JAGO PARTY-- What can we hope?

I saw this party's ad in India Today and my first reaction was Oh! One more party ! Another group of corrupt politicians making all false promises.

But this party is with a different mission. At least they say so!
They are against reservations.
Job for all through free English medium education.
Death sentence for terrorism, corruption, murder & rape.
Court judgment in three months.
All voters will get Rs. 600/- per month.
24X7 electricity supply for all towns & villages and comfortable train journey by privatization.
Less government activities & more private enterprises.
No income tax upto Rs. 4.0 Lakh per annum.

I don't think this party will be able to make its presence felt in rural areas of UP, Bihar and other states where leaders are chosen on the basis of castes.

But atleast we, as educated and concerned citizens of India, give this party an opportunity to serve the country.

I hope this party stick to its mission once elected. As their own site says "Smallest action is much better than the noblest intention !"

May be in coming years the basis on which our country votes changes and our people start thinking above caste ,creed and choose deserving candidates.

Website: http://www.jago.in/

Building Life -- An inspirational story

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you.

"What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

Chankaya Niti-- Some Quotes

About Chankaya---
Chanakya (Kautilya) was the minister of Chandragupta c. 321-c.297 BC Maurya who was the first emperor of the Mauryan empire. Chandragupta came to rule much of India. Chandragupta rose to power under the influence of Chanakya.
Much of our knowledge about state policy under the Mauryas comes from the Arthashastra written by Chanakya.The book, written in Sanskrit, discusses theories and principles of governing a state.
Arthashastra remains unique in all of Indian literature because of its total absence of specious reasoning, or its unabashed advocacy of realpolitik, and scholars continued to study it for its clear cut arguments and formal prose till the twelfth century.

Some quotes from Arthashastra:

"The biggest guru-mantra is:Never share your secrets with anybody.
It will destroy you."

"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."

"Education is the best friend.
An educated person is respected everywhere.
Education beats the beauty and the youth."

“A man is great by deeds, not by birth.”

“Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.”

“A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first.”

“Once you start a working on something, don’t be afraid of failure and don’t abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.”

"God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple."

"It is better to be without a kingdom than to rule over a petty one; better to be without a friend than to befriend a rascal; better to be without a disciple than to have a stupid one; and better to be without a wife than to have a bad one."

"Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge."

"Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune."

"Even from poison extract nectar, wash and take back gold if it has fallen in filth, receive the highest knowledge (Krsna consciousness) from a low born person; so also a girl possessing virtuous qualities (stri-ratna) even if she were born in a disreputable family"

"Though men be endowed with beauty and youth and born in noble families, yet without education they are like the palasa flower, which is void of sweet fragrance"

"A stillborn son is superior to a foolish son endowed with a long life. The first causes grief for but a moment while the latter like a blazing fire consumes his parents in grief for life."

"Consider again and again the following: the right time, the right friends, the right place, the right means of income, the right ways of spending, and from whom you derive your power."

Indian Tourism

A nice article by Chindanandan Rajghatta on the tourism in India
-

The United States has replaced the United Kingdom as the country sending the largest number of tourists to India, according to India’s tourism ministry. Some 799,000 Americans — around 15% of India’s five million inflow in 2007 — visited hamara bharat mahaan, edging ahead of 796,000 British guests. According to US Commerce Department, more Americans came to India last year than went to Ireland or Thailand. Let’s hope a couple of them check into the visitor’s gallery of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday to see the ‘nuclear’ fireworks in our Parliament.Among several reasons more Americans are trooping in to India is the weak dollar, which is taking a pounding against most currencies but hanging tough against the rupee. New non-stop flights to India help.

While many parts of the world are considered unsafe for Americans, India is kosher, notwithstanding the danger of getting run over by our Formula None maniacs on what passes for roads. Delhi Belly, too, is better than lead in the belly. Then there is the fringe benefit of having the mind and body fixed at one of our ashrams, spas, hospitals etc for a fraction of what it costs in the broken US healthcare system.

American tourists are typically caricatured as loud, brash, and culturally insensitive — wearing a florid Hawaii-an shirt, oversized shorts, sunglasses and straw hat, if one extends the hyperbole. My experience doesn’t match that picture. Most Americans i know are simple, decent, generous, uncomplicated folk — like Adam, a friend who decided to visit India after watching the movie Taal. Efforts to convince him that Indian villages were not teeming with Aishwarya Rai lookalikes didn’t dissuade him. Off he went backpacking into the boonies. La Rai eluded him, but he returned with other lifelong attachments that have made him a repeat visitor.

East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, said Kipling. But Twain, Mark Twain that is, did meet East. The great American writer visited the region centuries after legendary explorers, itinerants, and travelers like Marco Polo, Ibn Batuta, Hsien Tsang, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and others. Like many, Twain gushed about India, but his perspective is American, and more recent.Here are some excerpts from Twain’s travelogue, ‘Following the Equator’ — ‘‘This is indeed India; the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence...the country of a thousand nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition... the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the globe combined...Its marvels are its own; the patents cannot be infringed; imitations are not possible.’’Rather overwrought, huh? Americans aren’t as verbose or eloquent (your call) now. A US general, who was asked to surrender by an Axis commander, is said to have responded with one word — ‘‘Nuts.’’ Asked about their India experience, Americans encapsulate Twain’s sentiment with a single word — ‘‘Wow.’’ Follow up and ask them ‘‘Wow good or wow bad?’’ and they’ll say, ‘‘Wow good and wow crazy.’’

Welcome to India, folks; may your tribe increase, even if the nuclear deal goes into deep freeze.

What colors mean

We live in a colorful world. In many countries, colors represent various holidays; they are also used to express feelings and enliven language. Find your favorite color and see what it means around the world.

Red
For the ancient Romans, a red flag was a signal for battle.

Because of its visibility, stop signs, stoplights, brake lights, and fire equipment are all painted red.

The ancient Egyptians considered themselves a red race and painted their bodies with red dye for emphasis.

In Russia, red means beautiful. The Bolsheviks used a red flag as their symbol when they overthrew the tsar in 1917. That is how red became the color of communism.

In India, red is the symbol for a soldier.

In South Africa, red is the color of mourning.

It's considered good luck to tie a red bow on a new car.

In China, red is the color of good luck and is used as a holiday and wedding color. Chinese babies are given their names at a red-egg ceremony.

Superstitious people think red frightens the devil.

A “red-letter day” is one of special importance and good fortune.

In Greece, eggs are dyed red for good luck at Easter time.

To “paint the town red” is to celebrate.

Red is the color most commonly found in national flags.

To “see red” is to be angry.

A “red herring” is a distraction, something that takes attention away from the real issue.

A “red eye” is an overnight airplane flight.

If a business is “in the red,” it is losing money.

Green
Only one national flag is a solid color: the green flag of Libya.

Ancient Egyptians colored the floors of their temples green.

In ancient Greece, green symbolized victory.

In the highlands of Scotland, people wore green as a mark of honor.

Green is the national color of Ireland.

A “greenback” is slang for a U.S. dollar bill.

Green means “go.” When “all systems are green,” it means everything is in order.

The green room of a concert hall or theater is where performers relax before going onstage.

The “green-eyed monster” is jealousy.

A greenhorn is a newcomer or unsophisticated person.

Green is youthful.

Being “green around the gills” is looking pale and sickly.

“Green with envy” means full of envy or jealousy.

A person with a “green thumb” is good at making plants grow.

A green, or common, is a town park.

Green is a healing color, the color of nature.

Blue
In ancient Rome, public servants wore blue. Today, police and other public servants wear blue.

In Iran, blue is the color of mourning.

Blue was used as protection against witches, who supposedly dislike the color.

If you are “true blue,” you are loyal and faithful.

Blue stands for love, which is why a bride carries or wears something blue on her wedding day.

A room painted blue is said to be relaxing.

“Feeling blue” is feeling sad. “Blue devils” are feelings of depression.

Something “out of the blue” is from an unknown source at an unexpected time.

A bluebook is a list of socially prominent people.

The first prize gets a blue ribbon.

A blue blood is a person of noble descent. This is probably from the blue veins of the fair-complexioned aristocrats who first used this term.

“Into the blue” means into the unknown.

A “bluenose” is a strict, puritanical person.

A “bluestocking” used to be a scholarly or highly knowledgeable woman.

The “blues” is a style of music derived from southern African-American secular songs.

“Blue laws” are used to enforce moral standards.

A blue ribbon panel is a group of especially qualified people.

Purple, Violet

The Egyptian queen Cleopatra loved purple. To obtain one ounce of Tyrian purple dye, she had her servants soak 20,000 Purpura snails for 10 days.
In Thailand, purple is worn by a widow mourning her husband's death.

A “purple heart” is a U.S. military decoration for soldiers wounded or killed in battle.

Purple is a royal color.

Purple robes are an emblem of authority and rank.

“Purple speech” is profane talk.

“Purple prose” is writing that is full of exaggerated literary effects and ornamentation.

Leonardo da Vinci believed that the power of meditation increases 10 times when done in a purple light, as in the purple light of stained glass.

Purple in a child's room is said to help develop the imagination according to color theory.

Yellow
In Egypt and Burma, yellow signifies mourning.

In Spain, executioners once wore yellow.

In tenth-century France, the doors of traitors and criminals were painted yellow.

Hindus in India wear yellow to celebrate the festival of spring.

If someone is said to have a “yellow streak,” that person is considered a coward.

A yellow ribbon is a sign of support for soldiers at the front.

Yellow is a symbol of jealousy and deceit.

In the Middle Ages, actors portraying the dead in a play wore yellow.

To holistic healers, yellow is the color of peace.

Yellow has good visibility and is often used as a color of warning. It is also a symbol for quarantine, an area marked off because of danger.

“Yellow journalism” refers to irresponsible and alarmist reporting.

White

A white flag is the universal symbol for truce.

White means mourning in China and Japan.

Angels are usually depicted wearing white robes.

The ancient Greeks wore white to bed to ensure pleasant dreams.

The Egyptian pharaohs wore white crowns.

The ancient Persians believed all gods wore white.

A “white elephant” is a rare, pale elephant considered sacred to the people of India, Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka; in this country, it is either a possession that costs more than it is worth to keep or an item that the owner doesn't want but can't get rid of.

It's considered good luck to be married in a white garment.

White heat is a state of intense enthusiasm, anger, devotion, or passion.

A white list contains favored items (as opposed to a blacklist). A “whiteout” occurs when there is zero visibility during a blizzard.

A white room is a clean room as well as a temperature-controlled, dust-free room for precision instruments.

White water is the foamy, frothy water in rapids and waterfalls.

Black

The ancient Egyptians and Romans used black for mourning, as do most Europeans and Americans today.

The “Blackshirts” were the security troops in Hitler's German army, also known as the S.S.

Black often stands for secrecy.

Black humor is morbid or unhealthy and gloomy humor.

A “blackhearted” person is evil.

If a business is “in the black,” it is making money.

A “blacklist” is a list of persons or organizations to be boycotted or punished.

Black is associated with sophistication and elegance. A “black tie” event is formal.

A black flag in a car race is the signal for a driver to go to the pits.

A blackguard is a scoundrel.

The ancient Egyptians believed that black cats had divine powers.

Blackmail is getting things by threat.

Black market is illegal trade in goods or money.

A black sheep is an outcast.

“Blackwash” (as opposed to “whitewash”) is to uncover or bring out in the light.

A blackout is a period of darkness from the loss of electricity, for protection against nighttime air raids, or, in the theater, to separate scenes in a play.

When you “black out,” you temporarily lose consciousness.

Death of a innocent

Death of an Innocentby: Elizabeth Beeson, Source Unknown

I went to a party, Mom,
I remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink,
So I drank soda instead.
I really felt proud inside,
The way you said I would.
I didn't drink and drive, Mom,
Even though the others said I should.

I know I did the right thing,Mom,
I know you are always right.
Now the party is finally ending,
As everyone is driving out of sight

.As I got into my car, Mom,
I knew I'd get home in one piece.
Because of the way you raised me
So responsible and sweet.

I started to drive away, Mom,
But as I pulled out into the road,
The other car didn't see me,,
And hit me like a load.

As I lay there on the pavement, Mom,
I hear the policeman say,
"The other guy is drunk,"
And now I'm the one who will pay

I'm lying here dying, Mom....
I wish you'd get here soon.
How could this happen to me, Mom?
My life just burst like a balloon.

There is blood all around me, Mom,
And most of it is mine.
I hear the medic say,
I'll die in a short time.

I just wanted to tell you, Mom,
I swear I didn't drink.
It was the others, Mom.
The others didn't think.

He was probably at the same party as I.
The only difference is, he drank And I will die.
Why do people drink, Mom?
It can ruin your whole life.
I'm feeling sharp pains now.
Pains just like a knife.

The guy who hit me is walking,
Mom,And I don't think it's fair.
I'm lying here dying
And all he can do is stare.

Tell my brother not to cry, Mom.
Tell Daddy to be brave.
And when I go to heaven, Mom,
Put "Daddy's Girl" on my grave.

Someone should have told him, Mom,
Not to drink and drive.
If only they had told him, Mom,
I would still be alive.

My breath is getting shorter, Mom.
I'm becoming very scared.
Please don't cry for me, Mom.
When I needed you,you were always there.

I have one last question, Mom.
Before I say good bye.
I didn't drink and drive,
So why am I the one to die?

A touching story

There was once this guy who is very much in love with his girl. This romantic guy folded 1,000 pieces of paper cranes as a gift to his girl.Although, at that time he was just a small fry in his company, his future didn"t seem too bright, they were very happy together.

Until one day, his girl told him she was going to Paris and will never come back. She also told him that she cannot visualize any future for the both of them, so they went their own ways there and then...Heartbroken, the guy agreed. But when he regained his confidence, he worked hard day and night, slogging his body and mind just to make something out of himself.Finally with all the hard work and the help of friends, this guy had set up his own company .You never fail until you stop trying.

One rainy day, while this guy was driving, he saw an elderly couple sharing an umbrella in the rain walk ing to some destination. Even with the umbrella, they were still drenched. It didn"t take him long to realize they were his girl"s parents.With a heart in getting back at them, he drove slowly beside the couple, wanting them to spot him in his luxury sedan. He wanted them to know that he wasn"t the same any more; he had his own company, car, condo, etc. He made it! What he saw next confused him, the couple was walking towards a cemetery, and so he got out of his car and followed...and he saw his girl, a photograph of her smiling sweetly as ever at him from her tombstone and he saw his paper cranes right beside her...

Her parents saw him. He asked them why this had happened. They explained, she did not leave for France at all. She was ill with cancer. She had believed that he will make it someday, but she did not want to be his obstacle... therefore she had chosen to leave him.Just because someone doesn"t love you the way you wa nt them to, doesn"t mean they don"t love you with all they have. She had wanted her parents to put his paper cranes beside her, because, if the day comes when fate brings him to her again...he can take some of those back with him...

Once you have loved, you will always love. For what"s in your mind may escape but what"s in your heart will remain forever.The guy just wept...

The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside her knowing you can"t have her, see her or be with her ever again.........hope you understand.

Find time to realize that there is one person who means so much to you, for you might wake up one morning losing that person who you thought meant nothing to you.