Blissful Life

Blog

Notice: after planning it for years, I moved this blog out of blogger/blogspot (which google has abandoned long ago) to wordpress on a fine evening in Dec 2024. This notice will stay here to warn that things might be broken. Let me know if you find anything.

  • The Meaning of Patriotism in the Global Scenario

    You stand up for the National Anthem of your nation, and then your hairs stand up. This is patriotism.
    But what does being patriotic mean after globalization?
    You are politically correct. Because after your independence (which almost every country has) the people who struggled for your national entity decided upon an agreement that you would vote regularly and decide a leader to rule the nation and so on…
    So, during elections, you are legally confirming to be a member of an organization that spans across your country.

    Just like imperialism died with revolutions, nationalism must die with globalization.

    You are no longer talking only with people whom you can see. You are no longer reading words that were written by your country-mates. You are no longer restricted to your nation.
    So why should your love be?

    Science is global.
    So is economics.
    Let alone climate change.
    Energy crisis?
    Terrorism.
    Market. Trade. Business.
    Sports, literature, art.

    If nations were formed to eliminate a common threat and preserve a shared culture, then why should nations stand alone? Because almost every threat that we face today is global. And almost everything that we do today is global.

    Our curling up into fragments of earth only shows how small we are.
    Nationalism is just the same as racism. And wars are nothing but fascism.

    This neither justifies brain drain nor suggests you to hate your nation. Your parents who cared for you all through your childhood deserves your care when you can stand alone. And if you do not love your nation you are doing the same as throwing your parents into hopelessness.
    You must retain the love for your nation. You must stand up for your own national flag, but also for others’.

    If our true love is for the mankind, then it is time that we stop hating people on the basis of nationality.

    We must be patriotic, but our nation must be Planet Earth.

  • Happy Valentine’s Day

    Yesterday, Shiv Sena was against SRK and we made MNIK a success.
    Ram Sena is against Valentine’s Day. Let’s do something on Feb 14.

    Here are some beautiful love quotes I found from around the internet.

    Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. ~Albert Einstein
    Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart. ~Author Unknown

    A hundred hearts would be too few
    To carry all my love for you.
    ~Author Unknown
    Who, being loved, is poor? ~Oscar Wilde
    Are we not like two volumes of one book? ~Marceline Desbordes-Valmore

    What I need to live has been given to me by the earth. Why I need to live has been given to me by you. ~Author Unknown
    At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet. ~Plato

    Love is missing someone whenever you’re apart, but somehow feeling warm inside because you’re close in heart. ~Kay Knudsen

    You know when you have found your prince because you not only have a smile on your face but in your heart as well. ~Author Unknown

    Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly. ~Rose Franken
    Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired. ~Robert Frost

  • The Guy In The Glass – by Dale Wimbrow

    This is an inspirational poem by Dale Wimbrow, I found while reading Pluginid

    When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
    And the world makes you King for a day,
    Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
    And see what that guy has to say.

    For it isn’t your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
    Who judgement upon you must pass.
    The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
    Is the guy staring back from the glass.

    He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
    For he’s with you clear up to the end,
    And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
    If the guy in the glass is your friend.

    You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,
    And think you’re a wonderful guy,
    But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
    If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

    You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
    And get pats on the back as you pass,
    But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
    If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass.

    – Dale Wimbrow 1895-1954

    Read more about this poem here.

  • The Idiot’s Guide to a Blissful Life

    If you could just follow a handful of principles and make your life the happiest, how would you feel? Well, here is a chance.

    Things to note about this handbook: You may find self-contradicting statements. They are meant to be there, because this guide will get tougher and tougher as you go down the list, and tough steps may contradict easier steps. In case of a conflict, the rules that come down the line will prevail.

    The Idiot’s Guide to a Blissful Life

    A: Do not be prejudiced.
    Do not judge anyone by their appearance, talk, gestures, or even by what others say about them.
    Do not judge anything by advertisements, brand, etc.
    Do not form an opinion about anyone / anything without first coming to know a lot about them.

    B: Love everyone, unconditionally.
    Love anyone and everyone you see unconditionally.
    May them be sore, may them be cheaters, may them be fools, may them be bad, but just love them. That is to say when they talk with you, hear them like you would hear one of your friends.
    When they ask for your help, help them like you would help one of your friends.

    C: Talk only the truth:
    Whatever people ask you answer them honestly.
    Never tell a lie when people expect you to be truthful.

    D: Give yourself to others:
    Whatever they ask you give them without question, without attachments, without worry.
    Whatever help they seek from you lend your best hand.
    Whatever work you do, do it sincerely.
    Give your 100%

    E: Do only good:
    Do not ever act against your consciousness.
    Do not do anything if it is not going to be for the common good.

    The more of these you can practice in your life, the happier you will turn.

    Try and enjoy the bliss.

  • 10 Ways to Post on Blogger

    Looking for ways to make a post at blogger? I’m sure you never heard of at least one of these.

    1. From Blogger Dashboard  (the normal way) (bookmark the New Post link for added comfort)
    2. From Blogger in Draft Dashboard  (the extra way)
    3. From BlogThis! bookmarklet (the quick way to recommend web pages)
      To set up blog this bookmarklet, BlogThis!   <– drag this link to your browser’s Links bar 
    4. From iGoogle using the Blogger Posting Gadget
    5. From Gmail using the Blogger Posting Gadget
      Setting up this takes a bit longer.
      1. Go to Gmail Labs Settings 
      2. Enable “Add any gadget by URL”, the last option in the list.
      3. Save preferences
      4. Now find the Gadgets tab in settings.
      5. Enter the follwing URL in the “Add a gadget by its URL:” option
        http://www.blogger.com/gadgets/post.xml
      6. Now you will be able to see the gadget along with your chat and invite options.
    6. Through email posting.
      1. Go to blogger dashboard.
      2. Click on the mail icon to the left of your blog name.
      3. Replace ‘SecretWords’ with words, letters or any other secret code of your own.
      4. Remember the whole email id. (yourdomain.yoursecretwords@blogger.com)
      5. Send a mail to this email id; the subject will be the title and body the content of the blog post thus created.
      6. To further edit settings go to Settings | Email
        Tip: Put #end at the end of your mail to avoid unnecessary additions by your mail program.
    7. Through Blogger Mobile.
    8. Through Microsoft Office 2007.
      1. Run MS Word.
      2. Select New from Office Tab.
      3. Choose New Blog Post from Installed Templates.
    9. Through Ping.fm.
      1. Create an account at Ping.fm 
      2. Add your blog to ping.fm account
      3. Now you get some 14 alternative ways to update your blog through ping.fm.
      4. Use @bl prefix to post only to your blog 
    10. Through Scribefire firefox extension.

    Related
    How to make sure that you blog daily

    1. What To Do When You Get Too Many Ideas Together

      The creative mind is like a desert.
      When you want something desperately it will show you mirages and endless sea of sand.
      But when you are wandering aimlessly, hoping for nothing, lo! it’s an oasis before you.

      When people get ideas they get too many in a row. And within minutes they forget all but one on which they focus. Thus a huge part of their creativity is lost.

      How do you block the leak?

      Simple.

      When you get ideas, write them down.

      When you get more ideas, write them down.

      And after all your ideas are poured out, start developing from the beginning.

      Your creativity – saved.

      Always keep a pen and paper near you, who knows when you will get your next idea.
      (And what do you do when you are a blogger and has just uncovered a topic about which you could make 20 posts at least?)

    2. Why You Should Visit Trizle

      • Other sites: If you wanna be productive, blah blah blah blah… And so blah blah blah blah… For example blah blah blah blah…. And finally blah blah blah blah….
      • Trizle: Example. Point. Period.

      Think of every site you are subscribed to.
       Think of how much words they take to explain a thing.
      And think of how much of what you read from those sites you follow in your life.

      Now, go visit trizle

      Trizle. Rock Business.

      Why not others?

      • They introduce the point to you.
      • They go on and explain the point.
      • They then give a few examples.
      • They then explain the examples.
      • They then conclude.
      • They go on and on…

      RESULT
      TIME = WASTED

      Why Trizle?

      • Trizle gives you bulls-eye examples.
      • Trizle tells you the point.
      • Trizle keeps to the point.

       RESULT
      TIME = SAVED

      Go there. 
      Have fun.

      (I have tried to maintain throughout this post the style that the trizle team uses to make their point. If you liked this style, you will really love trizle too)

    3. Rule #1 for Productivity with Computers

      After tussling with my 256 MB RAM for more than 3 years, I bought a 1 GB RAM last week. And that very instant I knew that I was making myself a fool for 3 long years.

      The #1 rule for productivity when dealing with computers is

      UPGRADE YOUR HARDWARE

      This does not apply to those who already have tons of RAM, and amazing processor speed and graphics accelerator and so on…

      But that poor consumer who just knew that computer can be used to calculate when he was buying his first PC; who bought a PC at the lowest prize (and slowest configuration implied) and then learned so much about everything and computers too; but still forgot to upgrade his own computer, this is to you.

      When you bought your computer you were only learning. You needed just a little power.
      Once you are in the second year, you have learned almost enough. You need twice the same power.
      And every 2 years so forth you will need to make fine adjustments to the configuration of your system.

      Or else, you will be doomed.

      I learned it the hard way. Thought that the time my computer takes to respond to a click could be used to think about what to do after that. But I was wrong. When my computer started responding faster, I started thinking faster.

      What are you waiting for? Go and buy some new chips.

    4. What To Do When You Are Angry?

      Anger is one of our worst enemies. When you are angry you feel very very strong. And most often people break valuable things, including glass-wares, and relationships.

      But with a very simple tip, anger can be converted into a very powerful productivity tool.

      It’s simple.

      You are angry with someone. Instead of bashing the one you are angry at, you control your emotions. And you do something productive.

      Done. You were so concentrated at the cause of anger that the whole concentration was transferred to what you did instead. And so you did it better than how you would have done normally. And by the time you finished doing it, you are no more angry.

      For example, this post was written and published in about 10 minutes in which I was really angry. And I’m really happy right now, because I suddenly got almost 3 weeks worth of content to write on.

      So, the next time you feel angry, instead of blowing your top, convert the heat into work.

    5. !! Happy Republic Day !!

      WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
      JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
      LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
      EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
      and to promote among them all
      FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
      IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HERE BY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

      Republic Day

      India, though she became independent on the 15th of August, 1947 did not become a republic until the Constitution was adopted on the 26th of January, 1950.
      Starting from a meeting in the Constitution Hall in New Delhi (now known as Central Hall of Parliament House) on 9 December, 1946 it took 2 years, 11 months and 17 days and 299 members of the Constituent Assembly including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Acharya J.B. Kripalani, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Smt. Sarojini Naidu, Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Shri Sarat Chandra Bose and Shri C. Rajagopalachari to complete the historic task of drafting the Constitution.
      It was this Constituent Assembly which took over as the Legislative Assembly of India late in the evening of 14 August, 1947.

      The Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November, 1949. In all, 284 members of the Constituent Assembly signed the Constitution on 24 January, 1950. On that day it was drizzling outside, as if nature was excited about what was going to happen.

      Finally when the Constitution came into force on 26 January, 1950, the Assembly became the Provisional Parliament of India until a new Parliament was constituted in 1952.

      Indians started celebrating Independence Day seventeen years before actually gaining independence, from January 26, 1930 onwards. And hence, this exact date was chosen to enact the Constitution.

      Every year on January 26, a grand parade is held in New Delhi beginning from Raisina Hill near the Rashtrapati Bhavan, along the Rajpath, past India Gate, and on to the monumental Red Fort. Different regiments of the Armed Forces march in formation. The President of India takes the salute. A Head of State of another nation is usually the Chief Guest. The forces will be followed by dance troupes to symbolize the cultural heritage of India, students dressed in the tricolour, NCC cadets and recipients of National Bravery Award. At the end there is a flypast by the Indian Air Force. Jet planes fly leaving a streak of tricolour in the sky.

      Republic Day like the other national holidays is a day to pause for a moment, look back into our past, and then jump forward into a great future.

      And for this time, I wish you all a great Republic Day and tremendous growth.

      My India, My Pride Badge

      – Akshay