Thursday, January 31, 2008

GREENPEACE call for help


Dear Friends,

Greenpeace is competing in a fundraising competition this week on the hugely popular facebook website (charities compete to get lots of online donations, and a foundation awards prizes to the best daily push and overall top 13 by February 1st).

Our cause is http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/54259
Stop the Whale Hunt".

With your help we can raise awareness about whales through this competition, and turn a series of small donations into a US$ 10,000, US$ 25,0000 or even a US$ 50,000 prize. Ready? Okay -- you'll find all the information you need on our facebook pages. Click the http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenpeace-International/7297163299 \>become a fan" link on our page, and then go to the Stop the Whale Hunt cause page to make a donation (click the "donate" link).

Greenpeace doesn't accept money from governments and corporations, so grassroots fundraising opportunities like this one are not to be missed.

Best wishes,
Lisa, Eoin, Tom, and everyone at Greenpeace

P.S. Read the tips on the Stop the Whale Hunt page - and make the most of your facebook network of friends (hint! hint!)

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The US of A is in deep shit


want to buy a FORD?
- the Company, not the car

go here

Monday, January 28, 2008

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Sexiest Indian women in the World


go here

I love my INDIA


go here

Boot up - The confused desi in firangi land

When u walk for a while
your boot laces tend to get loose

Boot up!

when u r a desi
u go by desi mores
handed down to u by your Indian parents of another generation

u tie your laces real tight
leading to discomfort

and the firangis laff


Boot up means
dont be a firangi
dont ditch your indian culture

which is
dont wear jeans, bikinis
wear sari only

dont have lovers
get married first
then fall in love

be a virgin bride
- Pithaly

now when a desi goes to firangi land
she imbibes a new culture

kick of your boots
and go dancing in the park, barefoot
and nude

Wednesday, January 23, 2008
















...

Is there a BOP in the United States?

Submitted by Ana Escalante on August 17, 2007 - 14:26.
Published in:
When I think about people living in the BOP, I immediately picture people in developing countries. I didn't really picture people in the U.S. as people in the BOP. I have realized now after living for six weeks in the D.C. area that I could not be further from the truth. There is a big population in the U.S. in both rural and urban communities that live in poverty. For example, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, California has over 5,000,000 people living below the poverty line, some in Third World situations without clean water, lights, sanitation, or jobs. Los Angeles County alone has over 1,000,000 people living below the poverty line.Micro Enterprise Solar Harvest (M.E.S.H.) contacted NextBillion to tell us about the very interesting work here in the U.S. M.E.S.H. helps the poor in California start small, eco-friendly businesses with micro loans and entrepreneurial training. These green businesses in California are offered to the working poor, with annual incomes of less than $20,000. M.E.S.H. provides small solar units to help offset light bills and to provide warm water for showers and cooking. They also offer solar cookers and other solar aids for the poor, thus enabling them to "go green." They distribute free energy saving light bulbs to anyone who is currently using incandescent bulbs but who cannot afford to purchase compact fluorescents. Additionally, M.E.S.H. helps start community gardens and local farmers markets to provide access to healthy organic fruits and vegetables for the poor in rural and urban communities in California. As Meredith Grossland from M.E.S.H. points out, "there is no excuse for Californians to be living in Third World poverty."This organization is an example of a BOP approach in the U.S. Interestingly, this U.S.-based approach is evidently growing. Want proof? We just heard from the BOP Protocol people at Cornell University, which has recently launched a domestic chapter,
...Another variant of the protocol – and one that we discussed at Cornell a few meetings ago –addresses the needs and opportunities of low-income communities in the U.S. Starting last fall, Michael Gordon has led a team from the University of Michigan in working with a non-profit organization, SOS Community Services, which provides housing and emergency services to homeless and near-homeless families and individuals in Southeastern Michigan. Together they have been exploring the differences between a domestic and a developing world implementation of the protocol. The team has been engaged in a variety of "opening up" activities – activities that are designed to develop trust and understanding with the local community. They have also held several community-wide events aimed at preparing the community for corporate involvement. It is now time to identify companies that would like to participate in this effort to explore, serve, and find profit-making opportunities in this domestic "base of the pyramid" community.There is a growing need to tap these BOP markets, both domestically and abroad. It is interesting to see how these growing efforts, such as M.E.S.H. and Cornell's BOP Protocol, are gaining momentum. I would keep an eye open for this and see how it continues to evolve…---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

His hand in mine

You may ask me how I know my Lord is real
(my Lord is real)

You may doubt the things I say and doubt the way I feel
(the way I feel)

But I know he's real today he'll always be
(he'll always be)

I can feel his hand in mine and that's enough for me
I will never walk alone he holds my hand
(he holds my hand)

He will guide each step I take
And if I fall I know he'll understand

Till the day he tells me why he loves me so
(he loves me so)
I can feel his hand in mine
That's all I need to know

I will never walk alone he holds my hand
(he holds my hand)

He will guide each step I take
And if I fall I know he'll understand

Till the day he tells me why he loves me so
(he loves me so)
I can feel his hand in mine
That's all I need to know

I can feel his hand in mine
That's all I need to know

play TAG

This link loving in 2008 came from Simone's Butterfly:

I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!)It’s real easy! Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially!The benefits of Viral Linking:- One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!- Increase your Google PageRank fast- Attract large volume of new traffic to your site- Build your community- Make new friends!Add your blog url here...The Strategist Notebook /Link Addiction/ Ardour of the Heart /When Life Becomes a Book /The Malaysian Life/ Yogatta.com/ What goes under the sun /Roshidan’s Cyber Station /Sasha says /Arts of Physics/ And the legend lives/ My View, My Life /A Simple Life /What Women REALLY Think /Not Much More Than This /Jayedee /Jenn /Beth/ Christie/ Marla /Cailin /Simone /FlipFlopMom Katrina /Gill's Jottings /Work of the Poet/ Wakela/Modern Day Goddess/Livin With MeAre /We There Yet?? /Everything And Nothing/The Diamond-drops Mansion / Staying Young..and Healthy /Saby

You are next... Finish copying here.For this, I am going to tag all the bloggers below:

Looney gal
Niki Chan
Margie
Tanvi
Keshi
Miranda
Vest
Mary
Pithaly

Monday, January 21, 2008

climate change

NEW DELHI: The city woke up to a misty, chilly morning on Sunday. With the temperature touching 0.2 degrees Celsius, residents had a hard time adjusting to the cold wave. In some parts of the city, people mistook the early morning frost for snow, something the Capital is yet to witness. R K Wadhwa, a resident of R K Puram sector I who goes for a walk early in the morning, said: "It was exceptionally cold this morning, but since I am quite used to cold waves I didn't think much of it. However, I saw something white on some cars parked in the colony and when I took a closer look, I realised it was snow." Wadhwa wasn't the only one to be fooled. Anita Sharma, a school-teacher in Vasant Kunj, woke up her five-year-daughter because she saw "snow" on their terrace. "We live on the third-floor and someone called to tell me it was snowing in Delhi. I went up to the terrace to check and I was sure it was snow. I woke up my daughter to show her the snow."

more

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Another Indian student shot dead in US university






Abhijit Mahato was found dead inside his apartment (Agencies File Photo)
WASHINGTON: Yet another Indian doctoral student has been shot dead - the third in a month - on a US university campus, raising questions about the safety of the American university environment. The bullet-riddled body of 29-year old Abhijit Mahato was found inside his Anderson Street apartment in North Carolina's Duke University on Friday, nearly a month to the day after two other Indian Ph.D students were killed execution-style at Louisiana State University. Police are still investigating the cause and motive for Mahato's killing, even as the December 17 LSU murders are yet to be solved. Mahato, originally from Kolkata and Tatanagar, India, was studying for an engineering doctorate degree focused on computational mechanics at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering, university officials said. He was in his second year. Earlier, he had earned his mechanical engineering degree from Jadavpur University in 2001 and an M.Tech from the Indian Institute for Technology (IIT) in Kanpur in 2004. Before coming to Duke, Mahato worked for two years for the GE Global Research Center in Bangalore, where he focused on finite element analysis, a computer-simulation technique used in engineering. The experience prepared him well for his graduate work, according to Mahato's adviser, engineering professor Tod Laursen. "We were working together on an industry-funded research project and Abhijit's prior industry experience helped him develop close working relationships with our partner," Laursen said. "He understood their needs as a business and was a pleasure to work with." Even as the incident sent shock waves among the huge Indian student community in the US – the biggest from any foreign country, Duke officials tried to reassure the students. Some 80,000 students come to the US each year for studies and the total Indian student population in the US is said to be over 250,000 at any given time. Duke is one of the biggest campuses in the US with one of the racially and ethnically diverse student population (from 117 countries) including a large contingent from India. The University's Pratt School of Engineering is particularly popular among Indian students. On a newly constructed web page on the school site, Mahato described himself as the "the newest person to join DUKE Computational Mechanics Lab ((DCML)" and said he is "interested in nonlinear continuum mechanics problems and developing numerical methods for them...working on large deformation two body contact problems." Larry Moneta, Duke's vice president for student affairs, said the university has begun reaching out to Mahato's friends and to his family in India, as well as to Indian and other international students on campus. It is offering counseling services and has begun considering appropriate ways of commemorating Mahato's life. "This is a tragic circumstance, and we are doing everything possible to assist those who may be affected by it," Moneta said in a statement issued by the university. In the engineering department, Laursen met with his lab team to talk about Mahato, whom he described as intellectually curious, kind and outgoing. "He made friends very easily and always had a smile on his face," Laursen said. "Our research team was particularly close to Abhijit. He was very well read in both poetry and literature, and enjoyed conversation with others about what they were reading." Mahato said on his webpage that his "upbringing was in Kolkata; the City of Joy, the city of intellectuals, and much much more."


The Gospel according to Joyce Meyer

a true christian is full of Joy

He dont ask for favors from the Lord
but he seeks to give Joy to his neighbor

by sharing his material possessions
by loving
by hugging
his neighbor

love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and strength
and Love your neighbor as yourself

wash the feet of your neighbor
just as I did

-Jesus


I was sexually abused by my dad
I hated my dad

and i was burning with anger
until I learnt to forgive
and then i found Joy

- Joyce


Meyer's teaching style differs from that of many Christian speakers. She frequently talks about overcoming obstacles and finding strength to deal with difficult circumstances. She shares her views on how to deal with everyday life situations, often drawing on her own experiences.
Meyer speaks candidly and with a sense of humor, sharing with her audience her own shortcomings and taking playful jabs at stereotypical church behavior. A particular crowd favorite is the "robot" routine, in which she goes into a stiff-armed imitation of a robot chanting,
"What about me? What about me?"[3]

I was there and I created a riot almost


Books by Meyer
I Dare You:Embrace Life With Passion (2007), ISBN 0-446-53197-9
Look Great Feel Great: Joyce shares twelve practical keys that will help you look and feel great (2006), ISBN 0-446-57946-7
Approval Addiction: Overcoming Your Need to Please Everyone (2005), ISBN 0-446-57772-3
Straight Talk: Overcoming Emotional Battles with the Power of God's Word (2005), ISBN 0-446-57800-2
In Pursuit of Peace: 21 Ways to Conquer Anxiety, Fear, and Discontentment (2004), ISBN 0-446-53195-2
The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word (2004), ISBN 0-446-57736-7
How to Hear from God: Learn to Know His Voice and Make Right Decisions (2003), ISBN 0-446-53256-8
Me and My Big Mouth: Your Answer is Right Under Your Nose (2002), ISBN 0-446-69107-0
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind (1993), ISBN 0-446-69109-7

Saturday, January 19, 2008

the whistle blower


In Memoriam ...
Satyendra was an honest and upright engineer working on the Golden Quadrilateral Highway project. Outraged by the corruption he encountered, he took on the construction mafia pulling up contractors for shoddy work and notifying superiors. Frustrated with inaction, he finally wrote to the Prime Minister urging action. Requesting confidentiality, he detailed the "loot of public money" and "poor implementation".

The letter
was forwarded down the bureaucratic chain. Dubeyji, as his IIT mates fondly called him, received numerous threats from those he blew the whistle on. A chain of events, currently being investigated by the CBI, led to Dubeyji's murder in the early hours of November 27, 2003 in Gaya.
Tributes ... more

Koli Sea Food Festival




Kunal Bhatia
Kolis are amongst the oldest communities living in our ever changing, ever diversifying and all-accepting city. But in the recent years the community has sensed a threat to their sustenance mainly due to excessive fishing by large trawlers reducing the catch of the smaller fishermen and competition in terms of delivery of the fish from the new players in the market.

No wonder then that Pravin Bhave of the Koli Festival Sanstha says, “The festival is a lever for the community to reassert itself and its value to the city”. Being held for the third year in a row, the Koli Sea Food festival is a part of the larger Mumbai festival, albeit with its own characteristics and USP.

Enter Versova village and follow the road to the community ground, and you get surprised at the scale of the festivities. The festival was spread out over an entire football field with another ground just for adequate parking. Bhave acknowledges the crowds and mentions, “Yes, there have been some issues with traffic management. But the crowds this year have been phenomenal, with around 10,000 people attending everyday. In fact we have people coming in from as far as Thane.”

Now, to get to the food: with over two dozen stalls cooking every possible fish found in the waters around Mumbai, there was no way anyone could have left the festival feeling hungry. There were prawns, surmai, lobsters, crabs, bombil, shellfish etc and even packets of dry fish was on sale. But, if you still felt like being a veggie, then there was a reasonable choice of sabjis with rotis, dahi-wadas and multiple sweet dishes on the menu.

Says Ajeeta Bhatia, a resident of Yari Road, “After an evening walk, dinner was supposed to be just soup and salad. But a slight deviation into the festival grounds and I am now going back home with parcels of fish pakodas, prawns biryani, surmai fry and even a sample of Bombay duck with garlic chutney!”

If the crowds and the number of dishes weren’t enough, the innovativeness of some items on the menu brought astounded looks on most of the faces. Where else would you get to sample prawns pizza and shark kheema! Rajhans Tapke, also from the Koli Festival Sansha explains, “We have to learn to move with the times. If Mac Donald’s can introduce burgers to us, then we can also fuse pizzas with prawns. It is necessary for us to do this to popularise fish as a cuisine and to encourage people to explore the multiple options possible.”

The stall owners couldn’t agree more. Almost all the women of each extended family that were managing their family stalls were dressed impeccably, often in colour coordinated silk sarees, with layers of gold necklaces and green bangles. Mandar Patil, while drawing people in with his perfect English to his family’s stall number 5 says, “Our earnings do go up during the three days of the festival. But we also put in a lot of effort for the same. All the fish here is fresh catch of today morning, most from the coast off Versova village, and almost all my family members are here to help me in order to run the stall.” However unlike Bhave and Tapke, who are aiming to hold the Festival biannually from next year, Mandar feels once a year is just fine. “I work in the hotel industry, and have had to take the weekend off to help around here,” he adds with a smile!

Along with the food, the highlight of the last day was the Koli dance competition, with participation from Koli communities in Versova, Bandra, Cuffe Parade, Vashi and Thane. Enjoying the gyrating, hip swinging dances were David Houston and his family from Perth, Australia. On a three week vacation in India, David who is a prawns and lobster fisherman by profession, was tucking into a spicy Bombay Duck and appreciating the concept. Finding a similarity he says, “Even back home, at the beginning of the fishing season we have a feast wherein a priest blesses our boats with holy water, praying for a good catch in the days to come.”

When communities and cultures depend upon nature for their livelihood, then the word globalisation doesn’t seem to be alien, even if they are situated half way across the globe, separated by the same magnificent seas on which they all depend! Barobar na?

The Koli Sea Food Festival was held at Versova from January 18-21 and will move on to Cuffe Parade from January 26-28


a hott chat on a hott day

Jim: hi tall legs
Donna : lol hi saby

Jim: short pants
Donna : :O short pants

Jim: your ass cheels are showing
Jim: cheeks
Donna : lol
Jim: the sheikhs are rising

Jim: whats new?
Donna : nothin it was raining pretty heabily in dubai
Donna : thre wre floods here
Jim: great
Jim: put on your bikini
Donna : lol

Donna : ur missing on keshis blog why
Jim: i am busy
Jim: screwing mary
Donna : :O im surprised u get it up ;) (srry bad joke)
Jim: hahaha
Jim: try me
Donna : lol

Donna : naaa thnks ;)
Donna : im happy with wht i have right now
Jim: variety
Jim: try all shapes and sizes
Jim: and ages
Donna : lol

Donna : so hows the weather in india right now
Jim: nice
Jim: conversation piece
Jim: talk hott
Jim: more funn
Jim: wanna see mine?

Donna : noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Jim: hehehehe
Jim: show me yours
Jim: pussy
Jim: havent seen a mangy pussy yet
Donna : :((
Jim: hehehehe

Jim: u like it in the butt?
Donna : X-(
Jim: i guess no
Jim: mouth?
Donna : lol never tried it an dont wanna everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Jim: tastes good
Jim: i taste good
Jim: u taste good?
Donna : Urggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
Jim: hehehehe

Jim: u r not verry innovative
Donna : wht can i sya im boring i dont lik the superficial artificial online cybering crap
Donna : its all artificcal
Donna : all fake it

Jim: missionary all the time is boring
Donna : u need to have a emotianla connection to peole u speak abt intimately
Jim: we have it
Jim: dont we?
Donna : NOPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Jim: no???
Jim: bye

Donna : bye
Jim: hello
Donna : wht
Jim: we can fix it
Jim: we can fall in love

Donna : saby dont play around im not in the mood yaar
Donna : why talk crap like htis
Donna : at times its just bullshit which im not interested in

Jim: ok u choose the topic
Donna : i have aguy whom i love and am married to and thats it
Jim: great
Jim: what do we talk about?
Jim: we already talked about the weather

Donna : hows ur job going on
Jim: good
Donna : im into the property business her in uae
Jim: topic over

Jim: next
Jim: i know
Jim: topic over
Jim: next
Donna : ufffffffffffffffffffffffffffff sabyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ur impossibleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :((

Jim: see what i mean
Jim: i hate small talk
Donna : lols

Jim: i love to talk hott
Donna : lol n im bad at it

Jim: most sex jokes are funny
Donna : tell me
Jim: its not about telling
Jim: its discussing
Jim: what u like and where

Donna : mening.//
Jim: i just asked u
Jim: in the mouth nose ears
Jim: hehehehe

Jim: i am posting this coversation to keshis blog
Jim: conversation
Jim: watch keshis blog

Jim: oh God
Jim: she fainted

Jim: farts on her face
Jim: that did it
Jim: jessica recovers
Jim: hahahahahahaha

Jim: i told u sex talk is good funn
Donna : bck srry was on the phone

Jim: read
Donna : lol whts there to faint abt it :P
Jim: i was kidding
Jim: but let me post it
Jim: OK?
Donna : ok
Jim: ok??????
Donna : ok

Jim: oh fuck
Jim: she gott balls
Jim: i am talking to a man
Donna : :P

Jim: u ben kidding me all alone
Jim: kidding me all along

Jim: damn
Jim: i have been made a sucker
Donna : lolz

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

the festival of Life











by Anne Timmerman FROM THE MINUTE YOU STEP INSIDE the venue at a Joyce Meyer Ministries event, you know you are not attending any normal ministry conference.






Excitement fills the air as tangibly as an electric shock in anticipation of what is to come. Pre-session activities allow everyone a chance to relax and unwind during resource giveaways and announcements before worship begins—the start of a truly life-changing experience. It’s clear that these events are turning points in people's lives.






Testimonies continually pour in from all over the country—and the world—about how lives are changed and people are set free to enjoy everyday life through these conferences! When thousands gather to worship Him, God doesn’t hide. He shows up in the worship music, He ministers through the messages, and He’ll work a miracle in you if you let Him.






Heart-changing miracles often happen at Joyce Meyer Ministries conferences, which draw thousands of people who come to be filled up, refreshed and set free. Not many leave without experiencing a special touch from God. It might come through something said by Joyce or a guest speaker, through a worship song, a divine connection with someone you meet, or something you might hear in passing.






But odds are good, you’ll never be the same after experiencing one of these conferences. God is always in attendance and His presence is pervasive. As unique and creative as any concert, each session opens with worship—a powerful time of heartfelt devotion led by dynamic worship leaders such as Hillsong’s Darlene Zschech and the British Christian band Delirious?






“We’re proud to partner with Joyce Meyer Ministries,” said Delirious? lead singer Martin Smith. “We like to see the presence of God come when we play, and that’s what happens when we lead worship at Joyce’s ....
















MUMBAI AWAITS….In a city where no one really bothers to look around, one cannot help but notice the hoardings and banners announcing the Joyce Meyer’s Festival of Life 2008. Whether it is at traffic signals, or just huge vertical banners draped down apartment buildings, one thing is for sure.. Mumbaikars are wondering what this festival is all about. MMRDA Grounds – A place which staged India’s biggest events ever like Bollywood’s Filmfare Awards, live concerts of Shakira, Pink Floyd, and just concluded Bindaas live which saw actors including Shahrukh Khan perform, will now see for the first time in Mumbai, Joyce Meyer’s conference and festival. As you walk in, it’s a busy place. Chairs are being laid out, laborers yelling, sound engineers measuring distances to lay out cables, giant LED (liquid electronic displays) walls being installed … preparations are going on in full speed. Most of the local teams working for us are the same ones who’ve worked for most of the events mentioned above. For them, it’s just another big event.Until now, these grounds were being prepared for the arrival of super stars from India and all over the world. But this week, it’s being prepared for the arrival of the King of Kings, the Creator of the Universe, the Beginning and the End, the only Living God– Jesus Christ!Reminds you of how vast preparations were being so meticulously done by an army-like workforce for King Solomon’s temple, with every detail being taken care of..to get ready a place where the presence of God can fall and dwell forever.That’s exactly what will take place from January 17-20th in MMRDA Grounds, Mumbai. Every little and big work being carried out is only for one purpose – to invite the Almighty God from heaven to earth, to dwell and move among every person that steps into these grounds.And when the presence of God comes, there is healing for body and soul, freedom for those bound, freedom from generational curses, darkness will flee and we’ll find righteousness, joy, peace , love and abundant life.When the presence of God enters a place, it erases all history, regardless of what the place was once used for, it will never remain the same again. MMRDA grounds …getting ready..for that very presence…for Festival of Life!Get Connected – Pray, Volunteer and Register!
Conference Dates:
17th - 19th January, 20089:00 am to 2:30 pm daily
Festival Dates:
17th - 20th January, 20086:00 pm onwards









Pauline Joyce Hutchison Meyer, usually known as Joyce Meyer (born on June 4, 1943) is a charismatic Christian author and speaker. Her television and radio programs air in 25 languages in 200 countries, and she has written over 70 books on Christianity. She is a proponent of the prosperity gospel. Joyce and her husband, Dave, have four grown children, and live near St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry is headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.
Contents[hide]
1 Biography
2 Teaching
3 Criticism
3.1 Post-Dispatch retraction
3.2 Senate Investigation
4 Books by Meyer
5 References
6 External links


Monday, January 14, 2008

the pursuit of happiness


The Bridges of Madison County

This article is about the book. For the film, see The Bridges of Madison County (film).
The Bridges of Madison County is a best-selling novel by Robert James Waller which tells the story of a lonely Italian war bride who engages in an adulterous affair with a National Geographic photographer from Bellingham, Washington who has come to Madison County, Iowa in order to create a photographic essay on the covered bridges in the area. The novel is presented as a novelisation of a true story, but it is in fact entirely fiction, though some have speculated[attribution needed] that, due to admitted similaries between the author and the main character, some elements of the novel may be slightly autobiographical.
The Bridges of Madison County was made into a 1995 film of the same name adapted by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Clint Eastwood. It stars Eastwood and Meryl Streep.
A parody of the novel, under the title The Washed-out Bridges of Madison County, ran in the Doonesbury comic strip. A parody book titled The Ditches of Edison County was published in 1993.

[edit] See also
Madison County, Iowa
Winterset City Park, Winterset, Iowa - Stone bridge in the park was used during filming.

[edit] External links
The Bridges of Madison County Fanlisting
Discussion of the book
Study of reader response to the novel

more

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

SEX Counsellor


The stages


As I said earlier, for Freud, the sex drive is the most important motivating force. In fact, Freud felt it was the primary motivating force not only for adults but for children and even infants. When he introduced his ideas about infantile sexuality to the Viennese public of his day, they were hardly prepared to talk about sexuality in adults, much less in infants!


It is true that the capacity for orgasm is there neurologically from birth. But Freud was not just talking about orgasm. Sexuality meant not only intercourse, but all pleasurable sensation from the skin. It is clear even to the most prudish among us that babies, children, and, of course, adults, enjoy tactile experiences such as caresses, kisses, and so on.

Freud noted that, at different times in our lives, different parts of our skin give us greatest pleasure. Later theorists would call these areas erogenous zones. It appeared to Freud that the infant found its greatest pleasure in sucking, especially at the breast. In fact, babies have a penchant for bringing nearly everything in their environment into contact with their mouths. A bit later in life, the child focuses on the anal pleasures of holding it in and letting go. By three or four, the child may have discovered the pleasure of touching or rubbing against his or her genitalia. Only later, in our sexual maturity, do we find our greatest pleasure in sexual intercourse. In these observations, Freud had the makings of a psychosexual stage theory.

The oral stage lasts from birth to about 18 months. The focus of pleasure is, of course, the mouth. Sucking and biting are favorite activities.

The anal stage lasts from about 18 months to three or four years old. The focus of pleasure is the anus. Holding it in and letting it go are greatly enjoyed.

The phallic stage lasts from three or four to five, six, or seven years old. The focus of pleasure is the genitalia. Masturbation is common.

The latent stage lasts from five, six, or seven to puberty, that is, somewhere around 12 years old. During this stage, Freud believed that the sexual impulse was suppressed in the service of learning. I must note that, while most children seem to be fairly calm, sexually, during their grammar school years, perhaps up to a quarter of them are quite busy masturbating and playing "doctor."

In Freud's repressive era, these children were, at least, quieter than their modern counterparts.

The genital stage begins at puberty, and represents the resurgence of the sex drive in adolescence, and the more specific focusing of pleasure in sexual intercourse. Freud felt that masturbation, oral sex, homosexuality, and many other things we find acceptable in adulthood today, were immature.

This is a true stage theory, meaning that Freudians believe that we all go through these stages, in this order, and pretty close to these ages.


The Oedipal crisis




here he is

go here also

What will it matter : On death and dying

go here

Sanatan Dharm and the true path to God.

What is Sanatan Dharm?
The religion which eternally exists in God, which is revealed by God, which describes the names, forms, virtues and the abodes of God, and which reveals the true path of God realization for all the souls is called Sanatan Dharm, the universal religion for the whole world.

The word dharm is formed from the root word dhryan (dhryan dharne); it means such actions and such spiritual or religious practices that finally result in all-good for a soul. A general description of dharm is:

It means that such actions, thoughts and practices that promote physical and mental happiness in the world (abhyudaya) and ensure God realization (nishreyas) in the end, are called dharm.
There are two kinds of dharmas: (a) Apar dharm, or varnashram dharm, or seemit dharm, or general dharm, and (b) par dharm or bhagwat dharm.


(a) Apar dharm, or varnashram dharm, or seemit dharm, or general dharm. The word dharm means the religious practices and thoughts that are aimed to fulfill a pious goal in life. Accordingly the apar or varnashram dharm is the religious discipline and injunctions of do’s and don’ts that are explained in the scriptures for uplifting the sattvic qualities of a human being in general. Varnashram word refers to all kinds and classes of people of this world living various orders of life (like a family man, a priest, a monk or a sanyasi), and apar word means ‘secondary’ or ‘general’ or ‘preliminary’ because it is not the absolute or prime dharm, it is the preliminary dharm for everyone in the world.

The discipline and rules of apar dharm vary according to the state of the spiritual consciousness of a person, and its rigidness also varies from age to age, that is, from satyug to kaliyug. In short you can understand that (for the existing age) all kinds of good deeds and philanthropic works that are beneficial to the society, and sincere observance of the religious discipline of the ‘order of life’ (religious student, family man, or a renounced person) you are following, come in this category, provided, that they are done with sattvic motivation. Sattvic motivation means having faith in God and then doing all the good karmas only to please God and not for any kind of personal gain. Even if you think of receiving compliments for your good karmas or the religious practices which you observe, it will not be classified as sattvic, it will become rajas, because you desired for the compliments and you have received them. Thus you have already availed the outcome of your so-called good deeds.

According to the Gita:
There is hardly any further good outcome of such good looking karmas in the next lifetime.
So, apar dharm means good karmas with sattvic motivation where a person is devoted to God in a conventional manner, which means a general faith in all the forms of God. Such good karmas pacify the mind of the doer in the existing life, and in the next lifetime they create a good destiny which is called ‘abhyudaya’ that brings physical and mental well-being in a person’s life.
(b) Par dharm or bhagwat dharm. This is the main dharm which brings the absolute good (the nishreyas) of a soul, and the absolute good of a soul is only God realization which happens through the direct devotion to God in His personal form. It is called bhakti. It gives both, peace and happiness in life as well as God realization. Apar dharm is the general dharm for all and is only a preliminary dharm, which is like the preparatory practice for entering into bhakti for those who cannot accept it in their life right away. Bhakti is above all the religious formalities, rituals and intellectual practices of meditation. In one sentence you can say that bhakti is the true ‘love’ for your soul-beloved God. It could be observed by any person of the world. It is universal; it is for every age; it is said and revealed by God Himself; and it is sanatan which means eternal. Thus, the dharm which is based on such bhakti, which is eternally established in bhakti, and which establishes bhakti for God as a universal religion of the world, is called Sanatan Dharm.


God is: “dharmadhishthan.” It means that the Sanatan (eternal) Dharm is established in God and resides in God as a Divine power. It is revealed by God through Brahma before the human civilization and is represented through the Upnishads and the Puranas.

God and His path of attainment are both eternal.
Material beings are eternally under the bondage of maya and are ignorant. So the Divine matters are beyond the reach of human mind. It is thus quite obvious that a material mind can never find a way to approach the Divine. It cannot even know the nature of the Divine power on its own. It is thus only God Who Himself reveals His knowledge to the human beings. It is seen in the world that nature produces milk in the bosom of a woman before the birth of a child as the child may need it immediately on birth. So, even before the birth of human beings on this earth planet, God produces the knowledge of His attainment through the Upnishads, and the Puranas.


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Monday, January 07, 2008

Sex for the Soul


TANTRIC SEX andTHE ART OF SACRED LOVE MAKING
Sex for the Soul


Tantric Sex and the practices, techniques and spiritual understandings related to it answer some of the most important questions in intimate relating and love making. People from all cultures and age groups are looking for increased sexual fulfillment, are trying to keep the passion alive in long term relationships, are desiring to open their hearts and their bodies fully to their partners, or are wanting fulfillment from relationships that goes beyond the merely physical.


Regardless of whether you are in a relationship or on your own the Sacred Loving programs help you open to love, life, health and spirituality in a respectful and comfortable atmosphere and in a variety of ways.You can learn the art of tantric love making in the privacy of your own home with our video "The Secrets of Sacred Sex" or with phone consultations. Alternately you can learn while on vacation in Hawaii in a personalized setting or in a group workshop environment in various locations.Niyaso Carter, international workshop leader, counselor and co-founder of the Sacred Loving programs has been teaching in this field for 18 years.


Her unique gift in this work is her extensive training and experience in both psychology and spiritual practices. She brings together Western psychology with it’s many therapeutic techniques and Eastern practices such as Tantra, Taoism and Buddhism, where life and sexuality are addressed from a spiritual and energetic point of view. This offers participants understanding and growth on many different levels of their being. Niyaso encourages an approach to intimacy, sexuality and Tantra based on self-acceptance, meditation and deep relaxation.Regardless of your situation in life, it is always the right time to increase your capacity to love and be loved, to connect with your loved ones and with the Divine and to reach for new heights of joy, health and fulfilment in every area of your life. Niyaso Carter and her programs on Sacred Loving can help you to take the next step on the path to happiness and wholeness and introduce you to the art of lovemaking.


Sunday, January 06, 2008

nostalgia party




I just got home from a party
a nostalgia party

we meet once a year
Ashok and Sandy was here
shabeer bandookwala was here too

and Naushir and Xavier
the guy who showed his penis to Meena was absent
and Sanober didnt show up too
Usha didnt come too

Mario and Lallu was here
Galia didnt show up

we teleconferenced with nandan
Keith Bennet from UK was here along with Terence

Menino and Anil and Pratap and Rodney
cudnt make it
they were up in the sky

Costy was here
Susan didnt show up

Joe and Edna and albert and peggy were here
and Saby and Maria

we had a great time




PS: Lalu is running for the marathon again today


he left early