HERE IS FREE ENGLISH DICTIONARY

WordWeb Dictionary

Referring  dictionary is a good habit.  It would build up your vocabulary.  So whenever you find a difficult word, make it a habit to refer to dictionary thereby your vocabulary improves.  It should be a life-long ritual.

But in this digital era, referring to hard copy dictionary is rather monstrous.  You must take the aid of technology and this free soft-dictionary is a boon for your desktop as other  dictionary softwares  come for a price.

I find, word-web dictionary the best  free dictionary software which caters all your vocabulary needs.  It is a must software to install on your computer. When the word power is built on daily basis, your power of expression becomes richer.

 If you want to be inspired to fine-tune your English speaking and writing abilities, please read my article 'Word Power to World Power' here .

When it comes to Word Web Dictionary, download from the below link to your desktop :

http://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/getmirror/wordweb_free_version,1.html

If you want the same  for your mobile client,  you can download this free app from Google Play Store.

OM SWAMI - THE JOURNEY FROM CORPORATE WALLS TO HIMALAYAS

An English news daily  in its  23rd December, 2014 edition brought  an interesting piece of article captioned " A Monk's take'.  It is a journey of a man from corporate walls to Himalayas in search of Happiness.

In his new avatar as a monk Om Swami has a dedicated website http://omswami.com/.

Being not satisfied  with the information, I tried to  dig deep into his past corporate life, but his website's  "About' page retrieves back with the following about him :

My achievement is not what I have,
My introduction is not what I do,
It is but who I am.
A nobody.

I sing I laugh I dance I clap,
A speck of dust in the infinite creation,
A vast ocean in the tiny dew drop,
A Himalayan stream,
The still mountain,

I am That.
So are you.
Compassion is my religion and love, my only philosophy.

It is palpable that when a person reaches to that wisdom, he doesn't want to give much credence to his past life.   When it comes to his website, it  has very interesting videos and other reading stuff for those who have spiritual bent of mind.   His  memoir "If Truth be told'  gives a gripping account of his spiritual journey from corporate walls to Himalayas.     

His website is a must visit one ! 

A WEBSITE ON CRIME RECORDS IN INDIA

NCRB Website header

Crime records give a lot of insights for law & order scenario in the country.  The crime-related statistics are an important tool for writers, bloggers or freelancers when they write issues on society or crime-related issues.

National Crime Records Bureau is the attached office of Ministry of  Home Affairs, Government of India. It has 762 server based computer systems at every District Crime Records Bureau and State Crime Records Bureau, across the country to maintain a national level database of crimes, criminals and property related crime in India.

The website has dedicated section 'Downloads' from which you can download the important statistics of your interest.   Apart from that it has "Crime in India in 2013 where you can download the content for reference.

Those whose websites/ blogs  dwell on society, societal trends, it is a rich source of information on crime statistics.

Click below to visit NCRB website:

 http://ncrb.gov.in/index.htm

HOW TO UPDATE YOURSELF WITH LATEST IN SCIENCE

NASA

There was a time when it used to take so much time for getting updated with latest developments in the field  of science.  Scientific journals are the only source for getting the crucial information for common man.  But this decade has changed that trend.

Now, you can instantly update information in various categories in Google News which grabs the feeds from various websites.  But science news is selective and it may not give update fully.   If you want to update yourself  with latest inputs in the field of science, America's topmost research agency, NASA is the best bet.

The mobile App of NASA is the hottest in the app world.  This free app provides mine of  information on  latest science in various categories like NASA's Mission information, International Space Station, NASA TV etc.

International Space Station is an interesting section.  It is a  research platform orbiting Earth above 350 km.  This project in  partnership of 16 countries is doing research in micro-gravity environment where astronauts stay 24x7 and explore not only Earth but other planets and Solar System. The Image section is a scintillating experience. 

Our text books are outdated when it comes latest facts & figures in the field of science.  For e.g. new facts are emerging day by day about Sun, Earth and other Planets.  Therefore, we need to update ourselves with the latest information on this cutting edge field.

When you download NASA Android app, it gives a mind-blowing information on science.  This data-intensified app is rich with latest updates on scientific facts you want to know.  It has 'Featured' Section where you can get latest on Sun, Solar System, Earth, Moon and what not.

It is a wonderful app one must install on Android powered mobile/tablet.  But when you are accessible to desktop computer, better to view NASA website instead as the experience of NASA website is on different footing.  You can watch live updates on NASA Live TV and even see astronauts in  live from International Space Station (ISS).

I think the common man can't imagine to see Earth physically from ISS and watching it live from NASA website/ app would somewhat offset his curiosity.

So it is time to install NASA Android app from here 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.nasa&hl=en

If you are watching this post from desktop, visit NASA website from the below link:

http://www.nasa.gov/

FOLDER LOCK APP

Folder Lock App

Mobile phone or tablet computer now-a-days has become an extended organ.  It is so productive for on-the-go life.

The Android platform has countless free apps in Google Playstore.  One such app is Folder Lock which I recently installed in my Android phone.

Folder Lock with  nice interface is a great app which I have been looking for some time.  It is a perfect app to save your private videos, photos and highly sensitive data files.  Once you download and install it, it creates a dormant folder either on your phone memory or memory card to save all the stuff.

The app facilitates with a password and you need to key in password every time to open the stuff inside folder lock.  At the time of installation, you are asked to provide your personal email address which will be used to send unlock code in case you forget your password.

The developers mention the following features for the app :

• Protect private photos

• Hide sensitive videos and pictures

• Password-protect secret audio

• Lock down important documents

• Write secure notes

• Record voice recordings and memos secretly

• Import Saved Contacts

• Create Contact Groups

• Secret Contacts Group multiple SMS

One word of caution: Don't put ATM or internet bank IDs/passwords in these folders.  It is better to memorize them in mind than reducing them to writing. 

If you are reading this post from your Android mobile/tablet, you can directly download the app from the below mentioned link : 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.newsoftwares.folderlock_v1&hl=en

5 MINUTES YOGA & 1 MINUTE MEDITATION

My Yoga Asanas/Meditation

Renowned Yoga Guru BKS Iyengar once said that youth needs more of Yoga today!' But they   often  consider as a spiritual practice.  It is time to come out from that orthodox  notion.

Yoga is simply not a physical exercise. It has a lot more. Though, myself read about Yoga and even Patanjali Yoga Sutras  with commentary of  Swami Vivekananda in his famous book 'Raja Yoga, little did  I put into practice.

But, two years back, my sedentary lifestyle had taken its toll and my spine and leg joints became so feeble and I find it difficult to climb even to staircase to reach my third floor home. That bitter experience one day turned me towards yoga when   I accidentally saw a Youtube video which is an interview of Yoga Guru BKS Iyengar with NDTV Chief  Dr. Pranoy Roy.

That video brought revolutionary change in me. Sh Iyengar, who was 90 then - April, 2008 looked like a fountain of energy and the way he talked to Dr. Roy ignited me to start yoga practice to maintain my fitness levels.  Then, I slowly started doing some yoga asanas after my morning cup of coffee, that too only for five 5 minutes. Since then, I could not remember when I got backache last time which was so frequent earlier.  

For a man of my age (44 years) those 5 minutes in the morning are so crucial and if I skip that I feel drowsy that day. My 5 minutes yoga include 2 minutes vajraasan and 3 minutes halaasan. 

After completion of 5 minutes yoga, I do 1-minute meditation. In fact meditation is your natural rhythm. You should not force your mind to do meditation and that backfires. When you do it with an effort, it can't be called 'Meditation'. Jiddu Krishna Murti, the eminent Indian philosopher advises   your mind as if it is a lizard on the wall. This makes your meditation qualitative. 

Yoga and Meditation brought cheers to my daily life. My energy levels drastically improved over a period and I could feel the difference. Now I am not suffering from any health related problems, even cough or cold and I attribute all this to my daily   practice of yoga & meditation. 

It is the time for youth, to start practising yoga, at least 5 minutes like me which after some years become part of your routine. Doing regular yoga and meditation  has immense health benefits.  . 

The importance of yoga has already been recognized by United Nations which declared 21st June as the International Day of Yoga. The Yoga has it's roots in India which is a 5,000 year-old physical, mental and spiritual practice. It has tremendous physical and mental benefits. 

Further the practice of yoga has no religious connotations. It is purely a technique of ancient India with a mountain of health benefits leading to sound body and mind !

VETERAN SOUTH INDIAN FILM DIRECTOR K. BALACHANDER IS DEAD

Courtesy: Wikipedia

 Two stalwarts of  South Indian cinema are his products – Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth.

Veteran film director K. Balachander  breathed his last yesterday evening (23.12.2014) due to age-related problems. He is 84. He left a rich legacy behind him.  In  his  marathon film career of 45 years  which was started as a screenwriter, Balachander is man behind the successful careers of so many South Indian actors and technicians.

 All his stories are weaved around middle-class families.

Apart from Tamil films, Balachander  also did some notable Telugu films like Rudraveena, Aakali Rajyam, Idi Kdha Kaadu, Maro Charithra and Anthuleni Katha which are blockbuster  movies during those times. 

His talents were recognized   by Govt. of India with Padma Shri  and he was also awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award  in 2010.

May his soul rest in peace!

NIGHT SHELTER FOR HOMELESS IN DELHI

For the last four days, Delhi is under the grip of biting cold.  Today by the time of writing this post which is mid-afternoon 2 pm, the temperature is chilling at 16° C.

Normal life in Delhi is out of sync for the last four days as day temperatures fell suddenly. I stopped going to my office on auto rickshaw and using the Delhi Metro instead for commute.

The severe cold has torn apart normalcy in Delhi and made work life more drowsy.  No doubt that I am quite enjoying the warmth of underground metro station  near to my work point. Mother Earth is so great that its lap is always warm.  Perhaps due to this, the passing stream beneath  a river or tank is always warm even in winters,  compare to our stored water tanks.

My aim of writing these lines is simply not to share my encounters with the changing weather, but doing a bit  in helping the  less privileged take advantage of  Night Shelter Homes sponsored by Delhi Government  at 222 locations in 11 districts covering the length and breadth of Delhi.  

The Delhi Government has a dedicated website called Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board which has detailed locations of shelter homes with name of contact persons and their mobile numbers.  My earnest request to all those who  read this post is to propagate the existence of such Night Shelter Homes in Delhi and help the needy, especially the floating population  who come to Delhi  for employment but difficult to find shelter in this severe winter.   So it is the responsibility of every Delhite to liberally share the details of   these shelter homes in Delhi  with all  their near and dear ones living in Delhi and  make efforts to advise the deserving  to shift there to save themselves from biting cold. Those who want to donate blankets and  other material may contact the contact-persons of shelter homes in  the following website : 

Click here to go to website :  http://www.delhishelterboard.in/occupancy-report/

Of course Service to man to service to God !

THIS IS SUN AND NOT MOON !

CENTENARIAN ZOHRA SEHGAL

To live long is not easy that  too in a healthy body and mind. Only few are blessed.

How you perceive life that determines your forward years.  History reveals that those who give credence to health  and emotional life have lived long.  First of all, you must have vigour to live and when that fire douses, you become  like a deadwood even if you stay in the body !

The life of centenarians offers so much wisdom.

Since, my childhood days, I closely watched the lives of aged people, especially those who live longer like my grandmother who lived above 80 years.

When you see an aged man or woman, the  exuberance of joy on his/her   face reflects  the secrets of living.

When I  first looked at her face, it injected youthful energy into my veins.  Zohra Sehgal, the dancer-turned-actress of yester years offers so much wisdom in her off-screen life too.  She says that Life has been tough but I have been tougher.  I beat life at its own game.   

Many of us can  never forget  the famous song of Sharukh Khan's movie Dil Se. Zohra's dancing nuances in the  song Jiya Jale... are above board and you must bow your head for her doing flawless dancing movements  even in that ripe age.  The focal point in the song is her  eye-balls movement to  the tune which is so professional, chiseled to perfection.  

She started her dancing career with Uday Shankar in 1935 and thereafter entered into celluloid world and later on television.  She is often called the grand old lady of Indian Cinema and Ladli of entertainment with  7 decades of acting career.  Recognizing her contribution to the Indian Cinema, she was honoured with   Padma Vibhushan in 2010.  

She wrote her own memoir  Close-up Memoirs of a Life on Stage & Screen in 2010 which is an interesting read.  Further, her daughter Kiran Segal also wrote a book on her mother "Zohra Seagal: Fatty in October, 2012. These two books offer much of her personal life  to the world and how she weathered all difficulties in life. 

Her sense of humour could be  better emanated from the fact that  when asked what keeps her ticking, she replied , ' humour and sex !  Revealing her health secret, she says that Sex is very important for life to get going, I still want it !'    Till her last moment, she was a fountain of energy.  

When I see centenarians like  Zohra Sehgal, my mind slides into reflective mood of what  magic made  them to live such a long period. One lesson I learned  from their lives is their  child-like enthusiasm and Zohra's  persona overflows with this trait  and it is main secret behind her living 102 fruitful years.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SUCCESSFUL BLOGGER

A successful blogger is a celebrity these days.  I find two Agrawals that are ruling the Indian blogging world.  One is Harsh Agrawal whose blog shoutmeloud.com   is pegged at 283 as per Alexa India rank  and Amit Agarwal's Digital Inspiration is at 530 (as on 21.12.2014).

Both are technology bloggers that give them handsome income with exuberant joy in  their personal lives.  Moreover, blogging is a one-man Army.  You could take a full control of what to do on  day to day basis.  A good net worker with addictive levels of reading and writing hobbies could turn into a successful blogger.  The technical part of any successful blog is taken care of by expert advice.  But the content should be unique and should show your signature style that should pull  the crowds.

This 2010 Amit's video triggers loads of inspiration to me and would draw a path for  a debutant blogger.

Harsh & Amit's blogging success gives  one sagely wisdom: There is no shortcut to success.  When passion rules your daily life, success is bound to embrace you !

YOGI VEMANA - A TELUGU PHILOSOPHER AND POET

Yogi Vemana

His small verses in vernacular Telugu are so popular in Andhra Pradesh, India.  They are simply not poems but are snippets of wisdom.

Being a proud Andhraite, it is my bounden duty to introduce great people of Andhra to my blogger world.  Though somebody might have written about him, the story from different minds come in different hues.

Being  spiritual means wake up to the reality of life.  For some people, it comes instantly and for some others, it is a treacherous path. There is an adage in Telugu that a 'bhogi is bound to become yogi'  in course of time.   Vemana's life is a journey from 'bhogi' to 'Yogi'.

Vemana originally known as Kumaragiri Vema Reddy was the third and youngest son of Gaddam Vema, the then king of Kondaveedu in present-day Andhra Pradesh.  Much of the credit for bringing  Vemana's literature to light goes to Britisher C.P. Brown who estimated the year of his birth as 1652 AD based on some of his verses.  Some other sources say, he was born in 15th or 16/17the centuries.

His poems contain four lines and the last line is his signature line ' Viswadhaabhi Raam, Vinura Vema.  A large section of his poems are part of present high school curriculum in Andhra Pradesh.   There is a University in his name in Kadapa city, Andhra Pradesh called 'Yogi Vemana University' established in 2006.

One website : telugubasha.net has thrown much light on Vemana stating that there is a headstone marking the grave of Yogi Vemana in Kataru Palli, a village in Kadiri Taluk, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh.  It is further stated that Vemana died in this village.  Being a Yogi, he was buried and not cremated.

The popularity of Vemana in the cultural life of Andhra Pradesh can be emanated from the fact that two feature films were made on Vemana, one in 1947, directed by Kadiri Venkata Reddy and other in 1988, directed by C.S. Rao.

Those who want to read Indian Thought or cream of Vedas/ Upanishads, they could turn to C.P. Brown's translations of Vemana poems, as they are available as free resources at the given below link :
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vov/

DELHI's AFTERNOON SUN ON MY LENS

Delhi's afternoon Sun 

BOOK REVIEW : THE UNIVERSE INSIDE YOU by BRIAN CLEGG

Book

When you update yourself with latest scientific developments, you get a jaw-dropping revelations which slide you into more astonishment.

Nobel laureate Max Planck once said that science can't solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of  mystery that we are trying to solve. But that can't stop us from doing scientific research which is taking us to new frontiers.

The book "The Universe inside you' by Brian Clegg is such a minefield of scientific information that would surge your scientific temper. Irrespective of stream you studied in your academics , it is a book that must be read to know more about human body and functioning of brain. Here there should not be an argument that my genre is fiction or something other etc. Some books that provide you basic information should be swallowed like hot peanuts.

It is true that some scientific jargon create hurdles but if you are firm with curiosity you could easily peddle up on your reading journey. The book has interesting chapters like atoms to standard model, fourth state of matter to what kind of stuff you are to mysteries of brain. 

The author in his introduction says that we all have our own laboratories in the form of our bodies – hugely complex structures that depend for their functioning on all of the many facets of science and nature. 

Honestly the book needs to be adorned in your personal library !

·         ISBN-10: 1848313535

·         ISBN-13: 978-1848313538

BOOK REVIEW : A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING

Bill Bryson's book " A short history of nearly everything' is a book which must adorn your personal library as it has a treasure trove of information relevant to current needs.

The book is US's National Best Seller. New York Times described it "Destined to become a modern classic of science writing'.

The book has interesting stuff all about everyday science from Universe to Earth, Atom to Life and what not. To put it in one line about the book: It travels through time and space to introduce us to the world, the universe and everything. The UK edition describes the book : Deserves to sell as many copies as there are protons in the full stop that ends this review (at least 500,000,000,000). 

The book is an answer to Bryson's own curiosity about the world around him. He patiently puts to pen the answers to his quest  from Big Bang to the rise of civilization. It is a book  in layman's language and  must read for all ages ! 

ISBN-10: 076790818X

ISBN-13: 978-0275980528

SHINING SUN CAUGHT TO MY MOBILE

EMPEROR OF ENTERTAINMENT : RAJ KAPOOR

                                 Above is my all time favourite Raj Kapoor Song

Sometimes, I forget to pray but not  browse the internet.  Google is the presiding deity of internet and you can say, it is its daily face.  When I opened browser on my mobile today morning, Raj Kapoor was shown on Google's Logo indicating  his 90th birthday.

My deep apologies to the late actor  for paying  tribute at this late evening.  But ignoring the occasion is more a crime than paying a late tribute. You must be convinced that I  was preoccupied full day  to make  some SEO recommended changes in all my three blogs (this blog and Wisdom Everest  &  Knoweb.in ) and  the day drifted away in seconds up till now.

Raj Kapoor  is such a great  actor and  a marvellous  director who has the knack of showing the beauty of the woman without vulgarity.  

I heard some years back through a friend that Russians during 1950s  know  only two Indians, one Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and other is Raj Kapoor.  He has such a beautiful melodies to his credit and enjoying such lovely music  lifts the soul.

Hats off to this Emperor of Entertainment !

BEAUTY ON MY BACKYARD

BOOK REVIEW : THE MAGIC OF REALITY

If you want to know what the science did so far to humanity, you must read this interesting book. The science here is explained in the clearest terms. It is not a simple casual read and you must come back and forth to get answers some of the curious questions the children ask us on science.

The book explains in simple prose on space, time and evolution laced with humour and clever thought experiments. You get very straight answers to some of the baffling questions like How old is the Universe ? What causes tsunamis ? What was the first man, or woman ?

Writing a difficult concept in simple prose is not easy and it demands tremendous mental energies. When you write science for common folks, the task becomes  tougher. French philosopher Blaise Pascal rightly says that I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had the time to make it shorter. It means, to make anything simple, it occupies much time and the benefit is obvious : message goes straight into readers' minds.

Dawkins, is an evolutionary biologist and a hardcore atheist. He has written many popular science books. His 2006 book 'The God Delusion' had sold more than 2 million copies and was translated into 31 languages.

I don't know about Dawkins until I saw his video in YouTube video a year ago which was a live discussion between him and Deepak Chopra. The inciting discussion on God triggered me to search his best book and I landed up with this book which I purchased on January this year. Deep regrets for taking almost a year to write a review but I swear that it is in my priority list.

When it comes to this book, I could clearly distinguish my knowledge before reading it and after reading it. He says that life got started more than three and half billion years ago and what we are today is simply an evolutionary process and there is nothing like God. His argument is that human brains and human hands evolved by natural selection. Like this, there are so many fascinating facts the reader would know when he or she starts reading this book. I could say that this book simply ignites you to read the whole book in three or four sittings.

This small volume definitely enrich your knowledge on science merging all branches of knowledge into one interesting narrative.

A priority book to read !

MY PHOTOGRAPHY : DELHI's WINTER SUN

PARENTAL LESSONS ON SMART PHONE

One piece of news on 30th of last month (Nov. 2014) in  a prominent English Daily hit me very hard.   It was an incident that occurred in Delhi  the previous day where one juvenile killed a young neighbour boy named Ganesh  when he failed to get  ransom from the boy's father.  The intention to kidnap the boy was to get money to purchase an iPhone and lead a lavish lifestyle.

If we go into the details, the juvenile stabbed the boy to death and to confirm it he slit his throat.  He made a call to the boy's father with a stolen phone of another neighbour.  After the barbarous act, the juvenile returned home and cleverly washed his clothes to hush up the episode.

The multiple crimes committed by the juvenile for a smartphone  mirrors the disturbing influence of technology on the children's mind.  It is in fact a tight-rope walk for parents.

 At the time of writing this post, my younger daughter who hardly crossed 12 years tried to   check her peers' chat messages on Whatsapp loaded on  my phone.  When I screamed at her not to touch the phone which was on a low-battery, she shot back with equal fumes of anger.  

We are sailing the difficult waters. You  can't deny technology to children citing various reasons. The steps you take in regulating their behaviour should be smooth, convincing and  not to offend their hearts.

This is how I handled  my younger daughter when she approached me a couple of months ago to install WhatsApp on her mother's smartphone. Instead of conceding her request, I installed the chat app in my phone to have direct access of her content  and also create a psychological barrier on  her not to misuse or wrong use it.   That worked well and she is now happy soul with the deal and I also got a sigh of relief  that I tread a middle path with win-win situation for both.

Peer pressure is a huge factor to children in these days and parents must be extra cautious while entertaining the children's requests.  When my elder daughter who is around 15 asked me to open a Facebook account on her name, I admonished her and told that misuse or wrong use may put her on deep trouble.   When it became a tug of war for some days, I was able to convince her enough and  now it was a closed matter.

Like my own tale,  may be it is same with some parents of this generation, especially in urban India.  Therefore, it is the need of the  hour for parents to be extra cautious and constantly monitor the behaviour of their children especially pre-teens and teens who may otherwise fall into wrong habit and jeopardize their lives !

FREE E-BOOK ON PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Most of folks in India may not know him but in America if you ask anyone, he/she would  tell his success story.

He is a simple janitor (the guy standing in front of Gate in a big restaurant in cities).  But he rose to the pinnacle of success by  helping people in realizing their potential.

I read his much-acclaimed work ''Awaken the Giant within'' in 2005 which is an interesting discourse on 'personality development.  He offers so many interesting tips  and one should not have missed to read it.

The leading America's business magazine, Forbes  says that Tony Robbins is one of the 'Top 200 Business Gurus' in 2003 and reaching over 4 million people from 100 countries with his life and business mastery books, products and services.

His life is rags to riches with a net worth estimated at $480 million dollars.

Today, Robbins in an effort to help virtually everyone on the planet is offering a free version of above book in a recycled format called "Re-awaken the Giant Within''.  Download the book with the following link and enjoy reading it !

http://www.tonyrobbins.com/ebook/?thankyou=1 

MARKETING STRATEGY OF MOMOS WALA' IN DELHI

Ever since, I started blogging, one trait I earned is paying attention literally to everything I do.  The goal is obvious : To get the stuff   for my blog posts. Here, no commercial interests that dictate my desire, but simply to share stories from my lens/view point.

I have no hesitation to say that I share the same vision like Google Founders Larry Page and Sergy Brin where the information should power each individual on this planet.  This motto is the  prime driver  when I first mooted the idea to start a blog and name it KNOWEB, the acronym for Knowledge Web born out of this noble mission in 2011.     The  "O" in KNOWEB symbolizes our Planet Earth and I strongly believe that   one day internet penetrates to every living habitat on the Earth.

The inspiration to make effective this blog more attractive  now comes  from a roadside eatery. The other day, while I was shopping with family in the upmarket Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi, this Momos wala's billboard caught my attention.  It has a catchy slogan  "Yeh Dil Maange Mor'' that triggered  an idea to find  ways to drive more traffic for my blog. The strategy I want to adopt is to choose a straight route : Give Information that gives value to the end user - Netizen. 

The business acumen of this momos wala is surely an envy to  a business graduate ! 

PUSHING BOUNDARIES IN HALF MARATHON

When I watched a 3 minute youtube video to write the story  of  my friend who participated in the recently concluded Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on 23rd November, 2014, the visuals of event exuberated my mood.

The object of any such marathons is to raise the awareness on health and it is the need of the hour for  a country like India which has the highest youth population in the world. The motto of  the  organisers is to inspire the youth, the main target group to raise their fitness levels.

But in this event, more than youth,  it attracted  middle-aged people and one among them is a Mr. Ravi, 50.

With his wiry frame but radiant eyes, fully combed envious black  hair,  Ravi  is a fitness freak. He is working as Inspector in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF, Govt. of India, Ministry of Home Affairs) but is presently on deputation as  Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, New Delhi.

Six months ago, a desire to participate in the Marathon put him on track. Since then, he started his practice without affecting his daily routine.

Weathering all the difficulties, Ravi proved that age is not a barrier  when a person makes up his mind. While talking about the event, he says that the event has taken him into a new orbit of personal health.

Some times, it appears to me  that  Body Mass Index (BMI)  is a faux.  For a height of Mr. Ravi which is 171 cm, he is supposed to have 63 kgs, where as he weighs only 54 kgs (as he claimed)  almost 9 kgs less than  threshold weight.   When asked about his health profile, he says that he follows strict exercise regimen and is decease-free.  He says that his daily workout includes yoga.

Talking about his preparation for  Half Marathon,  he says that it has in no way affected his work life.  A distance of 21.097 kms ( from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and back) was clocked by him  in 1 hr 59 minutes 31 seconds.  The maximum time a participant could take is 3 hours.

When congratulated by streaming colleagues and well-wishers, his beaming face accepts them with humility.  About his fitness levels, he says that,he couldn't remember when he got cold or cough last time.  Narrating his story of  fitness, Mr. Ravi says that he is doing  running practice since 2009  but not so vigorously which was started  only 6 months back  for this half marathon.   He also claims that  he  didn't  take any special diet  during practice and only simple diet and normal daily routine did wonders due to his iron will. 

BLADE RUNNER

Courtesy : Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2014

If you are in Army, the life there teaches you greater lessons, more so steely resolve to weather all difficulties in life. The above is Major D.P. Singh, often referred to as the Blade Runner. In fact, he was severely injured in July 1999, during the Kargil War and still has shrapnel embedded in his body. He is  India's first blade runner, showing the world the spirit of a true warrior. Participated in the recent Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on 23rd November, 2014.

MUSIC MANTRA

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”

                                                            - Plato

 I have never seen anybody who don't like music. Because music is your rhythm, your life force.  Famous English writer Aldous Huxley says that after silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.

Music like a taste of a particular cuisine has its own flavour. I can't live a day without music.  It  soothes my soul.  My computer, my mobile phone are loaded with music  of different genres -  regional music like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Indi-pop, Western etc.

I can't distinguish between old and new.

Like  writing,  music has a creative expression.  You have to flex your muscles in your brain to bring out the inner song.   Some years ago, I read the biography of famous Indian composer A.R. Rahman written by Kamini Mathai.  

Writing about Rahman, Kamini in her book says that Rahman is what you would call a trial and error method composer.  He never lets go of a song until he is satisfied.  It is a quality that a writer too shares.  When asked how the best music happens to him, Rahman says that ' I think music comes from the divine source.  Every time I sit down to work I feel like I take orders from Him'  Rahman further says that sometimes the tunes even come to him when he is asleep.

Leo Tolstoy says that music is the shorthand of emotion.  Like beauty is in the looks of the beholder, it is true what famous British poet and Nobel laureate T.S. Eliot  said : " You are the music while the music lasts'. 

I read somewhere that music changes your mental state quickly and books change your focus quickly.  That's why doctors advise to listen good music when you are in disturbed emotional state because it changes your mental state.  Music definitely acts as stress buster. India's then  ISRO Chief (Indian Space Research Organisation) K. Radhakrishnan in an interview (courtesy: The Hindu ) says that music works as a tonic for his stress. He further says that his colleagues praise him for his memory and he attributes this to music practice.  He says that it is nada yoga for him.

In good olden days, the families sit together to savour music after evening meals when television not invaded much in Indian homes in 80s.  I could well remember my childhood days songs I listened over the radio. In fact, I downloaded all my childhood favourite songs  from internet which give a vivid accounts of those pleasant times.

As a memory tool, scientists advise you to learn music either vocal or instrument to grow the brains more creatively. They say that adding a new language, musical instrument, or cooking skill are examples of creative categories of brain challenges.

We see children listen music so often which bursts their creativity and adults don't do that way.  What I find in my own observation is that people in mid- thirties/forties/ fifties are so preoccupied with their routines and they complain that they don't find time to listen music. But that's not true.  You must listen to music, say a song or two in the day to bounce back with creativity.  Those who can't invest that 10 - 15 minutes must otherwise face the music - dryness in their daily chores !