It is difficult even to attach a precise meaning to the term “scientific truth.” Thus the meaning of the word “truth” varies according to whether we deal with a fact of experience, a mathematical proposition, or a scientific theory. “Religious truths” conveys nothing clear to me at all.
—Albert Einstein

Concentration is opposed to sensuous thoughts and desires, bliss to flurry and worry, sustained thinking to perplexity, applied thinking to sloth and torpor, rapture to ill-will.
—Swami Sivananda

⁽⁰⁾

The royal residences are spread out across the country and are an unparalleled tourist attraction. Every year around 1.7 million visitors flock to the palaces and castles to learn about the history and the modern life of the royal family. The architecture and furnishing of the royal palaces reflect the personalities of previous ruling families.

Many of the stately homes, such as Balmoral Castle, are still used by the Queen and her family. Others, such as the Palace of Westminster, have lost their connection to the royal dynasty over the years and today are only entered by the royals on special occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament.

Royal palaces in London

Buckingham Palace [photo © BBC]
Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of the Royal Head of State since 1837. Situated right in the heart of London, it is the best-known of all of Britain's royal palaces. In August and September, when the Queen takes her annual holiday in Scotland, the palace's 19 magnificently-furnished State Rooms are open to the public. For the rest of the year they are used for official receptions or banquets, State visits and inaugural ceremonies. Visits to Buckingham Palace can be combined with visits to The Queen's Gallery, which was recently renovated. Regular exhibitions present a wide range works of art from the royal family's collection. In the royal stables, visitors can view the exclusive State coaches and vehicles, which are still used on official occasions.

The current exhibition in the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace is "George III and Queen Charlotte - Patronage, Collecting and Court Taste".
The medieval Palace of Westminster served as a royal residence for many years, but has been occupied by the British government since Henry VIII left in 1512. A fire in 1834 destroyed most of the buildings and all that is left of it today are Westminster Hall and the Jewel Tower. The Houses of Parliament, including the large bell tower with Big Ben, its famous clock, were built during the 30 years that followed. Nowadays the royal family usually only enters the palace for the State Opening of Parliament. Members of the public can attend the sittings of the House of Commons of the House of Lords and thus learn about the procedures at the Houses of Parliament.

Kensington Palace [photo © BBC]
London's Kensington Palace is of great historical significance. Queen Victoria was born and grew up there. It is also the former residence of Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. Today the several members of the royal family, including Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, have their offices and private living quarters there. In addition, Kensington Palace houses the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, with its huge variety of ceremonial outfits from the last three centuries. The historical areas of Kensington Palace are open to the public.
The Banqueting House is the only part of the former Whitehall Palace that did not burn down in 1698. Renowned for its paladin structure and ceilings painted by Rubens, the Palace formerly served as the headquarters of the British ruling dynasties and became famous as the site of Charles 1's execution.

The Tower of London is a royal fortress on the River Thames. It was built by William the Conqueror between 1066 and 1067, enlarged by subsequent sovereigns and is one of the most famous castles today. Its history spans over 900 years, during which it was used as a royal palace, stronghold, prison and place of execution. Today the fortress is particularly famous for its 'Bloody Tower', in which two princes are said to have been murdered in 1483, and for the Yeoman Warders (also known as Beefeaters). The biggest attraction is the permanent exhibition of the breathtaking Crown Jewels, which the royal family still uses today.

Royal Palaces outside London

Windsor Castle [photo © BBC]
Windsor Castle, the largest and oldest castle still in use, is the private residence of Queen Elizabeth II. The estate has witnessed 900 years of British history and the splendid State Rooms and artefacts reflect the taste of previous kings and queens. Visitors to this gothic-style castle should not miss St. George's Chapel, the setting of many royal weddings and burial site of numerous sovereigns of former times. Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones got married there in 1999. Every spring and summer, concerts are held in the Jubilee Garden, which was created in 2002 to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

Sandringham House is set among lakes and picturesque Norfolk countryside in Eastern England. Since 1862 it has been home to four generations of sovereigns. The Queen and other members of the British royal family spend the Christmas period there and it serves as their official residence from December to February. In the spring, a great variety of plants come into flower on the premises of Sandringham House, including lavender, which can be admired in all its glory on the nearby Norfolk Lavender Farm. The house, museum and park are all open to the public.

Balmoral Castle, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, has been a popular royal residence since Queen Victoria was on the throne. Nowadays, Queen Elizabeth and her family spend every August and September there. The castle is set in an area of tremendous rural beauty and royal cultural heritage. The park, gardens and ballroom are open to visitors from mid-April to the end of June.

Hampton Court Palace [photo © BBC], situated in the English county of Surrey, is the royal palace of Henry VIII. In addition to his apartments, the baroque quarters of King William III can also be admired. The marvellous flower gardens, the large maze and the secret gardens are particularly popular with visitors. There are regular, free tours and presentations by actors in period costume, who bring Henry's court and the colourful characters of the palace's past back to life.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, which was founded in 1128 as an Augustinian monastery, is the Queen's official Scottish residence. When it was home to Mary, Queen of Scots between 1561 and 1567, the castle played a significant role in Scotland's turbulent royal history, which was characterised by jealousy and murder.

During her annual stay at Holyroodhouse, the Queen hosts garden parties and receives State visitors, such as the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who came to Edinburgh in 2003. Visitors can also view the royal apartments, which are normally used for official purposes. There is another Queen's Gallery at this palace, which exhibits various treasures from the royal estates.

⁽⁰⁾

And how many parents have stayed up late, the night before Halloween, carving their jack-o-lanterns, only to see that same pumpkin collapse just days after the big holiday?

During a field trip to a pumpkin farm, I discovered a Halloween craft activity that even the youngest members of the family can participate in. Pumpkin painting is a fun and safe way to celebrate autumn and Halloween.

This quick and easy craft is perfect for family activities, preschool or elementary school parties, Girl Scout gatherings or Halloween parties.

With just a few supplies: pumpkins of any size, craft paint, brushes, sealer and your imagination, anyone can transform a plain pumpkin into a whimsical, life-like character.

By tracing a pattern onto the pumpkin, young children can “paint by numbers” to create their own Halloween masterpiece.

With a bit of creative planning, scrap fabric, craft supplies, hats and jewelry can transform the painted pumpkin into a character worthy of name-giving.

The best feature of painted pumpkins is their lifespan. A pumpkin, once carved, will last three to five days at the most before it begins to collapse and rot. A painted pumpkin, when sealed properly, will last four weeks or longer!

Because of the extended lifespan, painted pumpkins make the perfect porch decoration, dining table centerpiece or gifts for teachers, friends and family.

And a great way to make your pumpkin work double-duty is to paint one side for Halloween. When Halloween is over, turn the pumpkin around, paint some autumn leaves and leave it on your porch for a beautiful Thanksgiving decoration!

About the Author
JoAnne Westcott is the publisher of the full-color, step-by-step instructional e-guide Pumpkin Painting: Anyone Can Do It! She is also the publisher of the e-guide Easy Face Painting.

Originally published on iSnare.com

⁽⁰⁾

While analyzing the genesis of the problem, which is going to emerge in the future due to religious intolerance, I have been able to visualize the destructive course of events to come. The perception of war, terrorism, insurgency and struggle would differ from people to people. What government perceives war; it might be the people's struggle against oppressions. What you perceive rebellion; it might be a struggle for independence.

I would like to record that the evolution of the universe is not new. Most of the times, we hear people searching and discovering something new which has been already in existence. The question of existence is truly speaking is the real question of survival. The struggle to survive for self is different than that for the common man. The various forms of struggle for freedom, liberty, human rights, nationality, country, caste and social justice are similar in nature and style but differ in execution. The future struggle of people is going to be based on religion on one side and Haves (HV) and Haves Not (HVN) on the other. As both the issues are complimentary to each other for sustenance, therefore, various politicians to fulfill their dreams would exploit the HVN for religion. Islamic scholars perceive that the influence of western culture through electronic and visual media is threatening the very survival of Islam as religion. What I perceiveThis, that this misconception is leading the world towards a different kind of future war. 9/11 strike on US can not be linked to any type of war. It is indeed termed a terrorist act of fanatics; but the suicidal attack on Indian Parliament was not the same.

The aims and objectives of the planners and strikers were different. How HVN are going to be the real tools of all social disorder in future is the right question to be reviewed? These people are going to play a vital role in future wars of insurgency in the world. The main reason would be the materialistic comforts and their ability to have the benefits of its usage. During the course of preparations, I have encountered a young HVN who was trying to snatch his perceived right of survival by the means of robbery. He was not feeling guilty of his action. Rather; he glorified it to bring to the attention of the media glare and became a national hero in crime.

The US, UK, France, Germany, Canada and Australian policy makers and national leaders have a totally different perceptions on HV and HVN of their citizen and the rest of the world including Asian. They believe that the daily requirement of materialistic comfort resources of their citizens with respect to others in the world is much higher; therefore, they have the right to grab materialistic resources in the world to meet the state obligatory duties.

With this as the background, I now analyze the future of insurgency in the world. Though developed nations can see through every corner of the world through their telescopic lenses but they would fail to gauge the depth of drive and determinations of Islamic and other religious bigot. The death of fifty innocent civilians on the street of Baghdad by lass of fourteen is the beginning of future insurgency.

The future War of Insurgents (WOI) is going to be more complicated and complex to address. Firstly, it would be fought from the heart being religious in nature. The strength of materialistic resources would only turn the villages and cities into graveyards; secondly, it would be more or less fought on alien soil and nationalities; and thirdly, it would be between HV and HVN. The developed countries urge to meet the obligatory demands of HV would ultimately move them to grab the resources of HVN. The natural resources like oil, minerals and iron ore etc would be the main dividing factor of WOI. Though, the western world is well aware of the increased ratio of HV and HVN in Middle East but they are still eyeing to take hold of the resources. These HVN under such circumstances would act like wounded tigeresses and revengeful serpentines in creating unrest and disorder.

The fear of loss of resources in Islamic countries is already destabilizing the Muslim society in the Middle East and Asia. They are in the melancholy of crisis management. Anyhow; by and large, a new type of groupism based on local power centers, is reinforcing their faith in the religion and its ruthless application and implementation. These groups are going to shape the future of WOI. It would be strengthen by one; religion; two, local family bonds and relationship, three, community way of organization; four, exploitations of females and children; five, strict rules of implementations; and six, the weakness of human in opposite sex. Of late, while researching on recruitment methodology of such fanatic groups, I have been able to decipher a highly strong and well conceived way of meeting the future challenges of powerful opponent in WOI. How they recruit is worth appreciating. A Sleeper Cell (SC) is formed in each area with an aim to one, identity HVN with strong urge to enjoy materialistic comforts; two, hatred towards current system; three, most likely the youngest offspring in the family, four, the middle order of intellect; and five, strong aptitude for religion. Once, the SC has identified the recruit, they trap in a very meticulous manner. They offer huge pecuniary incentives and sell lucrative dreams of heaven after death.

Threat of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons of Mass destruction (WMD) would be the true cause of concern at home for the HV nations. The battlefield of WOI would not be restricted to any part of the world. It would be difficult for HV to protect their own interest at home than on alien land. The HVN with in own country are going to be the decisive pillars of the WOI. The short, powerful and most terrifying strikes would be the order of the day. The HV nations would have to one; ensure minimum HVN at home; two, create foolproof security system of intelligence and counter measure agencies and three; be always ready to respond to such crisis. I, therefore, feel is it worth increasingg the gap between HV and HVN? Though, the world can reduce this gap in developed nations but it would be difficult in Muslim world due to population explosion.

I, therefore, feel we all have the obligation to protect future generations from the scourge of WOI by ensuring that it does not become a menace. We need to one; reduce the gap of HV and HVN; two, provide enough economic opportunities for all nations to grow; three, developed nations to reduce own HVN ratio; four, impose strict population measure on HVN; five, let provide equal opportunists to human as such rather than American, Indians or Europeans; and six, share technological development for growth of humanity rather than a nation. The fear of Muslims in the Middle East and all over the world is genuine and it requires serious attempts to solve. Though, by no means the terror strikes can be justified but the right of struggle to survive is unquestioned.

About the author
S Kalpna Sharma is a freelance journalist who has been contributing on world with respect to terrorism and insurgency effects on various people in the world. She also is managing a NGO and help people in distress. Otherwise, she is a simple housewife who assists her husband in managing his professional life. Phone: 00-91-9837244692

Originally Published on July 25, 2006

⁽⁰⁾

John McNally’s America’s Report Card is not the first novel set in the tumultuous pre-election months — and it certainly won’t be the last. It is an example of the contemporary political fable: a semi-fantasy that, at first glance, seems a tad outlandish but which, upon closer inspection, is probably not all that far removed from reality.

Reality might, in fact, be even more outlandish than the fantasy, if we were privy to all that’s going on behind our country’s political scenes. McNally’s vision of the 2004-and-beyond American landscape sets up a little internal culture war of its own; the novel is sad and funny, hopeful and cynical, jaded and naive. Just like America.

The title of America’s Report Card derives from a standardized test that, in the America of the novel, is administered to public school students every year in order to gauge their academic progress. The test is “a massive, ongoing project that costs millions, if not billions, of dollars. What’s at stake is the nation’s future.” The test administrators are deadly serious men in black suits who arrive at schools in white vans, looking like nothing but dangerous government agents. Once the students have completed them, the tests are transported to secret evaluation centers around the country, where they are scored and the results filed for possible future reference.

The novel’s narrative follows the parallel tracks of two characters: Jainey O’Sullivan, a teenage girl in Chicago who just took her final America’s Report Card test, on which she wrote a heartfelt, if off-topic, essay; and Charlie Wolf a recent recipient of a Masters degree in film studies who, unemployed and adrift, finds himself working for the corporation responsible for scoring the tests in Iowa City. Both Jainey and Charlie are outsiders who are going with the humdrum flow of 21st-century American life; neither of them is destined to amount to much, but through the course of the novel’s first section they gradually are drawn together toward a shocking climax.

McNally takes his time as he lets us get to know these two characters. Jainey is the rebellious, underachieving daughter of two massive underachievers. Her father is in prison, and her mother mostly just hangs out downstairs and yells a lot. Jainey’s older brother, Ned, is creepily indistinct; he lives in the unfinished attic, listening to bad heavy metal, reading the Bible and developing warped theological epiphanies. Jainey, reeling from the death of a beloved teacher, wanders around Chicago, fooling around with an ex-boyfriend and becoming convinced that someone from the government is out to get her.

Charlie, too, is on a weird track to loserdom. His job at National Testing Center is bizarre at best, and his coworkers are a collection of misfits and spooky wackos. His beautiful Russian girlfriend, his only claim on happiness, is acting kind of strange, and Charlie feels his future slipping away. Just as everything starts to fall apart for him, Charlie is asked to score an exam with a heartfelt, if off-topic, essay written by a teenage girl who is convinced that someone is out to get her. Charlie, in an admirable triumph over inertia, decides to do whatever he has to do in order to save this poor, sad girl.

McNally’s take on the political turmoil in America’s 2004 is bleak, nearly apocalyptic. America’s Report Card is just one tentacle of a government that’s moving in a million sinister directions under the surface, and in these violent, mean-spirited times it’s almost impossible to tell the good guys from the bad guys. There may not be, in fact, any good guys at all. McNally’s characters — those who are not insane, government operatives or conspiracy theorists — move about in studious oblivion until they become aware of the massive, globe-altering gears turning beneath their feet, gears that will gleefully crush them if they make a wrong move. McNally, though, handles this ominous material with a light touch. His story is an homage to Chekhov, and McNally infuses the novel with the Russian writer’s flair for absurdity and humor in the service of cultural commentary.

McNally’s first novel, The Book of Ralph, is a tribute to youth and innocence, a book so steeped in a specific time and place that its setting and characters are palpable. America’s Report Card is a more diffuse book, less concerned with details. As such, it fills its role as a novel of maturation and disillusionment—a painful but necessary step toward, one hopes, enlightenment and triumph

America's Report Card
By John McNally
Free Press 2006

Originally published at WhatzUp.com. Reproduced here with permission.

⁽⁰⁾

This news sent many a blogger all atwitter. While some of them focused on whether or not the information had been adequately referenced, others decried this action on the part of the politicians as proving that they had no ideas of their own, so they had to steal them from others.

Allow me to clear something up right now. To all politicians looking for ways to reduce our footprint on nature – or, to use politician-speak, create an “environmental platform”: Knock yourselves out. Feel free to steal, pilfer, borrow, rent, filch or otherwise take any research my foundation does and put it to good use.

This may seem obvious to some, but the whole point of conducting and publishing this research is to get people to actually use it. As public education, it helps raise awareness of environmental problems. But more important, it provides solutions to those problems. And most of those solutions are best implemented by our political and business leaders, rather than by individuals.

So if you ask me if it bothers me that politicians are stealing the solutions brought forward by my foundation, the answer is no. To use a computer term, we consider this information “open source.” It’s a free buffet; please take all you like. The whole reason why we do the research is to effect change. If those who have the power to make those solutions happen actually use that information, so much the better. This is how change happens.

As for the complaint that using my foundation’s ideas shows that politicians have none of their own – nonsense. Since when do great leaders come up with all their ideas on their own? Societies built around the narrow viewpoints of one person are called dictatorships and tend to be decidedly backward and not terribly pleasant. And if the notion is that ideas should only be coming from within a particular party – again, nonsense. This kind of partisan mentality is a form of xenophobia and it kills new ideas. Then again, perhaps that explains the state of Canadian politics.

I’ve also been asked if I worry that if one political party “steals” our ideas and runs with them, it might be off-putting to the other parties. That is a concern. But we can’t control who uses our research and nor do we want to. The David Suzuki Foundation is non-partisan. We share our research with all political parties and encourage them all to adopt the solutions we bring forward.

Frankly, it’s a tough slog all around. We can have a great idea and support from the vast majority of the public, but political leaders can turn it down flat because it might cost votes in an important constituency or because of political lobbying from an industry group. Sometimes there doesn’t appear to be any reason why an idea is rejected other than fear of change. That can be disheartening, but at least if the information is out there, the public can use it make changes in their own lives or to ask our leaders to take action.

My foundation is just one of dozens of organizations across Canada offering solutions to the country’s environmental and social problems. Rather than ignoring these solutions because they don’t come from within a particular party, it is my hope that our political leaders open their eyes, embrace change and start taking advantage of all this free advice. That isn’t stealing, it’s just good leadership.

Originally published on September 29, 2006

Dr. David Takayoshi Suzuki is distinguished Canadian geneticist who has attained prominence as a science broadcaster and an environmental activist. He is also a co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation.

⁽⁰⁾

"I look the closest that I do in real life. I have worn a lot of my own clothes. Javed said I have never sounded like I do in '15 Park Avenue'," she said.

The actress talks highly about her director: "I think she's an auteur in the true sense."
Commenting upon Mahesh Dattani's "Morning Raga", which has been nominated for the Oscars, she asserted there was a market for offbeat films.

"Smaller films like 'Morning Raga' should be allowed to remain in theatres for at least four weeks for the word-of-mouth to spread."

Excerpts:

We haven't seen you on screen for a while...
I don't think that is true. "Morning Raga" was my last release. And its submission for the Oscars proves a point. Everyone who saw it loved it. But enough people didn't see the film because it got pulled out of theatres in two weeks. Ironically, the big films, which do not need publicity, get loads of money spent on the marketing.

Smaller films like "Morning Raga" should be allowed to remain in theatres for at least four weeks for the word-of-mouth to spread. I understand the budget constraints. One still works for free when required. I am absolutely convinced that a market for films like "Morning Raga" exists. And the fact that it continues to be in the news proves it.

Would you consider "Morning Raga" one of your most satisfying performances?
My entire concentration was on getting the Carnatic singing right. And if Ravi Shankar, Rajiv Menon (whose mother is a Carnatic singer) and Alka Yagnik say I got it right, I am happy.

"15 Park Avenue" is your first release in a while.
The thing is, I haven't seen it yet. But Javed has. And he wept. He told Aparna (Sen): 'Stop making me cry like this in every film'. The only other film he cried in was "Aparna's 36 Chowringhee Lane". I have a super part.

How has Aparna evolved since she last directed you in "Sati"?

I think she's an auteur in the true sense. She writes her own scripts. She understands lighting, editing, music and acting... everything. She sees the film so clearly in her mind's eye that it is already made in her mind even before she reaches the sets.

I loved my character, Anu, in "15 Park Avenue". She's compassionate without being sentimental. She's a typical urban woman of today, hard pressed for time, juggling several jobs. Coping with life for a working woman, who is also the caregiver in the family, isn't easy. She is not the giving martyr like the protagonist in Anil Ganguly's "Tapasya".

Anu is short-tempered, impatient. She is a giver but not a martyr. For my character, her younger sister, played by Konkona (Sen Sharma), is the core of her existence. I was very moved by Anu's relationship with her family. It was very easy for me to identify with the role.

Konkona is an actor you have nurtured from her childhood.
I gave her the nickname Koko. She played my daughter in Aparna's "Picnic". And if you remember she had a small role with me in "Sati". I knew all along she would be an actor, nothing else.

Konkona is a very intelligent actor. She works from truth. At the moment all her work springs from honesty. She hasn't developed any craft to play her characters. There were points in "15 Park Avenue" when she took my breath away because I completely believed she was the character she was playing. I have tremendous respect for her because she has the courage to take on roles that are off the beaten track.

But those are the only roles being offered to her!
I don't know about that. But I see her making brave choices. Konkona is very intelligent, very argumentative. She and I had countless arguments on films, life and other matters. She is f-u-l-l-l-l Aparna Sen's daughter.

Rahul Bose calls you an empress.
I know... And Kanwaljeet... He was my classmate. He's got a tiny part. But the performances are all very good.

And your performance?
I can't comment. But I look the closest that I do in real life. I have worn a lot of my own clothes. Javed said I have never sounded like I do in "15 Park Avenue". But that is because I sound exactly like Aparna Sen.

It also comes from the very natural lines that I had to speak. In most of our films dialogues sound like dialogues. In "15 Park Avenue" I've tried to make the lines sound like everyday conversation.

Silent close-ups are easier to do, if you are lit and packaged correctly. That's why a lot of non-actors appear very moving. In Shahji Karun's "Piravi", a man who had never acted got the National award because of those silent close ups. But my mother taught me it is speaking dialogues that demand the most out of an actor.

Even if you have rehearsed 15 times you have to make it sound like the first. Dialogues should not sound pre-meditated and laboured. Now with sync-sound, I hope it will improve. In a French film you can never tell whether it's documentary or fiction. In "15 Park Avenue" I worked on making the dialogues normal.

You have just won the prestigious Crystal award at the Economic Summit at Davos.
I am very, very honoured. Because the list of people who have won the award before is completely breathtaking, like Paulo Coelho, Peter Gabriel, Nikita Mikhelkov (who's my favourite Russian director), Richard Gere. It fell into my lap and I am really honoured. I will be flying to Davos Jan 28.

Reproduced here with premission from Glamsham.com. Images of Shabana Azmi courtesy of Glamsham.com.

⁽⁰⁾