Life's a Bubble

If you look up in the sky during the day, you see the Sun. That becomes the most dominant in your experience. In the night, if you look up, the stars become very dominant in your experience, but both the Sun and the stars - in fact, the Sun happens to be a star, too - look like puny little things when compared to the immense vastness of the sky. Generally, though, the sky is never in your conscious perception.

So, true existence can be likened to the vastness of the sky. The Sun, the stars, you and me, are all just small happenings, very brief happenings, really.

"In the life of a man, his time is but a moment...his sense, a dim rushlight. All that is body is as coursing waters...all that is of the soul, as dreams, and vapors."

THE world's a bubble, and the life of man
      Less than a span:
In his conception wretched, from the womb
      So to the tomb;
Curst from his cradle, and brought up to years
      With cares and fears.
Who then to frail mortality shall trust
But limns on water, or but writes in dust.

Yet whilst with sorrow here we live opprest,
      What life is best?
Courts are but only superficial schools
      To dandle fools;
The rural parts are turn'd into a den
      Of savage men;
And where's a city from foul vice so free,
But may be term'd the worst of all the three?

Our own affections still at home to please
      Is a disease;
To cross the seas to any foreign soil,
      Peril and toil;
Wars with their noise affright us; when they cease,
      We are worse in peace:
What then remains, but that we still should cry
For being born, or, being born, to die?

A smile

A smile is something nice to see,
It doesn't cost a cent.
A smile is mostly all your own,
It never can be lent.
A smile is welcome everywhere,
It does away with frowns.
A smile is good for everyone,
To ease the ups and downs.

For Everybody

This is a story about 4 named, Everybody; Somebody; Anybody and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job.
Everybody thought that Anybody could do it,
But Nobody realized that Everybody would not do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when actually,
Nobody accused Everybody…

Old Wisdom

I was dying.........
First I was dying to finish high school and start college.
And then I was dying to finish college and start working.
And then I was dying to marry and have children.
And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work.
And then I was dying to retire.
And now I am dying……… and suddenly I realize
I forgot to Live!!!

Don’t let this happen to you.  Appreciate your current situation and thank God for the good and bad in your life. Remember that everyday is a day of thanksgiving.

While you are in the now, God is in the NOT YET!!!

Echo By Christina Rosseti

Come to me in the silence of the night;
Come in the speaking silence of a dream;
Come with soft rounded cheeks and eyes as bright
As sunlight on a stream;
Come back in tears,
O memory, hope and love of finished years.

O dream how sweet, too sweet, too bitter-sweet,
Whose wakening should have been in Paradise,
Where souls brim-full of love abide and meet;
Where thirsting longing eyes
Watch the slow door
That opening, letting in, lets out no more.

Yet come to me in dreams, that I may live
My very life again though cold in death;
Come back to me in dreams, that I may give
Pulse for pulse, breath for breath:
Speak low, lean low,
As long ago, my love, how long ago.

She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meets in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
Or softly lightens o'er her face,
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek and o'er that brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,—
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent.

If....

By Rudyard kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Happiness - “Be happy. It's one way of being wise.”

Happiness is an emotion in which one experiences feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to bliss and intense joy.

Happiness is the dawn before the chorus - the quiet expectation that wonderful things will happen. Joy and sadness are equal partners and both have a place of recognition within the heart. Neither is more powerful than the other. They must co-exist like day and night.

The pursuit of Happiness is an age old quest. In our modern world people search the web daily in the hope that someone else has the answer. The truth is: 'The best way to create the future is to invent it.'

We are all unique beings in this world and have very different life experiences. What brings me 'joy and fulfillment' is not necessarily the same for you.
So, just as I find this rocky beach beautiful, you may view those rocks as an obstacle to reaching the sea. Or simply as a picture, it may not turn you on - it's different strokes for different folks.

“As I pondered the meaning of happiness
I sat and thought awhile
The outwards signs are clear enough
Sparkling eyes and a beaming smile

And inwardly how can one tell
Or guage this emotion intact
For it blends with many others
To me that is a fact

Joy, Pleasure and Ecstasy
As friends together band
Difficult to separate
For they go hand in hand.”

Happiest Places in the World

Feeling blue? Want to take a brake and relax at a happy place? Well, then all you need to do is pack your bags and select one of the happiest places on earth for the journey of a lifetime.

Lonely Planet in their new publication 1000 Ultimate Experiences lists the world’s happiest places, reports the Daily Telegraph. The list is as follows:

Denmark
You can dip into the cultural and historical heritage that Denmark. Travel comfortably by overnight cruise from Copenhagen to Oslo and by train to Stockholm for a unique experience. Be amazed by the contrasts, from Viking Capitals to the wild nature."If it is happiness you are seeking a move to Denmark could be in order, according to the first scientist to make a world map of happiness."

Wuyi Shan, China
Located at the foot of the southeastern slope of Huanggang Mountain, the main peak of the Wuyi Mountains, Wuyishan City sits on hilly land consisting of red gravel rocks. The city boasts unique natural scenery of bluish-green waters and reddish hills. The physiognomy of Wuyishan is typical Danxia Landscape.
Andorra

"Looking for sheer winter pleasures?"
Andorra is the apt place for you.

Located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France, Andorra is the sixth smallest nation in Europe. Andorra has a high mountain climate with Mediterranean influences. Temperatures are low in the winter and mild in the summer, with significant variations depending on altitude and orientation.

Malawi
Landlocked country located in southeastern Africa. It is bordered in the North and East by Tanzania, on the east, south and southwest by Mozambique and to the west by Zambia.
The country lies within the Great African Rift Valley system. Much of the land surface is plateau above sea level. Lake Malawi is the county's centerpiece. Like an inland sea it has endless palm fringed beaches, enclosed by sheer mountains, making it undeniably the focal point for Malawi's tourists.

Dolphinarium

A dolphinarium is an aquarium for dolphins. It’s an amazing place, where you can meet some of the most beautiful animals that inhabit our oceans and have lots of fun with them.
The most common species of dolphin kept in dolphinariums are Bottlenose Dolphins as they are relatively easy to train and have a long lifespan in captivity.

Many varied designs exist, but an often found basic dolphinarium design for public performances consists of stands for the public around a semi-circular pool, sometimes with glass walls which allow underwater viewing, and a platform in the middle from which the trainers direct and present the show.
The water in the pools has to be constantly filtered to keep it clean for the dolphins and the spectators, and the temperature and composition of the water has to be controlled to match the conditions dolphins experience in the wild.

Dolphin Show at Dolphinarium





Though animal welfare is perceived to have improved significantly over the last few decades, many animal rights and welfare groups such as the WSPA still consider keeping dolphins at dolphinariums a form of animal abuse. The main arguments are that dolphins do not have enough freedom of movement in pools, regardless of pool size, (in the wild, dolphins swim hundreds of miles every day) and do not get enough stimulation. Dolphins often show repetitive behavior in captivity and sometimes become aggressive towards other animals or people. In some cases, the behavior of dolphins in captivity also results in their own death.

In response to criticism, dolphinariums stress that every effort is being made to ensure the well-being of the animals, who are being cared for with state-of-the-art medical technology (including some adapted from that used for humans). Many dolphinariums are also involved in research and education programs, assist in cases of beachings, and provide aid to sick or injured wild animals.

Randy Kiwi dolphin traps young women at sea!

Melbourne, Dec 9 : A randy teenaged Kiwi dolphin has become infamous after it trapped young women in water.

According to experts, the hormones of the 250kg dolphin named Moko, living in North Island beach, are ticking and he's testing his limits on humans.

"He's doing what we all do as teenagers. He's testing his boundaries but he's testing them on humans and humans are coming off second best," the Couriermail quoted marine science expert Professor Mark Orams, as saying.

Moko notoriety has been increasing as he has not only prevented female swimmers from returning ashore for hours but also overturned kayaks, tripped over water skiers and gotten in the way of surf lifesaving training.

More than a few people have ended up battered and bruised after a Moko encounter and some say it's only a matter of time before the dolphin causes a deadly accident.

Prof Orams believes the problem can be solved if people stay away from the bottlenose allowing it to spend more time with other dolphins.

He said: "Here you've got a very lonely bottlenose who loves human contact but he's getting way too big and strong for it.

"In a sense he's seeking something from humans that he should be getting from other dolphins and while people keep seeing him as a human plaything, that won't change."

"I can't help but think that something is going to go very wrong with this situation in the next few months," Prof Orams added.- ANI

Top 10 Space finds of 2009

The number one space discovery of the year is that the Sun’s oddly quiet phase might be indicative of the next “little ice age”.



At number 2 is the finding of a green “two-tailed” comet that buzzed by Earth on a one-time visit in late February.



At number 3 is the finding of water on the Moon, when NASA crashed a two-ton rocket into a permanently shadowed crater on the moon’s south pole in October.



The number 4 top space discovery of the year is that high-resolution pictures of a Martian valley revealed three-billion-year-old shorelines along what was once a body of water about the size of Lake Champlain, which is the first proof of ancient Mars lakeshores.



At number 5 is the discovery that the oldest of the subatomic particles called neutrinos might each encompass a space larger than thousands of galaxies.



At number 6 is the finding that Gliese 581d, the most Earth like planet yet found, may have liquid oceans.



The number 7 top space discovery of the year is that pictures taken in Summer 2008 showed strange globs on the leg of the Phoenix Mars lander that seemed to behave like liquid water, which could be the first proof that modern Mars hosts liquid water.
This substance is probably saline mud that splashed up as the craft landed, study leader and Phoenix co-investigator Nilton Renno of the University of Michigan had told National Geographic News.
Salt in the mud then absorbed water vapor from the atmosphere, forming the watery drops, according to Renno.



At number 8 is the discovery of 32 new planets outside our solar system, bringing the massive haul of new worlds to more than 400.



The number 9 top space discovery of the year is that Jupiter's moon Europa may harbor fish-sized life in its oceans.
A provocative new research suggested that the amount of oxygen in the ocean would be enough to support more than just microscopic life-forms, with at least three million tons of fishlike creatures theoretically living and breathing on Europa.



At number 10 is the finding that a new computer model has suggested that the outer crusts of so-called neutron stars are ten billion times stronger than steel, and are in fact, the strongest known material in the universe.