Diwali - a festival of lights, noise and pollution

Diwali. It is a festival of beauty and illumination. Eons ago, it is believed that Lord Rama returned with his brother Lakshman and wife Sita to his home - Ayodhya. Since it was a moonless night, the citizens of Ayodhya lit up the streets in order for them to find their way back to the palace and also to celebrate their crown prince's return after 14 long years of exile.

The return of light to dispel darkness is something that we Indians celebrate ever year and the festival itself has a great message. But must we shamelessly and thoughtlessly pollute the very air that sustains us? Must be cause unbearable noise pollution that causes the loss of peace and harmony?

Not to mention the many people who suffer burn injuries and asthma attacks on this night. It is not fair to be polluting the very air that will sustain not only ours but many future generations to come.

In the United States, the fourth of July is celebrated with fireworks, but these are all done in a community setting much like the Ravan burning every Dusshera.

I propose that fireworks should be banned from being sold to the general public and even if they have to be used, it should be done in a public or community setting. In areas which can do so, a laser show would be a more healthy, less dangerous and less noisy alternative. It may not be politically popular, but then sometimes what is popular is not the best solution.

Fill the world with love, not hate

I got a reply to my tweet where I have quoted Gandhiji on religion from some guy in Pune. This person tells me he doesn't give a F about what I say and that he is a Hindu and Gandhiji gave him the right to say so. He then asked me if I had a problem with it. I replied to him telling him to fill his heart with love and not hate and then he will find what he has always been looking for. Some of us don't realize that we are all on the same path and the Divine shines its Holy Light on all of us of every faith, every nationality and every caste. We are all children of the Divine and nobody has a copyright or patent on the Truth. There is no one true religion. These are all pathways to the same goal. It is time to focus more on our own search and stop worrying about the path that others are taking.

Oh my God! Anna Hazare elevated to god status

I have the greatest respect for Anna Hazare, but putting him on the altar of the gods is not the right thing to do. We can be god-like by our deeds and actions, but that does not make us gods. That way Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and others should also be made gods. It is disrespecting the power of our humanity to be worshipped as a god. Instead we can look up to the human being that is doing god-like deeds.

Anna-being-worshipped-at-Ganesh-pandals (Times of India)

Warp drive possible - perhaps humans can reach the stars someday

Learned about the theory of warp drive postulated by Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre today. This video explains it all. Hopefully, someday humankind will reach the stars!!

After a hot summer, Europe awaits

After being in Delhi for so long without a vacation. We are about to head out to Europe for a much needed vacation. This is the first time that we are taking all three kids.

First stop, Switzerland...

To be followed by Italy....

And then its Austria.....

Will be posting updates from there.

I know we're going late, but my wife had her final exams (she's doing a B.Ed in Special Education... and I am so proud of her!)

Little Amyra's first flight will be tonight.

James Cameron on sci-fi, oceans, space and leadership

This is an awesome video of James Cameron talking about his childhood, love of science fiction, love of the ocean, his films and his idea of leadership. This video is an absolute must watch.




James Cameron: Before Avatar ... a curious boy (from TED.com)

An excerpt from Towards New Beginnings by Rajiv Gandhi

I have asked many questions. Every question contains the seeds of an answer. Yet every answer germinates seeds of another question. The search continues. We are always poised between old ends and new beginnings.

--- Rajiv Gandhi (Towards New Beginnings) excerpted from 'The Odyssey of science, culture and consciousness' by Kishore Gandhi (Abhinav Publications, Delhi, 1990)

Be in charge of your thoughts

Temptations and malicious thoughts do enter human minds. Sometimes a violent, malevolent or dirty thought suddenly rushes into the mind, causing guilt, fear, anger, greed or lust. Persons who are positive in their outlook and believe in God can overcome such thoughts through prayers. Many people, however, feel guilty about them. They should not. We are as much in control of our thoughts as we are of our enemy shooting arrows at us. We should not duck. Rather, we should shoot back with positive thoughts.

We can also shield ourselves from this onslaught through the virtues of faith and love. Even the greatest men including Jesus Christ and Buddha, have gone through their share of temptations, fears and worries. Christ was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days while he prayed and fasted. Buddha worried about old age, sickness and death when he was Prince Siddhartha.

These masters could not control negative thoughts, but they chose not to nurture these evil seeds.

As a seed needs nutrition to grow, so do thoughts -- good or bad. As a garden has flowers and weeds, we have our positive and negative thoughts. Both can grow if nurtured. The idea is to cut out the bad thoughts through faith, love and patience. Having a bad thought is not a sin. Nurturing and harbouring bad thoughts is the root of all evil. Replace the weeds of negativity with the flowers of positivity and the garden of your mind will produce trees of virtue and faith.

Astral and Physical Worlds by Prashant Solomon

Published in The Speaking Tree of the Times of India on May 31, 2011

Astral life begins once physical life ends. There have been many accounts of the astral plane, which describe its luminous nature. One of the most famous accounts is in the book, Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda.

In the astral plane, we inhabit astral bodies that are much like the physical ones we currently inhabit, but those are much subtler and radiant. These astral bodies are not confined within the narrow limits of current space-time continuum that governs the physical cosmos. In the astral plane, inhabitants communicate through telepathy and since we recognise people who were our family and friends in different incarnations; we learn to love them all equally. There are astral worlds of light, which have colours and music beyond our present comprehension. The astral plane is one of great beauty and joy. It is the place where many souls consider their "true home". It is also much larger than the physical universe.

So what about our current life on Earth? It is one in which the physical elements of life are manifested. But thanks to technology, it seems that our current life on planet Earth is becoming gradually 'astralised'. How is this? Well, let us take a closer look at our lives today.

In today's technology dominated society, we use computers, digital cameras, internet and mobile phones, for instance. We watch news, TV shows and movies. We listen to music, mostly in digital format. We have passionate opinions about people we don't really know, whom we've never met -- be they politicians, media personalities, movie actors, business leaders, even terrorists and criminals. How many of us have actually seen and heard or touched these famous or notorious people physically? Yet we seem to 'know' them today through their projected images and sounds that are readily available to us through technology. Is it not like we know them in an astral or more subtle form? Even if you never met them in the flesh, you would continue to 'get to know' them through their light and sound images.

The same extends to people who are not necessarily well known. Today's social networking sites are a testimony to this. Think of how many Twitter followers and Facebook friends you have who you don't really 'know' in the physical sense. We are now growing so accustomed to electronic lifestyles that we are beginning to experience life and relationships as a form of virtual or electronic or energy life. We are now open to accepting life forms interacting with us in their electronic forms as long as we know that there is some real intelligence and individuality being expressed. Your relationship with someone would continue to grow more intimate through these electronic platforms even if you never interacted in the so-called 'real' world of flesh and blood.

This seems to be the first step in the astral conditioning process. As we advance technologically, we create things that make our earthly experiences a little more like the astral experiences that we have had in the past and will continue to have in the future after our Earth visa expires. In that non-material realm, we learn that the reality is not the flesh, but the radiant energy that is our true nature. Our modern day technology is a reminder of that and just a pre-cursor to that awesome astral realm that we will all return to someday.

prashantsolomon@gmail.com

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/8648751.cms

My introduction to practicing Yoga

One of the new things I've started doing lately is Yoga. I did a beginner's course in Yoga and Meditation. Within a week, I could feel a difference in my overall well being. The pranayama breath control exercises and meditation are bringing a new clarity to my mind. The asanas are bringing new flexibility and a feeling of wholesomeness to my body. I recommend yoga and meditation to everyone.

Both my wife Cheryll (she deserves the credit for this) and I joined up at the Sivananda Yoga Centre in Kailash Colony. The place has a very peaceful aura and the trainers are good and not very pushy. They believe in the concept that you will do according to your own ability and that you will progress at your own pace. This is a good thing. I do not like to be pushed too much by trainers (some people do, but I'm not one of them).

I picked up some good books from there as well - "Meditation and Mantras" and "The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga" both by Swami Vishnudevananda and "Meditation Know-How" and "Autobiography of Swami Sivanada" both by Swami Sivananda.

There are Sivananda Yoga Centres across the world. For more details visit their site at-

www.sivananda.org

Of wombs and worlds

The soul within a foetus knows only one world – the womb. The prenatal state of the human being has its own share of experiences. There are certain sensations that the child experiences as it grows inside. The placenta provides a sense of security to the unborn child and most of the time it sleeps soundly and securely blanketed within this membrane that is the flesh and blood of its mother.

The developing child may hear sounds from beyond its world. These could be the sounds of its father talking to it. The baby even kicks at the horizons of its world and the little bumps can be seen and felt. The little child within the womb is secure in its environment. For the limited consciousness of the child, this womb is the only world there is. It could be the whole universe as far as it’s concerned. This is a safe universe with no other occupant (except in the case of twins, triplets and so on). It is the own private world of the foetus.

There is only one little thing that the foetus does not know. It does not know that this little womb which is as large of the whole universe from its perspective is just a temporary home. It is also by no means the ‘whole universe’. It is just one little part of a much larger world of which the foetus neither knows nor can even comprehend. Even the thought of leaving the womb would generate feelings of fear, bewilderment and confusion. But that is just it – foetuses are meant to be born. They are meant to be transformed into babies. Babies, however, do not live in the same world as the foetus does. They live on the other side of the veil.

As the foetus’ time in its world comes to an end, a feeling of panic grips it as it begins to move down the birth canal. It sees something strange – a bright light unlike any light it has ever seen before. The voyage down this canal is one of horror as it emerges into a new world of light and then the strangest thing happens. It breathes! For the first time ever in its new life – it breathes. The first breath of a new born baby is the end of life for the foetus as a foetus. It is now a new being, more advanced and in a larger world. It has transformed into a new creature called a baby - like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. With a single breath life begins in one form and ends in another.

The new baby takes time to adjust to this brighter, larger and scarier world. But this is its destiny. A foetus is meant to be born into a larger world where its journey continues. The baby grows and becomes adjusted to its new world and soon it forgets its days within the womb, once upon a time its whole universe, now more like a forgotten dream.

The child grows into adolescence and then adulthood, happy in its new world. It learns about our world and the universe and so many things. It has not even the slightest inkling about what happens when life in the body ceases. Death lurks behind every corner and is completely silent about when it comes. The thought of death is something every human being has thought about. Maybe even the little foetus thought about it too. Maybe it also wondered what would happen to it after its life in the womb came to an end.

One day death will come to everyone. Some say we will pass through a kind of tunnel and see a bright light. Perhaps we will. Is there anything to fear? Well, the foetus was scared too. But a foetus is meant to be born and likewise a human being is meant to someday die.

There is a lot for us to do in between. Perhaps we develop thought patterns and abilities that will help us in our next level after we cross over from our current home – the womb called Earth – into a new, larger and brighter world called Heaven. Though we cannot see it, there are occasional ‘whispers from eternity’ that we can perceive intuitively just as the little foetus can hear whispers from the other side of the fleshy veil.

When death comes we will cross into our new home. Once again breath plays a key role. When we came into this world we took our first breath, when we leave it, we take our last breath and then we step forth into the unknown on the other side of the channel. Scared, confused, perhaps we may be. But just like the little baby that came here from a smaller world, we will go on to a larger world after this one. It is what we humans are on this world for – to learn enough to do well in the next world. Worlds within worlds exist and we are just beginning the great journey of the soul.

Writing a book in small steps - breaking down writing into parts

Writing a book is one of the most joyous things that a human being can experience! I know because I have written a few books and published two. They say that the closest a man can come to experience childbirth is writing a book. The feeling of creating a written piece of art that can be shared with the world is great. 

Whether one writes fiction or non-fiction, the process is similar. Every writer has their own way of doing things, but I personally feel that an outline should be used to create a proper structure to your book whether it is fiction or non-fiction. When you create an outline for the plot or an outline for the main chapters of a book, it is easier to write it. 

One piece of advice to budding writers who may struggle with the idea of writing a book with many pages in it. Don't think of it as writing a 365 page book, think of writing 1 page everyday for one year. That sounds a lot more achievable doesn't it? As in everything in life, be it exercising, dieting, investing, etc. It is consistency that counts. When you do a little a day, everyday, you will always get a better result. This is because the mind handles small tasks better even if they are many of them. If the mind perceives something as a large Herculean task, it tends to get scared or overwhelmed! So remember, don't overwhelm yourself. Perform smaller tasks on a regular basis for better results. Good luck!

The Divine Voice

The Divine Voice cries out: "I was a Hidden Treasure,
and I longed to be known and longed to be loved.
Hence I brought forth the entire creation into manifestation,
so that I might be known and loved."
- Islamic sacred tradition

Welcome to Earth - Amyra!

Amyra Rachel Solomon

Announcing the birth of Amyra Rachel Solomon on March 2, 2011. Our third child and second daughter. Baby and mama are doing fine!

At 28, a paraplegic, she makes her living from the stock markets

(An older article, but very interesting and inspiring)

Sujata Burla

Sujata Burla's life took an ugly turn on June 9, 2001. On a pilgrimage to Shirdi, where the Sai Baba temple in Maharashtra is located, from Hyderabad, she met with an accident.

Four months later, the doctors and physiotherapists treating her told her she could not walk for the rest of her life. The accident had turned her into a paraplegic. It meant Sujata was immobile below the shoulders. She was just 21.

Soon people who she thought were her friends abandoned her and Sujata was left alone. Compounding her tragedy was her father's death in March 2004. Not one to be easily cowed down by her circumstances, she started learning about the stock markets that year.

Now she trades like a pro and earns anywhere between Rs 200,000 and Rs 250,000 every month. On a day like Wednesday, September 19, 2007, when the Nifty was up 186 points, Sujata made a cool Rs 600,000 in a single day. She has still not sold her position.

"I expect the Nifty to touch 4800 in the next two, three trading days. I will sell my position then," Sujata told this correspondent in a telephone conversation from her home in Hyderabad.

Sujata moves around in a wheelchair and does not regret this fact. Financial independence is what she strove for and that is exactly what she has got through sheer determination and discipline.

How do you cope with such a trauma?

Before, I could not even write or type. Now I have got used to it. I can easily type and trade on my computer and laptop.

In the first four months after my accident I did not even know I would never be able to walk again. I went into a depression feeling that this was the end of life for me.

Does your condition make you dependant on others?

 I am the kind of person who doesn't like to depend on anybody -- whether financially, physically or mentally. So, it was very tough for me to physically depend on somebody. I soon realised that financial independence could get me much more freedom in life.

So I started thinking how I could earn money. I worked with my sister, who is a fashion designer, and learned a bit about it. I soon started a textile workshop where I employed 10 people. However, the workers took undue advantage of my physical disability leading to losses. Since I wanted to be independent I started moving towards stock market trading. The textile workshop business is now my secondary business.

How did you get into the stock markets?

I realised that if at all I have to succeed in life I would have to do something for which I don't have to depend on anybody. Through a friend of mine I came to know about the stock markets in 2004. It took me almost a year to understand the various nuances of the stock market and it was in 2005 that I actually started trading.

What was your first trading/investment experience like?

My first investment was in blue chip companies like Reliance Industries, Hero Honda, ACC and IDBI. However, the Rs 100,000 that I invested did not earn me any returns. It was my first investment and I did not know when to sell or the right time to sell my stocks. That learning experience helped me to hone my skills in the stock markets.

How much do you make from trading in stocks now?

My turnover for a month is over Rs 3 crore. But my actual investment is only Rs 15 lakhs. I make anywhere between 10 to 15 per cent per of this investment per month. It is like I earn 20 to 30 per cent sometimes and lose 10 per cent at other times. This takes my average monthly return to 10 to 15 per cent every month of my total investment of Rs 15 lakhs.

Could you share your success mantras for our readers?

• Read all the advice that you get from various business television channels, newspapers, friends who understand the stock markets but be extremely cautious and disciplined when you act on this advice.

• Never extend your trading bets beyond your means. I speak to my friends; get investment and trading ideas from my brokerages (she is registered for online trading with Reliance Money, Indiabulls  and Kotak Securities).

How would you identify yourself as a stock market player?

I am a short-term trader; I am surely not a long-term investor.

Do you trade intra-day?

Well, if my bets appreciate considerably then I take home my profits on the same day. Otherwise, I wait for my investments to bear at least 7 to 8 per cent returns before I actually sell it. Intra-day trading, though, is very risky as most traders tend to burn their fingers trying to time the market. And I have lost quite a bit of money trading intra-day in the cash market, believe me.

How much have you deposited with all these brokerage companies?

As I told you earlier, my total deposit with all the three brokers is Rs 15 lakhs. Using this amount I buy Call Options within my overall limits. There is no concept of margin money in options. Whatever money I have earned till now is only through Option trading. You can do risk-less trading in Options using a small amount.

As a safe strategy I never write a Put Option. Put Options are very risky. That way I am a very safe trader. In Puts I can even make 50 per cent a month on my investments; but then I can lose the same amount too. My principle is if I make money I make it; I shouldn't lose money at all.

I usually write a Call Option on the Nifty. I am always long (buying first and then selling at a higher price to make profit) on the markets and whenever the market is too overbought wait for the markets to cool down.

The last two days turned out to be very good for the stock markets. How much did you make in these two days?

Actually, it is celebration time for me. I made 80 per cent returns today (September 19, the Nifty was up 186 points or 4.09 per cent). Most of the Nifty Calls went up by 80 per cent today. However, I did not invest the entire Rs 15 lakhs because I am sitting on a bit of cash as the markets have run up too fast in the recent past. I invested only 50 per cent of Rs 15 lakhs on which I made an 80 per cent return (Editor's note: That's a cool Rs 600,000; don't rub your eyes in disbelief; you read it right!).

However, there are times when I lose a big amount of money in trading. Such gains happen only once in a lifetime. The losses that I make during the year sort of offsets such gains.

But remember that these things don't happen every other day. I have still not booked my profits. I am still holding on my positions. I plan to sell them after a day or two because I feel that the markets can still go up -- at least for the next two, three days -- based on the strong momentum. I am expecting the Nifty to go up to 4800 at least.

Actually, the target given by one of my brokerage houses is 4900 but I am going to book profits at 4800 levels. Too much greed is also not good, is it?

Moreover, it is the festive season and Diwali is just round the corner. Normally, the markets go up during Diwali. There will be some profit booking (a situation when a trader sells her/his stocks at a profit) tomorrow and the day after that but the general mood is likely to remain bullish till Diwali. I don't expect a market crash or correction till Diwali.

Do you stay with your family?

I stay with my mother and cousin Priya. My father passed away on March 20, 2004. I have a sister and two brothers but they are all married and lead separate lives.

Do you have friends?

Before the accident I had many friends but they all ran away after my accident. They were all false friends. People like this go where there is money, success and happiness. People like these don't chase failures.

After my accident I have a different set of friends. I have a few friends now but they are my true friends. They have been with me through my bad times. They really care for me. I can count Pradeep and Ashish amongst my true friends now.

Prasanna D Zore

(Taken from: http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2007/sep/20pras.htm )

Budget 2011: Extend a helping hand to the realty sector that employs many; says Prashant Solomon, MD, Chintels India in The Economic Times

Prashant Solomon

As the nation awaits the Budget for FY 2011-2012, the real estate sector is eagerly looking forward to certain reforms and amenities that will help spiral its much needed growth. The existing Taxation laws have room and scope for much improvement. By considering these incentives for the sector, the government will be adding a well needed boost to a sector that has given much to the nation in the form of employment, infrastructure and shelter, but has not got much in return so far. 

Apart from tax incentives, there are other factors that the government should consider for the real estate sector. The first related to the amount of interest on housing loans that is exempted from tax. The current rules allow 1.5 lakh rupees exemption, this should be raised to 3 lakh rupees to make house buyers feel less of the taxation heat. Real estate is also plagued by being levied both sales tax and service tax. This anomaly should be abolished and a single tax should be levied instead. It should be an either/or situation and not a both situation. 

Another area for exploration could be the current LTCG (Long term capital gains) tax on real estate. Currently, the LTCG tax on residential properties is exempted if the property has been held for more than 3 years and if the proceeds are re-invested in another residential property within one year of sale of that property or re-invested into Capital Gains Bonds which are recognized by the government. However, the government could consider that if a property has been held for more than five years, then the LTCG could be fully exempted. This would encourage the real estate sector because it would create a more attractive atmosphere for people to purchase property. The benefit of such LTCG changes could be extended to commercial properties as well and should also be expanded to include companies into the LTCG exemption on property ambit. 

Real Estate should finally get the much desired industry status as so far it is one of the major contributors in terms of employment generation and also accounts for over 5% of the nation’s GDP. Once industry status is conferred, real estate can be regulated and organised in a better fashion. It is imperative that this is done. Housing projects (integrated townships and group housings) should get infrastructure status as they provide a backbone for the further growth of the nation. 

The age old saying of “roti, kapda and makaan” itself indicates the primary importance of the real estate sector in the wellbeing of humanity. The real estate sector is the backbone on which the nation will be developed into becoming a major player of the 21st century. It needs to be awarded industry status recognition and should also be given certain tax benefits and should be given the due respect that it deserves. Hopefully, in this current budget, the hon’ble Finance Minister will listen to the cries of real estate developers and extend a helpful hand. 

(The author is Joint Managing Director of Chintels India Limited , a New Delhi-based real estate development company. Views are personal.)

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/real-estate/news-/budget-2011-extend-a-helping-hand-to-the-realty-sector-that-employs-many-says-prashant-solomon-md-chintels-india/articleshow/7561047.cms

writing video tutorial 3 - self-publishing books and ebooks through kindle

My latest video tutorial on writing. In this segment, I talk about self-publishing books and ebooks on various platforms like http://www.createspace.com and http://kdp.amazon.com . Self publishing is a popular option today as you control what goes in your book, you can get the book out there a lot faster than by going through the traditional publishing route and you get to keep most of the profits!

River of life - a poem I wrote a long time ago

River of Life

By. Prashant Solomon
Written on August 9, 1995

Deep inside a glacier, the River of Life sleeps;
Through the melting ice it is born, but it weeps!

Through the mountain high it learns to walk, pure as love and light;
Through the foot-hills it learns of things that are not always good in sight!

Through the plains, it meanders; now it's full grown;
The River makes little rivers of it's own!

Into the delta it goes, full of dirt and soil;
To reach this delta has been a journey of great toil!

As it reaches the Ocean;
It sees it's entire life in slow motion!

Then it evaporates and goes into the sky;
Not even given a chance to say, 'Good bye!'

No more dirt and no more flow;
High up into the Light it must go!

Mixing with other rivers that have come up too;
It is like a ship with a large crew!

A voice was heard saying, 'It is about to rain';
Falling down on another glacier... the River of Life is born again!

Another rage death in Delhi. Solution - be calm!

There was another very unfortunate case in Delhi a few days ago of a young man being killed because he objected to some children playing cricket in front of his car. He was allegedly stabbed by the family of the kids who were playing cricket.

Why do people in Delhi have such a short fuse? Is it just the vibration of the place? There is no clear answer. In my earlier post about the death of Rajeev Jolly in Khan Market, I have mentioned a few reasons why I think this is happening.

My appeal to all people in Delhi is this --- be calm! It is just not worth destroying lives (including your own) over anything! Be calm. Life is too short anyways. Live and let live.

Please pass this message on to all those who you think should receive it.

Thanks.

Build Your Personal Brand - wikiHow

An interesting article I read on wikiHow

Build Your Personal Brand - wikiHow

President John F. Kennedy - 50 years since the beginning of Camelot

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivers
his inaugural address on January 20, 1961 - 50 years ago today

      50 years ago today, John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th president of the United States. His inaugural address is best remembered for him saying, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Kennedy was the president who inspired youth from America and all over the world to enter public service and do their bit for their country. But apart from that favorite quotation of JFK, there are some other great things he said in that historic speech. Some excerpts:

"We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning—signifying renewal, as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago."

"Man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe—the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God."

"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility—I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it—and the glow from that fire can truly light the world."

And one of my personal favorites -

“let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

So it is that 50 years have passed since these immortal words were spoken, but yet they are so relevant in our own times. We are still facing similar threats in the form of terrorism, global challenges in the form of global warming, economy and others. There is a new power structure emerging in the world with the growing significance of Asia. The world has changed a lot from 1961, but the opportunities remain the same.

One of the things that has often struck me about President Kennedy's inaugural address is that while it is amply clear that we have the power to abolish all forms of human life in the shape of nuclear and other bombs, I wonder about the "all forms of human poverty" part. What do we actually know about this. What do we have in our mortal hands to abolish "all forms of human poverty." I think this aspect needs a separate blog post later on.

But for now, we remember you today Mr. President and wish that you lived longer, but thank you for the inspiration that you have sowed in the hearts and minds of millions of people born during the last half of the 20th century, tempered by terrorism and wars, disciplined by a promising yet fragile peace.

How to write fiction - Fiction writing tutorial part 2 (rewriting and li...

In this video tutorial, I talk about the rewriting process and about how to look for a literary agent.

Road rage death in Khan market, New Delhi a clarion call to end intolerance

The recent case of the restaurant manager of Amici restaurant being killed by a Jet Airways pilot at Khan market, New Delhi in a fit of road rage is tragic but not shocking. Not shocking because it is a new piece of evidence that people in New Delhi are growing more aggressive and intolerant by the day. What is it that is causing this? Is it the overall aura of corruption and negativity in our city and our nation at large? Is it because of the weakening social bonds in our society that has become prone to selfishness and greed? One can endlessly debate the reasons behind this and similar cases of road rage, murders, fights, rapes, blueline bus deaths and so on that is plaguing our city. But it is time that we start thinking about solutions. What is the solution to this menace?

For one, we need a complete overhaul on our ideas of civic duty and sense. We need to get out of this mental attitude that it is "me first". We need to learn that corruption and selfishness and aggression is neither cool nor productive. We need to became more respectful of the law and public order. Each and every one of us needs to get more involved in public affairs in order to weed out rogue elements that have slithered their way into high offices. We need to put pressure on our city and state governments to improve infrastructure in our city state. If there was an ample place to park and negotiate a vehicle in Khan market, perhaps Rajiv Jolly Wilson would have been alive today. If the parties concerned (including the late Mr. Wilson) were more tolerant, things would not have spiraled out of control. There are many other 'what-if' scenarios that one can keep endlessly talking about.

The crux of the matter is this - you have power! The question is how do you intend to use it? Are you going to be a passive spectator and allow things to happen in any which way they can? Or are you going to rise up and do your bit to put pressure on our government to do something about this? Think about what kind of city state you want your child to grow up in and then extend that thought and ask what kind of nation and world you want your child to grow up in.

Use your power. Write and meet your local representatives and insist that they produce results. Use the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, etc. for things more important than just commenting on photos or aimlessly playing video games. Use your power. Use your life. Spread peace, love and tolerance.

Introducing SIOS - Story In One Sentence - to the world of fiction writing

I am introducing SIOS, a term I have created, which means "Story in One Sentence" the essential kernel of any story - either in the short story, novel, script or play format. The SIOS is the reduction of any story into one single sentence. A good example of SIOS would be "Dinosaurs from DNA" in the case of Jurassic Park. I hope you enjoy this video and begin to use SIOS as a part of your vocabulary.

How to write fiction - Fiction writing tutorial - part 1

In this video, I talk about writing fiction. I also introduce the term SIOS, a term I have created, which means "Story in One Sentence" the essential kernel of any story - either in the short story, novel, script or play format. The SIOS is the reduction of any story into one single sentence. A good example of SIOS would be "Dinosaurs from DNA" in the case of Jurassic Park. I hope you enjoy this video and begin to use SIOS as a part of your vocabulary.

Prayer power (the power of prayer)

(published in Inner Voice column, page 13, Hindustan Times, October 24, 2007)

(published in slightly edited form in the newspaper due to space constraints)

There is a lot of power in thoughts and prayers. Thoughts are a form of energy and therefore real. Prayer is a form of communication with the Infinite source of all energy, or God; through our thoughts. Thoughts are like seeds which require nourishment to grow into fruit-bearing trees. The nourishment of thoughts is in the form of affirmation, concentration and attention. Prayer need not necessarily involve the usage of pious phrases.

Normal Vincent Peale describes a three-fold approach in his best selling book, 'The power of positive thinking' – (1) prayerise, (2) picturise and (3) actualise. The first step involves simply thinking and talking to God informally, which is prayer. The next step is picturising or visualising it mentally. Create in your mind an image of the desired result: a healed love one, a more prosperous life, a happy marital life, a more healthy or confident self. Whatever you seek, pray to God and then visualise it to be so and then just say to God, "I have put it in Your hands, Lord." After this, the actualisation will come in time either by the desired result or guidance.

Peale gives a glorious example of how we can spread love and goodwill throughout our daily lives. Just say a little prayer for anyone that you see. These are called flash prayers "shot" out towards people. Just send out thoughts of love and goodwill. There have been cases where the recipients of such prayer "shots" could feel a physical manifestation of the energy.

The world can be a lot happier if we all just continuously "shoot" each other with prayers of love and goodwill. Let us "shoot" out positive thoughts towards one and other. We could try to replace our hatred and anger filled thoughts with thoughts of love and goodwill. Just mentally send out peaceful and love filled thoughts of goodwill towards everyone that you see and they will feel it as well. The energies around the whole world will change if everyone starts to do this. These energies are very powerful and the results will be seen and felt. But constant prayers are needed. Even prayers take time to be answered. Just be patient and have faith.

Prayer and positive thinking is also a very useful technique in creating a more confident and success filled life. Thoughts of success often attract success. Thoughts of failure often attract failure. Energy is like a magnet. It attracts. Positive energy attracts positive results.

Positive affirmations, especially at night time before bedtime is a very important tool to attract positive results. The age old tradition of prayer before sleeping is so that the positive thoughts and prayers can sink into the subconscious mind during sleep. Avoid all forms of negativity. Nip it in the mental bud. One can not stop negative thoughts from entering, but one can kick them out as soon as they enter. Positive thoughts can repel negative ones from establishing themselves in the mind.

Many of the world's problems can be solved if there is more prayer energy generated. This energy will increase when we add prayer into our consciousness and make it a part of our daily life. Talk to God either verbally, mentally or even in written form. Yes, write a note to God. Every day use flash prayers to increase the overall consciousness of peace and goodwill and soon if more people do it, we will transform into a much better, safer and peaceful world.

1.1.11 (Happy New Year 2011)

Well, though this post is a day late, I would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year 2011.

Scanny - a cool portable battery operated scanner.

Scanny by Portronics

I just bought a Scanny by Portronics. It is awesome! It's a portable scanner that runs on AA batteries and a MiniSD card. It is so light and easy to carry and gives pretty decent results. Excellent for scanning documents, articles, etc. Works good with photos as well. Price Rs. 6000. Downloading AABBYY FineReader Express for MAC. Excellent for OCR and converting scans into RTF, HTML or searchable PDF. (price $99) Recommended highly.


Another good thing is that you don't need any additional software. It has a USB cable so just scan and connect to your computer the way you would a camera.