I was searching for some quotes on "the first day at job" to SMS one of my friends who just took up a new one.

I found this absolutely hilarious one by Drew Carey:

"Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar. "

And to the following one:

"Learn to think in positive affirmations. Affirmations are any statements you make. Too often we think in negative affirmations. Negative affirmations only create more of what you say you don't want. Saying, I hate my job, will get you nowhere. Declaring, I now accept a wonderful new job, will open the channels in your consciousness to create that.

--Louise Hay"

I have to say "Lady, come work in the company where I work" :-)

I have never been to Appu Ghar. Still, the news of its closing down saddened me.

So when I read that there is a possibility of it getting relocated to another site in Delhi (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Appu_Ghar_seeks_alternative_site/articleshow/2796904.cms), I was really happy for the sake of all the children (and grownups too!) who would have been otherwise deprived of enjoying its joy rides!

I hope and pray that Appu Ghar gets back :-)

The story of little Goltu

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man - Rabindranath Tagore

Read little Goltu's story (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Help_pours_in_for_Blueline_victims_baby/articleshow/2796911.cms)

and you will agree that there still are some people in this world who are not going to disappoint God.

Enjoy your share of God’s coffee!

I found this nice one in my mailbox today:

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups -- porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain-looking, some expensive, some exquisite -- telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the alumni had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it is just more expensive and, in some cases, even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups, and then you began eyeing each other's cups."

He continued ..."Now consider this: Life is the coffee; your job, money, and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The type of cup one has does not define, nor change, the quality of life a person lives. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee, God has provided us."

God makes the coffee, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly….

Enjoy your share of God’s coffee! And have a great life.

When I read the following news, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Foreigner_molested_in_Ahmedabads_Gandhi_Ashram/articleshow/2793334.cms

So let me get this straight: the sanctity of the place would have got affected if a cop as much as had crossed its threshold but it didn't get affected when a woman was molested within its 4 walls?

True, the young men responsible for this act didn't belong to the ashram but that doesn't absolve the ashram authorities of their responsibility. They would have done better to preserve the "sanctity of the place" by making sure the culprits didn't escape and handing them over to the police as soon as possible.

It wouldn't do any harm to beef up on the security front a bit as well so that such undesirable elements don't enter the Ashram's premises to violate the "sanctity of the place"!

I am done with reading "Secret of the Chimneys" - needless to say thoroughly enjoyed it! Must confess that I didn't "tumble" to the murderer till the end. But I did manage to fathom out the true identity of Anthony Cade long before he reveals it himself. :-)

I however, beg to differ with Superitendent Battle of Scotland Yard on one point. He says that since the aristocrats are normally brought up believing that no one else's opinion counts but their own, they are usually fearless and truthful. I believe that because of their position and status in the society such people are more inclined towards suppressing such truths as could jeopardize either of these.

I am having a sense of Deja Vu. I have been to the Chimneys before. :-) No, this is not about my past birth. What I mean is that I think I have read Agatha Christie's "The Secret of Chimneys" before. Baron Lollipop seems so familiar :-) The most delightful thing is that I don't remember "whodunit" and that means I can enjoy the book once again!

Oh, and BTW the character of Lord Caterham is simply adorable - just like Wodehouse's Lord Emsworth :-)

After Nano, it's Tiny......

The Indian family of 4 travelling on a 2-wheeler has never had it so good. The automakers are falling, sorry, "running" over themselves to bring out a car for them.

The newest entrant to this red-hot segment seems to be the "Tara Tiny". This one's a green car - it's battery operated. This is a significant benefit especially since the petrol and diesel prices have just now gone up by Rs 2 and Re 1 respectively. It will be easier on the pockets of the targetted customer base.

And 3 more electric cars from the same company - Titu, Micro and Mini are waiting in the wings. Suddenly it's raining "under 1-lakh cars"! Someone please come up with an under-Rs 10 umbrella :-)

Now I am holding my breath for someone to come up with a car that can be folded and carried with you. No need to hunt for a parking space in the crowded cities!

And while we are at it, why not have the cars come equipped with their own stretch of roads - the way the tanks (I think they are called "All-terrain") do? That way we don't even have to worry about the potholes and rain-water clogged roads :-)

I bet after Ta"t"a and Ta"r"a, it would be the Ta"s"a, Ta"v"a and Ta"w"a coming out of the woodworks to bring out Itsy, Bitsy, Chintu, Pintu and Chhotu ;-))