Hyderabad Mean time: + 1 hour IST.. Never go for a function on time. You will be the only person present.
Dislocation turn :If you need to take a right turn, never show your hand to the right. The nut behind you will zoom ahead and dislocate your hand.
Mad crossing :At Zebra crossings, make signs like a mad man or a Kung-fu posture. Only then will the vehicle stop for you to cross.
Backbiting: If the signal is red and you are waiting for it to turn green, you are sure to hear the guy from the back yelling,"Chal aagey nikal" nine out of ten times.He may even call you "Howla" which is not a Mexican word but means "mad"
Middle stop :If you need to catch a bus, never wait at the Bus stop. Stand in the middle of the road-that's where the bus stops.
Meter pressure: When traveling by Auto, do not keep an eye on the meter. Its frequent abnormal jumping will fluctuate your blood pressure.
Fingering :When you are in an Irani hotel, don't look at the bearer bringing you water to drink. Three of his fingers will be deep inside the glass and will look like earthworms.
Walkman: Always walk on the road. Chances are that on the footpath you will fall into a ditch and encounter street pissers.
Wavelength :If the cleaner in a Lorry is waving his hands to the left, beware, it's not for the lorry to turn. The person is spreading his limbs for some arthritis problem.
Horn please :The excessive use of vehicle horns is due to a medical condition calles"Hornitis".Under this symptom ,a person is forced to press the horn every ten seconds. If you are new to Hyderabad,you are sure to develop this symptom.
Ghutkafying :While on the road,watch out for red liquid spraying out from all directions.It's the Gutkha brigade painting the town red.
Mass following: In case you notice a crowd in some areas and enquire about the problem,the stock answer you will get is"Kya hai ki,sab dekhrey,mein bhe dheykroo".
Flying over :When you are driving on a flyover, don't be surprised if the guy in front takes a sudden U-turn and you end up flying over.
Word perfect: On your visit to the local mechanic, you may hear the following terms-Kelutch, espring, nutta, bolta, forak, pelug, horan, geear, berake.figure it out….
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
INSPIRE..A must visit site www.inspire21.com
Inspire21.com offers a unique collection of inspirational ecards for everyone to email anywhere in the world... absolutely free.There is a link for inspirational stories as well.
Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall... you can stay in touch with everyone you care about - instantly and easily - by emailing ecards from Inspire21.com.
These colorful, digital postcards are distinguished by the hand lettered quotations... most of them historically famous...and Bible verses... the most inspiring words of all time. You'll also find poetry, sonnets, power phrases, inspiring stories and all sorts of encouraging thoughts... all designed to deliver positive motivation and create a lasting impression.
Most of Inspire21's ecards are, by nature, more serious than those cute, animated postcards. These inspiring words are meant to persuade thinking, produce a positive mindset and instill the desire for action and achievement. But... there are plenty of funny quotes here as well, because humor tickles us all. Combined with ecards for special occasions, there are tons of ways to express your thoughts and feelings.
Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall... you can stay in touch with everyone you care about - instantly and easily - by emailing ecards from Inspire21.com.
These colorful, digital postcards are distinguished by the hand lettered quotations... most of them historically famous...and Bible verses... the most inspiring words of all time. You'll also find poetry, sonnets, power phrases, inspiring stories and all sorts of encouraging thoughts... all designed to deliver positive motivation and create a lasting impression.
Most of Inspire21's ecards are, by nature, more serious than those cute, animated postcards. These inspiring words are meant to persuade thinking, produce a positive mindset and instill the desire for action and achievement. But... there are plenty of funny quotes here as well, because humor tickles us all. Combined with ecards for special occasions, there are tons of ways to express your thoughts and feelings.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
WHAT IS?
What is a tsunami?
Tsunami ('soo-nar-me') is a Japanese word; 'tsu' meaning harbour and 'nami' meaning wave. Tsunamis are sometimes incorrectly called tidal waves but have nothing to do with tides. Tsunamis can travel up to 950 kilometres per hour - as fast as a passenger jet! Tsunami waves move outwards, away from their source. One or more waves can be created per event. Successive peaks can be anywhere from five to ninety minutes apart. The wave train that reaches the coast can range from 30 metre high breakers to barely noticed ripples - but in the open ocean, tsunamis have relatively small heights.
A tsunami is different from normal waves on the ocean. Wind-made ocean waves cause the water to move down to about 150 metres at most. In contrast, the passage of a tsunami involves the movement of water all the way to the seafloor. This means that the speed of a tsunami is controlled by water depth - as the wave approaches land it reaches increasingly shallow water and slows down. Compared to the front of the wave, the rear is still in slightly deeper water (so it is going slightly faster) and catches up. The result is that the wave quickly 'bunches up' and becomes much higher. The highest tsunami occur if they encounter a long and gradual shallowing of the water, because this allows enough time for the wave to interact with its surroundings and cause extensive damage to low-lying areas.
Tsunami ('soo-nar-me') is a Japanese word; 'tsu' meaning harbour and 'nami' meaning wave. Tsunamis are sometimes incorrectly called tidal waves but have nothing to do with tides. Tsunamis can travel up to 950 kilometres per hour - as fast as a passenger jet! Tsunami waves move outwards, away from their source. One or more waves can be created per event. Successive peaks can be anywhere from five to ninety minutes apart. The wave train that reaches the coast can range from 30 metre high breakers to barely noticed ripples - but in the open ocean, tsunamis have relatively small heights.
A tsunami is different from normal waves on the ocean. Wind-made ocean waves cause the water to move down to about 150 metres at most. In contrast, the passage of a tsunami involves the movement of water all the way to the seafloor. This means that the speed of a tsunami is controlled by water depth - as the wave approaches land it reaches increasingly shallow water and slows down. Compared to the front of the wave, the rear is still in slightly deeper water (so it is going slightly faster) and catches up. The result is that the wave quickly 'bunches up' and becomes much higher. The highest tsunami occur if they encounter a long and gradual shallowing of the water, because this allows enough time for the wave to interact with its surroundings and cause extensive damage to low-lying areas.
Friday, March 16, 2007
WHAT IS ?
What is an eclipse of the Moon? What causes eclipses and why? How often do eclipses happen and when is the next eclipse of the Moon? You'll learn the answers to these questions and more in MrEclipse's primer on lunar eclipses.
The Moon is a cold, rocky body about 2,160 miles (3,476 km) in diameter. It has no light of its own but shines by sunlight reflected from its surface. The Moon orbits Earth about once every 29 and a half days. As it circles our planet, the changing position of the Moon with respect to the Sun causes our natural satellite to cycle through a series of phases:
New, New Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full,
Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Old Crescent and back to New again.
Phases of the Moon.
The phase known as New Moon can not actually be seen because the illuminated side of the Moon is then pointed away from Earth. The rest of the phases are familiar to all of us as the Moon cycles through them month after month. Did you realize that the word month is derived from the Moon's 29.5 day period?
To many of us, Full Moon is the phase of love and romance. When the Moon is Full, it rises at sunset and is visible all night long. At the end of the night, the Full Moon sets just as the Sun rises. None of the Moon's other phases have this unique characteristic. It happens because the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky when the Moon is Full. Full Moon also has special significance with regard to eclipses.
Geometry of the Sun, Earth and Moon During an Eclipse of the Moon.
Earth's two shadows are the penumbra and the umbra.
(Sizes and distances not to scale)
An eclipse of the Moon (or lunar eclipse) can only occur at Full Moon, and only if the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's shadow. The shadow is actually composed of two cone-shaped components, one nested inside the other. The outer or penumbral shadow is a zone where the Earth blocks part but not all of the Sun's rays from reaching the Moon. In contrast, the inner or umbral shadow is a region where the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.
Astronomers recognize three basic types of lunar eclipses:
1. Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
The Moon passes through Earth's penumbral shadow.
These events are of only academic interest since they are subtle and quite difficult to observe.
2. Partial Lunar Eclipse A portion of the Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow.
These events are easy to see, even with the unaided eye.
3. Total Lunar Eclipse
The entire Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow.
These events are quite striking for the vibrant range of colors the Moon can take on during the total phase (i.e. - totality).
Now you might be wondering "If the Moon orbits Earth every 29.5 days and lunar eclipses only occur at Full Moon, then why don't we have an eclipse once a month during Full Moon?". I'm glad you asked! You see, the Moon's orbit around Earth is actually tipped about 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. This means that the Moon spends most of the time either above or below the plane of Earth's orbit. And the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun is important because Earth's shadows lie exactly in the same plane. During Full Moon, our natural satellite usually passes above or below Earth's shadows and misses them entirely. No eclipse takes place. But two to four times each year, the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's penumbral or umbral shadows and one of the above three types of eclipses occurs.
When an eclipse of the Moon takes place, everyone on the night side of Earth can see it. About 35% of all eclipses are of the penumbral type which are very difficult to detect, even with a telescope. Another 30% are partial eclipses which are easy to see with the unaided eye. The final 35% or so are total eclipses, and these are quite extrordinary events to behold.
During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks the Sun's light from reaching the Moon. Astronauts on the Moon would then see the Earth eclipsing the Sun. (They would see a bright red ring around the Earth as they watched all the sunrises and sunsets happening simultaneousely around the world!) While the Moon remains completely within Earth's umbral shadow, indirect sunlight still manages to reach and illuminate it. However, this sunlight must first pass deep through the Earth's atmosphere which filters out most of the blue colored light. The remaining light is a deep red or orange in color and is much dimmer than pure white sunlight. Earth's atmosphere also bends or refracts some of this light so that a small fraction of it can reach and illuminate the Moon.
The total phase of a lunar eclipse is so interesting and beautiful precisely because of the filtering and refracting effect of Earth's atmosphere. If the Earth had no atmosphere, then the Moon would be completely black during a total eclipse. Instead, the Moon can take on a range of colors from dark brown and red to bright orange and yellow. The exact appearance depends on how much dust and clouds are present in Earth's atmosphere. Total eclipses tend to be very dark after major volcanic eruptions since these events dump large amounts of volcanic ash into Earth's atmosphere. During the total lunar eclipse of December 1992, dust from Mount Pinatubo rendered the Moon nearly invisible.
All total eclipses start with a penumbral followed by a partial eclipse, and end with a partial followed by a penumbral eclipse (the total eclipse is sandwiched in the middle). The penumbral phases of the eclipse are quite difficult to see, even with a telescope. However, partial and total eclipses are easy to observe, even with the naked eye.
Observing Lunar Eclipses
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are completely safe to watch. You don't need any kind of protective filters. It isn't even necessary to use a telescope. You can watch the lunar eclipse with nothing more than your own two eyes. If you have a pair of binoculars, they will help magnify the view and will make the red coloration brighter and easier to see. A standard pair of 7x35 or 7x50 binoculars work fine. Remember to dress warmly and enjoy the spectacle!
Amateur astronomers can actually make some useful observations during total eclipses. It's impossible to predict exactly how dark the Moon will appear during totality. The color can also vary from dark gray or brown, through a range of shades of red and bright orange. The color and brightness depend on the amount of dust in Earth's atmosphere during the eclipse. Using the Danjon Brightness Scale for lunar eclipses, amateurs can categorize the Moon's color and brightness during totality.
Another useful amateur activity requires a telescope. Using a standard list lunar craters, one can careful measure the exact time when each crater enters and leaves the umbral shadow. These crater timings can be used to estimate the enlargement of Earth's atmosphere due to airborne dust and volcanic ash.
Of course, an eclipse of the Moon also presents a tempting target to photograph. Fortunately, lunar eclipse photography is easy provided that you have the right equipment and use it correctly.
Eclipse Frequency and Future Eclipses
During the five millennium period from 2000BC through 3000 AD, there are 7,718 eclipses1 of the Moon (including both partial and total). There are anywhere from 0 to 3 lunar eclipses (not including penumbral) each year. The last time that three total lunar eclipses occurred in one calendar year was in 1982. Partial eclipses slightly outnumber total eclipses by 7 to 6.
Only eclipses where the Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow are included in these values. A minor type of eclipse is the penumbral eclipse which occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's faint penumbral shadow. Penumbral eclipses are rarely discernable to the naked eye and are of lesser importance than umbral eclipses.
The Umbral Magnitude is the fraction on the Moon's diameter immersed in the umbra at maximum eclipse. For values greater than 1.0, it is a total eclipse. For negative values, it is a penumbral eclipse. The Total Duration is the duration of the total phase (total eclipses only).
The Moon is a cold, rocky body about 2,160 miles (3,476 km) in diameter. It has no light of its own but shines by sunlight reflected from its surface. The Moon orbits Earth about once every 29 and a half days. As it circles our planet, the changing position of the Moon with respect to the Sun causes our natural satellite to cycle through a series of phases:
New, New Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full,
Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Old Crescent and back to New again.
Phases of the Moon.
The phase known as New Moon can not actually be seen because the illuminated side of the Moon is then pointed away from Earth. The rest of the phases are familiar to all of us as the Moon cycles through them month after month. Did you realize that the word month is derived from the Moon's 29.5 day period?
To many of us, Full Moon is the phase of love and romance. When the Moon is Full, it rises at sunset and is visible all night long. At the end of the night, the Full Moon sets just as the Sun rises. None of the Moon's other phases have this unique characteristic. It happens because the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky when the Moon is Full. Full Moon also has special significance with regard to eclipses.
Geometry of the Sun, Earth and Moon During an Eclipse of the Moon.
Earth's two shadows are the penumbra and the umbra.
(Sizes and distances not to scale)
An eclipse of the Moon (or lunar eclipse) can only occur at Full Moon, and only if the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's shadow. The shadow is actually composed of two cone-shaped components, one nested inside the other. The outer or penumbral shadow is a zone where the Earth blocks part but not all of the Sun's rays from reaching the Moon. In contrast, the inner or umbral shadow is a region where the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.
Astronomers recognize three basic types of lunar eclipses:
1. Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
The Moon passes through Earth's penumbral shadow.
These events are of only academic interest since they are subtle and quite difficult to observe.
2. Partial Lunar Eclipse A portion of the Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow.
These events are easy to see, even with the unaided eye.
3. Total Lunar Eclipse
The entire Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow.
These events are quite striking for the vibrant range of colors the Moon can take on during the total phase (i.e. - totality).
Now you might be wondering "If the Moon orbits Earth every 29.5 days and lunar eclipses only occur at Full Moon, then why don't we have an eclipse once a month during Full Moon?". I'm glad you asked! You see, the Moon's orbit around Earth is actually tipped about 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. This means that the Moon spends most of the time either above or below the plane of Earth's orbit. And the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun is important because Earth's shadows lie exactly in the same plane. During Full Moon, our natural satellite usually passes above or below Earth's shadows and misses them entirely. No eclipse takes place. But two to four times each year, the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's penumbral or umbral shadows and one of the above three types of eclipses occurs.
When an eclipse of the Moon takes place, everyone on the night side of Earth can see it. About 35% of all eclipses are of the penumbral type which are very difficult to detect, even with a telescope. Another 30% are partial eclipses which are easy to see with the unaided eye. The final 35% or so are total eclipses, and these are quite extrordinary events to behold.
During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks the Sun's light from reaching the Moon. Astronauts on the Moon would then see the Earth eclipsing the Sun. (They would see a bright red ring around the Earth as they watched all the sunrises and sunsets happening simultaneousely around the world!) While the Moon remains completely within Earth's umbral shadow, indirect sunlight still manages to reach and illuminate it. However, this sunlight must first pass deep through the Earth's atmosphere which filters out most of the blue colored light. The remaining light is a deep red or orange in color and is much dimmer than pure white sunlight. Earth's atmosphere also bends or refracts some of this light so that a small fraction of it can reach and illuminate the Moon.
The total phase of a lunar eclipse is so interesting and beautiful precisely because of the filtering and refracting effect of Earth's atmosphere. If the Earth had no atmosphere, then the Moon would be completely black during a total eclipse. Instead, the Moon can take on a range of colors from dark brown and red to bright orange and yellow. The exact appearance depends on how much dust and clouds are present in Earth's atmosphere. Total eclipses tend to be very dark after major volcanic eruptions since these events dump large amounts of volcanic ash into Earth's atmosphere. During the total lunar eclipse of December 1992, dust from Mount Pinatubo rendered the Moon nearly invisible.
All total eclipses start with a penumbral followed by a partial eclipse, and end with a partial followed by a penumbral eclipse (the total eclipse is sandwiched in the middle). The penumbral phases of the eclipse are quite difficult to see, even with a telescope. However, partial and total eclipses are easy to observe, even with the naked eye.
Observing Lunar Eclipses
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are completely safe to watch. You don't need any kind of protective filters. It isn't even necessary to use a telescope. You can watch the lunar eclipse with nothing more than your own two eyes. If you have a pair of binoculars, they will help magnify the view and will make the red coloration brighter and easier to see. A standard pair of 7x35 or 7x50 binoculars work fine. Remember to dress warmly and enjoy the spectacle!
Amateur astronomers can actually make some useful observations during total eclipses. It's impossible to predict exactly how dark the Moon will appear during totality. The color can also vary from dark gray or brown, through a range of shades of red and bright orange. The color and brightness depend on the amount of dust in Earth's atmosphere during the eclipse. Using the Danjon Brightness Scale for lunar eclipses, amateurs can categorize the Moon's color and brightness during totality.
Another useful amateur activity requires a telescope. Using a standard list lunar craters, one can careful measure the exact time when each crater enters and leaves the umbral shadow. These crater timings can be used to estimate the enlargement of Earth's atmosphere due to airborne dust and volcanic ash.
Of course, an eclipse of the Moon also presents a tempting target to photograph. Fortunately, lunar eclipse photography is easy provided that you have the right equipment and use it correctly.
Eclipse Frequency and Future Eclipses
During the five millennium period from 2000BC through 3000 AD, there are 7,718 eclipses1 of the Moon (including both partial and total). There are anywhere from 0 to 3 lunar eclipses (not including penumbral) each year. The last time that three total lunar eclipses occurred in one calendar year was in 1982. Partial eclipses slightly outnumber total eclipses by 7 to 6.
Only eclipses where the Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow are included in these values. A minor type of eclipse is the penumbral eclipse which occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's faint penumbral shadow. Penumbral eclipses are rarely discernable to the naked eye and are of lesser importance than umbral eclipses.
The Umbral Magnitude is the fraction on the Moon's diameter immersed in the umbra at maximum eclipse. For values greater than 1.0, it is a total eclipse. For negative values, it is a penumbral eclipse. The Total Duration is the duration of the total phase (total eclipses only).
WHAT IS ?
SOLAR ECLIPSE
A curious mix of celestial sizes, distances and orbits make solar eclipses possible.
"The Sun is far larger than the Moon -- about 400 times larger in diameter," explains James C. White II, executive director of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. "Yet a happy circumstance is that the Sun is also about 400 times farther from the Earth than the Moon."
This makes the Moon and Sun appear roughly the same size in the sky. When the Moon's orbit about the Earth takes it directly between the Sun and us, the Moon can obscure all or part of the Sun. Exactly what happens depends on minor changes in distance and position.
Orbits are not perfectly circular, but instead are slightly egg-shaped, so the distance between the Earth and the Sun changes as Earth orbits around its host star, and the same thing happens as the Moon revolves around our planet.
Eclipse Terms
Partial eclipse The Moon covers only part of the Sun. Total eclipse The Moon covers the entire disk of the Sun along a narrow path across the Earth. Annular eclipse The Moon is too far from Earth to completely cover the Sun. A thin ring of the Sun's disk surrounds the Moon.
Also, the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted, so much of the time the Moon is above or below our line of sight to the Sun, making an eclipse impossible. When the three bodies line up just right, which only happens at a new Moon and when the lunar orbit is in the proper point of its orbital plane, an eclipse can occur.
If things are aligned just right, a total eclipse occurs. There are at least two solar eclipses (partial, total or annular) per year somewhere on Earth, researchers say, and the maximum number of all eclipses that can occur in a year is five. Total solar eclipses happen about once every 1.5 years.
But Earth is a big place, and these total eclipses can be rare in any given location.
A curious mix of celestial sizes, distances and orbits make solar eclipses possible.
"The Sun is far larger than the Moon -- about 400 times larger in diameter," explains James C. White II, executive director of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. "Yet a happy circumstance is that the Sun is also about 400 times farther from the Earth than the Moon."
This makes the Moon and Sun appear roughly the same size in the sky. When the Moon's orbit about the Earth takes it directly between the Sun and us, the Moon can obscure all or part of the Sun. Exactly what happens depends on minor changes in distance and position.
Orbits are not perfectly circular, but instead are slightly egg-shaped, so the distance between the Earth and the Sun changes as Earth orbits around its host star, and the same thing happens as the Moon revolves around our planet.
Eclipse Terms
Partial eclipse The Moon covers only part of the Sun. Total eclipse The Moon covers the entire disk of the Sun along a narrow path across the Earth. Annular eclipse The Moon is too far from Earth to completely cover the Sun. A thin ring of the Sun's disk surrounds the Moon.
Also, the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted, so much of the time the Moon is above or below our line of sight to the Sun, making an eclipse impossible. When the three bodies line up just right, which only happens at a new Moon and when the lunar orbit is in the proper point of its orbital plane, an eclipse can occur.
If things are aligned just right, a total eclipse occurs. There are at least two solar eclipses (partial, total or annular) per year somewhere on Earth, researchers say, and the maximum number of all eclipses that can occur in a year is five. Total solar eclipses happen about once every 1.5 years.
But Earth is a big place, and these total eclipses can be rare in any given location.
FAMOUS WRITERS
'Paulo Coelho is not only one of the most widely read, but also one of the most influential authors writing today.'
The jury of the 2001 'BAMBI Awards', on presenting him with Germany's most prestigious prize.
The Brazilian author PAULO COELHO was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor, lyricist and journalist.
Coelho wrote song lyrics for many famous performers in Brazilian music, such as Elis Regina and Rita Lee. Yet his most well known work has been done with Raul Seixas. Together they wrote such successes as Eu nasci há dez mil anos atrás (I was born ten thousand years ago), Gita and Al Capone, amongst other 60 songs.
His fascination with the spiritual quest dates back to his hippie days, when he travelled the world learning about secret societies, oriental religions, etc.
In 1982 Coelho published his first book, Hell Archives, which failed to make any kind of impact. In 1985 he contributed to the Practical Manual of Vampirism, although he later tried to take it off the shelves, since he considered it “of bad quality”. In 1986, PAULO COELHO did the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in his book The Pilgrimage.
In the following year, COELHO published The Alchemist. Slow initial sales convinced his first publisher to drop the novel, but it went on to become one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time.
Other titles include Brida (1990), The Valkyries (1992), By the river Piedra I sat Down and Wept (1994), the collection of his best columns published in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo entitle Maktub (1994), the compilation of texts Phrases (1995), The Fifth Mountain (1996), Manual of a Warrior of Light (1997), Veronika decides to die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), the compilation of traditional tales in Stories for parents, children and grandchildren (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), The Zahir (2005)
He also adapted The Gift (Henry Drummond) and Love letters of a prophet (Kalil Gibran).
To date, Coelho has sold a total of 85 million copies and, according to the magazine Publishing Trends; he was the most sold author in the world in 2003 with his book Eleven Minutes – even though at the time it hadn’t been released in the United States, Japan or 10 other countries!
Also according to Publishing Trends, The Alchemist was to be found in the 6th place of world sales in 2003. Eleven Minutes topped all lists in the world, except for England, where it was in second place. The Zahir, published in 2005, was in third place of bestsellers according to Publishing Trends, after Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.
The Alchemist was one of the most important literary phenomena of the 20th century. It reaches the first place in bestselling lists in 18 countries, and so far has sold 30 million copies.
The book has been praised by different personalities ranging from the Nobel Prize Kenzaburo Oe to the singer Madonna, who considers it one of her favourite books. It has equally inspired many projects – such as a musical in Japan, theatre plays in France, Belgium, USA, Turkey, Italy, Switzerland. It is also the theme of two symphonies (Italy and USA) and had its text illustrated by the famous French artist Moebius (author of the sceneries for he Fifth Element and Alien).
His work has been translated in 62 languages, and edited in more than 150 countries.
PAULO COELHO is:
Member of the Board of the Shimon Peres Institute for Peace
UNESCO special counsellor for “Intercultural Dialogues and Spiritual Convergences”
Board Member of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
Member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
Major prizes and decorations
"I Premio Álava en el Corazón" (Spain 2006)
"Cruz do Mérito do Empreendedor Juscelino Kubitschek" (Brazil 2006)
“Wilbur Award”, presented by the Religion Communicators Council (USA 2006)
Kiklop Literary Award for The Zahir in the category "Hit of the Year" (Croatia 2006)
DirectGroup International Author Award (Germany 2005)
"Goldene Feder Award" (Germany 2005)
"The Budapest Prize" (Hungary 2005)
"Order of Honour of Ukraine" (Ukraine 2004)
"Order of St. Sophia" for contribution to revival of science and culture (Ukraine 2004)
"Nielsen Gold Book Award" for The Alchemist (UK 2004)
"Ex Libris Award" for Eleven Minutes (Serbia 2004)
Golden Bestseller Prize from the largest circulation daily "Večernje Novosti" (Serbia 2004)
"Best Fiction Corine International Award 2002" for The Alchemist (Germany 2002)
"Club of Budapest Planetary Arts Award 2002" as a recognition of his literary work (Germany 2002)
"Bambi 2001 Award" (Germany 2001)
"XXIII Premio Internazionale Fregene" (Italy 2001)
"Crystal Mirror Award" (Poland 2000)
"Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur" (France 1999)
"Crystal Award" World Economic Forum (1999)
"Golden Medal of Galicia" (Spain 1999)
Finalist for the "International IMPAC Literary Award" (Ireland 1997 and 2000)
"Comendador de Ordem do Rio Branco" (Brazil 1998)
"Golden Book" (Yugoslavia 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2004)
"Super Grinzane Cavour Book Award" (Italy 1996)
"Flaiano International Award" (Italy 1996)
"Knight of Arts and Letters" (France 1996)
"Grand Prix Litteraire Elle" (France 1995)
Highlights
PAULO COELHO entered he Guinness Book of Records as the author that signed more books in different editions (October 9th 2003, at the Frankfurt Book Fair).
A Norwegian community, Arendal, gave copies of The Alchemist to all its civil servants, as a way of stimulating a new type of thought.
Many MBA courses, such as the one from The Graduate School of Business of the University of Chicago recommends the reading of The Alchemist to its students. This book has equally been adopted in schools in France, Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Taiwan, USA, Spain, etc.
The illustrated edition of The Alchemist, made by the artist Moebius, has already been released in many countries.
The book The Alchemist has been adopted in schools in more than 30 countries, offering special editions to students.
PAULO COELHO has managed to have three titles at the same time in bestselling lists in France, Brazil, Poland, Switzerland, Argentina, Greece, Croatia, and Russia.
The pope John Paulo II welcomed the author in the Vatican in 1998.
The World Economic Forum gave its most important prize to the author, the Crystal Award.
Coelho has a weekly column in the Brazilian newspaper O Globo and in several other newspapers around the globe. If you wish to make a free download of some of these columns, click here. If you wish to read these columns on line (Portuguese only), click here. If you wish to know in which countries these columns are published, click here.
In March 2000, the French government gave to the author its most prestigious title "Chevalier de L'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur"
IN January 2001, Paulo Coelho became member of the board in the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. This foundation favours social projects.
The life of PAULO COELHO has already been the theme of documentaries for the Irish TV (Seven Days - a Journey with Paulo Coelho), Japanese (The road of Kumano in February, The Road of Santiago in September), People & Arts Channel ( Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist of Word), A&E Mundo, TV Prima, amongst others.
Paulo Coelho has now his own drink: chocolate chaud with orange. It is a special homage paid to him by the Hotel Le Bristol's bar in Paris, which is a setting for some of the passages of his most recent novel The Zahir.
During the months of March, April, May and June, Paulo Coelho travelled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella in 1986. He also held surprise book signings - announced one day in advance - in some cities along the way, to have a chance to meet his readers. In ninety days of pilgrimage the author travelled around the globe and took the famous Transiberrian train that took him to Vladivostok. During this experience Paulo Coelho launched his blog Walking the Path in order to share with his readers his impressions.
In 2006, PAULO COELHO launched a compilation of tales, opinions and ideas called Be Like a Flowing River, based on his weekly columns. This book will be launched in most countries only in 2008, since his new book The Witch of Portobello, will have a worldwide release in 2007.
The jury of the 2001 'BAMBI Awards', on presenting him with Germany's most prestigious prize.
The Brazilian author PAULO COELHO was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor, lyricist and journalist.
Coelho wrote song lyrics for many famous performers in Brazilian music, such as Elis Regina and Rita Lee. Yet his most well known work has been done with Raul Seixas. Together they wrote such successes as Eu nasci há dez mil anos atrás (I was born ten thousand years ago), Gita and Al Capone, amongst other 60 songs.
His fascination with the spiritual quest dates back to his hippie days, when he travelled the world learning about secret societies, oriental religions, etc.
In 1982 Coelho published his first book, Hell Archives, which failed to make any kind of impact. In 1985 he contributed to the Practical Manual of Vampirism, although he later tried to take it off the shelves, since he considered it “of bad quality”. In 1986, PAULO COELHO did the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in his book The Pilgrimage.
In the following year, COELHO published The Alchemist. Slow initial sales convinced his first publisher to drop the novel, but it went on to become one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time.
Other titles include Brida (1990), The Valkyries (1992), By the river Piedra I sat Down and Wept (1994), the collection of his best columns published in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo entitle Maktub (1994), the compilation of texts Phrases (1995), The Fifth Mountain (1996), Manual of a Warrior of Light (1997), Veronika decides to die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), the compilation of traditional tales in Stories for parents, children and grandchildren (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), The Zahir (2005)
He also adapted The Gift (Henry Drummond) and Love letters of a prophet (Kalil Gibran).
To date, Coelho has sold a total of 85 million copies and, according to the magazine Publishing Trends; he was the most sold author in the world in 2003 with his book Eleven Minutes – even though at the time it hadn’t been released in the United States, Japan or 10 other countries!
Also according to Publishing Trends, The Alchemist was to be found in the 6th place of world sales in 2003. Eleven Minutes topped all lists in the world, except for England, where it was in second place. The Zahir, published in 2005, was in third place of bestsellers according to Publishing Trends, after Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.
The Alchemist was one of the most important literary phenomena of the 20th century. It reaches the first place in bestselling lists in 18 countries, and so far has sold 30 million copies.
The book has been praised by different personalities ranging from the Nobel Prize Kenzaburo Oe to the singer Madonna, who considers it one of her favourite books. It has equally inspired many projects – such as a musical in Japan, theatre plays in France, Belgium, USA, Turkey, Italy, Switzerland. It is also the theme of two symphonies (Italy and USA) and had its text illustrated by the famous French artist Moebius (author of the sceneries for he Fifth Element and Alien).
His work has been translated in 62 languages, and edited in more than 150 countries.
PAULO COELHO is:
Member of the Board of the Shimon Peres Institute for Peace
UNESCO special counsellor for “Intercultural Dialogues and Spiritual Convergences”
Board Member of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
Member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
Major prizes and decorations
"I Premio Álava en el Corazón" (Spain 2006)
"Cruz do Mérito do Empreendedor Juscelino Kubitschek" (Brazil 2006)
“Wilbur Award”, presented by the Religion Communicators Council (USA 2006)
Kiklop Literary Award for The Zahir in the category "Hit of the Year" (Croatia 2006)
DirectGroup International Author Award (Germany 2005)
"Goldene Feder Award" (Germany 2005)
"The Budapest Prize" (Hungary 2005)
"Order of Honour of Ukraine" (Ukraine 2004)
"Order of St. Sophia" for contribution to revival of science and culture (Ukraine 2004)
"Nielsen Gold Book Award" for The Alchemist (UK 2004)
"Ex Libris Award" for Eleven Minutes (Serbia 2004)
Golden Bestseller Prize from the largest circulation daily "Večernje Novosti" (Serbia 2004)
"Best Fiction Corine International Award 2002" for The Alchemist (Germany 2002)
"Club of Budapest Planetary Arts Award 2002" as a recognition of his literary work (Germany 2002)
"Bambi 2001 Award" (Germany 2001)
"XXIII Premio Internazionale Fregene" (Italy 2001)
"Crystal Mirror Award" (Poland 2000)
"Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur" (France 1999)
"Crystal Award" World Economic Forum (1999)
"Golden Medal of Galicia" (Spain 1999)
Finalist for the "International IMPAC Literary Award" (Ireland 1997 and 2000)
"Comendador de Ordem do Rio Branco" (Brazil 1998)
"Golden Book" (Yugoslavia 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2004)
"Super Grinzane Cavour Book Award" (Italy 1996)
"Flaiano International Award" (Italy 1996)
"Knight of Arts and Letters" (France 1996)
"Grand Prix Litteraire Elle" (France 1995)
Highlights
PAULO COELHO entered he Guinness Book of Records as the author that signed more books in different editions (October 9th 2003, at the Frankfurt Book Fair).
A Norwegian community, Arendal, gave copies of The Alchemist to all its civil servants, as a way of stimulating a new type of thought.
Many MBA courses, such as the one from The Graduate School of Business of the University of Chicago recommends the reading of The Alchemist to its students. This book has equally been adopted in schools in France, Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Taiwan, USA, Spain, etc.
The illustrated edition of The Alchemist, made by the artist Moebius, has already been released in many countries.
The book The Alchemist has been adopted in schools in more than 30 countries, offering special editions to students.
PAULO COELHO has managed to have three titles at the same time in bestselling lists in France, Brazil, Poland, Switzerland, Argentina, Greece, Croatia, and Russia.
The pope John Paulo II welcomed the author in the Vatican in 1998.
The World Economic Forum gave its most important prize to the author, the Crystal Award.
Coelho has a weekly column in the Brazilian newspaper O Globo and in several other newspapers around the globe. If you wish to make a free download of some of these columns, click here. If you wish to read these columns on line (Portuguese only), click here. If you wish to know in which countries these columns are published, click here.
In March 2000, the French government gave to the author its most prestigious title "Chevalier de L'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur"
IN January 2001, Paulo Coelho became member of the board in the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. This foundation favours social projects.
The life of PAULO COELHO has already been the theme of documentaries for the Irish TV (Seven Days - a Journey with Paulo Coelho), Japanese (The road of Kumano in February, The Road of Santiago in September), People & Arts Channel ( Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist of Word), A&E Mundo, TV Prima, amongst others.
Paulo Coelho has now his own drink: chocolate chaud with orange. It is a special homage paid to him by the Hotel Le Bristol's bar in Paris, which is a setting for some of the passages of his most recent novel The Zahir.
During the months of March, April, May and June, Paulo Coelho travelled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella in 1986. He also held surprise book signings - announced one day in advance - in some cities along the way, to have a chance to meet his readers. In ninety days of pilgrimage the author travelled around the globe and took the famous Transiberrian train that took him to Vladivostok. During this experience Paulo Coelho launched his blog Walking the Path in order to share with his readers his impressions.
In 2006, PAULO COELHO launched a compilation of tales, opinions and ideas called Be Like a Flowing River, based on his weekly columns. This book will be launched in most countries only in 2008, since his new book The Witch of Portobello, will have a worldwide release in 2007.
PEOPLE THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
William (Bill) H. Gates is chairman of Microsoft Corporation, the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft had revenues of US$44.28 billion for the fiscal year ending June 2006, and employs more than 71,000 people in 103 countries and regions.
On June 15, 2006, Microsoft announced that effective July 2008 Gates will transition out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. After July 2008 Gates will continue to serve as Microsoft’s chairman and an advisor on key development projects. The two-year transition process is to ensure that there is a smooth and orderly transfer of Gates’ daily responsibilities. Effective June 2006, Ray Ozzie has assumed Gates’ previous title as chief software architect and is working side by side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities at Microsoft. Craig Mundie has assumed the new title of chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft and is working closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company’s research and incubation efforts.
Born on Oct. 28, 1955, Gates grew up in Seattle with his two sisters. Their father, William H. Gates II, is a Seattle attorney. Their late mother, Mary Gates, was a schoolteacher, University of Washington regent, and chairwoman of United Way International.
Gates attended public elementary school and the private Lakeside School. There, he discovered his interest in software and began programming computers at age 13.
In 1973, Gates entered Harvard University as a freshman, where he lived down the hall from Steve Ballmer, now Microsoft's chief executive officer. While at Harvard, Gates developed a version of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer - the MITS Altair.
In his junior year, Gates left Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had begun in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers. Gates' foresight and his vision for personal computing have been central to the success of Microsoft and the software industry.
Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers. The company is committed to a long-term view, reflected in its investment of approximately $6.2 billion on research and development in the 2005 fiscal year.
In 1999, Gates wrote Business @ the Speed of Thought, a book that shows how computer technology can solve business problems in fundamentally new ways. The book was published in 25 languages and is available in more than 60 countries. Business @ the Speed of Thought has received wide critical acclaim, and was listed on the best-seller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and Amazon.com. Gates' previous book, The Road Ahead, published in 1995, held the No. 1 spot on the New York Times' bestseller list for seven weeks
Gates has donated the proceeds of both books to non-profit organizations that support the use of technology in education and skills development.
In addition to his love of computers and software, Gates founded Corbis, which is developing one of the world's largest resources of visual information - a comprehensive digital archive of art and photography from public and private collections around the globe. He is also a member of the board of directors of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which invests in companies engaged in diverse business activities.
Philanthropy is also important to Gates. He and his wife, Melinda, have endowed a foundation with more than $28.8 billion (as of January 2005) to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning, with the hope that in the 21st century, advances in these critical areas will be available for all people. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed more than $3.6 billion to organizations working in global health; more than $2 billion to improve learning opportunities, including the Gates Library Initiative to bring computers, Internet Access and training to public libraries in low-income communities in the United States and Canada; more than $477 million to community projects in the Pacific Northwest; and more than $488 million to special projects and annual giving campaigns.
Gates was married on Jan. 1, 1994, to Melinda French Gates. They have three children. Gates is an avid reader, and enjoys playing golf and bridge.
On June 15, 2006, Microsoft announced that effective July 2008 Gates will transition out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. After July 2008 Gates will continue to serve as Microsoft’s chairman and an advisor on key development projects. The two-year transition process is to ensure that there is a smooth and orderly transfer of Gates’ daily responsibilities. Effective June 2006, Ray Ozzie has assumed Gates’ previous title as chief software architect and is working side by side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities at Microsoft. Craig Mundie has assumed the new title of chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft and is working closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company’s research and incubation efforts.
Born on Oct. 28, 1955, Gates grew up in Seattle with his two sisters. Their father, William H. Gates II, is a Seattle attorney. Their late mother, Mary Gates, was a schoolteacher, University of Washington regent, and chairwoman of United Way International.
Gates attended public elementary school and the private Lakeside School. There, he discovered his interest in software and began programming computers at age 13.
In 1973, Gates entered Harvard University as a freshman, where he lived down the hall from Steve Ballmer, now Microsoft's chief executive officer. While at Harvard, Gates developed a version of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer - the MITS Altair.
In his junior year, Gates left Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had begun in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers. Gates' foresight and his vision for personal computing have been central to the success of Microsoft and the software industry.
Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers. The company is committed to a long-term view, reflected in its investment of approximately $6.2 billion on research and development in the 2005 fiscal year.
In 1999, Gates wrote Business @ the Speed of Thought, a book that shows how computer technology can solve business problems in fundamentally new ways. The book was published in 25 languages and is available in more than 60 countries. Business @ the Speed of Thought has received wide critical acclaim, and was listed on the best-seller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and Amazon.com. Gates' previous book, The Road Ahead, published in 1995, held the No. 1 spot on the New York Times' bestseller list for seven weeks
Gates has donated the proceeds of both books to non-profit organizations that support the use of technology in education and skills development.
In addition to his love of computers and software, Gates founded Corbis, which is developing one of the world's largest resources of visual information - a comprehensive digital archive of art and photography from public and private collections around the globe. He is also a member of the board of directors of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which invests in companies engaged in diverse business activities.
Philanthropy is also important to Gates. He and his wife, Melinda, have endowed a foundation with more than $28.8 billion (as of January 2005) to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning, with the hope that in the 21st century, advances in these critical areas will be available for all people. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed more than $3.6 billion to organizations working in global health; more than $2 billion to improve learning opportunities, including the Gates Library Initiative to bring computers, Internet Access and training to public libraries in low-income communities in the United States and Canada; more than $477 million to community projects in the Pacific Northwest; and more than $488 million to special projects and annual giving campaigns.
Gates was married on Jan. 1, 1994, to Melinda French Gates. They have three children. Gates is an avid reader, and enjoys playing golf and bridge.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
PEOPLE THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
Mother Teresa
The Nobel Peace Prize 1979
Biography
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje*, Macedonia, on August 27, 1910. Her family was of Albanian descent. At the age of twelve, she felt strongly the call of God. She knew she had to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ. At the age of eighteen she left her parental home in Skopje and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India. After a few months' training in Dublin she was sent to India, where on May 24, 1931, she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1931 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls made such a deep impression on her that in 1948 she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her to extend the scope of her work.
On October 7, 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Holy See to start her own order, "The Missionaries of Charity", whose primary task was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after. In 1965 the Society became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI.
Today the order comprises Active and Contemplative branches of Sisters and Brothers in many countries. In 1963 both the Contemplative branch of the Sisters and the Active branch of the Brothers was founded. In 1979 the Contemplative branch of the Brothers was added, and in 1984 the Priest branch was established.
The Society of Missionaries has spread all over the world, including the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. They provide effective help to the poorest of the poor in a number of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and they undertake relief work in the wake of natural catastrophes such as floods, epidemics, and famine, and for refugees. The order also has houses in North America, Europe and Australia, where they take care of the shut-ins, alcoholics, homeless, and AIDS sufferers.
The Missionaries of Charity throughout the world are aided and assisted by Co-Workers who became an official International Association on March 29, 1969. By the 1990s there were over one million Co-Workers in more than 40 countries. Along with the Co-Workers, the lay Missionaries of Charity try to follow Mother Teresa's spirit and charism in their families.
Mother Teresa's work has been recognised and acclaimed throughout the world and she has received a number of awards and distinctions, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971) and the Nehru Prize for her promotion of international peace and understanding (1972). She also received the Balzan Prize (1979) and the Templeton and Magsaysay awards.
The Nobel Peace Prize 1979
Biography
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje*, Macedonia, on August 27, 1910. Her family was of Albanian descent. At the age of twelve, she felt strongly the call of God. She knew she had to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ. At the age of eighteen she left her parental home in Skopje and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India. After a few months' training in Dublin she was sent to India, where on May 24, 1931, she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1931 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls made such a deep impression on her that in 1948 she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her to extend the scope of her work.
On October 7, 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Holy See to start her own order, "The Missionaries of Charity", whose primary task was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after. In 1965 the Society became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI.
Today the order comprises Active and Contemplative branches of Sisters and Brothers in many countries. In 1963 both the Contemplative branch of the Sisters and the Active branch of the Brothers was founded. In 1979 the Contemplative branch of the Brothers was added, and in 1984 the Priest branch was established.
The Society of Missionaries has spread all over the world, including the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. They provide effective help to the poorest of the poor in a number of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and they undertake relief work in the wake of natural catastrophes such as floods, epidemics, and famine, and for refugees. The order also has houses in North America, Europe and Australia, where they take care of the shut-ins, alcoholics, homeless, and AIDS sufferers.
The Missionaries of Charity throughout the world are aided and assisted by Co-Workers who became an official International Association on March 29, 1969. By the 1990s there were over one million Co-Workers in more than 40 countries. Along with the Co-Workers, the lay Missionaries of Charity try to follow Mother Teresa's spirit and charism in their families.
Mother Teresa's work has been recognised and acclaimed throughout the world and she has received a number of awards and distinctions, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971) and the Nehru Prize for her promotion of international peace and understanding (1972). She also received the Balzan Prize (1979) and the Templeton and Magsaysay awards.
mind tools
Learn Time Management
- Learn how to manage your workload and maximize your effectiveness.
- Learn how to manage your workload and maximize your effectiveness.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Know some writers
Günter Grass
The Nobel Prize in Literature 1999
Biography
Günter Grass was born in 1927 in Danzig-Langfuhr of Polish-German parents. After military service and captivity by American forces 1944-46, he worked as a farm labourer and miner and studied art in Düsseldorf and Berlin. 1956-59 he made his living as a sculptor, graphic artist and writer in Paris, and subsequently Berlin. In 1955 Grass became a member of the socially critical Gruppe 47 (later described with great warmth in The Meeting at Telgte), his first poetry was published in 1956 and his first play produced in 1957. His major international breakthrough came in 1959 with his allegorical and wide-ranging picaresque novel The Tin Drum (filmed by Schlöndorff), a satirical panorama of German reality during the first half of this century, which, with Cat and Mouse and Dog Years, was to form what is called the Danzig Trilogy.
In the 1960s Grass became active in politics, participating in election campaigns on behalf of the Social Democrat party and Willy Brandt. He dealt with the responsibility of intellectuals in Local Anaesthetic, From the Diary of a Snail and in his "German tragedy" The Plebeians Rehearse the Uprising, and published political speeches and essays in which he advocated a Germany free from fanaticism and totalitarian ideologies. His childhood home, Danzig, and his broad and suggestive fabulations were to reappear in two successful novels criticising civilisation, The Flounder and The Rat, which reflect Grass's commitment to the peace movement and the environmental movement. Vehement debate and criticism were aroused by his mammoth novel Ein weites Feld which is set in the DDR in the years of the collapse of communism and the fall of the Berlin wall. In My Century he presents the history of the past century from a personal point of view, year by year. As a graphic artist, Grass has often been responsible for the covers and illustrations for his own works.
Grass was President of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin 1983-86, active within the German Authors' Publishing Company and PEN. He has been awarded a large number of prizes, among them Preis der Gruppe 47 1958, "Le meilleur livre étranger" 1962, the Büchner Prize 1965, the Fontane Prize 1968, Premio Internazionale Mondello 1977, the Alexander-Majakowski Medal, Gdansk 1979, the Antonio Feltrinelli Prize 1982, Großer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie 1994. He has honorary doctorates from Kenyon College and the Universities of Harvard, Poznan and Gdansk.
The Nobel Prize in Literature 1999
Biography
Günter Grass was born in 1927 in Danzig-Langfuhr of Polish-German parents. After military service and captivity by American forces 1944-46, he worked as a farm labourer and miner and studied art in Düsseldorf and Berlin. 1956-59 he made his living as a sculptor, graphic artist and writer in Paris, and subsequently Berlin. In 1955 Grass became a member of the socially critical Gruppe 47 (later described with great warmth in The Meeting at Telgte), his first poetry was published in 1956 and his first play produced in 1957. His major international breakthrough came in 1959 with his allegorical and wide-ranging picaresque novel The Tin Drum (filmed by Schlöndorff), a satirical panorama of German reality during the first half of this century, which, with Cat and Mouse and Dog Years, was to form what is called the Danzig Trilogy.
In the 1960s Grass became active in politics, participating in election campaigns on behalf of the Social Democrat party and Willy Brandt. He dealt with the responsibility of intellectuals in Local Anaesthetic, From the Diary of a Snail and in his "German tragedy" The Plebeians Rehearse the Uprising, and published political speeches and essays in which he advocated a Germany free from fanaticism and totalitarian ideologies. His childhood home, Danzig, and his broad and suggestive fabulations were to reappear in two successful novels criticising civilisation, The Flounder and The Rat, which reflect Grass's commitment to the peace movement and the environmental movement. Vehement debate and criticism were aroused by his mammoth novel Ein weites Feld which is set in the DDR in the years of the collapse of communism and the fall of the Berlin wall. In My Century he presents the history of the past century from a personal point of view, year by year. As a graphic artist, Grass has often been responsible for the covers and illustrations for his own works.
Grass was President of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin 1983-86, active within the German Authors' Publishing Company and PEN. He has been awarded a large number of prizes, among them Preis der Gruppe 47 1958, "Le meilleur livre étranger" 1962, the Büchner Prize 1965, the Fontane Prize 1968, Premio Internazionale Mondello 1977, the Alexander-Majakowski Medal, Gdansk 1979, the Antonio Feltrinelli Prize 1982, Großer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie 1994. He has honorary doctorates from Kenyon College and the Universities of Harvard, Poznan and Gdansk.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Know some writers..OCTAVIO PAZ
BiographyOctavio Paz was born in 1914 in Mexico City. On his father's side, his grandfather was a prominent liberal intellectual and one of the first authors to write a novel with an expressly Indian theme. Thanks to his grandfather's extensive library, Paz came into early contact with literature. Like his grandfather, his father was also an active political journalist who, together with other progressive intellectuals, joined the agrarian uprisings led by Emiliano Zapata.
Paz began to write at an early age, and in 1937, he travelled to Valencia, Spain, to participate in the Second International Congress of Anti-Fascist Writers. Upon his return to Mexico in 1938, he became one of the founders of the journal, Taller (Workshop), a magazine which signaled the emergence of a new generation of writers in Mexico as well as a new literary sensibility. In 1943, he travelled to the USA on a Guggenheim Fellowship where he became immersed in Anglo-American Modernist poetry; two years later, he entered the Mexican diplomatic service and was sent to France, where he wrote his fundamental study of Mexican identity, The Labyrinth of Solitude, and actively participated (together with Andre Breton and Benjamin Peret) in various activities and publications organized by the surrealists. In 1962, Paz was appointed Mexican ambassador to India: an important moment in both the poet's life and work, as witnessed in various books written during his stay there, especially, The Grammarian Monkey and East Slope. In 1968, however, he resigned from the diplomatic service in protest against the government's bloodstained supression of the student demonstrations in Tlatelolco during the Olympic Games in Mexico. Since then, Paz has continued his work as an editor and publisher, having founded two important magazines dedicated to the arts and politics: Plural (1971-1976) and Vuelta, which he has been publishing since 1976. In 1980, he was named honorary doctor at Harvard. Recent prizes include the Cervantes award in 1981 - the most important award in the Spanish-speaking world - and the prestigious American Neustadt Prize in 1982.
Paz is a poet and an essayist. His poetic corpus is nourished by the belief that poetry constitutes "the secret religion of the modern age." Eliot Weinberger has written that, for Paz, "the revolution of the word is the revolution of the world, and that both cannot exist without the revolution of the body: life as art, a return to the mythic lost unity of thought and body, man and nature, I and the other." His is a poetry written within the perpetual motion and transparencies of the eternal present tense. Paz's poetry has been collected in Poemas 1935-1975 (1981) and Collected Poems, 1957-1987 (1987). A remarkable prose stylist, Paz has written a prolific body of essays, including several book-length studies, in poetics, literary and art criticism, as well as on Mexican history, politics and culture.
Paz began to write at an early age, and in 1937, he travelled to Valencia, Spain, to participate in the Second International Congress of Anti-Fascist Writers. Upon his return to Mexico in 1938, he became one of the founders of the journal, Taller (Workshop), a magazine which signaled the emergence of a new generation of writers in Mexico as well as a new literary sensibility. In 1943, he travelled to the USA on a Guggenheim Fellowship where he became immersed in Anglo-American Modernist poetry; two years later, he entered the Mexican diplomatic service and was sent to France, where he wrote his fundamental study of Mexican identity, The Labyrinth of Solitude, and actively participated (together with Andre Breton and Benjamin Peret) in various activities and publications organized by the surrealists. In 1962, Paz was appointed Mexican ambassador to India: an important moment in both the poet's life and work, as witnessed in various books written during his stay there, especially, The Grammarian Monkey and East Slope. In 1968, however, he resigned from the diplomatic service in protest against the government's bloodstained supression of the student demonstrations in Tlatelolco during the Olympic Games in Mexico. Since then, Paz has continued his work as an editor and publisher, having founded two important magazines dedicated to the arts and politics: Plural (1971-1976) and Vuelta, which he has been publishing since 1976. In 1980, he was named honorary doctor at Harvard. Recent prizes include the Cervantes award in 1981 - the most important award in the Spanish-speaking world - and the prestigious American Neustadt Prize in 1982.
Paz is a poet and an essayist. His poetic corpus is nourished by the belief that poetry constitutes "the secret religion of the modern age." Eliot Weinberger has written that, for Paz, "the revolution of the word is the revolution of the world, and that both cannot exist without the revolution of the body: life as art, a return to the mythic lost unity of thought and body, man and nature, I and the other." His is a poetry written within the perpetual motion and transparencies of the eternal present tense. Paz's poetry has been collected in Poemas 1935-1975 (1981) and Collected Poems, 1957-1987 (1987). A remarkable prose stylist, Paz has written a prolific body of essays, including several book-length studies, in poetics, literary and art criticism, as well as on Mexican history, politics and culture.
Friday, March 9, 2007
The Beggar Man
On my way to work,my eyes wander to various sights
There always sits a beggar man next to a shop
He sits outstretching his arms
I dig in my pocket to give him alms
The beggar man is my everyday sight
He gives me a smile that is just so right
We are blessed with everything in life
Yet we do not smile as if there is a strife
The beggar has wealth nor health
Yet the smile on his face is heartfelt
For sometime the beggar man is seen nowhere
I feel something missing,
Ilook around and stare
The shopkeeper tells me he died
Silently I pause,he will no more be in my sight
I will miss him,I do not know why
Seeing him was a habit,
I feel to cry
The beggar man taught me to smile and to forget lifes worry awhile
Philip Joshua
On my way to work,my eyes wander to various sights
There always sits a beggar man next to a shop
He sits outstretching his arms
I dig in my pocket to give him alms
The beggar man is my everyday sight
He gives me a smile that is just so right
We are blessed with everything in life
Yet we do not smile as if there is a strife
The beggar has wealth nor health
Yet the smile on his face is heartfelt
For sometime the beggar man is seen nowhere
I feel something missing,
Ilook around and stare
The shopkeeper tells me he died
Silently I pause,he will no more be in my sight
I will miss him,I do not know why
Seeing him was a habit,
I feel to cry
The beggar man taught me to smile and to forget lifes worry awhile
Philip Joshua
Thursday, February 1, 2007
poem
TO A DEAF CHILD
Your eyes speak, my dear child
A language of love so mild
As you make signs in the air
You look like an angel so fair
I get connected to you in silence
You create a loving ambience
What I miss in this world I find in you
As silent and fresh as the morning dew
The language of love pours out from you
Reaching out to the world through signs
God has made you to calm this world
Others pause and reflect in your silence
Emotions hidden in you burst out
Hands and love are your alphabets
You have a silent passion
Love filled with action
What if there is no hearing
Your life is so caring
Soar like the kite, my child
Reach for the open sky
Break the shackles of life
Free yourself from strife
Philip Joshua
Philip1957@gmail.com
Your eyes speak, my dear child
A language of love so mild
As you make signs in the air
You look like an angel so fair
I get connected to you in silence
You create a loving ambience
What I miss in this world I find in you
As silent and fresh as the morning dew
The language of love pours out from you
Reaching out to the world through signs
God has made you to calm this world
Others pause and reflect in your silence
Emotions hidden in you burst out
Hands and love are your alphabets
You have a silent passion
Love filled with action
What if there is no hearing
Your life is so caring
Soar like the kite, my child
Reach for the open sky
Break the shackles of life
Free yourself from strife
Philip Joshua
Philip1957@gmail.com
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)