happy life why not
Cafe chiều thứ 7 - HHT Select - Some nice music - Some useful software - Some wisdoms - Some thoughts and more ... But what's the meaning of your life? What do you live for? What's the aim of your living? Do you have your own answer?

The First Principle

5:03 AM

When one goes to Obaku temple in Kyoto he sees carved over the gate the words "The First Principle." The letters are unusually large, and those who appreciate calligraphy always admire them as being a masterpiece. They were drawn by Kosen two hundred years ago.

When the master drew them he did so on paper, from which workmen made the larger carving in wood. As Kosen sketched the letters a bold pupil was with him who had made several gallons of ink for the calligraphy and who never failed to criticize his master's work.

"That is not good," he told Kosen after the first effort.

"How is that one?"

"Poor. Worse than before," pronounced the pupil.

Kosen patiently wrote one sheet after another until eighty-four First Principles had been accumulated, still without the approval of the pupil.

Then, when the young man stepped outside for a few moments, Kosen thought: "Now is my chance to escape his keen eye," and he wrote hurridly, with a mind free from disctraction. "The First Principle."

"A masterpiece," pronounced the pupil.

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A Parable

6:02 AM

Buddha told a parable in a sutra:

A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.

Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!

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Stingy in Teaching

5:29 AM

A young physician in Tokyo named Kusuda met a college friend who had been studying Zen. The young doctor asked him what Zen was.

"I cannot tell you what it is," the friend replied, "but one thing is certain. If you understand Zen, you will not be afraid to die."

"That's fine," said Kusuda. "I will try it. Where can I find a teacher?"

"Go to the master Nan-in," the friend told him.

So Kusuda went to call on Nan-in. He carried a dagger nine and a half inches long to determine whether or not the teacher was afraid to die.

When Nan-in saw Kusuda he exclaimed: "Hello, friend. How are you? We haven't seen each other for a long time!"

This perplexed Kusuda, who replied: "We have never met before."

"That's right," answered Nan-in. "I mistook you for another physician who is receiving instruction here."

With such a beginning, Kusuda lost his chance to test the master, so reluctantly he asked if he might receive Zen instruction.

Nan-in said: "Zen is not a difficult task. If you are a physician, treat you patients with kindness. That is Zen."

Kusuda visited Nan-in three times. Each time Nan-in told him the same thing. "A physician should not waste time around here. Go home and take care of you patients."

It was not yet clear to Kusuda how such teaching could remove the fear of death. So on his fourth visit he complained: "My friend told me when one learns Zen one loses the fear of death. Each time I come here all you tell me is to take care of my patients. I know that much. If that is your so-called Zen, I am not going to visit you any more."

Nan-in smiled and patted the doctor. "I have been too strict with you. Let me give you a koan." He presented Kusuda with Joshu's Mu to work over, which is the first mind enlightening problem in the book called The Gateless Gate.

Kusuda pondered this problem of Mu (No-Thing) for two years. At length he thought he had reached certainty of mind. But his teacher commented: "You are not in yet."

Kusuda continued in concentration for another year and a half. His mind became placid. Problems dissolved. No-Thing became the truth. He served his patients well and, without even knowing it, he was free from concern over life and death.

Then when he visited Nan-in, his old teacher just smiled.

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Not Far From Buddhahood

5:29 AM

A university student while visiting Gasan asked him: "Have you even read the Christian Bible?"

"No, read it to me," said Gasan.

The student opened the Bible and read from St. Matthew: "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these...Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself."

Gasan said: "Whoever uttered those words I consider and enlightened man."

The student continued reading: "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, is shall be opened."

Gasan remarked: "That is excellent. Whoever said that is not far from Buddhahood."

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Shoan and His Mother

5:27 AM

Shoun became a teacher of Soto Zen. When he was still a student his father passed away, leaving him to care for his old mother.

Whenever Shoun went to a meditation hall he always took his mother with him. Since she accompanied him, when he visited monasteries he could not live with the monks. So he would build a little house and care for her there. He would copy sutras, Buddhist verses, and in this manner receive a few coins for food.

When Shoun bought fish for his mother, the people would scoff at him, for a monk is not supposed to eat fish. But Shoun did not mind. His mother, however, was hurt to see the others laugh at her son. Finally she told Shoun: "I think I will become a nun. I can be a vegaterian too." She did, and they studied together.

Shoun was fond of music and was a master of the harp, which his mother also played. On full-moon nights they used to play together.

One night a young lady passed by their house and heard music. Deeply touched, she invited Shoun to visit her the next evening and play. He accepted the invitation. A few days later he met the young lady on the street and thanked her for her hospitality. Others laughed at him. He had visited the house of a woman of the streets.

One day Shoun left for a distant temple to deliver a lecture. A few months afterwards he returned home to find his mother dead. Friends had not known where to reach him, so the funeral was then in progress.

Shoun walked up and hit the coffin with his staff. "Mother, your son has returned," he said.

"I am glad to see you have returned, son," he answered for his mother.

"Yes, I am glad too," Shoun responded. Then he announced to the people about him: "The funeral ceremony is over. You may bury the body."

When Shoun was old he knew his end was approaching. He asked his disciples to gather around him in the morning, telling them he was going to pass on at noon. Burning incense before the picture of his mother and his old teacher, he wrote a poem:

For fifty-six years I lived as best I could,
Making my way in this world.
Now the rain has ended, the clouds are clearing,
The blue sky has a full moon.

His disciples gathered about him, reciting a sutra, and Shoun passed on during the invocation.

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Muddy Road

5:18 AM

Tanzan and Ekido were once travelling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.

Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.

"Come on, girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't do near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"

"I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"

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A Buddha

8:17 AM

In Tokyo in the Meiji era there lived two prominent teachers of opposite characteristics. One, Unsho, an instructor in Shingon, kept Buddha's precepts scrupulously. He never drank intoxicants, nor did he eat after eleven o'clock in the morning. The other teacher, Tanzan, a professor of philosophy at the Imperial University, never observed the precepts. When he felt like eating, he ate, and when he felt like sleeping in the daytime, he slept.

One day Unsho visited Tanzan, who was drinking wine at the time, not even a drop of which is supposed to touch the tongue of a Buddhist.

"Hello, brother," Tanzan greeted him. "Won't you have a drink?"

"I never drink!" exclaimed Unsho solemnly.

"One who does not drink is not even human," said Tanzan.

"Do you mean to call me inhuman just because I do not indulge in intoxicating liquids!" exclaimed Unsho in anger. "Then if I am not human, what am I?"

"A Buddha," answered Tanzan.

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Happy Chinaman

5:16 AM

Anyone walking about Chinatowns in America will observe statues of a stout fellow carrying a linen sack. Chinese merchants call him Happy Chinaman or Laughing Buddha.

This Hotei lived in the T'ang dynasty. He had no desire to call himself a Zen master or to gather many disciples around him. Instead he walked the streets with a big sack into which he would put gifts of candy, fruit, or doughnuts. These he would give to children who gathered around him in play. He established a kindergarten of the streets.

Whenever he met a Zen devotee he would extend his hand and say: "Give me one penny."

Once as he was about to play-work another Zen master happened along and inquired: "What is the significance of Zen?"

Hotei immediately plopped his sack down on the ground in silent answer.

"Then," asked the other, "what is the actualization of Zen?"

At once the Happy Chinaman swung the sack over his shoulder and continued on his way.

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The Story of Shunkai

3:16 AM

The exquisite Shunkai whose other name was Suzu was compelled to marry against her wishes when she was quite young. Later, after this marriage had ended, she attended the university, where she studied philosophy.

To see Shunkai was to fall in love with her. Moreover, wherever she went, she herself fell in love with others. Love was with her at the university, and afterwards, when philosophy did not satisfy her and she visited a temple to learn about Zen, the Zen students fell in love with her. Shunkai's whole life was saturated with love.

At last in Kyoto she became a real student of Zen. Her brothers in the sub-temple of Kennin praised her sincerity. One of them proved to be a congenial spirit and assisted her in the mastery of Zen.

The abbot of Kennin, Mokurai, Silent Thunder, was severe. He kept the precepts himself and expected his priests to do so. In modern Japan whatever zeal these priests have lost of Buddhism they seem to have gained for their wives. Mokurai used to take a broom and chase the women away when he found them in any of his temples, but the more wives he swept out, the more seemed to come back.

In this particular temple the wife of the head priest became jealous of Shunkai's earnestness and beauty. Hearing the students praise her serious Zen made this wife squirm and itch. Finally she spread a rumor about Shunkai and the young man who was her friend. As a consequence he was expelled and Shunkai was removed from the temple.

"I may have made the mistake of love," thought Shunkai, "but the priest's wife shall not remain in the temple either if my friend is to be treated so unjustly."

Shunkai the same night with a can of kerosene set fire to the five-hundred-year-old temple and burned it to the ground. In the morning she found herself in the hands of the police.

A young lawyer became interested in her and endeavored to make her sentence lighter. "Do not help me," she told him. "I might decide to do something else which would only imprison me again."

At last a sentence of seven years was completed, and Shunkai was released from the prison, where the sixty-year-old warden had become enamored of her.

But now everyone looked upon her as a "jailbird." No one would associate with her. Even the Zen people, who are supposed to believe in enlightenment in this life and with this body, shunned her. Zen, Shunkai found, was one thing and the followers of Zen quite another. Her relatives would have nothing to do with her. She grew sick, poor, and weak.

She met a Shinshu priest who taught her the name of the Buddha of Love, and in this Shunkai found some solace and peace of mind. She passed away when she was still exquisitely beautiful and hardly thirty years old.

She wrote her own story in a futile endeavor to support herself and some of it she told to a woman writer. So it reached the Japanese people. Those who rejected Shunkai, those who slandered and hated her, now read of her live with tears of remorse.

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Cách sống sót đối với những thảm họa như cháy nhà

2:31 AM
Một sự thật khiến mọi người phải cân nhắc là hầu hết các vụ cháy nhà đều xảy ra trong quãng thời gian từ 8 p.m đến 8 a.m. Điều đó có nghĩa là vào khoảng thời gian đó thường là lúc mà bạn đang ngủ, vì vậy, việc bạn biết làm thế nào để cứu bản thân và gia đình bạn trở nên quan trọng hơn bao giờ hết, nhất là trong tình huống không còn đủ thời gian để vạch ra một kế hoạch để thoát khỏi cơn hỏa hoạn.

Nếu bạn thấy có khói thì nên nằm, ngồi xuống sát sàn nhà và bò ra cửa ra gần nhất, vì khói và khí nóng sẽ bốc cao lên trần nhà. Nếu may mắn bạn sẽ tìm được nơi không khí mát và không có khói.

Cẩn thận với những cánh cửa nóng

Trước khi mở cửa thì bạn nên kiểm tra xem cửa có nóng không. Cách khôn ngoan khi kiểm tra thì bạn nên kiểm tra phần trên của cánh cửa và kiểm tra bằng mu bàn tay, vì rõ ràng bạn không muốn làm bỏng bàn tay hay các ngón tay – những vị trí mà bạn có thể cần dùng đến khi chạy hỏa hoạn như trèo xuống thang chẳng hạn.

Nếu cánh cửa nóng thì đừng nên mở nó. Những cánh cửa sẽ giúp giữ bớt khói ở bên ngoài, sẽ tốt hơn nữa nếu bạn để một mảnh vải hoặc quần áo chặn dọc khe dưới của cửa. Hãy tìm đường thoát ra bằng cửa sổ, nếu trong trường hợp bạn không thoát được ra ngoài, hãy tìm cách ra dấu vị trí bạn đang ở cho bên ngoài biết ví dụ như bằng đèn pin hoặc mảnh vải trắng.

Nếu cửa không nóng, bạn hãy mở ra từ từ. Rõ ràng, nếu bạn mở cửa mà nhìn thấy lửa thì hãy đóng lại thật nhanh. Đương nhiên sau đó bạn nên bò thấp dưới sàn nhà tránh hơi nóng và hãy chắc chắn rằng bạn đã đóng tất cả những cánh của cách li giữa bạn và nơi lửa đang cháy để tránh hơi nóng và khói.

Hãy lập kế hoạch

Khi bạn đã ra ngoài an toàn thì hãy ở bên ngoài, đừng có nhen nhóm bất kì ý nghĩ nào như việc sẽ vào trong đám cháy để lấy quyển sổ kỉ niệm cuối cấp học.

Nếu bạn có trẻ con trong nhà thì bạn có tránh nhiệm với chúng và với bản thân bạn để lập ra một kế hoạch thoát khỏi vụ cháy nhà. Nên nhớ rằng thời điểm những đám cháy xảy ra thường vào lúc mà bạn và bọn trẻ đang ngủ, và bạn có thể sẽ không có cơ hội để bảo bọn trẻ những việc chúng cần làm. Bọn trẻ cần biết những gì cần làm lúc đó, và chúng chỉ biết điều đó khi chúng đã từng thực hành qua. Ngoài ra, khi bọn trẻ trở nên hoang mang sợ hãi thì chúng sẽ tìm chỗ để ẩn náu như dưới gầm giường. Tuy nhiên, chúng cần biết cách thoát khỏi ngôi nhà và cách thức để thực hiện bằng cách bò ra chỗ thoát ra ngoài gần nhất.

Nếu cửa sổ là con đường duy nhất để chọn lựa thì bạn nên để bọn trẻ thoát ra trước. Trẻ con có thể hoang mang và trong khi sợ hãi, chúng có thể sẽ không theo bạn trong trường hợp bạn ra ngoài trước. Khi đã thoát ra ngoài, điều cuối cùng cần làm trong kế hoạch của bạn là mọi người cùng đến một điểm tập họp nhau như chỗ hòm thư hay một cây to trong sân nhà bạn. Có như vậy mới giúp trong thời gian ngắn, bạn có thể biết chắc chắn rằng mọi người trong nhà đều thoát ra an toàn

Bạn hãy lập một kế hoạch đi nhé !

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Cách sống sót với những thảm họa khi trời mưa bão kèm sấm sét

6:49 AM
Cách sống sót với những thảm họa khi trời mưa bão kèm sấm sét. Làm thế nào tránh sét đánh trong trời mưa bão là điều mà nhiều người biết nhưng không hẳn ai cũng biết. Hầu hết mọi người nghĩ là họ đều biết các nguyên tắc tránh sét đánh khi trời mưa bão như:

1/ Cách xa nước, những chỗ có nước.
2/ Không đứng dưới cây cao.
3/ Không chỉ chỏ những thanh, que sắt lên trời.

Nhưng đấy chỉ là những điều ban đầu, còn những điều khác mà bạn nên biết. Trước tiên, bạn nên biết bạn cách xa sét bao nhiêu. Nếu bạn đếm thời gian lúc có sét và lúc có sấm dưới 30 giây, điều đó đồng nghĩa với việc bạn đang trong phạm vi nguy hiểm. Nói cách khác, sét cách bạn ít hơn 5 dặm hay dưới 8 kilomet.

Dười khỏi những xe như xe đi trong sân goft

Nếu đủ gần thì bận nên chạy đến những chỗ trú. Những tòa nhà hay ngôi nhà lớn và kín thì thường an toàn hơn những ngôi nhà nhỏ và ít kín như ban công, hay những chỗ chỉ có mái che chìa ra. Những phương tiện như xe ô tô với cửa kính kéo lên che kín sẽ an toàn hơn là những xe không kín như những loại xe đi trong sân goft chẳng hạn, hay như xe công nông.

Nếu bạn trú trong nhà rồi, bạn nên tinh ý tránh tiếp xúc với các thiết bị điện, thậm chí cả đường điện thoại cố định. Bạn cũng không nên ở gân những đường ống nước. Bạn không nên tắm hay rửa bát đĩa. Khi có bão lớn kèm theo sấm sét thì đó là thời gian để đọc sách là tốt nhất.

Đừng nằm

Nếu trong trường hợp bạn không kiếm được chỗ trú như vào được trong nhà hay trong một ô tô. Cứ cho là bạn đang cố tìm chỗ trú giữa một vùng rộng như bãi cỏ chẳng hạn. Dù bạn có làm gì thì cũng đừng nằm dài trên đất. Thay vào đó bạn nên ngồi xuống, cong lưng áp sát ngực vào đùi như quả bóng (hay như hình ảnh em bé nằm trong bụng mẹ vậy), hai chân chụm lại để giảm độ tiếp xúc tối đa với mặt đất, hai tay che lấy tai để tránh bị sốc âm thanh khi sét đánh.

Nếu bạn đi theo nhóm thì nên tản ra, mỗi người cách nhau ít nhất 20 feet (6 mét). Như vậy sẽ giúp giảm thiểu tối đa việc sét ảnh hưởng đến người xung quanh khi 1 người bị xét đánh.

Tin tốt là hầu hết nhữn người bị sét đánh đều sống sót. Nhưng bạn nên gọi ngay lập tức cho số điện thoại cấp cứu trong trường hợp có người bị sét đánh. Nếu người bị sét đánh bất tỉnh nhưng vẫn còn thở, nhiều khả năng họ sẽ tự hồi phục được. Nên dời họ đến những vị trí an toàn hơn nếu có thể. Đừng lo, bạn sẽ không bị truyền điện khi chạm vào những người vừa bị sét đánh đâu. Vì thế, nếu họ không còn thở thì bạn nên hô hấp nhân tạo cho họ bằng miệng, thổi mỗi hơi cách nhau 5 giây. Nếu bạn không thấy động mạch ở cổ đập thì nên dùng tay đẩy nén ở ngực của họ để kích thích đưa máu chảy.

Có hai điều mà nhiều người tin dù chưa có những thông tin xác thực cụ thể để chứng minh để nhắc bạn sét nguy hiểm đến mức nào: Không khí khi sét đánh có thể lên đến 50,000 độ F. Và khả năng bạn bị chết bởi sét đánh gấp 30 lần so với bị cá mập tấn công.

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The Last Poem of Hoshin

5:15 AM

The Zen master Hoshin lived in China many years. Then he returned to the northeastern part of Japan, where he taught his disciples. When he was getting very old, he told them a story he had heard in China. This is the story:

One year on the twenty-fifth of December, Tokufu, who was very old, said to his disciples: "I am not going to be alive next year so you fellows should treat me well this year."

The pupils thought he was joking, but since he was a great-hearted teacher each of them in turn treated him to a feast on succeeding days of the departing year.

On the eve of the new year, Tokufu concluded: "You have been good to me. I shall leave you tomorrow afternoon when the snow has stopped."

The disciples laughed, thinking he was aging and talking nonsense since the night was clear and without snow. But at midnight snow began to fall, and the next day they did not find their teacher about. They went to the meditation hall. There he had passed on.

Hoshin, who related this story, told his disciples: "It is not necessary for a Zen master to predict his passing, but if he really wishes to do so, he can."

"Can you?" someone asked.

"Yes," answered Hoshin. "I will show you what I can do seven days from now."

None of the disciples believed him, and most of them had even forgotten the conversation when Hoshin next called them together.

"Seven days ago," he remarked, "I said I was going to leave you. It is customary to write a farewell poem, but I am neither poet nor calligrapher. Let one of you inscribe my last words."

His followers thought he was joking, but one of them started to write.

"Are you ready?" Hoshin asked.

"Yes, sir," replied the writer.

Then Hoshin dictated:

I came from brilliancy.
And return to brilliancy.
What is this?

The poem was one line short of the customary four, so the disciple said: "Master, we are one line short."

Hoshin, with the roar of a conquoring lion, shouted "Kaa!" and was gone.

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The Moon Cannot Be Stolen

5:15 AM

Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing in it to steal.

Ryokan returned and caught him. "You may have come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, "and you shoud not return emptyhanded. Please take my clothes as a gift."

The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away.

Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor fellow, " he mused, "I wish I could give him this beautiful moon."

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Great Waves

9:07 AM

In the early days of the Meiji era there lived a well-known wrestler called O-nami, Great Waves.

O-nami was immensly strong and knew the art of wresting. In his private bouts he defeated even his teacher, but in public was so bashful that his own pupils threw him.

O-nami felt he should go to a Zen master for help. Hakuju, a wandering teacher, was stopping in a little temple nearby, so O-nami went to see him and told him of his great trouble.

"Great Waves is your name," the teacher advised, "so stay in this temple tonight. Imagine that you are those billows. You are no longer a wrestler who is afraid. You are those huge waves sweeping everything before them, swallowing all in their path. Do this and you will be the greatest wrestler in the land."

The teacher retired. O-nami sat in meditation trying to imagine himself as waves. He thought of many different things. Then gradualy he turned more and more to the feeling of waves. As the night advanced the waves became larger and larger. They swept away the flowers in their vases. Even the Buddha in the shrine was inundated. Before dawn the temple was nothing but the ebb and flow of an immense sea.

In the morning the teacher found O-nami meditating, a faint smile on his face. He patted the wrestler's shoulder. "Now nothing can disturb you," he said. "You are those waves. You will sweep everything before you."

The same day O-nami entered the wrestling contests and won. After that, no one in Japan was able to defeat him.

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Annoucement

8:07 AM

Tanzan wrote sixty postal cards on the last day of his life, and asked an attendant to mail them. Then he passed away.

The cards read:

I am departing from this world.

This is my last announcement.

Tanzan
July 27, 1892

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House Fires

2:25 PM


A disturbing fact: Most house fires happen between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. Which means you're likely to be asleep, making it that much more important that you know how to save yourself and your family since you won't have much time to plan your escape.

If you notice smoke, drop to the floor and begin to crawl to the nearest exit. The smoke and heat will rise to the ceiling. With luck, you'll be able to stay where the air is cool and clear.

BEWARE OF HOT DOORS

And before you go opening doors, check for heat. The smart way to do this is to feel the top of the door with the back of your hand. You don't want to go burning your palm or your fingers — you could be needing them later in your escape, like for climbing down a ladder.

If the door is hot, don't open it. Doors can keep out smoke, even more so if you can put a blanket or clothing along the bottom. Head for the window. If you can't get out, find a way to signal your presence, say with a flashlight or white sheet.

If the door isn't hot, open it slowly. Obviously, if you see flames, close it quickly. If all seems clear, however, start crawling, making sure that you close any doors between you and where you think the fire might be.

GET A PLAN

Once you get out safely, stay out. Don't get any lame ideas about saving your high school yearbook.

If you have children you owe it to them and to yourself to work out an escape plan. Remember, chances are any fire will start while they're sleeping and you may not have the opportunity to tell them what to do. They need to know what to do, and they'll only know if they've practiced it. Plus, children, when they panic, look for places to hide, like a closet or under the bed. They need to know to get out of the house, and how to do it, by crawling to the nearest exit.

If a window is your only option, lower any children to the ground first. Kids might panic and not follow if you leave first. Once outside head to the meeting place that's the final piece of your escape plan, like a mailbox or the big tree in your yard. You want to make sure as soon as possible that everyone's safe.

(Discovery.com)

Disclaimer

Thank you for visiting the Survival Zone site! The survival information in our guide comes from the U.S. Army Survival Manual.

The information provided in this guide is for informational and entertainment purposes only. By using this website (and my blog), you agree that you will not hold Discovery (and my blog) liable for any actions taken based on information provided. Use this information at your own risk.

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No Loving - Kindness

4:06 AM

There was an old woman in China who had supported a monk for over twenty years. She had built a little hut for him and fed him while he was meditating. Finally she wondered just what progress he had made in all this time.

To find out, she obtained the help of a girl rich in desire. "Go and embrace him," she told her, "and then ask him suddenly: 'What now?'"

The girl called upon the monk and without much ado caressed him, asking him what he was going to do about it.

"An old tree grows on a cold rock in winter," replied the monk somewhat poetically. "Nowhere is there any warmth."

The girl returned and related what he had said.

"To think I fed that fellow for twenty years!" exclaimed the old woman in anger. "He showed no consideration for your need, no disposition to explain your condition. He need not have responded to passion, but at least he could have evidenced some compassion;"

She at once went to the hut of the monk and burned it down.

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How to Survive a Plane Crash

2:21 PM


Down at Sea
If you are in an aircraft that goes down at sea, take the following actions once you clear the aircraft. Whether you are in the water or in a raft —

  • Get clear and upwind of the aircraft as soon as possible but stay in the vicinity until the aircraft sinks.
  • Get clear of fuel-covered water in case the fuel ignites.
  • Try to find other survivors.

A search for survivors usually takes place around the entire area of and near the crash site. Missing survivors may be unconscious and floating low in the water.

The best technique for rescuing individuals from the water is to throw them a life preserver attached to a line. Another is to send a swimmer (rescuer) from the raft with a line attached to a flotation device that will support the rescuer's weight. This device will help conserve a rescuer's energy while recovering the survivor. The least acceptable technique is to send an attached swimmer without flotation devices to retrieve a survivor. In all cases, the rescuer wears a life preserver. A rescuer should not underestimate the strength of a panic-stricken person in the water. A careful approach can prevent injury to the rescuer.

When the rescuer approaches a survivor in trouble from behind, there is little danger the survivor will kick, scratch or grab him. The rescuer swims to a point directly behind the survivor and grasps the life preserver's backstrap. The rescuer uses the sidestroke to drag the survivor to the raft.

If you are in the water, make your way to a raft. If no rafts are available, try to find a large piece of floating debris to cling to. Relax; a person who knows how to relax in ocean water is in very little danger of drowning. The body's natural buoyancy will keep at least the top of the head above water but some movement is needed to keep the face above water. Floating on your back takes the least energy. Lie on your back in the water, spread your arms and legs, and arch your back. By controlling your breathing in and out, your face will always be out of the water and you may even sleep in this position for short periods. Your head will be partially submerged but your face will be above water. If you cannot float on your back or if the sea is too rough, float facedown in the water.

The following are the best swimming strokes during a survival situation:

  • Dog paddle. This stroke is excellent when clothed or wearing a life jacket. Although slow in speed, it requires very little energy.
  • Breaststroke. Use this stroke to swim underwater, through oil or debris or in rough seas. It is probably the best stroke for long-range swimming: it allows you to conserve your energy and maintain a reasonable speed.
  • Sidestroke. It is a good relief stroke because you use only one arm to maintain momentum and buoyancy.
  • Backstroke. This stroke is also an excellent relief stroke. It relieves the muscles that you use for other strokes. Use it if an underwater explosion is likely.

If you are in an area where surface oil is burning —

  • Discard your shoes and buoyant life preserver. Note: If you have an uninflated life preserver, keep it.
  • Cover your nose, mouth and eyes, and quickly go underwater.
  • Swim underwater as far as possible before surfacing to breathe.
  • Before surfacing to breathe and while still underwater, use your hands to push burning fluid away from the area where you wish to surface. Once an area is clear of burning liquid, you can surface and take a few breaths. Try to face downwind before inhaling.
  • Submerge feet first and continue as above until clear of the flames.

If you are in oil-covered water that is free of fire, hold your head high to keep the oil out of your eyes. Attach your life preserver to your wrist and then use it as a raft. If you have a life preserver, you can stay afloat for an indefinite period. In this case, use the "HELP" body position: Heat Escaping Lessening Posture (HELP). Remain still and assume the fetal position to help you retain body heat. You lose about 50 percent of your body heat through your head. Therefore, keep your head out of the water. Other areas of high heat loss are the neck, sides and groin.

If you are in a raft —

  • Check the physical condition of all on board. Give first aid if necessary. Take seasickness pills if available. The best way to take these pills is to place them under the tongue and let them dissolve. There are also suppositories or injections against seasickness. Vomiting, whether from seasickness or other causes, increases the danger of dehydration.
  • Try to salvage all floating equipment — rations; canteens, thermos jugs and other containers; clothing; seat cushions; parachutes; and anything else that will be useful to you. Secure the salvaged items in or to your raft. Make sure the items have no sharp edges that can puncture the raft.
  • If there are other rafts, lash the rafts together so they are about 7.5 meters apart. Be ready to draw them closer together if you see or hear an aircraft. It is easier for an aircrew to spot rafts that are close together, rather than scattered.
  • Remember, rescue at sea is a cooperative effort. Use all available visual or electronic signaling devices to signal and make contact with rescuers. For example, raise a flag or reflecting material on an oar as high as possible to attract attention.
  • Have signaling devices ready for instant use. If you are in enemy territory, avoid using a signaling device that will alert the enemy. However, if your situation is desperate, you may have to signal the enemy for rescue if you are to survive.

Check the raft for inflation, leaks and points of possible chafing. Make sure the main buoyancy chambers are firm (well rounded) but not overly tight. Check inflation regularly. Air expands with heat; therefore, on hot days, release some air and add air when the weather cools.

  • Decontaminate the raft of all fuel. Petroleum will weaken its surfaces and break down its glued joints.

Throw out the sea anchor or improvise a drag from the raft's case, bailing bucket or a roll of clothing. A sea anchor helps you stay close to your ditching site, making it easier for searchers to find you if you have relayed your location. Without a sea anchor, your raft may drift over 160 kilometers in a day, making it much harder to find you. You can adjust the sea anchor to act as a drag to slow down the rate of travel with the current or as a means to travel with the current. You make this adjustment by opening or closing the sea anchor's apex. When open, the sea anchor acts as a drag that keeps you in the general area. When closed, it forms a pocket for the current to strike and propels the raft in the current's direction.

Additionally, adjust the sea anchor so that when the raft is on the wave's crest, the sea anchor is in the wave's trough.

  • Wrap the sea anchor rope with cloth to prevent its chafing the raft. The anchor also helps to keep the raft headed into the wind and waves.
  • In stormy water, rig the spray and windshield at once. In a 20-person raft, keep the canopy erected at all times. Keep your raft as dry as possible. Keep it properly balanced. All personnel should stay seated, the heaviest one in the center.
  • Calmly consider all aspects of your situation and determine what you and your companions must do to survive. Inventory all equipment, food and water. Waterproof items that salt water may affect. These include compasses, watches, sextant, matches and lighters. Ration food and water.
  • Assign a duty position to each person: for example, water collector, food collector, lookout, radio operator, signaler and water bailers.

    Note: Lookout duty should not exceed two hours. Keep in mind and remind others that cooperation is one of the keys to survival.
  • Keep a log. Record the navigator's last fix, the time of ditching, the names and physical condition of personnel, and the ration schedule. Also record the wind, weather, direction of swells, times of sunrise and sunset, and other navigational data.
  • If you are down in unfriendly waters, take special security measures to avoid detection. Do not travel in the daytime. Throw out the sea anchor and wait for nightfall before paddling or hoisting sail. Keep low in the raft; stay covered. Be sure a passing ship or aircraft is friendly or neutral before trying to attract its attention.
  • Decide whether to stay in position or to travel. Ask yourself, "How much information was signaled before the accident? Is your position known to rescuers? Do you know it yourself? Is the weather favorable for a search? Are other ships or aircraft likely to pass your present position? How many days supply of food and water do you have?"

(Discovery.com)

Disclaimer

Thank you for visiting the Survival Zone site! The survival information in our guide comes from the U.S. Army Survival Manual.

The information provided in this guide is for informational and entertainment purposes only. By using this website (and my blog), you agree that you will not hold Discovery (and my blog) liable for any actions taken based on information provided. Use this information at your own risk.

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If You Love, Love Openly

6:06 AM

Twenty monks and one nun, who was named Eshun, were practicing meditation with a certain Zen master.

Eshun was very pretty even though her head was shaved and her dress plain. Several monks secretly fell in love with her. One of them wrote her a love letter, insisting upon a private meeting.

Eshun did not reply. The following day the master gave a lecture to the group, and when it was over, Eshun arose. Addressing the one who had written her, she said: "If you really love me so much, come and embrace me now."

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Obedience

4:05 AM

The master Bankei's talks were attended not only by Zen students but by persons of all ranks and sects. He never quoted sutras nor indulged in scholastic dissertations. Instead, his words were spoken directly from his heart to the hearts of his listeners.

His large audiences angered a priest of the Nichiren sect because the adherents had left to hear about Zen. The self-centered Nichiren priest came to the temple, determined to debate with Bankei.

"Hey, Zen teacher!" he called out. "Wait a minute. Whoever respects you will obey what you say, but a man like myself does not respect you. Can you make me obey you?"

"Come up beside me and I will show you," said Bankei.

Proudly the priest pushed his way through the crowd to the teacher.

Bankei smiled. "Come over to my left side."

The priest obeyed.

"No," said Bankei, "we may talk better if you are on the right side. Step over here."

The priest proudly stepped over to the right

"You see," observed Bankei, "you are obeying me and I think you are a very gentle person. Now sit down and listen."

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How To Survive Tornados

2:16 AM


There aren't many things in nature as pure a killer as a tornado. Destructive ... unpredictable ... incapable of listening to reason. All you can do, really, is get out of its way.

But there are smart ways to do that and not-so-smart ways. For instance, a lot of people think that when they see a funnel cloud heading their way, the smart thing to do is jump in the car and drive like a maniac. No, that's the not-so-smart thing.

BEWARE OF FLYING BUSES

For starters, a twister can easily lift a car off the road. It can do the same to a van or school bus. In fact, vehicles with big flat surfaces are particularly vulnerable. So even if you avoid having your own car blown away, you could get hit by a flying bus.

Not to mention tree branches or power lines or the occasional shopping cart. Bottom line: Stay away from your car. In fact, experts say you're better off getting out of your car and flattening yourself out in a ditch or any low-lying area that gives you some cover.

INTO THE CLOSET

If you're in a mobile home, go somewhere else. If you're in a house, head to your basement. If you don't have a basement or storm cellar, seek shelter in an inner hallway or even a closet. Above all, get away from the windows. If it's convenient, grab a mattress to use as a shield. Failing that, a blanket or heavy jacket can protect you from swirling debris and glass.

According to one myth, you can reduce damage by opening the windows, so you can equalize pressure inside and out. Uh ... no. All that does is increase your chance of getting hit by something. Stay away from the windows!

Finally, don't go out to gawk at the damage once you think the tornado has passed. Other twisters can develop from one storm; think how stupid you'd feel if you dodged one, only to find yourself face-to-face with another. Listen to a portable radio — a key possession in a tornado — and wait for the official all clear.

(Discovery)

Disclaimer

Thank you for visiting the Survival Zone site! The survival information in our guide comes from the U.S. Army Survival Manual.

The information provided in this guide is for informational and entertainment purposes only. By using this website (and my blog), you agree that you will not hold Discovery (and my blog) liable for any actions taken based on information provided. Use this information at your own risk.

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Is That So?

3:04 AM

The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.

A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.

This made her parents very angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.

In great anger the parents went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.

After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbors and everything else the little one needed.

A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth - that the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.

The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back again.

Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"

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How To Survive a Sinking Car

1:26 AM


You don't have to drive off a bridge to experience the terror of sinking underwater in a car.

Flash floods can be just as deadly — a car could start floating away in only 2 feet of water. Either way, once the water starts pouring into your vehicle, you need to keep your cool while acting quickly.

First, unfasten your seat belt. That may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at the number of drowning victims who never unbuckled themselves. Then, before the electricity shorts out, roll down the windows.

THAT'S RIGHT, ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS

This may seem a suicidal act as you sit in a sinking car. But the point is to equalize the water pressure inside and outside the vehicle. If your sinking car stays full of air, there's no way you'll be able to open the door.

If you still can't get the door open and windows won't roll down, find a heavy object, say a flashlight, and break the glass. Don't try to kick out the windshield; you'll never be able to do it. Smash a side window — it breaks more easily if you hit an edge or corner — and swim out through it and head to the surface.

YOUR LAPTOP WILL FORGIVE YOU

Don't waste time trying to gather up valuable possessions. The laptop, the purse, the DVDs ... their time has come. Yours hasn't, if you use your head.

(Discovery)

Disclaimer

Thank you for visiting the Survival Zone site! The survival information in our guide comes from the U.S. Army Survival Manual.

The information provided in this guide is for informational and entertainment purposes only. By using this website (and my blog), you agree that you will not hold Discovery (and my blog) liable for any actions taken based on information provided. Use this information at your own risk.

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Finding a Diamond on a Muddy Road

1:04 AM

Gudo was the emperor's teacher of his time. Nevertheless, he used to travel alone as a wandering mendicant. Once when he was on his was to Edo, the cultural and political center of the shogunate, he approached a little village named Takenaka. It was evening and a heavy rain was falling. Gudo was thoroughly wet. His straw sandals were in pieces. At a farmhouse near the village he noticed four or five pairs of sandals in the window and decided to buy some dry ones.

The woman who offered him the sandals, seeing how wet he was, invited him in to remain for the night at her home. Gudo accepted, thanking her. He entered and recited a sutra before the family shrine. He then was introduced to the woman's mother, and to her children. Observing that the entire family was depressed, Gudo asked what was wrong.

"My husband is a gambler and a drunkard," the housewife told him. "When he happens to win he drinks and becomes abusive. When he loses he borrows money from others. Sometimes when he becomes thoroughly drunk he does not come home at all. What can I do?"

I will help him," said Gudo. "Here is some money. Get me a gallon of fine wine and something good to eat. Then you may retire. I will meditate before the shrine."

When the man of the house returned about midnight, quite drunk, he bellowed: "Hey, wife, I am home. Have you something for me to eat?"

"I have something for you," said Gudo. "I happened to get caught in the rain and your wife kindly asked me to remain here for the night. In return I have bought some wine and fish, so you might as well have them."

The man was delighted. He drank the wine at once and laid himself down on the floor. Gudo sat in meditation beside him.

In the morning when the husband awoke he had forgotten about the previous night. "Who are you? Where do you come from?" he asked Gudo, who still was meditating.

"I am Gudo of Kyoto and I am going on to Edo," replied the Zen master.

The man was utterly ashamed. He apologized profusely to the teacher of his emperor.

Gudo smiled. "Everything in this life is impermanent," he explained. "Life is very brief. If you keep on gambling and drinking, you will have no time left to accomplish anything else, and you will cause your family to suffer too."

The perception of the husband awoke as if from a dream. "You are right," he declared. "How can I ever repay you for this wonderful teaching! Let me see you off and carry your things a little way."

"If you wish," assented Gudo.

The two started out. After they had gone three miles Gudo told him to return. "Just another five miles," he begged Gudo. They continued on.

"You may return now," suggested Gudo.

"After another ten miles," the man replied.

"Return now," said Gudo, when the ten miles had been passed.

"I am going to follow you all the rest of my life," declared the man.

Modern Zen teachers in Japan spring from the lineage of a famous master who was the successor of Gudo. His name was Mu-nan, the man who never turned back.

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Useful dictionary software - Lingoes - you may like to try ^^

5:32 AM

I posted about Babylon dictionary 7 giveaway event (maybe it's babylon dictionary 8 giveaway) before. It's a really useful software for someone to learn languages. But it's not cheap for somebody to afford. If using illegal licenses isn't not your choice (of cause, I don't like it,too), I'm sure you will
happy to find a free alternative ^^. Even information of this software has been posted on many forums and sites, but for my site visitors' benefit, who may not know about its exist, I post an article about this software on my blog. Not sure about its legal right of its dictionaries, hope its owner deliberated on this issue before giving those dictionaries to its users !

Lingoes is an easy and intuitive dictionary and text translation software, It offers lookup dictionaries, full text translation, capture word on screen, translate selected text and pronunciation of words in over 80 languages. These language are English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Greek, Swedish, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Arabic, Hebrew, Vietnamese, Thai and more...



Lingoes V2.6.2 is release Jul 16, 2009
New version of Lingoes integrates cursor translator, looking-up in dictionaries and intelligent translation by creative zoned word translator. With selection of word or sentence in screen by cursor, it will translate as many as 23 languages of text into your native language. It's very convenient to use, we believe the new technology will change communication method among people.

Key features
  • Cross translation over 80 languages
  • Full text translation over 42 languages
  • Ctrl + Right mouse button key for the cursor translation
  • Zoned word translation
  • Clipboard text capturer
  • Words and Texts Pronunciation
  • Free dictionaries and thesauruses
  • Online dictionaries and wikipedia
  • ...
Click here to go to its website

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A Cup of Tea

4:03 AM

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

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Other choice besides antivirus softwares

3:24 AM
How safe is your computer when you're online (even off-line) ? To avoiding many threats out there is a difficult task, even you're an experienced user ! Choosing a good security software or an anti-virus software is a must, but how do you know what is suit to your desperate need to protect your computer now ? Is there another choice ? Yes, of cause, it's using virtualization technology, security software that creates a separate environment allowing you unlimited freedom to enjoy all Internet activities without the fear of external threats !

Currently, there are two choice, one paid software and free software. If you want , try it to see how it works.

Paid software: Bufferzone
Alternative Free software: Sanboxie - click here to download

BufferZone Technolgy


Prevention vs. Reaction

Anti-virus software is based on a concept of waiting and reacting to new malware and other threats developed and released on the Internet. An untold number of computers and computer systems are severely damaged before most anti-virus providers react and race each other to be the first to develop and deliver new security updates to fight new threats.

This reactive concept of traditional anti-malware security technology comes with a built-in and fatal flaw: The constant need for signature updates.

BufferZone Needs No Signature Updates

BufferZone's preventative and proactive security requires no signature updates or reactionary security decisions - ever. Computer systems protected by BufferZone are constantly and automatically protected from any known or unidentified malware such as viruses, spyware, Trojans, rootkits, keyloggers, phishing and more, even if you happen to be the first to download the newest threat.



The Virtual Zone

BufferZone's unique application virtualization technology transparently redirects any potentially threats such as browser based applications or other downloaded desktop applications to an isolated virtual environment called the Virtual Zone protecting your actual system from dangerous Internet threats.

BufferZone's technology should not be confused with PC virtualization software such as VMware or Virtual PC and does not consume resources, memory and CPU space the way PC virtualization software does. Moreover, it fits into your existing Windows environment with no need to create or manage a separate virtual environment.

BufferZone application virtualization merely redirects PC modifications by Internet and downloaded programs to a separate environment labeled C:\Virtual on the hard drive while Windows and its processes continue to run normally within their usual environment. It's as if those programs and files never modified anything on your actual system and your PC's system configuration and registry (OS) stay clean and out of harms way.

BufferZone classifies Internet programs and their downloads as untrusted by default, automatically blocking all entry or writing attempts (modifications) by any form of malware. By isolating untrusted programs and files inside the Virtual Zone, BufferZone prevents hidden and malicious applications from watching or damaging your PC's assets.

BufferZone Screenshot BufferZone Policy

The Benefits of Total Internet Freedom

BufferZone Technology allows you to surf anywhere, download anything, open e-mail attachments, share & chat with your friends and colleagues and e-bank with no fear or risk of infecting your PC with viruses, Trojan Horses, spyware, worms, keyloggers or other malicious programs.
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Ashampoo Office 2008 for Windows - 4 Free Again

3:43 AM
Choosing a right office, especially free of charge, is not a easy task for anyone ! Apart from Open Office, there are some other office softwares that you want to take a look at it. One of them is Ashampoo Office 2008, it doesn't has many functions/ features as Microsoft Office, but if you want to find a free office, it certainly is a good candidate !

Ashampoo Office 2008 is supplied with the word processing tool Ashampoo TextMaker, the spreadsheet program Ashampoo PlanMaker and – brand new in the current version – the presentations software Ashampoo Presentations.

4 Free is about giving our feedbacks on the softwares from the free promotions. So , hoping that we’ll have more tech reactions in comments, here’s again Mike’s feedback from the previous article:

—– General —–

– This is the latest version 3.10. (I used the “FREE FULL activation” English link in the “Let’s start with the killer offer!” section near the bottom of Radu’s “Ashampoo: They Trick You, You Trick Them” page.)
– The testimonials at the SoftMaker site the guys listed above indicate this is a very good app. CNet”s Download.com shows a high user rating of 4/5 for 151 votes, with many comments.
– Memory useage tested with same .doc file: OpenOffice ~70 MB, TextMaker ~16 MB. (OO may shed ~20 MB after some time.)
– Installation size (main directory): OpenOffice ~400 MB, Ashampoo Office 2008 ~83 MB. (OO includes Draw, Math, and Base which are modules not included in Ash.)
– I did find that each of the 3 modules started quite fast.
– OpenOffice users that must open complex Excel documents may want to consider this app. See the comparisons for Excel/PlanMaker/OpenOffice 2.3 at Softmaker.com. I downloaded the files that OO 2.3 had problems with and tried them in my OO 3.0.1, and it still does not display them properly.

—– Compatibility with OpenOffice —–

– The Ashampoo link says that it also reads/exports OpenDocument formats, which are used by OpenOffice. But I found it opened only .odt (word processor) files, and not .ods (spreadsheets). I didn’t have any presentation files to test.
– I opened one of my logs which is basically a long 3-column table of date/time/activity. Many activity items include multi-level bulleted lists. The bullets and levels were not imported, which was a dealbreaker for this use.

I don’t use MS Office, so I couldn’t test compatibility, but comments and press indicate it’s pretty good.


How to grabb Ashampoo Office 2008 for free ?

1. Go to this promotion page and submit your registration, after filling in the required fields.

http://www.softmaker.de/reg/ash08_en.htm

( copy and paste in your browser )

2. You’ll receive the email containing the serial number and instructions. Note that there is also a download link for “Additional dictionaries and proofing tools (~ 13 MByte)”

3. Download the good installer ( 46,9 Mo ) from Ashampoo ( not the trial one )

http://download16.ashampoo.com/m/ashampoo_office2008_310_fm.exe

( copy and paste in your browser )

That’s it! Run the installer and don’t forget to register your product!

Note 1: The software has a nice built-in option to make it portable.

Note 2: Once fully activated, download and install the latest SoftMaker service pack for Office 2008 ( 20 MB ) from here.

http://www.softmaker.com/english/servofw8_en.htm

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