Free thinkers view on sikhism!

People all over the world basically have a belief or faith generally known as a religion. There are also people out there who call themselves free thinkers who actually don't believe in god.This people usually try their level best in finding absurdities in all religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Baha'i, even Buddhism but guess what they got stuck when it came to Sikhism!A member of The Atheist society has said that "We were doing great with knocking out Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Baha'i, even Buddhism but we have gotten very stuck with Sikhism. This religion is (to put it nicely) "a big pain in the ass" (Please pardon the language) ".





This people of the Atheist society members have succeded in "knocking out" other religion but unable or a "stuck" when it came to sikhism. The reason for that was because they found this religion of Sikhism to be in agreement with you! This has given them a big problem when it came to finding reasons to criticize Sikhism.





When it came to the moment of examining the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji they were shocked to find that Sikhs believed in Democracy, freedom of speech, choice, expression, freedom of religion, pluralism, human rights, equality between men and women, equality of all people regardless of race, religion, caste, creed, status etc 300 years before the existance of the USA.


The Atheist Society member was purely amazed by Sikhism.





They got even amazed when there went into details of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and found that it also talked about the existance of a round earth, water is made from chemical elements, there is even mention of the evoution process, big bang and life on other planets."This is pretty crazy and amazing stuff" said The Atheist society member!





Another very famous free thinker and great philosopher Bertrand Russell who is said to be "the man who destroyed Christianity (same applies to Islam and Judaism) and exposed its absurdities", but even this great man got stuck when it came to Sikhism! In fact he gave up and said "that if some lucky men survive the onslaught of the third world war of atomic and hydrogen bombs, then the Sikh religion will be the only means of guiding them.Russell was asked that he was talking about the third world war, but isn't this religion capable of guiding mankind before the third world war? In reply, Russell said, "Yes, it has the capability, but the Sikhs have not brought out in the broad daylight, the splendid doctrines of this religion which has come into existence for the benefit of the entire mankind. This is their greatest sin and the Sikhs cannot be freed of it."



There are many people out there waiting just criticize Sikhs for their actions.If free thinkers out there are able too praise and give up of finding reasons to find absurdities in our religion we should be proud of ourselves and never do anything that will spoil the good name that we already have! To read further you may visit this web page its really good! have fun reading!

http://www.humanists.net/alisina/sikhism.htm

P/S: Make sure you read the Ryan Responds to Ali Sina on Sikhism as well...

ATM tips and tricks getting away from harm!

If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine,you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse.For example if your pin number is 1234then you would put in 4321.

The ATM recognizes that your pin number is backwards from the ATM card you placed in the machine.The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you.

This information was recently broadcasted on TV and it states that it is seldom used because people don't know it exists.I hope that this piece of information is useful too all readers out there. Do pass this message around...

THE HISTORY OF BAGPIPES!

Bagpipes are thought to have been used in ancient Egypt.The bagpipe was the instrument of the Roman infantry while the trumpet was used by the cavalry.

Bagpipes existed in many forms in many places around the world. In each country the basic instrument was the same, a bag with a chanter and one or more drones. Some of these were mouth blown while others used a bellows attachment to supply the air. The bag provided a sustained tone while the musician took a breath and allowed several tones to be played at once.

The origins of the pipes in Scotland is uncertain. Some say it was a Roman import. Others believe that the instrument came from Ireland as the result of colonization. Another theory is that they were developed there independently. Historians can only speculate on the origins of the Scottish clans' piob mhor, or great Highland bagpipe, but the Highlanders were the ones to develop the instrument to its fullest extent and make it, both in peace and war, their national instrument.

The original pipes in Scotland probably had, at the most, a single drone. The second drone was added to the pipes in the mid to late 1500s. The first written mention of the "Great Pipes" was in 1623 when a piper from Perth was prosecuted for playing on the Sabbath. The third drone, or the great drone, came into use early in the 1700s.

In the Lowlands of Scotland, pipers occupied well-defined positions as town pipers, performers for weddings, feasts and fairs. There was no recorded "master piper" nor were there any pipe schools. Lowland pipers played songs and dance music, as was expected by their audience. Over the mountains and glens, however, Highland pipers were strongly influenced by their background of the Celtic legends and the wild nature of the Highlands. The Highland piper occupied a high and honored position within the Clan system. To be a piper was sufficient and, if he could play well, nothing else would be asked of him.

As bagpipe use faded throughout most of Europe, a new form of music was starting in the Highlands. Beginning with Iain Odhar, who lived in the mid-1500s, the MacCrimmon family was responsible for elevating Highland pipe music to a new level, according to historians. This music is called piobaireachd (pronounced piobroch). This classical music is an art form which can compare to the music of any other country and most of it was composed 100 years before the piano and without written notation.

Clan pipers titles were mostly hereditary and held in much esteem. The best known were the MacCrimmons, pipers to MacLeod of Dunvegan; the MacAuthurs, pipers to MacDonald of the Isles; the MacKays, pipers to the MacKenzie; the Rankins, pipers to MacLearn of Duart.

As a musical instrument of war, the Great Pipes of the Highlands were without equal, according to historians. The shrill and penetrating notes worked well in the roar and din of battle and pipes could be heard at distances up to 10 miles. Because of the importance of the bagpipes to any Highland army, they were classified as an instrument of war by the Loyalist government during the Highland uprising in the 1700s. After the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745, kilts and bagpipes were outlawed, the pipes being classified as instruments of war.

I hope the above summary on the origins and history bagpipes will have given you a rough idea of what this instrument has gone through over hundreds of years and this is what that made me amazed and dragged me towards it!!!!Its an instrument of power which is looked up upon all over the world!!! Cool Picture below!!!

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ON TONY FERNANDES OF AIRASIA

AIRASIA FOUNDER LIKES WORKERS TO SPEAK UP
(From THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ASIA )

Malaysian Tony Fernandes founded AirAsia, Asia 's first low-cost carrier, in 2001 and expanded the company by setting up joint-venture airlines in Thailand and Indonesia . Mr. Fernandes, 42 years old, graduated from the University of London in 1987 with a finance degree and in 1992 moved back to Malaysia, where he became managing director of Warner Music Malaysia, and later, vice-president of Warner's Southeast Asian operations. He quit in 2001 to start AirAsia.

One of Malaysia 's most outspoken business executives, Mr. Fernandes not only has strong ideas on the way airlines should be run, but also how Southeast Asia 's top-down corporate culture should change. He spoke to reporter Cris Prystay about his style.

WSJ: What was your first job and what did you learn from it?

Mr. Fernandes: My first job was a waiter in London at the Cavendish Hotel. I was 17. I learned that working was hard and you had to be professional, even as a waiter. You had other colleagues. If my performance was poor, it let down the whole team. My first [career] job was as an accountant at an auditor in London . It was mind-blowingly boring. I was a junior auditor and was photocopying and adding up rows of columns. The big lesson there: make sure you go into a job that you enjoy. Otherwise, you don't give any value to your employer, and you certainly don't add any value to your own mind.

WSJ: Who gave you the best business advice?

Mr. Fernandes: It was probably Stephen Shrimpton (the former chief executive officer of Warner Music International) at Warner. I was a man in a rush. I was 28 when I became the managing director of Warner Music Malaysia , and I wanted to be the regional MD. I wanted to take over the world. One night, Steve talked to me outside the Sheraton Hotel in Hong Kong for three hours. He told me there's no need to rush and that it's about developing my own personality and making sure I'm ready for the next job. I see that now: No matter how bright someone is at 25, there's nothing like experience. He slowed me down, and made me understand that you need to take time to understand the business better, to understand your people better.

WSJ: What's the one thing you wish every new hire knew?

Mr. Fernandes: Humility -- and knowing what the real world is like. The new generation is coming in pretty soft. A lot of these young guys haven't lived through a recession. There are plenty of jobs out there and they think, "I can always walk into another job." The hunger and determination to do their best is sometimes not there.

WSJ: Is there a difference between the management culture in Asia and the West?

Mr. Fernandes: The management culture here is very top-down. There's less creativity and fewer people who are willing to speak out. They're more implementers than doers. There's less freedom of speech, and that impacts the business world. Even when they know things are not right, they won't speak out. They just do what they're told to do.

WSJ: What's the biggest management challenge you face?

Mr. Fernandes: To get people to think. At AirAsia, we want 4,000 brains working for us. My biggest challenge is to get people to talk, to express themselves, to get people to challenge me and say "Tony, you're talking rubbish." That's what I want, not people who say "Yes, sir." The senior management doesn't have all the answers. I want the guy on the ramp to have the confidence to tell me what's wrong.

WSJ: What are you doing to clear that hurdle?

Mr. Fernandes: We have no offices. We dress down. You wear a suit, and you put distance between you and your staff. We're on a first-name basis. I go around the office, around the check-in desks, the planes constantly, talking to people. Fifty percent of my job is managing people in the company. You get people to open up to you by just asking them to do it, and then responding to them. You don't send a memo, or do some "speak up" incentive program. It's got to be from the heart.

WSJ: What was the most satisfying decision you've made as a manager?

Mr. Fernandes: Once a month, I carry bags with the ramp boys, or I'm cabin crew, or at the check-in. I do this to get close to the operation. I also want to know my people. When I first started this, I met all these bright kids at the check-in or carrying bags. We were starting this cadet pilot program, and I said, "Let's open it up to anyone. Let some of these kids apply." They have the brains, but they just didn't have the money to get the education. Out of the first batch of 19 cadets, 11 came from within the company. Some of these boys got the highest marks ever in the flying academy. There was one kid who joined us to carry bags, and 18 months later he was a First Officer of a 737. Can you imagine what that does for the motivation in the company? Everyone talks about developing human capital, but we did it.

This one article that everyone of us can learn from and probably apply it in our lives if not now but surely applicable in the near future!!!

Trip Too Machap!!

On the the 25th of November me and all the Sri Dasmesh members left for a band performance in Machap for the opening of the gudwara over there which is not yet completed.

The plan of this gudwara is to have a life long history of our second, third, and fourth guru's life.This huge place as you can see on your left(below) which has small kind "pondok" too represent all our guru stops in all the villages they went too during their time and what actually happen over there.
Besides that there is also a miniature replica of the golden temple there which is kind of nice though its small but its an amazing effort being put too get this place completed.This place is due to be completed by the year of end 2009.Once completed this place will attract sikhs and many other people from various countries and places too view and admire the sikh history.

















This picture shows Sangeetha being cheated again!!!
She was asked too take picture with Randip's phone but his camera was not working so we told her its working but there will be no picture on the screen so she needs too takes the picture like how its takes on a old camera.....Guess what she fall for it!!! the second picture was her reaction when she found out she got fooled again!!





This time during this performance most seniors were unable too attend so mostly were juniors.At first i thought its gonna be a boring trip but once we got onto the bus my thoughts changed. Even the juniors knew how too have fun and I and others just joined in...



After the performance we had a some time too chill so we all decided too go boating which i have not done for a long time. We really had some fun! Me and Hargobind tagged along just paddle slowly through the lake in The Tropical Village where we stayed in...
























This was the last picture taken for the day and after that made our way back home......

It was a fun trip also a very irritating one due too the inhabitants of god know how many millions of flies!!!!!

Besides all that it was overall a fun trip and hope too have another soon!!!!

History behing 'Sardarji Barah Baj Gaye'

I was standing at jalandhar station when my attention went towards a Sikh youth standing near me wearing a Black turban having a long beard and wearing a kirpan over his shirt looking similar to a terrorist.

After a while, one local train arrived, which was totally packed. The Sikh youth tried to alight the train but failed to do so. Just then a voice was heard from the back coach 'Sardarji Barah Baj gaye' (Sir it's 12 o'clock!)

The Sikh youth looked over at that voice maker who was a young Mischievous type of person and instead of showing any anger made a smile towards him.

The smile made was so enigmatic that it seemed as if some type of truth lies behind it. Not able to resist my temptation, I walked towards him and asked why did he smile at that person who teased him. The Sikh youth replied, 'He was not teasing me but was asking for my Help'. I was surprised with these words and he told me that there was a big history behind that which one should know. I was eager to know the History and the Sikh youth narrated:

During 17th Century, when Hindustan was ruled by Mughals, all the Hindu people were humiliated and were treated like animals. Mughals treated the Hindu women as there own property and were forcing all Hindus to accept Islam and even used to kill the people if they were refusing to accept.That time, our ninth Guru, Sri Guru Teg Bahadarji came forward,in response to a request of some Kashmir Pandits to fight against all these cruel activities. Guruji told the Mughal emperor that if he could succeed in converting him to Islam, all the Hindus would accept the same.

But, if he failed, he should stop all those activities . The Mughal emperor happily agreed to that but even after lots of torture to Guruji and his fellow members he failed to convert him to Islam and Guruji along with his other four fellow members, were tortured and sacrificed their lives in Chandni Chowk. Since the Mughals were unable to convert them to Islam they were assassinated.

Thus Guruji sacrificed his life for the protection of Hindu religion. Can anybody lay down his life and that too for the protection of another religion? This is the reason he is still remembered as "Hind Ki Chaddar", shield of India. For the sake of whom he had sacrificed his life, none of the them came forward to lift his body, fearing that they would also be assassinated

Seeing this incident our 10th Guruji, Sri Guru Gobind Singhji (Son of Guru Teg Bahadarji) founder of khalsa made a resolution that he would convert his followers to such human beings who would not be able to hide themselves and could be easily located in thousands. At the start, the Sikhs were very few in numbers as they were fighting against the Mughal emperors. At that time, Nadir Shah raided Delhi in the year 1739 and looted Hindustan and was carrying lot of Hindustan treasures and nearly 2200 Hindu women along with him. The news spread like a fire and was heard by Sardar Jassa Singh who was the Commander of the Sikh army at that time. He decided to attack Nadir Shah's Kafila on the same midnight. He did so and rescued all the Hindu women and they were safely sent to their homes.

It didn't happen only once but thereafter whenever any Abdaalis or Iranis had attacked and looted Hindustan and were trying to carry the treasures and Hindu women along with them for selling them in Abdal markets, the Sikh army although fewer in numbers but were brave hearted and attacked them at midnight,12 O'clock and rescued women.

After that time when there occurred a similar incidence, people started to contact the Sikh army for their help and Sikhs used to attack the raider's at Midnight, 12 O'clock. Nowadays, these "smart people" and some Sikh enemies who are afraid of Sikhs, have spread these words that at 12 O'clock, the Sikhs go out of their senses. This historic fact was the reason which made me smile over that person as I thought that his Mother or Sister would be in trouble and wants my help and was reminding me by saying off 'Sardarji Barah Baj Gaye'

Its a humble appeal PLEASE don't make fun of RELIGIONS ! as every religion is as pure as yours.

"Its easy to joke on a Sardar, but It's too difficult to be a Sardar...

PaRaM Is HeRe!!!

Ok ok Ok....finally i'm getting started in blogging myself since lots of my fellow friends have been. I wish i could all the help and advice from my friends too begin this journey with no problems along the way.The main reason i'm doing this is too fill my time which i have too much this month and put it to good use in blooging. A lot of people have inspired me to tell my story such as MrSikhnet, Jagjit, Manveer, Arina and recently MrHavoc Singh(AJIT).
Thanks for inspiring me guys...Keep chekin on my post...day after day!!