TFTD - 23/09/2012

Thought for the day

Doubt is a pain too lonely

to know that faith is his twin brother. - Khalil Gibran

Take home – Chico Xavier

He is widely regarded among Brazilians as the foremost proponent of the Spiritist movement. The anniversary of his birth is also being marked by the release of a film biography.

Chico Xavier is one of the most famous and prolific practitioners of psychograph, commonly known as spirit writing or automatic writing. Using this technique of transcribing without awareness or premeditation, Xavier produced over 400 books, some of them in foreign languages in which he was not fluent.

The respect for Xavier in Brazil is akin to the reputation of Mother Teresa in India. He was hailed as a living example of a true Christian, thanks to his dedication to making himself and his talents as a medium available to anyone who requested them. The wealth he accumulated from donations and the success of his writings was immediately distributed among the needy of Uberaba and numerous charities.

Despite the power and appeal of his message, Xavier eagerly professed that none of the abilities attributed to him were really his, but that he was only a channel for the work of the spirits. He never professed to perform miracles such as healing people. The phenomenon of psychography, or spirit writing, is an age-old mystery and decried by skeptics, who point out there's no way to prove the author of the writings is anyone other than the writer. Proponents of automatic writing, however, insist that although deception is not unheard of, there are genuine practitioners of spirit writing, like Xavier. The most famous proponents of automatic writing were the Surrealists of early 20th century France.

During Xavier's lifetime, Liberation Theology became popular in the Catholic churches of Brazil and throughout Latin America, a religious philosophy that distances itself from many of the Pope's strict dictates, for example, and like Spiritists, views death as simply another dimension. It is common to hear these Catholic priests in Brazil speak about reincarnation to their congregants

Chico Xavier may have been an honest medium in more than the coincidence of his departure on the day of the World Cup finals. He also may have seen what challenges lay ahead for a country that straddles the old and new world. Perhaps he was trying to prepare Brazilians and people everywhere for a time when "foreign" was no longer in the dictionary.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chico_Xavier

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/jul/11/guardianobituaries.booksobituaries1

http://www.paranormalreview.com/articles/20100415_2

http://www.brazzil.com/articles/218-april-2010/10377-chico-xavier-a-brazilian-saint-for-whom-world-was-a-big-family.html

Picture of the day, Eyjafjallajökul, Iceland

The volcano Eyjafjallajökull, in Iceland, just before dawn on April 23, 2010: The worst is over. Lava flows freely. Earlier, as it punched through the ice cap, it triggered a meltwater flood that destroyed roads and farms, and a steam explosion that hurled ash into the stratosphere, stopping air traffic for a week.

Wisdom Message

The parents gave you this body and fostered the intelligence and love that are embedded in it; so, gratitude is their due. If you do not honour the parents who are the creators in human form, how can you learn to honour the Creator in Divine Form? Moreover, the parents reveal to you the glory of God and the means of worshipping Him; they are the first representatives of the authority which you meet with, authority modified by love and care. Learn to bend before that authority and you will learn how to submit before the Lord.

Recipe for the day -  Green Side Salad

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/salad-recipes/simple-green-side-salad

TFTD - 17/09/2012

Thought for the day

“It is of practical value to learn to like yourself.

Since you must spend so much time with yourself

you might as well get some satisfaction out of the relationship.” - Norman Vincent Peale

Take home – Juscelino Kubitschek, the ambitious man of Brazil

Juscelino Kubitschek, in full Juscelino Kubitschek De Oliveira, president of Brazil (1956–61) noted for his ambitious public works, especially the construction of the new capital, Brasília.

Kubitschek attended the Diamantina Seminary, worked his way through medical school at the University of Minas Gerais (graduated 1927), and did internships in surgery in Paris, Vienna, and Berlin. He became head of the surgical division of the military Medical Corps of the state of Minas Gerais in 1932 and represented Minas Gerais in the Federal Chamber of Deputies from 1934 to 1937 and 1946 to 1950. As mayor of Belo Horizonte (1940–45) he distinguished himself in city planning and the establishment of medical clinics and other public service facilties. As governor of Minas Gerais (1951–55) he concentrated on highway construction, power plants, and agricultural and industrial development.

Kubitschek campaigned for president on a platform of “power, transportation, and food” and won in a three-man race as the perceived political heir of the deceased Brazilian president Getúlio Vargas. While in office Kubitschek pushed forward the rapid development of Brazil’s machinery, hydroelectric, steel, and other heavy industries, and he built 11,000 miles (18,000 km) of new roads and highways. Most important, perhaps, he moved the national capital from Rio de Janeiro to a new city called Brasília lying 600 miles (1,000 km) inland from the coast. Kubitschek intended the new inland capital to accelerate the settlement and development of Brazil’s vast interior. The price of his ambitious development efforts was persistent and rapid inflation, however, a problem exacerbated by the need to spend vast sums for the rehabilitation of the drought-afflicted northeast region. Elected to the Senate in 1962, Kubitschek was nominated for president by the Social Democratic Party in 1964. The military junta that took power that same year forced him into exile. He returned to Brazil in 1967 to become a banker. He died in an automobile crash.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/324243/Juscelino-Kubitschek

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juscelino_Kubitschek

Picture of the day- Litlanesfoss, Iceland

At Litlanesfoss, the waterfall cross-sections an ancient lava flow, which formed columns as it cooled.

Wisdom Message

Be firm to not discard the one Name and Form you have selected carefully; even if someone speaks ill about them. Hold fast to your chosen deity and save yourselves. At the same time, do not cavil at others’ chosen deities. Undermining the faith of another or disturbing your own - both are wrong. Faith is a plant of slow growth. Its roots go deep into the heart. Silence is the best spiritual practice to guard faith. Hence I insist that you adopt this as the first and most important step in your spiritual journey. The Lord’s feet, eyes and face is compared to the Lotus, because He is like the Lotus - unaffected by the environment it is in. You too, must be smiling at all times, imparting joy to all around you and making their burden lighter. – Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Article for the day – Without Music, Apple Would Be Nothing

http://business.time.com/2012/09/14/without-music-apple-would-be-nothing/

TFTD - 03/09/2012

Thought for the day

“Ultimately the bond of all companionship,

whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation…" - Oscar Wylide

Take home - Getúlio Vargas

Getúlio Vargas brought social and economic changes that helped modernize the country. Although denounced by some as an unprincipled dictator, Vargas was revered by his followers as the “Father of the Poor,” for his battle against big business and large landowners. His greatest accomplishment was to guide Brazil as it weathered the far-reaching consequences of the Great Depression and the accompanying polarization between communism and fascism during his long tenure in office.

Vargas was born in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, into a family prominent in state politics. Contemplating a military career, he joined the army when he was 16 but soon decided to study law. In 1908, shortly after graduating from the Porto Alegre Law School, he entered politics. By 1922 he had risen rapidly in state politics and was elected to the National Congress, in which he served for four years. In 1926 Vargas became minister of finance in the Cabinet of President Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa, a post he retained until his election as governor of Rio Grande do Sul in 1928. From his position as state governor, Vargas campaigned unsuccessfully as reform candidate for the presidency of Brazil in 1930. While appearing to accept defeat, Vargas in October of that year led the revolution, organized by his friends, that overthrew the oligarchical republic.

As an elected president restrained by congress, a profusion of political parties, and public opinion, Vargas was unable to satisfy his labour following or to placate mounting middle-class opposition. Thus, he resorted increasingly to ultranationalistic appeals to hold popular support and incurred the animosity of the U.S. government, which encouraged intransigent opposition from his enemies. By mid-1954 criticism of the government was widespread, and the armed forces, professing shock over scandals within the regime, joined in the call for Vargas’s withdrawal. Rather than accept forced retirement, Vargas took his life on Aug. 24, 1954. His dramatic deathbed testament to the country led to a great resurgence of mass support, allowing for a rapid return of his followers to power.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/623309/Getulio-Vargas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get%C3%BAlio_Vargas

http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/vargas.htm

http://countrystudies.us/brazil/16.htm

Picture of the day – The River Tami near Pančevo, Vojvodina, Serbia

There are several elements in this photograph, including the contrasting colors of the sky, trees, and airplane, which underscore the simplicity of the composition, and the slightly imperfect reflection in the water. The airplane makes a feeling of a dragonfly surveying its domain.

Wisdom Message

Every individual soul is destined to lose its separate name and form and merge in the Formless and Nameless. Some believe that since the particular, individual soul is caught up in birth and death, it can never attain the merger with the eternal. No! Using the opportunity of this birth, you must strive to break the bonds and cleanse yourself from sin. Attaining merger with Divinity is the only goal worth striving for. The scriptures have laid down the steps to attain peace, contentment and joy. Get acquainted with them through the learned people and experience these virtues. Never forget this – the first and most important step in the spiritual path is to remove the weeds in the garden of your heart, by plucking away the bushes of lust and greed, hate and pride. Clear the ground thus, and plant the fragrant flowering plants of love, and the sweet fruits of virtue will soon emerge. - Baba

Article for the day -What Successful People Do With The First Hour Of Their Work Day

How much does the first hour of every day matter? As it turns out, a lot. It can be the hour you see everything clearly, get one real thing done, and focus on the human side of work rather than your task list.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3000619/what-successful-people-do-first-hour-their-work-day?goback=.gde_53482_member_154628582