Shadowlines (Part I)

rsridhar: IM of the opinion that all people have a destiny to fullfill (even the mahatmas). I think Buddha`s realization was true for himself, but does not necessarily have to be true for all of us. Asceticism is some completely next level stuff meant for the strongest of the strong. It is a part of the 1 and should be respected as such (all people on the path will practise it to some degree).

As for symbols, they always have carried different meanings for different people. They were a means of teaching both the initiate and the common person. Both would leave with some understanding of the 1. Its obvious that after time, the original meaning is lost...

What Arjun,Haramiou,JAY,Soundmeister,Sadna,Not Mullah ,Layman,Nameless,& dozen other cheer leaders WONT EVER INFORM CHOWK ABOUT .Its a hard work keeping up with dozen posters.....

Dr.Reddys company lose its share value precipitously

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?artid=16794027

Novo suspends trials of Dr Reddy`s molecule



TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2002 12:30:18 AM ]



NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: Shares of Dr Reddy`s Laboratories, India`s sixth-biggest drugmaker by market share, slumped to a near-one-year intra-day low on Monday after its Danish ally drugmaker Novo Nordisk suspended clinical trials on its promising new diabetes compound DRF 2725 or ragaglitazar.

Dr Reddy`s, which has been among the high-flying Indian pharma shares, fell 18% in early afternoon trade to Rs 830, a level not seen since July 24, ?01. The stock closed at Rs 874.20, down 13.8% while the BSE healthcare sector index fell 3.6% to 1,312.06, and the benchmark BSE sensex slid 2.4% to 3,153.34.

On Monday, Dr Reddy`s said that rodents ? including a mouse and a number of rats ? on whom initial animal trials of 2,725 were done, developed cancerous tumours in the bladder causing Novo to suspend human trials until a complete risk/benefit assessment of the compound was done. Though the tumours could be specific to rodents and may not occur in humans, Novo said it stopped human trials for patient safety reasons.

Some brokerages are believed to have already factored in the royalty to DRL from sales of this compound in various countries including the US from ?05 onwards, which partly explains the steep drop in the share price, but sentiment also had a role to play, analysts said. Even if clinical trials are initiated again, filing for approval with regulatory authorities is expected to be delayed by close to two years.













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re:Reply #: 176

DRUMZ,

The symbolism is for the common folks, people who are daily struggling as to how to live, how to conduct themselves and so on. Middle path that Buddha and many others have suggested were for these very people who were not sure what is right and what is wrong. Buddha shunned the extreme austerities and deprivations that many ascetics adopted in those days. He said, these were not necessary. One may lead a normal life and yet be happy.

You are right. A good man`s behavior may seem extreme to an average person. But then, is the good man in an inner turmoil. I am sure, he is at peace with what he is doing. It is the average guy (the one who thinks the good man is extreme)who is having the inner clash and is unhappy.

Symbols have lost meaning today. But it is interesting how many different ancient cultures depicted some basic ideas symbolically.

Sridhar

Zafar: ``I was just expressing a fond HOPE, ok? And now you’re cross...``

Im not cross, just puzzled as to why i have to keep repeating myself cuz what i say conflicts with someones experiences or preferences.

``There’s a lot to be said for short term memory loss ya know. Mathlab, how many recent memories are pleasant and worth keeping?``

Agree, very little worth keeping and even less should be kept.

``Now you’re fighting dirty :-) And you forgot ghee specifically, and Indian Cooking in general. Burp. Let’s not even get on to the need to be right, the need to be better, the need to be more intelligent, the need to be better looking…(is there an all purpose word for this one?)``

LOL, I dont even wanna take it there cuz thatll make everyone look like a hypocrite. All purpose word? Maybe the need for acceptance, or simply attacthment. Peace.

US wary of Pakistan intelligence services` links to al-Qa`ida

By Robert Fisk in Islamabad

21 July 2002

The FBI is becoming almost as distrustful of its Pakistani counterpart as the CIA is of the warlords across the border in Afghanistan.

During the trial of journalist Daniel Pearl`s murderers – which ended with the conviction of the British public schoolboy Omar Sheikh – one small but disturbing fact never made its way into the headlines: that one of the co-accused was a former Pakistani police officer. The final testimony of the trial – released only yesterday morning – must owe something to his evidence.

It revealed, for example, that Mr Pearl made two escape attempts from his captors and that it was this which prompted them to murder him. Three Yemenis were brought in to perform his throat-cutting. But all we know of the ex-cop is that – even at the time of his arrest – he was still working for the Pakistan Special Branch.

Pakistan`s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the powerful state institution which helped arm Afghan fighters against the Soviets and then supported the Taliban, was supposedly reformed once the Pakistani President, General Pervez Musharraf, joined President George Bush`s ``war on terrorism``.

Few in Pakistan believe it. There are rumours, for example, that intelligence officers helped to hide three al-Qa`ida members after a gun battle in a village in Waziristan, in the border tribal territories on 25 June in which 10 soldiers were killed. US agents in Pakistan suspect that several of their raids on remote villages in Waziristan were betrayed to al-Qa`ida operatives in advance. Since then, both the FBI and the Pakistan army have preferred not to inform local police officers of their activities.

Although authorities in Islamabad insist that US forces cannot operate alone inside Pakistani territory, recent reports suggest the contrary. Last week, for example, three Pakistani tribesmen were apparently picked up by US troops from the border town of Angoor Adda and flown across the frontier to the US base at Birmal in Afghanistan. It also appears that American forces have been using their old Afghan device of handing out wads of cash in return for local tribal loyalty.

If Pakistan can deny America is waging an undercover war on its territory, it is far more difficult to conceal the involvement of a police Rangers inspector, Waseem Akhtar, in the conspiracy to murder General Musharraf during his visit to Karachi on 26 April. And there is evidence that the explosives to be used in the failed attack were subsequently employed in the suicide bombing of the US con- sulate in Karachi on 14 June.

Because of the past co-operation between the Taliban – and by extension al-Qa`ida and Pakistan`s intelligence services – many Pakistan Special Branch and Field Security Wing officers are working blind, forced to build up entirely new files on militants who remain well known to elements of the ISI. Only patient police work in Karachi, for instance, uncovered hitherto unknown connections between Islamist and secular groups, leading to a series of arrests.

All in all, the civil police and the Americans might learn more by talking to the ISI. But no one is sure for whom their individual members work.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia_china/story.jsp?story=316895

samina:

“Its been good seing your posts on Chowk now and then...”

…:)…always a pleasure to read your posts too…

“Umer Murtaza,

Your artwork sounds amazing! Can you provide pictures of your finished work?”

…i second that…the whole wire-cum-pepper-cum-everything under the sun bit sounds intriguing to say the least…

fROM A SISTER FORUM POST ON INDIA FORUM

HA T ARE THESE OUR INDIANS UP TO? TRUELY VERY ILLETRATE!

Posted by GJM on July 20, 2002 at 04:12:25:

Indians begin worshipping dead British soldier as `god`

Hundreds of people in northern India have begun worshipping a British soldier who died 145 years ago.

They believe he has divine powers and has helped people get off court cases and solve their sexual problems.

Devotees are offering fruit, flowers, meat, cigarettes and liquor at the grave of Captain F Wale, at the palace garden ruins of Moosa Bagh in Lucknow.

Captain Wale of the 1st Sikh Cavalry was killed in action during the Mutiny of 1857.

Locals have even composed hymns and prayers to the soldier and taken to describing him variously as ``Captain Baba`` (Captain Sage), ``Gora Baba`` (White Sage) or ``Gora Bhagwan`` (White God).

The grave, normally deserted, began attracting visitors following rumours of the captain`s powers.

It was believed people involved in serious criminal cases were acquitted by the courts after prayers were offered at the grave, or `mazaar`.

Young men looking for solutions to their sexual problems and barren women hoping to have children are also among those who regularly visit the grave.

Sify.com reports one local man, Krishna Prasad, is reported to have offered beer at the grave in the hope Gora Baba would help him fulfil a wish to have sexual relations with a neighbour.

The self-appointed caretaker of the grave, who is known only by her first name, Sakina, said: ``Devotees took to the practice of offering alcohol and cigarettes at the grave because the captain was thought to be fond of drinking, smoking and sex.``

Follow Ups:

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Reply DRUMZ # 160

“As for taking it for ``pleasure,`` u and zafar are free to think that as being true.”

I was just expressing a fond HOPE, ok? And now you’re cross...(No, DON`T listen to me. This is at least in part for a certain other person who is bound to read this post...)

“…I dont really see the point in taking it for pleasure because it hinders ya memory - it gets very annoying after a while. Its definately not something one should do before going out.”

There’s a lot to be said for short term memory loss ya know. Mathlab, how many recent memories are pleasant and worth keeping?

“…Maybe we should build on REAL crutches. Ima bet 90% of u are addicted to tea, 40% to coffee, 20% to various medicines, 15% to alcohol, 80% to family/friends...”

Now you’re fighting dirty :-) And you forgot ghee specifically, and Indian Cooking in general. Burp. Let’s not even get on to the need to be right, the need to be better, the need to be more intelligent, the need to be better looking…(is there an all purpose word for this one?)

CATCH J I M BEFORE YOU LOSE HIM ..SAYZ YOUR MOM

No More Big Man on Campus?

College Gender Gap Could Mean Women Lose Mating

Game

By Geraldine Sealey

[ABCNEWS.com]

July 18 ? Sure, it`s the 21st century and all, but many single, professional women of a certain age still sweat over the lethal mix of a dearth of educated, successful bachelors and the cruel march of Father Time.

Believe it or not, ladies, the situation appears to be getting bleaker.

Women now comprise 57 percent of all college graduates in the United States. Among Hispanics, the gender gap is even greater ? only 40 percent of college graduates are male. Among blacks, two women earn bachelor`s degrees for every man.

Some demographers and labor studies experts fear this trend portends ominously for the mating game. American men are becoming less literate, less ambitious, less responsible, and less employable than women, they say. This can only mean bad things, the argument goes, for high-achieving women who want husbands who, say, contribute to society, hold their own in conversation and pay their own way.

Andrew Sum, an economist with the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, calls this effect the ``marriage squeeze.``

``The choices for younger women will be more constrained than they were 20 years ago,`` he said. ``This is a serious economic and cultural problem. Men are less mature today than they were 20 years ago. Not everyone will agree with me, but the evidence supports that.``

Women Mature Faster

Sum`s research shows that an average of 62 percent of women in Massachusetts` large central and inner cities graduate from high school and enroll in college, compared to 48 percent of men. His data also reflect the education gender gap`s impact on marriage, he said. An estimated 59 percent of men with only high school diplomas were married compared to 75 percent of men with Master`s degrees or better, Sum said.

Nationwide during the last two decades, women have increasingly earned greater numbers of associate`s, bachelor`s, and master`s degrees than men. There is no state in America where men can claim more bachelor`s degrees than women.

Explanations abound for why women are more likely to enroll in and graduate from college. Educators say that in general, women are more prepared as students, more mature, better writers and readers, and more ambitious.

``Women may feel they have to try harder,`` said Stephanie Coontz, a family researcher and co-chair of the Council on Contemporary Families.

Indeed, there has been much public debate recently about the plight of successful women looking for mates and families. Perhaps most notably, Sylvia Ann Hewlett raised a ruckus with her book Creating a Life about professional women`s often quixotic quest for children, which made 60 Minutes and the cover of Time magazine.

Must Women Go Slummin`?

The academic gender gap shows no sign of abating, which means women may have to start waiting even longer to marry, or they may have to consider ``marrying down.``

Traditionally, men have been more likely to marry women with less earning potential and professional stature, although that trend is shifting. Women have been more likely to pair up with partners who have at least as much academic achievement ? 80 percent of women with bachelor`s degrees marry men who also graduated from college.

Not all experts see trouble ahead, of course. Many see the trend as a reassuring development for women, and for men, eager to break out of traditional marriage roles.

Kathleen Gerson, a New York University sociologist studying work and family attitudes of the 18-to-30 crowd, pooh-poohs the notion that less educated men herald the apocalypse for heterosexual couples.

``When men outnumbered women [in college], it didn`t seem like a social crisis,`` she said.

If women are less dependent on men for financial support, couples can make more honest decisions about being together, says Coontz, who`s writing a book on the history of marriage.

``It`s not a sign of disaster, but a sign that people are able to develop more true free choice and are willing to do so,`` she said. ``This is a good example of the fact that marriage is more of a choice than it`s ever been.``

Put less delicately, the concept of the marriage squeeze is a lot of ``hooha`` about nothing, says Carl E. Van Horn, a professor of public policy and director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

Resourceful Women More Attractive Mates

``It`s not like there are no men graduating from college,`` Van Horn said. ``It`s not a big enough change that it`s so noticeable.``

In fact, much research shows that women, just like men, are more likely to be married if they have greater educational attainment and more earning power, says Scott Coltrane, a senior scholar with the Center on Contemporary Families.

Economic equality also translates to more equality in marriage, Coltrane said. ``When women have more resources, couples tend to make decisions that end up sharing more,`` he said.

``I don`t see the institution of marriage being in any trouble. It`s a different vision of marriage. Marriage will be helped by equality of men and women in the workplace.``

Of course, even though women are getting more college and professional degrees and are improving their own earning potential, it remains to be seen whether they can bust through the corporate ``glass ceiling`` that still marginalizes them in executive suites.

If women are to translate their educational achievement into true earning power and professional stature, corporate America will also have to change, some experts say.

``[Women] still face inflexible workplace structures and job opportunities that are gender-biased and biased against parents,`` Gerson said.

Genie Out of the Bottle

Despite these arguments, Sum sticks to his theory that less educated men comprise a social, economic and marital drain. And, he said, if you ask young women, they`d back him up.

``Many women perceive this problem to be real,`` he said. ``It is not our imagination.``

The college gender gap damages young men even more, Sum said. Men not only lag behind female students but lack many of the directed mentoring opportunities designed to encourage professional development after college.

Surely, scholars may disagree on whether the economic deficiency of men is a social plague or a potential leveler of restrictive gender roles. But, Coltrane said: ``There`s no putting the genie back in the bottle. There`s no way to reverse this trend over the next few decades.``

rsridhar: Thats a tricky subject. What u said is agreeable as it pertains to the whole of humanity, however balance iz RELATIVE when it comes to individuals. For ex. Some people are good by nature. WHat they would do every day might be what a ``normal`` person considers extreme. The good natured person is not being extreme in this case; for her, the extreme could be some ascetic stuff or what have u.

This is a difficult concept to explain. Im sure ud agree that it is more `extreme` for a meat eater to become a vegan then for a vegetarian...

Roohi: Naw, i am definately not one of those treaky types (come on!). I will check out the link though. Peace.

DRUMZ

You sound like you might like this link ... all about the Hindu concepts in the Star Wars saga

http://www.thejediplanet.com/features/hindu2.shtml

May the force be with you ...

re:Reply #: 172

DRUMZ,

yes, indeed! It is all about balance. Buddha advised the middle path.If you make the pendulum swing to one extreme, what happens. It comes back and swings to the other extreme as well. This is also the law of karma. So, the sages have been saying: do everything in moderation, so the pendulum remains more or less in the middle. We of course know from personal experience as well as scientific data that too much of anything is bad. Too much food, too much sleep, too much alcohol etc. The old cultures knew this and depicted it symbolically.

Sridhar

Hi Samina,

I`ve still got to bag myself a scanner but I promise (eyes, legs, eyebrows, and fingers crossed) that as soon as I finish the collection, not only shall I give you the finished pics but being Hatam Tai`s aulaad, I`ll even send you the pics of the works in progress. Happy? I don`t know how it is with you but I always find it a joy to watch the evolution of the piece…

…But I am forgetful and every now and then, feel free to remind me. And yes, I do know your e-mail addy.

Best wishes

Umer M

roohi/rsridhar: This is getting interesting. The next question is of course how are the symbols of jewish mysticism and hindusim/buddhism related (even their MEANINGS are the same)... The balance of opposing forces (PEACE).

Youll find that this theme ran throughout the world. Hinduism probably has a ``cross`` symbol. The cross and the egyptian ankh repped balance of heaven and earth/man woman/life death. The egyptian cross showed the womans genitals as does one triangle of the star of david. The swastika is also related to the balance of the 4 elements, then there`s the yin/yan. Its ALL about balance.

DRUMZ

The indian shatkon (six pointed star) is the same as the star of david. It represents the union of purush and prakrati and is the basis of the more complicated Sri Yantra - the yantra of creation, which symbolizes OM and is usually associated with Laxmi.

The Sri Yantra has 9 intersecting triangles 4 pointing down and 5 pointing up. It is the most ancient and well known Hindu Yantra - the Buddhist Mandalas are based on the Hindu Yantras, both are a tool for meditation ...

re:Reply #: 161

DRUMZ

Your question to Sadna is interesting.

The hindu symbol resembling the ``star of David`` is nothing but ``shara-vana-bhava`` (literally meaning ``born in a reed forest``) or the symbol connected with god Kartikeya. Kartikeya is the son of Lord Shiva, one of the trinities.

Unlike the Aryan symbol of the crooked cross (made infamous by Hitler),this symbol resembling ``star of David`` is to be found mainly in south india and in Srilanka.

You need to remember that worship in ancient India was symbolic. Each symbol therefore has a meaning. One triangle in this symbol represents the Shiva aspect (fire), the other triangle the Shakti aspect (water). The two together represent Shiva-Shakti or Kartikeya (also called skanda or shara-vana-bhava).

This symbol alone is used for worship as a yantra in a temple in Kataragama in southern Srilanka. This place is considered sacred by hindus, buddhists and muslims alike for various reasons (one more reason for respecting all religions!).

In most of India, this god is depicted as riding a peacock and with a spear (called ``vel`` in Tamil)in his hand. The symbol of shara-vana-bhava is, however,interestingly missing in north india.

Hope i have confused you enough!

Url:http://www.skandagurunatha.org/pages/index3.htm.

http://kataragama.org/research/bechert.htm

Sridhar