Saint Nicholas Punched Heretics in the Face!!!

I have saved the following story for the past one year to share this with you on This Day, December 6, Feast of St. Nicolas or Santa Claus. This comes from Canterbury Tales:

During the First Ecumenical Council of Nicea (AD 325), Arius was called upon to defend his position on the inferiority of Christ. Saint Nicholas just couldn’t listen to all of Arius’ nonsense and so he stood up and laid in to Arius with his fist.

The Emperor Constantine and the bishops present at the Council were alarmed by Nicholas’ act of violence against Arius. They immediately stripped Nicholas of his office as a bishop by confiscating the two items that marked out a man as a Christian bishop: Nicholas’ personal copy of the Gospels and his pallium (the vestment worn by all bishops in the East).

Now if that were the end of the story, we probably wouldn’t know about Saint Nicholas, and our children wouldn’t be asking him for presents. However, after Nicholas was deposed, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary visited Nicholas who was being held in a prison cell for his fist-fight with the heretic.

Our Lord Jesus Christ asked Saint Nicholas, “Why are you here?” Nicholas responded, “Because I love you, my Lord and my God.”

Christ then presented Nicholas with his copy of the Gospels. Next, the Blessed Virgin vested Nicholas with his episcopal pallium, thus restoring him to his rank as a bishop.

Wish you all a happy feast of St. Nic…

[P.S: Since I finished my studies and have joined in a Company, I might not get time to blog in the next few months. But I'll be back soon. Please do pray for me that I 'll come back home soon. ]

[Recipe] Sharjah Milk Shake

Image by marcelo träsel via Flickr

Not long ago I had Sharjah Milk Shake with my friend opposite to my university. It became my instant favorite. I have no idea how I spent three years there without knowing about this.. I was told the name Sharjahwas a local one. But the info was wrong. It is a famous recipe and a common name. Internet is full of it. Here is the Complete Recipe by Ms. Nagalakshmi. Hope you like it too..

By the way, please don’t use Horlicks as an alternative as recommended in there… It doesn’t taste good at all. Believe me, I tried it.

Try it and let me know how it is..

Finished Reading: Revolution 2020

I borrowed Revolution 2020, the new book by Chetan Bhagat. I didn’t buy it because my friend said that I could keep it after he reads it (Thanks Sathish.. ). Also partly because of the reviews it received online. As most of them pointed out, this novel is more like a cinema script than a novel. Most importantly the climax. I would not be surprised if this book was made into a bollywood movie in the near future, who knows Chetan himself can play Ragav..

This is a good book to read once. I would give 2/5 for this book. Among all his books 2 States is still my favorite book.

I do have one minor issue with this book. When New York Times recently pointed out the degrading quality of English in Indian novels, Chetan was quick to criticize them saying that,

And I try to catch authentic dialogue that matches the character. even if that isn’t correct queen’s English. Duh! [sic] (src)

I accepting his logic, I can go on-board with characters ending English sentences with ‘no‘ in an unreasonable manner or other errors inside quotes. But there are some errors which which confused me and made it difficult for me to understand the book. For example:

‘த’கரத்தை மட்டுமே வைத்து எழுதப்பட்ட வெண்பா

தத்தித்தா தூதுதி தாதூதித் தத்துதி

துத்தித் துதைதி துதைதத்தா தூதுதி

தித்தித்த தித்தித்த தாதெது? தித்தித்த

தெத்தாதோ தித்தித்த தாது?

நூல்: தனிப்பாடல்

பாடியவர்: காளமேகம்

சூழல்: முற்றிலும் ‘த’கர எழுத்துகளைமட்டுமே வைத்து எழுதப்பட்ட வெண்பா இது – கீழே உள்ள ‘சுருக்’ விளக்கம் மொக்கையாகத் தோன்றுகிறதே என்று நினைக்கவேண்டாம், இதைச் சொல்வதற்காக அவர் எப்பேர்ப்பட்ட வார்த்தை விளையாட்டு ஆடியிருக்கிறார் என்பது கொஞ்சம் கவனமாகப் பிரித்தால்தான் விளங்கும் – முழு விளக்கத்தைப் படிக்கவும்

[பாடல் வரிகள்] Girl you are my chamak challo (தமிழ் வரிகளுடன்- Tamil Version)

Girl you are my chamak challo
where you go girl
im gonna follow
what you want girl
just let me know
oooh oooh ohh
you can be my chamak challo
ooh ohh

shorty im gonna get ya
you know im gonna get ya
you know i’ll even let you
let you be my chammak challo

நீ என்னை ஏற்று கொண்டால் கண்ணில் கொஞ்சம் காட்டு
நீ மட்டும் இல்லை என்றால் நேசிக்காது காத்து
பேசாத வார்த்தை சொல்லி பேரின்பத்தை கூட்டு
வாழாத வாழ்க்கை வாழ்வோம் வா

wannabe my chammak challo (4)

முத்தான chamak challo
மொத்தத்தில் சங்கதி எல்லோ
இது இனி என் உரிமை அல்லோ ஓ ஓ ஓ
முத்தான chamak challo

shorty im gonna get ya
you know im gonna get ya
may be i’ll even let you be my chammak chammak challo

நீ என்னை ஏற்று கொண்டால் கண்ணில் கொஞ்சம் காட்டு
நீ மட்டும் இல்லை என்றால் நேசிக்காது காத்து
பேசாத வார்த்தை சொல்லி பேரின்பத்தை கூட்டு
வாழாத வாழ்க்கை வாழ்வோம் வா

wannabe my chammak challo (4)

எப்போதுமே கண் அடிப்பா? நீ என்ன naughty அ?
எல்லாருமே பார்த்திருக்க முத்தாட பாப்பியா?
ஓரத்திலே சாய்ந்திருக்க நான் என்ன பாட்டியா?
உள்ளத்திலே காதலோடு ஓட்டிக்க மாட்டியா?

நீ என்னை ஏற்று கொண்டால் கண்ணில் கொஞ்சம் காட்டு
நீ மட்டும் இல்லை என்றால் நேசிக்காது காத்து
பேசாத வார்த்தை சொல்லி பேரின்பத்தை கூட்டு
வாழாத வாழ்க்கை வாழ்வோம் வா…

Atheism

The belief that there was nothing and nothing happened to nothing and then nothing magically exploded for no reason creating everything and then a bunch of everything magically rearranged itself for no reason what so ever into self-replicating bits which then turned into dinosaurs.

திருவிளையாடல்: சிவன் – நக்கீரர் உரையாடல்

சிவாஜி கனேசன் நடித்த திருவிளையாடல் படத்தை நாம் அனைவரும் பார்திருப்போம். அந்தப்படத்திலே வரும் சிவன் – நக்கீரர் உரையாடல் எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடித்தது. அதனைச் அன்மையில் இணையத்தில் வாசிக்க நேர்ந்தது. அதனை உங்களோடு பகிர்கின்றேன்:

அரசன், அரசி, அவர்களைச் சுற்றிலும், இவ்வளவு மலர்கள் நறுமணம் வீசிக்கொண்டிருந்த போதிலும், மன்னனுக்குத் தன் அருகில் இருந்த அரசியின் கூந்தலில் தனியொரு நறுமணம்_மாறுபட்ட மணம் கமழ்வதாக உணர்ந்தான்.

திரும்பித்தன் தேவிதன்னை நோக்கினான்
தேவி அய்ம்பால்
இரும்பித்தை வாசமாகி இருந்தது
ஈண்டுஇவ் வாசம்
சுரும்புவிற்குத் தெரியா தென்னா
சூழ்ந்து இறும்பூச தொண்டீது
அரும்பித்தைக் கியல்போ செய்கையோ
வெனஅய்யம் கொண்டான்

அரசனல்லவா? உடனே தனக்கு ஏற்பட்ட ஐயத்தை அறிவித்து, தீர்த்துவைப்பவருக்கு ஆயிரம் பொன் பரிசு எனக் கூறினார். இங்கே எனது 12ஆம் வகுப்பு தமிழ் ஆசிரியர், “மங்கையின் கூந்தலுக்கு இயற்கை மணமா? செயற்கை மணமா என்று ஆராய்வது தான் ஒரு அரசனின் வேலையா? இந்த லட்சணத்தில் அவனது ஆட்சி எந்தப் போக்கில் இருந்திருக்கும்.” சொன்னது நினைவுக்கு வருகின்றது. அப்போது நாங்க எல்லோரும் வாய்விட்டு சிறித்தோம். ஹ்ம்ம் அது ஒரு கானாக்காலாம்….

Happy Gandhi Jayanthi

Image via Wikipedia

Mahatma meaning ‘a great soul’ is an apt title to this man, who with a single bamboo stick fought against the mighty British empire and won… He is the best manager I have ever known. He united the entire India, which was divided by race, religion, caste and other socio-economical problems. He fought with non-violence and showed the world it can be done.

As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Jesus showed the idea, but Gandhi gave us the method”

The object of this massive tribute died as he had always lived – a private man without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not the commander of great armies nor a ruler of vast lands. He could not boast any scientific achievement or artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom.

In the words of General George C. Marshall, the American Secretary of State, “Mahatma Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of all mankind. He was a man who made humility and simple truth more powerful than empires.”

And Albert Einstein added, “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.” – Edward R. Murrow: [at Gandhi's funeral]

Wish you all a Happy Gandhi Jayanthi

and

International Day of Non-Violence.

Think Differently

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

- Advertising slogan created for Apple Computers in 1997

Finished Reading: Light of The World

Recently read Light Of The World : The Pope, The Church and The Signs Of The Times (Ignatius Press ISBN: 9781586176068. My Library: 160)

The newest book by the pope is a series of interviews of the Pope Benedict XVI by Peter Seewald. Everyone knows what the pope teaches, but this books is a must if you want to know why he teaches that. As for me the only reason I bought this book was because it was written by the man who holds the chair of St. Peter. This book is a must for every catholic. It paints a clear picture of the wise and prudent shepherd the church is blessed with. Joseph Ratzinger, shows that he is a professor all thru this book.

Some of this answers were very wise. Resembles his deep theological knowledge. Some of his answers, made me to think for hours together.

For example his explanation for comprehending God and His nature by the human mind, (p. 174-175):