the principles and ideas that free nations prize, he has performed an extraordinary feat of leadership in imposing stability on a nation that has rarely known it and brought Russia back to the table of world power. For that reason, Vladimir Putin is TIME's 2007 Person of the Year.

Also, Rowling answers questions about Harry!!! Want to know what Harry ends up doing with his career? Are Harry and Voldemort related? Many cool answers here...

Joke of the Day

There was this Christian lady that had to do a lot of traveling for her business, so she did a lot of flying. Flying made her nervous, so she always took her Bible along with her to read and it helped relax her. One time, she was sitting next to a man. When he saw her pull out her Bible, he gave a little chuckle and went back to what he was doing. After awhile, he turned to her and asked, "You don't really believe all that stuff in there do you?" The lady replied, "Of course I do. It is the Bible." He said, "Well, what about that guy that was swallowed by that whale?" She replied, "Oh, Jonah. Yes, I believe that, it is in the Bible." He asked, "Well, how do you suppose he survived all that time inside the whale?" The lady said, "Well, I don't really know. I guess when I get to heaven, I will ask him." "What if he isn't in heaven?" the man asked sarcastically. "Then you can ask him." replied the lady.

How Much Gold Do You Want??? The choice is yours...

For those of you who were there Saturday night at the gathering, this story will be a repeat. But for those who weren't, here it is...

There was once a king who ruled over a great kingdom. One day a seer told him, however, that a great tragedy was to befall the kingdom. The king asked if there was any way to prevent this. The seer replied that there was: he had to go to a beggar and beg to him for food during the special hours of a certain day.

The king found this to be slightly odd. Here was a great king who had only given to others, never asked. And of all people he had to go to a beggar to ask. But he cared greatly about his people and so even if it meant losing a little dignity, he was ready to do it.

So the king set out on the specific day looking for a beggar. Because his kingdom was so prosperous and virtuous, there were very few beggars. However finally he spotted on and told his charioteer to rush towards him. The beggar saw that the king's chariot was approaching and got excited. He knew that if he begged in front of the king, he would get a reward so great that he would neve have to beg again.

When the king stopped his chariot next to the beggar, he got down, took off his crown and kneeled in front of the beggar and asked him for food. The beggar was shocked but at the same time he knew that he had to give something. So he reached into his bag of rice and grabbed a fistful of rice. Then he thought to himself that this was the king and surely he must have plenty. So he clenched his hand a little tighter and let some rice fall from his fist. Even this seemed like too much. He clenched his hand a little tighter until only a few grains of rice remained. He gave these to the king.

Happy that he had avoided a tragedy, the king got on his chariot without saying anything and sped away to avoid further embarassment. The beggar, confused and perplexed by the whole event, went home and gave the food he had gathered that day to his wife. When his wife took the rice out to cook dinner, she noticed a few shining grains. She grabbed one and looked at it more closely. It was a piece of gold!

She called her husband and asked him where he got these pieces of gold from. Confused, he stopped to think about his odd day. Suddenly it hit him; every grain of rice that he had given to the king had become a grain of gold! He told the story to his wife and he regretted having only given the king so little.

The questions is what will you give? We are all given the chance to give something to God? How much of your time, your effort, your efficiency, your resources will you give?

Here is an inspiring video clip I was sent that shows this spirit of effort and giving...

Why Should I read the Geeta?

An old Farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Bhagavad Geeta. His grandson
wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.

One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavad Geeta just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bhagavad Geeta do?"

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."

The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.

This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try
again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket
was again empty.

Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bhagavad Geeta. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Krishna in our lives."

Count Your Blessings!

WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, "This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received."

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them. "I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section," my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed "How is it that there is no work going on here?" I asked. "So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments ."

"How does one acknowledge God's blessings?" I asked.

"Simple," the angel answered. Just say, "Thank you, Lord."

"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked.

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy."

"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity." "If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day ."

"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 700 million people in the world."

"If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world ."

"If your parents are still alive ...you are very rare."

"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair."

Have a good day, count your blessings!!!

Cartoons to Make Us Think

Mr. Bush has erred once again...what an embarassment. Now the question is, does Iran even hav any WMD??? Or are we just trying to take over the world again?

Does it really matter who we elect? Will it all be the same anyways? By no means am I pushing for political apathy. I think everyone should and must participate in a democracy by voting but it is interesting to see if all of these individuals who claim to be so different are really all that different. Are we just choosing between the same thing served as different names?

Joke of the Day

A Florist's Mistake

On opening his new store, a man received a bouquet of flowers. He became dismayed on reading the enclosed card, that it expressed "Deepest Sympathy". While puzzling over the message, his telephone rang. It was the florist, apologizing for having sent the wrong card. "Oh, it's alright." said the storekeeper. "I'm a businessman and I understand how these things can happen." "But," added the florist, "I accidentally sent your card to a funeral party." "Well, what did it say?" ask the storekeeper. "'Congratulations on your new location'." was the reply.

Expanding Our Horizons...

This article is about a new form of graffiti that is being used thanks to modern technology...LASERS! Basically you use a laser beam to make an image on a building. Kinda cool idea: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1693044,00.html

Also, an ebola breakout! For those who don't know, ebola is probably the most contagious disease ever and it is lethal. You read about in biology sometimes but you never think there could be an actual outbreak... http://www.newsweek.com/id/74101/page/2

And talk about needing to expand our horizons...the US continues to be stubborn about doing anything for our environment. This morning, Al Gore was on CNN and he was talking about how we really only have 5-6 years to make significant changes in the way we live if we want to save our environment the way it is. The US is the biggest polluter per person in the world and yet we aren't willing to follow any rules... http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/washington/AP-Bali-Climate-Conference.html

Brad Pitt: An Actor with More to Life...

I read this article and really enjoyed it! It was one of the few times I've seen an article really talking about the humanity of these actors. I must say I have new respect for the man and tip my hat off to him. I love how he says that he enjoys the fame because he can use it for something more in life. We should all strive to be great (whether it be fame, money, or power) but after we achieve greatness, use it for the right purpose....

Pitt: Acting becoming 'less a focus'

(CNN) -- Actor Brad Pitt plans to focus on rebuilding New Orleans and extending his family, he told CNN's Larry King -- but acting may not be in his long-term future.

"It's become less and less a focus as I get older," he said in the interview, scheduled to air Wednesday night on "Larry King Live." "I think it's really more of a younger man, younger woman's game."

He hasn't ruled it out completely -- "I'd like to drop in if I'm still invited every few years or so," he told King -- but he said he wants to pursue some other interests as well.

"At this point, I'd rather -- it takes so much time, [and] there's just other things I'd rather be doing," said Pitt, who soon turns 44, during the course of a freewheeling interview. Watch Pitt speak lovingly of his children »

Right now, Pitt's primary goal is to help rebuild New Orleans. On Monday, the actor announced plans to build 150 eco-friendly homes in the Louisiana city's Lower 9th Ward, an area devastated by Hurricane Katrina. In the storm's aftermath, the community's housing stock was largely demolished, leaving many of its residents living in trailers. Watch King tour the 9th Ward »

Pitt, who purchased a French Quarter mansion in New Orleans earlier this year with Angelina Jolie, said he's met 9th Ward residents who "did everything right" -- worked hard, bought homes, sent kids to college -- but now feel abandoned.

"It wasn't just -- you can't call this an act of God," he said of Katrina. "This was a man-made failure. This should not have happened.

"These were levee failures ... mistakes with destroying the barriers that once protected this city. ... Now I don't [think] it was a dastardly evil move on someone's part. It was a chain of events that culminated into this horrific event.

"But it can be fixed," he said. Gallery: Behind the scenes at the New Orleans project »

Pitt said his Make It Right project won't stop with rebuilding the Lower 9th Ward. The ultimate goal is to build eco-friendly homes throughout New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

He said his interest in the environment has changed the way he and Jolie live. They have installed a water capture system and solar power in their California home. There's no "concept of waste" in nature, he said.

"Anything that's discarded becomes fuel or becomes food for something else," he said. "We can be living the same way."

He urged people to go to his project's Web site -- www.makeitrightnola.org -- to learn how they could contribute. He also called on foundations, corporations and wealthy individuals to contribute.

Pitt gave $5 million to Make It Right.

He also acknowledged that he's uncomfortable being a celebrity. Watch Pitt on the fulfillment of parenthood »

"Well, I duck and jive," he said about being in the spotlight. "Keep my head down."

Celebrity, though, is useful when he can leverage it for a good cause, he added.

"The press uses me," he said. "I use it."

He doesn't like, however, how the paparazzi use his four children.

"They call out my kids by name, shove cameras in their faces," Pitt said. "... My kids believe that any time you go outside the house, it's just a wall of photographers, people that take your picture. That is their view of the world. I worry about the effect it will have on them."

Despite the unwelcome attention, Pitt told King that he wants more children with Jolie. "We're just getting started," he said.

He called Jolie a "fantastic" mother.

"Dedicated, kids first," he said. "[She's] really inventive and great fun to them and very, very protective."

He and Jolie rarely argue, he said.

"No, not really," he said. "[We] challenge each other a lot. Have good fun with that."

Joke of the Day

A little entertainment to lighten your day...

A rabbi, a priest and a pastor were all in a boat together fishing. The pastor said to the others, "I think I am going to go over to that shore and sit down." So, he gets out of the boat, walks across the water and sits down on the shore. Then, the priest says to the rabbi, "I think I going to go over there to join him." So, he does the same as the pastor and sits next to him on the shore. The rabbi thinks to himself, "Well, if they can do it, so can I!" So, he climbs out of the boat, but he falls in the water. The pastor says to the priest, "Do you think we should of told him where the rocks were?"

World's Coolest Clock!

This is incredibly coool....all the nerds out there will definitely appreciate this. This clock only has 9s on it and what is even cooler is that each expression only has 3 9s!

Fun News to Read

Here are some fun stories!

Stupid Students or Smart Chimps? I think this is kind of sad but says a lot about how great humans really are....

Friendly Competition between India and Pakistan? You better believe it! These soldiers don't want to fight. They just want to get along and as much as everyone else around them might hate, these soldiers and locals get along just well. Hopefully they can spread their spirit...

A Sight for Sore Eyes...

Stunt
The performer known as "The Enigma" lights a cigarette with sparks from an axe during the International Tattoo Convention in Lima, Peru.











A beautiful dream...can it be reality?

The Words of Jesus...

Here is a passage I found very powerful from what is considered the "Sermon on the Mount." This particular part is from Book of Matthew 5:38-42...

You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Joke of the Day

A prisoner in jail receives a letter from his wife: "Dear Husband, I have decided to plant some lettuce in the back garden. When is the best time to plant them?" The prisoner, knowing that the prison guards read all mail, replied in a letter: "Dear Wife, whatever you do, do not touch the back garden. That is where I hid all the money." A week or so later, he received another letter from his wife: "Dear Husband, You wouldn't believe what happened, some men came with shovels to the house, and dug up all the back garden." The prisoner wrote another letter back: "Dear wife, now is the best time to plant the lettuce."

Some News to Read...

Global warming is becoming a world crisis quickly as I am sure many of you are aware of. There is currently a huge global conference taking place in Bali. All of these countries are there to try to discuss what we can do. One big hold up (no surprise) --- AMERICA! America will not agree to increase and toughen their standard. And as a result China, India and other developing nations say that if US won't do it, why should they? Interesting interview here and if you don't know about Kyoto, then something to be aware of... http://www.newsweek.com/id/73568/page/1

Here's yet another article talking about Bollywood challenging Hollywood. Unlike the past, Bollywood is starting to organize and have structure to compete with Hollywood. Interesting article about one big company that is growing in India right now... http://www.newsweek.com/id/72719/page/1

Go with your gut feeling! Here's another interesting study on how trusting your gut is the way to go... http://www.newsweek.com/id/71514

And lastly, Hillary or Obama (or neither)? Can they win? What are they doing to reach out and look beyond the primaries? http://www.newsweek.com/id/73369

Fun Reading Only!

No serious news today! Just some fun entertainment...

Jack Bauer is now saving the world...literally! Kind of cool how 24 is going out of their way to be friendly to our environment. http://www.newsweek.com/id/72535/page/1

And wash your hands!!! Courtesy of Dipalee... a study shows that washing your hands may keep the world much healthier than we might have though. Not to mention, it is the clean thing to do so make sure you really wash your hands! http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdFlu/wireStory?id=3922458

Bollywood is now entering into the Hollywood scene! I am sure many of you noticed how Sony pictures bought the movie Saawariya and was involved in its distribution, etc. Well now we may soon seem Indian film studios bringing movies to Hollywood...

Thoughts of the Day

Pierre Corneille - "The manner of giving is worth more than the gift."

With the holiday season coming around and gifts all around us, let us make sure we look within to ask ourselves about our motives behind giving gifts and about our state of mind when taking gifts. Are gifts even necessary? Can love not be a gift in and of itself? There is great joy in removing the giving and taking also so challenge yourself and dare to build a selfless relationship, even if it means saying, "This year, there won't be gifts."

Josh Billings - "Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there."

Do we finish up the things we start on? If we focus on one goal and just work hard until we get there, then we may actually get somewhere in life. Once you decide something, stick to it and make a wholehearted effort to get there!

Joke of the Day

Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Person asked a young engineer who was fresh out of MIT, "What starting salary were you thinking about?" The Engineer said, "In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package." The interviewer said, "Well, what would you say to a package of 5 weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every 2 years - say, a red Corvette?" The Engineer sat up straight and said, "Wow! Are you kidding?" The interviewer replied, "Yeah, but you started it."

Rude Awakening...

I found the cartoon at first glance to be pretty hilarious and worthy of being shared but wow what a reality check! It's crazy about how different the scene is in different parts of the world and how often we are so ungrateful for all that we have. Just something to think about and let it sink in... very powerful political cartoon though!

What's Happening Around Us...

What's different about this title....Pakistan President Mr. Pervez Musharraf? Yep, as promised General Musharraf resigned his position as head of Pakistan's Army today, paving the way for him to be sworn in for another five-year term as President. Many are calling his move a strategic one but only time will tell. This article from Time looks at Pakistan more critically and questions how democratic they are but it is interesting to ponder whether democracy is necessary and why America parades around the world imposing this system of government upon everyone...

As many of you may (or should) know there is a major peace conference that is going on in Annapolis currently amongst the Middle East countries. It is a huge deal for all these countries to sit together and even try to talk but will it lead to anything? And what about the people who are not being represented? Will Iran or Hamas or the terrorists make it all a failure? Also at the conference: It's taken seven years but Israeli and the Palestinian leaders will start formal peace negotiations again today. But is this peace summit really about Israel and Palestine or is there, dare we say it, a bigger agenda involved? As a Palestinian adviser tells the New York Times: "The Arab [nations] have come here not because they love the Jews or even the Palestinians....[but] because they need a strategic alliance with the United States against Iran".

A Different View on Life

While we enjoyed our Thanksgiving having fun, these individuals in different parts of the world continued their lives of misery...how much do we know about what is going on in the world around us? Are we even sensitive about it or do we ever think about it? During THANKSgiving, did we ever stop to be grateful for what we are so lucky to have?

Desolate Landscape

Refugees from Darfur walk in a camp run by the NGO 'Eastern Chad' in Gaga. More than 17.000 Darfurians live in the camp.

Grief

Niru Begum's 80-year-old mother was killed when their house collapsed during the cyclone, in Bakerganj, Bangladesh.









Dangerous Work
A miner at the Moxinpo Colliery in Chongqing, China. According to state media, accidents in China's coal mines claimed over 5,000 lives each year, accounting for around 80 percent of the world's total deaths.

Thought of the Day

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself--and be lenient to everybody else."
---Henry Ward Beecher

I thought a quote on discipline is very fitting as we challenge ourselves to become something more after a very inspiring weekend at Milan. As we get closer to Christmas, to celebrate Jesus Christ's birthday, let us all try to do something special and make our lives more meaningful for a few weeks! Perhaps we can purify ourselves by controlling what we eat and eating healthy, home-cooked food. Maybe we can do surya namaskar every morning. Maybe we can make it a point to not waste any food at least until then. There are many things we can do and any small things to improve ourselves is better than nothing!

Joke of the Day

Here's to a happy Monday after Thanksgiving even though everyone would much rather be with their family still!

One day a policeman stopped a motorist who had just gone through a four way stop sign and was about to give him a ticket when the motorist said. "Officer you can't give me a ticket for that!' "Why not" said the officer. "Because although I did not stop I slowed right down and its almost the same." "But you did not stop" replied the officer, "and the sign says STOP." "But the way was clear and it was safe" replied the motorist. The officer then pulls out his batton and starts hitting the motorist. "What are you doing!" yells the motorist in surprise. "Do you want me to slow down or stop" says the officer.

Worth a Glance...

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Alive

Anak Krakatau spews smoke and lava into the Sunda strait. The volcano has been spitting and smoking for days, but is not particularly dangerous, according to experts.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Classroom

Children work at their desks at the Dongzhong primary school in Miao Village, China. The school is built inside a giant natural cave.




Isn't that the coolest classroom ever??? I'd love to study there!

Joke of the Day

This one is hilarious!!!!!

There once was a blind man who decided to visit Texas. When he arrived on the plane, he felt the seats and said, "Wow, these seats are big!" The person next to him answered, "Everything is big in Texas." When he finally arrived in Texas, he decided to visit a bar. Upon arriving in the bar, he ordered a beer and got a mug placed between his hands. He exclaimed, "Wow these mugs are big!" The bartender replied, "Everything is big in Texas." After a couple of beers, the blind man asked the bartender where the bathroom was located. The bartender replied, "Second door to the right." The blind man headed for the bathroom, but accidentally tripped over and skipped the second door. Instead, he entered the third door, which lead to the swimming pool and fell into the pool by accident. Scared to death, the blind man started shouting, "Don't flush, don't flush!"

Thought of the Day... Vivekananda too!

"Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right."
---Henry Ford

We ourselves decide what we can and cannot do! Have some courage and believe in yourself. Let's give ourselves a chance by just starting to think that we can!

Anyone who is interested in hearing the words of Vivekananda from the man himself...It's amazing how good his English is! Makes us wonder what exactly we are speaking... http://www.udeps.com/Vivekananda.html

News Worth Reading....

Man its been quite a few days but there is some crazy news! I saw some articles that were good but i decided to pick articles that presented something new, something positive...nothing negative!

First, we got books....we're all here trying to read. Reading online is the new thing. Now Amazon.com is trying the whole e-book thing once again! It's a new device (called the Kindle) and its revamped and it may be the future of books....this article is long and perhaps not worth reading the all of it but good to just know of the revolution that may take place. Here is a more abbreviated commercial article about the same. It looks at the device and its features and stuff if you want to know about the machine itself....

Then, our future... we probably never really think about it much, but food isn't in as much abundance as we may like to think. We're all lucky that food is so easily available and since not many of us go grocery shopping regularly we probably haven't noticed that food is getting more expensive. But there is a problem on the horizon and our generation may not have it as easy as we may like for it to be... Third World countries are facing food crises and this article is a quick read about it... http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1684910,00.html

Lastly, the monks in Burma...in case you have not already heard, this is a major event in recent world history and it makes for good essays as well as good examples in essays (SAT's perhaps???) . Basically, monks in Burma joined the protests against the junta (their ruling class). They ultimately ended up at the forefront and the brutal government sent the military after the monks. They were beat, arrested, imprisoned and many were probably killed... This article is about what is going on now. It's the current situation asking where did the monks go and what is going on?...http://www.newsweek.com/id/71266/page/1

Milk - the new Oil???? Other cool news....

Not sure if anyone has noticed the higher milk prices but it is true and even I can attest to it! In just a year, milk prices have gone up about 20%! We don't really realize it but almost everything we enjoy eating requires milk...cheese, chocolate, ice cream...

Everyone knows the prices of Google stocks and oil barrels but I guess this is interesting because it affects us everyday! The next Starbucks coffee you drink may no longer be the same low price you are used to. And fyi, Starbucks sells MORE MILK THAN COFFEE!!! Surprising huh?
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/31/business/wbmilk.php

For those of you into technology and sci-fi stuff check these interesting articles out.... the first is about robotic roaches that some crazy engineers came up with. Basically they act like the roaches and fit right in. Because roaches act in groups, they think that they might be able to control roach behavior with these robots.. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1684427,00.html

And then unmanned cars? I am sure you may have heard of it as some theoretical solution to traffic and all of that but people are actually working on it out there. Don't worry you won't be seeing an automatic car anytime soon but who knows maybe our kids will be driving (or i guess it'd be just sitting inside) these cars...
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1684543,00.html

Write Neatly!!!

How crazy is this...remember when your mom used to get mad at you for writing messy and you were like whatever. And now your writing is so illegible that you can't even read it at times...well it may be time to change that! This study that was just released suggests that good handwriting maybe a crucial part of learning! I thought this was very cool cause as some of you know I write neatly and I am now super proud of it!

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67956

The End is Near....

I remember in AP Govt. when our teacher explained to us the national debt and all that, I thought to myself that we're screwed. I asked so many questions because it didn't make sense to me and the truth is that there is no sense in it. America's bubble is going to burst and our generation will bear the brunt end of it...Let's hope our politicians take decisive actions soon.

This article gives a glimpse of America's impending economic fate...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/70378

No PDA!!!

Apparently the no PDA rule exists outside of youth camp! It's interesting because we live in a society where hugs and stuff are so common place. But have we ever thought about the impact it has on our subconscious? What about even just something as simple as the other person's intention? Has it ever crossed your mind that the guy/girl you are hugging may not be thinking the same pure thoughts you are?

Just something to think about...in our culture, our parents and people before them never ever touched anyone of the opposite gender besides their spouses. Have we become a little loose? Or is this just a super conservative thought process??

http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1683668,00.html

Thought of the Day

It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop.
Confucius

A nice thought to keep you going...obviously we should all push ourselves to go much faster and go as fast as we can, but at the same time do not let failure slow you down. Keep on trying and even you move an inch, you're that much closer to the goal!

Joke of the Day

So apparently the last few jokes haven't been that funny...here's a better one (or so I think)...

A woman named Shirley was from Beverly Hills. One day, she had a heart attack and was taken to Cedars Sinai hospital. While on the operating table, she had a near-death experience. She saw God and asked, "Is this it?" God said, "No, you have another 30 to 40 years to live." Upon her recovery, she decided to stay in the hospital and have collagen shots, cheek implants, a face lift, liposuction and breast augmentation. She even had someone dye her hair. She figured since she had another 30 to 40 years, she might as well make the most of it. She walked out of Cedars Sinai lobby after the last operation and was killed by an ambulance speeding up to the hospital. She arrived in front of God and said, "I thought you said I had another 30 to 40 years?" God replied, "Shirley! I didn't recognize you!"

Thought of the Day

"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live." - Martin Luther King

What is something you would die for? Is there anything that we have in our lives even worth dying for? If not, where can you find such a thing? Or is death really not worth anything in life? Can there truly be something so absolute that you would die for it? Suppose you believe in honesty, is it better to just die and end your life rather than lying once? Couldn't you do more good by still being there instead of not being there?

Instead of 24....

Now that 24 will not be starting in January, here are the exciting things we will get to watch instead! More reality TV for us all (sarcasm meter at super high right about now!)

Read these show descriptions...man its gonna be a bad time. Pray for good movies!

ABC

•Duel (week-long event, Dec. 17-23, 8 ET/PT). Quiz show in which contestants win by bluffing.

•Dance Wars: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann (Jan. 7, Mondays at 8 ET/PT). Dancing With the Stars' choreographers field their own teams in this live dance-off, which bridges the gap before DWTS returns in March. Drew Lachey hosts.

•Oprah's Big Give Winfrey bestows cash on needy families.

•Here Come the Newlyweds A six-episode comedic game pitting couples in marital tests.

•Wanna Bet? Celebrities wager (for charity) on whether contestants can perform outrageous stunts.

• Also: New seasons of Wife Swap and Supernanny, expanded episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home and possibly more Funniest Videos.

CBS

•Big Brother A first-time spring season of the summer staple will likely begin in February or March.

•Million-Dollar Password A high-stakes version of the game-show classic, hosted by Regis Philbin.

•Do You Trust Me? Tucker Carlson hosts a quiz show in which strangers bet on their mutual confidence in each other.

• Also: Additional cycles of Survivor and The Amazing Race, and a new season of Drew Carey game show Power of 10.

Fox

•The Moment of Truth (Jan. 23, Wednesdays at 9 ET/PT). Game show in which contestants are strapped to a lie detector and asked highly personal questions.

•When Women Rule the World (Mar. 3, Mondays at 8 ET/PT). Alpha women control "a group of unsuspecting men used to calling the shots."

• Also: American Idol (Jan. 15), Hell's Kitchen (Apr. 1), Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, Don't Forget the Lyrics, Cops and America's Most Wanted.

NBC

•Celebrity Apprentice Stars compete for Donald Trump's approval as hot-dog vendors and in other unlikely occupations.

•American Gladiators The 1990s series is revived, with stuntmen competing against amateurs in physical competitions. Hulk Hogan, Laila Ali host.

•Amnesia Dennis Miller hosts this quiz show that asks contestants to recall key moments of their lives.

•My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad Families compete in stunt challenges.

•Clash of the Choirs Celebrities establish amateur singing groups, which compete live in yet another Idol variation.

• Also: New season of 1 vs. 100, and Deal or No Deal continues.

CW

•Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants (Dec. 12, Wednesdays at 8 ET/PT). Mother-daughter teams compete for a beauty pageant title while shacking up in bunk beds in a Hollywood mansion.

•Farmer Wants a Wife A dating series in which a yokel selects a city beauty.

• Also: New seasons of Pussycat Dolls, Beauty and the Geek and America's Next Top Model.

The Mafia still Exists!

I really thought that this was all a thing of the past...who knew it still existed today! Thats pretty crazy that all this underworld Don business still goes on especially in European and American countries...
I have yet to see American Gangster but here's a little insight into the Italian underworld. Apparently the two biggest Dons got caught and finally taken to jail very recently. Check these out...
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1683340,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1681779,00.html

Putting A-Rod in his place...

When I first read that A-Rod was expecting to get paid $350 million, I was kinda just shocked cause it seems ridiculous that any individual player thinks he deserves that much money. It is much better to invest in a good team than one good player (the same could be argued for Kobe).

In a kind of interesting development though, this article has a rumor that the owners may just reject him straight up and put him back in his place! That's exactly what they need to do cause the baseball payroll stuff is outta control... they even have a word for it, "collusion"...

A-Rod's Salary: Watching for Collusion

Joke of the Day

A pregnant woman lapses into a coma. She awakens and frantically calls for her doctor. "You had twins, a boy and a girl. They're fine," he says. "Your brother named them."

Oh, no, the new mother thinks. He's an idiot. Expecting the worst, she asks, "What's the girl's name?"

"Denise," the doctor says.

Not bad, she thinks. I guess I was wrong about him. "And the boy?"

"DeNephew."

Thought of the Day

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
-- Abraham Lincoln

Think before you speak! Too often we make ourselves vulnerable and lose our credibility with the unintelligent and unthoughtful things we say that do not truly represent who we are...or is it better to just say what you think instead of holding back?

Human Regeneration!!! Its not just Claire...

So for all of you Heroes fans, perhaps human regeneration is not just a super human feat that requires some mutation like Claire has...

These guys are doing research to regrow human body parts and have had quite some success it seems. Check this out... here's an article Time wrote about it:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1679115,00.html

Then I was looking into it and came across a few other cool reads...
A news article on their first success: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060404084412.htm

His biography: http://www.wfirm.org/faculty_atala.htm

Cool Future Car???

Mercedes is planning to release this crazy car in the near future that is really small and dinky... its pretty cool and I think it'd be a good buy with soaring gas prices!

Technology is crazy! Who knows what we may be using in a few years.....
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/11/08/smart.car/index.html

Something to Ponder...

Happy Diwali to everyone! May your next year bring you the best in every aspect of life. Reach for your dreams and I hope you find great joy and success. Today is our day to renew our spirit and start anew upon the journey we embarked on. From time to time we lose track and get derailed but let us get back on the path today and strengthen our conviction and determination...

Here's a good quote from Confucius that I thought is worth sharing...

"The illustrious ancients, when they wished to make clear and to propagate the highest virtues in the world, put their states in proper order. Before putting their states in proper order, they regulated their families. Before regulating their families, they cultivated their own selves. Before cultivating their own selves, they perfected their souls. Before perfecting their souls, they tried to be sincere in their thoughts. Before trying to be sincere in their thoughts, they extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such investigation of knowledge lay in the investigation of things, and in seeing them as they really were. When things were thus investigated, knowledge became complete. When knowledge was complete, their thoughts became sincere. When their thoughts were sincere, their souls became perfect. When their souls were perfect, their own selves became cultivated. When their selves were cultivated, their families became regulated. When their families were regulated, their states came to be put into proper order. When their states were in proper order, then the whole world became peaceful and happy."
Confucius (551-479 B.C.)

No Jack Bauer for sometime....

Because of the strike we have the following...

Return of Fox's '24' Postponed by Strike

By FRAZIER MOORE – 7 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — The writers strike has struck down the Fox thriller "24."

"24" is absent from the network's revised, strike-affected schedule for midseason. In its announcement, Fox explained the "Day 7" season for the series would be indefinitely postponed to ensure an uninterrupted run.

Like most series written by members of the Writers Guild of America, "24" is falling prey to a shortfall of scripts. But the heavily sequential, real-time "24" is dependent on a full-season run of 24 episodes.

Fox's revised schedule also calls for "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" to have a two-night premiere Jan. 13-14. The new drama, a reinvention of the "Terminator" film franchise, stars Lena Headey.

"American Idol" returns Jan. 15-16. A new game show, "The Moment of Truth," premieres Jan. 23.

Looking further ahead, "New Amsterdam," a drama about a New York City detective who is immortal, premieres in February.

The Farrelly Brothers comedy "Unhitched" premieres in March, as does an unscripted, role-reversal series, "When Women Rule the World," and a comedy from "Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, "The Return of Jezebel James."

"Canterbury's Law," a legal drama starring Julianna Margulies, arrives in April.

Fox stressed that its revised schedule, announced Wednesday, was subject to further change, if strike developments warrant. WGA writers went on strike Monday, with no end in sight to their dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The announcement by Fox was likely intended, in part, to make clear that it has fresh programming — in the form of new series — on deck, despite forecasts of rerun-beset lineups looming as the season wears on. That was unlikely to console "24" fans awaiting the next 24-hour marathon of crises for put-upon hero Jack Bauer.

Fox is a unit of News Corp.

Daily News

I am not sure if you have been following the situation in Pakistan but its become quite intense. Basically, Musharraf declared a state of emergency and has put military rule in place. The issue really is that Musharraf is both the head of the army and the prime minister of the country. This is at conflict because at any point if he doesn't get what he wants as prime minister, he could just use the army and become a dictator. So they were supposed to have elections for prime minster but now he has delayed those and is using his army. There is another character, some lady Bhuto and I have yet to grasp exactly the whole situation but they claim that Musharraf is scared that he will not get elected...but yea perhaps you can understand a bit better for yourself... http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1681115,00.html

And then also I am sure you have heard about oil prices hitting crazy new highs.... http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1681362,00.html
it really is a major issue for our generation and one that we need to address soon. its really connected to world peace and stuff also because the middle east conflicts are all really just over oil...

Joke of the Day

Mike and Nick go into a bar, whooping and hollering. "Bartender, drinks for everyone. We're buying!" they shout.

"What's the occassion?" asks the bartender.

"We just finished a jigsaw puzzle, and it only took us seven months," Nick replies.

"Seven months?" says the bartender. "What's the big deal? It shouldn't take you seven months to do a puzzle."

"Oh, yeah?" Mike answers. "On the box it said 'two to four years'!"