13 Simple Steps to get you through a Rough Day

Step 1: Print this picture and hang it over your desk.

Source: epic4chan

Step 2: Be uplifted by this inspiring corgi cross stitch.

Source: tumblr.tastefullyoffensive.com

Step 3: Feel pretty.

Step 4: Imagine you are this penguin.

Step 5: Feel empowered.

Step 6: Remember that these dogs are on your side.

Step 7: And this dog with a goat will fight for you as well.

Step 8: Be happy that you aren't one of these people.

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Step 9: Be happy that these are not your taco shells.

 

Step 10: Hey look, Johnny Depp had to iron cheese sandwiches too!

Step 11: Let yourself enjoy these 10 pictures of dogs.

Step 12: Look at this cat riding a rooster.

Step 13: Look at this hedgehog wearing a tiny hat.

Source

What’s required to be successful

I recently heard from a man who had a job in the city.

He hated his job, but he had to have the job so that he could afford his house. He didn’t like his house much either, but it was all he could find that was close to the city. And he had to be near the city to keep the job he hated, so that he could afford the house that he didn’t like but had to keep because it allowed him to keep the job he hated.

So he quit the job and moved to the country, where the land was cheap, and became a freelancer, working remotely for a lot less money. His old job was an impressive, professional job that he had worked hard to get, and everyone thought he was crazy for throwing it all away, going independent.

But he didn’t think he was crazy.

He was making less money, but because of his new, lower cost of living, he was netting much more. He’d found a way to make less money and have more money, which is just about the easiest way ever to get a raise.

All of the most successful people do things that others call crazy, because innovation always comes before genius, and innovation is — by definition — always new. If you’re the first person in your group of peers to do the most brilliant thing in the world, your peers will still think you’re crazy because you’re breaking out of step. But that’s exactly what’s required to be successful.

- Johnny B. Truant

It’s Shivratri Every Day

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

   Shiva is where the mind dissolves. There is no need to go on long pilgrimages to find the Divine. Be established wherever you are. If you don't find God where you are, then it is not possible to find him elsewhere. The moment you are established, centred, you see that there is Divinity present everywhere. This is meditation.

   Shiva is Virupaksha – one who is formless yet who sees all. We know there's air all around us; we can feel it. But what if the air also starts feeling us? Space is all around us, we identify space. But what if space also recognises and feels our presence? This happens. Only, we don't know it. Scientists know this and they call it the theory of relativity. The one who sees and that which is seen are both affected when seen. The formless Divine, Shiva, is all around you and is seeing you. He is the seer, sight and the seen. To wake up and experience this Shiva tattva is Shivratri.

   Usually when there is celebration, awareness is lost. Deep rest in celebration with awareness is Shivratri. When you face some problem, you become aware and alert. We are at rest when everything is well; on Shivratri we rest with awareness. It is said that a yogi remains awake when everybody else is sleeping. For a yogi, everyday is Shivratri.

   Adyantahinam, the One without beginning or end; Arvada – He is Bholenath who is present everywhere, always. He is eternal. He is the fourth state of consciousness, the turiya avasta, the meditative state, that is beyond the waking, deep sleep and dream states. He is the non-dull consciousness that is present everywhere. That's why you have to dissolve yourself in Shiva to do Shiva puja. Being Shiva, you do Shiva puja. As Chidananda rupa, He is consciousness that is pure bliss. He is Tapo yoga gamya, one who can be known through tapa and yoga.

   The Shiva tattva can be experienced in knowledge of the Vedas. The state of Shivoham (I am Shiva), Shiva kevaloham (there is only Shiva) is attained. On Shivratri experience a wave of joy and contentment. Without yoga, Shiva can't be experienced. Yoga doesn't mean only asanas or physical postures but the experience of the Shiva tattva through meditation and pranayam.

   Panchmukha, Panchtattva – there are five faces to Shiva: water, air, earth, fire and space. Understanding these five elements is tattva gyana, knowledge of the five elements. Worshipping Shiva is dissolving in the Shiva tattva and then wishing for universal good.

Divinity permeates everything on Earth. Puja is not complete without honouring trees, mountains, rivers and people. Honouring everyone is Dakshina. Da means to give and dakshina means giving something that will cleanse us of all impurities. When we act in society with skill, free from distortions of mind, all negative tendencies such as anger, worries and sorrow are destroyed. Give away your tensions, worries and sorrows as dakshina. And how does that happen? With sadhana or spiritual practices, seva or service and satsang or company of truth. 

   The tradition of Shivratri, of moving from many to one is so unique. Yoga and meditation is necessary for that. Without meditation, the mind is not calmed. Shiva is the cause of all causes. 

Shivaratri - Rituals and their Cosmic Meanings

 

Shivaratri, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is celebrated on the moonless night of the month of Phalguna, which is the fourteenth day in the krishnapaksha or dark half. Owing to a special planetary conjunction, spiritual practices done on this day are considered to be especially auspicious and beneficial. There is a reference to this in one of the Puranas, where Shiva himself tells Parvati Devi [the Divine Mother] that this day is particularly dear to him, and that those who perform the prescribed austerities on this day will be freed from all sins.

One popular story from the Puranas goes like this: There was once a poor hunter from Varanasi. His name was Suswara. He lived with his wife and child in a small hut. Theirs was a hand-to-mouth existence. Suswara would go to the forest and hunt whatever game came his way, and thus feed his family. One particular day, he caught many small animals and birds, which he put into a sack. Encouraged by the catch, he wandered deeper into the forest in search of more game. Soon darkness set in and he turned to go home. He was a little worried as the forest was infested with dangerous animals. He did not like the idea of spending the night there. Soon it became very dark. Unable to find his way back, Suswara climbed a tree to be safe from the wild animals.

Attracted by his scent, animals came lurking under the tree. Hoping to scare them away, Suswara plucked some twigs from the tree and threw them at the animals, but to no avail. Throughout the night the animals kept prowling beneath the tree.

Suswara was unable to get even a wink of sleep. He kept vigil throughout the night. He plucked leaves from the tree, which happened to be a bilva tree, and dropped them on the ground. Unknown to Suswara, there was a Shivalinga at the foot of the tree; and so, although he was unaware of it, by dropping the sacred bilva leaves, Suswara was making a sacred offering to the Shivalinga. That night happened to be Shivaratri. So the hunter had unknowingly kept a night-long vigil and worshipped Shiva.

According to the Shiva Purana, the Mahashivaratri worship should incorporate six items: offering bilva leaves to the deity after giving it a ceremonial bath, which represents purification of the soul; applying vermilion paste on the linga after bathing it, which represents virtue; offering food, which is conducive to longevity and the gratification of desires; lighting incense, which yields wealth; lighting an oil lamp, which signifies the attainment of knowledge; and offering betel leaves, which marks satisfaction with worldly pleasures. These six items form an indispensable part of the Mahashivaratri worship, be it a simple ceremony at home or grand temple worship.

 

Significance of the Rituals

The story above is an allegory. Just as the hunter sought to kill wild animals, the spiritual seeker tries to overcome lust, anger, greed, infatuation, jealousy and hatred. The jungle is the mind where all these negativities roam about. A spiritual aspirant must kill these "animals" to be free.

 

The name of the hunter was Suswara, which means "one of melodious voice." This indicates the purity of intent and speech, which, in turn, imply a level of mental purity.

The hunter was born in Varanasi. Vara refers to the forehead while nasi is the nose. The point where both meet is Varanasi, in other words, the point midway between the eyebrows. This point is also called the ajna chakra and is regarded as a nexus of the three nadis: ida, pingala and sushumna. A spiritual aspirant who concentrates his or her mind on this point gains concentration and gradual control over his senses. The killing of the animals thus indicates control over one's vasanas [latent tendencies].

The bilva tree corresponds to the spinal column. The tree's leaves are special: each stalk has three leaflets. The three leaflets represent the three nadis mentioned above. The climbing of the tree represents the ascent of the kundalini shakti from the muladhara to the ajna chakra.

Keeping awake is symbolic of the kind of awareness and oneness of purpose that a spiritual aspirant needs to reach the goal. He cannot afford to be slack even for a moment.

Shiva is the Supreme Consciousness that illuminates the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. Offering the threefold bilva leaves to the Shivalinga heralds the return to a level of consciousness beyond the three states, which is the fourth state, turiya. The dawning of that state is consonant with the awakening of the individual.

Source

A Succinct Apology for all that Ails India

"I apologise for the Partition of India; for the lingering Jammu and Kashmir issue and for not resolving it at Simla in 1972; I apologise for India spurning the offer to join the Security Council as a permanent member when it was offered at the time of independence; for the defeat of India in the 1962 war with China and the vexed boundary problem; I apologise for the Hindu rate of growth of 3% for the first three decades of Independence and for all the poverty, deprivation and inequality; I apologise for the massacre of Sikhs in the country in 1984; I apologise for the more recent events like the Army Chief's age row; for the Antrix-Devas deal and for punishing scientists of the eminence of Madhavan Nair without giving them an opportunity for explanation; for the PMO not keeping the PM informed of the 2G scam; for the Supreme Court cancelling the 2G licences; for the CWG scam, the Air India scam, the KG Basin scam, the Adarsh Society scam and for all the other scams for which this government is being wrongly blamed. 

I apologise for the policy paralysis in the government, for the rising fiscal and current account deficits, for the slowing down of the economy. "

Source

I've learned ~ By Andy Rooney

These are written by Andy Rooney, a man who had the gift of saying so much with so few words.

• I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

• I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

• I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.

• I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.

• I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

• I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

• I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

• I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

• I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

• I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

• I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

• I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

• I've learned.... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

• I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

• I 've learned....That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

• I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

• I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

• I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

• I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

• I've learned.... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

• I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

• I've learned.... That when you harbour bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

• I've learned.... That one should both soft and tender, keep his words because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

• I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

• I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain,but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

• I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Andrew Aitken "Andy" Rooney (January 14, 1919 – November 4, 2011) was an American radio and television writer. He was most notable for his weekly broadcast "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney," a part of the CBS News program 60 Minutes from 1978 to 2011. His final regular appearance on 60 Minutes aired October 2, 2011. He died one month later, on November 4, 2011, at age 92.

Important tips for safe online banking

A close friend of mine recently lost 38K from his account online

Rather than go into those morbid details, i would rather make this a preventive post

Here are some 

Good Suggestions from Citibank

Which all of us should take to heart

Please go through the following Do's and Don'ts to protect yourself from Phishing, Vishing, and Smishing

A careless or hasty response to fraudulent emails (phishing), telephone calls (vishing) or SMS (smishing) can result in a complete wipe out of hard earned money from your account.

E-mails that appear to have been sent from your Bank, asking you to visit a website (looking very similar to bank's website) in order to procure your sensitive account information is commonly known as 'Online Phishing'. Banks never sends emails soliciting such information.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or your bank would never ask you for your personal or confidential information like bank account details, ATM PIN, Internet PIN, One Time Password (OTP), Onetime Access Codes (OAC) or other passwords over an email or telephone.

Never share your personal information (e.g. PAN, credit /debit card numbers, date of birth, mother's maiden name or any other personal information) over the phone, mail /SMS or on the internet unless you have a trusted business relationship with the company.

DO's

> Educate yourself of fraudulent activity on the Internet.

> Periodically review your bank account and credit card statements for any transactions that are not initiated by you.

> Always look for secure session indicators like https:// and padlock  on web sites that require personal information.

> Use an updated anti-virus software and firewall software.

> You should only communicate information such as credit card numbers or account information via a 

secure website or the telephone.

> Ensure that your browser is up to date and security patches applied.

> If you have given out your bank account information, report the theft of this information to the bank as

quickly as possible.

DON'Ts

X - Never click on hyperlinks within emails, verify the URL independently before typing it on the browser.

X - Never reply to emails that seek personal information.

X - Never respond to offers of money from abroad.

X - Never respond to/ make remittances/ participate in schemes or offers from unknown entities.

X - Do not reply to emails or Phone text (SMS) messages claiming that the recipient has won a substantial sum of money in an online lottery or promotion.

X - Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal financial information.

X - Don't use the links in an email, instant message, or chat to get to any web page if you suspect the message might not be authentic or if you don't know the sender.

BE SAFE!

Fwd: Good Points to survive an Attack!

Worth sharing a message of this nature....

Please take a few minutes to read this!

Written by a Cop for Our Own Safety

This goes for men as well as women

Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or a loved one's life.

After reading these crucial tips, forward them to someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do:

The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it,do!

2.Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you....
Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse.
RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3.If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy.. The driver won't see you,but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4.Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc.,and just sit (doing their check book, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you,and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..

If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF,
Repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything,wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you.
If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5.A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

A.)Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.

B.)If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

C.)Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side..If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car,you may want to walk back into the mall, or work,and get a guard / policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6.ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7.If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you(a running target) 4 in 100 times;and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN,Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8.As women,we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP!!! It may get you raped,or killed.
Ted Bundy,the serial killer,was a good-looking, well educated man,who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane,or a limp,and often asked for help into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9.Another Safety Point:
Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird..The police told her 'Whatever you do,DO NOT open the door..' The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window,and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said,'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do,DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby.. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.

10. Water scam!
If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full blast so that you will go out to investigate and then attack.

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbours! Please pass this on.

In daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation... This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, & everyone you know.

STAY SAFE! :)

Introducing TimesJobs.com's new Look!

Introducing TimesJobs.com's new Look !

What Better way to start the New Year than with an exciting new design - TimesJobs revamps its website with a neat new homepage that saves time and effort and intuitive navigation offering informed selections and ease of access

This New Year, TimesJobs.com empowers users with a new homepage that intuitively provides them a host of navigation options right from the homepage itself.

Commenting on this new release, Amit Jain, VP, TimesJobs.com said, "A host of features give job-seekers a clutter free home page experience with intuitive navigation and faster downloads. We hope these improvements encourage job-seekers to fine tune their resumes, enhance their job-search and apply to corporates that are in high demand."

Many modifications & tweaks throughout the website, have led to a 50% improvement in the downloading speed of the site. While there are several small changes to the look and feel of the homepage, users will definitely notice The Enhanced Header, The New Floating Nav Bar, the User Login Form and the Profile Snippet Box. Elaborated below –

·         The Enhanced Tabbed Header offers viewing second level navigation by simple mouse over- informing users of further selections. This feature is applicable across site and makes TimesJobs navigation clean and lets users get a preview of what to expect on the next page.

·         The New 'Floating Nav Bar' - that flashes on the bottom of the screen across site. The floating bottom bar comprises of critical navigation options that offer ease of job search to both logged-in and unregistered users.

·         The new 'User Log-in Form' - a prominent box on the top right hand side of the homepage that lets users login to their TimesJobs' account right away.

·         The new 'Profile Snippet  Box'  - Logged-in users can now view their profile information on the Home Page itself - essentially a condensed personalized summary. This box also facilitates them to update their profile details and view customized recommendations without having to visit multiple pages.

 "Our research showed that the above data fields are critical to a jobseeker's success in finding a matching job, and having them put succinctly in a single box makes it very easy to access." Amit Jain summed up.

So visit the New TimesJobs.com today and tell us what you think!

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<ScreenShot of TimesJobs.com Home Page.jpg>

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Happy New Year! Saluting the Minds Behind Great Finds - The TimesJobs.com 2012 Calendar

Saluting the Minds Behind Great Finds

Introducing The TimesJobs.com 2012 Calendar

'Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.'

— Arthur Conan Doyle

December 2012: Sports have known it for long, the talent spotter goes to minor league matches to find the next star athlete. We have seen Simon Cowell and 'The X Factor' relish humiliating those who fell outside their theatric definition of 'talent', but Talent Spotting ought to be searching for stars in a myriad of disciplines. 

This trend has moved into the next generation of politicians, cultural pioneers, business executives and media voices who are starting their first jobs, desperate to escape obscurity, determined to make a name for themselves - All you have to do is have the genius to find them.

Speaking about talent spotting Dr Pallab Bandyopadhyay, Director-HR, Citrix Systems explains "The ability to see the future potential in current employees from current level of performance coupled with effective job behavior is extremely important to us. We use structured performance management, annual reviews & succession plans. We have a reward system like a spot bonus in place to support those who file patents or help in innovation."

"Early talent identification has a two pronged advantage - For an employee, its a process through which he sees a long term career for himself in the organisation and appreciates the organisation investing time and effort to help him excel in his career." added Yunus Petiwala, Vice President - Corporate HR, Piramal Healthcare. "The organisation also reaps the benefit of this process. Especially when there is a talent crunch, a talent pipeline provides ready talent that is utilised when the organisation grows."

Added Deepak Deshpande, Vice President – HR, Netmagic Solutions, "while accepting that everyone has some talent, in my view, 'critical talent' are those who create the value an organisation needs to succeed. My personal view is that real talent doesn't need much hand-holding. It only asks for the opportunities to fulfill its potential."

The TimesJobs.com 2012 Calendar serves to highlight Talent Spotters like these, who identify and promote gifted individuals, and ensures that they are able to fulfill their potential

"We want to recognize and pay tribute to those that spend their careers finding, identifying and recognizing talent, as part of their work – The HR Managers. By publishing the TimesJobs.com 2012 calendar with an illustrious pantheon of celebrated talent and highlighting their Talent Spotters, we wish to bring to focus and pay tribute to the HR Management community." remarked Amit Jain, VP, TimesJobs.com.

Have you heard of David Conover, Jay Oliver, Mc Sennett, Francisco Cornejo, Chuck Silvers, Ray Williams, Bill Thompson or Scooter Braun… probably vaguely, if you have at all… but these are the great minds who spotted talent and promoted it to its rightful place in the firmament amongst the stars.

"She was just Jeane Mortenson, inspecting airplane parts and parachutes. It was David Conover's fine art of spotting talent, that the world knew her as Marilyn Monroe."

"If it wasn't for producer Jay Oliver, she would have remained an elementary school music teacher. It was in the producer's basement studio, where Sheryl Crow was first heard in ad jingles, and then Grammy winning songs."

"He was just another guy in a travelling vaudeville show when a man named Mc Sennett discovered him. And thus was born Charlie Chaplin. A man who never spoke a word on screen but became an icon who'd live forever in people's hearts."

The TimesJobs.com 2012 Calendar celebrates these Famous-Talent Spotters as a Tribute to the HR Managers, who identify, hone and promote talent within their organisations as part of their jobs everyday.

Ten Tips for Everyday :)

Ten Great Tips For Each Day 1. Stay out of trouble. 2. Aim for greater heights. 3. Stay focused on your job. 4. Exercise to maintain good health. 5. Practice team work. 6. Rely on your trusted partner to watch your back. Take your time trusting others. 7. Save for rainy days. 8. Rest and relax. 9. Always take time to smile. AND 10. Realize that nothing is impossible. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!