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The pain is killing; the pain is torture, What I've done, what I've done Karma or fate or destiny as you may call it . The Clashing of personalities . The Clashing of Cultures The Clashing of Countries .. The Clashing of Religions .. The Clashing of Genes (hidden and forbidden) Like an eagle I fly above…. Watching the deeds of Homo sapiens Tongue tied and helpless .. For the damage is done . Earn a living and lead a happy life for In a span of 100years, we are dead and gone . Let's join hands and lend a helping hand Leave something for the future generations Watch your actions day and night . For every wrong move there's a reaction It's high time to switch to the word 'Karma' Open your hearts and minds…. Think of this whole world as 'One' For this world would be a better place… The pain is killing; the pain is torture . What I've done, what I've done I have just taken you through the damage and contrast in the first part and Hope and Positive attitude in the second part ..let's all live in hope and promise to make a difference ..for its not yet time to give up. Like the saying "Charity begins at home", ethical living or moral conscience begins at every home. Make a difference from today. I am reading a book called the "Revenge of Gaia"~ James Lovelock, it's just the aftermath, as I reached halfway through!!! A good read for anyone interested in non-fiction. And enjoy this song from Linkin Park- 'what I've done' dedication to all Linkin Park fans and to my dear iLand friends, my favourite after 'Numb'. Excellent video….portraying the damage and contrast. And thanks for your comments on my previous post. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt2pZqGGnmQ&NR=1# this time, a different style of campaigning! cheers! elamor
The University of Sheffield, UK, has reported birds evolving in tune to the urban development! Isn't this great news? So we all have to just sit back and evolve!! Is that what you are saying Mother Nature? Birds have started switching their morning chores to the twilight zone! Instead of their morning singing sessions, they are doing night shows! The research states that, this is due to the morning hustle and bustle which normally starts at 5am, and during night times its quiet and fully lit up with billboards and fluorescent lamps, mimicking the daylight zone, so they have switched their chores to night time! Poor souls! Can you imagine human beings evolving over the centuries? Homo sapiens with huge trunks like elephants to suck fresh air or maybe even fighting for fresh air! Adapting wings to get over with the rush hour traffic! Or even kangaroo legs to sped fast through the footpaths! Extra set of arms to perform different tasks as in multi-tasking which is one of the requisites of these days!! Extra pairs of ears for your mobile to answer calls, iPod - to unwind from the mad world, mobile conferencing on the move, and of course you don't need one for switching off from the public!! Extra pair of eyes to concentrate on your work and other chores!! I would leave that your imagination! For all these to function properly, we would of course need extra CPU's, yes, I am talking about that intelligent bit, the brain! Extra heads! Done! And moving on to the digestive system now, food that automatically gets ingested just by waving your hand over the food, wouldn't that be nice? This is because the lunch hour has been shrunk from an hour to half an hour, or maybe even because of flexitime (more money for more working hours!). Not sure about the rest of the digestion process! I'm trying to paint a picture of this sort, painting as in canvass painting, hope I would get it right! It would definitely look like some kind of alien, no doubt! So, are we all evolving into aliens? Do we sit back and relax? Do we let CO2 emissions and pollution and the whatnots carry on? Join in the debate. Leave your comments as usual. ..Come on India!
It’s been snowing since 5am this morning and I can see a white carpet laid down beautifully in front of my house…..but how bizarre is a white spring? I had just changed my dreamspace from that snowy dream house to a some beautiful tulips sprung up last week…..so do I go back and change it to the wintry dreamspace??!! I don’t know and you obviously wouldn’t know! But all I know is that, I just can’t help but scribble a few words down here. I was supposed to go out and do some volunteering, but I guess I would just stay at home and watch the pranks played by Mother nature! Now let me snuggle up on my sofa with my hot chocolate drink and see the pranks….of course these are serious pranks….if you want me to get into the scientific aspects, just let me know! But I don’t want to bore you right now, because its a chilled sunday morning, and I can read your mind……”elamor, please leave us alone at least on a Sunday”!! so I’m going to get back and enjoy this white sunday morning…… I have taken some pics as well…will post em a bit later on…. Have a great Sunday! Cheers! elamor
hi friends, A little pep-up dance from me!! u must be wondering …..has elamor lost her sanity;)….welll…not yet!! a bit worried about the crazy weather worldwide! It’s been snowing down here, since yesterday!!!Snowing in March….how bizarre! So iland friends join in the cha cha slide….please don’t forget to follow the DJ…this is from Jumpin Jacks last night…..had a grt time! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQTVpgCvKVY and the hardest bit is……how low can you go? can go down low? can u bring it to the top?:)))))) I was strugglin;) Thanx for joinin dear iLand friends and thanx for your support and encouragement….so consider this as a little treat from me:) and keep smilin:) Cheers! I’m outta here yo!!! PEACE…..;) elamor
The healing power of nature has been discussed since centuries, patients who were able to see green spaces from their windows made a more rapid recovery from any sort of ailment than those facing a concrete building. Doctors have started prescribing conservation work and outdoor activity as part of the treatment. Even a stressful day can turn out into a beautiful relaxed one if you have a 10minute walk in a nearby park. If there were no release of stress from your body and mind, it would ultimately end up on your family and if you have children this would in turn affect their mental ability leading to low self-esteem and depression. At least think of the future generation in your actions, lets not tie them down. Or let not anyone tie them down! Set them free and let's make a better world for them. People who suffer from environmental injustice (poor quality housing, polluted atmosphere, run-down environments) are much more vulnerable to a host of health problems such as respiratory diseases, skin allergies and last of all mental health disorders which is what I am talking about. Natural and psychological well-being is the mantra of this decade. People all over the world are tied down to cities, to their careers and bank accounts!! I have to say this because 1 in 4 suffers from depression, when I see some of the so-called depressed people I wonder, what are they depressed about? They are healthy, have a career, have a family, then what's going wrong? Any answers? I think we should all think of the most vulnerable human being on this planet who is struggling to put up a plate of food/ water in front of him/ her, when in times of depression. Maybe wander around the world for a break, I mean not physically, close your eyes and have a wander around! Meditation in a room that is unfurnished, just yourself and a small scented candle can do wonders and can pep up your lost agility. A solitary walk by the river or beach, a few calm early morning hours in the woods or even quiet surveillance of the starlit sky can lift up your spirit. Or extreme solitude in a jungle in a tree house can definitely do wonders. Don't ask me which jungle!! These are just some thoughts from me to you, which might help us through the bad days! Or in a nutshell, we all need to come out of the four concrete walls where we live and work and explore the wonders of nature and its healing power. Btw, I volunteer for a conservation group every weekend and I have to say the healing power is amazing, the fresh air that you breathe, in the morning, the stillness of the surroundings, the same kind of people that you meet, the teamwork where there is no competition, everything is relaxed and that sip of tea which gives you immense pleasure during the tea break with some chocolate biscuits. I bet you, you will never get that pleasure anywhere in the world! Emotional capacities, spiritual capacities all originate from the nature. So lets all start worshipping the trees and birds and animals. This is for those who haven't yet started worshipping!! And would you be ready for some conservation volunteering? That is in your community Lets be thankful and cheerful and happy for being blessed with the things we have around us.
"Sila (morality) means behaving well at all times, living according to ethical rules or precepts, restraint of the senses and passions, good manners, self-discipline, courtesy, consideration and politeness. Sila is also used as a general term for the daily practice of sustained awareness and mindful actions." You must be wondering, doesn't she have anything else to talk about!! What can I say .this happens to be my interest at the moment ..so kindly bear with me some selected quotes which makes us stop and think twice. "Self discipline although not always easy while combating negative emotions, should be a defensive measure. At least we will be able to prevent the advent of negative conduct dominated by negative emotions. That is sila or moral ethics." His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (Born 1934) Tibet "At the root of human responsibility is the concept of perfection, the urge to achieve it, the intelligence to find a path towards it, and the will to follow that path if not to the end at least the distance needed to rise above individual limitations." Aung San Suu Kyi (Born 1945) Myanmar I am unable to restrain external things, but I shall restrain my own mind. What need is there to restrain anything else? Santideva (8th Century) India "It is easy to do what is harmful to ourselves. What is helpful and good is hard to do." The Dhammapada "He will easily be content and at peace whose conscience is pure." Thomas A Kempis (1380- 1471) Germany "The ideals which have lighted my way and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been kindness, beauty and truth." Albert Einstein (1879- 1955) Germany "As the wind blows down a shaky tree, so temptation overthrows him who lives only for pleasure, who is immoderate, idle and weak." The Dhammapada "We can be as free of regret for failure by being restored to virtue as by never having sinned. A person who sees his faults and confesses them will be pure." Atisa (982-1054) Tibet "It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable." Moliere (1622- 1673) France "To enjoy freedom .we have to control ourselves." Virginia Woolf (1882- 1941) England "An evil man may wish to injure the Virtuous Ones and, raising his head, spit toward heaven, but the spit, far from reaching heaven, will return and descend upon himself. Virtue cannot be destroyed, while evil inevitably destroys itself." The Buddha (the Sutra of 42 sections) "Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts." Aristotle (384-322 bce) Greece "If we truly desire to be happy, there is not other way to proceed but by the way of virtue: it is the method by which happiness is achieved." His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (Born 1934), Tibet "Moral people are unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways, peaceful and calm, and wise, not proud and demanding in their nature." The Metta Sutta "The most important human task is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life." Albert Einstein (1879- 1955) Germany And last of all a beautiful quote that I have received from my dear friend on Woman's day, no relation to the other quotes, but couldn’t help adding it to this collection!! The two most divine things on earth: a beautiful woman in a rural spot! James Hunt
A bunch of red roses, a box of chocolates from the Thorntons, a diamond studded pendant from the Goldsmiths, 21st century requisites to nourish the intangibles of life. Yes, I am talking about love, harmony and good health. As February 14th is not far away, I would want to mention some of my thoughts up here on iLand. The developed nations are running to the rim of the cliff, ready to land on four legs at anytime in context to love and harmony!! Crime rate is rocketing like anything, a night out on a Friday is a frightening venture, in case you get mugged or threatened by thugs on your way back home. Everyone is busy on the treadmill, running faster and faster to keep up with the bills (energy and water bills, weekend shopping) the same routine, "work, home, sleep" situation. No one has the time even to talk to the neighbours, in fact majority don't even know who is living next door. Kids are often left on their own after school, as they get busy with their ps3's or the internet before their parents get home after work. Weekends get busy with shopping and buying all the whatnots apart from food and clothing. Does a family exist? Ie; a family, often mentioned as the foundation to any society is getting weaker and weaker. In other words, consumerism is taking advance. Don't we all realise this sudden change in our lives?? Why? The ethics of living has gone down to doldrums moral conscience at its best!!!! No one has time for anyone, "leave me alone I'm busy situation" .Communal harmony has lost its home .nowhere to be heard of But there are a few exceptions, for eg: The Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway) levels of trust and communal harmony stands first compared to any other nations in the world. I guess it's the maritime economy that makes the big difference. People are more relaxed and levels of trust are higher compared to market led economies (the rest of us!!). A few questions we all need to ask ourselves during this loving & giving season!! Ladies: Do I need an expensive ornament to adore my neck? Gents: Do I need to spend so much to prove my love? Would you donate to charities such as Heart Foundations to help save thousands of heart patients who are counting their days? Would you give up your seat on the bus/ train for a pregnant lady or would you pretend as if you are asleep? Would you barge in first to grab a seat on the bus/ train or would you wait for the elderly/ disabled to get in first? By jotting down these questions, I am just offering some food for thought for you and me. Something to work upon I guess during this lovey-dovey season we all need to ask ourselves, do we need materialistic things to satisfy each other?
On a long drive during the weekend, or else, escape from home and work, who has not driven into a Highway Wild Bean Café to wake up your brain? You go through the long list, from which I can cite a few as it goes Espresso, Caffé Latte, Cappucino, Caffe moc-ha, Caffé Americano, Freshly brewed filter coffee, Iced coffee, Darjeeling tea, Earl Grey, Herbal Infusion, Tazo Chai ..here goes the list as you wish ..tremendous number of choices in front of you. During the week, in between our early morning sprint to get to work, we have this precious drink to keep us awake with its caffeine boost in the form of a cuppa tea or coffee. After the sprint, by 11am again you get up from your desk to have another one. And another one by 3pm after your lunch could you really think of living without your cuppa? But has anyone thought about the pain behind capturing those flavours palatable to our taste buds and refreshing to our brain? Farmers across Asia, Africa and Latin America depend on the weather patterns for their harvest reaching us in the form of tea bags and freshly ground coffee. But whilst you are jacking up the atmosphere with CO2 emissions from your 4X4 or your luxurious life-style, you never would have thought that it has an effect on these farmers. The bad news is that, extreme weather conditions is the talk of hour, Latin America is suffering from torrential rains and flooding, Africa from drought and Asia from changing weather patterns providing weather conditions unsuitable for coffee or tea cultivation. So would you sacrifice your cuppa for the rest of the luxuries in life? Could you survive without your cuppa? What will the farmers do for a living? Watch your carbon footprint ..otherwise we would end up drinking tap water, to wake up our whacked up brains!! (Many thanks for reading my posts and for leaving your valuable comments, from which I learn as well My dear iland friends, old and new friends keep reading em, let's save Planet Earth and make it a better place for us and the future generations.)
I have been thinking of writing up this message since the past couple of months…..been putting it off due to various reasons as to one reason is that I am busy!! Today after work I had a stroll through ‘The Body Shop’ (my favourite shop coz everything is made from natural ingredients and its against animal testing). By the way they sell soaps, facial scrubs, moisturisers, scented candles, scented oils etc all made from natural ingredients picked from Asia and Africa. None of these products are tested on animals which is amazing, being natural could be one of the reasons, thus saving those poor creatures. (A word of thanks to the founder of The Body Shop- Dame Anita Roddick, her work has inspired me in many ways. Her Community trade initiatives has struck me the most, helping livelihoods across several countries in Asia and Africa. I would say she is the founder of ethical consumerism, she started her work in the 70’s which was not of much concern like it is today. Unfortunately she is not with us today, she died on the 10th of Sept 2007, she suffered a major brain haemorrhage which took her away from us. But her work has and will inspire many of us in the years to come). So back to my stroll at The Body Shop……..I came across this cloth cotton bag with a tag saying ‘Teddy Exports- Community Trade Supplier in Southern India’. I picked it up as I have an unknown craze for cotton and canvas bags, and I picked up some usual purchases which is scented oils and candles. I was told at the checkout that 1.40% of the price would go back to the community where they manufacture these bags. The money would be proceeding to a charity working for vulnerable children. I am so delighted today…..that I did something. I came home and did my cat walk in front of the mirror with my cotton cloth bag from South India. I feel so proud and pure holding that bag……You must be wondering……has elamor gone nuts????!!!!! so how many of you would support community traded products? let’s DO IT!
ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has been perceived as clean technology or green technology of the 21st century. You see every email message imprinted with the message saying 'Please do not print this email unless necessary and let's keep our Environment green' at the bottom of the message. So how far is our ICT technology green? So this time I am taking you away from your home (the cause of emissions once considered, and still considered) to the place where you work! Latest statistics shows that there are over 1 billion computers in this world. Manufacture, use and disposal of PC's account for 2% of global carbon emissions more than the average Aviation emissions. (Source: The Guardian) Energy consumption is drawn in by the amount of client and user data that are stored on computer servers. As the size and capacity of the servers increase, so does the energy consumption and emissions. Often for the fear of power-cuts especially in developing countries, back-up generators are to be installed which in turn adds to the energy consumption. Did you know that 86% of the IT department are not aware of the scale of emissions or energy bills per month? This surprises me, how many of these IT people are environment conscious? That 86% says it all! Equipments in the form of PC's, servers, fax machines, printers, land and mobile telephones are all contributing towards the 2% emission. Break-in HP has launched a Program in 1992 called Design for Environment (DfE) focusing on three main areas that is, selecting materials that would cause low environmental impact, energy efficiency in manufacture and use of HP products, designing products that can be reused and recycled. Projects for renewable and energy saving products has to be reinforced to combat this problem. A Reminder Do you get out of your office during your lunch break? If not, make it a habit to go out and breathe some fresh air away from the machines, even if it's bitterly cold or sizzling hot! Care for what you breathe in
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