Prof. Bipan Chandra, apostle of secular values, passes away..

The SOWMEN MITTER Initiative for Language ENGLISH & Related Studies (SMILERS) mourns the passing away of Prof Bipan Chandra, one of India's pre-eminent historians and ardent crusader against distortion of History and a powerful voice against communalism at this time when an august body like the Indian Council of Historical Research may, for obvious reasons, be used to make us believe that the two epics - the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are events of History. His death at this crucial juncture means a great loss not only to the academia and cultivation of history as a discipline to seek out the truth, but also to the overall secular ethos of the Indian literati and society in general. We respectfully pay our homage to this secular soldier of Modern Indian History.

 http://smilersedu.blogspot.in/2014/08/condole.html

SMILERS mourns the passing away of U.R.Anantha Murthy

The SOWMEN MITTER Initiative for Language ENGLISH & Related Studies (SMILERS) mourns the passing away of U.R.Anantha Murthy, renowned writer and social activist. Ananthamurthy had created a style of writing with social relevance in Kannada which had a big impact on Indian literature.

A socialist by conviction, Ananthamurthy was a firm advocate of secular values, pluralist culture and social justice. In his death, the country has lost a public intellectual of great calibre.

The SMILERS conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife, daughter and son.

Two tales of Jack London ..

"He was a killer, a thing that preyed, living on the things that lived, unaided, alone, by virtue of his own strength and prowess, surviving triumphantly in a hostile environment where only the strong survive."
--from The Call of the Wild (1903), by Jack London
Jack London’s two most beloved tales of survival in Alaska were inspired by his experiences in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. Both novels grippingly dramatize the harshness of the natural world and what lies beneath the thin veneer of human civilization. The canine hero of The Call of the Wild is Buck, a pampered pet in California who is stolen and forced to be a sled dog in the Alaskan wilderness. There he suffers from the brutal extremes of nature and equally brutal treatment by a series of masters, until he learns to heed his long-buried instincts and turn his back on civilization. White Fang charts the reverse journey, as a fierce wolf-dog hybrid born in the wild is eventually tamed. White Fang is adopted as a cub by a band of Indians, but when their dogs reject him he grows up violent, defensive, and dangerous. Traded to a man who stages fights, he is forced to face dogs, wolves, and lynxes in gruesome battles to the death, until he is rescued by a gold miner who sets out to earn his trust. [Courtesy: Vintage Books]

Say you are tired...

'In the way' or 'on the way?

When you’re going somewhere, you’re ‘on the way’.
I’m on my way to the beach.

Something that is ‘in the way’ impedes your progress…
Don’t leave things in the passage where they’re in the way.

…or obscures your view.
I can’t see the stage because his hat is in the way.

14 Important Proverbs

1. A bad excuse is better than none:
Always give an excuse, even if it's a poor one.

2. A bad penny always turns up:
An unwanted or disreputable person constantly comes back.
3. A bad tree does not yield good apples:
A bad parent does not raise good children.
4. A bad workman blames his tools:
Blaming the tools for bad workmanship is an excuse for lack of
skill.
5. A barking dog seldom bites:
Someone who constantly makes threats rarely carries them out.
6. A bird in hand is worth two in a bush:
It is better to keep what you have rather than to risk losing it by searching for something better.
7. A black plum is as sweet as a white:
People should not be judged by their appearance.
8. A book holds a house of gold:
There is a wealth of knowledge in books.
9. A broken friendship may be soldered but will never be sound:
Friendships can be rebuilt after a dispute but will never be as strong as before.
10. A burden of one's own choice is not felt:
Something difficult seems easier when it is done voluntarily.
11. A burnt child dreads the fire:
A bad experience will make people stay away from certain things.
12. A calm sea does not make a skilled sailor.
A person shows their competence or ability when difficulties arise.
13. A cat has nine lives:
1) Cats can survive many accidents because they land on their feet without injury.
2) Nine lives = 3 years to play, 3 years to stray, 3 years to stay.
14. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link:
The strength of a group depends on each individual member.

[Courtesy: General English]

Phrasal Verb: 'come across' - its uses

If you ‘come across’ something, you find it by chance.
You can come across some good buys in junk shops.

It can mean that it gives the impression.
She comes across as a kind person.
And it also means clearly communicated.
The anti-war message of the film comes across strongly.
[Courtesy: Learn English]