Do-it-yourself funeral kits go on sale in Japan

If funeral hall prices are killing you, this Nagano-based company wants to help make your final purchase an affordable one.

Do-it-yourself projects aren’t just fun, they’re financially rewarding too. When you consider all the things you can do yourself, it seems like you’re practically throwing your money away by paying someone else to build your furniture, repair your car, or hold your funeral, doesn’t it?

What’s that? You said you’ve never heard of anyone having a DIY funeral? To be honest, neither have we, but there’s now a company in Japan that’s offering to set customers up with a kit to let them handle the ceremony themselves.

Tsubasa, a funerary services company based in Nagano Prefecture, has begun taking orders for its new DIY Funeral Set. The set includes a wooden coffin, with a fold-open window to show the face of the deceased, as well as a pillow, mattress, and blanket. The package also provides an urn for ashes and a silver-accented box to hold the bones left over after cremation, as well as three furoshiki wrapping cloths. Finally, there’s a handbook that explains how to perform the ceremony’s rites to put the soul of the departed at ease.

Priced at 25,800 yen (US$240), the DIY Funeral Set is a major savings over the services of a professional funeral hall. Not that we’re planning on dying anytime soon, but a bit of online research shows that the average price of a funeral in Japan is somewhere around 2 million yen, so Tsubasa’s kit is a huge savings.

We should point out that the kit is only meant to give buyers what they need for the funeral ceremony itself. The handbook doesn’t teach you how to use cosmetics to prepare the deceased’s face, so you may still need to contact a mortician for that, and you’ll also need the services of a licensed crematorium after the ceremony.

Oh, and since SoraNes24 is deeply devoted to linguistics, we must also mention that the DIY Funeral Set is really a do-it-for-someone-else funeral kit, since no matter how industrious you are by the time it’s your turn to be the one in the casket, you’re really not going to be in any position to carry out the ceremony yourself.

But provided you’ve got a friend or family member who you think would be willing to do you one last favor, Tsubasa’s DIY Funeral Set can be ordered online.

Source: https://soranews24.com/

Sharjah National Oil Company and Eni's partnership reveals the 'Mahani' natural gas well in the emirate

Sharjah said it discovered a new well of natural gas and condensate onshore in the emirate, its first in more than three decades.

State-owned Sharjah National Oil Corporation (Snoc) and Italy's oil company Eni discovered the "Mahani" exploration well within the first year of their partnership, Snoc said in a statement on Monday. Mahani-1 was drilled to a total measured depth of 14,597 ft and the well has tested gas at flow rates of up to 50 million standard cubic feet per day, together with associated condensate. The size of the discovery will be further evaluated in "due course" with additional drilling expected, Snoc said.

"This discovery is a promising development for Snoc and meets our commitment to make reliable gas supplies available throughout the United Arab Emirates,” Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, President of Snoc, said. “Sharjah provides strategic energy infrastructure to help the nation meet the growing demand for energy by residential, industrial and utility consumers.”

The Italian oil and gas company had won three concessions in Sharjah’s first-ever competitive bid in January 2019. Snoc, which launched the bidding round in 2018, awarded Eni areas A, B and C onshore exploration concessions. Mahani-1, located in the area B concession, is the first exploration well drilled by Snoc following a 3-D seismic survey of the territory.

“I am delighted that the first exploration well to be drilled in Sharjah by Snoc, is a gas discovery. This is the first onshore Sharjah discovery in 37 years and marks the beginning of an exciting time for Snoc and for Sharjah’s energy sector," Hatem Al Mosa, chief executive of Snoc, said. "We look forward to further collaboration in the future."

Snoc, the operator of area B, and Eni hold a 50 per cent stake each in the concession.

The two companies are also partners in concession areas A and C, which are both located onshore Sharjah.

"Mahani-1 represents the first exploration success for Eni in the UAE," the Italian oil major said in a statement on its website.

The joint venture has started studies to "fast track the exploitation of these new resources, leveraging on the synergies with the existing facilities and infrastructures, while finalizing the evaluation of the discovery," Eni said.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi said the discovery is set to bolster the emirate's economy and contribute to its energy reserves, according to a separate statement from the Sharjah Government Media Bureau.

The discovery will bring about a "major transformation" in Sharjah's industrial and commercial sectors by providing energy resources and attracting top global companies to invest in various sectors in the emirate, Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi said.

Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah bin Sultan Al Qasimi, chairman of the Department of Seaports and Customs in Sharjah, said the natural gas discovery will stimulate various sectors by generating more commercial and industrial projects.

Source: www.thenational.ae

Bill Gates has paid over $10 billion in taxes, here’s why he says he should pay more

Billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is worth an estimated $91.8 billion, and he pays billions in taxes to the federal government. But he says he should be paying even more.

"I need to pay higher taxes," he told CNN's Fareed Zakaria during a recent interview. "I've paid more taxes, over $10 billion, than anyone else, but the government should require people in my position to pay significantly higher taxes."

Gates' comments came on the heels of a criticism of 2017's GOP tax reform.

"It was not a progressive tax bill, it was a regressive tax bill," he told Zakaria. "People who are wealthier tend to get dramatically more benefits than the middle class or those who are poorer. It runs counter to the general trend you'd like to see, where the safety net is getting stronger and those at the top are paying higher taxes."

Billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is worth an estimated $91.8 billion, and he pays billions in taxes to the federal government. But he says he should be paying even more.

"I need to pay higher taxes," he told CNN's Fareed Zakaria during a recent interview. "I've paid more taxes, over $10 billion, than anyone else, but the government should require people in my position to pay significantly higher taxes."

Gates' comments came on the heels of a criticism of 2017's GOP tax reform.

"It was not a progressive tax bill, it was a regressive tax bill," he told Zakaria. "People who are wealthier tend to get dramatically more benefits than the middle class or those who are poorer. It runs counter to the general trend you'd like to see, where the safety net is getting stronger and those at the top are paying higher taxes."

Fellow billionaire Warren Buffett agrees. "I don't think I need a tax cut," Buffett told CNBC regarding reform efforts.

Buffett, who's worth an estimated $87.2 billion, specifically spoke out about the estate tax, which is levied on assets transferred from one person to another at the time of death. He said eliminating it would be a "terrible mistake" because the current system in America vastly favors the rich.

In theory, he could leave billions each to his children and grandchildren, who wouldn't have to pay taxes to inherit it. "If they were lucky enough to come out of the right womb and have the right name, Buffett, they could build tombs for themselves like Egyptian pharaohs never dreamed of," he said.

"I sure don't think it's good for a society where there's a ton of inequality to start with. I think that's a terrible mistake," he added.

In the end, the estate tax wasn't fully repealed, but it was furthered scaled back.

Left to their own devices, Gates and Buffett use their funds to give back in other ways. In 2010, the duo partnered up on The Giving Pledge, through which ultra-wealthy individuals commit to giving away at least half of their wealth to charitable causes.

Alongside his wife, Gates also works full time on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which spends more than $4 billion per year fighting disease, improving education, distributing vaccines and battling wealth inequality across the globe.

"Even before we got married, we talked about how we would eventually spend a lot of time on philanthropy," Gates wrote in the couple's 10th annual letter describing the foundation's charity work.

"We think that's a basic responsibility of anyone with a lot of money. Once you've taken care of yourself and your children, the best use of extra wealth is to give it back to society."

Source: www.cnbc.com

Iraq moving forward with gas processing plant construction

Iraqi oil minister Jabar al-Luaibi announced a plan for the oil rich country to begin construction on three natural gas processing plants. Natural gas in the country is currently being flared at southern oil fields due to the lack of facilities needed to capture and process it into usable fuel.

This plan will hopefully increase the nation's income from energy exports while also adding resources aiding in power generation nation wide. Luaibi touched on some of the challenges in an emailed statement, "the ministry is seeking to end the flaring of associated gas in the next few years, despite the economic and financial challenges."

Once the plants are up and running, Iraq's natural gas output will potentially triple to 1,700 million cubic feet per day by 2018.

As OPEC's second largest crude producer, Iraq is hoping to add to its oil and gas income that already accounts for almost all of its public budget.

After crude dropped in 2014, Iraq has struggled to pay its bills. Also in 2014, the Islamic State seized close to a third of Iraqi territory.

Source:www.oilpro.com

The Indian Caste System

Although many Hindus subscribe to the belief that one is born into a certain caste this belief is not supported by their scriptures. The caste system in India has degenerated into a system falsely recognizing men born in Brahmin families as Brahmins, even though they don’t exhibit the qualities of Brahmins. This has caused so many problems.

“Brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras are distinguished by the qualities born of their own natures in accordance with the material modes, O chastiser of the enemy.

“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness–these are the natural qualities by which the brahmanas work.

“Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity and leadership are the natural qualities of work for the ksatriyas.

“Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaisyas, and for the sudras there is labor and service to others.

“By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now please hear from Me how this can be done.

“By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, a man can attain perfection through performing his own work.

“It is better to engage in one’s own occupation, even though one may perform it imperfectly, than to accept another’s occupation and perform it perfectly. Duties prescribed according to one’s nature are never affected by sinful reactions.” (From Bhagavad-gita 18th chapter)

So the Vedas recognize different people have different skills and qualifications, but it is no by birth, it is by guna [qualification] and karma [work]. So if someone born of a sudra [worker] father becomes qualified [guna] and works as [karma] a brahmana he should be accepted as a brahmana… In the same way if the son of a brahmana doesn’t have the qualifications of a brahmana or work as a brahmana then he is not a brahmana. There are so many examples of this in the Vedic scriptures.

The current Indian system is something like accepting the sons of supreme court judges as supreme court judges… It’s nonsense. They have to be qualified, they have to attend the university and pass the course, then they have to work under a qualified judge and get the practical experience, then they may be able to become supreme court judges…

So there is actually nothing stopping anyone from bettering his position in the Indian system in the scriptures… But also there is no need for everyone to strive to be supreme court judges. Anyone, from any social position can be liberated by performing his own work…

You have the same system in America. You have intellectuals [brahmanas], you have administrators and military men [ksatriyas], you have businessmen and farmers [vaisyas] and you have workers. The Vedic system just recognizes these groups, that’s all. It’s quite natural.

rsjames@husc7.harvard.edu (Rajesh James) wrote:

>A question (no offense intended). I am familiar with the idea of the caste

>system as traditionally practiced: the child of a Brahmin being a Brahmin

>himself, the child of a Kshatriya a Kshatriya, etc. This system, while

>perhaps not compatible with present political sensibilities, at least had

>two points in its favor.

>1) It is logically consistent. Although I certainly cannot prove that a

> sudra, for instance, arrived at his present situation in life as a

> consequence of his actions in past lives, once I make the assumption

> that reincarnation functions as the system implies it does, the

> system does not exhibit any glaring logical inconsistencies.

It is true that on takes his birth according to his previous karma [activities] so one gets birth in a Brahmin’s family because of his past activities. So mostly the son of a Brahman has the potential to become a Brahmin. But it requires training. And it requires the Brahman father to be actually a qualified Brahmin… But in any case the training and the proper observation of the samskaras [purificatory ceremonies] is required… It’s not automatic at birth as is generally accepted now.

prapya punya-krtam lokan

usitva sasvatih samah

sucinam srimatam gehe

yoga-bhrasto ‘bhijayate

“The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.” (Bhagavad-gita 6.41)

These days, in Kali-yuga, the samskaras are generally not performed or not properly performed and the gurukuls, the training schools for the boys, are no longer in operation… So there is generally no training and also no purificatory ceremonies… So these sons of Brahmins who have no brahminical training have to be called “dvija-bandhus” or friends of the Brahmins… Unless they actually have the qualities of Brahmins and work as Brahmins they can’t be called a Brahmin. You may even be qualified as a lawyer educationally but if you don’t practice, if you don’t work as a lawyer, no one will accept you as a lawyer.

The qualities of a Brahmin are given in the Bhagavad-gita:

samo damas tapah saucam

ksantir arjavam eva ca

jnanam vijnanam astikyam

brahma-karma svabhava-jam

“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness–these are the natural qualities by which the brahmanas work.” (Bhagavad-gita 18.42)

>2) It is practicable. It is immediately apparent who belongs to what caste.

> If my father belongs to a given caste, I know that that caste is my own.

Yes. That is there. But because one’s father is a supreme court judge one is not automatically a supreme court judge… He may have a good opportunity to become one. His father can help him, all the reference books are in his house, he is hearing about the law all the time… But he has to become qualified, he has to go to school, study the books, pass the exams, work as an apprentice under a qualified judge… If you just let any son of any supreme court judge sit in the supreme court that would be the end of the supreme court…

If someone, on the other hand, has a businessman as his father but he develops an interest in the law, attends the university, passes the exams, etc. If he develops the qualities and works as a lawyer, then one has to accept him as a lawyer, even though his father is a businessman. It is his guna [qualities] and karma [work] that are important, not his birth.

>Some individuals have said the traditional system is in fact a perversion

>of the idea of caste. Caste is instead a reflection of one’s intrinsic

>abilities and/or inclinations. In such a system, is caste any more

>meaningful than the idea that we all fit in some fashion into the divine

>plan? Is caste useful any longer as an organizing principle for society?

Yes. There are three modes of material nature, [goodness, passion and ignorance] and everyone of us is associating with material nature in a certain way. It is that mixture of our association with the modes of nature that determines our “caste”. It is undobutedly influenced by our parents guna and karma, but we can change it… One in the mode of goodness is a Brahmin, one in the mode of passion is a ksatriya, one in the mixed modes of passion and ignorence is a vishya and one in the mode of ignorance is a sudra. This system is everywhere, even in America. Unless it is recognized social interaction and the smooth running of a society become very difficult. It is true that certain people are suited to performing certain tasks… Someone has a very good brain, he can think analytically very nicely, so he can advise the government, he can be a judge in a court of law…

But if you put someone with no brain and little analytical thinking ability in that position he will not be very successful… Society will suffer…

This is one of the main problems in our society now [both in India and in the US]… No one knows who is who and so many jobs which should be being performed by Brahmins and ksatriyas are being done by sudras… It is said kalo sudra sambhavah, “In the age of Kali everyone is a sudra.” So it is a very difficult time. Mostly people are sudras, there may be a few vaisyas [businessmen] but almost no ksatriyas or Brahmins… This is the problem. We are not training them. The intelligent people are available, but instead of training them as Brahmins and ksatriyas we are training them as technologists. But these are sudra jobs…

>Furthermore, is there any restriction on my declaring myself to be whichever

>cast I wish to be? Is there any authority which can bar any person from

>declaring himself a Brahmin? If everyone chooses to adopt the “highest”

>caste, has the idea become a meaningless concept?

This is the biggest problem! Every sudra wants to be called a Brahmin! But they don’t want to follow the principals of brahminical life. In the Vedic age it was the kings duty to see that everyone claiming to be a Brahmin was qualified in terms of guna [qualities] and karma [work]. This safety mechanism has to be there otherwise unqualified “Brahmins” will spoil everything… It has happened in India so now many Indians want to get rid of the caste system altogether, because it has become a system being used by a few to exploit the others… But it is better to correct the system than throw it out. But where are the qualified Brahmins? That is the difficulty… So we should start training some. Srila Prabhupada wanted us to start “Varnasrama Colleges” to train Brahmins and ksatriyas… but it has not happened yet… But these colleges hold the key to the success of society in the future.

varnasramacaravata purusena parah puman

visnur aradhyate pantha nanyat tat-tosa-karanam

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, is worshipped by the propper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varna and asrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varnas and asramas.” (Visnu Purana 3.8.9)

But one also has to consider:

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yah

notpadayed yadi ratim srama eva he kevalam

“The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labour if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.8)

All things considered, Kali-yuga is a very difficult time for spiritual life and there are many faults. If despite all the faults we chant the holy names of the Lord (Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare) then everything will be perfect…

hare nama hara nama hare namiava kevalam

kalau nasty eva nastya eva nastya eva gatir anyatha

“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.”

Thank you. Hare Krishna!

Source: https://krishna.org

Are Emirates and Etihad Merging?

The UAE is home to two of the world's most successful airlines, based just 70km from each other. 

Emirates, based in Dubai and Etihad in Abu Dhabi, specialize in long haul flights to almost every destination on Earth. However, due to their close proximity, along with external factors such as energy prices and the emergence of budget airlines, it seems as the two giants may become one.

It has been reported internationally that the possibility of a merger between the UAE's two major airlines is being discussed. Handelsblatt, a European Business Daily news has reported that the ruling families have met to discuss a merger. Falling profits, along with a changing industry with an uncertain future are cited as the reasons behind the discussions, although neither Etihad or Emirates have confirmed the reports.

This week, the CEO of Emirates Tim Clark, hinted at a 'gathering storm' in the premium airline industry. H e discussed the major factors facing airlines like Emirates, such as competition from low-cost airlines who are now offering both international routes and long haul flights at competitive rates. He also spoke about political issues such as President Trump's recent travel ban, which saw a 25% decrease in sales for the carrier.

This is not the first time rumours of a merger have been discussed. The financial crisis of 2008 had many discussing the possibility of a merger, which time discredited . While there is no concrete news as yet, it is clear that times are tough for the airline industry, and a merger is definitely a possibility.

Do you think they'll merge?

Source: www.msn.com