Planet ISKCON

Brand is a very powerful in business. There are three basic branding strategies:

1. Unique brand
2. Corporate brand
3. Range brand

Unique branding is used by a company like Proctor & Gamble. All its many different household products use have a unique identity. P&G owns popular brands such as: Ariel, Braun, Crest, Duracell, Fairy, Gillette, Lenor, Oral-B, Pampers, Pringles, Head & Shoulders, Olay and Wella.

A unique branding strategy allows a company to dominate a product area by building a successful brand that stands for just one thing. Such a brand can often become synonymous with the product: Kleenex, for example. Also, if a brand is unsuccessful, its failure does not affect the other brands the company owns. Moreover, the company can even compete against itself by launching different brands in the same product category. No matter which product the consumer buys, the parent company is successful. The disadvantage is that each brand must be marketed separately. It takes a significant investment in time, money and effort to establish a new brand.

Corporate brand strategy means using a single brand for all products. Apple uses this strategy. New products share the awareness of the established brand identity. Time to launch a new product is greatly reduced. Customers already know and trust the existing brand. However, as a corporation extends its product lines into many different markets, it can become difficult to maintain consistent quality for all products and the whole brand suffers as a result. One failed product can bring the entire company's image down. Also, when the company is not perceived as a dedicated provider of a single category of product, people may begin to doubt the corporation's devotion to each of its product lines. The result: brand loyalty is reduced.

Range branding is a mixture of the two. For example, Toyota created the Lexus brand in order to establish a new brand for its luxury cars. The Toyota brand already had too much of an established market identity in order to compete in the high-priced market segment.

Atma Yoga is following the unique branding strategy (or possibly range, it's too early to tell). One might consider call it Krishna Yoga, or even ISKCON Yoga, but an unsuccessfully executed corporate brand strategy prevents that from being a good idea. It will take considerable time and effort to establish brand loyalty and awareness, but the potential payoff is also quite high.

This week??(TM)s Vedicsoc session was a bit out-of-order. One of the attendee had to leave early, so I started with the session with some chanting. Good thing too, because soon after a guy next door in the music room decided to "go wild" on his drum-kit.

Chanting was good. The group seemed to naturally take to the maha-mantra. We went on for 8 minutes. Somewhat longer than usual.

Slow-deep aerobic yoga was also very good. It gives people an intense yoga "experience".

In the discussion I started off asking everyone what their goals were. "What things do you plan to achieve in the next 5 - 20 years that you think will really satisfy you?" I was planning to debunk the myth of money and happiness. However, I was surprised that there was silence upon asking the question (in retrospect, I should have probably asked people to anonymously write down their goals on a piece of paper. That way, no one would feel they would revealing too much of themselves).

Finally, someone said their goal was to work in a bar on Ibiza. That would be an escape from the monotone of Manchester, though, of course, life in Manchester is really great, too.

Then someone mentioned enlightenment and I talked a bit about the non-new-age definition of enlightenment (i.e. seeing clearly who you are, what's around you and where you are going). I ended up giving a bit of a monolog "class".

When I asked for questions there was, once again, silence. I had too intense. Thankfully, Joy asked some questions and soon we were intensively (but very friendlily) debating a whole range of subjects. Everyone else leaned back and watched to fun. Everyone likes a good debate.

I remember back in 2001 there was a geography lecturer that used to come to the Southampton Vedicsoc session. He used to have lively discussion with Carana Renu. Those debates are part of what convinced me of Krishna consciousness. The Vedic philosophy held up well under attack. I myself was too shy to voice any questions or doubts, but seeing someone else doubt (and not make nearly as much sense as) the philosophy of Krishna consciousness cleared away a lot of those doubts.

Soon other people started getting involved in the debate I was having with Joy. It wasn't long before everyone was engaged in the conversations and having fun. In the end, we ended up talking for an hour longer than the session was scheduled to run.

Debates are powerful! We should use that format much more when presenting ideas.

This week??(TM)s Vedicsoc session was a bit out-of-order. One of the attendee had to leave early, so I started with the session with some chanting. Good thing too, because soon after a guy next door in the music room decided to "go wild" on his drum-kit.

Chanting was good. The group seemed to naturally take to the maha-mantra. We went on for 8 minutes. Somewhat longer than usual.

Slow-deep aerobic yoga was also very good. It gives people an intense yoga "experience".

In the discussion I started off asking everyone what their goals were. "What things do you plan to achieve in the next 5 - 20 years that you think will really satisfy you?" I was planning to debunk the myth of money and happiness. However, I was surprised that there was silence upon asking the question (in retrospect, I should have probably asked people to anonymously write down their goals on a piece of paper. That way, no one would feel they would revealing too much of themselves).

Finally, someone said their goal was to work in a bar on Ibiza. That would be an escape from the monotone of Manchester, though, of course, life in Manchester is really great, too.

Then someone mentioned enlightenment and I talked a bit about the non-new-age definition of enlightenment (i.e. seeing clearly who you are, what's around you and where you are going). I ended up giving a bit of a monolog "class".

When I asked for questions there was, once again, silence. I had too intense. Thankfully, Joy asked some questions and soon we were intensively (but very friendlily) debating a whole range of subjects. Everyone else leaned back and watched to fun. Everyone likes a good debate.

I remember back in 2001 there was a geography lecturer that used to come to the Southampton Vedicsoc session. He used to have lively discussion with Carana Renu. Those debates are part of what convinced me of Krishna consciousness. The Vedic philosophy held up well under attack. I myself was too shy to voice any questions or doubts, but seeing someone else doubt (and not make nearly as much sense as) the philosophy of Krishna consciousness cleared away a lot of those doubts.

Soon other people started getting involved in the debate I was having with Joy. It wasn't long before everyone was engaged in the conversations and having fun. In the end, we ended up talking for an hour longer than the session was scheduled to run.

Debates are powerful! We should use that format much more when presenting ideas.

My flat almost got burgled yesterday. I heard some noises, but didn't think anything of it at the time. The guy living downstairs later filled me in on what happened.

Two unsavory characters managed to open the front door with a credit card. They then immediately proceeded to open the back door to give themselves an escape route. They then knocked on people's door to see if anyone was in. Fortunately, the person living in the downstairs flat was in and answered the door, thinking it might be me knocking.

He was a bit shocked when faced with these two scruffy looking criminals. Luckily, they did not decide to fight him and instead made up some excuse and quickly exited the building.

The landlord's advice was that the "Yale" locks (which are on practically every house in the country!) are quite insecure and we should also keep the bottom bolt-lock locked at all times. Of course, the key to that lock is a very simple shape and could probably be picked quite easily.

Realization: Locks don't work. UK houses are not at all secure.

My flat almost got burgled yesterday. I heard some noises, but didn't think anything of it at the time. The guy living downstairs later filled me in on what happened.

Two unsavory characters managed to open the front door with a credit card. They then immediately proceeded to open the back door to give themselves an escape route. They then knocked on people's door to see if anyone was in. Fortunately, the person living in the downstairs flat was in and answered the door, thinking it might be me knocking.

He was a bit shocked when faced with these two scruffy looking criminals. Luckily, they did not decide to fight him and instead made up some excuse and quickly exited the building.

The landlord's advice was that the "Yale" locks (which are on practically every house in the country!) are quite insecure and we should also keep the bottom bolt-lock locked at all times. Of course, the key to that lock is a very simple shape and could probably be picked quite easily.

Realization: Locks don't work. UK houses are not at all secure.

A note on something I forgot to mention on the last post:

I forgot my portable speakers and yoga notes. However, one of the newcomers was very interested in practicing some yoga in the session. What to do?

Luckily, I had loaded both the yoga soundtracks and the lesson plans onto my phone. The sound quality was loud enough, but kind of harsh. The tiny speakers are obviously not the most high-quality in the world (but still amazing good). All in all, the session turned out quite well.

All glories to Windows Mobile.

A note on something I forgot to mention on the last post:

I forgot my portable speakers and yoga notes. However, one of the newcomers was very interested in practicing some yoga in the session. What to do?

Luckily, I had loaded both the yoga soundtracks and the lesson plans onto my phone. The sound quality was loud enough, but kind of harsh. The tiny speakers are obviously not the most high-quality in the world (but still amazing good). All in all, the session turned out quite well.

All glories to Windows Mobile.

Check out this newly launched website for Gaura Yoga Wellington. Best yoga center ever! I'm really like this redesigned website. I created the initial website, but this new one totally blows the old one away. It's clean, simple, classy, modern, stylish, informative, beautiful and fun. All in all, impressive, most impressive.

(one bit of advice: please get rid of the splash page. It makes the website more difficult to find using a search engine like Google. Sure, it looks nice, but no one is going to visit the center just because they saw a nice looking splash intro-page.)

Check out this newly launched website for Gaura Yoga Wellington. Best yoga center ever! I'm really like this redesigned website. I created the initial website, but this new one totally blows the old one away. It's clean, simple, classy, modern, stylish, informative, beautiful and fun. All in all, impressive, most impressive.

(one bit of advice: please get rid of the splash page. It makes the website more difficult to find using a search engine like Google. Sure, it looks nice, but no one is going to visit the center just because they saw a nice looking splash intro-page.)

I have to give a PhD progress report presentation every year. My end-of-second-year interview was last week. It went quite badly. I was allowed to continue (if only because it is very rare that someone is thrown out after their second year), but the panel did not think I would be able to succeed in an actual PhD viva examination.

My presentation was fine; however I didn??(TM)t handle the questions very well. Example:

Professor: why didn??(TM)t you address transactions in your system?
Me: [look of puzzlement]
Me: why would you need transactions?
Prof: you are doing a database-like locking system, all these kinds of systems have transactions.
Me: what do you mean with transaction exactly?
Prof: two-phase commit, that kind of thing. Surely you know about it?!
Me: transactions aren??(TM)t relevant in this case.
Prof: no, no, I think they are.
Me: my locking does not require transactions.
Prof: all this kinds of systems use transactions, you should have addressed them!
Me: okay, I??(TM)ll look into transactions, but I still don??(TM)t think they are relevant in this case
Prof: ah ha, you haven??(TM)t read the literature. You are far too focused on your particular subject area. A good PhD student learns to not solve just one problem, but abstracts away and finds the general scientific contribution. A second year PhD student should have a firm grasp of all the relevant literature; it is worrying that you don??(TM)t even understand what a transaction is. Furthermore ??¦

[50 minutes later]

Other professor: we??(TM)ve been going for some time already. Maybe we could wrap this up.
Prof: okay, well, good luck with your final year.

What went wrong?

1. I wasn??(TM)t confident enough in my presentation. One professor commented that my talk was very timid. Indeed, my personality is not very brash or aggressive. I need to be far more assertive.
2. I??(TM)m not very good at thinking on my feet. I was under pressure, in stuffy lecture room with four professors just waiting to jump on top of me. My brain could not think very clearly.
3. I made my presentation too simple. They audience thought they understood exactly what I was doing, when the reality was somewhat more complicated. I should have bewildered them with something so complicated that they would have no hope of understanding any of it and therefore think it was some great research. That way no one can ask any difficult questions.
4. I admitted I might be wrong. Someone told me afterwards to never do that: I must never admit that I??(TM)m wrong, even when I know that I most certainly am. The whole point is to defend my work, nothing else. Never surrender!

Personally, I find it incredibly difficult to cling to a bad idea, just for the sake of it. I mean: it??(TM)s a bad idea, why on earth should I continue to entertain it? Is this how academics should be trained? To be stubborn and uncompromising? No wonder the world is in such a bad state.

When I was first applying for this PhD research one professor told me: "I don??(TM)t think you have what it takes to swim with the sharks." I didn??(TM)t understand what she meant at the time. Now I know ??¦ and, quite frankly, I??(TM)m not sure ??¦

I have to give a PhD progress report presentation every year. My end-of-second-year interview was last week. It went quite badly. I was allowed to continue (if only because it is very rare that someone is thrown out after their second year), but the panel did not think I would be able to succeed in an actual PhD viva examination.

My presentation was fine; however I didn??(TM)t handle the questions very well. Example:

Professor: why didn??(TM)t you address transactions in your system?
Me: [look of puzzlement]
Me: why would you need transactions?
Prof: you are doing a database-like locking system, all these kinds of systems have transactions.
Me: what do you mean with transaction exactly?
Prof: two-phase commit, that kind of thing. Surely you know about it?!
Me: transactions aren??(TM)t relevant in this case.
Prof: no, no, I think they are.
Me: my locking does not require transactions.
Prof: all this kinds of systems use transactions, you should have addressed them!
Me: okay, I??(TM)ll look into transactions, but I still don??(TM)t think they are relevant in this case
Prof: ah ha, you haven??(TM)t read the literature. You are far too focused on your particular subject area. A good PhD student learns to not solve just one problem, but abstracts away and finds the general scientific contribution. A second year PhD student should have a firm grasp of all the relevant literature; it is worrying that you don??(TM)t even understand what a transaction is. Furthermore ??¦

[50 minutes later]

Other professor: we??(TM)ve been going for some time already. Maybe we could wrap this up.
Prof: okay, well, good luck with your final year.

What went wrong?

1. I wasn??(TM)t confident enough in my presentation. One professor commented that my talk was very timid. Indeed, my personality is not very brash or aggressive. I need to be far more assertive.
2. I??(TM)m not very good at thinking on my feet. I was under pressure, in stuffy lecture room with four professors just waiting to jump on top of me. My brain could not think very clearly.
3. I made my presentation too simple. They audience thought they understood exactly what I was doing, when the reality was somewhat more complicated. I should have bewildered them with something so complicated that they would have no hope of understanding any of it and therefore think it was some great research. That way no one can ask any difficult questions.
4. I admitted I might be wrong. Someone told me afterwards to never do that: I must never admit that I??(TM)m wrong, even when I know that I most certainly am. The whole point is to defend my work, nothing else. Never surrender!

Personally, I find it incredibly difficult to cling to a bad idea, just for the sake of it. I mean: it??(TM)s a bad idea, why on earth should I continue to entertain it? Is this how academics should be trained? To be stubborn and uncompromising? No wonder the world is in such a bad state.

When I was first applying for this PhD research one professor told me: "I don??(TM)t think you have what it takes to swim with the sharks." I didn??(TM)t understand what she meant at the time. Now I know ??¦ and, quite frankly, I??(TM)m not sure ??¦

Principles and values are where it's at! Someone may know something: "smoking kills". But until they have internalized the knowledge into their core value system that knowledge is not of much use.

Realized knowledge (yijnana) actually affects one's day-to-day actions. Example (that made me think about this whole issue):

The other day I was shopping at the local ASDA supermarket. I had had quite a tough week and felt myself overcome with material desires. I suddenly desired to buy more of something (anything!). "Just look: so many shelves full of product for my enjoyment. I want them!" I proceeded to picked up a random attractive-looking item, turned it over and read the ingredients.

"Yuck, full of eggs", next item
"Oh no, full of onions and garlic", next item
"Vile, this one isn't even vegetarian", next item
"Can't off this to Krishna either", next item
"Hmm, I could buy this, but it is full of wheat and dairy products. If I ate this I'll be seriously suffering the next day", next item ...

... and so it went. I wasted a lot of time looking through various products, but, in the end, didn't end up buying anything else.

The point is that I really, really wanted to buy something, but my values wouldn't let me. I was protected, in spite of myself.

Realization: the scientific process of Krishna consciousness is very good at transforming people's character. That is: imbibing people with positive values. (Also interesting how the vast majority of stuff in a modern supermarket is uneatable garbage).

Principles and values are where it's at! Someone may know something: "smoking kills". But until they have internalized the knowledge into their core value system that knowledge is not of much use.

Realized knowledge (yijnana) actually affects one's day-to-day actions. Example (that made me think about this whole issue):

The other day I was shopping at the local ASDA supermarket. I had had quite a tough week and felt myself overcome with material desires. I suddenly desired to buy more of something (anything!). "Just look: so many shelves full of product for my enjoyment. I want them!" I proceeded to picked up a random attractive-looking item, turned it over and read the ingredients.

"Yuck, full of eggs", next item
"Oh no, full of onions and garlic", next item
"Vile, this one isn't even vegetarian", next item
"Can't off this to Krishna either", next item
"Hmm, I could buy this, but it is full of wheat and dairy products. If I ate this I'll be seriously suffering the next day", next item ...

... and so it went. I wasted a lot of time looking through various products, but, in the end, didn't end up buying anything else.

The point is that I really, really wanted to buy something, but my values wouldn't let me. I was protected, in spite of myself.

Realization: the scientific process of Krishna consciousness is very good at transforming people's character. That is: imbibing people with positive values. (Also interesting how the vast majority of stuff in a modern supermarket is uneatable garbage).

Just 4 souls attended this week's Vedicsoc session. I put the relatively low attendance down to heavy coursework burden on the students (I've also been really busy with my PhD, but that's another topic). Still, two new people showed up. They had found out from a friend whom I'd never heard of. I can only assume that this person found a flyer, or signed up on the email list, never actually came to a session, but told these two friends of his about us.

One guy was really interested in learning more about meditation. He said afterward that he was initially sceptical but pleasantly surprised. One lady was interest in the yoga. She had done some yoga before (the super-intense astanga power-power-power-type) and wanted to take it up again.

I've been complaining that the usual yoga-folk are seriously unfit. This group however was pretty good. There is this distinct divide between the "easy yoga to help me relax" and "power yoga to get me fit" crowds.

Chanting seemed a bit foreign to the newcomers. People can relate to yoga. Chanting is not (yet) accepted as "cool" in society.

This is one of the pitfalls of teaching yoga. People tend to come just for the physical yoga and are not interested in any of the (weird, cult-like) Krishna-stuff. Of course, Krishna consciousness is the real, bona-fide yoga system, but they don't know that (yet).

Purifying and enlightening these people can take quite some time. However, I don't have the facility to just give them what they think they want. Instead, I bundle everything together in a big package. This may be why the beautify-my-body yoga seekers don't tend to come back for repeated sessions.

The discussion was on Ayurveda. Maybe that's also why few people came. Health is not a topic of interest to students. It involves regulating the sense ... ewww, yucky. But just wait a few years: once all their self-abusive, pseudo-pleasure seeking catches up with these students, their health will suddenly become a huge concern to them.

In any case, we did have a very nice discussion (Dr. Liladhar Gupta rocks).

Just 4 souls attended this week's Vedicsoc session. I put the relatively low attendance down to heavy coursework burden on the students (I've also been really busy with my PhD, but that's another topic). Still, two new people showed up. They had found out from a friend whom I'd never heard of. I can only assume that this person found a flyer, or signed up on the email list, never actually came to a session, but told these two friends of his about us.

One guy was really interested in learning more about meditation. He said afterward that he was initially sceptical but pleasantly surprised. One lady was interest in the yoga. She had done some yoga before (the super-intense astanga power-power-power-type) and wanted to take it up again.

I've been complaining that the usual yoga-folk are seriously unfit. This group however was pretty good. There is this distinct divide between the "easy yoga to help me relax" and "power yoga to get me fit" crowds.

Chanting seemed a bit foreign to the newcomers. People can relate to yoga. Chanting is not (yet) accepted as "cool" in society.

This is one of the pitfalls of teaching yoga. People tend to come just for the physical yoga and are not interested in any of the (weird, cult-like) Krishna-stuff. Of course, Krishna consciousness is the real, bona-fide yoga system, but they don't know that (yet).

Purifying and enlightening these people can take quite some time. However, I don't have the facility to just give them what they think they want. Instead, I bundle everything together in a big package. This may be why the beautify-my-body yoga seekers don't tend to come back for repeated sessions.

The discussion was on Ayurveda. Maybe that's also why few people came. Health is not a topic of interest to students. It involves regulating the sense ... ewww, yucky. But just wait a few years: once all their self-abusive, pseudo-pleasure seeking catches up with these students, their health will suddenly become a huge concern to them.

In any case, we did have a very nice discussion (Dr. Liladhar Gupta rocks).

"The happiness of Indian family life is ??¦ eating." - Srila Prabhupada

"The happiness of Indian family life is ??¦ eating." - Srila Prabhupada

(this device goes by many names. It is known as the HTC Wizard, Qtek 9100, i-mate K-JAM, O2 XDA mini S and T-Mobile MDA Vario)

26|1I've (finally) gotten a mobile phone. Why now and not earlier? Well, it is only just now that someone has created a device that does (almost) everything I want. Most people are bewildered by too many features and want simpler mobile gadgets. Not me.

The MDA Vario is a PocketPC Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone. It is a PocketPC device first: i.e. it has a touch-screen and no physical number keypad. It runs the Windows Mobile 5 operating system.

The Windows Mobile platform has come a long way since Windows Mobile 2003 and Pocket PC 2002. It is light years ahead of ailing Palm OS and a good length ahead of the Symbian/UIQ/Series-60 platforms. (Note: Symbian devices are primarily phones, with some "smarts" tagged on, while Windows Mobile devices are primarily PDAs with the added extra of a phone, while Palm is practically dead, but a simple, low-tech PDA)

WM5 does have some problems. For one, it crashes a bit too often. It's easy enough to reset the device (takes about 80 seconds) and no data is lost, but it still is annoying when one's mobile phone crashes.

It is also resource intensive and requires a powerful CPU. However, powerful CPUs drain batteries more quickly. The MDA Vario has a 200 Mhz processor in it: just barely powerful enough. Still, it can multi-task quite well. I can, for example listen to an MP3 while writing an email, but the music stutters when I try to download something from the web. However, basic functions work very well.

Here are the things I use the Vario for:

Listening to MP3s: the Vario has quite good built-in stereo speakers, so play MP3 lectures all throughout the morning. I get about one to two hours of listening in each day while I'm cooking, eating breakfast, etc.

RSS aggregator for automatically downloading podcasts: I switch on the WiFi on the Vario and it automatically downloads podcasts I subscribe to for future reading/listening. The Egress software is by far the best podcatcher software I've found for the device.

Watching videos: I download and watch interesting 5-minute photo critique videos from via RSS-feed from a website called radiant vista.

Voice recorder with AGC: I can use the voice record to record lectures. It has automatic gain control, so the volume adjusts automatically.

Checking email: email reader in my pocket for anywhere where there is Wi-Fi.

TODO list: one central TODO list that I can keep up to date and synchronized with various computers (both Mac and PC), as necessary.

Notes: compact notepad to record thought, questions and ideas. I also plan to use it to type out summaries of lectures I attend or listen to.

Calendar: I tend to forget about meetings and appointments, so this keeps track of them for me.

Address book: stores contact details of everyone I know (and their pictures, too).

Mobile phone: makes phones calls with a somewhat clumsy, but good enough interface.

Camera: a 1.3 mega-pixel digital camera takes some mediocre quality pictures. Better than nothing, but nothing to write home about.

Features:
Keyboard: the integrated QWERTY keyboard is great. I can use it write emails, notes and text messages. It slides out from under the screen (which automatically rotates to landscape mode). This means the keyboard is a big as possible; it takes full advantage of the size of the device. In contrast: the Palm Treo 650/700w and Blackberry keyboards are fixed under the screen, thereby necessitating both a reduction in screen size and keyboard width.

Screen: Very bright touchscreen with 65K colors (240 x 320 pixels). It can display 14 TODO list items at once (most normal mobile phones can only show 4 lines).

miniSD card slot: memory cards can be used with the device. I purchased a 2 GB mini-SD card for 80 pounds from MobyMemory. That's enough to hold a whole lot of data and lectures (holds 500 songs or 100 hours of lectures). So: no need for an (overpriced) iPod. The iPod does not even have speakers, let alone any of the other features of this phone and is roughly the same size (although it is a lot tinner).

Stereo speakers: good sound for something this small with so much other stuff built-in. I can clearly hear the Vario from the other side of the room while cooking.

Battery life: very good (1250 mAh Lithium-Polymer battery). I can use the external speakers for about 6 hours. 8 days of standby. Recharging a drained battery takes about two hours. Charges via USB.

Size and weight: good size. Dimensions: 108 x 58 x 23 mm. It is a bit thicker than I'd like (probably to accommodate the keyboard), but the overall dimensions fit nicely in my hand and pocket (look at the pictures). However, at 160g it is a tad heavy.

Connectivity: 802.11g Wifi (though Microsoft has decided that synchronization via Wifi is a security risk and disabled it in the latest version of ActiveSync), quad-band GSM, Bluetooth 2.0 (with a firmware upgrade), USB 2.0 (though file transfers speeds are more like USB 1.1 - I'm getting myself a memory card reader soon which will solve that problem)

Price: a 12-month contract (with 200 cross-network minutes included) from T-mobile got me the Vario for a grand total of 240 pounds paid over the year. That's cheaper than just buying the device on its own, without a contract.

Other options I considered:
Sony Ericsson p990: UIQ 3.0 is due to be competitive with Windows Mobile 5. However, this device has been continuously delayed. Who knows when it will be released? Also, while its dimensions are very similar to the Vario's, it feels a lot bigger due to its more square shape and bulky flip.

Nokia E70: good flip-over keyboard, excellent camera and super-high resolution screen, but no touchscreen and also fraught with delays: i.e. not yet available.

Palm Treo 650/700w: the only alternative that is actually available. These devices are more expensive than the Vario and have no WiFi built-in. The Treo screens (and keyboards) are also smaller than the Vario's, both in size and resolution.

Blackberry devices and Motorola Q: thin, but no cameras and too tall and wide.

HTC Prophet / T-Mobile MDA Vario II: includes 3G, a video camera, faster 300 Mhz Samsung processor, improved 2-megapixel camera and jog-dial. However, it is first due for release in July and will likely cost an arm and a leg.

Summary:
A nice PDA smartphone with tons of features, good battery life and a very good price. However, an unstable operating system, middle-of-the road camera, lack of 3G, slightly underpowered processor and somewhat heavy weight keep it from being the perfect mobile device.

Check out the picture gallery for high-resolution images of the gadget.

(this device goes by many names. It is known as the HTC Wizard, Qtek 9100, i-mate K-JAM, O2 XDA mini S and T-Mobile MDA Vario)

26|1I've (finally) gotten a mobile phone. Why now and not earlier? Well, it is only just now that someone has created a device that does (almost) everything I want. Most people are bewildered by too many features and want simpler mobile gadgets. Not me.

The MDA Vario is a PocketPC Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone. It is a PocketPC device first: i.e. it has a touch-screen and no physical number keypad. It runs the Windows Mobile 5 operating system.

The Windows Mobile platform has come a long way since Windows Mobile 2003 and Pocket PC 2002. It is light years ahead of ailing Palm OS and a good length ahead of the Symbian/UIQ/Series-60 platforms. (Note: Symbian devices are primarily phones, with some "smarts" tagged on, while Windows Mobile devices are primarily PDAs with the added extra of a phone, while Palm is practically dead, but a simple, low-tech PDA)

WM5 does have some problems. For one, it crashes a bit too often. It's easy enough to reset the device (takes about 80 seconds) and no data is lost, but it still is annoying when one's mobile phone crashes.

It is also resource intensive and requires a powerful CPU. However, powerful CPUs drain batteries more quickly. The MDA Vario has a 200 Mhz processor in it: just barely powerful enough. Still, it can multi-task quite well. I can, for example listen to an MP3 while writing an email, but the music stutters when I try to download something from the web. However, basic functions work very well.

Here are the things I use the Vario for:

Listening to MP3s: the Vario has quite good built-in stereo speakers, so play MP3 lectures all throughout the morning. I get about one to two hours of listening in each day while I'm cooking, eating breakfast, etc.

RSS aggregator for automatically downloading podcasts: I switch on the WiFi on the Vario and it automatically downloads podcasts I subscribe to for future reading/listening. The Egress software is by far the best podcatcher software I've found for the device.

Watching videos: I download and watch interesting 5-minute photo critique videos from via RSS-feed from a website called radiant vista.

Voice recorder with AGC: I can use the voice record to record lectures. It has automatic gain control, so the volume adjusts automatically.

Checking email: email reader in my pocket for anywhere where there is Wi-Fi.

TODO list: one central TODO list that I can keep up to date and synchronized with various computers (both Mac and PC), as necessary.

Notes: compact notepad to record thought, questions and ideas. I also plan to use it to type out summaries of lectures I attend or listen to.

Calendar: I tend to forget about meetings and appointments, so this keeps track of them for me.

Address book: stores contact details of everyone I know (and their pictures, too).

Mobile phone: makes phones calls with a somewhat clumsy, but good enough interface.

Camera: a 1.3 mega-pixel digital camera takes some mediocre quality pictures. Better than nothing, but nothing to write home about.

Features:
Keyboard: the integrated QWERTY keyboard is great. I can use it write emails, notes and text messages. It slides out from under the screen (which automatically rotates to landscape mode). This means the keyboard is a big as possible; it takes full advantage of the size of the device. In contrast: the Palm Treo 650/700w and Blackberry keyboards are fixed under the screen, thereby necessitating both a reduction in screen size and keyboard width.

Screen: Very bright touchscreen with 65K colors (240 x 320 pixels). It can display 14 TODO list items at once (most normal mobile phones can only show 4 lines).

miniSD card slot: memory cards can be used with the device. I purchased a 2 GB mini-SD card for 80 pounds from MobyMemory. That's enough to hold a whole lot of data and lectures (holds 500 songs or 100 hours of lectures). So: no need for an (overpriced) iPod. The iPod does not even have speakers, let alone any of the other features of this phone and is roughly the same size (although it is a lot tinner).

Stereo speakers: good sound for something this small with so much other stuff built-in. I can clearly hear the Vario from the other side of the room while cooking.

Battery life: very good (1250 mAh Lithium-Polymer battery). I can use the external speakers for about 6 hours. 8 days of standby. Recharging a drained battery takes about two hours. Charges via USB.

Size and weight: good size. Dimensions: 108 x 58 x 23 mm. It is a bit thicker than I'd like (probably to accommodate the keyboard), but the overall dimensions fit nicely in my hand and pocket (look at the pictures). However, at 160g it is a tad heavy.

Connectivity: 802.11g Wifi (though Microsoft has decided that synchronization via Wifi is a security risk and disabled it in the latest version of ActiveSync), quad-band GSM, Bluetooth 2.0 (with a firmware upgrade), USB 2.0 (though file transfers speeds are more like USB 1.1 - I'm getting myself a memory card reader soon which will solve that problem)

Price: a 12-month contract (with 200 cross-network minutes included) from T-mobile got me the Vario for a grand total of 240 pounds paid over the year. That's cheaper than just buying the device on its own, without a contract.

Other options I considered:
Sony Ericsson p990: UIQ 3.0 is due to be competitive with Windows Mobile 5. However, this device has been continuously delayed. Who knows when it will be released? Also, while its dimensions are very similar to the Vario's, it feels a lot bigger due to its more square shape and bulky flip.

Nokia E70: good flip-over keyboard, excellent camera and super-high resolution screen, but no touchscreen and also fraught with delays: i.e. not yet available.

Palm Treo 650/700w: the only alternative that is actually available. These devices are more expensive than the Vario and have no WiFi built-in. The Treo screens (and keyboards) are also smaller than the Vario's, both in size and resolution.

Blackberry devices and Motorola Q: thin, but no cameras and too tall and wide.

HTC Prophet / T-Mobile MDA Vario II: includes 3G, a video camera, faster 300 Mhz Samsung processor, improved 2-megapixel camera and jog-dial. However, it is first due for release in July and will likely cost an arm and a leg.

Summary:
A nice PDA smartphone with tons of features, good battery life and a very good price. However, an unstable operating system, middle-of-the road camera, lack of 3G, slightly underpowered processor and somewhat heavy weight keep it from being the perfect mobile device.

Check out the picture gallery for high-resolution images of the gadget.

25|1I attended a great Gaura Purnima celebration in Swansea.

Shortly after I arrived I was roped into giving the morning class. Even though I didn't have time to prepare anything, by Krishna's grace, I managed to speak something (mostly repeating things I heard from recorded talks of my spiritual master, as is the param-para system). I talked about how Maharaja Pariksit was completely detached from all his kingdom and wealth and how we can also enjoy a similar level of high-class consciousness, in spite of vastly inferior qualification, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Money can't buy what a devotee has. Indeed, most billionaires are in such much anxiety that they can't even sleep properly.

I managed to chant 31 rounds throughout the day. Fasting frees up so much time. It's amazing how much time we spend eating. We'd have so much time, if only it were possible to fast all the time.

However, due to fasting, I wasn't able to do much service - I did as much as I could, but by the end of the (very long) day I could hardly even lift my arms.

My old friend Carana Renu and Mukunda attended. It was really nice to catch up with them. They are very forward thinking devotees. I also spoke with many other friends, both old and new. Realization: talking with devotees is so natural. I feel completely at ease chatting to them. There is none of the awkwardness or discomfort that is often present in mundane interactions. This is because there is no false ego involved in the exchange. Neither party is thinking: "what's in this for me? How can I enjoy?" Everything is for Krishna's pleasure instead.

The kirtan was out-of-this-world. I lost myself chanting. It was pure happiness, completely off the mental platform. Such relief. Such bliss. Such fun.

Nimai Pandit and company cooked a lavishly beautiful feast. The prasadam tasted great, the devotees' service was very personal and caring and there was a nice family atmosphere.

Ah, Krishna consciousness: there simply is nothing better than this! (... and I took lots of pictures, too, so enjoy)

25|1I attended a great Gaura Purnima celebration in Swansea.

Shortly after I arrived I was roped into giving the morning class. Even though I didn't have time to prepare anything, by Krishna's grace, I managed to speak something (mostly repeating things I heard from recorded talks of my spiritual master, as is the param-para system). I talked about how Maharaja Pariksit was completely detached from all his kingdom and wealth and how we can also enjoy a similar level of high-class consciousness, in spite of vastly inferior qualification, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Money can't buy what a devotee has. Indeed, most billionaires are in such much anxiety that they can't even sleep properly.

I managed to chant 31 rounds throughout the day. Fasting frees up so much time. It's amazing how much time we spend eating. We'd have so much time, if only it were possible to fast all the time.

However, due to fasting, I wasn't able to do much service - I did as much as I could, but by the end of the (very long) day I could hardly even lift my arms.

My old friend Carana Renu and Mukunda attended. It was really nice to catch up with them. They are very forward thinking devotees. I also spoke with many other friends, both old and new. Realization: talking with devotees is so natural. I feel completely at ease chatting to them. There is none of the awkwardness or discomfort that is often present in mundane interactions. This is because there is no false ego involved in the exchange. Neither party is thinking: "what's in this for me? How can I enjoy?" Everything is for Krishna's pleasure instead.

The kirtan was out-of-this-world. I lost myself chanting. It was pure happiness, completely off the mental platform. Such relief. Such bliss. Such fun.

Nimai Pandit and company cooked a lavishly beautiful feast. The prasadam tasted great, the devotees' service was very personal and caring and there was a nice family atmosphere.

Ah, Krishna consciousness: there simply is nothing better than this! (... and I took lots of pictures, too, so enjoy)

Another day, another acupuncture session with Dr. Phil. My health had once again taken a downturn. This constant up and down is kind-of frustrating. It is however slowly (very slowly) teaching me to transcend the bodily situation.

As previously mentioned, the root cause of my illness is my mind. There is a profound link between a person's mental situation and their ability to digest. Students, in particular, are prone to digestion problems (ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, etc.), because their occupation is "thinking". It works both ways: improving your digestion helps you think and improving your thinking helps you digest. The intense studying I'm doing certainly does not help my condition. The mental stress and anxiety is getting to me.

I need to become less mental and more body-conscious.

As devotees we might think that to be on the bodily platform is "maya", but the mental platform is equally illusory. To think one illusion is better than the other is totally bogus. The fact is that we need to be conscious of both and slowly practice detachment.

Curiously, emotions are "felt" in the body. They are not something mental. Philip told me I need to increase my feeling of emotions as part of being more bodily conscious. I'm somewhat out-of-touch with my emotion/body and therefore suffering from a somewhat out-of-balance mind. I need to be less analytical and more emotional (difficult seeing my field of research is "logic").

Of course, the perfection of Krishna consciousness is all about developing the most powerful and deep emotion: love.

Philip, in addition to sticking needles in me, also did some moxibustion on a point class the "gate to vitality". It was quite difficult to find. Phil needed to do all kinds of measurement and calculations to correctly locate it. I felt quite warm after the burning-of-herbs. Indeed, that was the point: increase the heat, reduce the damp.

Acupuncture treatment, as good as it is, helps the symptoms but doesn't last. After a few weeks the treatment usually wears out and my health starts deteriorating again.

As for the long term outlook: it might be that some day my condition will tip over and become cured. However, for now, all we can do is to continue fixing and patching and hoping for the best. In the end, everything is up to you-know-who.

Another day, another acupuncture session with Dr. Phil. My health had once again taken a downturn. This constant up and down is kind-of frustrating. It is however slowly (very slowly) teaching me to transcend the bodily situation.

As previously mentioned, the root cause of my illness is my mind. There is a profound link between a person's mental situation and their ability to digest. Students, in particular, are prone to digestion problems (ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, etc.), because their occupation is "thinking". It works both ways: improving your digestion helps you think and improving your thinking helps you digest. The intense studying I'm doing certainly does not help my condition. The mental stress and anxiety is getting to me.

I need to become less mental and more body-conscious.

As devotees we might think that to be on the bodily platform is "maya", but the mental platform is equally illusory. To think one illusion is better than the other is totally bogus. The fact is that we need to be conscious of both and slowly practice detachment.

Curiously, emotions are "felt" in the body. They are not something mental. Philip told me I need to increase my feeling of emotions as part of being more bodily conscious. I'm somewhat out-of-touch with my emotion/body and therefore suffering from a somewhat out-of-balance mind. I need to be less analytical and more emotional (difficult seeing my field of research is "logic").

Of course, the perfection of Krishna consciousness is all about developing the most powerful and deep emotion: love.

Philip, in addition to sticking needles in me, also did some moxibustion on a point class the "gate to vitality". It was quite difficult to find. Phil needed to do all kinds of measurement and calculations to correctly locate it. I felt quite warm after the burning-of-herbs. Indeed, that was the point: increase the heat, reduce the damp.

Acupuncture treatment, as good as it is, helps the symptoms but doesn't last. After a few weeks the treatment usually wears out and my health starts deteriorating again.

As for the long term outlook: it might be that some day my condition will tip over and become cured. However, for now, all we can do is to continue fixing and patching and hoping for the best. In the end, everything is up to you-know-who.

I know Jiu Jitsu.

Back when I was at undergraduate University I really wanted to learn a martial art. I'm not a warrior-type (ksatriya), but I fantasized about being physically powerful. I enthusiastically read up about all kinds of different styles, comparing their advantages and disadvantages, analyzing which was the most powerful, deciding on which to practice. In the end, I concluded that Jiu Jitsu (literally: soft technique) was the best (most lethal) and joined the local university club. I practiced it for four years.

The training involved various throwing, locking and grappling techniques (with a little bit of punching and kicking). For example: I recall nine different ways how to break someone??(TM)s arm, six different ways to break their neck, that kind of thing.

Gradings were intense affairs designed to mimic the high-stress situation of a real life-or-death struggle. Students would first be tired out by physically exhausting technique demonstrations and then put into a situation where they would have to defend against a continuous stream of attackers.

I gradually learnt to be fearless, to keep my cool no matter what the situation and to just keep going, regardless of any pain or exhaustion. Always keep on fighting! Never give up!

Advanced material artists have some realization that they are not the body. Once the body and mind have sufficiently learnt the techniques, they can run on auto-pilot. Fighting becomes automatic. It is a state of meditation. We are not the doer, the outcome is outside of our control; all we have to do is continue trying to execute our duty (note BG 2.47).

Indeed, the samurai warriors of ancient Japan understood this. They knew their fate was pre-determined. They did not care whether they lived or died. They were completely detached.

The way of the warrior (Bushido) teaches this kind of detachment. However, it offers no positive alternative. Once you??(TM)re detached from the body and mind, then what do you do?

The training was gradually taking its toll on my body: continuously bumps, bruises, strained muscles, sore joints, etc. Additionally, as I practiced more and more Krishna consciousness I gradually lost interest in mastering the physical body. There was (and still is) much more pleasure and satisfaction to be had from mantra meditation. It offers attachment to Krishna, while simultaneously detaching me from the body and mind. That is real knowledge!

Nevertheless, I??(TM)m happy I practiced Jiu Jitsu while I did. I??(TM)m pretty rusty now, of course, but certainly more confident and able to hold my own in a fight. I also understand more than ever before that I??(TM)m not the body and not the mind. The soul is where it's at.

I know Jiu Jitsu.

Back when I was at undergraduate University I really wanted to learn a martial art. I'm not a warrior-type (ksatriya), but I fantasized about being physically powerful. I enthusiastically read up about all kinds of different styles, comparing their advantages and disadvantages, analyzing which was the most powerful, deciding on which to practice. In the end, I concluded that Jiu Jitsu (literally: soft technique) was the best (most lethal) and joined the local university club. I practiced it for four years.

The training involved various throwing, locking and grappling techniques (with a little bit of punching and kicking). For example: I recall nine different ways how to break someone??(TM)s arm, six different ways to break their neck, that kind of thing.

Gradings were intense affairs designed to mimic the high-stress situation of a real life-or-death struggle. Students would first be tired out by physically exhausting technique demonstrations and then put into a situation where they would have to defend against a continuous stream of attackers.

I gradually learnt to be fearless, to keep my cool no matter what the situation and to just keep going, regardless of any pain or exhaustion. Always keep on fighting! Never give up!

Advanced material artists have some realization that they are not the body. Once the body and mind have sufficiently learnt the techniques, they can run on auto-pilot. Fighting becomes automatic. It is a state of meditation. We are not the doer, the outcome is outside of our control; all we have to do is continue trying to execute our duty (note BG 2.47).

Indeed, the samurai warriors of ancient Japan understood this. They knew their fate was pre-determined. They did not care whether they lived or died. They were completely detached.

The way of the warrior (Bushido) teaches this kind of detachment. However, it offers no positive alternative. Once you??(TM)re detached from the body and mind, then what do you do?

The training was gradually taking its toll on my body: continuously bumps, bruises, strained muscles, sore joints, etc. Additionally, as I practiced more and more Krishna consciousness I gradually lost interest in mastering the physical body. There was (and still is) much more pleasure and satisfaction to be had from mantra meditation. It offers attachment to Krishna, while simultaneously detaching me from the body and mind. That is real knowledge!

Nevertheless, I??(TM)m happy I practiced Jiu Jitsu while I did. I??(TM)m pretty rusty now, of course, but certainly more confident and able to hold my own in a fight. I also understand more than ever before that I??(TM)m not the body and not the mind. The soul is where it's at.

A record number of 10 people came to Vedicsoc this week. One guest from last week who was quite skeptical (or so I thought) surprised me by bringing two of her friends along.

However, kundalini-chakra yoga certainly is not everyone??(TM)s cup of tea. Too weird.

I introduced people to the chanting of the pancha-tattva mantra. I was again surprised by how easily everyone picked it up. I practically couldn't get them to stop! The subsequent chanting of the Maha-Mantra was equally powerful.

I picked the first text in Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 13: Nature, the enjoyer and consciousness for the discussion. However, I was really busy and so no time to actually prepare anything. I stumbled a bit trying to explain the difference between the body (field) and consciousness (knower of the field), reading bits of the purport out loud as I went along, but overall didn't think I made much sense. Then, somehow or other, I got into talking about satisfying the senses and desires and so on.

I found that when I suggested that all material pleasure is limited by time people immediately reacted: "oh, you're against enjoyment! No, no, there must be a balance (i.e. all material), live in the real world, we want to enjoy nice thing. Don't take away my enjoyment!"

I had to emphasis the same point three times throughout the session: Krishna consciousness is about spiritual pleasure! This kind of pleasure makes material pleasure pale in comparison. Why drive in an old beaten-up Fiat, if you have a Mercedes in the garage (excluding fuel mileage considerations, of course)? Matter is temporary, spirit is eternal. Why go for the temporary, if there is something so much better to be had?

That seems to be a deep routed fear that many people have regarding any spiritual progress. Will it take away my sense gratification?

Question for the experts (please comment): how to convince people that we are all spirit. Lots of people, of course, accept the new-age notion that we are both matter and consciousness. That is, all is one: body, mind, spirit. How can they understand that matter is not part of their eternal identify?

In the end, I was surprised once again: two guests said they would definitely start chanting one round a day. One guest even bought a hardcover Bhagavad-Gita to take back with him to his home country (Turkey).

A record number of 10 people came to Vedicsoc this week. One guest from last week who was quite skeptical (or so I thought) surprised me by bringing two of her friends along.

However, kundalini-chakra yoga certainly is not everyone??(TM)s cup of tea. Too weird.

I introduced people to the chanting of the pancha-tattva mantra. I was again surprised by how easily everyone picked it up. I practically couldn't get them to stop! The subsequent chanting of the Maha-Mantra was equally powerful.

I picked the first text in Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 13: Nature, the enjoyer and consciousness for the discussion. However, I was really busy and so no time to actually prepare anything. I stumbled a bit trying to explain the difference between the body (field) and consciousness (knower of the field), reading bits of the purport out loud as I went along, but overall didn't think I made much sense. Then, somehow or other, I got into talking about satisfying the senses and desires and so on.

I found that when I suggested that all material pleasure is limited by time people immediately reacted: "oh, you're against enjoyment! No, no, there must be a balance (i.e. all material), live in the real world, we want to enjoy nice thing. Don't take away my enjoyment!"

I had to emphasis the same point three times throughout the session: Krishna consciousness is about spiritual pleasure! This kind of pleasure makes material pleasure pale in comparison. Why drive in an old beaten-up Fiat, if you have a Mercedes in the garage (excluding fuel mileage considerations, of course)? Matter is temporary, spirit is eternal. Why go for the temporary, if there is something so much better to be had?

That seems to be a deep routed fear that many people have regarding any spiritual progress. Will it take away my sense gratification?

Question for the experts (please comment): how to convince people that we are all spirit. Lots of people, of course, accept the new-age notion that we are both matter and consciousness. That is, all is one: body, mind, spirit. How can they understand that matter is not part of their eternal identify?

In the end, I was surprised once again: two guests said they would definitely start chanting one round a day. One guest even bought a hardcover Bhagavad-Gita to take back with him to his home country (Turkey).

I hosted another Saturday Feast yesterday. On the menu:

• Lebanese bulgur-wheat salad
• Spicy Bengali potatoes
• French braised summer vegetables
• Almond basmati rice
• Lemon-yogurt shake/lassi
• Coconut butter cookies

After some chanting we watched the Mysterious Origins of Man documentary. It highlighted some major problems with the Darwinian model of evolution. In particular, it shows very convincing evidence that humans walked the earth long before they were supposed to have evolved.

On that note: today I listen to an interview with Martinez Howlett, author of "Evolution from Creation to New Creation: Conflict, Conversation, and Convergence". He is a roman-catholic and molecular biologist who tries to unify science and theology into "theistic evolution". This philosophy accepts the idea of evolution, but does not accept the "no God" idea of ontological materialism that often gets tagged onto neo/social Darwinist bandwagon. It also rejects fanatical Christian creationism.

In the interview Howlett attempts to answer the age old question of:

"why do good things happen to bad people"
"why do bad things happen to good people"

Most so-called religions tend to have a problem with this. Either God is not powerful enough to do anything about the evil in the world, or God is powerful enough, but chooses not. Either God is weak, or God is evil. Both don't fit well with the Christian idea of the all-powerful, all-merciful God.

Howlett's solution is to claim the creation as described in Genesis is still ongoing. That is: when it says that "God created the world in seven days and saw that it was good", those seven days are not over yet. We're still in the middle of creation and therefore things are still bad. It's up to us to act as co-creators and help the universe evolve to perfection. He takes the idea from the philosophy of Teilhardianism. This philosophy is the brainchild of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a famous French Jesuit philosopher (speculator).

The Vedic understanding is, of course, that bad things happen to good people, because those "good" people are not nearly as "good" as they believe themselves to be. They have committed sins in their past life and are now suffering the reactions for their activities. Every action has and equal and opposite reaction. So called "bad" things are not evil, they are educational.

The new-age notion that the Universe is evolving to perfection is similarly flawed. Being heavily influenced by Darwin's doctrine, it takes only a very limited view of history. The Vedic literature explains that everything degrades over time. The Universe goes through cycles. There is gradually degradation until things get so bad that there is a (partial) destruction. After that comes a re-creation of near-perfect universal situation, which then, once again, gradually degrades, etc.

The Vedic viewpoint is simple, sensible, scientific and has been around for thousands of years.

I hosted another Saturday Feast yesterday. On the menu:

• Lebanese bulgur-wheat salad
• Spicy Bengali potatoes
• French braised summer vegetables
• Almond basmati rice
• Lemon-yogurt shake/lassi
• Coconut butter cookies

After some chanting we watched the Mysterious Origins of Man documentary. It highlighted some major problems with the Darwinian model of evolution. In particular, it shows very convincing evidence that humans walked the earth long before they were supposed to have evolved.

On that note: today I listen to an interview with Martinez Howlett, author of "Evolution from Creation to New Creation: Conflict, Conversation, and Convergence". He is a roman-catholic and molecular biologist who tries to unify science and theology into "theistic evolution". This philosophy accepts the idea of evolution, but does not accept the "no God" idea of ontological materialism that often gets tagged onto neo/social Darwinist bandwagon. It also rejects fanatical Christian creationism.

In the interview Howlett attempts to answer the age old question of:

"why do good things happen to bad people"
"why do bad things happen to good people"

Most so-called religions tend to have a problem with this. Either God is not powerful enough to do anything about the evil in the world, or God is powerful enough, but chooses not. Either God is weak, or God is evil. Both don't fit well with the Christian idea of the all-powerful, all-merciful God.

Howlett's solution is to claim the creation as described in Genesis is still ongoing. That is: when it says that "God created the world in seven days and saw that it was good", those seven days are not over yet. We're still in the middle of creation and therefore things are still bad. It's up to us to act as co-creators and help the universe evolve to perfection. He takes the idea from the philosophy of Teilhardianism. This philosophy is the brainchild of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a famous French Jesuit philosopher (speculator).

The Vedic understanding is, of course, that bad things happen to good people, because those "good" people are not nearly as "good" as they believe themselves to be. They have committed sins in their past life and are now suffering the reactions for their activities. Every action has and equal and opposite reaction. So called "bad" things are not evil, they are educational.

The new-age notion that the Universe is evolving to perfection is similarly flawed. Being heavily influenced by Darwin's doctrine, it takes only a very limited view of history. The Vedic literature explains that everything degrades over time. The Universe goes through cycles. There is gradually degradation until things get so bad that there is a (partial) destruction. After that comes a re-creation of near-perfect universal situation, which then, once again, gradually degrades, etc.

The Vedic viewpoint is simple, sensible, scientific and has been around for thousands of years.

6 people attended this week??(TM)s Vedicsoc session. Two new people came because of seeing a poster (probably just to disprove my statement about posters not working from last week).

One of the newcomers (obviously dragged along by her friend) was quite bored throughout the session. Chanting the Maha-Mantra she seemed completely uninterested and lack-luster. The other guest was more enthusiastic about trying this "meditation stuff", smiling ear to ear.

Then however, when it came time for the discussion, things changed somewhat. I spoke about desire. Or, that is to say, I asked the audience questions and let them speak about desire injecting to occasional comment, clarifying the occasional statement and giving hints like: "you know, in Bhagavad-Gita it says this ??¦"

Both new guests were cynical of anything that smelled ever so slightly of the most evil eight-letter word: religion. Not being as expert as my spiritual master I failed to effectively counter some of the folk notions they were expressing. For example:

What??(TM)s wrong with desire? Sure, there are some bad desires, but most of our desires are for good stuff like relationships and success. Why would you want to control them?

(please: if any of the more expert readers of this blog like to comment?)

I made some Tahini Oat cookies for the session (hint: they come out a lot better looking with a nice smoothly textured surface if one forms them into balls with wet hands instead of simply dropping spoonfuls of the batter onto baking sheet).

A large amount of cookies were left over and this remainder was literarily devoured by my office colleagues when I offered it to them on the next day. It seems the combination of golden syrup, cinnamon, tahini and sesame seeds tastes a bit like pork (I didn??(TM)t try them because of my health, so I would not know). My peers kept asking me: "Did you put pork in these cookies?" while reaching for a new cookie every few minutes. "They taste great, but really, no pork?!"

They proceeded to joke about perhaps becoming pigs in their next lives. Mikel admitted to already having a pig-like consciousness and loving it.

Ah, prasadam working its magic ??" though perhaps in a slightly unconventional way.

6 people attended this week??(TM)s Vedicsoc session. Two new people came because of seeing a poster (probably just to disprove my statement about posters not working from last week).

One of the newcomers (obviously dragged along by her friend) was quite bored throughout the session. Chanting the Maha-Mantra she seemed completely uninterested and lack-luster. The other guest was more enthusiastic about trying this "meditation stuff", smiling ear to ear.

Then however, when it came time for the discussion, things changed somewhat. I spoke about desire. Or, that is to say, I asked the audience questions and let them speak about desire injecting to occasional comment, clarifying the occasional statement and giving hints like: "you know, in Bhagavad-Gita it says this ??¦"

Both new guests were cynical of anything that smelled ever so slightly of the most evil eight-letter word: religion. Not being as expert as my spiritual master I failed to effectively counter some of the folk notions they were expressing. For example:

What??(TM)s wrong with desire? Sure, there are some bad desires, but most of our desires are for good stuff like relationships and success. Why would you want to control them?

(please: if any of the more expert readers of this blog like to comment?)

I made some Tahini Oat cookies for the session (hint: they come out a lot better looking with a nice smoothly textured surface if one forms them into balls with wet hands instead of simply dropping spoonfuls of the batter onto baking sheet).

A large amount of cookies were left over and this remainder was literarily devoured by my office colleagues when I offered it to them on the next day. It seems the combination of golden syrup, cinnamon, tahini and sesame seeds tastes a bit like pork (I didn??(TM)t try them because of my health, so I would not know). My peers kept asking me: "Did you put pork in these cookies?" while reaching for a new cookie every few minutes. "They taste great, but really, no pork?!"

They proceeded to joke about perhaps becoming pigs in their next lives. Mikel admitted to already having a pig-like consciousness and loving it.

Ah, prasadam working its magic ??" though perhaps in a slightly unconventional way.

Amusing but sadly so true in today's world:

Original comic site (there is a whole series on this topic)

Amusing but sadly so true in today's world:

Original comic site (there is a whole series on this topic)

A total of seven guests attend last week??(TM)s Vedicsoc session. That is the most that have come in a long time. I attribute this to a new strategy of asking a few long-time members to leave stacks of flyers in various places around the University. Posters don??(TM)t work; people are so oversaturated with advertising that they just ignore them. However, a nice attractive flyer that shows promise of something that a student might be interested in seems to have had some effect.

After a very light (yet grueling to the attendees) slow-deep aerobic session (it seems everyone, and I do mean everyone, in the world has a bad back) we engaged in some chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. I found it ecstatic, but then again: it is.

We discussed the emptiness that results from inauthenticity: living a lie, pretending to be something you??(TM)re not, pretending to like something you don??(TM)t like, pretending to be happy, or doing something for the wrong reasons all result in a deep feeling of emptiness. Such a feeling leads to a loss of self-respect and vitality. There is no fulfillment! Life is pointless!

I got people to (anonymously) list five ways they are living from the core of their being and five ways they are living from their shell. We then discussed each other??(TM)s lists. Realization: the average New Zealander thinks a lot more deeply about his or her life than the average UK university student.

I got the formula for this session from a one my spiritual master??(TM)s seminar. However, I wasn??(TM)t ultimately as expert as he in was convincing people that there is something beyond trying to satisfy the body. Still, people seemed to like it (and the Chinese vanilla sunflower-seed cookies).

A total of seven guests attend last week??(TM)s Vedicsoc session. That is the most that have come in a long time. I attribute this to a new strategy of asking a few long-time members to leave stacks of flyers in various places around the University. Posters don??(TM)t work; people are so oversaturated with advertising that they just ignore them. However, a nice attractive flyer that shows promise of something that a student might be interested in seems to have had some effect.

After a very light (yet grueling to the attendees) slow-deep aerobic session (it seems everyone, and I do mean everyone, in the world has a bad back) we engaged in some chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. I found it ecstatic, but then again: it is.

We discussed the emptiness that results from inauthenticity: living a lie, pretending to be something you??(TM)re not, pretending to like something you don??(TM)t like, pretending to be happy, or doing something for the wrong reasons all result in a deep feeling of emptiness. Such a feeling leads to a loss of self-respect and vitality. There is no fulfillment! Life is pointless!

I got people to (anonymously) list five ways they are living from the core of their being and five ways they are living from their shell. We then discussed each other??(TM)s lists. Realization: the average New Zealander thinks a lot more deeply about his or her life than the average UK university student.

I got the formula for this session from a one my spiritual master??(TM)s seminar. However, I wasn??(TM)t ultimately as expert as he in was convincing people that there is something beyond trying to satisfy the body. Still, people seemed to like it (and the Chinese vanilla sunflower-seed cookies).

(by Jayadvaita Swami - Copyright 2005 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. www.Krishna.com)

NEW YORK Among alleged tyrants and oppressors, the one the United Demigods now regard as the worst is King Kamsa of Mathura, according to confidential documents made available on Monday to DNS. ??oeHe rules his kingdom with a cruel and brutal hand, he has an extensive and growing network of powerful allies, and his ambitions are global,?? the documents say. ??oeThere??(TM)s no limit to what territory and resources he wants, or what methods he??(TM)ll employ to gain control of them.??

Kamsa??(TM)s kingdom, Mathura, is located in north central India, midway between Delhi and Agra, the site of the Taj Mahal. Mathura is the name of both the kingdom and its capital. Kamsa belongs to what is known as the Bhoja dynasty, one of several royal dynasties that rule the area.

Kamsa??(TM)s father, Ugrasena, is known for having been a righteous and dutiful ruler. But Kamsa, the documents say, is just the opposite.

In Delhi, government officials declined to comment. The government is reluctant to say anything, a source close to the government said, lest Kamsa turn his anger on Delhi itself.

(by Jayadvaita Swami - Copyright 2005 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. www.Krishna.com)

NEW YORK Among alleged tyrants and oppressors, the one the United Demigods now regard as the worst is King Kamsa of Mathura, according to confidential documents made available on Monday to DNS. ??oeHe rules his kingdom with a cruel and brutal hand, he has an extensive and growing network of powerful allies, and his ambitions are global,?? the documents say. ??oeThere??(TM)s no limit to what territory and resources he wants, or what methods he??(TM)ll employ to gain control of them.??

Kamsa??(TM)s kingdom, Mathura, is located in north central India, midway between Delhi and Agra, the site of the Taj Mahal. Mathura is the name of both the kingdom and its capital. Kamsa belongs to what is known as the Bhoja dynasty, one of several royal dynasties that rule the area.

Kamsa??(TM)s father, Ugrasena, is known for having been a righteous and dutiful ruler. But Kamsa, the documents say, is just the opposite.

In Delhi, government officials declined to comment. The government is reluctant to say anything, a source close to the government said, lest Kamsa turn his anger on Delhi itself.

(by Jayadvaita Swami - Copyright 2005 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. www.Krishna.com)

NEW YORK Since a delegation of demigods received assurances of support from Lord Vishnu some days ago, political observers say the demigods have become quietly but increasingly active in laying the groundwork for opposition to allegedly repressive and exploitive political regimes. The coalition of demigods has become known as the United Demigods.

??oeThe demigods just can??(TM)t bear to stand by and watch cheaters and thugs in the name of political leaders run roughshod over the earth,?? said a U.D. spokesman, Prakash Sattwa. ??oeThe earth isn??(TM)t ours,?? he said. ??oeIt belongs to God. We all have a right to live here and take as much as we need??"but not to grab more and call it ours.??

The demigods are believed to be quietly taking up strategic positions in various parts of the world, apparently in preparation for some sort of initiative by Lord Vishnu. Some observers have suggested that Lord Vishnu??(TM)s brother may also get involved. Mr. Sattwa declined to comment on such reports.

But speaking more generally, Mr. Sattwa was blunt. The nations of the world have become like thieves, he said. ??oeThey steal everything they can from the earth,?? he said, ??oeand then they fight over it.?? And then the thieves get together and have a peace talk or a summit conference about how to divide things fairly, Mr. Sattwa said. ??oeThieves dividing piously.??

The U.S. State Department and the British Foreign Office both declined comment, as did the foreign-affairs offices of twenty other nations contacted by DNS.

(by Jayadvaita Swami - Copyright 2005 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. www.Krishna.com)

NEW YORK Since a delegation of demigods received assurances of support from Lord Vishnu some days ago, political observers say the demigods have become quietly but increasingly active in laying the groundwork for opposition to allegedly repressive and exploitive political regimes. The coalition of demigods has become known as the United Demigods.

??oeThe demigods just can??(TM)t bear to stand by and watch cheaters and thugs in the name of political leaders run roughshod over the earth,?? said a U.D. spokesman, Prakash Sattwa. ??oeThe earth isn??(TM)t ours,?? he said. ??oeIt belongs to God. We all have a right to live here and take as much as we need??"but not to grab more and call it ours.??

The demigods are believed to be quietly taking up strategic positions in various parts of the world, apparently in preparation for some sort of initiative by Lord Vishnu. Some observers have suggested that Lord Vishnu??(TM)s brother may also get involved. Mr. Sattwa declined to comment on such reports.

But speaking more generally, Mr. Sattwa was blunt. The nations of the world have become like thieves, he said. ??oeThey steal everything they can from the earth,?? he said, ??oeand then they fight over it.?? And then the thieves get together and have a peace talk or a summit conference about how to divide things fairly, Mr. Sattwa said. ??oeThieves dividing piously.??

The U.S. State Department and the British Foreign Office both declined comment, as did the foreign-affairs offices of twenty other nations contacted by DNS.

Greetings are so powerful.

Good hotels, restaurants and conference centers employ one person (sometimes even two!) for no other purpose than saying "good morning" to people as they come in the door.

The Srimad Bhagavatam advocates that every guest must be offered at least some nice words of greeting, a seat and some water (SB 1.18.28). Samika Rishi got himself in trouble because he did not offer these to Maharaja Parikshit. There is even a special hellish planet for those people who fail to greet their guests properly.

When a guest enters one's house or (especially!) one's temple or outreach center one should drop everything and immediately rush to greet that guest. That guest should be made to feel so super-welcome that they can not help but desire to come back again and again. Ignoring guests is mega-dangerous, counter-productive and not good for business.