Arian

A Puff of Smoke

Isn't it weird (not annoying, not hurtful, but weird) to run into an individual, to whom you have not spoken in the past nine months, at a random bowling alley and elicit the sole, non-verbal response of a puff of smoke blown defiantly into your face; ironically, a proverbial puff of smoke started the entire saga in the first place. By the time the smoke disperses, any potential moments of contriteness that could have occurred have been cleared along with the haze, leaving you and Smokey to move on with your respective lives until the next time a puff of smoke (metaphorical or literal) brings you together momentarily only to push you even further apart.

Optimist or Pessimist

It comes after nine months…
And can go off in nine seconds
Pain and tears accompany its coming
And usually, its going too….

It doesn’t come easily,
Neither does it go fast
Well begun is half done, and not well-begun is undone..
To a pessimist, life is a dark, gloomy mist

That didn’t begin well, and neither ended well.
All you get in life, he says –
Is pain, tears and misfortune
Who’s happy? Neither the rich nor the poor
Neither the sinners, nor the saints
Human Life, a pessimist claims, is a biological misfortune.  

Well begun is half done, says the optimist –
Who wants life to begin well?
If by birth you do half of what you want to do –
Then you would want to do very little.

Life is a success, he claims –
Because its foundation is tough – based on hard work, labour, sweat and tears –
That’s how all great, lasting enterprises are built –
And that’s how greatness is truly achieved.

When you start off something you don’t think of the end –
Because if you do, then you reach “The End” – even before it started
The beginning was a fortune, and the end is necessary –
Because only if things end – then new things begin.

To the optimist, human unhappiness is evident –
But he says – the unhappiness is not because life is cruel,
But because we refuse to see its goodness,
And focus on the dark side.

We always seem to focus on what we should have got…
Rather than what we can get –
Our opportunities are not limited, and our spirit doesn’t die –
Our focus is limited, and our dream dies -

The glass of water always remains half-empty
It is up to us – how to fill it –
Whether with tears of sorrow,
Or with tears of joy!

By
Prerak Ved

Whose Yoga Is It, Anyway?

First neem, and now yoga!

You've heard of the open source software movement, now it's the turn of yoga to fight for 'open source' in the US courts. Copyright and trademarking of yoga practices, something that is likely to shake up the roots of the centuries-old tradition, is now taking centre stage in the US.

While there's still some way to any decision, the California courts are now hearing the case for copyrighting of yoga routines, and lawyers and practitioners say this will have far-reaching implications on yoga practitioners all over the world.

The case comes out of a long-standing legal battle between the popular US-based proponent of Yoga, Bikram Choudhary, and an organisation of yoga-studio owners and teachers called Open Source Yoga Unity (OSYU). Choudhury has written a book, which is duly copyrighted, on a routine of asanas which he calls Bikram Yoga.

Some time back, he sent notices to a series of yoga studios to cease and desist from using this routine, as this constituted a copyright infringement. The studios formed OSYU, and are fighting it out in court. Vanessa Calder, chairperson, OSYU, objects to Bikram Yoga's claims, "One cannot copyright, or own in any manner, an exercise routine."

Traditional proponent of yoga, Prashant Iyengar, son of the legendary BKS Iyengar, rejects the very idea of any form of trademark or ownership over yoga. "We are not teaching a new brand of yoga, though our pupils like to call it Iyengar Yoga. We are following the age-old traditional methods of yoga. We can't claim ownership."

Lawyers beg to differ. Rahul Mathan, a patent expert, says, "US trademark and copyright laws are the broadest in the world, while their application is not global, they create an unhealthy precedent."

By
K Yatish Rajawat

Stress Kills 6 I.T. Geeks

via SV Chennai, March 28  Six   software professionals under the age of 33 have died and two top executives   from renowned software companies have become paralyzed because of   stress-related heart ailments in the last six months in Chennai, says a study   by Mitran Foundation, a Bangalore-based voluntary association of practicing   doctors.   "All the six who died, and the   two who became invalid, had no family history of heart attacks or any   pre-history of heart ailments or paralysis. They were all in their prime,   between 27 and 33 years, and handled challenging project s at work in their   respective companies. They worked long and continuous hours. The end struck   them very suddenly, and it looked as if their hearts refused to take any more   stress," said Dr Dwarakanath, director of Mitran Foundation, who has studied stress components in 40 software companies in Chennai during the last six months.

This study was a follow-up of Mitran Foundation's four-year detailed national   study on stress-related ailments for working professionals. It concludes that   software professionals have pushed doctors to second position in being prone   to stress-related disorders. At present, there are over one lakh software   professionals employed in the information technology sector in and around   Chennai. With the expansions and consolidations planned by IT majors, this   figure is expected to grow by another 50,000 this year. The Tamil Nadu   government has given clearance for 40 more IT parks i n and around Chennai.   This means jobs for another 75,000 professionals. IT investment in the state   has risen from Rs 1,100 crores in 2001 to Rs 6,500 crores today. But the   question of whether there has been a simultaneous improvement in the quality   of life of software professionals remains unanswered.   The study, conducted at a cost of Rs 45 lakhs, covered more than 4,000   software professionals from 80 companies who were in service for a minimum of  three years. The email responses were scientifically tabulated and the   findings were ready in 2002. Dr Dwarakanath, who was the late Dhirubhai   Ambani's personal stress management consultant, said questionnaires   extracting every minute detail were sent to the respondents. The personal   background, family history and personal characteristics of these individuals   were assessed and it was found that the stress in these professionals was   only due to work pressure . All other factors were eliminated.   "Our study confirmed that the number of suicides, divorces, heart   ailments, BP and diabetes patients and mental depression are the highest in   the software industry. The fancy salaries of software professionals are no   longer something to rejoice about," Dr Dwarakanath said.   "We found that the software industry has simply no routine. Deadlines   hang before them and every day they chase new problems. During weekends more   than 60 per cent of the vehicles are found parked in the office complexes.   There is no physical exercise and new food habits favoured by pizza culture   fuel the problem. Cervical spondilitis and wrist problems due to   uncomfortable handling of the computer mouse, eye problems and discomfort in   bowel movements are common. The stress for couples where both are employed in   th e IT industry is the worst. The simple step of taking time off from work   for three months allowed an IT couple wanting a child for years to conceive   one," Dr Dwarakanath said.   M.T.R. Venukopalan, senior training coordinator, Covansys India, acknowledged   that IT professionals were the most stressed individuals. "Even if the   company sponsors a movie or self-care lecture, not many attend them," he   said.   Jyothsana, a travel coordinator for Temenos India Pvt Ltd, expressed concern   for the young employees who complain of back and knee pains. She acknowledged   that IT professionals require a specific eating and physical exercise routine   to ease their stress. "Our lives are becoming mechanical, guided only by   deadlines," she said . By Suchitra Srinivas So, think again if you are staying late in the office regularly. Think again about your health. Think again about your family and your social life.

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Unsafe Lipsticks

Recently a brand called "Red Earth" decreased their prices from $67 to

$9.90. It contained lead. Lead is a chemical which causes cancer.

The Brands which contain lead are:

1. CHRISTIAN DIOR

2. LANCÔME

3. CLINIQUE

4. Y.S.L

5. ESTEE LAUDER

6. SHISEIDO

7. RED EARTH (Lip Gloss)

8. CHANEL (Lip Conditioner)

9. MARKET AMERICA-MOTNES LIPSTICK.

The higher the lead content, the greater the chance of causing cancer.

After doing a test on lipsticks, it was found that the Y.S.L. Lipstick

contained the most amount of lead. Watch out for those lipsticks which are

supposed to stay longer. If your lipstick stays longer, it is because of the

higher content of lead.

Here is the test you can do yourself:

1. Smear lipstick on your hand.

2. Use a Gold ring to scratch on the lipstick.

3. If the lipstick color changes to black then you know the lipstick contains lead.