My SCRAPBOOK (సేకరణలు): A COLLECTION of articles in English and Telugu(తెలుగు), from various sources, on varied subjects. I do not claim credit for any of the contents of these postings as my own.A student's declaration made at the end of his answer paper, holds good to the articles here too:"I hereby declare that the answers written above are true to the best of my friend's knowledge and I claim no responsibility whatsoever of the correctness of the answers."

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Reading makes a perfect man. Reading expands your thoughts and enlarges your wold.

(An extract from the interview given to Mr. S.V. Venugopalan of The “Bank Workers’ Unity” on the occasion of World Book & Copyright Day Day on23 April.)

What Has initiated you to the reading habit?
“I Have sought for happiness everywhere, but I have found it nowhere except in a little corner with a little book.” - Thomas a Kempis

When I was small, it all started with my father’s taunt, “hold the book, and sit”. Whenever guests/ relatives used to come, I used to be very hyper active as the children of that age and wanted to show my prowess in acrobatics to the guests. Then my father taunting me, kept the guests rescued from my antics. This ‘hold some book’ taunt used to be a regular ritual whenever the guests used to come. Holding a book and sitting quiet was not an easy task. So I got gradually hooked up to the habit of reading from my childhood.

“When I get a little money, I buy books, and if any is left, I buy food and clothes”.-Erasmus.
It has almost become one real vice or passion. As a student, whatever dough, I used to get as pocket money I used to spend all of it on purchasing books from the second hand book stalls. After joining the bank, economic independence lead to using much of my salary towards purchase of more and more of new and less of second-hand books.
Immediately, after my marriage there was a set back not only in my acquiring the books but also in my reading. My wife, a bibiliophobe, as a new bride thought of my reading habit to be a competitor, hogging up the time that rightly belonged to her. Over a period I turned her to my way by rubbing my vice of reading to her. Now she lives with me along with my hoards of books. Not only that, she also got the wall to wall cabinets built at home to accommodate my innumerable number of books.

Variety in reading?
Suspense thrillers (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle through James Hadley Chase, Agatha Christie, Arthur Hailey, Irving Wallace to Dan Brown) self improvement books (from Dale Carnegie to Shiv Khera), English/ Telugu/ Sanskrit literature, spirituality, humour (especially P.G.Wodehouse), Homoeo etc.

Which place do you prefer for reading?
Toilet. - So calm and quiet and away from the maddening crowd.

How do you read large volumes?
Tear it into manageable lots, carry it and read it. Once reading is over I get the lots re-bound.
By getting up early in the morning, keeping late nights, and also during waiting periods, lunch hours, journeys etc I make lot of time which I allocate to reading books..

Tips, to a non-voracious reader, as how to read.
“Reading is visually guided thinking.”

Read the reviews, before choosing the books (like the Tuesday book review in the Hindu, book lists from news papers/ magazines etc.)

Get the over view of the book- read the front and the back covers;
Read the author’s credentials if it relates to the subject of the book;
Skim the introduction to get insights into the book’s main points.
Read the table of contents
Read all major headings and sub headings.
Read the first sentence of each paragraph.
Prereading increases comprehension and understanding of the book.

Now read the book in its entirety with a pen or pencil in hand.
Take down points from each reading or mark key passages or write notes in the margin. The important points- don’t mark the entire line, mark vertically on the sides of the lines in the margins.
On the back or front inside covers, write down the page numbers containing the key points for future reference.

If the book is large and voluminous, then tear it to manageable lots as to carry them in your shirt/ pant pockets, and read them where ever you get time (not to tear from the books borrowed from library). Once read, bind the whole lot and place it back into the rack.
Don’t make your books a store place. Everything in its place and place for everything.
Cut down on watching television.
Visit a library every weak.
Read the title” Read & Grow Rich” by Burke Hedges, INTI Publishing, The USA.

How do you avoid dozing?
“There is a great deal of difference between the eager who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read.” –G.K.Chesterton

When keen in studying and interest is there, there is no question of dozing of.

Speed Reading ?
“I took a course in speed reading and was able to read “War and Peace” in 20 minutes. It is about Russia”- Woody Allen.

I skim through the books pretty fast.
There is no speed reading in serious study.

Your Advice
Keep reading, and keep growing.

QUOTES:
A drop of ink may make a million think.-Lords Byron.

Only three things are necessary to make life happy- the blessing of God, books and a friend. - Lacordaire.

What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books. - Thomas Carlyle.

Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to body.- Anonymous.

Gutenberg made everybody a reader; Xerox makes everybody a publisher.-Marshall McLuhan

Some books are to be tasted… others to be swallowed…and more few to be chewed and digested.-Francis Bacon

Some students drink at the fountain of knowledge, Other’s just gargle. -John Locke

The average salesman doesn’t read a book. That is why he is the average salesman.

Not every reader is a leader, but every leader must be a reader.-Harry Truman.

I can not live without books...- Thomas Jefferson

Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge. It is thinking that makes what we read, ours.-Jock Locke.

The books that help you most are those which make you think the most.-Theodore Parker.

By reading we discover our world, our history, and ourselves.-Daniel Boorstin.

Books are for nothing but to inspire-Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Reading is a means of thinking with another person’s mind. It forces you to stretch your own. - Charles Scribner,Jr.

All that mankind had done, thought, gained, or been is lying in the pages of books.

A man learns by two things- one is reading and the other is association with smarter people. - Will Rogers.

If we encountered a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he read.-Emerson.

One reads in order to ask questions.-Franz Kafka.

If a book we are reading doesn’t shake us awake like a blow to the skull, why bother reading it. - Franz Kafka.

It is from books that wise men derive consolation in the troubles of life.-Victor Hugo.

Read in order to live-Gustave Flauben

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest...- Benjamin Franklin.
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Thursday, April 27, 2006

శ్రీశ్రీ జయంతి, ఏప్రిల్ 30వ తేదీన

"తెలుగువీర లేవరా దీక్షబూని సాగరా"

"స్వాతంత్ర్యం ఒక చాల సున్నితమైన పూవు,
చాల వాడైన కత్తి, విలువైన వజ్రం"

"(1930 దాకా)తెలుగు సాహిత్యం నన్ను నడిపించింది. ఆ తర్వాత నుంచి దాన్ని నేను నడిపిస్తున్నాను."

"ప్రపంచమొక పద్మ వ్యూహం,కవిత్వమొక తీరని దాహం"

"ఆధునిక కవిత్వం అర్థం కాలేదంటే ఆధునిక జీవితమే అర్థం కాలేదన్న మాట"

"నా ఇంటి పేరు ప్రపంచం, ప్రజలే కుటుంబం
వెదజల్లుతా దిగ్దిగంతం, అభ్యుదయ సుగంధం"

"వ్యక్తి ఏకవచనం, శక్తి బహువచనం"

"వెనుక దగా ముందు దగా
కుడియెడమల దగా దగా"

"తెల్లవాడు నిన్ను నాడు భగత్సింగు అన్నాడు
నల్లవాడు నువ్వు నేడు నక్సలైటువన్నాడు
ఎల్లవారు నిన్ను రేపు వేగుచుక్క అంటారు"

"ఊగరా ఊగరా ఊగరా! ఉరికొయ్య అందుకొని ఊగరా"

"మంటలచే మాట్లాడించి, రక్తంచేత రాగాలాపన చేయిస్తాను"

"నేను సైతం ప్రపంచాగ్నికి
సమిధనొక్కటి ఆహుతిచ్చాను"

"పదండి ముందుకు
పదండి తోసుకు
పోదాం పోదాం పైపైకి"

"మరో ప్రపంచం మరో ప్రపంచం
మరో ప్రపంచం పిలిచింది"

"యముని మహిషపు లోహఘంటలు
మబ్బుచాటున ఖణేల్మన్నాయి"

"కాదేది కవితకనర్హం"

"ఏ దేశచరిత్ర చూచినా ఏమున్నది గర్వకారణం
నరజాతి చరిత్ర సమస్తం పరపీడన పరాయణత్వం"

"నైలు నదీ నాగరికతలో
సామాన్యుని జీవనమెట్టిది?
తాజమహలు నిర్మాణానికి రాళ్ళెత్తిన కూలీలెవ్వరు?
ప్రభువెక్కిన పల్లకి కాదోయ్, అదిమోసిన బోయీ లెవ్వరు?"

"ఘర్మ జలానికి దర్మ జలానికి ఖరీదు కట్టే షరాబు లేడు"

"అంతేలే, పేదల గుండెలు
అశ్రువులే నిండిన కుండలు
శ్మశానమున శశికాంతులతో
చలిబారిన వెలిరాబండలు"

"జీబ్రాకి,ఆల్జీబ్రా చిహ్నాల
లాంకోటూ, పాంకోళ్ళు తొడిగి
సాహిత్య పౌరోహిత్యం యిస్తే
వెర్రి కాదు సర్-రియలిజంరా సోదరా"

"నా రచనలలో లోకం ప్రతిఫలించి, నా తపస్సు ఫలించి నా జాతి జనులు పాడుకొనే మత్రంగా మ్రోగించాలని"

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Tuesday, April 25, 2006

A pat in the back or a kick in the butt

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Monday, April 24, 2006

CHOOSE YOUR AIRLINE CAREFULLY!

LUFTHANZA AIRLINES
Passengers on a Lufthanza flight heard this announcement from the captain :
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sorry to inform you that we have lost power to all of our engines and will shortly crash into the ocean".

The passengers were obviously very worried about this situation but were somewhat comforted by the captain's next announcement.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we at Lufthanza have prepared for such an emergency and we would now like you to rearrange your seating so that all the non-swimmers are on the left side of the plane and all the swimmers are on the right side of the plane.

After this announcement all the passengers rearranged their seating to comply with the captain's request.

Two minutes later the captain made a belly landing in the ocean. The captain once again made an announcement:
"Ladies and Gentlemen we have crashed into the ocean. All of the swimmers on the right side of the plane, open your emergency exits and quickly swim away from the
plane.
For all of the non-swimmers on the left side of plane, you are being carefully ferried out on belly, to the shore. Be comfortable in your seats, in the shell of the
plane. Thank You For Flying Lufthanza."
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DELKA AIRLINES.
At the airport for a trip, I settled down to wait for the boarding announcement at Gate 35. Then I heard the voice on the public address system saying, "We apologize for the inconvenience, but Delka Flight 570 will board from Gate 41."

So my family picked up our luggage and carried it over to Gate 41. Not ten minutes later the public address voice told us that Flight 570 would in fact be boarding from Gate 35. So again we gathered our carry-on luggage and returned to the original gate.

Just as we were settling down, the public address voice spoke "Thank You for participating in Delka's physical fitness program."
- - - - - - - - -

BHARAT AIRLINES
"This is Captain Bharat speaking. On behalf of my crew I'd like to welcome you aboard Bharat Airways flight 420 from New York to Mumbai.

We are currently flying at a height of 35,000 feet midway across the Atlantic."

"If you look out of the windows on the starboard side of the aircraft, you will observe that both the starboard engines are on fire.

"If you look out of the windows on the port side, you will observe that the port wing has fallen off."

"If you look down towards the Atlantic ocean, you will see a little yellow life raft with three people in it waving at you. That's me your captain, the co-pilot, and one of the air stewardesses.
This is a recorded message."

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Think positive and act.


The story goes that some time ago a man punished his 5-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.Money was tight and he became even more upset when the child pasted the gold paper so as to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy." The father was embarrassed by his earlier over reaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He spoke to
her in a harsh manner, "Don't you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?"

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said,"Oh, Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was full." The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his little girl, and he begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later and it is told that the father kept that gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. And whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems he would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of his child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us as human beings have been given a golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

Family and friends are gifts from God who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly. Think positive and act.
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IF YOU DON'T READ IT, YOU MAY MISS VITAL TIPS ON A HAPPY LIFE( in lighter vein):


Well, I hope this will clear up any misconceptions you mayhave had about food and diets and remember:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and wellpreserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Chardonnay in one hand and strawberries in the other, body thoroughly usedup, totally worn out, and screaming: WOO HOO! What a Ride!!!!"

HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION:
Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Isthis true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats and that'sit... don't waste Them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart willnot make you livelonger; that's like saying you can extend thelife of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer?Take a nap.
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Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits andvegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a lamb eat? Leaves and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a kebab is nothing more than An efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken!
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Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine,that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
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Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have body fat, your ratiois one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two toone, etc.
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Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in aregular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: NoPain...Good
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Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!. Foods are fried these days invegetable oil. How could getting more vegetables be bad foryou?
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Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger.You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
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Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO. Cocoa beans... Another vegetable!!!It's the best feel-good food around!
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Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
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Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
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