The Articles

Health Tip - Drink Water In The Morning

2012-07-07T21:42:00.002+05:30

DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven a its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese med ical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, ga str itis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and men str ual diso rd ers, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT

1.. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water .....interesting

2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes

3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.

4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:

1. High Blood Pressure - 30 days

2. Gastric - 10 days

3. Diabetes - 30 days

4. Constipation - 10 days

5. Cancer - 180 days

6. TB - 90 days

7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwa rd s - daily.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life.

Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active...

This makes sense .. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals ...not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain...

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.

It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed . It will slow down the digestion.
Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer.. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks: Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting.
Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.

You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack..

Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.

60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.

Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive...

How to Overcome Bad Credit History From Cibil and Obtain Loans

2012-03-05T08:57:00.003+05:30

Image via Wikipedia

As you all know CIBIL is a centralised Database where All your Credit related Details were stored, When you take a Loan or Credit Card from a Indian bank,Your Details will be sent to CIBIL and the bank will update CIBIL with how you perform with paying back the loan or Credit Card.

Some of us due to Critical Financial Situation or for various reasons may become a defaulter for not paying the money back to bank, so the bank updates CIBIL about this activity, CIBIL maintains a score for each customer, based upon this score banks will provide an individual a loan or a credit card. wheever you apply for loan the corresponding bank check the score against your PAN number updated in CIBIL and decides to give you a loan,usually a CIBIL Transunion score of 900+ will be favourable to get a loan from banks.Experts say that if you have a good score then you can bargain with bankk while getting a loan.

So when you apply for a credit card and get rejected by banks based on CIBIL score,You can use the options below to improve your credit score:

1) Banks like ICICI,AXIS provides its customers security backed credit cards

“This scheme was rolled out to bring down high delinquency (non-performing loans) rates. It is a win-win situation for both banks as well as the customers. While banks can ensure low default rates due to collateral of FDs, customers who were not eligible before for a credit card, can now get one,” said an official of ICICI Bank.

So to get this credit card ,you need to open an FD with the bank and the bank will issue an credit card agains the deposit in FD,Minimum deposit of Rs.20000 is required to open an FD.The credit limit on the card is 85 per cent of the FD amount.

You are not allowed to break the FD as long as you hold the credit card. In case of a default, the bank will forfeit the FD and recover its dues.

In this case the customer will get an interest for their deposit and also will get a credit card,Since the credit catd is backed by security the interest levied on the card is almost half.

Ultimately,You can also improve your credit rating with these cards. Banks, while issuing security-backed credit cards, do not worry about poor credit score of an applicant and your CIBIL Transunion score will be incrased.

Empires and Allies 100% Hack For getting free NUKE BOMB

2011-09-22T19:43:00.000+05:30

I'm going to give you a new cheat for Empires & Allies, , just a few clicks. With this cheat of Empires & Allies you could win several air strikes in just a few clicks!

NOTE: This is Part 1, You can check out Part 2 HERE to win more free Air Strike III

To perform this Empires & Allies Cheat you have to follow the next steps:

1. Login with your Facebook account.

2. Click on each of the following images: (Ctrl+Click)

3. Next, you will see that 5 new tabs open where they notified you that you have added different neighbors (players) in the game.

4. Enter to Empires & Allies, wait for the game to completely load, then a pop-up window will appear notifying you that you have won 5 "Air Attack III".

5. Now clicks in 5 of the following images to continue winning, "Air Attacks III".

IMPORTANT: Do not click on all of them at the same time, in that case you will only earn 1 air strike, I mean, you should click only 5 images, reload the game to get the gift and click on the next 5 images.

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

Group 6

Group 7

Group 8

Group 9

I hope this cheat have been useful for you in Empires & Allies to win free "air strikes"

Oomatham poo

2011-08-14T21:55:00.001+05:30

Oomatham poo
Originally uploaded by Adityan 2010

DSC_0483

2011-08-14T21:54:00.001+05:30

DSC_0483
Originally uploaded by Adityan 2010

western ghats

2011-08-14T21:53:00.003+05:30

western ghats
Originally uploaded by Adityan 2010

Bee

2011-08-14T21:53:00.001+05:30

Bee
Originally uploaded by Adityan 2010

House boat Allepy

2011-08-14T21:52:00.001+05:30

House boat Allepy
Originally uploaded by Adityan 2010

Scrollable Popular Post Widget For Blogger

2011-08-11T09:59:00.001+05:30

This script very easy to install, you only have to put the script to the new Gadget

Login to Blogger Dashboard and navigate to Design – Page Elements
Click “Add Gadget” and Choose “Popular Posts” (If you already have this gadget skip this step)
After you have Popular Post Gadget “Add Gadget” again and select “HTML/Javascript”
Put all script bellow to the “Content” of HTML/Javascript Gadget
Done- your popular post now with animation

Demo

My First Trip To Singapore - Indonesia - Malaysia - Thailand

2010-12-31T12:09:00.000+05:30

This was my first trip to the all above south east asian countries.We 6 of us boarded Air India Express At Chennai International Airport at 2.00 PM 17.12.2010 and reached Singapore airport at 6.30,There was a 12 seater van waiting for us in the Singapore Terminal.Which Picked all of us and dropped us at ASPHODEL INN Located at Race Course Road.That day night we walked the neearby searngoon road and found a indian restaurent "Komala Vilas" ate Dosa's and Idlies which cost 5 times than india.Then we wenat back to our hotel by walk and slept waiting for the next day to come to see the beautiful singapore,next day a 12 seater van picked us to sentosa island.where we went to universal studios and saw some 4d Shows(Amazing)

Top 10 Website SEO Analysis Tools / Websites

2010-12-02T16:05:00.000+05:30

As you all know, I have been trying so hard to find out some SEO secrets of this web world and I have been working hard on all the aspects of SEO. Meanwhile surfing, I have found some tools which analyzes the on-site and off-site SEO of a website or a blog. Here in this article, I am listing down all those tools which will be helpful to you because these are those chosen ones from many other tools available across the web. So, Enjoy

1. Woo Rank

WooRank is the fruit of much hard work by online marketing consultants, clockwork-precision developers and creative designers. Together they’ve built a simple yet powerful website analysis tool meant to leverage search engines.

2. Website Gradder

Website gradder by hubspot is one of the most popular website tool which analyze your full page on-site and off-site SEO factors. This analysis also includes domain information, meta-data information, RSS links, inbound and outbound links.

3. Lipperhey

Lipperhey is an online service that uses objective criteria to analyze the quality and searchability of a website by the major search engines.
Lipperhey is very easy to use. You enter the URL of the website you would like to have analyzed, then Lipperhey analyzes and assesses the website. If you want to improve your websites results, get a subscription and let Lipperhey tell you exactly what you need to do to enhance your websites results.

4. SEOrush

SEOrush is a one touch resource which provides you a FREE SEO report for your URL or a competitors URL. The report will return On Page SEO and Off Page SEO as well as social presence, indexed pages, validation, meta information, various ranks and standard domain information.

5. Link Voodoo

Link Voodoo is a powerful combination of a TrustRank Score Calculator and a Backlink Analyzer. These are just the first two steps in what will be a complete and revolutionary set of professional link building tools.

6. Piloun

This website also gives a brief insight about your page SEO and details about your Alexa, Google and compete rankings as well. It also analyze your Javascripts and CSS.

7. SpyserMate

SpyderMate is a web-based search engine optimization analysis tool. Users must simply enter their web site’s URL and SpyderMate will return a very detailed analysis of the web site’s current internet marketing state. It can be used as a benchmark for SEO success as well as a guide to whipping your web site into shape. SpyderMate is useful both for those new to SEO as well as professional SEO practicioners.

8. SEO workers

SEO Workers are experts at analyzing, discovering and implementing successful Internet marketing optimization strategies for every type of website from high-end ecommerce sites to business services websites in all niche markets.

9. SEO Chat Tools

The SEO Tools found in this section were designed to assist you in configuring your website(s) for search engine optimization within the different search engines. Select one of the SEO Tools from below to begin optimizing your website(s) for top placement within the search engines.

10. SEOmoz

The SEOmoz toolset includes over twenty SEO tools designed to help with every aspect of search engine optimization, including on-page targeting, site crawlability, competitive analysis, rank checking and keyword difficulty

So, another list articles by me comes to an end! I hope you liked the article and will get some advantage and help via this article. Feel free to share your views on this article by leaving a comment below! Have a nice time and cheers

Excellent Basic Photoshop Tips for SLR Camera Owners

2010-10-26T18:21:00.000+05:30

Also Check - http://www.tipsfromthetopfloor.com/psc/

As I see plenty of people are interested in basic photoshop session. I would have contributed in person but due to time constraint I am unable to attend the session as well as give input. So thought of starting a topic where I will contribute some of the quick tips of photoshop and would like everybody to chip in if they can.

Tip#1: Quick and dirty way to fix color cast in your entire image: Use variations command

Navigation: Image -> Adjustments -> Variations (this is last in the list in CS2)

Tip#2: Quick way to select uniform color and contrast area like sky in photograph: Use Magic Wand tool

This is available in toolbar (left side toolbar)

Tip#3: Easiest way to sharpen your photographs: Use Smart Sharpen
Navigation: Filters -> Sharpen -> Smart Sharpen

* for small photographs use amount 100%, radius 0.2 and type as Lens Blur
* for bigger photographs use radius between 1-2 pixels, type as lens blur and amount 100-200% depending on amount of sharpening needed.

Tip#4: Easy way to bring exposure uniformity in your photographs

Use Shadow/Highlight tool

Navigation: Image -> Adjustment -> Shadow/Highlight

When you increase shadow slider, it will fill shadow areas with light
When you increase Highlight slider, it will tone down highlights

Tip#5: Increase saturation, contrast and exposure of overall image

Use levels command

Navigation: Image->Adjustment -> Levels

There are three points. Right one is for highlights, middle one for grey tones and left one is for shadows.

Move right one towards left, it will increase contrast
Move left one towards right, it will increase saturation as well as darken shadows
Move middle one left to lighten the image and right to darken the image.

Tip#6: Correcting CA, Vignetting in a JPEG Image

Use Filter -> Distort (Distortion) -> Lens Correction

Ideally for RAW images you would be able to do it in ACR itself but this is the only place where you can do for JPEGs in Photoshop.

Tip#7: Converting your color images to Black & White

Use Image -> Adjustment -> Channel Mixer

When you open this window click on Monochrome checkbox. Adjust Red slider to 70-80%, Green to 70-80%, Leave blue intact at 0 and reduce constant to -20 to -24. This setting will work best for landscapes with sky & cloud. For others just play with these three sliders to get optimal result.

CURVES ( all the seniors keep mentioning it)

Tip#8: Convenient way to bring punch in colors. Use Selective Coloring. This is the best tool to provide punch in colors if you are not familiar with Curves.

Navigation: Image -> Adjustment -> Selective Coloring

For Red:

Slide Cyan slider in negative direction, Magenta and Yellow in positive direction (towards right).

Green: Slide Cyan in positive direction, Magenta in negative direction and Yellow in positive direction.

Yellow: Straight forward slide yellow in positive direction

Blue: Slide yellow in negative direction. Yellow and Blue are opposite colors

Black slider is used to lighten or darken the color. Slide in right direction and colors will be darkened.

For more fun play with the sliders and see the difference.

Tip#9 : Correcting Tilted Horizon

There is a simple way of doing this in photoshop using Crop tool. Here's how you can do it:

1. Select Crop tool from left tool bar
2. Select entire image using crop tool
3. Check on "Perspective" checkbox on top (displayed next to opacity box above photograph and below menu bar. This is dynamic tool bar displayed once you select Crop tool)
4. Press one Corner point with mouse and pull it down to align with horizon as shown in photograph below
5. Press Enter from keyboard and you are done

Tip# 10: Creating borders in photograph

Quick way:
Click on Image -> Canvas Size
Change new size parameters from inch to pixels from dropdown. Put 100 pixels in width and height.
Keep Relative checkbox checked
Don't change anything in Anchor.
Choose 'Canvas Extension Color' = White

Click OK.

Now select entire image by clicking Select -> All
Goto Edit -> Stroke

put following values:
Width = 22 pixels
Color = Black
Location = Inside
Blending Mode= Normal
Opacity = 100%

Click OK.

Tip#11
Color Accent

1. Select > Color Range
2. Use Eye Dropper tool to select the color that has to be preserved. After that adjust the fuzzines to see that only that color is selected. The color is being selected.
3. Layer Via Copy
4. This will be separate layer. Make BnW the original layer using Tip#7 and you are done.

Tip# 11a: Achieving zoom effect in photograph

Quick way:
Use Radial blur. Navigation: Filter -> Blur -> Radial Blur
by default Blur Method will point to Spin. Select Zoom here.
Select desired quality draft, good or best
Third option is to select blur center. This will actually be the place which will be in focus and rest will be blurred. You can move blur center by clicking and holding mouse. Put blur center to approximate place which should be in focus. Play around with amount of blur and final outcome would be something like this:

Tip 12# this is a simple trick that produces different looks for your pictures. Each pic will have a different look due to the colors in them but overall if gives a dramatic feel to any portrait

Step 1
Open up the image and immediately duplicate the background layer. Now create a new gradient Map (image-adjustments-gradient map) Make sure the gradient map is set from black to white and click ok and set the layers opacity level to 60%.

Step 2
Right click Layer 1 and select flatten image, now go into the channels tab and select the red channel change the contrast of the channel to 40 (image, adjustments, brightness/contrast) and click Ok. Now select the green channel, but give it a contrast value of 30.

Step 3
Still in inside the channels tab select the RGB channel and open up the hue and saturation dialog box (image-adjustments-hue and saturation). Set the saturation value to 15 and click ok.

Step 4
Go back to the layers panel, duplicate the layer, set the layer mode to soft light and set the Opacity value to 52%. Finally flatten the image and you’re done.

Enhancing The Sky In A Photo Photoshop Tutorials: Enhancing The Sky In A Photo

2010-10-26T17:05:00.000+05:30

Written By Steve Patterson
In this Adobe Photoshop tutorial, we're going to look at how to enhance the sky in a photo, bringing out details in the clouds, improving the contrast and increasing color saturation, and we can do all these things at once using a very simple technique.
Often times when taking pictures outdoors, the camera exposes the shot based on the brightness of the subject you're focusing on, which is fine except that it tends to overexpose the sky, washing away that rich, deep blue along with most of the details in the clouds. The usual way of avoiding this problem is by using a neutral density filter, which is a fancy name for what is essentially a black-to-transparent gradient attached to the lens of your camera, fading from black at the top down to transparent at the bottom. Since the top portion of the filter is darker than the bottom portion, less light is able to enter the top portion of the lens, protecting the sky from overexposure.
If you don't happen to own a neutral density filter or forgot to bring it with you, no worries. Photoshop makes it easy to achieve the same results with very little effort. In fact, even though the general rule is to get things right as much as possible in front of the camera rather than relying on Photoshop to save the day, this is one time when I find it easier to do the work in Photoshop since it gives us a lot more control over the end result.
I was out driving around the countryside one morning when I came across a couple of horses proudly standing by the road enjoying a delicious helping of grass. Since I always bring my camera along everywhere I go (I find it makes it easier to take pictures), I couldn't resist pulling the car over and snapping a few photos. Here's one of them:

Photoshop Tutorials: The original image.

Overall, it's not a bad photo, and unlike several people I know who run for cover at the very mention of having their picture taken, these two horses didn't seem to mind at all. It might have been a better photo if the wire fence wasn't in the way, but I could always get rid of it if I really wanted to using the Clone Stamp tool. The problem I'm concerned about here is the sky. It's looking quite dull and could definitely use some help. There's a lot of detail in the clouds that we're not seeing, and the light blue needs to be deeper, more saturated.
Here's what the sky will look like when we're done:

Photoshop Tutorials: The final "enhanced sky" result.

Let's see how to go about enhancing the sky.
One thing I should point out here before we begin is that if your sky is completely blown-out, meaning that it is overexposed to the point where it has become pure white and there is no useable image information, this technique won't work. In fact, no technique will work. Photoshop may be extremely powerful, but it can't create something out of nothing. If that's the case with your photo, you'll need to replace the sky completely. We'll look at how to do that in another tutorial.

Step 1: Add A New Blank Layer

With my photo newly opened in Photoshop, I can see in my Layers palette that I currently have one layer, the Background layer, which contains my image:

Photoshop Tutorials: The Layers palette in Photoshop showing the original image on the Background layer.

I need to add a new blank layer above the Background layer, and the easiest way to do that is by simply clicking on the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette:

Photoshop Tutorials: Clicking on the "New Layer" icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.

This adds a new blank layer, which Photoshop automatically names "Layer 1", above the Background layer:

Photoshop Tutorials: A new blank layer appears above the Background layer.

Step 2: Reset Your Foreground And Background Colors

You may not need to do this step, but just to keep us both on the same page, press the letter D on your keyboard to reset your Foreground and Background colors. This sets your Foreground color to black and your Background color to white, which we can see if we look at the two color swatches near the bottom of the Tools palette. The swatch in the top left shows the current Foreground color, while the swatch in the bottom right shows the current Background color:

Photoshop Tutorials: The Tools palette in Photoshop showing the current Foreground and Background colors.

Step 3: Select The Gradient Tool

Grab the Gradient Tool from the Tools palette, or press G on your keyboard to quickly select it:

Photoshop Tutorials: Selecting the Gradient Tool from the Tools palette.

Step 4: Select The Foreground to Transparent Gradient

With the Gradient Tool selected and black as our current Foreground color, Right-click (Win) / Control-click (Mac) anywhere inside the document window and select the Foreground to Transparent gradient from the Gradient Picker that appears. It's the second gradient from the left, top row. Click on it to select it:

Photoshop Tutorials: Select the "Foreground to Transparent" gradient from the Gradient Picker.

Click anywhere inside the photo to exit out of the Gradient Picker when you're done.

Step 5: Drag Out A Gradient Inside The Photo

With the Foreground to Transparent gradient selected, we're going to create our own version of a neutral density filter by simply dragging out a black-to-transparent gradient inside the photo. Make sure you have "Layer 1" selected in the Layers palette, then click somewhere in the sky portion of the photo and drag straight down until you're below the sky. Hold down your Shift key as you drag if you want to make sure you're dragging straight down and not on an angle. The area between where you started dragging and where you stopped dragging will become the visible transition area between the darker areas at the top of the photo and the lighter areas on the bottom. I want a fairly narrow transition area, so I'm going to click just above the trees to begin my gradient and then drag a short ways down until I'm just below the trees:

Photoshop Tutorials: Drag a black-to-transparent gradient from the sky to the ground.

If you want a larger transition area with your image, simply drag the gradient across a larger area. A common practice is to start the gradient at the very top of the image and then drag down to the horizon line. This leaves the darkest area of sky at the top of the photo and gradually lightens it towards the horizon, a very nice effect.
When I release my mouse button, Photoshop draws the gradient, filling most of my sky with black and then quickly fading it away as it crosses the trees (my transition area):

Photoshop Tutorials: The black to transparent gradient is now added to the image.

The sky is definitely darker now than it was before. Of course, it also looks quite horrible at the moment, but we're not done yet! Hold your horses! (Sorry, I had to say that at some point).

Step 6: Change The Blend Mode Of "Layer 1" To "Overlay"

With "Layer 1" still selected, go up to the Blend Mode option in the top left corner of the Layers palette (where it currently says "Normal"). Click on the small, down-pointing arrow to the right of the word "Normal" and select Overlay from the list:

Photoshop Tutorials: Change the blend mode of "Layer 1" to "Overlay".

With the gradient set to the Overlay blend mode, the black area from the gradient blends in with the photo in a way that makes a huge improvement to the sky. The contrast has been increased, we've brought out all the details in the clouds, and the sky is now a deeper, richer blue:

Photoshop Tutorials: The sky has now been enhanced after changing the blend mode of the gradient layer to "Overlay".

The sky now looks a whole lot better, but by solving one problem, we've created another. The gradient I dragged out covered not only the sky but also part of the horses, and now they look like they've been roasting in the sun too long. I need to prevent the gradient from affecting the horses, and I can do that easily using a layer mask.

Step 7: Add A Layer Mask To "Layer 1"

To add a layer mask, again make sure you still have "Layer 1" selected, then click on the Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers palette:

Photoshop Tutorials: Clicking on the Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.

This adds a layer mask to the gradient layer. Nothing seems to have happened in the document window, but if we look at the Layers palette, we can see that a layer mask thumbnail has been added to "Layer 1":

Photoshop Tutorials: The Layers palette in Photoshop now showing a layer mask thumbnail on "Layer 1".

Step 8: Select The Brush Tool

We're going to hide the effects of the gradient by painting with black on the layer mask over the areas we want to protect. First, we need the Brush Tool, so either grab it from the Tools palette or press B on your keyboard:

Photoshop Tutorials: Selecting the Brush Tool from the Tools palette.

Step 9: Set Your Foreground Color To Black

Since we want to paint with black, we need to set our Foreground color to black. By default when you have a layer mask selected (which we currently do), Photoshop sets your Foreground color to white and your Background color to black. All we need to do here is swap them, and we can do that by pressing the letter X on the keyboard. If we look at the Foreground and Background color swatches again in the Tools palette, we can see that black is now our Foreground color:

Photoshop Tutorials: The Tools palette showing black as our current Foreground color.

Step 10: Paint Over The Areas You Want To Protect

With the Brush Tool selected and black as our Foreground color, all we need to do now is paint over the areas that we want to protect from the effects of the gradient. In my case, I want to paint over the horses. You'll most likely need to change the size of your brush, and you can do that by pressing the left and right bracket keys on the keyboard (located to the right of the letter P). The left bracket key makes the brush smaller, and the right bracket key makes the brush larger. You'll probably want to use a soft-edge brush, and you can control the hardness of the brush by holding down the Shift key and pressing the left and right bracket keys. Holding Shift and pressing the left bracket key makes the brush softer. Holding Shift and pressing the right bracket key makes the brush harder.
Simply paint over any areas where you need to hide the effects of the gradient. Here, I'm painting over the backs of the horses. Since I'm painting on the layer mask, not on the photo itself, the black color of the brush is not visible. Instead, we see the effects of the gradient being hidden from view:

Photoshop Tutorials: Painting with black on the layer mask hides the effects of the gradient.

If you make a mistake and accidentally paint over an area you didn't mean to, just press X on your keyboard to swap your Foreground and Background colors again so white becomes your Foreground color. Paint over the mistake with white to bring back the effects of the gradient, then press X again to set your Foreground color back to black and continue painting.
I'm going to finish painting over the areas that I want to protect from the gradient. As I mentioned a moment ago, since we're painting on the layer mask rather than on the image itself, we can't see the color we're painting with, but if we look at the layer mask thumbnail in the Layers palette, we can see all the areas where we've painted with black:

Photoshop Tutorials: The layer mask thumbnail in the Layers palette showing the areas where we've painted with black.

And here, after painting away the effects of the gradient over the horses, bringing back their original color and brightness, is my final "enhanced sky" result:

Photoshop Tutorials: The final "enhanced sky" result.

And there we have it!

Where To buy your first DSLR camera online in chennai ?

2010-09-28T12:51:00.000+05:30

I was searching for many websites and reviews to get an idea on which DSLR will be suitable for my passion and purpose,since I was a beginner who was just ignited by the photography fuel, I decided to learn things using beginner DSLR camera, I had two camera's in my mind ,Nikon D3000 and Canon 1000D, Both were very good cameras with their own pro's and con's.

Canon 1000d
===========

I like the live view feature

Nikon D3000
===========

I like the 11 point AF

Searched and got two websites that sell these cameras for a good bang for money.

Canon 1000d

i) http://www.consumermate.com/digital-cameras/Canon-EOS-1000D-%2818-55mm%29_1085.html
ii) http://www.smartshoppers.in/product/canon-eos-1000d-dslr-kit-18-55mm-lens-with-2-years-manufacturer-warranty-new/

Nikon D3000

i) (Without Lens)http://www.consumermate.com/digital-cameras/Nikon-D3000_1353.html
ii) http://www.smartshoppers.in/product/nikon-d3000-10mp-dslr-camera-18-55-vr-lens-with-2-years-manufacturer-warranty/

Nikon Digital SLR System

2010-09-22T15:57:00.000+05:30

The Nikon system of digital single-lens reflex (SLR) bodies and lenses is a popular choice among serious photographers worldwide. This page makes it easy to shop for Nikon digital bodies and Nikkor lenses. Every component manufactured by Nikon is covered, plus a few exceptionally good third-party components. If you are new to photography, you might want to start with my article "Building a Digital SLR System".
This article goes through every section of the Nikon system and concludes with some starter system recommendations.

Nikon Camera Bodies

Most Nikon digital SLR bodies incorporate a "small sensor" or "APS-C" sized sensor. This is smaller than the standard 35mm film frame and effectively multiplies the magnification of any lens attached to the body. A small sensor is good for telephoto work, such as wildlife photography, where a 300mm lens that is too short for bird photography on a film camera becomes a 450mm (effective) lens. In November 2007, Nikon added the D3, their first full-frame sensor DSLR professional camera to their arsenal of DSLR bodies. The full-frame sensor bodies are good for wide angle photography, low light photography, and optimum image quality.

Nikon D40, 18-55mm kit (review) (discontinued), 6 MP and good enough for most family photography; best user interface of any digital SLR, with example photos displayed on the rear LCD to show appropriate situations for different settings. Note that the D40 requires SD memory cards rather than the standard CF cards used by other Nikon bodies
Nikon D40x, $590 (review), same idea, but 10 MP; if you care about image quality, pair with Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC for Nikon, $439
Nikon D60, $561 (review), 10 MP, Nikon's latest addition to the line of small-body DSLRs, an upgrade to the D40/D40x
Nikon D80 (review), 10 MP, Nikon's answer to the Canon Digital Rebel XTi; the kit zooms are reasonably good, but too slow for indoor usage
Nikon D90, $847 (review), 12 MP, Nikon's latest prosumer model, includes GPS and a movie mode capable of capturing 1280x720 pixel images at 24 fps HD with sound.
Nikon D200 (review) (discontinued), 10 MP, great for advanced amateurs
Nikon D300 (review), 12 MP, released at the same time as the D3, a fast camera with 51 AF points
Nikon D2HS, $5987 (review), only 4 Megapixels but tremendously fast; intended for sports photojournalists
Nikon D2Xs (review), 12 MP, before the full-frame sensor cameras came along, this was Nikon's top-of-the-line camera
Nikon D700, $2697 (review), 12 MP, D3 image quality at about half the price
Nikon D3 (review), 12 MP, Nikon's first full frame sensor DSLR
Nikon D3X, $7999 (review), 24.5 MP, D3 image quality with about double the resolution
Nikon D3s, $5200 (review), 12MP, D3 image quality with ISO up to 12,800 (102,400 with boost), and HD video capture

For nostalgia buffs and collectors, Nikon still makes film bodies:

in-production

Nikon F6, $2399 (review), autofocus, probably the best 35mm film SLR that will ever be made
Nikon FM10 with 35-70 lens, $320, manual focus, designed for students in intro photography classes

discontinued

Nikon F5, $1100
Nikon F100, $550 (review), much lighter and smaller than the F-series and almost as durable; this was the standard "second body" that professionals carried in the film days
Nikon N80, $217 (review), mostly plastic body, reasonably good autofocus and autoexposure systems; rememeber that it is the lens that determines image quality (might actually be cheaper as a kit with a crummy lens: Nikon N80 with 28-80 lens, $300 (review))
Three incredibly cheap, all plastic, not very good bodies: Nikon N55, $150;

Nikon N65

review

Nikon N75

Nikon FM3A, $800 (review), hard to find; Nikon came out with this all-metal manual focus body in 2001. It is a beautifully balanced camera and, with a 50/1.4 lens, will take much better pictures than what 99 percent of digital camera owners capture with their cheap kit zoom lenses.

Nomenclature

F-number: lower is better.
VR is "vibration reduction", a technology lifted from camcorder image stabilizers. The lens electronically compensates for unsteady hands. VR is especially important at long focal lengths, e.g., 200mm and above, because the lens magnifies camera shake at the same time it is magnifying the subject. A VR lens will allow you to use slower shutter speeds without introducing camera shake. The alternative to a VR lens would be mounting the camera on a tripod or using a high ISO setting, which reduces image quality but allows the use of higher shutter speeds.
"ED" is "extra-low dispersion" glass, a more expensive and higher quality glass that reduces chromatic aberration, in which light of different colors takes different paths through the lens, which would result in a dot of white light being fuzzed up by the time it reaches the film or sensor.
"IF" is internal focus, meaning that the lens does not change physical length as you focus on subjects that are closer or farther away.
"DX" are Nikon's lenses that only work on its small-sensor digital SLR bodies, i.e., they don't cast a large enough image circle to be used on a film camera.
"FX" refers to the full frame sensor
"G" lenses are Nikon's newest lenses. They don't have an aperture ring, which is a shame because it means that you are forced to adjust the aperture with a command wheel on the camera. The G lenses don't work on older bodies.
AF-S is "silentwave motor". Old-style Nikon autofocus lenses did not have motors in the lens, but relied on a screwdriver blade in the camera body to turn the focus ring. An AF-S lens has a built-in ultrasonic motor, a technology copied from the Canon EOS system. When using an AF-S lens, the photographer can push the shutter release (or a button on the rear of the camera, if a custom function is set) and let the autofocus system do its best, then touch up the focus manually by twisting the lens ring. The AF-S lenses also focus faster and more quietly.

Normal Lenses

A normal or standard lens is light in weight and approximates the perspective of the human eye. Normal lenses have large maximum apertures, indicated by small f-numbers such as f/1.4 or f/1.8, and thereby gather much more light than zoom lenses. It may be possible to take a photo with a normal lens in light only 1/8th or 1/16th as bright as would be required for the same photo with a consumer-priced zoom lens. Another advantage of the large maximum aperture is that the viewfinder will be correspondingly brighter and therefore easier to use in dim light. (SLRs keep the lens wide open for viewing and stop down to whatever aperture you have set just before taking the picture; this is why the viewfinder always looks the same even if you switch from f/1.4 to f/8 to f/16.)

digital bodies

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC for Nikon, $439, ultrasonic motor, equivalent to a 45mm perspective on a film camera; Nikon does not bother to make a competitive lens
Nikon 35mm f/2.0 AF, $360 (review); designed for a film camera and the viewfinder will be only half as bright as the Sigma, but possibly higher optical quality, especially since you're only using the center portion of the lens.

film AF

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor, $125, a great lightweight bargain and one of the highest optical quality lenses in the Nikon line; you could use this as a portrait lens on a digital SLR
Nikon 50mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor, $320 (review), less than one f-stop faster than the 1.8; similar optical quality

film manual focus

Nikon 45mm f/2.8 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus, $400, very compact and designed cosmetically to go with the FM3a nostalgia body
Nikon 50mm f/1.2 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus, $670, a half-stop faster than the 50/1.4, but you lose autofocus and the image quality at f/1.2 is not very good

In terms of flare, contrast, and sharpness, these are the highest quality lenses that you will ever attach to your camera. If you can do the job with a normal lens, as many of the 20th Century's greatest photographers did, you can save yourself a lot of weight and cost. There are good zoom lenses, but they are very expensive and heavy.

Wide-to-Telephoto Zoom Lenses

A wide-to-tele zoom is what you get as a standard "kit" lens with a cheaper digital SLR body. The range goes from moderately wide through normal to moderately telephoto. They are good when you are too busy to change lenses, e.g., at a wedding reception. The 24mm perspective (full-frame) will capture a table of guests; the 70mm or 105mm long end is good for a flattering portrait. The main weakness of these lenses is that the cheaper ones have a very small maximum aperture, e.g., f/4 or f/5.6, and can only be used in bright light, on a tripod, or with a blast of on-camera flash that gives everyone a moon face.

made for the small-sensor digital cameras

Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX, $1385
Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX, $230
Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX
Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX
Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX, $710, this kind of super wide range zoom is typically not very good, but Nikon lards on the dollars and the weight (more than one pound) and the results are acceptable; the vibration reduction compensates to some extent for the slow maximum aperture of f/5.6.
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S, $1740
Nikon 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D IF AF, $540

leftovers from the film days

Nikon 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D IF AF, $540
Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF, $410
Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF VR, $590
Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S, $1700, big and heavy, but fast and constant aperture; the standard tool for wedding photographers
Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G AF (Black), $250, kit lens for Nikon's cheapest film bodies
Nikon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D, $279, reasonably good, reasonably light, reasonably cheap
Nikon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF, $425, no vibration reduction and therefore unlikely to be useful at the 200mm f/5.6 end unless you are willing to carry a tripod
Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8D AF, $900, superseded to a large extent by the 28-70/2.8, but still a very high quality lens; no silentwave motor

Wide-angle Zoom Lenses

Good for general-purpose dramatic wide angle photography. More distortion than wide-angle prime lenses, which makes them less suitable for photographing architecture (though many kinds of distortion can be fixed by a PhotoShop wizard).

made for the small-sensor digital cameras

Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF Autofocus DX, $1019 (review)
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S, $1800

leftovers from the film days

Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S, $1760, the professional's lens, with its fast and constant maximum aperture, turns into a moderately wide to normal very high quality zoom lens on a Nikon digital SLR
Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5D ED-IF AF, $540, a reasonably good alternative

Telephoto Zoom Lenses

These are good complements to a normal lens when traveling. The long end may not be useful indoors due to a small maximum aperture.

made for the small-sensor digital cameras

Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom (Black), $175, cheap, slow, crummy
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S, $2299, version 2 of the popular 70-200/2.8 lens, with improved VR

leftovers from the film days

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR, the standard professional choice, and a good lens for a digital SLR too; very heavy
Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED AF, $319
Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G AF Nikkor SLR Camera, $155, half the weight, half the cost, half the optical quality of the 70-300/5.6D
Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor, $1100 (review), no silentwave motor, no vibration reduction, shoulder-crushing weight, high optical quality, superseded by the 70-200 AF-S VR lens
Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED Autofocus VR Zoom Nikkor, $1650

Wide-angle Prime Lenses

These let you get close to your subject while still showing a lot of background information. Wide angle lenses are good for "environmental portraits" in which the subject occupies most of the frame, but nearby objects are in sharp focus. Photojournalism has gone gradually wider and wider over the years. A typical photo in a newspaper these days might be taken at 20-24mm on a full-frame camera, which would be 14-17mm on a small sensor digital camera.
A prime wide angle lens will have much lower distortion of vertical and horizontal lines than a zoom lens and is therefore preferred for architectural photography. All of these lenses are designed for film and full-frame sensor cameras.

made for the small-sensor digital cameras

Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8G ED AF DX Fisheye, $695, very wide, very curved corners, good for the cramped interior of a submarine; considered a "groovy" effect back in the 1960s

leftovers from the film days

Nikon 14mm f/2.8D ED AF, $1350
Nikon 16mm f/2.8D AF Fisheye, $930, full-frame fisheye
Nikon 18mm f/2.8D AF, $1500
Nikon 20mm f/2.8D AF, $565 (review), a focal length that became popular in the 1980s for photojournalism, but not dramatically wide on a Nikon digital SLR
Nikon 24mm f/2.8D AF, $360 (review)
Nikon 28mm f/1.4D AF, $2380
Nikon 28mm f/2.8D AF, $265
Nikon 35mm f/2.0 AF, $360 (review)

defrosted leftovers from the 1970s

Nikon 24mm f/2.0 AI-S Manual Focus, $590, maximum aperture and image quality for available light photojournalism
Nikon 35mm f/1.4 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus, $1160

Telephoto Prime Lenses

A prime or fixed focal length telephoto lens offers maximum image quality, light gathering capability (aperture), and magnification. The good ones are big, heavy, and designed for use on a monopod or tripod. Sports and wildlife photography require these lenses. Nikon does not make any telephoto lenses specifically for their small-sensor digital cameras, which is a shame because it would be possible to cut the cost and weight dramatically without the requirement of casting a 24x36mm image for an old film camera.

leftovers from the film days

Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor, $1225
Nikon 85mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor, $450
Nikon 105mm f/2.0D AF DC-Nikkor, $1080, first of Nikon's innovative lens design giving the photographer the ability to throw foreground or background intentionally out of focus
Nikon 135mm f/2.0D AF DC-Nikkor, $1350, the other Nikon lens that lets you selective blur portions of the image
Nikon 180mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF, $900, an incredibly sharp and light lens, standard choice for studio fashion photographers with full-frame film bodies in the late 1980s; becomes the equivalent of a 300mm lens on a Nikon digital body and therefore good for animals in the zoo and dramatic telephoto images
Nikon 200mm f/2.0G ED AF-S VR, $4999 (review)
Nikon 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED AF-S VR, $6100, a great lens for wildlife
Nikon 300mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S, $4490 (review), the standard lens for sports photographers, supplemented by a teleconverter
Nikon 300mm f/4.0D ED-IF AF-S, $1485
Nikon 400mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S, the same idea as the 300/2.8, but a bit more magnification, weight, and expense
Nikon 400mm f/2.8G ED AF-S, $8800
Nikon 500mm f/4D ED-IF AF-S, $7900, about the same size as the 300/2.8, but more magnification and smaller maximum aperture
Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II AF-S, $7900
Nikon 600mm f/4 ED-IF II AF-S, bigger than a 300/2.8, more expensive than a Kia subcompact sedan
Nikon 600mm f/4D ED-IF II AF-S, available soon (as of August 2007)

manual focus

Nikon 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus, $1350, a very poor value compared to the newer autofocus 85/1.4
Nikon 135mm f/2.8 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus, $570
Nikon 500mm f/8.0 Reflex-Nikkor Manual Focus, $1000; mirror lenses are slow and out-of-focus highlights have an unnatural donut shape; just because it works on the Hubble Space Telescope doesn't mean that it will work for you...

Teleconverters

Nikon TC-14E II 1.4x AF-S, AF-I Auto Focus Teleconverter, $400
Nikon TC-17E II (1.7x) Teleconverter AF-S, $440
Nikon TC-20E II (2.0x) Teleconverter AF-S, $450
Manual focus teleconverters: Nikon TC-14A (1.4x) Teleconverter AI-S, $280;

Nikon TC-14B (1.4x) Teleconverter AI-S

Nikon TC-201 (2.0x) Teleconverter AI-S

Nikon TC-301 (2.0x) Teleconverter AI-S

The better Nikon telephoto lenses are designed to work optically with the teleconverters. Image quality will be acceptable, even at maximum aperture. As noted above, however, there is no free lunch. A teleconverter provides additional magnification, but the overall amount of light gathered by the lens remains the same. Thus, you lose one f-stop of light with a 1.4X converter and two f-stops with a 2X converter. The viewfinder will be dimmer and the camera will have a tougher time autofocusing. With a 2X converter and a slower lens, therefore, you will lose the ability to autofocus with many bodies.
These are heavy lenses. If you have a tripod quick-release system, get plates for each lens and remember to mount the lens, not the camera body, to the tripod.

Macro Lenses

Macro lenses let you fill your photograph with a subject that is physically small. The longer the focal length of the macro lens, the farther away you can be from your subject, which is important with live insects, for example. A macro lens that goes down to "1:1" can be used to take a frame-filling photo of something that is 24x36mm (1x1.5 inches) in size, the same dimensions as a frame of 35mm film or the sensor on a full-frame digital body. All Nikon macro lenses can be used for ordinary photographic projects as well, i.e., they will focus out to infinity if desired. Note that a "macro zoom" will focus reasonably close, but is not a substitute for a "macro lens".

Nikon 60mm f/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor, $470 (review)
Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro Nikkor, $890, a new design with everything good that a lens can have.. image stabilizer, internal focus, ultrasonic autofocus motor, 9-bladed diaphragm for attractive out-of-focus highlights ("bokeh"); maximum magnification 1:1
Nikon 200mm f/4.0D ED-IF AF Micro-Nikkor, $1650, good for photographing insects and in other situations where you need to get farther back from your subject

Flashes

The easiest way to ruin a photograph is to use on-camera flash, which blasts the subject with an unflattering light. The resulting lack of shadows means that it is tough for a viewer to make out the features of the subject. On-camera flash is useful outdoors for filling in harsh shadows. Otherwise, the professional uses flash mostly bouncing up towards the ceiling or held as far away from the camera as possible. This is why the professional camera bodies don't incorporate the pop-top flashes the way that consumer bodies do.

Nikon SB-600 Speedlight, $220 (review), bounces up, bounces sideways, zooms in and out, the right flash for most consumers
Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight (review), same basic idea as the SB-600, but more power; built-in ultra wide angle adaptor
Nikon SB-30 AF Speedlight, $88, a simpler flash, good for on-camera fill light or in a multiple flash setup
Nikon R1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System, $459, great macro flash system to use with bodies that have a built-in flash, such as the D200
Nikon R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System, $730, the same idea, but for bodies such as the D2x that do not have a built-in flash

Nikon makes a great line of products, both wired and wireless, for coordinating and controlling multiple flashes. Covering all of these accessories is beyond the scope of this article, but if you are going to use flash as a primary light you should consider added additional speedlights and mounting them off-camera.

Perspective Correction Lenses

A perspective correction (PC) lens lets you take a picture of a building, from ground level, without the lines converging and making it look as though the building is falling over. It works because you are able to shift the front portion of the lens up, the lens being designed to cast a larger image than the 35mm film frame. To some extent, this is obsolete because these kinds of linear distortions can be fixed post-exposure in a digital editing tool such as Adobe PhotoShop. Some of Nikon's older PC lenses were designed for their film bodies and are manual focus. If you are deeply interested in in-camera perspective adjustments, note that Canon makes a more flexible line of "tilt-shift" lenses that come closer to what is possible with a 4x5 view camera (cloth over head, bellows, sheet film).

Nikon 24mm f/3.5D ED PC-E, $1990
Nikon 45mm f/2.8D ED PC-E, $1850
Nikon 85mm f/2.8D PC-E, $1760

leftovers from the film days

Nikon 28mm f/3.5 PC Manual Focus, $1350
Nikon 85mm f/2.8 PC Micro-Nikkor, offers very close focusing for macro work as well as perspective correction

Accessories

Zeiss lens cleaning kit
SanDisk flash cards: 8 GB; 4 GB

For a camera body and one lens, the average professional photographer would not use a case at all. To hold a camera system, you should probably find a nearby professional camera shop and experiment to see how your gear fits. I usually end up preferring Tamrac and Lowe cases. Here are a few ideas:

Tamrac Velocity 7, for a D40 or D80 and small prime or small (cheap) zoom lenses
LowePro Off Trail 1, belt back for smaller bodies and lenses
Tamrac 5606, one D200 body, two or three professional-sized lenses, one flash

Recommended Starter Nikon SLR Systems

Average family:

Nikon D40, 18-55mm kit (review)
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC for Nikon, $439 for indoor photos without flash (zoom alternative: Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX, $1385)
Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF Autofocus DX, $1019 (review) for the first family trip
Nikon 180mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF, $900 for the soccer game
Lexar 2GB SD card (SanDisk SD cards are supposedly prone to failure)

Serious photographer:

Discontinued and Miscellaneous

Digital Cameras • D70s • D2Hs • D1 • D100 • D1H • D1x • D70 • Coolpix P1/P2 • Coolpix 2500 • Coolpix 5000 • Coolpix 775 • Coolpix 8700 • Coolpix 995
35mm Film Cameras • SLR Body Comparison Chart • F2A and 50/1.4 • F100 • F100 • F3/T and F3 • F4 • F6 • FE and FE2 • FM3A • N65/F65 • N80/F80 • N80/F80 • N90s
Lenses • 105mm/2.8D AF • 20/2.8 AF • 200 F/2G AF-S VR IF-ED • 20-35mm f/2.8 AF D IF • 24/2.8 AF • 300mm/2.8 AF • 35mm AF f/2D • 60mm/2.8 AF macro • 80-200mm/2.8 AF

How to book Train Tickets Faster in IRCTC website - Working Hack

2010-05-26T09:54:00.002+05:30

NOT Working..since IRCTC Changed the interface

Book Train Tickets with IRCTC very faaastttt

[Update 3/6/2010: Updated the script to handle availability URL change by IRCTC developers. If you've already installed the script, uninstall it (Tools->Greasemonkey->ManageUserScripts, select AJAXAvailability and click Uninstall), and install the updated script from the same location

(http://senthilthecoder.com/software/irctcscripts/ajaxavailability.user.js)] (If you use chrome browser,just click on the link above and it will automatically installs the extension)

For those of you who have not heard about Greasemonkey, it is a Firefox extension that "allows you to customize the way a webpage displays using small bits of JavaScript.". IRCTC (http://www.irctc.co.in/) is Indian Railways's website for booking tickets. While a huge improvement over standing in queue at railway stations, I would not consider it to be a well designed site - it doesn't stand up to heavy user load, and the interface is not very user friendly. For one, the HTML is absolutely nasty, with multiple tags, multiple elements with the same id, etc.. For what I think is a bandwidth strapped site, the HTML has lots and lots of unnecessary whitespace and commented out HTML and it doesn't even use gzip encoding.

Enough ranting about that - Greasemonkey can't help there. What it can do is help manipulate the UI. My first target was the "Plan My Travel" page. After entering the source and destination stations, date of travel etc. and hitting "Find Trains", the page shows the list of trains that run between the stations on that day. So far, so good. Now, to book tickets on a train, the user selects a train and hits "Book Ticket". However, the user would typically have to check availability of tickets before proceeding to book them. The page makes it frustratingly difficult to do that - checking availability for a train takes two clicks, and worse, the availability information shows up on a new window, forcing the user to switch back and forth between the windows.

I decided to write a Greasemonkey script to show availability information right alongside the list of trains. I did not want to slow down loading of the page though, so I decided to do AJAX style dynamic loading of availability information. Here's how the page looks after enabling the script.

Notice how the new column blends in seamlessly with the rest of the page.

For the technically inclined, the script works by first adding a column to the train details table. It uses a XPath expression to get the list of train numbers from the HTML content and then queries availability information from the server by generating the same query string that a click on the "Show Availability" button generates. The difference is that it does it automatically for all trains in the page and that it uses GM_xmlhttpRequest to do the query asynchronously - which means that the script queries availability for trains (almost) simultaneously.

From here, it's fairly simple - another XPath expression "screen scrapes" the availability string from the HTML content returned by the server and there is some code to update the cell's contents with the string. The script handles failures also - for HTTP failures, it retries the request and for other kind of failures, it shows a "Query Failed" link, which, when clicked, shows the actual error in a messagebox (another XPath expression takes care of scraping the error text).

To install the script, install Greasemonkey first (if you haven't already), navigate tohttp://senthilthecoder.com/software/irctcscripts/ajaxavailability.user.js and click Install. The next time you visit IRCTC's website and go to the "Plan My Travel" page, the script gets loaded and runs automatically.

While you're at it, you might also find SortItOut, a script for sorting the availability table (shown above), useful.

Hope you guys find the scripts useful.

How to get tight Arms ?

2010-05-10T00:08:00.000+05:30

Take a moment and reflect. Think back to those summer days with spaghetti tanks and sleeveless tops. Arms were hot and they were on display. Everyone noticed who had great arms. Yet, we hoped no one noticed who didn’t. Should anyone have to suffer with unhappy arms, I think not! Get your arms on their way to becoming those arms we all take notice of. Make your, “Arms Toned and Tight,” with my anytime anywhere program that will reshape your arms in to ones you will be proud to show. Have the freedom to workout on your time, on your terms, wherever you choose and get the results you want starting now. All you will need are just a few dumbbells, a chair and a will to get started. Let’s work those arms in to shape!

For the Arms Toned and Tight program you will need a chair and a set of 3, 5 or 8 and 10lbs dumbbells.

For all exercises it is important to maintain supported posture, with the shoulders back, chest lifted, and the abdominals activated. To activate the abdominals pull the belly button toward the spine and maintain the squeeze. You should feel supported throughout the mid-section as if wearing a corset. Maintain this strong posture throughout the exercises to best support the body and protect the lower spine. Unless otherwise noted, always use slow and controlled movements taking two counts to lift, two counts to hold and four counts to return to the start position. Repetition and consistency are your keys to success. For best results, do this program every other day for 8- 12 weeks. Now let’s get started!

The Program

1) Push Ups

For the pectoral and triceps (chest plus the back of the arms)

The Push up is to the upper body what the squat is to the lower body. It is an excellent exercise to work the muscles of the chest and triceps while stabilizing with the abdominals. Throughout this exercise, focus on keeping your abdominals activated and your body in a straight line. This exercise can be performed on your toes as demonstrated in the pictures, or with your knees on the floor. Keeping your knees on the floor is an easier variation and you can always work your way on to the toes as you build upper body strength. To begin, position yourself face down holding the sides of the chair with your arms straight and palms shoulder width apart. Hold your feet, with the ankles touching and the legs long and pressing together. Inhale and bend your elbows lowering your body toward the chair. Pause for one count. Exhale as you press through the arms to push yourself back to the start position. Repeat 10 to 15 times. Gradually work your way up to three sets.

2) Biceps Curl

For the biceps, wrist flexors and anterior deltoid (front of the upper arm, underside of the forearm and front of the shoulder)

The Bicep Curl is an excellent exercise for developing and shaping the entire bicep muscle. In addition, it will also increase the strength of the forearm. To begin sit on a chair with your chest lifted, shoulders back and abdominals supported. Position your arms at your side with your palms facing forward. Keep your legs pressing together and your feet flat on the floor. In each hand hold either 8 or 10lbs dumbbells using an underhand grip. Inhale and activate your abdominals. Exhale and lift both hands toward your shoulders keeping your elbows pointing toward the floor. Hold this lifted position for two counts while squeezing your bicep muscle. Inhale as you slowly lower the arms back to the start position. Repeat 15 – 20 times. Slowly build up to three sets.

3) Angled Curl

For the biceps, wrist flexors, anterior and medial deltoid (front of the upper arm, underside of the forearms and front and side of the shoulder)

The Angled Curl is another great exercise for developing the biceps. It will define your upper arm giving it a toned appearance while simultaneously strengthening your forearm. Begin sitting as you would for the Bicep Curl. With dumbbells in hand, position your arms at your sides with your palms facing away from the body. Hold the dumbbells in a slightly angled out position. Inhale and activate your abdominals. Exhale and lift both hands toward your shoulders keeping your elbows pointing toward the floor. Hold this lifted position for two counts while squeezing the bicep muscle. Inhale as you slowly lower your arms back to the start position. Repeat 15 – 20 times. Slowly build up to three sets.

4) Triceps Kick Backs

For triceps

The Triceps Kick Backs is a must do exercise. It will tighten and tone the backside of the arm combating any existing “granny flab” while defining the muscle group known as the triceps. This exercise will also put emphasis on your back and rear shoulders while requiring support through your abdominals. To begin, sit on a chair with your chest lifted, shoulders back and abdominals supported. Use either 5 or 8lbs dumbbells and keep your palms facing the body. While keeping your back straight, bend forward. Bend your arms at a 90 degree angle and lift them to the sides of your waist. This is your start position. Inhale. Exhale as you activate your abdominals, extending your arms straight behind you. Hold this lifted position and squeeze the muscles in the back of your arm. Inhale as you return to the start position with your wrists at the sides of your waist. Repeat 15 to 20 times. Slowly work your way up to three sets.

5) T-Raises

For anterior and medial deltoids (front and side of the shoulders)

The T-Raise is a basic but very effective exercise that will give you great shoulders. You are the centre of the T and your arms move about you. To begin sit on a chair with your chest lifted, shoulders back and abdominals supported. Position your arms at your side with your palms facing back. Keep your legs pressing together and your feet flat on the floor. Using an overhand grip, hold either 3 or 5 lbs dumbbells in each hand. Activate your abdominals. Inhale while lifting both your arms forward to shoulder height. Pause for one count. Exhale and open your arms to the sides to form a horizontal line. Pause again for one count. Inhale while returning your arms back to the forward lifted position. Pause one last time for one count. Exhale and lower your arms until they are level with your legs. Repeat. Aim to complete 10 complete T’s. Gradually build up to 3 sets.

As with any exercise program it is important to start slowly and progressively build over time. Arms Toned and Tight is no different. Your biceps, triceps and shoulders may tire quickly at first which is to be expected. Allow yourself time to adjust and be sure to listen to your body. Stop whenever you need to knowing you have done your best. Track your progress and aim to do a little more each time. Attempt to complete this program every other day for 8 – 12 weeks. However if you find your muscles are excessively sore on your next workout, you may want to give yourself an extra day to recover before repeating the program again. Soon you’ll be doing the full program and you’ll have developed your own arms toned and tight!

Heidi Richards is Owner of Why Not Personal Training.
Personal Trainer, Figure Competitor and Fitness Model
www.whynotpersonaltraining.com

refer : http://ejmas.com/pt/2006pt/ptart_richards_1106.html

Mr.Red

2010-05-08T22:36:00.001+05:30

Mr.Red
Originally uploaded by Adityan 2010

The Cock which roams in 0ur backyard..beautiful isnt'it

Photography Basics for SLR cameras

2010-04-23T18:07:00.002+05:30

THERE ARE THREE TECHNICAL ELEMENTS THAT "MAKE" AN IMAGE

Aperture
Shutter speed
ISO speed (sensitivity of the digital sensor)

1. APERTURE

The aperture determines the amount of light that gets to the digital sensor. A SMALL number indicates a LARGE aperture, good lenses start with a maximum aperture of 2, better and more expensive lenses start at 1.1!

Apart from the quantity of light that is allowed to get through, the aperture also determines the DOF (depth of field).

The numbers you see on the side of a lens usually look like this:

F 22 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 5.6 | 4 | 2.4

At F 22, the lens lets in a very small amount of light, it is at minimum aperture. At F 2.4, the lens lets in the maximum amount of light that it has been designed for.

Each number represents a double increase (or decrease) of the quantity of light that is allowed through the lens.

For example: at aperture 5.6 you allow 2 times more light than at aperture 8, and 2 times less light than at aperture 4

On "point and shoot" digital cameras you do not see this numbers on the side of the lens, the process of opening and closing the aperture is controlled electronically and has also increments like: 5.9 or 8.2

2. SHUTTER SPEED

The shutter is the device that controls the exposure time of the photo. The exposure time usually begins at 1/2000 sec. and goes up to 30 sec.

At 1/250 sec. exposure time, the shutter will let in 2 times more light than at 1/500 sec. and 2 times less than at 1/125 sec.

The exposure time determines how a photo will look, if it will be "shaken" or crystal clear. For example: you want to take a picture of a water fountain. You have two options, use a short exposure, or a long one. A short exposure (of 1/2000 sec.) will "freeze" the water droplets in mid air; the detail of every droplet will be clearly visible in the photo. A long exposure time (of 1 sec.) will create a special effect where the falling droplets traces unite to create streams of water.

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/25 | Aperture Value 8 | ISO Speed 50

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/1000 | Aperture Value 3.2 | ISO Speed 50

3. ISO SPEED

ISO speed is the third element that "makes" a photo. It is usually expressed with the following numbers:

50 | 100 | 200 | 400 | 800 | 1600 | 3200

These numbers tell you how "fast" does the digital sensor react to the light sent through the aperture and shutter.

A small number means that it takes a relatively long time to take a photo, a large number, a very short time.

But things are relative in using the right ISO setting. On an average digital camera, the ISO goes from 50 to 400. The ISO speed 50 is usually used on bright sunny days, while the 200 and 400 ISO is used in low light conditions (like interiors or at night)

There is also a problem with the image quality regarding the ISO speed. At large numbers, 400, 800, the image will contain "noise", so use the low ISO speed as much as possible.

Here is a table that will further explain how the aperture, shutter speed and ISO speed are used TOGHETHER to "make" an image. I'll give a theoretical example of how this three indicators work together: At ISO speed 100 you select an aperture of 8 and the shutter speed is calculated by the camera at 1/250 sec. The same image*, mathematically speaking, can be created using the following settings:

ISO speed	Aperture	Shutter speed
100	16	1/60
100	11	1/125
100	8	1/250
100	5.6	1/500
100	4	1/1000

same image* - the same in theory but with different effects on the final, real image

As you can see, with the ISO speed constant, the aperture and exposure time increase or decrease in connection with each other; if the aperture allows more light into the camera, the shutter speed decreases to compensate and give the perfect exposure.

But what happens to these theoretical numbers if you set the ISO speed at 50? Take a look:

ISO speed	Aperture	Shutter speed
50	11	1/60
50	8	1/125
50	5.6	1/250
50	4	1/500
50	2.8	1/1000

You can modify the aperture, keeping the shutter speed constant, or you can modify the shutter speed, while keeping the aperture values constant:

ISO speed	Aperture	Shutter speed
50	16	1/125
50	11	1/250
50	8	1/500
50	5.6	1/1000
50	4	1/1250

Nikon D40 and D90 Details about price and lens and upgrade

2010-04-23T15:39:00.003+05:30

D90 Price
==========

Millenium fotos - Dass - 41,000 - 28416683 - 98400717654
Fototrade - 28583444 - 52,800 - 18 -105 VR lens
Zoom & tele - Rafiq - 9841142662 - 46,000

Millenium cameras - 98401-765999

============================================================
============================================================

New d90

In US
======
40,003 in US without Lens

In India
=======
MRP Rs. 58,950/- (Kit)
MRP RS. 43,450/-(Body Only)

18-70 + 55-200

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm 1:3,5-5,6G ED VR
================================================================
================================================================

D40
====

9444464967 - Sekar used D40 with lens - 17000 , Near Royapettah clock Tower
D90 body -33,000

New D40 is 22,223 in US with "3.0x AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II" lens

There are NO ANY improvements over D40. Just buy D40 kit + 55-200VR (12,450). This combo will deliver unbeatable value for money.

Next lens for D40 - 50mm f/1.8 (7,350)

===============================================================

Photomatrix to combine HDR

Best lenses for Nikon D90

2010-04-21T16:29:00.002+05:30

Planning to buy a new D90 soon,so reading reviews and collecting information about this DSLR and lenses that suit for this camera.

Macro Shots - Nikon 50mm f/1.8 - 100 $

For Zooming - Sigma 18-50 f/2.8, or a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 (fast zoom - low light)

Normal - Nikon 18-200 VR dx

Thanks

Tamil Film Comedy Dialogues,Goundamani,Vadivelu

2010-04-18T12:57:00.005+05:30

Download Tamil Mp3 Comedy Dialougues of Kaundamani,Koundamani,Vadivelu

To Download songs ,Right Click and select "Save As"

Gowndamani – Azhagu Raja – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (512.7 KB)
Gowndamani – Ennai Paarthu Sollu – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (901.2 KB)
Gowndamani – Who Is That Dog Voice – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (75.9 KB)
Gowndamani – Yeppa Saamy – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (152.4 KB)
Sivaji – Vaanga Pazhagalaam – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (125.4 KB)
Spesial – Kudigaranea – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (1.2 MB)
Vadivel – Address – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (189.4 KB)
Vadivel – Build Up – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (345.0 KB)
Vadivel – Camel Milk – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (189.6 KB)
Vadivel – Chappa Figure (Full) – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (674.9 KB)
Vadivel – Chappa Figure – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (169.5 KB)
Vadivel – Edu Seruppu – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (355.8 KB)
Vadivel – Friends – Aani – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (372.1 KB)
Vadivel – Friends – Ayyaiyo – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (248.6 KB)
Vadivel – Get Out Rascals – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (83.7 KB)
Vadivel – Give Respect, Take Respect – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (133.7 KB)
Vadivel – Gowravam – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (443.5 KB)
Vadivel – Hey You You – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (175.1 KB)
Vadivel – Kaipulla – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (155.7 KB)
Vadivel – Kalambitaya Kalambitaya – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (167.6 KB)
Vadivel – Long – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (183.3 KB)
Vadivel – Maappu – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (261.0 KB)
Vadivel – Manadhai Thirudivittai – Enn Father – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (211.1 KB)
Vadivel – Manadhai Thirudivittai – Hello Dubai Yaa – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (360.2 KB)
Vadivel – Mappillai – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (132.3 KB)
Vadivel – Name Enna – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (201.1 KB)
Vadivel – Osopeti Osopeti – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (126.6 KB)
Vadivel – Paarta Paavam – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (139.5 KB)
Vadivel – Poda Panni (Full) – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (226.6 KB)
Vadivel – Poda Panni – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (73.8 KB)
Vadivel – Pommbalaikal – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (193.0 KB)
Vadivel – Ponga Thambi – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (337.2 KB)
Vadivel – Puthusa – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (676.3 KB)
Vadivel – Rascal – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (82.3 KB)
Vadivel – Reelstop – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (220.9 KB)
Vadivel – Risk, Rusk – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (106.1 KB)
Vadivel – Rowdi – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (213.0 KB)
Vadivel – Sattai Ripped – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (279.4 KB)
Vadivel – Shock – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (90.9 KB)
Vadivel – Singam – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (185.7 KB)
Vadivel – Snake Babu – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (263.6 KB)
Vadivel – Text Message – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (131.9 KB)
Vadivel – Vazhiyai Vidu – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (78.7 KB)
Vadivel – Vela Vetti – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (135.1 KB)
Vadivel – Wrong – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (192.9 KB)

Download goundamani dialogues mp3,Download vadivelu dialogues mp3.

Vadivel -Special (Mix) – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (482.5 KB)
Vivek – Satha Kaakka – Comedy Dialogues.mp3 (230.9 KB)

AdSense Earnings

2010-04-17T15:12:00.000+05:30

AdSense Earnings will increase over time, at least that is what all the
AdSense publishers like to believe and to support this view let’s have a look
at some of the bloggers’ stats. These stats belong to Darren of

ProBlogger.net, Author of FunPonsel.com (he didn’t have about me section…. i wonder why?), and Liew F of LiewCF.com respectively:

As you can see the earnings of all 3 bloggers are very positive. In
Darren’s case it’s extremely good (Hitting 15K a month). From these stas and
from my own experience it can be concluded that if you post regularly, keep
your audience interested, and keep offering what they like then without a
doubt your earnings will increase. Keeping your site or blog up to date and
posting something new every week (at least) will help you to achieve greater
heights. And of course positioning your AdSense Ads strategically and blending
them to fit your site/blog design will further increase your earnings. (See my AdSense Tips)

If you are wondering how they created these graphs, feedmoney has a good tutorial.

Broadband usage checker

2010-04-17T15:05:00.000+05:30

There are many sites to check your broadband speed,I recently went through this intel website which provides service for broadband users to check their broadband speed.

Just click on the link here to check your internet speed , Click on the start button to find the speed.

Transform yourself - Sri Sri Ravishankar (Article From ‘The Week’)

2006-12-30T22:37:00.000+05:30

In this era of science and technology, we can be creative and productive,
and at the same time not lose the humanness that we are all born with. Just
material things or comfort alone do not make you comfortable. You may have a
good bed to sleep on, but unable to sleep because of insomnia or worry! You
need to get a broad understanding about yourself and your priorities.
Clarity in the mind makes things much easier-understanding your basic
emotions like love, your interaction with people around you, knowing about
your ego or what your intellect or mind is saying to you and introspection
will give you a few minutes of relaxation which is very vital. So, what is
most important is introspection about one’s own life and how to improve the
quality of life-this intention itself will open many doors for you to feel
better about yourself. First of all, find out for yourself whether you are
healthy.

Health is…

a disease-free body.

a quiver-free breath.

a stress-free mind.

an inhibition-free intellect.

an obsession-free memory.

an ego that includes all.

a soul that is free from sorrow.

Have you ever thought what is the purpose of your life? What is the meaning
of life? What is life all about?

These questions are very, very precious. When these questions dawn in your
mind, only then your life begins! But, when these questions come into your
mind, don’t be in a hurry to get an answer. Those who know will not tell you
and those who tell don’t know! You can plug your ears and walk off! These
questions are the tools by which you can dig deeper and the answers come
from within you. Once these questions come into your life then you start
“living” life rather than just existing. To know for what you are in this
planet, find out what you are not here for!

You are not here to be sad.

You are not here to blame.

You are not here to be miserable.

You are not here to worry.

You are not here to show off.

You are not here to get stressed out.

You are not here to get irritated and irritate others.

The list goes on.

All our struggles in life are to know more. You are trying your level-best
to understand your feelings and emotions, and you get into more and more and
more confusion. This is what has happened with psychology today. It tries to
explain to you why you feel like the way you are feeling. The ”why” arises
always when you are unhappy. You ask ”Why this problem to me of all the
people?” Nobody ever asked, ”Why am I so happy?” You want to understand,
”why am I not feeling good?” or ”why am I angry?”, or ”why is this not
happening?” The more you try to understand and try to dig it, you seem to
understand less and less. The mystery deepens, but an illusion comes as
though ”I know it”. But that is for a short while. We ourselves do not know
and we try to explain to others! Stop your explanations; your explanations
have put you into a soup and make other people also more confused. You don’t
know what is happening in your mind. Mind is like a roller coaster-it’s a
crowd. Just be in the simple and innocent state of ”I don’t know!”. This
life is a mystery-beautiful-live it.

Living the mystery of life so totally is joy.

Becoming the mystery is divine.

You are a mystery!

When you see life in this context, clarity dawns in your mind and your life
improves.

1 Review the context of your life

Look at your own life in the light of time. Millions of years have passed
and millions will come. What is your life? 60, 70 or 100 years? Span of life
is insignificant. It is not even a drop in the ocean. In terms of space you
simply don’t exist! This understanding dissolves the ego. Ego is ignorance
of your reality, ignorance of your existence. Now, just to know this, do we
have to do something else? Just open your eyes: ”Who am I? How I am on this
planet? What is my life time?” Awareness dawns in the mind, and you will
stop worrying about little things like, ”this person said this thing to me
and that person broke away with me and this happened with that person and I
am going to say this….” All smallness will simply drop away, and you will be
able to live every moment of your life.

Your life reels around your context. You should be happy in life. All other
businesses involve ups and downs which is very natural. If there is a body,
then it will get cold, cough, fever or something else and it will go away.
But take care to see that happiness is always established in you. That is
known as purashaartha. Our love, faith and belief should be deep-rooted,
then everything else moves on its own. How many events take place in life!
Are you able to maintain your equanimity always? Not everything in the world
is sweet. If you are grounded with faith, like the husk with grain, you will
progress.

Take this decision: “Whatever happens I will be there. I will be grounded.
God’s protection is there on me. Whatever happens, I will never go down. I
always have God’s hand with me.” Keep your mind in peace in all situations.
The rest will be taken care of. You have to take at least one step forward,
which is to be in peace and equanimity. “Oh! Nothing happened. Nothing of my
work happened.” If you are able to laugh in such a situation, then
understand that you have protection with you! The world is filled with love.
Everybody has love inside them. You have to see that in your mind.

Your head will be in the mud in a few years; don’t put mud in your head
while you are still alive! If you review the context of your life, the
quality of your life will improve.

2 Know life’s impermanence

See the impermanence in this life. That is the truth. Turn back and see that
all that you did is like a dream. All have passed, the whole thing is
finished. Tomorrow will pass. Now and then, a pinch of unpleasantness comes.
It makes you aware of your pleasantness. Suppose you never had unpleasant
moments in life, you would never have pleasant ones. Your life would
stagnate in utter boredom and you would become like a stone. So, in order to
keep you alive, now and then, here and there, nature gives you a little
pinch. It makes life more lively. Accept it.

You don’t have to be afraid in life. There is always support. So, every
pinch that you are having in life is for the best, to make your life more
lively and enjoyable. Day and night you work so hard. The whole week is
spent working, coming home tired, eating, going to bed. The same routine the
next day. Weekends have become another routine.

If you’re awake, then you see there is so much foolishness! Just watch when
four or five people get together and have a gossip session. In a gossip
session, you can immediately change the topic of conversation. This is the
thing with a crowd. If ten people are talking about the weather and you
change the topic to stock markets, everybody will immediately talk stock
markets, whether they know about them or not. It is great fun.

Being aware of this impermanent nature of our life, you find that there is
something in you that has not changed. There is a reference point by which
you can say things are changing. That reference point is the source of
life. That is wisdom. With wisdom, your life improves.

3 Make your smile cheaper

A research done in England found that a baby smiles 400 times a day, an
adolescent 17 times and an adult doesn’t smile at all! The more successful
one keeps a very stiff face. Is roughness a sign of success? Is being
stressed a sign of prosperity, growth or dignity?

You should smile more. Every day, every morning, look at the mirror and give
a good smile to yourself. You know what happens when you smile? All the
muscles in your face get relaxed. The nerves in your brain get relaxation,
and you get the confidence, courage and energy to move on in life.

You know, your smile is so fragile! Just one telephone call is enough to
take it away! But what is the big deal about your feelings? Bundle them up
and throw them into the ocean! Once you are rid of your ‘feelings’ you can
be happy. Just see why your spirits go down? Because somebody said something
stupid to you. And why did they say a stupid thing? Because they had some
garbage they needed to throw out and you were there, ready to catch it! And
once you have caught it, you hold on to it so passionately! Come on! Wake
up! Don’t let your smile be snatched away by anybody!

Usually, you give your anger freely and smile rarely as though a smile is
costly. In ignorance, anger is cheaper and smile costly. In knowledge, a
smile is free like sun, air, and water and anger is extremely expensive,
like a diamond. Make your smile cheaper and anger expensive! You are here
for a greater cause. Just remember that. Take a challenge: “Come what may, I
am going to smile today and be happy!” Smile more.

4 Be enthusiastic and praise others

Enthusiasm is the nature of life. We often have a tendency to put cold water
on other’s enthusiasm. Reverse this tendency. Take every opportunity to
praise others and support their enthusiasm. If you put down other’s
enthusiasm, the same may happen to you. As you sow, so shall you reap.
Recollect how much enthusiasm and joy you had when you went to the primary
school. Someone without enthusiasm is like a corpse. But as you mature, the
enthusiasm curve declines. As enthusiasm declines, we stop communicating.

How would you like to see yourself ? Happy and bubbling with enthusiasm or
dull and difficult to please? Often, you like to be pleased, appeased and
cajoled. So you put up a tough, upset face and act difficult to please. If a
person has to appease and please ten people all the time, it will be so
tiring. People who keep a long face and expect others to cajole and appease
them make others run away. Lovers often do this. They expend a lot of energy
in cajoling, and this brings down the joy and celebration of the moment.

If you feel down, appease and please yourself. Your need to be appeased by
someone else is the sign of grossness. If you want attention, all you get is
tension. It is not possible to attain Divine Love with a complaining face.
Become one whose enthusiasm never dies.

5 Make meditation a part of your life

The higher goals in life can only be realised through a few minutes of
meditation and introspection.

What is meditation?

Mind without agitation is meditation.

Mind in the present moment is meditation.

Mind that has no hesitation, no anticipation is meditation.

Mind that has come back home, to the source, is meditation.

Mind that becomes “no mind” is meditation.

Deeper you are able to rest, dynamic you will be in activity. Even though
deep rest and dynamic activity are opposite values, they are
complementary. Before the body leaves you, you learn to leave everything.
That is freedom. What are you looking for? Are you looking for some great
joy? YOU ARE JOY!

I will give you an example. Have you seen dogs biting bones? You know why
they bite bones? Biting wounds their mouth. Its own blood comes out and the
dog feels that the bone is very tasty! Poor dog spends the whole time
chewing the bone but getting nothing out of it! Any joy you experience in
life is from the depth of your self, when you let go all that you hold on to
and settle down being centered in that space. That is called meditation.
Actually, meditation is not an act; it is the art of doing nothing! The rest
in meditation is deeper than the deepest sleep that you can ever have
because in meditation you transcend all desires.

Meditation is letting go of anger from the past and all the planning for the
future. Meditation is accepting this moment and living every moment totally
with depth. Just this understanding, and a few days of continuous practice
of meditation can change the quality of our life.The best comparison of the
three states of consciousness-waking, sleeping and dreaming-is with the
nature. Nature sleeps, awakes and dreams! It happens in a magnificent scale
in existence, and it is happening in a different scale in the human body.
Wakefulness and sleep are like sunrise and darkness. Dream is like the
twilight in between.

And meditation is like the flight to the outer space, where there is no
sunset, no sunrise, nothing! I am sure that deep within, every one of you
feel that you have not grown, meaning you have not changed, not grown old.
This indicates the soul in you, the depth in you, the spirit in you doesn’t
change, doesn’t grow old, it’s not aging. The body is aging but something in
you is not aging. Getting in touch with that something that doesn’t age
brings beauty in life. That is meditation.

6 Go to the most beautiful place

Only if there is alertness and presence of mind can your life
improve. For this, you need to cultivate the habit of listening. Most of us
are not good listeners. When you are listening to somebody, the speaker’s
very first sentence triggers some conversation within you. You are
constantly agreeing or disagreeing with the speaker. Have you ever wondered
whether you can listen without any thoughts or pre-conceived notions? To
cultivate the habit of listening, you have to “go” to a place where
everything is beautiful!

Where is this place? That most beautiful place is within you! When you come
to this place, then any place is beautiful. Then, wherever you go, you add
beauty there.

Learning something about our breath is very important. Our breath has a
great lesson to teach us: for every rhythm in the mind, there is a
corresponding rhythm in the breath, for every rhythm in the breath, there is
a corresponding emotion. So, when you cannot handle your mind directly,
through breath you can handle the mind. Neither at school nor at home does
anybody teach you what to do when you are upset or angry or depressed. The
first thing we did when we came to this planet is that we took a deep breath
and then we started to cry. The last thing we’ll be doing: we’ll breathe out
and make others cry! In between, the whole life, we are breathing in and
out, but, we have learnt very little about our breath! No breath, no life…
know breath, know life!

We need to learn a little bit about our breath. We need to know a little bit
about all the layers of our existence-body, breath, mind, intellect, memory,
ego and the self. This is what I call Art of Living, learning a little bit
about ourselves, the seven layers of our life. And that makes you be in the
present moment, and it helps us to maintain the innocence that we are all
born with, and feel at home with everybody, anywhere. What I would suggest
is, take one week off every year for yourself, like you take your car for
servicing. During that time, align yourself with nature, wake up with the
sunrise, do some exercise, eat proper food, just as much food as necessary,
some exercises, yoga, and some breathing exercises, a few minutes of
singing, and then some silent moments, enjoying the creation.

Book yourself on a trip to this most beautiful place in the universe. Then
you find that every day is a vacation and a celebration!

7 Communicate effectively

Learning to communicate effectively with everyone is a skill worth
possessing. Most of the time you find that you are out of place.
Communicating without prejudice is vital for success.

If you are faced with someone who knows more than you, be like a child and
keep your ears and eyes open for learning. If you are faced with someone who
knows less than you, be humble and strive to make them as good as or better
than you. Play with a small child as you played when you were a child. Talk
with an elderly person remembering that one day you will be like that.
Communicate with a person of your age group like you are his/her best
friend.

This world is varied beyond our imagination, and there’s always something to
share, learn and teach. When you are centered, you become a powerful
communicator. And when your communication improves, your life improves.

8 Take out time for yourself

If for the whole day you are engaged in only gathering information, you do
not take out time for yourself to think and reflect. A few quiet moments are
sources for creativity.

Some time during the day, sit for a few minutes, get into the cave of your
heart, eyes closed, and kick the world away like a ball. But, during the day
be 100 per cent attached to the work. Eventually, you will be able to be
both attached and detached. This is the skill of living, the art of living.

Renunciation refills your energy. Creativity cannot happen only just through
efforts. There is a beautiful story about Chhatrapati Shivaji. At one time
Shivaji became so frustrated about ruling his kingdom that he went to his
guru Samarth Ramdas and told him that he is fed up and that he just wants to
renounce everything. Ramdas told him that he can renounce everything.
Shivaji became so happy and relaxed at the very thought. Then Ramdas told
him: “Now I am the king and you are my servant. Will you do whatever I ask
you to do?” Shivaji replied: “For you I am ready to do anything.” Ramdas
said: “Very good. Will you run this country for me?” Shivaji replied: “Yes,
I will run the country for you!” Total renunciation had brought zeal and
enthusiasm in him.

Creativity springs up when you are relaxed. You have to renounce all work
you have done the whole day, only then can you rest in the night.

Though many times pain, struggle and frustration have brought out creativity
in some people, these are not the only reasons for a person to be creative.
Millions of people in the world are struggling or frustrated, but they are
not creative. So, taking out some time for yourself improves the quality of
your life.

9 Better the world around you

A river needs two bunks to flow. The difference between flood and a normal
river is that water flow is regulated in a river. During floods, water has
no direction. Similarly, the energy in our life needs some direction to
flow. If you don’t give direction, it is all confusion. Today, most people
are confused because there is no direction in life. When you are happy,
there is so much of life-energy in you; but when this life-energy doesn’t
know where to go, how to go, it gets stuck. When it stagnates, it rots. For
life-energy to move in a direction, commitment is essential.

Life runs with commitment. If you observe every small thing or big thing in
life, they go with certain commitment. A student takes admission in a school
or college with a commitment. Needless to say, a family runs on commitment:
mother is committed to the child, child is committed to the parents, husband
is committed to wife, and wife is committed to husband. Greater the
commitment you take, greater the energy/power you gain to fulfill that
commitment. Greater the commitment, easier things are. Smaller the
commitment, suffocating it is for you. Smaller commitments suffocate you
because you have more capacity, but you are stuck in a small hole!

When you have ten things to do and if one thing goes wrong, you can keep
doing the ten things; the thing that has gone wrong will set itself right!
But if you have only one thing to do and that goes wrong, then you are stuck
with it. Usually we think we should have resource and then we will commit.
Greater the commitment you take, greater the resources will come to you
automatically. Whatever you are committed to brings you strength. If you are
committed to your family then your family supports you, if you are committed
to society, you enjoy the support of society.

Commitment will always bring comfort in the long run. Make a commitment to
make this world a better place to live.

10Nourish your emotions

A person without emotions is like wood without any juice. You need to make
your life interesting to make people be with you. This will happen when you
nurture yourself with music, prayer and service.

The way to expand from individual to universal consciousness is to share
others’ sorrow and joy. As you grow, your consciousness should also grow.
When you expand in knowledge with time, then depression is not possible. The
way to overcome personal misery is to share universal misery! The way to
expand personal joy is to share universal joy. Instead of thinking “what
about me?” and “what can I gain from this world?”, think “what can I do for
the world?”

Silence heals and rejuvenates. Silence gives you depth and stability and
brings creativity. Service leads to the dynamic experience of heart. It
creates a sense of belongingness. Lack of service can land a person in
depression. Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Pain is physical.
Suffering is mental. If you are not sensitive to others’ pain, then you are
not a human being. That is why you need to serve. Service alone can bring
contentment in life, but service without silence tires you. Service without
spirituality will be shallow, and cannot be sustained for a long period. The
deeper the silence, the more dynamic the outer activity. Both are essential
in life.

When you bring some relief or freedom to someone through seva, good
vibrations and blessings come to you. Seva brings merit; merit allows you to
go deep in meditation; meditation brings back your smile. When you sing and
pray from your heart , your emotions are nourished and you become “lively”.

11 Plan short and long-term goals

At any given point of time, our mind is oscillating between the past and the
future. Either it is angry or sad about the past or anxious about the
future. Whatever actions you do in this state of mind, you regret after some
time. This is how you get caught up in the same old cycle. Does it mean that
you should not plan your future? No! You should plan your short and
long-term goals. Then, and only then, life gets a channel, a direction to
flow. When the mind is totally in the present, the right planning happens.
Not only should you plan your goals, but plan the means and methods to work
towards them. Where would you like to see yourself after three years? After
20 years? After 40 years? Don’t be feverish about the results. Give your 100
per cent. If you are feverish about the results, it will lead you to
disappointment.

Do not make a list of all the things you want to achieve. Select few things
that really matters. Once a teacher brought a glass jar to the class and a
bag with some big stones, some small stones and some sand. He asked the
students to put all the contents from the bag into the glass jar. Some
students put the sand first, then small stones and by then there was no
place for the big stones. The teacher later explained that had they put the
bigger stones first, then the smaller stones, there was always space around
the stones for all the sand in the bag. This example teaches us an important
lesson in prioritising things. If we put things that will give us maximum
fulfillment in the long term, smaller things will automatically fall into
place.

Among all planets in the solar system, the earth is privileged to host life
in its many forms, and, among all the species, humans are most privileged,
for, they can host knowledge. Again and again you remember that you are
peace, you are love, you are joy and that you are hosting the creator. If
you do not realise that you are the host, you live like a ghost!

12 Prayer is a vital tool

Prayer is a vital tool to improve your life. It also nurtures values like
integrity and honesty. Prayer happens in two situations, or in a combination
of situations. When you feel grateful or when you feel utterly helpless. If
you are not grateful and prayerful, you will be miserable. In either case
your prayers will be answered.

What you can do, you do.

What you cannot do, you pray for!

It is said the divine dawns in you when you pray for it, when you cry for
it, when you sing for it. The divine is only waiting for you to dig a little
deeper into yourself. Because, it can then fill you with much more nectar!
Divine wants you to create more space in you. Cry from your soul for help.
This is for those seekers who are weak. Those seekers who are strong-with
the power of knowledge-can sing with that joy of what they have achieved!
The moment you sing in gratitude, in glory of the divine, it immediately
dawns in you, and fills you up again. One type of people is grateful for all
their growth. The other type is helpless and weak. Both will be helped.

Spirituality is not some ritual, or doing something. It’s a very pleasant,
uplifted state of being and seeing that the whole world is all spirit or
consciousness. Use prayer to bring integration in your
personality. Whatever you do, know that the higher power has the final say
and it will always be for the best.

13 Implement changes if needed

Sorrow simply means that viveka (discrimination) is overshadowed. Viveka
means knowing that everything is changing. Your body, your emotions, the
people around you and the world-everything is changing. Time and again you
have to awaken to this reality. You are often fearful of change. Change is
inevitable in many fronts though security is hooked on to stability. You
know there is a need for change to improve your life, but you feel secure in
the old pattern. You need the courage to implement changes whenever it is
necessary. You have to evaluate the pros and the cons. You have to see
whether that gives you short-term joy and misery in the long run or
short-time pain and joy in the long run.

Life is a combination of both change and non-change. So, use your
intelligence and courageously implement changes when you feel that there is
a need for change.

14 Identify your limitations

Every time you are unhappy or miserable, you are just coming in touch with
your own boundaries! And what can you do? You can just feel thankful: “Oh,
I came in touch with my boundary, my limitation. This was my
limitation.” You just turn the whole situation into a prayer: “Let there be
peace, not just in me but in everybody.” Prayer is that moment when you
come in touch with your limitations, your boundaries.

You are peaceful, you are joyful, you are happy as long as you have not come
in contact with your boundaries. At that moment what can you do? You can
just say, “My Lord, my God, You made me become aware of my boundaries. You
bring peace. I am giving it all to You.” That very moment you will start
smiling. However hopeless the situation is, you will walk through it, sing
through it, dance through it! This is love.

In Hindi, love is written with two-and-a-half letters. They say, “Who is a
master, who is a pundit, who is a wise person? Not one who has studied a
lot of scriptures, but one who has studied the two-and-a-half letters.” And
this two-an-a-half letters is at this moment. It is a test of the moment,
when you come in touch with your limitations, your boundaries. You are
happy, peaceful. Are you in the boundaries? Or are you maintaining your
boundless and the innocent love in the heart? Is it remaining? If it is,
then nothing can rob you of peace.

15 Do not lose your friends

Mistakes keep happening all the time. Often you want to correct them. How
much can you correct? There are two situations when you correct others’
mistakes.

1 You correct someone’s mistake because it bothers you. But even if you
correct it, this does not work.

2 You correct someone’s mistake not because it bothers you, but for their
sake so that they can grow.

To correct mistakes you need authority and love. Authority and love seem to
be contradictory, but in reality they are not. Authority without love is
stifling. Love without authority is shallow. A friend needs to have both
authority and love but they need to be in the right combination. This can
happen if you are totally dispassionate and centered. When you allow room
for mistakes, you can be both authoritative and sweet. That is how the
Divine is, the right balance of both. Krishna and Jesus had both.

Don’t make a mistake by pointing out mistakes!

Once a lady came to me and said her husband had lied to her. She was very
upset. I asked, “Why does your husband lie to you? Because he loves you, and
is afraid to lose your love or hurt you. If he did not love you, he wouldn’t
lie to you!”

Do not tell a person a mistake he knows he has committed. By doing this, you
will only make him feel more guilty. A magnanimous person will not pick on
the mistakes of others and make them feel guilty; he will correct them with
compassion and care.

16 Don’t look for perfection

Many a time, you become angry or miserable because of the feverishness for
perfection. If you are too much of a perfectionist, you are bound to be an
angry person.

In a state of ignorance, imperfection is natural and perfection is an
effort. In a state of wisdom or enlightenment, imperfection is an effort;
perfection is a compulsion and is unavoidable! Perfection is taking total
responsibility, and total responsibility means knowing that you are the only
responsible person in the whole world. When you think that others are
responsible, then your degree of responsibility diminishes. When you are in
total vairagya (dispassion), you can take care of even insignificant things
with such perfection. Perfection is the very nature of the Enlightened
one. When we are joyful, we don’t look for perfection. If you are looking
for perfection then you are not at the source of joy. Joy is the realisation
that there is no vacation from wisdom. The world appears imperfect on the
surface but, underneath, all is perfect. Perfection hides; imperfection
shows off.

The wise will not stay on the surface but will probe into the depth. Things
are not blurred; your vision is blurred. Infinite actions prevail in the
wholeness of consciousness, and yet the consciousness remains perfect,
untouched. Realise this now and be natural.

In this world, everything cannot be perfect all the time. Even the best, the
greatest of actions, performed with the noblest of intentions, will have
some imperfections. It is but natural. Unfortunately, the tendency of our
mind is to grab the imperfection and hold on to it. And, in the process, we
end up making our moods, our minds imperfect and our souls reel with this
nonsense. It is imperative to get out of these cycles, and to become strong
and courageous from within.

17 Let us be unpredictable

We often behave like machines. A compliment makes us smile and an insult
makes us frown. We don’t have to react in the same way always. You have the
freedom to respond differently. You don’t have to answer all questions posed
to you. As people have a right to question, you have the right whether to
answer or not.

So, be unpredictable!

18 Have a sense of humour

You are endowed with certain naughtiness as a child. Keep it alive. Humour
will grease all tough situations. One who has humour can sail through any
conflict. Humour is the buffer that saves you from humiliation. If you
refuse to be humiliated, you become invincible. Humour brings everyone
together, while humiliation tears them apart. In a society torn with
humiliation and insult, humour is like a breath of fresh air.

Humour should be coupled with care and concern. Humour can keep the spirit
high, yet if overdone it leaves a bad taste. Humour without wisdom is
shallow. Humour without sensitivity is satire-it comes back to you with more
problems.

The wise use humour to bring wisdom and to lighten situations. The
intelligent use humour as a shield against humiliation. The cruel use humour
as a sword to insult others. The irresponsible use humour to escape from
responsibility. And fools take humour too seriously!

How does one cultivate a sense of humor?

Humour is not just words, it is the lightness of your being. You do not have
to read and repeat jokes.

Taking life not too seriously (because you will never come out of it alive)!

Having a sense of belongingness with everybody, including those who are not
friendly.

Practicing yoga and meditation.

Having unshakable faith in the Divine and in the laws of karma.

Being in the company of those who live in knowledge and are humorous.

A willingness to be a clown.

19 Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

Whenever a boundary is broken, it creates some fear. The fear creates
dislike. This dislike puts us back in the boundary. And to keep yourself
in the boundary you put forth defenses. When you try to defend your
position, it is such a stress. Every time you try to defend your position,
it makes you more and more weak. Drop all your defenses. When you are
totally defenseless, that’s when you’ll be strong.

Your knowledge of a mistake comes to you when you are innocent! Whatever
mistake has happened, do not consider yourself a sinner because in the
present moment you are again new, pure and clear. Mistakes of the past are
past. When this knowledge comes, you are again perfect. Often, mothers scold
their children and afterwards feel so guilty. Okay, you got angry at your
kid once or twice. Why? Because of a lack of awareness! Awareness was
missing, so the anger came up. Knowledge of the self, truth and skills can
bring out the best in you. So, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but not the
same mistakes. You have got to be innovative even in your mistakes!

20 Overcome your prejudice

Your prejudice against gender, religion, caste and class does not allow you
to mingle with everyone around you. Often, you don’t sit with people who
are not economically or socially at par with you. You have to learn to break
that barrier. Also, there is age prejudice. Teenagers don’t like to have fun
with elderly people and vice versa. Gender prejudice is more prevalent in
rural areas. Caste system is present even among the royalties of Europe, the
UK and Japan.

Religious prejudice is well known. There are good people and bad people in
every community, religion and every section of society. Don’t be prejudiced
against them. At the same time don’t be shy about your identity. When you
overcome prejudice, you will be very natural, and your quality of life will
improve.

21 Feel that “I am blessed”

There is so much talk about success. Have you ever thought what success is?
Success is simply ignorance about one’s capabilities. Success is ignorance
about the power of the self. Because you assume you can do only this much.
If there are obstacles, you are clear about your objective. With a calm and
serene mind, think of many possibilities. Know that failures are stepping
stones for greater success. Actually, there are no failures in life. All
the seeming failures are only stepping stones for greater success. If you
feel the obstacle is too much, deep prayer can work miracles.

The feeling that “I am blessed” can help you overcome any failure. Once you
realise that you are blessed, then

all the complaints disappear.

all the grumbling disappears.

all the insecurities disappear.

a sense of not being loved disappears.

wanting love disappears.

Ego is always ambitious and wants to do tough jobs like climbing Mount
Everest. Whereas in a simple act like watching a butterfly, watering the
garden, watching the birds or the sky, can bring deep relaxation, and
relaxation connects you with your source. Seemingly trivial actions open a
new dimension and bring in immense peace and rest. Just come out of your
little shell and feel free.

There is a saying: Behind every successful man is a woman. I will modify
this: Behind every success there is the Divine saying “I am behind you”.

22 Do random acts of kindness

Abiding in the self you become the valentine for the whole world. Spirit is
the valentine of matter, and matter is the valentine of spirit. They are
made for each other. They uphold each other. If you do not respect the
spirit, then matter is not pleased. If you honour the spirit then you will
care for the world, and when you care for the world it will take care of
you.

You are the Christmas tree. At the time of year when no tree bears anything,
it has many gifts to offer. A Christmas tree bears the gifts and the lights
not for itself. Similarly, all the gifts you are carrying in your life are
for others. Anyone who comes to you, you offer them your gifts. When you
show kindness, your true nature comes into play. Have you ever done acts of
kindness without expecting anything out of it?

Our service should not be mechanical. Once some boy scouts were at a Sunday
service, when the priest said, “You should serve.” They asked, “What is this
service? Could you give us some example?” He said, “Suppose an old woman
wants to cross a road, go and help her cross the road.”

So the boys went and looked for a whole week, but there was no old woman
trying to cross a street. Finally, four of them found a woman walking on a
footpath. One of the boys went and asked her, “Madam, would you like to
cross the road?” She turned and said, “No.” He was disappointed. So another
boy went and asked her again, thinking, perhaps, that the first boy hadn’t
asked properly. The woman was now a little bit confused. She wondered why
she was being asked this. So, she said, it was all right for him to take her
across the road. Once they had reached the other side, a third boy came and
asked her, “Would you like to cross the road?” Now it really bothered her.
When the fourth one approached her, she almost screamed and ran away!

You don’t have to plan acts of kindness. Just do something spontaneously.
When you do random acts of kindness, you come in touch with your true
nature.

23 Be a student, always

Know that you are a student forever. Do not underestimate anybody. Knowledge
may come to you from any corner. Remember the ancient saying “let knowledge
flow to me from all sides”. Each occasion teaches you and each person
teaches you. The world is your teacher. When you are always looking to
learn, you will stop underestimating others. Humility will dawn in your
life.

There is a nice story. A man earned a lot of money and then gave all his
property to his son. The son then built a small house behind his big house
and told his parents: “Now you have to stay there.”

So the old couple stayed there, while the son and his family lived in the
bungalow. One day, while playing, the grandchild came to his grandfather’s
home, where everything was in pathetic condition. The grandchild said,
“Grandpa, be careful with your plate and chair. Don’t break them.” When he
asked why, the child said, “Because tomorrow, my father will need them.” One
does not realise this fact. You are also going to be old one day.

24 Dream the impossible

Unless you have a dream, you cannot realise it. Every invention has come out
of a dream. Dream the impossible. Obviously, dreaming employs something
which is beyond your perceived capacity. Consider the faculty which is the
preceptor of the dream. Some dreams have impacted your daily living and
others have not. Some dreams you remember, and others you have forgotten.

We are all born in this world to do something wonderful and unique; don’t
let this opportunity pass by. Give yourself the freedom to dream and think
big. Have the courage and determination to achieve those dreams that are
dear to you. Many a time people who dreamt big were ridiculed, but they
remained strong to achieve their goals.

Do something creative. Not a year should pass without doing something
creative.

25 Compare your performance

As we flip the calendar, we need to keep flipping our mind as well. Often,
our diaries are full with memories. See that you don’t fill your future
dates with past events. Allow the space for creativity to dawn. Celebration
of the New Year allows you to be wise. Learn and unlearn from the past, and
move on.

In the past year, how many days were you in sanyas? How many days were you
struggling, being caught in maya? Turn back and remember the whole year. Do
not run away from anything. Do not reject anything. Do not go away from
anything. At the same time, let your attention be on the self. This is a
delicate balance. That balance is yoga.

A poor man celebrates the New Year once a year. A rich man celebrates each
day. But the richest man celebrates every moment.

How rich are you? If you celebrate every moment, you are the Lord of
Creation. Review the year while you celebrate. This is your homework.
Compare your performance in the year before last and smile.

The year 2007 is fortunate because you are living at this time!!! When you
are living for the sake of the world, the world is fortunate. Let time
celebrate your presence. You keep smiling as ever.

When you let time celebrate you, you are a witness amid celebration. The
heart always longs for the old, the mind for the new. Life is a combination
of both. Let the New Year bring into our life ancient wisdom and modernity,
as life is incomplete without either of them. Don’t feel shy to speak about
human and spiritual values. The time has come now to call the whole world!

Be ever new, happy you!!!!