Eight Clues to Happiness

Eight Clues to Happiness

... By Khushwant Singh

Having lived a reasonably contented life, I was musing over what a person should strive for to achieve happiness. I drew up a list of a few essentials which I put forward for the readers' appraisal.

1. First and foremost is GOOD HEALTH. If you do not enjoy good health you can never be happy. Any ailment, however trivial, will deduct from your happiness.

2. Second, A HEALTHY BANK BALANCE. It need not run into millions but should be enough to provide for creature comforts and something to spare for recreation, like eating out, going to the pictures, travelling or going on holidays on the hills or by the sea. Shortage of money can be only demoralizing. Living on credit or borrowing is demeaning and lowers one in one's own eyes.

3. Third, A HOME OF YOUR OWN. Rented premises can never give you the snug feeling of a nest which is yours for keeps that a home provides: if it has a garden space, all the better. Plant your own trees and flowers, see them grow and blossom, cultivate a sense of kinship with them.

4. Fourth, AN UNDERSTANDING COMPANION, be it your spouse or a friend. If there are too many misunderstandings, they will rob you of your peace of mind. It is better to be divorced than to bicker all the time.

5. Fifth, LACK OF ENVY towards those who have done better than you in life; risen higher, made more money, or earned more fame. Envy can be very corroding; avoid comparing yourself with others.

6. Sixth, DO NOT ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE to descend on you for gossip. By the time you get rid of them, you will feel exhausted and poisoned by their gossip-mongering.

7. Seventh, CULTIVATE SOME HOBBIES which can bring you a sense of fulfillment, such as gardening, reading, writing, painting, playing or listening to music. Going to clubs or parties to get free drinks or to meet celebrities is criminal waste of time.

8. Eighth, every morning and evening, devote 15 minutes to INTROSPECTION. In the morning, 10 minutes should be spent on stilling the mind and then five in listing things you have to do that day. In the evening, five minutes to still the mind again, and ten to go over what you had undertaken to do.

lectures on your smartphone

IIT-B experts develop APP which can transform distance Education programmes.
Soon, watch lectures on your smartphone by Yogita Rao, Mumbai

Source: DNA Last Updated 08:22(10/02/11) http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/MAH-MUM-soon-watch-lectures-on-your-smartphone-1837064.html
Mumbai: Attending lectures in the classroom or via videoconferencing will be a thing of the past. Students can now watch lectures 'live' on their smartphones. Experts at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) have developed an automated application, which will allow students to watch lectures on their cellphones.
What distinguishes the application from other ones is the display. The application will allow students to focus on any part of the video with a clear resolution.
Called lec-to-mobile, the application has the potential to reform distance education programmes in the country. The application, developed by a professor and students of the electrical engineering department of the institute, will soon be patented. The project will be officially launched on a public domain in the days to come.
"Lec-to-mobile is completely automated. It allows students to download any lecture. It could be a lecture going on or an earlier one. The students will be able to 'attend' the lecture as per the required resolution. The cursor will automatically move on the writing board and will also zoom in and out whenever required. They will be able to experience a live classroom on their cellphones," professor Subhasis Chaudhuri, the inventor of the application, told DNA.
At present, the application can be used on Android phones. However, it would soon be made available on windows application on cellphones as well. The beta version would be available for free initially, said Chaudhuri. "Distance education itself is a big sector now. Accessing lectures on the phone can help the sector in several ways," he said.
Lec-to-mobile will offer lectures only by those professors who are willing to upload them. The application would also provide lectures by companies who are providers of such sessions.
"It is the same format used by television channels. The shows are created and developed by a production house and then are taken by the channels. Lecture companies or institutes can exploit the application in many ways," Chaudhuri said.
"The idea is to make use of the limited amount of space that we have on cellphones," explained Rangan Banerjee, dean, research and development, IIT-B. "The team from the electrical engineering department has worked on the aspect of video resolution of the lectures. They are planning to put up the demo version on the public domain soon. The professor also has some patents on his name already."

Happy Valentine’s Day

Dear All,
Wish you a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

Regards,

MARINER’S SONG

The last of man's great unchained beasts lies lapping at my door
The last of man's great unchained beasts lies lapping at my door
I would give it what it wants, but I do know,
It would just ask for more

I search for you with every crest I ride
In every trough I travel through
I search for you in every trough I travel through

I didn't mean to leave you,
I unfurled my sail and the wind did blow
I didn't mean to leave you, darling,
I unfurled my sail and the wind did blow
Why why why why why, oh why I did not drop my anchor,
Oh lord, I will never know

I search for you with every crest I ride
In every trough I travel through
I search for you in every trough I travel through
On the lee of the island I hear your voice deep inside the calm
On the lee of the island I hear your voice deep inside the calm
Whispering baby, I'll be your delight, if you promise
To be my red sky tonight

I search for you with every crest I ride
In every trough I travel through
I search for you in every trough I travel through

In the storm you are my destination, in the port you are my storm
In the storm you are my destination, in the port you are my storm
But I would weather you my love, if you would be my guide,
If you would be my stars in the sky tonight

I search for you with every crest I ride
In every trough I travel through
I search for you in every trough I travel through

SEA SUPERSTITIONs

SEA SUPERSTITIONs

It is unlucky to start a cruise on Friday.This is the day Christ was crucified on.

Never start a voyage on the first Monday in April. This is the day that Cain slew Able.

Don't start a voyage on the second Monday in August. This is the day sondom & gommrrah was destroyed.

Starting a cruise on Dec. 31 is bad. This is the day Judas Iscariat hanged himself.

Black traveling bags are bad luck for a seaman.

Avoid people with red hair when going to the ship to begin a journey.Red heads bring bad luck to a ship, which can be averted if you speak to the red-head before they speak to you.

Avoid Flat-footed people when beginning a trip. They, like red heads, are bad luck.

The danger can be avoided by speaking to them before they speak to you.

A stolen piece of wood mortised into the keel will make a ship sail faster.

A silver coin placed under the masthead ensures a successful voyage.

Disaster will follow if you step onto a boat with your Left Foot first.

Pouring wine on the deck will bring good luck on a long voyage. A libation to the gods.

Throwing stones into the sea will cause great waves and storms.

A stone thrown over a vessel that is putting out to sea ensures she will never return.

Flowers are unlucky onboard a ship. They could later be used to make a funural wreath for the dead.

Priests are not lucky to have on a ship. They dress in black and perform funural services.

Women on board a ship make the sea angery.

A naked woman on board will calm the sea.
This is the reason for naked figureheads.

Don't look back once your ship has left port as this can bring bad luck.

A dog seen near fishing tackle is bad luck.

Black cats are considered good luck and will bring a sailor home from the sea.

Swallows seen at sea are a good sign.

Sighting a curlew at sea is considered bad luck.

A comorant sighted at sea is bad luck.

Dolphin swimming with the ship are a sign of good luck. Killing one will bring bad luck.

It is unlucky to kill an albatross.

It is unlucky to kill a gull.

They contain the souls of sailors lost at sea.

Handing a flag thru the rungs of a ladder is bad luck.

Looseing a mop or bucket overboard is a sign of bad luck.

Repairing a flag on the quarterdeck will bring bad luck.

Turning over a hatch will cause the hold to fill with seawater.

Cutting your hair or nails at sea is bad luck. These were used as offerings to
Proserpina, and Neptune will become jealous if these offerings are made while in his kingdom.

Church Bells heard at sea mean someone on the ship will die.

St. Elmo's Fire around a sailors head means he will die within a day.

When the clothes of a dead sailor are worn by another sailor during the same voyage, misfortune will befall the entire ship.

If the rim of a glass rings stop it quickly or there will be a shipwreck.

Never say the word Drowned at sea.

The caul of the head of a new-born child is protection against drowning and will bring the owner good luck.

The feather of a wren slain on New Years Day, will protect a sailor from dying by shipwreck.

A ships bell will always ring when it is wrecked.

A shark following the ship is a sign of inevitable death.Sharks were believed to be able to sense those near death.

A sailor who died from violence or being lost at sea was said to go to "Davy Jone's Locker".

A sailor with over 50 years of service was said to go to "Fiddler's Green" when he died.

First-aid for Burns - Have a safe Diwali

First-aid for Burns - Have a safe Diwali

Here is wishing you a safe Diwali. India sees the maximum number of burn accidents during Diwali. Here is a ready reckoner just in case there is an accident near you. Your quick action can save lives and alleviate suffering for people around you. Remember to keep a bucket of water close by when lighting crackers.

Burns destroy skin, which controls the amount of heat our bodies retain or release, holds in fluids, and protects us from infection. While minor burns on fingers and hands are usually not dangerous, burns injuring even relatively small areas of skin can develop serious complications. If you think a burn of any type is significant, do not hesitate to call an ambulance immediately.

Here are the first aid steps for treating a burn. read more here

First aid burn treatment

First aid for burns and scalds
•STAY SAFE! Do not let the rescuer get burned trying to save the victim.
•Cool the burned area with cool running water for several minutes. DO NOT overcool the casualty; this may dangerously lower the body temperature.
•DO NOT remove anything sticking to the burn; this may cause further damage and cause infection.
•DO NOT touch or interfere with the injured area. DO NOT burst blisters.
•DO NOT apply lotions, ointment, or fat to the injury.
•Gently remove any rings, watches, belts, shoes, or smouldering clothing from the injured area, before it starts to swell. Carefully remove burned clothing unless it is sticking to the burn.
•Cover the injury with a sterile burns sheet or other suitable non-fluffy material, to protect from infection. A clean plastic bag or kitchen film may be used. Burns to the face should be cooled with water, not covered.
•Ensure that the emergency service is on its way. While waiting, treat the casualty for shock. Monitor and record breathing and pulse, and resuscitate, if necessary.

source = www.vitaminuk.com