The intention of this blog is only to share the collections. Inadvertently if any file is under copyright, please intimate me so that it can be removed forthwith.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Funny buildings

When we break our head with East facing, south facing "Vaasthu" etc. see these buildings. These pictures were contributed by reader Ms. S. Sowmya from Bangalore
Crooked house (Soport, Poland)Forest spiral, Hundertwasser building,(Darmstadt, Germany) The torre Galatea figures,(Spain)Ferdinand cheval palace a.k.a ideal palace, (France) The basket buildings,(Ohio, USA)Kansas city Library,(Missouri, USA)Wonder works,(Orlando, Florida, USA)Habitat 67,(Montreal, Canada) Cubic House,(Rotterdam, Netherlands)hang nga guest house a.k.a crazy house (Vietnam)The UFO house( Sanjhih, Taiwan)Nakagin capsule tower( Tokyo, Japan)Erwin wurm house attack( Vienna, Austria)Wooden gagster house( Archangeisk, Russia)Repleys building,(ontario, Canada)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Power boosters for the office


Office life. If you let it, it can suck the energy right out of you. Or, you can take advantage of your workspace to put pep in your step and become more productive than ever.

Your office—where you spend 30% to 50% of your waking hours—can work for you or against you, depending on how you use it.

"The workplace is the forgotten arena of the self-improvement battle," explains SparkPeople Coach, Joe Downie. "But it’s the place where people need help the most! Stress is a huge factor in how well you perform at work. It clouds your thinking and wears you down," continues Coach Joe. "Without that energy, you lose creativity, concentration and motivation." In return, he says, all you gain is irritability and tension.

Of course, the most effective way to fight low energy is with a heavy dose of thorough stretching, proper breathing, and good posture. "There are plenty of power boosters all around you. You don’t have to drop everything and run to the gym." In fact, there are dozens of ways you can reduce stress and increase energy—within 50 feet of the office. (No special equipment required.)

For starters, he suggests five minutes of mental or physical activity for every hour you spend at the computer. People who sit at desks and computers for hours on end are most prone to dwindling production from low energy.

Get Physical

  • Go to the office staircase and step up and down the bottom step (like step aerobics).
  • Massage your own head and shoulders. Find trigger points of tension in the shoulders, jaw, and base of the skull. Hold pressure for 6-10 seconds.
  • Take two steps back from your desk and lean forward until you’re in an angled pushup position against the edge of your desk. (This will also work against a wall.) Do a couple quick sets of incline push-ups.
  • Lift 1-3 packs of printer paper in each hand. Curl them like weights or lift them over your head.
  • Close your door and shadow box for a few minutes. Try to imagine a stressor while you’re punching.
  • Start a pick up game of trashcan basketball! Create trick shots, or play against a coworker. A little friendly competition can go a long way.
  • Jumping jacks are a simple, quick way to pump you up. Try to increase your intensity (speed) and duration (minutes) to keep it challenging.
  • Go for a short walk around the office or outside around the block.
  • Stand up and stretch your muscles. Don’t forget your neck and wrists.
  • Lastly, Joe’s favorite office exercise—using a stress ball. Squeezing a stress ball relieves stress while strengthening the forearms and wrists for typing.
Go Mental
  • Do word puzzles. Crosswords, word finds—even a jigsaw puzzle.
  • Fill out a Mad Lib with your co-workers. A little laughter can improve your mood and decrease stress instantly.
  • Rearrange your office.
  • Switch hands with whatever you’re doing.
  • Draw something. Let your mind create.
  • Stand perfectly still for two minutes. Just Regroup.
  • Do some deep breathing exercises or quiet meditation.
  • Make an inkblot with a folded piece of paper and liquid ink. Have fun with what you see in the blot.
Staying energized and stress-free at work isn’t difficult. The key is finding reasons to stay out of your chair:
  • In the morning, take as long as possible before sitting down.
  • Forget the boardroom. Hold walking meetings.
  • Hand-deliver mail, memos and faxes.
  • Chat face-to-face instead of by email or phone.
  • Use a bathroom on the other side of the building or on another floor.
  • Have a lot of phone time? Buy a cordless phone and move around while talking.
  • Replace your chair with a stability ball. This helps you maintain good posture, and by balancing, you’re working your core muscles all day.
Taking care of yourself at the office is just one way fitness can help you in other parts of your life. All it takes is a few minutes at a time.

coutesy: Spark people

Monday, November 16, 2009

My diary - 16th November 2009

I furnish below the mail received from Indiblogger about my promotion to 74. I need your good wishes and support to reach 80 to 90

from
IndiBlogger.in
reply-to
indi@indiblogger.in

to
hariharan.vaidayanathan@gmail.com

date
Sat, Nov 14, 2009 at 3:26 AM
subject
Your new IndiRank is 74



Dear V. Hariharan,

We're happy to announce that IndiRank has been updated. The new rank for your blog think loud is now 74.

What does IndiRank mean?

It's like runs in a game of cricket - the higher the score, the better your ranking. Blogs are evaluated on a scale of 1-100, and the top ranks are in the range of 80-90.

Keep blogging!
The IndiBlogger Team

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Do You feel jealous or get inspired?

This was received from Sushil Kaushik

“Dream isn’t what we see in sleep but is that which doesn’t let u sleep”

This is just an example……………………………………………………………………………..





Nine elevators dot the lobby floor: Two are designated for parking areas,
three for guest quarters, two for the Ambani family residences and two for service.
The lobby opens to numerous lounges, reception areas and powder rooms.
Dual stairways lead from the lobby floor down to the ballroom,
which is designed in an open layout with a two-story roof.



Ballroom

The most striking features of the Antilla ballroom are the crystal chandeliers

that will take up approximately 80% of the ceiling.
The silver stairways lead to a central landing,
behind which two retractable doors can open to display works of art.
There is also a stage for entertainment or speeches,
with a projection screen behind it.
A kitchen, about the same size as the ballroom itself,
can service hundreds of guests.
Bathroom

One of Antilla's key design themes is the mix of lavish features

seen in worldwide homes and elements that are distinctly Indian.
The Gingko-leaf sink designs are a good example. Native to India,
the leaves in the sinks are shaped in such a way that their
stems guide water into the bowl created by the basket of the leaf.





Traditional Lounge

Ambani's home features countless lounges,

offering Reliance Industries guests a quiet escape.
Chandeliers and mirrors are a common feature of these rooms,
as are finely woven Indian area rugs.
Modern Lounge

Each space and floor uses materials not seen anywhere else.

The idea is that spaces will blend into one another,
giving the impression of consistency and flow,
while at the same time displaying different influences and traditions.
This furniture, floors, lines and dark woods of this lounge have
a more minimalistic approach than the home's other lounges.



Entertainment Level

It's very common in large homes to have a theater or screening room,

but usually they're just large projection screens with a few nice seats.
The Ambani's theater is more like those seen in
George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch or Frank Pritt's Portabello
Estate--a full-fledged theater, indistinguishable from a cinema.
A wine room, snack bar and entertaining space,
including couches and tables, fill out the room.

This is a detail from a floor plan rendering.






The indoor/outdoor health level features a lap pool and Jacuzzi

that take in views of the city skyline, as well as lounge chairs shaded by trees.
Yoga and dance studios, changing rooms for men and women,
gyms and a solarium with a juice bar fill out the interior space.
There are plans to include an ice room in the center space,
where the Ambanis could sit on a hot Mumbai day to cool off in a man-made snow flurry.

This is a detail from a floor plan rendering.


Garage

The first six floors of the residence will be dedicated to parking for the Ambani family,

guests and employees. Hanging vertical gardens dot the exterior.
While they make for good decoration, their key function has to do with energy efficiency:
The hydroponic plants, grown in liquid nutrient solutions instead of soil,
lower the energy footprint of the home by absorbing heat and sunlight and

providing shade that helps keep it cool.
Roof

The top floor features a covered, outdoor entertaining space with panoramic

views of the Mumbai skyline as well as the Arabian Sea.
On those days when it's too hot, or cold, an interior space with
floor-to-ceiling windows provides the same luxury.
The World's First Billion-Dollar Home

Matt Woolsey, 04.30.08, 6:00 PM ET


While visiting New York in 2005, Nita Ambani was in the spa at the Mandarin

Oriental New York, overlooking Central Park. The contemporary Asian interiors struck her just so,
and prompted her to inquire about the designer..

Nita Ambani was no ordinary tourist. She is married to Mukesh Ambani,

head of Mumbai, India-based petrochemical giant Reliance Industries,
and the fifth richest man in the world. (Lakshmi Mittal, ranked fourth,
is an Indian citizen, but a resident of the U.K.)


Forbes estimated Ambani's net worth at $43 billion in March.

Reliance Industries was founded by Mukesh's father, Dhirubhai Ambani,
in 1966, and is India's most valuable firm by market capitalization.
The couple, who have three children, currently live in a 22-story Mumbai tower
that the family has spent years remodeling to meet its needs.

Like many families with the means to do so, the Ambanis wanted to build a custom home.

They consulted with architecture firms Perkins + Will and Hirsch Bedner Associates,
the designers behind the Mandarin Oriental, based in Dallas and Los Angeles, respectively.
Plans were then drawn up for what will be the world's largest and most expensive home:
a 27-story skyscraper in downtown Mumbai with a cost nearing $2 billion, says
Thomas Johnson, director of marketing at Hirsch Bedner Associates.
The architects and designers are creating as they go, altering floor plans,
design elements and concepts as the building is constructed.

The only remotely comparable high-rise property currently on the market is the $70 million

triplex penthouse at the Pierre Hotel in New York, designed to resemble
a French chateau, and climbing 525 feet in the air. When the Ambani residence is finished in January,
completing a four-year process, it will be 550 feet high with 400,000 square feet
of interior space.

The home will cost more than a hotel or high-rise of similar size

because of its custom measurements and fittings:
A hotel or condominium has a common layout,
replicated on every floor, and uses the same materials throughout the building
(such as door handles, floors, lamps and window treatments).

The Ambani home, called Antilla, differs in that no two floors are alike in either plans or materials used.

At the request of Nita Ambani, say the designers, if a metal, wood or crystal is part of the
ninth-floor design, it shouldn't be used on the eleventh floor, for example.
The idea is to blend styles and architectural elements so spaces give the feel of consistency,
but without repetition.

Antilla's shape is based on Vaastu, an Indian tradition much like Feng Shui

that is said to move energy beneficially through the building by
strategically placing materials, rooms and objects.


Pricey Pad
Atop six stories of parking lots, Antilla's living quarters begin at a lobby with nine elevators,

as well as several storage rooms and lounges. Down dual stairways with silver-covered railings is a
large ballroom with 80% of its ceiling covered in crystal chandeliers.
It features a retractable showcase for pieces of art, a mount of LCD monitors
and embedded speakers, as well as stages for entertainment.
The hall opens to an indoor/outdoor bar, green rooms, powder rooms and allows access to a
nearby "entourage room" for security guards and assistants to relax.


Ambani plans to occasionally use the residence for corporate entertainment,

and the family wants the look and feel of the home's interior to be distinctly
Indian; 85% of the materials and
labor will come from outside the U.S., most of it from India.

Where possible, the designers say, whether it's for the silver railings, crystal chandeliers,

woven area rugs or steel support beams, the Ambanis are using Indian companies, contractors,
craftsmen and materials firms. Elements of Indian culture juxtapose newer designs. For example,
the sinks in a lounge extending off the entertainment level, which features a movie theater
and wine room, are shaped like ginkgo leaves (native to India) with the stem extending to the faucet
to guide the water into the basin.

On the health level, local plants decorate the outdoor patio near the swimming pool and yoga studio.

The floor also features an ice room where residents and guests can escape the Mumbai heat to a small,
cooled chamber dusted by man-made snow flurries.

For more temperate days, the family will enjoy a four-story open garden.

In profile, the rebar-enforced beams
form a "W" shape that supports the upper two-thirds of the
building while creating an open-air atrium of gardens,
flowers and lawns. Gardens, whether hanging hydroponic plants, or fixed trees,
are a critical part of the building's exterior adornment but also serve a purpose:
The plants act as an energy-saving device by absorbing sunlight, thus deflecting it f
rom the living spaces and making it easier to keep the interior cool in summer
and warm in winter. An internal core space on the garden level contains entertaining
rooms and balconies that clear the tree line and offer views of
downtown Mumbai. The top floors of entertaining space, where
Ambani plans to host business guests (or just relax) offer panoramic views of the Arabian Sea.




Sunday, November 8, 2009

‘I only want to enjoy my childhood, ma’



(Dear co-parents, some of us might hear a small, fading voice making yet another attempt to reach us)

Inumella Sesikala

Amma, I don’t want to go to school.

I am just a child, Ma. I want someone to tell me stories and teach me. I want to watch tadpoles and butterflies and know what they eat, where they sleep. I want to climb a hill and catch a cloud to see what it is made of.

I want to wait with my hands in the stream and feel the fish swimming.

I want to run with the puppies, sing with the birds, and play with paper-boats in the rain.

I want to lie down on the soft green grass and hear the wind whisper.

Only then I want to learn more about them from the printed word.

Only after my imagination is fired, my thirst to know more has begun, a seed of ‘Why?’ is planted in my brain.

Amma, I feel trapped in the prison-like classroom. I feel my spirit slowly weakening with the monotonous teaching. Often, when I ask a basic question our teachers say, “No time for all that. Let us finish the syllabus.”

I get tired of studying just for marks without pausing to truly understand.

I want to go to the museum with my classmates and hear my teacher explain the stories of the artefacts.

I want plenty of nature trips where real Biology classes would be held.

I want to see colourful videos of volcanic eruptions and deep-sea dwellings.

I want our whole school to visit together the historic and cultural places in my city.

I want to learn astronomy after looking through a telescope once.

I don’t want to just read them in my textbooks; I want to see, hear, touch, smell and taste whatever I can. I want to experience.

Why can’t the school make at least one such trip every year?

And, I cannot stoop down anymore to carry my school sack. My back is ready to break. Why should I carry all the books everyday? Why can’t we have only two subjects per day? Or, why don’t we have lockers like in the Western schools? And, why should I squeeze in that over-crowded auto?

But, Amma, growing up no longer seems to be fun. I see only more of homework, winter projects, summer classes, weekly tests, monthly tests, quarterly, half-yearly and annual exams, external competitive exams, more tests, more competitions, more pressure, more stress…

When can I sing, paint, dance, swim, or cycle?

When I can just play cricket or even hide-and-seek?

What happened to that minimum sleep that you always say a child needs?

Why should I always study, study?

Amma, I am scared of increasing atrocities by untrustworthy teachers, ragging-raving seniors, acid-loving nuts, perverted adults…

Ma, right now, I don’t want to be a doctor, engineer or anything else.

I just want to feel safe and secure, play and learn without any stress before I become an adult like you.

I only want to enjoy my childhood, Ma.

Coutesy : The Hindu 8th Nov 09

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Concert - M.L. Vasanthakumari at York University, Sep 76


Kanyakumari and K.R. Krishnamurthy


  1. http://www.mediafire.com/?vcxyxnzzwwe Viribhoni - Bhairavi
  2. http://www.mediafire.com/?tzzmn2znzwk Ekadhantham - Bilahari
  3. http://www.mediafire.com/?vetnyn5jdzz Paraloka - Poorvikalyaani
  4. http://www.mediafire.com/?zjzazyqzwme Aalaapanai - Pushpalathika
  5. http://www.mediafire.com/?izmay01m4nr Ikanaina - Pushpalathika
  6. http://www.mediafire.com/?jzrdf3tnnwz Vaa murugaa vaa - Begadaa
  7. http://www.mediafire.com/?dqyittymoeq Chandrasekaram - Margahindholam
  8. http://www.mediafire.com/?mm3zkdmmj2n RTP - Naattaikurinji
  9. http://www.mediafire.com/?zomm2zynm2q RTP - Thaanam
  10. http://www.mediafire.com/?anxezzjjkj1 RTP - Pallavi - Naattaikurinji
  11. http://www.mediafire.com/?zymfdm4t4yt Thani
  12. http://www.mediafire.com/?mynmn1gz0zz RTP - Pallavi (contd.) - Swararaagamalika
  13. http://www.mediafire.com/?kzyjfminyjn Dhevaki than - Raagamalikai
  14. http://www.mediafire.com/?yeymkjtntzk Banthadena - Hindusthanikaapi
  15. http://www.mediafire.com/?d4tjntmqizn Apaduru - Kamaas
  16. http://www.mediafire.com/?4zmmixjimhl Thiruppugazh

Music season 2009

  • Shashank performed an excellent concert yesterday. He asked the audience " I am going to play varnam. Do you want Kambodhi or Sankarbaranam?" Audience responded unanimously for Kambodhi and he obliged.

  • Similarly after doing Aalaapna in Kalyaani, He wanted audience to say whether they want Eathavunaara or RTP and the response was for RTP and he performed.

  • The percussion artists are placed in a dilemma now a days when these concerts are to be completed in two hours. Parupalli phalgun and Dr. S. Karthik had to play aavardhanam together and finish it within five minutes.

  • T. M. Krishna and Sangeetha sivakumar really performed a fantastic Jugalbandhi singing together most of the songs.

  • Their RTP with 14 raaga aalaapnas and Sri viswanatham as Pallavi and 14 kalpana swarams apart from swaras in the krithi, was fantastic.

  • Hats off to Akkarai Subhalakshmi ( in violin) maintainig the Sruthi for both of them without any adjustments.

  • She was not given any breath, since she had to accompany both T.M.Krishna and Sangeetha's Kalpana swarams alternatively, as each one was performing different raagaas.

  • The final touch was taken from stanzas from Shaakunthalam as Viruththam followed by "Premaiyil" from the movie "Sakunthalai" (sung by G.N.B and M.S. S)with perfect carnatic mood.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Music season 2009


  • Carnatic music season has started in Chennai even before the rains.
  • Bharat sangeet utsav 2009 initiated the season from 1st November with not less than three programmes a day.

  • Sudha Raghunathan paid tribute to her Guru M (melody) L (layam) V (vidhwat) by singing the songs popularised by the Legend.

  • Thani by Umayalpuram Sivaraman was excellent in Sikkil Gurucharan' concert. I thought he almost forgot that Dr.S. Karthik is waiting with Ghatam. He was so inspired.

  • Ranjani & Gayathri wore the same coloured sarees and blouses to start with this season. They used to have lot of permutations and combination in their dress in previous years viz Ranjani's blouse colour will be of Gayathri's saree and vice versa etc.

  • Most surprising aspect was that nobody moved in the hall ( Naradha Gana Sabha with a capacity of more than 1000 seats)which had no empty seat, during the Visakha Hari's programme of "Gajendraq moksham" which started at 7.00P.M. and ended at 9.15.P.M. In all the other programmes, the hall appeared to be Ranganathan street.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Concert - Madurai Somu (sundaram)



  1. http://www.mediafire.com/?2y3zzqi4wwv Varnam - Kalyaani - Vanajaakshi
  2. http://www.mediafire.com/?yhj4jojqfki Mahaganapathim paavaye - Gopikathilakam
  3. http://www.mediafire.com/?mmdkzgoimjy Seethapathe naa - Kamaas
  4. http://www.mediafire.com/?5hii5jdz2ty Bhajana chesithi - Dhanyaasi
  5. http://www.mediafire.com/?mmylb0mjy2l Vandhe shantham - Naataikurinji
  6. http://www.mediafire.com/?mh023emgnxi Krupaju chutaku - Chaayatharangini
  7. http://www.mediafire.com/?ozdgttdtnhd Kaangeya - Shanmugapriya - Aalaapanai
  8. http://www.mediafire.com/?rrjmzzdyzz0 Kaangeya - Violin
  9. http://www.mediafire.com/?jyeyt4nc1d2 Kaangeya - Shanmugapriya
  10. http://www.mediafire.com/?mndzzviymqm Nenendu - Karnatakabehaag
  11. http://www.mediafire.com/?mnrjgjzzzmy Chinna naadena - Kalaanidhi
  12. http://www.mediafire.com/?hylyrjyketw RTP - Amrithavarshini
  13. http://www.mediafire.com/?mydj2mzmnyj Parameshwaram - Maand*
  14. http://www.mediafire.com/?zfyay1zrznd Naalai endroru - Sindhubairavi
  15. http://www.mediafire.com/?eehfmzkmmbh Orumurai enakkena
  16. http://www.mediafire.com/?ojhoedjifrm Thiruppugazh
* Incomplete. I will search the files for full song and upload subsequently. Please do not download this song