Men of character...

When we said “Come on India, we are with you”… we least expected that the Indian cricket team would also say "Even we will be there with you.. soon". They have infact done it, they have booked the flight tickets from West Indies to be with us, they will be at home in 2 days time. Its was the death of dreams for all the Indian cricket fans. But, this world cup has been a world cup of young, fresh and exuberant men. Round 1 of the tournament has seen two asian teams (India and Pakistan) not reaching the super 8’s. The so-called mecca of cricketing world (asian subcontinent) is not anymore recognized and ruled by the big boys.. it’s the young lads in the likes of Tharanga (SL), Chamara silva(SL), Malinga(SL), Uthappa(IND), Tamin Iqbal(BAN) who are making a statement and waiting to be noticed. Hello Sachins, Jayasuryas and Inzis.. please make way for these budding icons of the future, who are passionate, more hungry and willing to go out there fearless and perform. Its good for the sport!!! Having said that, there remain some greats…immortals-of-the-cricketting-world if u can call them.. Muralitharan, Shaun Pollock, Lara, Smith who will remain unshaken and perform against the odds. They can single handedly turn the tables around for the opponents. Watch the remaining of the ICC world cup 2007 for these men of character and honour!.. if not for the Indian cricket team.

Speaking Tree - The world is What you like to think It Is - Mar 15, 2007

[This is the fourth Speaking Tree article i am posting on my blog]

Socrates was sitting outside of the gates of Athens. A man came up to him and said, "I am thinking about moving into Athens. Can you please tell me what it is like to live here?"

Socrates replied, "I would be happy to tell you, but first would you please tell me what it was like in your previous home city?" The man roared, "Oh, it was awful. The people stab you in the back and rob you blind. I am leaving only enemies". Socrates frowned and continued, "Well, you best be on your way because you will find the same thing here in Athens".

Later another man stopped to speak to Socrates and inquired, "I was considering moving here to Athens. Can you tell me what it is like to live here?" Socrates asked the visitor: "First tell me, what was it like in your previous home city?" The man smiled and said, "Where i come from the people all work together and help each other. Kindness is everywhere and you are never treated with anything but the utmost respect". "Welcome to Athens", smiled Socrates, "You will find the same thing here".

The world is what we think it is. The outside is a reflection of our inner self. If we look at the negative side of things, then our outlook would be bleak. And if we are an optimistic we would feel that positive things surround us everywhere. The first person had negative traits whereas the second person had everything good to say about his home city.

Most situations in our life can be seen as a relationship interaction, be it a personal relationship such as internal dialogues, or our dealings with a friend, family member, or co-worker. All things around us are merely reflections of our self-emanations. If we learn to live our lives with this understanding, then we have no one to blame for our lives. Usually we want to blame other people and the outside world for everything. The physical world is a projection of our beliefs and feelings which we then think is "reality".

As a man thinks, so he becomes. To take charge of our lives, we have to go within and become intensely honest with ourselves about ourselves. Start accepting that whatever comes to us comes because we have attracted it with thoughts, beliefs and feelings. We can take charge of our lives by taking charge of our thoughts, beliefs, feelings and tendencies.

Belief is the thermostat that regulates what we accomplish. A person, who believes he is worth little, receives little. If you believe you are unimportant, so every-thing you do has an unimportant mark. As time goes by, lack of belief in ourselves shows in the way we talk, walk, and act. Unless we readjust our thermostat, we shrink in our own estimation. And, since others see in us what we see in ourselves, we grow smaller in the estimation of others. You are a product of your thoughts. When you adjust your thermostat, you move forward. When you believe in yourself, good things do start happening. Your mind is a conception workshop producing numberless thoughts.

You have to explore your inner self, "Think doubt and fail; Think victory and succeed".

ICC Cricket World Cup 2007

Echoing the greatest spectacle in the cricketing world, Google has this logo on its website today. Yes, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 officially opened with a colourful ceremony in West Indies today.

Chris Dehring, CEO of the event, said fans at the ICC CWC would see "The world's best cricketers competing against the backdrop of the most blessed place on earth." Over 2,000 singers, dancers and performers, including several of the Caribbean's top reggae and dancehall performers, participated in the opening at the new stadium close to Montego Bay on the northern coast of Jamaica.

Checkout some of the related links --

About ICC World Cup
International cricket Council website
Official Website ICC CWC, West Indies 2007
Schedules CWC 2007

Team India @ the opening ceremony -

And the Oscar goes to...

Not the real Oscars.. but faltoo ones..
This year's "Not My Job" award goes to...

Indo-US nucelar deal

A lot of water has flown down the river Ganges since the Nuclear Deal was signed between the two biggest democracies of the world. It has not been a cake walk for either of them since then. Keeping track of the drama unfolding bt Washington and New Delhi, i feel, all outstanding issues/concerns needs a lot of bilateral sittings to sort. Read thru some latest news on this. N-deal hits roadblock, India worried.

Flying high after Corus

Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata on Thursday soared to new heights when he took off in a multi-role combat aircraft F-16 at the Aero India 2007 show in Bangalore. Tata, 69, undertook the flight in co-pilot's seat, which was commandeered by Paul Hattendorf, the test pilot of Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the aircraft. F-16, also known as Fighting Falcon, is in the race for Indian Air Force's mega plans of acquiring 126 multi-role combat aircraft. Lockheed has been lobbying hard to sell its jet to India. With this flight, Tata has now become the oldest Indian to fly the American-made aircraft. Tata, who holds a pilot's licence, had said the thought of the F-16 flight "excites me very much." The Tata group has recently picked up a 7% stake in domestic low cost airline Spicejet through its investment arm. The move to get Mr.Tata to fly on the plane is being seen as a coup for the Maryland-based Lockheed Martin, especially after Tata’s recent success with the Corus takeover.

The Tatas are not new to aviation. Ratan Tata's predecessor JRD Tata is celebrated as father of India's civil aviation. JRD Tata had launched Tata Airlines in 1932, which was nationalised in 1953 and rechristened Air-India and taken over by Goverment of India. Wow!!! Well Mr.Tata, whats next!!

Sources-
Timesofindia.com
Rediff.Com
Economictimes.com
CNBC.com

Apple's iPhone

Controversy has plagued it since its announcement to the world.. Apple iPhone, the latest wonder gadget, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. First it was Cisco, and then a Canadian company- Comwave Telecom - to get into the Trademark war with Apple. But Apple's Steve Jobs is doing a good job and has not panicked. He has kept the talks on with the 2 companies very much away from the media glare and pushing for a out of court settlement. Well, whatever, iPhone has caught the attention of the world in its own way. Take a look at the pics (below), of this Hot gizmo, now available in a store near you if you are in US, else you will have to wait as Apple is planning to introduce the iPhone in Europe during the fourth quarter of 2007 and in Asia during 2008. Get the latest on iPhone here!!

Swami Vivekananda (January 12, 1863 - July 4, 1902)

Big bright saffron turban… yes, the first thing that comes to our mind when we think of Swami Vivekananda is this. From when did Vivekananda start wearing the turban, and why? I just wanted to share this small piece of information, on this great monk who is believed to have walked like an "Incarnation of God". The turban that Vivekananda used to wear is believed to be suggested by Maharaja of Khetri. But some historians and researchers view that Vivekananda visited the Swamithope Pathi during his visit to Kanyakumari in December 1892 and believe that he was impressed by the principles behind rituals of this monistic faith, such as wearing a head gear during worship in temple, worshipping in front of mirror etc., and started wearing a turban from then on. Some say that Vivekananda received some spiritual instructions from the disciples of Ayya Vaikundar. It is also said by many that while he was a child, he was impressed by the turban of the horse cab driver, who used to ferry his father on his daily work. Subsequently when he renounced the world and took to sanyasa, he started using one himself.

On his birthday today lets experience one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of Vedanta, who is regarded by millions as the Messenger of God, through his preachings. This is what the greats had to say about Vivekananda:

Rabindranath Tagore - If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing negative

Mahatma Gandhi - Swami Vivekananda's writings need no introduction from anybody. They make their own irresistible appeal.

Some of the sayings of Vivekananda:

As different streams having different sources all mingle their waters in the sea, so different tendencies various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to God.

Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.

All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.

Avalanche of Thoughts

It is said ‘thinking will get us to the foot of the mountain, but faith will make us climb the mountain.’ So let us act out of faith. Doing so will bring vitality to one’s actions. But faith in God is not enough, one should have faith in oneself too. Role of experience in our lives There are three levels of knowing - gross, subtle and subtlest. Gross knowing is verbal knowing, subtle knowing is seeing the meaning of the word and subtlest knowing is experiential knowing. There are things which can be understood only by experience. For example, God is the ultimate experience and it is inexpressible. If you look at a flower from your mind, you see its chemistry; if you were to look at it from your heart, you see the poetry; and if you look at it from your being, you become one with the flower. To experience an experience is an art. We don’t experience an experience; we are always interpreting an experience. When one is lost in interpretation, then one looks at something through one’s thought process, ie through mental words. Words are the expression of one’s likes and dislikes. Our interpretations are very autobiographical and hence we don’t see or experience what is, we experience our old and known self. To live wisely means to create a space in one’s mind, which is capable of seeing and not just interpreting. Then one is vailable for an experience.

How can a miserable mind understand the right path? By just stopping to be miserable. Learn to wonder, learn to marvel, learn to see life without a thought. Thought is an expression of memory - memory of the past. And when you see something with thought, you see something with memory... and that is past. So you see the present with the past. In effect you don’t really see. When you are unhappy, the unhappy thought will relate to all the files of your unhappy memories of the past and the past unhappiness, like an avalanche will cascade into the present. Just drop being miserable. Then you will not fight with your mind and you will flow with what is.

- Swami Sukhabodhananda for "Times Wellness", TOI Jan 9, 2007

Wishing you a joyous and a prosperous new year 2007!!!