Why people say GOD BLESS YOU when u sneeze?

This question used to bug me so much that i had to write an article on this. Woooo its been almost a year and half , i have been using this and finally needed som research to pen this down.
well i cannot imagine, how intense the response will be for this article from my friends.

First time i heard this from my brother-in-law , might be the 1st week of my arrival in the US.
Wow great memory ha! remembering the first time u sneeze in the USA??LOL.. I juss dint understand why he said this! GOD BLESS U!may be i thought he was talkking to somone else.. :-)
Since it was august, its getting colder out there and my sneezing dint stop..i was sneezing in the library, in the class, in the lab, at the cafeteria, in side , outside, anywhere i go , i was sneezing , sneezing and more sneezing..Oh no! i am making a real mess with my article..sounds disguisting for myself,May be it sounds even worse to the readers..A big SORRY for alll of u.. So plz maintain distance with my article or else u'll catch cold..

So my point is that im getting a lot of GODBLESSU's from many people. Thought for a second about india! Getting ass kicked by people for a sneeze before they start any work. How mean???what a people americans are? a blessing for a sneeze?Man i wish i catch cold all thru the year and recieve more n more blessings :-)

Now lets discuss about the sound!

Some common English onomatopoeias for the sneeze sound are "achoo", "atchoo", "achew!", and "atisshoo", with the first syllable corresponding to the sudden intake of air, and the second to the sound of the sneeze.

A similar linguistic approach has been taken with several other languages; in French, the sound "Atchoum!" is used; in German "Hatschie!"; in Polish, "Apsik!"; in Turkish, "Hapşu!"; and in Japanese, "Hakushou!". In Cypriot Greek, the word is "apshoo", incidentally also the name of a village, which is the cause of much mirth.

Ok now getting into the matter ..or else my aim in writing this article is THE REASON..

Why?
In English-speaking countries, a common response to a sneeze by those around it is "God bless you", or more commonly just "Bless you". The origins and purpose of this tradition are unknown, and several competing explanations have been proposed over time, with the majority focusing on the idea of preventing the soul from departing one's body. Today, it is said mostly in the spirit of good manners. In various other cultures, words referencing health or good health are used instead of "Bless you".


Beliefs and Cultural Aspects

In Indian culture, it has been a common superstition that a sneeze taking place before the start of any work as a sign of impending bad interruption. It was thus customary to pause in order to drink water or break any work rhythm before resuming the job at hand in order to prevent any misfortune from occurring.

In Hellenistic cultures of Classical Antiquity, sneezes were believed to be prophetic signs from the gods. In 410 BC, for instance, the Athenian general Xenophon gave a dramatic oration exhorting his fellow soldiers to follow him to liberty or to death against the Persians. He spoke for an hour motivating his army and assuring them of a safe return to Athens until a soldier underscored his conclusion with a sneeze. Thinking that this sneeze was a favorable sign from the gods, the soldiers bowed before Xenophon and followed his command. Intersting Ha!

Another divine moment of sneezing for the Greeks occurs in the story of Odysseus. When Odysseus returns home disguised as a beggar and talks with his waiting wife Penelope, she says to Odysseus, not knowing to whom she speaks, that "[her husband] will return safely to challenge her suitors"". At that moment, their son sneezes loudly and Penelope laughs with joy, reassured that it is a sign from the gods. Man is it not like WOW!

Anyways, taking into this historical beliefs lets use this 'GODBLESSU'or if u dont bellieve it lets assume it as a cultural manners, or atleast use it bcoz ur buddy has published a 250 word article in his blog at 8: 15 am, without having his breakfast. Man its 8 : 15 am, hurry up, i ve a class at 8 :30. I have to rush to school before Mr. Li kicks me out of the class.

Seeya guys.

aah

aah

aah

"Acheee"------ ( Oh This sound was not mentioned anywhere in the context,may be my style of sneeze) Man seems like i caught cold.

OOOh i heard u say

"___________________". what was that? reply on my blog

Thankyou folks,

Have blessed day!

Internet Outages Could Occur By 2010 As Capacity Stalls :

Booming demand for Internet services combined with insufficient infrastructure investment could leave the Web vulnerable to brown outs within three years, a study released Tuesday predicted.

Nemertes Research said Internet providers need to invest from $42 billion to $55 billion -- or 60% to 70% more than current plans call for -- to stave off interruptions to the digital economy that could happen if the 'Net bogs down. "The next Google, YouTube, or Amazon might not arise" if the situation isn't fixed, Nemertes said.

The problem, the group said, is that bandwidth usage is outpacing infrastructure build outs. While core fiber and switching/routing technology "will scale nicely," Internet access resources could soon be overwhelmed in three to five years, Nemertes said.
The trouble could be particularly acute in North America, the researchers said.
"Rather like osteoporosis, the underinvestment in infrastructure will painlessly and invisibly leach competitiveness out of the economy," said Nemertes.

Nemertes conceded that its study, in many ways, represents a best guess at what's happening with the Web. "The Internet is almost opaque to serious researchers, even those with the necessary technical skills, integrity and desire," said the group.

That's because commercial Internet providers closely guard information about usage and technology roadmaps. "Carriers and content providers refuse to reveal their inner workings," said Nemertes, adding that it's understandable that service providers are reluctant to reveal data that might undermine their competitiveness or compromise user privacy.

Nonetheless, "we conclude by urging content and service providers to cooperate with researchers in sharing data," said the study's authors. Nemertes also said Congress should consider tax credits to spur Internet providers to add more broadband capacity.

thanks,

Sreekanth

My Favorites:

Here’s my list.

My favorite smells

1. My father's perfumed sweater

2. The crook of my neck after bath.

3. Babies.

4. Petrol.

5. Rain

6. Mud

Tastes

1. hot mirchi

2. Chicken prepared very well(by me).

3. Cold metal spoons.

sounds

1. The gate clicking open.

2. My mother singing along with AIR in the kitchen while she cooks.

3. The laying out of the dishes again the table.

4. The beginning of favorite songs.

5. Voices on the phone.

6. Laughter.

Sights

1. My primary school,and the stage i used to perform .

2. My parents together on the lawn laughing.

3. Sleeping babies.

4. The beginning of a smile.

5. The super star KOPS dance dance.

6. Photographs where I look unexpectedly smart.

Touch

1. When people I really really like tuck me under their shoulder.

2. Non wet kisses on the cheek.

3. 100 percent cotton shirts.

4. Floaty skirts.

5. A babys bottom.

6. Behind a dog’s ear.

Life in ur hands:
HUMAN BEINGS ARE SUCH SMALL CREATURES, AREN'T THEY?SO DON'T BE TOO WORRIED ABOUT EVERYTHING,TREASURE EVERY MOMENT, DO WHAT YOU WISH TO DO.....BROADEN YOUR VIEW, BROADEN YOUR MIND,DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE BOTHERING YOU,DO TREASURE YOUR LOVED ONES, LIVE SAFELY AND PEACEFULLY,ALWAYS BE HAPPY TO WELCOME THE COMING OF THE NEW DAY....... ENJOY THE SUNSHINE ...ALWAYS LOOK AT THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF THINGS.....If you want to hold the beautiful one, hold yourself to yourself.There are years that ask questions, and years that answer...

Hope by God!!
In need of finding answers to life-changing questions, I have assumed a role where the only defense I have, is my silence and the only weapons I have ,are my patience and perseverance. All this I am sure is a means for getting a step closer to that happy picture I have in my mind...a step closer to becoming a better person.... I used to be a die-hard existentialist...believed everything is an outcome of my actions...but I change my point of view in agreeing that there is a higher force in place...a force that can create miracles in lives and change things for the best. All this in turn increases my trust in God and I realize sometimes all I have in my hands is to hope by God and take the leap!!

The Day You Became A Better Writer
I went from being a bad writer to a good writer after taking a one-day course in “business writing.” I couldn’t believe how simple it was. I’ll tell you the main tricks here .

Business writing is about clarity and persuasion. The main technique is keeping things simple. Simple writing is persuasive. A good argument in five sentences will sway more people than a brilliant argument in a hundred sentences. Don’t fight it.
Simple means getting rid of extra words. Don’t write, “He was very happy” when you can write “He was happy.” You think the word “very” adds something. It doesn’t. Prune your sentences.
Humor writing is a lot like business writing. It needs to be simple. The main difference is in the choice of words. For humor, don’t say “drink” when you can say “swill.”
Your first sentence needs to grab the reader. Go back and read my first sentence to this post. I rewrote it a dozen times. It makes you curious. That’s the key.
Write short sentences. Avoid putting multiple thoughts in one sentence. Readers aren’t as smart as you’d think.Learn how brains organize ideas. Readers comprehend “the boy hit the ball” quicker than “the ball was hit by the boy.” Both sentences mean the same, but it’s easier to imagine the object (the boy) before the action (the hitting). All brains work that way. (Notice I didn’t say, “That is the way all brains work”?)
That’s it. You just learned 80% of the rules of good writing. You’re welcome

Why so much youth entrepreneurship in the U.S.?

Here is my latest column, it has been titled "The Loose Reins on U.S. Teenagers Can Produce Trouble or Entrepreneurs." Here is an excerpt:
The longstanding criticism of the American school system is that even in the better schools, too many students just “get by” rather than engage in a rigorous curriculum. This academic leniency is bad for many average or subpar students, but it also allows some students to flourish. Relatively loose family structures have similar effects; American children are especially likely to be working on their own projects, rather than being directed by parents and elders.
American philanthropy is also a significant and unheralded factor behind American youth entrepreneurship; many young entrepreneurs used elders as mentors or asked them for financial assistance. Furthermore "selling to the young" is much derided by critics such as Juliet Schor or Benjamin Barber, but it has its benefits. Sometimes advertising inspires the young to start marketing themselves.

what r ur comments?

When you forget someone's name
few suggestions:
1. The “I know your name, but I’m blocked” dodge: “I keep wanting to call you "David," but I know that’s not right.”
2. The “Of course I know you -- in fact, I want all your information” dodge: “Hey, I’d love to get your card.”
3. The “The tip of my tongue” dodge: “I know I know your name, but I’m blanking right now.”
4. The “You’re brilliant!” dodge: “Wow, you have a terrific memory. I can’t believe you remember my name from that meeting six months ago. I can’t remember the names of people I met yesterday! So of course I have to ask you your name.”
5. The “Sure, I remember you” dodge: “Remind me – what’s your last name?” If you ask a person for his last name, he’s likely to repeat both names. “Doe, John Doe.”
6. The “One-sided introduction” dodge: “Hey,” you say to the person whose name you can’t remember, “let me introduce you to Pat Smith.” You introduce the two and say the name of the person whose name you remember. Almost always, the nameless person will volunteer his or her name.
I have tried asking the person how his or her name should be spelled (if the name is too simple that one can backfire), or "when you publish articles, how much of your full name do you give?"
Do you all have better ideas?

A really interesting and inspiring short story i found on net..

Cup Of Life...

GOD'S COFFEE A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:
"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds NO quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups. And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us.
God brews the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee! "The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

The Good,The Bad And The Ugly...

The Good is

• When I sit in supuja restaurant with my best pals ,cracking jokes on each other,mixing all the sauces and making mess on others plate,ordering more than we usually eat and stealing the spoons as a rememberance of that day.
• When my pal did all the benchwork for his internal exam and was forced to replace his seat with me by the examiner in the last moment.
• When my bike stops in the midway to the college with no fuel and a bunk just 100 metres far,with ranjith in my back seat and a 20 rupee note in his pocket.
• My visa rejection the 1 st time when i was very truthful to the interviewer and succeeding the next time when each and everyword i spoke is BULLSHIT.
• My 1 st cooking day in the US where i added sugar in the curry instead of salt to which my roomies applaused for its versatility in taste.

The Bad is

• When it was my first day to college where I went on my old scooter and parked it under the mango tree beside all the bicycles,taking out my comb and setting my hair in the mirror and being caught and ragged by the seniors.
• When i went to Pizzacorner with my pal and ordered for a spicy conizza with all the bellpeppers and alapinos stuffed in it and imagining its effect on us the next day with a smile on our face.
• My childhood days in kindergarden when i skipped drinking milk at home and my mom sending it in a priya pickle bottle with my watchman and the teacher making me drink infront of my classmates,esp girls..(gals r gals even if its a kg class yaar).

The Ugliest is

• An appraisal from my cricket coach when i took an excellant catch and getting ass kicked by mom for the same,when its done on a wednesday white uniform at school.
• When my family doctor giving me an injection intesionally on my bump,when i used to act like having fever at the time of exams.
• When i played a mixed doubles badminton in club with a guy as my partner
• Asking my club secretary that i cudn't find a participation form for childrens games in the chess doubles event.