Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Tough Men of Timber

The tough men of timber: Black and white photos capture the arduous lives of 1800s lumberjacks who felled enormous trees using only hand tools and brute strength

By Dailymail.com Reporter, www.dailymail.co.uk
December 15th, 2015

Lumberjack style has recently come back in vogue, with city slickers and suburbanites donning the flannel shirts of the profession as a way to look rugged.

However, a series of photos reveal the grueling work that loggers put in during the 1800s and beginning of the 20th century, toiling through hard lives away from their families while living in camps with their coworkers.

Conservation efforts would eventually put a stop to the felling of magnificent redwood trees in places such as northern California, but logging became a huge industry across many parts of the nation as companies looked to supply wood for new housing in growing urban centers..

Lumberjacks, many of whom came from farms before heading to the woods to make money logging, took pride in the trees they cut and posed for pictures on massive stumps using the growing technology of photography.

While the work was dangerous, the woodworkers also developed sports such as logrolling that are still practiced by outdoorsmen in competitions today.

Though the job of lumberjacks has since largely been mechanized, below are photos of lumberjacks from the turn of the last century as they looked to make their mark on America using only hand tools.

Taking pictures on the stumps of trees recently cut down became a tradition for lumberjacks of the 1800s and early 1900s

Above, five loggers sit on the stump of a tree that they fell in Deming, Washington in 1925 as the scattered limbs of other trees lie around

The logging industry accelerated quickly in the 1800s as more wood was needed for settlers expansion westward towards California and the Pacific Northwest

The sheer amount of trees cut around the turn of the 20th century was staggering. Above, a logger almost blends in with the cut trees

Logging has largely become mechanized now, thanks to technological advancements in the 20th century. Above, loggers in Minnesota in 1937 look for a strong log to build a loading boom

In the early 20th century, loggers used hand tools such as two-men saws (Top) to carve into trees that dwarfed them in size

Loggers had to use teamwork to move that large pillars of wood. Above, a group in the 1930s moves a log into a river in West Virginia

Lumberjacks developed a reputation for being the manliest of men because of the danger of their work and the strength required to do it

The lumberjacks would often leave their families and live in camps where hundreds of their fellow workers relaxed between grueling shifts

Above, loggers in 1892 standing in the trunk of a tree they chopped down at Camp Badger in Tulare County, California. The tree went to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago the next year

Above, loggers sit on chunks of trees that they chopped down while looking around at the remaining forest surrounding them

Above, three loggers in 1900 stand next to a large fir log which has been cut using a sawing machine in Sedro-Woolley, Washington

The loggers would used the system of American rivers to ship the massive quantities of wood to sawmills where it would be turned to lumber

The lumberjacks had to worry about log jams stopping the flow of the product downriver. Above, loggers in Idaho clear a jam in the 1930s

Above, several log rollers in the 1930s break up a log jam on the Little Fork River during the last log drive on that river in Koochiching County, Minnesota

The primitive methods of felling and moving trees developed in the 1800s (top) would eventually be changed by technology including trucks (bottom)

Conservation would eventually stop lumberjacks from downing some of the nation's more majestic trees, such as this Giant Sequoia undercut in 1902

Above, a team of horses pulls a sled filled up with red and white pine logs in Red Lake County, Minnesota, at the beginning of the 20th century

Horses were often the hardest workers on many of the logging camps, pulling trees such as these ones seen on a carrying vessel in 1890

Logging took place all over the country, including in the South in spots such as Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. Above, the parish in 1904

Above, a crew stands among cut old growth longleaf pine near the settlement of Neame, now called Anacoco, in Vernon Parish, Louisiana

Above, loggers in Michigan load a series of white pine logs onto a train to be carried to a sawmill

Above, a crew in 1900 Washington state poses next to a donkey engine used for yarding logs, or gathering logs together after they are cut

Above, a logger unloads a cypress log at Watertown, Osceola National Forest, Florida, in 1937

Above, JW Edwards of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, poses with his ax in 1942. He was a life-long timber cutter

Daredevil Fitness Fanatic

Abs-olutely terrifying! Fitness fanatic works out his stomach muscles by dangling 10,000 FEET above Brazilian beach by his feet

By Julian Robinson For Mailonline, www.dailymail.co.uk
December 15th, 2015

This daredevil fitness fanatic showed no fear as he worked out his stomach muscles - by dangling upside down over a 10,000ft drop.

Spectacular pictures show Luis Fernando Candela hanging by his feet and using his abs to hold himself in position high above a beach at Pedra do Telegrafo, Brazil.

Candela, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was photographed by his terrified girlfriend performing what he described as his 'most dangerous' stunt yet.

Terrifying: Luis Fernando Candela showed no fear as he worked out his stomach muscles - by dangling upside down over a 10,000ft drop

Spectacular: Pictures show Luis Fernando Candela using his abs to hold himself in position high above a beach at Pedra do Telegrafo, Brazil.

The pictures show Candela hanging from a cliff face with spectacular views of the Pedra Branca national park in the background.

He used his incredible strength to stay still as he dangled over the edge of the rock on November 21.

He said: 'This is by far the most dangerous stunt I've tried. The only thing that was keeping me up was my strength - all the weights I've tried in the gym were building up to this moment.

Daredevil: The fitness fanatic used his incredible strength to stay still as he dangled over the edge of the rock on November 21

Selfie: Candela (pictured) trained for years building up for this stunt and admits that it is not for the faint-hearted

Candela (pictured in Rio de Janeiro) was photographed by his terrified girlfriend performing what he described as his 'most dangerous' stunt yet

'My girlfriend was terrified but I was determined to get the photo.'

Candela trained for years building up for this stunt and admits that it's not for the faint-hearted.

He said: 'I'd recommend it to anyone, it's an amazing sense of achievement. You've got to know what you're doing though because if you fall you've had it - the drop is too much.

'I've been doing it for years now and love it- you only get one life so you have to live it, there's no fun in being boring. The experience was amazing - terrifying, but amazing.'
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NOTE : It has now come out that the fitness fanatic's photos are trick of the camera. He was actually only a few feet above a plateau.
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How to Avoid Losing Your Suitcase when You Fly

TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID LOSING YOUR SUITCASE

1. Keep it simple

The nicer your luggage, the more irresistible it’s going to be to a thief. Play it safe, choose a less flashy bag and the chances of it being ‘accidentally’ picked up by the wrong person are much lower.

2. Avoid an identity crisis

Make sure no-one picks up your lookalike bag by mistake.

Here are a few suggestions: tie a bright red scarf around the handle; attach sticky labels everywhere and mark your name on them with highlighters (the brighter the better); buy a colourful luggage strap to wrap around your bags (there are several brands available) or get creative with some neon duct tape. Believe us, thieves will avoid your work of art in favour of something more discreet.

3. Avoid flashy padlocks

A big and bright green flashy padlock attached to your suitcase will not avoid it getting lost. On the contrary, once you have checked it in and it’s out of your sight for hours that padlock will draw too much attention to your case.

Don’t make it look like you are carrying something valuable and your suitcase will most likely go unnoticed.

4. Your phone is your best friend

Before falling asleep in a taxi, ask the driver how long the ride should take and set up an alarm on your phone to wake you up with the word ’luggage’ in capital letters. When it goes off, you may be a bit drowsy but, there is no way you will leave your suitcase behind.

A big and bright green flashy padlock attached to your suitcase will not avoid it getting lost

5. Check your luggage labels

After you’ve checked in your suitcase, the airline attendant sends it off and you’re ready to begin your holiday. But just before you reach for that Pina Colada, ask to quickly check that your luggage label ID matches your flight number and destination – human errors can happen.

Checking now could save lots of pain later. And don’t lose it – sticking the label slip to your passport is a good way to keep hold of it.

6. Divide and conquer

If you’re not travelling alone, one way to minimise the pain of lost luggage is by dividing your belongings between suitcases.

7. Be prepared for any lost luggage eventuality

Although it feels a little over the top, researching and printing out the contact numbers for the airline is a good way to minimise the stress when you land at your destination and find your luggage is on holiday somewhere else.

The baggage handlers at the airport are there to help you, but relocating your luggage and getting it back to you is the responsibility of the airline.

8. Listen to your mother

You may not want to admit it, but your mother was right. Never, ever, stash important documents - cash, credit cards etc - in your luggage.

9. Get technology on your case

A simple luggage tracker, like TRACE ME, which integrates with the worldwide airline baggage system to identify your bag even if you lose your luggage tags.

Smart luggage tags with microchips embedded in them, like the ReboundTag.

Or how about the ultimate in luggage protection systems, Bag2Go? This amazing system actually embeds a satellite tracker in your case and communicates with an app in your smartphone so you’ll always know exactly where your precious is hiding.

Monday, December 14, 2015

Brain Growing into NOSE

The real life Pinocchio: Toddler is born with his brain growing into his NOSE due to his skull not forming properly

By Kate Pickles For Mailonline, www.dailymail.co.uk

December 14th, 2015

A toddler whose brain grew inside his nose has been described as the 'real-life Pinocchio' by his proud mother.

Ollie Trezise, from Maesteg, Wales, was born with a rare condition which caused his brain to grow through a crack in his skull into his nose.

The 21-month-old has been forced to undergo several painful operations to help him to breathe and close the gap in his skull.

Ollie Trezise has a rare defect called encephalocele, where a sac-like protrusion or projection of the brain and the membranes that cover it, comes through an opening in the skull

But his mother, Amy Poole, 22, said the brave tot has been bombarded with cruel comments from strangers.

One even said he 'should never have been born' while other taunted him, calling him 'ugly.'

'It's absolutely heart-breaking. Once, a woman told me I should never have given birth to him. I nearly burst into tears,' said the full-time mother-of-two.

'To me, Ollie is perfect. He is my little real-life Pinocchio and I couldn't be prouder of him.'

Miss Poole first discovered that something was different about Ollie at her 20-week scan when doctors told her he had unexpected soft tissue growing on his face.

However, she was still shocked by his condition after giving birth to him at the University Hospital of Wales in February 2014.

Miss Poole, who has since split from Ollie's father, said: 'When they gave me Ollie to hold, I was so surprised that I almost couldn't speak.

'He was so tiny, but there was this enormous golf-ball sized lump on his nose.

'At first I wasn't sure how I would cope. But I knew that I would love him no matter what he looked like.'

An MRI scan later confirmed that the lump was an encephalocele, which is a defect that causes the brain to grow through a hole in the skull, creating a protruding sac.

Ollie has had several operations to fix the opening in his skull, causing part of the brain to grow through the gap

Doctors picked up the soft tissue growing on his face during the 20 week scan, left. Despite being warned of his condition, mother Amy Poole said it still came as a shock when he was born last year

The defect is extremely rare with just 1.7 in every 10,000 births in the UK. It is caused by part of the skull not fusing properly but is more common at the back of the skull

In Ollie's case the sac had grown on his nose, causing it to stick out.

Over the next nine months, as Ollie's body grew, so did his nose – just like Pinocchio.

Doctors told his terrified mother that they needed to operate on Ollie to open up his nasal passage and enable him to breathe properly.

'I was so scared to let Ollie undergo such major surgery. He was so fragile, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing him,' she said.

'But doctors explained that he was at risk of contracting an infection or even meningitis if he tripped and knocked his nose – so I agreed to the surgery.'

In November 2014, he underwent the successful two-hour operation at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

The surgery involved cutting open his skull to remove the excess sac of brain fluid and rebuild his nose.

Ollie was born with an encephalocele - where part of his brain was coming through a gap in his skull

Ollie has always been a smiley boy, despite having to go through several surgeries due to his condition

Ollie, who is now 21-months-old, before surgery to fix his condition, pictured with his sister Annabelle, four

The toddler has been subjected to cruel taunts by strangers with one saying mother Amy (right) 'should never have had him.' She is telling his story to raise awareness and stop others being bullied

Due to the rarity of the condition, treatment is only available at Birmingham and three other specialist centres in the UK: Great Ormond Street, Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool and The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Amy said: 'After the operation, Ollie had a huge zig-zag scar across his head. He must have been in so much pain, but he just kept smiling and laughing.

'His positivity made it so much easier for me.'

Now fully recovered, Ollie is a bubbly little boy who loves splashing in his paddling pool and playing with his four-year-old sister, Annabelle.

Miss Poole said: 'He is such a character and always has me in fits of laughter. Plus he and Annabelle are best friends – they're always getting up to mischief.

Once, a woman told me I should never have given birth to him. I nearly burst into tears,' said the full-time mother-of-two

Amy Poole, 22

'Annabelle is even jealous of Ollie's nose as it gets him lots of attention. Sometimes I catch her grabbing it when she thinks I'm not looking.'

His mother is now keen to spread awareness of the condition to prevent other children from being bullied.

She said: 'I don't want other kids to face the nasty comments that Ollie has, and I think the best way to combat this is by educating people.

'I'd much prefer if people asked me why Ollie looks the way he does, rather than just telling me is ugly or pointing and staring.'

The youngster will need further operations in the future but doctors are waiting to see how his skull develops before performing any more invasive surgery.

'We have regular check-ups at the hospital, and things are going really well.

'Ollie will probably never look like all the other children and I'm terrified that he will be bullied at school. But he is such a lovely boy that it's impossible not to adore him.

'I think he is absolutely perfect the way he is. There is nothing wrong with being different.

'Ollie is a unique, clever, funny little boy and he amazes me every day. He is my special little Pinocchio, and I will never stop loving him.'

Martin Evans, clinical lead for craniofacial surgery at Birmingham Children's Hospital, said: 'Cases like Ollie's are incredibly rare. I see perhaps one per year.

'We are very pleased that the operation was a success, and wish him all the best for the future.'

Ollie's mother, Amy Poole, 22, said: 'He is such a character and always has me in fits of laughter'

Ollie has undergone several painful operations at Birmingham Children's Hospital to fix the condition

The 21-month-old has regular check-ups at the hospital and doctors are pleased with his progress

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WHAT IS AN ENCEPHALOCELE?

Encephaloceles are rare birth defects associated with skull defects caused by partial lacking of bone fusion leaving a gap through which a portion of the brain sticks out (protrudes).

In some cases, cerebrospinal fluid or the membranes that cover the brain (meninges) may also protrude through this gap.

The portion of the brain that sticks outside the skull is usually covered by skin or a thin membrane so that the defect resembles a small sac.

Protruding tissue may be located on any part of the head, but most often affects the back of the skull (occipital area).

Most encephaloceles are large and significant birth defects that are diagnosed before birth.

However, in extremely rare cases, some encephaloceles may be small and go unnoticed.

The exact cause of encephaloceles is unknown, but most likely the disorder results from the combination of several factors.

Incidences are rare with about 1.7 in every 10,000 births in the UK.

Encephalocele treatment in most cases is surgery to put the part of the brain that is outside the skull back into place and close the opening.

Neurosurgeons often can repair even large encephaloceles without causing the baby to lose further ability to function.

Source: Rarediseases.org

Sunday, December 13, 2015

જીવતાં આવડે તો જીવન આનંદ ઉત્સવ, નહીંતર દુ:ખનો દરિયો - મહેન્દ્ર પુનાતર

જિન દર્શન - મહેન્દ્ર પુનાતર

ભગવાન મહાવીરનું બધા જીવો પ્રત્યેનું કથન છે કે તમે જ તમારા ભાગ્યવિધાતા છો.

તમારું શરીર ર્જીણ થઈ રહ્યું છે. વાળ સફેદ થઈ રહ્યા છે અને સર્વ પ્રકારે તમારું બળ ક્ષીણ થઈ રહ્યું છે. હવે ક્ષણ માત્રનો પ્રમાદ ન કરો.

મનુષ્યનાં બધાં સારાં કાર્ય સફળ થાય છે. કરેલાં કર્મને ભોગવ્યા વિના મુક્તિ નથી. તમે તમારા આત્માને જ વશ કરો. જેથી બધા દુ:ખોમાંથી છૂટકારો મળશે. ક્રોધ, માન, માયા અને લોભ

આ ચાર શત્રુઓ છે તેના પર વિજય એ આત્મવિજય છે.

આપણે જ આપણા ભાગ્યવિધાતા છીએ. આપણે જેવું કરીએ છીએ તેવું પામીએ છીએ. સારું કરીશું તો સારું પ્રાપ્ત થશે. જીવનનો આ નિયમ છે. ધર્મ આપણને જીવન જીવવાનો માર્ગ બતાવે છે. સુખ અને દુ:ખ આપણી પોતાની સર્જત છે. જેવી આપણી આકાંક્ષા હોય એવું મળે છે. કામ, ક્રોધ, લોભ અને મોહ આપણને સારું હકીકતમાં જેવું છે તેવું જોવા દેતો નથી. જીવન જેવું છે તેવું સ્વીકારવું એ જ મુક્તિ, શાંતિ અને સ્વર્ગ છે.

જીવનમાં આપણને શેની ઈચ્છા છે? શું જોઈએ છે? માણસ અમુક ઉંમરે પહોંચે છે એટલે મોટા ભાગનું કાર્ય પૂરું થઈ જાય છે. શક્તિ અને ક્ષમતા મુજબ જે કાંઈ મળવાનું હતું તે મળી જાય છે. પછીના જે વર્ષો હોય છે તે નફાના હોય છે. નફાને નુકસાન ગણીને ચાલીએ તો દુ:ખી થઈ જઈએ. જીવનના આ વર્ષોમાં જંજાળ ન છોડીએ અને બધું પકડી રાખીને બેસી રહીએ અને અંત સમયે અફસોસ કરીએ તો કેમ ચાલે. આપણે શા માટે જીવીએ છીએ, ધન એકઠું કરવા માટે? કીર્તિ અને પ્રસિદ્ધિ માટે? સંતાનોને સલાહ આપવા માટે? હજુ કયા માન, ચાંદ મેળવવાના બાકી છે? અત્યાર સુધી જે જીવન જીવ્યા હતા તે ખરેખર જીવન હતું? હવે થોડું પોતાના માટે જીવવું છે કે? અત્યાર સુધી આટાપાટા ખેલ્યા, હવે સત્કાર્યો કરી પુણ્યનું ભાથું બંધાવવું છે કે? ૫૦ કે ૬૦ના આરે પહોંચેલા દરેક માણસે આ અંગે વિચાર કરવો જોઈએ.

શરૂઆતના વર્ષોમાં ધન, પદ અને પ્રતિષ્ઠા માટે જેટલા ઉધામા કરવાના હતા તે કરી નાખ્યા. જુઠ્ઠી શાન શોહરતમાં અને આડંબરમાં જીવ્યા અને જીવનના કિંમતી વર્ષો ગુમાવી દીધાં. હવે બાકીનાં વર્ષોમાં જીવનને માણીએ. મસ્ત બનીને રહીએ. જે આપણને મળ્યું છે અને જે આપણી પાસે છે તેનો અહેસાસ અનુભવીએ. સંતોષથી રહીએ. ચિંતા, ભય, રાગ-દ્વેષ છોડીને શાંતિ અને આનંદથી જીવન પસાર કરીએ તો તેના જેવું બીજું કોઈ સુખ નથી.

જીવનનાં બધાં કામો યોગ્ય સમયે કરી લેવાના હોય છે. સમય અને સંજોગો બધા સમયે સરખા રહેતા નથી. પરિસ્થિતિ પલટાયા કરે છે. કાળનું ચક્ર ફર્યા કરે છે. તમારી પાસે શું છે અને કેટલું પ્રાપ્ત કર્યું છે તેનું બહુ મહત્ત્વ નથી. પણ તમે તેનો કેટલો આનંદ માણ્યો તેમાંથી કેટલું સુખ મેળવ્યું તેનું મહત્ત્વ છે. જીવનની બધી જ આપાધાપી સુખ મેળવવા કરીએ છીએ અને છેવટે દુ:ખ વહોરી લઈએ છીએ, કારણ કે સુખને આપણે ધન, પદ, કીર્તિ અને પ્રસિદ્ધિમાં સિમીત કરી નાખ્યું છે. આપણે એમ સમજીએ છીએ આ બધું. મળે એટલે સુખી થઈ ગયા, પરંતુ જ્યારે આ બધું મળી જાય છે ત્યારે ખ્યાલ આવે છે કે ધારતા હતા એવું સુખ આમાં નથી. માણસ વિચાર કરે છે ધન, દૌલત, સંપત્તિ બધું મેળવી લઈએ પછી સુખેથી જીવશું, પરંતુ એવો સમય કોઈને માટે કદી આવતો નથી. ઉંમર થાય પછી શક્તિઓ ક્ષીણ થતી જાય છે. કહેવાતું સુખ હોય તો પણ માણી શકાતું નથી.

જીવન માટે ભવિષ્યનું કોઈ મહત્ત્વ નથી. વર્તમાન જ મહત્ત્વનો છે. આજે આપણી પાસે જે કાંઈ છે તેનો ઉપયોગ કરી લેવો જોઈએ. ભવિષ્યની ચિંતામાં આજના સુખને જતું કરવા એ ખોટનો સોદો છે. વર્તમાનમાં રહેવામાં અને માણવામાં જીવનની સાર્થકતા છે. ધર્મ, પુણ્ય અને કોઈ સારું કામ કરવું હોય તો આજ કરી લેવું જોઈએ. આજનો ભાવ કાલ પર ઠેલી શકાય નહીં. આજે જે અવસર છે તે કાલે આવવાનો નથી.

પ્રતિક્ષણ જગત બદલાયા કરે છે. પરિસ્થિતિ પલટાયા કરે છે. સમયની રફ્તારમાં મનુષ્યની ગતિ ધીમી છે. એટલે ઘણું કરવાનું બાકી રહી જશે. પરંતુ તેનો અફસોસ કરવાથી કોઈ ફાયદો નથી. ભલાઈ અને સારાઈ માટે આવતીકાલની રાહ જોવાની જરૂર નથી. કાલ આવશે ત્યારે માણસ વધુ કમજોર બની ગયો હશે. આજે જે કામ, ક્રોધ, ઘૃણા અને જલન છે તે કાલે વધુ માત્રામાં હશે. સમયની સાથે માણસ નબળો પડતો જાય છે અને દુર્ગુણોની જડ વધુ મજબૂત બનતી જાય છે. ક્રોધ અને અહંકારને આજે જો જીતી ન શકાય તો આવતીકાલે તેના પર વિજય મેળવવાનું વધુ કઠીન બની જશે.

મનુષ્યને ઘણી પ્રગતિ કરી છે. સુખ સગવડતાના અનેક સાધનો હાંસલ કર્યા છે. આમ છતાં રાગ-દ્વેષ, માન-અભિમાન, દુ:ખ પીડા, ચિંતા - એકલતા અને શાંતિ માટેની ઝંખના વગેરે એના એ જ રહ્યા છે. જગતમાં શું બની રહ્યું છે. તેના કરતાં આપણી અંદર શું બની રહ્યું છે. તે વિચારવું જોઈએ. જીવનના બધા સુખો મળશે, પરંતુ પ્રેમ, સ્નેહ અને સહાનુભૂતિ જો નહીં મળે તો આ સુખનો આનંદ માણી શકાશે નહીં. પ્રેમ એ જીવનનું અમૃત છે. ઘણાં માણસો પ્રેમ, સ્નેહ હૂંફ ન મળવાના કારણે સમય કરતા વહેલા મરતા હોય છે. સ્વાર્થ, લોભ અને અહંકાર સાથે પ્રેમ રહી શકતો નથી. આ બધું વિસર્જિત થાય ત્યારે પ્રેમ પ્રગટ થાય છે. જેને પ્રેમ-સ્નેહ મળે છે તેને બીજા કશાની જરૂરત રહેતી નથી. પ્રેમ જેટલો વિસ્તૃત બને, જેટલો વહેંચાય એટલો વધે છે. આપણે જે આપીએ છીએ તે પાછું આપણા તરફ એક યા બીજા સ્વરૂપે આવે છે. આપણે જે મેળવવા ઈચ્છતા હોઈએ તેની સામે કાંઈક આપવું પડે. આપણે સુખ મેળવવા માગતા હોઈએ તો બીજાને સુખ આપવું પડે. કંટકો વાવીને પુષ્પો મેળવી શકાય નહીં.

પ્રકૃતિએ દરેક માણસને શુભ કરવા માટે વધુ અને અશુભ કરવા માટે ઓછી શક્તિ આપી છે, પરંતુ શુભ થતું નથી. કારણ કે તે માટેની ઈચ્છા નથી. ક્યારેક શુભ ભાવના મનમાં ઊભી થાય છે, પરંતુ કાર્યમાં પરિણમતી નથી. શુભ ભાવના ચાર વખત કરી હોય, પણ એક અશુભ ભાવના થઈ જાય તો બધું એળે જાય છે. ભગવાન મહાવીરે કહ્યું છે કે ‘ચોવીસ કલાક મંગળ ભાવનામાં જ ડૂબેલા રહો. ઊઠતા, બેસતાં, શ્ર્વાસ લેતા અને છોડતાં માત્ર મંગળનું જ સ્મરણ કરો.’

જીવનમાં સુખ-દુ:ખ, ચડતી-પડતી સફળતા-નિષ્ફળતા આવ્યા કરે છે. સુખ જલદીથી સમાપ્ત થઈ જાય છે. તેમાં સમયનો ખ્યાલ રહેતો નથી. દુ:ખ લાંબુ ચાલે છે કારણ કે તેને આપણે મનમાંથી દૂર કરી શકતા નથી. જે વસ્તુ જ્યાં સુધી માણીએ ત્યાં સુધી આપણી રહે છે. તેમાંથી આનંદ લુપ્ત થઈ જાય પછી તેની કોઈ કિંમત રહેતી નથી. તિજોરીમાં કે બેન્કોમાં લાખો રૂપિયા પડ્યા હોય પરંતુ તેને માણી શકાતા નથી. તેના વિચારથી સુખ દુ:ખ અનુભવી શકાય છે. મોટા ભાગના સુખો ધારણા અને કલ્પનાના હોય છે.

જીવનમાં બે વસ્તુ અનિશ્ર્ચિત છે. એક જન્મ અને બીજું મૃત્યુ. જે આપણા હાથમાં નથી. કાળને કોઈ રોકી શકતું નથી. તો કાળને શા માટે મિત્ર ન બનાવવો? તેનાથી ડરીને રહેવાથી શો ફાયદો? ક્રમાનુસાર કર્મ પ્રમાણે બધું થવાનું છે. તેની ચિંતા શા માટે? જે કૃષ્ણમૂર્તિએ કહ્યું છે કે જીવન જેવું છે તેવું સ્વીકારવું એ જ મુક્તિ, એ જ શાંતિ, એ જ મોક્ષ એ જ સ્વર્ગ. જીવનમાં સારું કાર્ય કરીએ તો પુણ્ય અને ખરાબ કામ કરીએ તો પાપ એમ સમજવું, શુભ ભાવ રાખવો, સારું ચિંતન કરવું. પ્રાપ્તિ અને અભાવ બંનેમાં આનંદ માણવો. કોઈ વસ્તુ પ્રત્યે આસક્તિ રાખવી નહીં. કવિ દલપતરામે લખ્યું છે તેમ... ‘એક દિન હાથી, એક દિન ઘોડા, એક દિન પાવસે ચલનાજી. એક દિન લડ્ડુ, એક દિન રોટી, એક દિન ફક્કમ ફક્કાજી’. સારું ખાધું, સારું પીધું. સુખ-ચેનથી રહ્યા એક દિવસ કોઈ ચીજ ન મળી તેથી શું? જીવનમાં કેટલીક વસ્તુઓમાં ચલાવી લેતા પણ શીખવું જોઈએ. જીવતા આવડે તો જીવન આનંદ ઉત્સવ છે, નહીંતર દુ:ખનો દરિયો. રઈસ મણિયારે કહ્યું છે તેમ:

‘ઘણું છોડી પછી થોડાની

સાથે જીવવાનું છે

ફગાવી દો વજન

નૌકાની સાથે જીવવાનું છે.’

Friday, December 11, 2015

Nobel Prize Banquet

And the Nobel Prize for OPULENCE goes to... Swedish royals dust off dazzling jewels for magnificent banquet to honour the ten winners for science, literature and medicine

By Tom Wyke For Mailonline, Phoebe Jackson-edwards, www.dailymail.co.uk
December 10th, 2015

If there is an international award for the sheer magnificence of its glittering white tie events, on the evidence of tonight's spread Sweden would bag first prize.

The Nobel Prize Banquet held at Stockholm's City Hall was a blaze of gold candelabra, rows of hand-tied floral arrangements, and richly attired royals hosting the world's biggest brains and brightest talent after the Nobel Prize ceremony at the city's concert hall tonight.

And the women of Sweden's royal family pulled out all the stops - along with the family jewels - to look their best for the splendid occasion with Crown Princess Victoria, 38, Princess Madeleine, 33, and their sister-in-law Princess Sofia, 30, dusting off the Bernadottes' most eye-catching tiaras to wear with their floor-length evening gowns.

Stockholm's City Hall was the vaulting location for the annual Nobel Prize that saw the world's brightest minds celebrate achievement

Pregnant Crown Princess Victoria showed off her baby bump in an elegant skirt and sheer top, accessorised with the dazzling Connaught Diamond Tiara, as she entered on the arm of Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winner Canadian Arthur B McDonald wearing white tie and tails

Princess Sofia wore a floor-length midnight blue gown, topped with the emerald and diamond tiara that was designed for her wedding day, to escort Nobel Physics Prize 2015 co-winner Japanese Takaaki Kajita who was feted for his discovery that neutrinos have mass

Princess Madeleine, the youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, wore the stunning Aquamarine Koloshnik tiara with her lilac embellished dress as she made her entrance with Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winner Paul Modrich, from the US

The ceremony was decked out for the occasion with 20,000 white, yellow and orange flowers which were donated by the Italian city of San Remo, where Swedish scientist and prize creator Alfred Nobel died on December 10, 1896.

The ten laureates received their Nobel diplomas and gold medals from the hands of Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, in a ceremony interspersed with classical music and presentations by the prize-awarding institutions.

The ceremony took place in front of 1,600 specially-invited guests at Stockholm's Concert Hall,

China's Tu Youyou, William Campbell of the US and Satoshi Omura of Japan received the medicine prize for revolutionary treatments of malaria and roundworm.

Takaaki Kajita of Japan and Arthur McDonald of Canada were given the physics prize for determining that neutrinos have mass.

Sweden's Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich of the US and Aziz Sancar, a Turkish-American, won the biology prize for work on how cells repair damaged DNA.

Belarussian writer and dissident Svetlana Alexievich was given the literature prize for her work chronicling the horrors of war and life under the repressive Soviet regime.

Poverty expert Angus Deaton, a US-British microeconomist, took home the economics prize for groundbreaking work using household surveys to show how consumers, particularly the poor, decide what to buy and how policymakers can help them.

Each female member of the Swedish royal family descended the sweeping staircase of the vaulting hall on the arm of the Nobel laureates, all clad in white tie and tails.

Crown Princess Victoria entered the ceremony on the arm of the Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winner Arthur B McDonald.

The pregnant royal, who announced her pregnancy with Prince Daniel in September, wore a flowing dress in a plum shade with a sheer chiffon top.

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden wore white tie and tails, while his wife who is pregnant wore a high-waisted full-skirted evening gown

Princess Sofia wore a black dress with unusual detailing for her appearance at the ceremony

The event celebrating the greatest minds in the world and their achievements is a far cry from Princess Sofia's former career as a model who showcased her fantastic physique by posing for several bikini shoots.She paired her tiara with drop earrings

Princess Madeleine of Sweden (centre), with Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winner US Paul Modrich, Princess Christina of Sweden, left, and Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winner Turkish-American Aziz Sancar arrive for the 2015 Nobel Banquet at the Stockholm City Hall; Princess Christina (right) was resplendent in Queen Josephine's Six Button Tiara

Princess Madeleine, who is married to an American financier, wore racy dark nails with her delicate gauzy gown and stunning headpiece

Queen Silvia was resplendent in red and her tiara encrusted with 500 diamonds; she was escorted by Professor Carl-Henrik Heldin, a Swedish molecular biologist and vice president of the European Research Council

Michiko Kajita, wife of Nobel prize winner Takaaki Kajita, wore traditional Japanese evening dress including a delicate silk kimono and a brocade obi decorated with a bearl brooch, a pair of white 'tabi' socks and wedged flip flop-style footwear; she was escorted down the marble steps by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in white tie and tails

Princess Madeleine smiles for the camera in natural makeup and a chic updo to accentuate her domed tiara with the country's rarely seen Aquamarine Koloshnik tiara made up of diamond lattices holding five huge aquamarines in place

Queen Silvia wore the particularly regal Nine Prong Tiara with a diamond necklace and drop earrings. It is often regarded as her favourite tiara and is encrusted with 500 diamonds and has a sunburst motif that culminates in nine prongs

Princess Sofia, a former bikini model who reportedly caused somewhat of a stir when first introduced to the royal family, wore a dark gown with floral 3D detailing, topped by her delicate emerald and diamond tiara which was designed for her wedding day

She topped off her finery with the Connaught Diamond Tiara, which has five distinctive upright loops of forget-me-not wreaths with a diamond pendant suspended in each.

Made by E. Wolff & Co., it was a wedding gift to Princess Margaret of Connaught from her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, when she married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, the future King Gustaf VI Adolf, in 1905.

Queen Silvia wore an asymmetric dress in a ruby-red brocade wearing the Nine Prong Tiara, which is thought to be one of Queen Silvia's favourite tiaras.

Encrusted with more than 500 diamonds, the headpiece is arranged in a sunburst-type motif that ends in nine graduated prongs.

Guests at the glittering bash were upstanding as the guests of homour seated at the long central table, bedecked with blooms, made their progress down the stately marble stairs of Stockholm's City Hall

Nobel Physics Prize 2015 co-winners Japanese Takaaki Kajita (second left) and Canadian Arthur B McDonald (third left), Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winners Sweden's Tomas Lindahl (fourth left), US Paul Modrich (fifth left), Turkish-American Aziz Sancar (sixth left) arrive among others for the 2015 Nobel prize award ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall on December 10, 2015. The Prize ceremony for the
Laureates and guests are pictured during the ceremony with the hall decked out in fresh flowers as is tradition

Writer Svetlana Alexievich, laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature receives her Nobel Prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden during the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony

King Carl XVI Gustaf presented the awards to the laureates in front of members of the royal family and guests at the hall

Princess Sofia, 30, who married Prince Carl Philip in June this year, also topped her ensemble off with a delicate tiara edged with emeralds which she had made for her wedding this year.

Sofia Hellqvist, a former glamour model who reportedly caused somewhat of a stir when first introduced to the royal family, wore a dark gown with floral 3D detailing.

She announced her first pregnancy in October and her burgeoning bump was hidden beneath the swathes of fabric.

Princess Madeline, 33, also topped off her pale embellished gown with the Kokoshnik tiara with aquamarine jewels with the Kokoshnik tiara, featuring large rounded sea blue stones are each framed by diamonds and connected with delicate diamond work.

The royals may have been inspired to don their finest after the Duchess of Cambridge sported the diamond and pearl Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara at the Diplomatic Reception held at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

Queen Silvia glittered in her diamond tiara, earrings, necklace, rings and bracelet during the ceremony

Prince Daniel, left, sat next to the Crown Princess who appeared to be delighted to take part in the festivities

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden pulled out all the stops tonight for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in the Stockholm City Hall tonight where many Swedish royals appeared

From left to right: Queen Silvia, Prince Daniel, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria examine their programmes

King Carl XVI Gustaf jokes around with a playful point at Silvia while seated in gilt gold chairs during the ceremony

Princess Sofia greets guests at the ceremony with a smile before taking to her seat

The royal had her tiara specially made for her wedding in June to Prince Carl Philip and gave it a second outing tonight for the celebrations

Crown Princess Sofia wears her sash underneath her floaty cape while seated and pairs her dress with her impressive amethyst necklace and matching earrings. Her diamond tiara was closely associated with her late grandmother Princess Sibylla

Madeleine wears the Kokloshnik tiara with aquamarine jewels, so called because it resembles the Russian Kokloshnik headdress

Laureate of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Irish William C Campbell, left, receives his medal from King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf, right, during the 2015 Nobel prize award ceremony

Crown Princess Victoria is deep in conversation at the banquet and her elegant chignon hairstyle emphasises her royal jewels

Queen Silvia looks on during the banquet and is resplendent in her diamond brooch, drop-jewel necklace and tiara

Madeleine looks regal in the Kokoshnik tiara with aquamarine jewels which perfectly complements the shades of her embellished dress

Princess Sofia in her crowning glory, a diamond and emerald tiara which has great sentiment as she had it created for her wedding earlier this year

Prince Carl Philip shares a smile across the table in front of the lavish surroundings, the table is decked in golden candelabras and fresh flowers

The vast hall was bisected by the immense top table, with other guests on tables situated in rows to along the sides

A bird-eye view of the hall shows the grand setting and lavish surroundings of the banquet where diners were surrounded by flowers

Waiters parade with the desserts down the marble stairs and light up the way with the sparkler detailing decorating the course

Guests dine on suitable opulent gold plates inside the packed city hall while dressed in their finery

When the winners of the Nobel Prizes in literature and sciences received their prizes from King Carl at the Stockholm Concert Hall, they did so against a backdrop of flowers and gold candelabra cradling blazing white candles

British-born Nobel laureate in economics, Angus Deaton gave a speech during the banquet at Stockholm city hall

After presenting the awards, King Carl XVI Gustaf, his family and their partners were seated at the 'honour table' for the traditional Nobel banquet.

When the winners of the Nobel Prizes in literature and sciences received their prizes from King Carl at the Stockholm Concert Hall, they did so against a backdrop of flowers.

Earlier today, the winner for the prestigious prize was revealed as the National Dialogue Quartet, which won the Peace Prize for helping build democracy in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.

They accepted the prize at a ceremony in Oslo held under tight security following the armed attacks in Paris.

At the earlier ceremony in Oslo, Norway's King Harald V and his wife Queen Sonja attended the annual award ceremony along with Prince Haakon and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

Each year the scientific and literature awards are presented in Stockholm, Sweden, while the Nobel Peace Prize is handed out in Oslo, Norway.

'Today we are most in need of making the fight against terrorism an absolute priority, which means perseverance on coordination and cooperation between all nations to drain its resources,' Hussein Abassi, head of the Tunisian General Labour Union, one of the quartet honoured, said in a speech.

The Nobel Prize giving ceremony took place at the Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden. Events then progressed to the banquet at City Hall

The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was awarded the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution in 2011

Hussein Abassi spoke out about the plight of Palestinians and the need to keep fighting terrorism

As well as maintaining the war on terrorism, the pro-democracy group called for Palestinians to be given the right to self-determination.

'We need to accelerate the elimination of hot spots all over the world, particularly the resolution of the Palestinian issue and enable the Palestinian people the right to self-determination on their land and build their independent state,' he said.

Security was tight at the event in Oslo with personnel positioned over the banquets and concerts for hundreds of political, intellectual and business leaders attending the lavish Nobel awards ceremonies held jointly in Oslo and Stockholm.

'Security is higher than it would otherwise have been because of the situation in Europe,' Johan Fredriksen, chief of staff for Oslo police told Reuters, referring to the Paris attacks in which 130 people were killed.

Last year, a demonstrator carrying a Mexican flag disrupted the ceremony at Oslo City Hall when Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai and Indian activist Kailash Satyarthi received their Nobel Peace Prizes. He was not a guest but managed to get through the security checkpoints.

The quartet of the Tunisian General Labour Union, the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, the Tunisian Human Rights League and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers was formed in the summer of 2013.

As well as maintaining the war on terrorism, the pro-democracy group called for Palestinians to be given the right to self-determination

The pro-democracy group accepted their award and made a passionate speech for Palestinian rights and a call for the continued fight against terrorism

It won the award for the role it played in the peaceful transition of power in Tunisia in a region struggling with violence and upheaval.

With a new constitution, free elections and a compromise arrangement between Islamist and secular leaders, Tunisia has been held up as a model of how to make the transition to a democracy from dictatorship, said Kaci Kullman Five, head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Last year Tunisia held successful legislative and presidential elections but the country has been hit by violence this year. In March, Islamist gunmen killed 21 tourists in an attack at the Bardo Museum in Tunis, and 38 foreigners were killed in an assault on a Sousse beach hotel in June.

The winners of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize were widely applauded as they accepted their prize

King Harald V (left) and his wife Queen Sonja (dressed in blue) were at the award ceremony

Norwegian Prince Haakon (right) and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit (left) attended the Peace Prize awarding ceremony

'In this time of terror, the threats against Tunisia and the Tunisian people are indistinguishable from the threats against other countries,' she said in her speech.

'I came here to share this extraordinary moment with the whole of Tunisia. I am so proud,' said Haddad Fayssal, a 39-year-old Tunisian engineer from Paris, draped with the red-and-white flag of the North African nation over his shoulders.

'This prize is a powerful message against all types of extremism and terrorism. It is a message that we can all live together,' he told Reuters outside Oslo City Hall, the peace award ceremony's venue.

In neighbouring Sweden, the Nobel Prize winners in literature, chemistry, physics, medicine and economics gathered in Stockholm to receive their prizes from the King of Sweden later in the day.

Dozens of heavily armed security personnel were guarding the building in the capital city, Oslo

Security staff make final preparations and check over their plans before the important event

The devastating terror attacks in Paris left organisers fearing for the security of their guests

Belarussian author Svetlana Alexievich won the literature prize for her portrayal of the harshness of life in the Soviet Union.

In Stockholm, the winners will collect their medals at a concert hall before attending a banquet at the city hall, which will include VIPs like European Central Bank President Mario Draghi.

Security around the festivities - which has hundreds of royals and prominent politicians as guests - has also been heightened this year after Sweden raised its terror threat level to the highest ever after the Paris attacks.
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Nothing less than perfection is on the menu for the Nobel banquet

By Johan Ahlander

December 10, 2015

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