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Embodiment of Love & Compassion, Insight and Inspiration, Wisdom & Action, Laughter and Light… Universal Motherhood which accepts and embraces everything, a life of pure giving and celebration.
Amma — Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
Many people wonder how a little girl from a simple South Indian village came to be known throughout the world as "Amma, the Mother of All." Motherhood, in its ultimate sense, has nothing to do with bearing a child, but with love, compassion and selflessness. It lies in totally giving one's self to others.
If we look at Amma's life, this is what we see—someone who has offered her every thought, word and deed for the benefit of others. Giving is the essence. It's just that when the homeless come crying for shelter and Amma gives them a house, we call her a "humanitarian." And when the sorrowful come crying for emotional solace and she gives them love, we call her a "mother." And when those thirsty for spiritual knowledge come earnestly seeking and she gives them wisdom, we call her a "guru." This attitude of selflessly serving all creation, knowing others to be extensions of one's own self, Amma refers to as vishwa matrutvam—universal motherhood. And it is to this pinnacle of human existence that Amma is trying to awaken the world through her life, teachings and darshan [divine embrace].
Questions about the nature of the soul, the universe and God; about dharma, love and family life; about meditation and other spiritual practices…. Amma has been clearing the doubts of sincere seekers on such subtle subjects since her youth. She never had a guru nor studied the Vedas, yet she speaks on the truths expressed within the scriptures with wisdom, clarity and true insight. Hers is not an academic knowledge, but the knowledge of one who is ever-established in the Ultimate Reality. It is for this reason that Amma's simple childhood home has become the spiritual home to thousands—an ashram where aspirants from around the world reside in order to imbibe Amma's wisdom and realize the Truth that is their real nature. The seeker is instructed as per his level—from the child to the sannyasi [monk].
My Dream:- A vision of a world in which women and men progress together, a world in which all men respect the fact that, like the two wings of a bird, women and men are of equal value. – Amma
Seeing the whole world as an extension of her own self, Amma is ever ready to forego her own body's needs in order to bring a smile to someone's face, wipe their tears or to simply listen to their sorrows. The sweet manner in which she laughs and jokes with people, shares in their success and failure has endeared millions to her throughout the world. In fact, many see Amma as their lifelong confidant and friend. Giving darshan in this manner is verily Amma's life—day after day, week after week, year after year. In fact, Amma has been doing so since she was just 17 years old, and she has been known to sit embracing people continuously for as long as 22 hours. Amma is able to make such a personal sacrifice because in her arms people feel safe, feel comforted, loved, feel that finally they've found someone who knows them through and through. And with that feeling they get the strength to move forward in life, and this, Amma feels, is infinitely more important than her physical needs. Be they young or old, sick or healthy, rich or poor—everyone receives the same unconditional love. Amma turns no one away. The atheist has just as much a place with Amma as the devotee.
My Desire: Everyone in the world should be able to sleep without fear, at least for one night. Everyone should be able to eat to his fill, at least for one day. There should be at least one day when hospitals see no one admitted due to violence. – Amma
For Amma, Advaita [non-dualism] is not a mere philosophy, but something to be lived. As such, Amma's every thought, word and deed resound with that greatest of truths: Everything within and without is divine. Accordingly, Amma oversees a massive matrix of humanitarian activities. Hospitals for the sick, homes for the homeless, disaster relief, orphanages, hospices, free pensions, suicide-prevention, employment programs… the list is endless. Influenced by Amma's example and experiencing her pure love, thousands upon thousands of people from around the world have been inspired to take up a life of service—giving whatever time or money they can spare in order to help others. It is the seed of love Amma has planted within them beginning to sprout that has brought this about. This has been Amma's vision from the beginning. Amma says, "In today's world, people experience two types of poverty: the poverty caused by lack of food, clothing and shelter, and the poverty caused by lack of love and compassion. Of these two, the second type needs to be considered first—because, if we have love and compassion in our hearts, then we will wholeheartedly serve those who suffer from lack of food, clothing and shelter." This is the secret behind the success of Amma's charitable mission and how its expansion seems to be constant and without end. And the brilliance of Amma's grand scheme is that not only are the downtrodden uplifted but also the volunteers, as the selflessness of their actions purifies their minds, helping them to gradually progress along the spiritual path. Amma's charitable social services cross all barriers of nationality, race, caste and religion, and have drawn the attention of the world community. In 2005, Amma's organization, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, was given special consultative status by the United Nations.
It's better get worn out than rust away. – Amma
Humanitarian, Mother, Friend, Guru, God…people see her differently. Amma has offered herself to the world. In reality, Amma is beyond all such roles, knowing her true nature to be the true nature of us all—the blissful divine consciousness that pervades this universe. But out of her infinite compassion, Amma comes down to the level of whoever is standing before her—the poor, the lonely, the seeker—in order to give what is desired, what is needed. It was for this purpose alone that Amma was born and for this alone that Amma lives today. In fact, Amma has said that she wishes to be lovingly caressing someone, consoling them and wiping their tears even when she breathes her last.
Who is Amma?
Motherhood, in its ultimate sense, has nothing to do with bearing a child, but with love, compassion and selflessness. It lies in totally giving to others. If we look at Amma's life, this is what we see. Read more…
Amma's childhood
Even as a small child, Amma knew intuitively that the outside world is an illusion. The only thing that mattered for her was to feel God's presence with her in every moment, with each experience. Read more…
Meeting Amma
Amma listens to our spoken words and unspoken thoughts, wipe the tears, warm hugs, whispers a word or two in our ears, and a compassionate glance.. all with a beautiful smile… Read more…
International forum
Amma has been recognized by the international community as a treasure trove of practical spiritual wisdom, who has the capacity to guide the world towards a better, brighter future. Read more…
What Others Say
So many people from different walks of life have met Amma. They all see some uniqueness in her. They share their heart here. Read more…
Vision & Mission
Vision: Seeing nothing as apart from my own Self
Mission: "Oh man, merge in your Self!". Read more…
Around Amma
Everyday, every moment around Amma is a celebration, a memory to treasure, often a life lesson. Through these intimate moments, experience Amma's uniqueness. Read more…
Amma's Teachings
She is silently born with a smile. Teaching began then itself. If we watch Amma closely and follow her words you dont need any other scriptures, she embodies them all . Read more…
Sri. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat
Amma has brought these spiritual heights not just to India but to the whole world. The whole world has accepted her as its 'Amma.' By establishing her organization throughout the world, she has projected India to the world—through her life, through the various activities of her ashram.
Chief Minister of Gujarat – 2008
Sri. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat
Amma has taught us the religion that takes us from 'I' to 'we'; the religion that joins 'self' to the 'whole'; the religion that teaches us to look at a needy person not with sympathy but with compassion; the religion that teaches us that we should share whatever we have with the others.
Chief Minister of Gujarat – 2008
Sri. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat
There was a time in this country, when there was a terrific line of distinction between higher-lower, touchable-untouchable. Today, we should take pride in the fact that a person like Amma, who was not born in one of society's upper echelons, has become the centre of sraddha [faith] and prem [love] for even the upper echelons of society.
Chief Minister of Gujarat – 2004
Sri. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat
Kerala may be the centre of Amma's activities, but her spiritual consciousness enfolds all of humanity, the entire universe is her field of action.
Chief Minister of Gujarat – 2004
Sri. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat
Amma is a pearl in India's Guru tradition.
Chief Minister of Gujarat – 2004
Sri. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat
What Swami Vivekananda said 150 years ago – 'I can see today right in front of my eyes – that In coming days, my Mother India will emerge as the world leader.' Today, I have to believe those words as the truth.
26 Sep 2013, Amritapuri : Amritavarsham60
Sri. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat
I feel that Amma is not an individual. Amma is the visible form of India's grand mission. Amma is the visible form of fulfilment of hopes and desires of crores of poor people.
26 Sep 2013, Amritapuri : Amritavarsham60
Sri. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat
Amma is laying the foundation of Modern India.
26 Sep 2013, Amritapuri : Amritavarsham60
Sri. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
Amma has taken this Swachha Bharat campaign very proactively on her own shoulders. Inspired by various great people and humanitarian leaders like Amma, this campaign has gained immense strength and has transformed from being a campaign into a mass movement.
Prime Minister of India – 2018
Sri. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
What has attracted me most is Amma's simple teaching through Amma's simple language, that even the common man can understand and benefit from.
27 Sep 2016, Amritapuri
Sri. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
These two qualities have been her strength – Devotion to God and Dedication to the Poor; is thus, the message which I have personally taken from my association with Amma.
27 Sep 2016, Amritapuri
Arun Jaitley
Amma has come to symbolize spiritualism, philanthropy, service to the poor and the art of giving.
Sri. Arun Jaitley – Finance Minister, India, accepting Rs.100 Crore donation for 'Namami Gange' project at Amritapuri 11 Sep 2015
Boston Globe, July 26, 2003
"She does not attempt to convert people of other religions. There are Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Atheists in her crowds. If she has a dogma, it is simple: Love and serve one another."
Boston Globe,
July 26, 2003
Sri. Khushwant Singh, Author and journalist
In all my life I have not met a warmer personality than Her [Amma]. Even an agnostic like me had great difficulty in holding back my tears.
— Sri. Khushwant Singh, Author and journalist, Amritapuri Visitor's Diary, Amritapuri, 1993
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of India
I want to share with you what I have learned from Amritapuri: Giving. That is the message I get from Amritapuri. Go on giving. You can give. It's not only money. You can share knowledge. You can remove the pain. And you can even go to the person who is suffering. Every one of us — the rich and poor — can give. There is no greater message than Amma's giving to all the people of this region, and Kerala, and India, and to the world.
—Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of India, While inaugurating Amrita Setu in 2006, Amritapuri
Ms. Tanja Karpela, Cultural Minister of Finland
There are things, that you cannot… The hug was heartfelt and warm. Her humanitarian work is incredibly extensive.
– Ms. Tanja Karpela
Honourable Cultural Minister of Finland
Sri. Sarad Pawar President of the Congress Party in Maharashtra
Amma's approach is to totally remove the suffering of the people. Amma's mission is to comfort and uplift humanity by developing and upgrading their skills.
– Sri. Sarad Pawar
President of the Congress Party in Maharashtra,
Member of the Parliament of India Pune, 29 February 2004
Smt. Amisha Beagun Mirza, Mayor of Ahmedabad
Amma does fantastic work for communal harmony. She does great service to human beings, without any difference of class, creed, religion or nationality. I was really moved by Her work. I was overcome by emotions when I met Her. I was moved! She is wonderful!
– Smt. Amisha Beagun Mirza
Honourable Mayor of Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, 10 March 2004
Sri. Pon Radhakrishnan, Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs of India
Mata Amritanandamayi is the cultural ambassador of India.
– Sri. Pon Radhakrishnan
Honourable Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs of India, 2002
Smt. Uma Bharati, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
We love Amma not because of who She is, but because of who we become in Her presence.
– Smt. Uma Bharati
Honourable Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh,
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 12 March 2004
Sri. A.K. Antony, Chief Minister of Kerala
There is no field of humanitarian activity where Amma's ashram has not been involved.
"This is from my own experience. Amma has a special power to sponge up one's pains. Her presence has brought values of love and compassion back to a strife-torn society..Till date, Amma has not uttered a single word that has hurt anybody. She has always been kind to everyone, even those who have hurt her.
– Sri. A.K. Antony,
Honourable Chief Minister of Kerala
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 24 September 2003
Sri. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat
Amma is a very, very transparent personality. She is in the real sense a "mother." And as a mother, she loves all of the universe. She blesses us all. She gives strength to the individual, to the system and to the spiritual. That is how I feel!
– Sri. Narendra Modi
Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 10 March 2004
Sri. V.S. Rao, Union Minister of State of Home Affairs of India
The foreign philanthropists and devotees, they are giving every year, more than 4055 laks of rupees ($8.6 million, US). to touch the substratum of society of this country. I have only come across only this math [M.A.M] which is touching the substratum of the society, providing houses and all other benefits for the destitute, women, and handicapped.
– Sri. V.S. Rao
Honourable Union Minister of State of Home Affairs of India
Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, January 2002
Shri. Madanlal Khurana, Governor of Rajasthan
Amma, you showed me the path.
– Shri. Madanlal Khurana
Governor of Rajasthan on 15 March 2004. Explaining to Amma how She was the inspiration behind his distribution of Rs. 250,000 each week to his state's poor and suffering.
Mr. Simon Crean, Member of Parliament of Australia
At a time when security and peace issues dominate the international agenda, her actions and activities are a beacon of light and inspiration to Australians and people all over the world.
– Mr. Simon Crean
Member of Parliament of Australia and former head of the Opposition, 2003
Riitta Uosukainen, Head of Parliament of Finland
Her hug has a wonderful power… Amma's teachings can be put into practice in every country, and with her hug She brings consolation to many people..
– Riitta Uosukainen
Head of Parliament of Finland 7 October 2000, Helsinki
Dr. Murali Manohar Joshi, Minister for Human Resources of India
We are fortunate enough to live in a century when a divine personality like Amma is moving about in the globe. Divinity is manifested in the person of Amma. The Indian concept of Jagadamba [Mother of the world]—this is what Amma embodies.
While the governments lag behind in providing these facilities, Amma has worked wonders. Amma's service to the entire humanity is fast-expanding, and it is wholehearted and selfless. She expects nothing in return. Divinity Herself has come to help humanity.
– Dr. Murali Manohar Joshi
Honourable Minister for Human Resources of India
during Amritavarsham50, Cochin, Kerala, 26 September 2003
Sri. Brijesh Misra, National Security Advisor of India
She is a great person. She has done tremendous work for the poor and downtrodden, which most Mahatmas do not do. Most are going for big people. Amma is going for small people, the common people. This is a great thing. She is effecting jobs, effecting education—this is God's work.
– Sri. Brijesh Misra
National Security Advisor of India New Delhi, 17 March 2004
Sri. L.K. Advani, Deputy Prime Minister of India
I regard Amritavarsham50 [Amma's 50th Birthday Celebrations] as something unprecedented, as people from 191 UN countries have come together. While agriculture energizes, industry enriches and knowledge enlightens, spirituality personified in Amma elevates us.
"There are people who can expound eloquently on all the scriptures and explain all their nuances, but rare are those who live the life described in these scriptures. Sri Mata Amritanandamayi belongs to this rare category of enlightened souls."
– Sri. L.K. Advani
Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of India
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 24 September 2003
Sri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Honourable Prime Minister of India
The world today needs solid proof that our human values are useful, that such qualities as compassion, selflessness, renunciation and humility have the power to create a great and prosperous society. Amma's work provides us with the much-needed proof."
– Sri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Honourable Prime Minister of India
during the inauguration of Amrita Insitute of Medical Sciences & Research Center,
Kochi, Kerala, 17 May 1998
His Excellency Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Vice-President of India
Several of her schemes reflect her bondless love for every soul. Amma's work has refined the lives of millions; she is a woman of action and not just words."
– His Excellency Bhairon Singh Shekhawat Vice-President of India
during Amritavarsham50 celebrations, Kochi, Kerala, 27 September 2003
His Excellency Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of India
You are all blessed because you are constantly showered with the blessings of Amma. The ambience of her colleges is sufficient to instil in you the values of life. Her divine mission should be your inspiration to make right use of life and add value to society
– His Excellency Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of India
Talking to students at Amrita Schools of Medicine, Kochi, Kerala, 17 November 2002
Smt. Suryakanta Patil Minister of State for Rural Development, Govt. of India 28 February 2008, Mumbai
Actually, your real darshan of Amma will come when the mother in your house is happy, and your sister and daughter are smiling and secure. When Amma holds you close to her heart, she is awakening the motherhood and fatherhood within you.
– Smt. Suryakanta Patil,
Minister of State for Rural Development, Govt. of India
28 February 2008, Mumbai
Dr. Mrs. Indu Shahani, The sheriff of Mumbai, 28 February 2008
Amma please bless us. You are an epitome of love. Make us worthy of the love you are giving us. Please bless the new project to uplift the women of Mumbai, that we are undergoing
– Dr. Mrs. Indu Shahani
The sheriff of Mumbai
28 February 2008
-Sri. Narendra Modi, Chief minister of Gujarat Ahmadabad, Gujarat 4 March 2008
Amma, through the medium of seva, has sparked a process of spiritual awakening. Amma has taught us the religion that teaches us to look at a needy person not with sympathy but with compassion. Amma has brought the lineage great rishis to us today.
-Sri. Narendra Modi
Chief minister of Gujarat
Ahmadabad, Gujarat 4 March 2008
-J. Fausett, Mayor Coralville, Iowa, USA 3 July 2008
The greatest miracle that takes place in Amma's presence occurs in the hearts of those who come to her. Amma has inspired many humanitarian activities that have drawn the attention of the world community. Now, therefore, I, Mayor Jim L. Fausett, proclaim July 2nd and 3rd 2008 to be the 'Days of Amma the Hugging Saint' in the city of Coralville.
-J. Fausett
Mayor Coralville, Iowa, USA
3 July 2008
Dr. Rudy Dhalla Member of Canadian Parliament (Welcoming Amma to Canada) 23 July 2008, Toronto, Canada
Amma, your message has touched us all. I hope that you will continue to come back to us here in Canada, and thank you again for giving so tremendously much to us.
-Dr. Rudy Dhalla
Member of Canadian Parliament (welcoming Amma to Canada)
23 July 2008, Toronto, Canada
Lynne Featherstone, British Member of Parliament London, 27 Oct 2008
Amma has dedicated her life in helping others, Amma is living proof that equality and the belief that people should not be discriminated against due to their gender, race or cast is a universal one. Amma understands that we all need to find ways of respecting human dignity in each and every one of us.
-Lynne Featherstone
British Member of Parliament
London, 27 Oct 2008
Andy Meisner, US Congressman for Michigan, USA 4 Dec 2008
What a great privilege and a great honour to join in welcoming such an incredible force of good in a world that is troubled to Michigan. We look to our leaders like Amma to find courage and introspection and we thank her for her great leadership and for being here.
-Andy Meisner
US Congressman for Michigan, USA
4 Dec 2008
Mahinda Rajapaksa, The President of Sri Lanka, 23 December 2008
I count myself fortunate enough to be one among many millions of Ma's devotees. Your benevolence and magnanimity is universal, which transcends all geographical and man-made barriers, serving entire humanity with all-embracing compassion. Hence, may I, most respectfully, request your divine intervention and merciful blessings to cleanse my motherland of this horrendous scourge of violence, thereby ushering an era of everlasting peace and prosperity.
-Mahinda Rajapaksa
The President of Sri Lanka
23 December 2008, officially hand-delivered letter to Amma
Anerud Jugnauth, Mauritius President 9 April 2009
It has been indeed a great privilege for my wife and myself to have had the darshan of Amma. I am sure that our lives will be enhanced. Her presence will help us in following her teachings and her example. Amma's vision is to do everything that is possible to alleviate suffering.
-Anerud Jugnauth
Mauritius President
9 April 2009
Michael Feinstein, Mayor of Santa Monica, California 18 June 2009
The embrace is something that she does physically and spiritually, but all the kind of help she has offered to people around the planet is an embrace of its own sort. Her embrace is about love, but it is also about taking that love and sharing it in a practical manner.
-Michael Feinstein
Mayor of Santa Monica, California
18 June 2009
Fox5 News, Washington, D.C.
"Thousands of people are coming to Northern Virginia to meet the Hugging Saint."
Fox5 News, Washington, D.C.
ABC News, Chicago
"She is known around the world as the Mother of Love, the Hugging Saint."
ABC News, Chicago
ABC News, Chicago
"Wherever She goes, She draws huge crowds, and Chicago was no exception."
ABC News, Chicago
NBC News, Los Angeles
"This is something you have to see to believe. Amma came to California to hug thousands of people."
NBC News, Los Angeles
CNN's Ginny Moost
"Amma is renowned for Her extraordinary hugging. Amma makes no promises, She welcomes all religions, Her hugs are free."
CNN's Ginny Moost
NBC's Today Show, Ann Curry, host, during segment called, 'The Hugging Saint'
"She is known as Amma or Divine Mother. She draws masses with the simplest of gestures – a hug."
NBC's Today Show, Ann Curry, host, during segment called, 'The Hugging Saint'
Aamulehti, Finland's leading newspaper, October 10, 2004
"Amma's central message is the omnipotence of love and compassion. She teaches the importance of selfless service. Amma's innumerable charitable projects have given relief to the lives of many poor around the world."
Finland's leading newspaper,
October 10, 2004
Der Standard, The Austrian intelligentia daily, Column by Antonella Mei-Pochtler October 3, 2003
"Amma manages a spiritual empire based on the principle of unconditional love for fellow beings…The impact Amma has, is to a large extent due to her absolute unity of motivation and action. …"
"Whoever is shaking their head at the successful CEOs celebrating Amma's birthday, should think twice. After all, even their success and happiness is based on a successful dialogue between head and heart. …only 'work and love' together build the crucial pillars necessary for the unfolding of a successful life."
Der Standard,
The Austrian intelligentia daily, Column by Antonella Mei-Pochtler
October 3, 2003
L'Unita, the leading 'intelligentia' newspaper of Italy, October 6, 2003
"Amma – India's best known and most loved female guru – doesn't promise miracles or any sudden materialization of jewels, no miraculous healing, no sudden illumination, but simply the gift of her embrace. For all, without discrimination, for whoever wants it."
the leading 'intelligentia' newspaper of Italy,
October 6, 2003
The Times, Kuwait
"Recognized as one of the greatest spiritual social workers of the last millennium …' "
The Times, Kuwait
Die Welt
"…this Holy Mother Amma…must be an entirely extraordinary, remarkable Saint."
Die Welt
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, October 10, 2001
"Her visitors in Bonn feel as if they too have received a generous gift. Walking away from being hugged, many of them laugh and cry at the same time and are totally moved.."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,
October 10, 2001
The Irish Times, November 15, 2004
"Nobel Peace Prize winner Mr John Hume … (was) at the RDS in Dublin yesterday as Amma, India's "Hugging Saint" dispensed free hugs to all."
"… Many came away visibly moved by the experience."
The Irish Times,
November 15, 2004
Associated Press
"Ms. King called the Hindu woman 'god in flesh'."
(Ms. Yolanda King, late daughter of Rev. Martin Luther King), Associated Press
Charles Haviland, BBC News, September 26, 2003
"Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam has joined one of India's best-known religious gurus, Mata Amritanandamayi, in an outspoken denunciation of poverty."
Charles Haviland, BBC News,
September 26, 2003
Khozem Merchant, The Financial Times of London, September 29, 2003
"Technology industry icons, management gurus, business leaders, India's president, and 100,000 devotees from around the world…celebrated the 50th birthday of…a woman who wields considerable influence over the world's second most populous country…Amma…sends a simple but powerful message of 'unconditional love' by hugging men, women and children."
Khozem Merchant, The Financial Times of London,
September 29, 2003
Los Angeles Times
"…known globally for her charitable work and her emphasis on selfless service."
Los Angeles Times
Dallas Morning News, June 28, 1998
"Her message is simple: only through love can humanity be united."
Dallas Morning News,
June 28, 1998
Wall Street Journal Sptember 22, 2003
"…Mata Amritanandamayi, one of India's most famous living Hindu saints."
Wall Street Journal
Sptember 22, 2003
Jennifer Lebovich, The New York Daily News 2004
"They came by the thousands, from the city and from all over the country, just looking for a hug."
Jennifer Lebovich, The New York Daily News
Trevor Barnes, BBC's Radio's Reporting Religion, December 31, 2005
"…I sensed no hint of emotional manipulation….I have to say, being hugged by Amma is, quite something."
Trevor Barnes, BBC's Radio's Reporting Religion,
December 31, 2005
The Boston Globe-21, July 2005
"…Meryl Perlson of Medford sat on her knees quietly as Amritanandamayi reached out to press her head to her bosom and chant in her ear. It was over in less than 20 seconds, but powerful enough to bring the mother of two to tears…"
The Boston Globe-21
July 2005, Front Page
The Times of London September 23, 2003
"So healing are the properties of her two-minute cuddles that hundreds of thousands of devotees have descended on the southern state of Kerala for Amma's golden jubilee…"
The Times of London
September 23, 2003
Corey Kilgannon, New York Times July 18, 2004
"Over the past three decades, Amma… has been fighting world suffering by tirelessly offering hugs, both to strangers and to her legions of follower…"
Corey Kilgannon, New York Times
July 18, 2004
NY Times 26 July, 2006
"Recognized worldwide for her spiritual and humanitarian work, Amma…ministers to the poor of India with food and open arms, often for more than 20 hours at a stretch. Jan Kounen's awestruck film follows the mahatma from one jampacked event to another…"
NY Times
26 July, 2006, 'Darshan: The Embrace,' a Portrait of India's 'Hugging Saint'
Deacon Sunday Herald India, May 1, 2005
"The world places great importance on Mata Amritanandamayi's role as a
woman spiritual-religious 'leader' and there is the feeling that she can lead the people of the world."
Deacon Sunday Herald
India, May 1, 2005
Voice of America, radio and website, 27 July, 2006
"…Amma encourages people to look more deeply into their own religious traditions, whatever they are. At the root of all authentic teachings, Amma says, are love and compassion, which she tries to convey through the nurturing mother image she projects."
Voice of America,
radio and website, 27 July, 2006
El Pais, Spain's leading newspaper, July 14, 2005
"Amma…one of the most notable religious phenomenon of the day."
El Pais,
Spain's leading newspaper, July 14, 2005
Neue Zürcher Zeitung Leading National/International Swiss Newspaper, October 3, 2003
"The motherly love expressed in her embrace – an unconditional love that doesn't judge or calculate… a life of selfless service and surrender… For many people it is exactly the absoluteness of that simple gesture that has drawn them to her… The embrace is the negation of all hierarchy between teacher and student, and therefore, devoid of any arrogance…"
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Leading National/International Swiss Newspaper, October 3, 2003
The Christian Science Monitor July 28, 2006
"Amma travels the world holding hugging sessions, encouraging selfless service, and spreading 'the healing qualities of universal motherhood."
– The Christian Science Monitor
July 28, 2006, 'Hugging saint' is compassion in action
ABC News, New York
" People wait hours, just to spend a moment with her."
ABC News, New York
ABC News, Chicago
"She will never turn anyone away, and She never charges any money for her hugs. In India, She has been known to sit for more than 20 hours, and hug more than 20,000 people, just in one day."
ABC News, Chicago
USA Today, Feature Article, July 19, 2006
"They need no money, no knowledge of any holy text or ritual practice, no special strength or beauty or spiritual fine-tuning. They need only come to tiny Amma…"
"Her arms are open to all: infants and elderly, wiry collegians, hippies gone gray, dudes in Dockers or saffron robes, Christians and Jews, Hindus and Buddhists, children and the childlike… No questions asked. One lesson offered: Open your heart to the world."
USA Today, Feature Article,
July 19, 2006
Delia Galager, CNN News, August 27, 2007
"Cynics may sneer, but take a look at what Amma has done, an orphanage where 500 children live … Amma has donated $46 Million to tsunami relief in South Asia and $1 million to the Katrina Relief Fund in the US … a multimillion dollar international charity that has blossomed from a smile and a hug. For Amma it's proof of what a mother's love can do."
Delia Galager, CNN News,
August 27, 2007
BBC Radio, Trevor Barnes December 31, 2006
"Young, old, rich, poor, healthy or sick, no one is beyond Amma's embrace. I saw smiles and tears and a genuine sense of warmth and tenderness."
"Certainly I sensed no hint of emotional manipulation."
BBC Radio,
Trevor Barnes December 31, 2006
French National TV, Ch 6
"In India she is revered as a saint. But Amma has also conquered the world."
"Through her embrace, Amma spreads peace and love worldwide."
French National TV, Ch 6
RAI3, Italian TV
"She preaches peace, non-violence and love…"
RAI3, Italian TV
Fox News Live July 7, 2007
"A large New York crowd waits patiently for hours hoping to spend a few moments with a very special woman who's traveled thousands of miles from her native India, delivering a powerful message of enduring faith and hope."
"These devotees are united in the belief that Mata Amritanandamayi is a saintly wonder. She draws millions of people around the world for spiritual relief that people say comes from her gentle touch."
"Affectionately called "Ammachi" or "Amma," meaning mother, she reaches out to one and all with a simplest of gestures — a meaningful embrace. Her welcome is warm, her smile is sparkling and her white sari glows and offers up a hug, as if each person in her arms were the only person in the room."
"It is indeed fascinating to watch the hundreds of people — Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus — kneel as they get closer to Ammachi and her magnetic hugs. She embraces all faiths and describes herself as a servant of god."
"Her outreach has a profound effect on those who receive her hugs. They come to heal and open up their hearts to a woman who has dedicated her life to spreading infinite compassion and motherly love throughout the world."
Fox News Live
July 7, 2007
Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Amma has done more work than many governments have ever done for their people… her contribution is enormous.
— Prof. Muhammad Yunus
2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Founder, Grameen Bank
inaugurating International Conference on Technology Enhanced Education at Amrita University,
Amritapuri on 3rd January 2012.
Dr. Kiran Mazumdar, CEO of Biocon
Amma is the greatest entrepreneur of us all. She is so full of ideas and unique visions that she makes research easy.
—Dr. Kiran Mazumdar
CEO of Biocon, India's leading biotechnology research company
25 August 2006, Amritapuri
Sri. Vyomesh Joshi, Executive Vice President, Hewlett-Packard
I'm going to take this concept of love and compassion to the next level at HP [Hewlett-Packard]. This is an excellent model of how you really make a productive enterprise. I think we can apply that in a special way.
—Sri. Vyomesh Joshi
Executive Vice President of Imaging & Printing Group, Hewlett-Packard
after visiting Amma's AIMS Hospital
Kochi, Kerala, 25 September 2003
Olara A. Otunnu former President, UN Security Council
I was very struck by how much of what is generated, how much of the money that is mobilized, actually goes and benefits directly those in need. Amma acts on the spontaneous and instinctive. And that has given a lot of speed and momentum, cut out the bureaucracy, and made it possible to inspire people and to move with them to actually provide timely and quality support to those in need. And I think international NGOs and UN agencies have something to learn from the work of Amma and what she has been able to build.
—Olara A. Otunnu
former President, UN Security Council; former Chairman, UN Human Rights Commission -in 2006 when he visited Amritapuri
Felix Martin, Director General of UNESCO, Parliament of World's Religions
Amma expressed a peace and love that touches the fundamental aspects of human life. She is attracting lots of people all over the world through Her message and Her character. She expresses these components that are the foundations of the future world we are committed to make with UNESCO and the World Parliament. She is a great leader and we are honoured that She is addressing the closing ceremony.
— Felix Martin,
Director General of UNESCO
Parliament of World's Religions, Barcelona, 13 July 2004
Rev. Dr. William E. Lesher, Chairman of the Trustees, Parliament of World's Religions
Amma is a very important religious leader and we are very honoured to have Her here as the keynote speaker on our closing ceremony. Amma is very loving, She exudes love and affection for human life and She does it in such a way that people understand the message that She brings. The Parliament is meant to build bridges between religions and peoples. Amma is a great example of unity and love to all of us. Personally, I feel that Her embrace is more than just a handshake, it's is more that a kiss.. more than a kiss of peace! It is a vigorously down to earth hug… And it is powerfully familiar!
—Rev. Dr. William E. Lesher,
Chairman of the Trustees, Parliament of World's Religions
Parlament of World's Religions, Barcelona, 13 July 2004
Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, former secretary of the Department of Arts, Ministry of Human Resources of India
Mata Amritanandamayi represents a long line of women seers, saints, social reformers who have transformed the collective psyche of India by their sheer presence. Their experience of the inner life of reflection and introspection, of tapas [austerities] and sadhana [spiritual practice], has, as it had to, manifest itself in diverse ways of public action for the good of humanity.
— Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan,
former secretary of the Department of Arts, Ministry of Human Resources of India
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 25 September 2003
Sri. Ashok Singhal, President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)
My first feeling of Amma—right from the beginning—was that some great Mahatmas are born for changing the destiny of the world, and She is one. They have come for a purpose. They are not ordinary. They are Parameshwara Himself. They come with a purpose.
—Sri. Ashok Singhal,
President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)
New Delhi, 17 March 2004
Sri. P. Parameshwaran, Director, Bharatiya Vichara Kendra
In Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, we have the embodiment of both motherhood and spirituality mingled in one single human presence that embraces the entire globe as it is, without any discrimination, in one single sweep of unbounded love and limitless acts of compassionate service.
— Sri. P. Parameshwaran,
Director, Bharatiya Vichara Kendra
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 25 September, 2003
Ms. Dena Merriam, Vice Chairwoman, Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious & Spiritual Leaders
It [Amritavarsham50] has been phenomenal. Of all the religious and spiritual gatherings I have been to around the world, this is something special. To have such an energy coming from one religious leader, this is of a magnitude I have not seen.
—Ms. Dena Merriam, Vice Chairwoman,
Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious & Spiritual Leaders
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 26 September 2003
Sri. Bawa Jain, Secretary General, World Council of Religious Leaders
Let Amma's love and compassion roll like a tidal wave and engulf the whole world, flowing so that no child who is hungry and without a mother will go on suffering.We will be with you wherever you want us in your service, Amma."
— Sri. Bawa Jain,
Secretary General, World Council of Religious Leaders
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 24 September 2003
Ms. Yolanda King, Daughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I had the blessed privilege and honour to meet Amma and receive darshan during Her U.S. Tour. It was a moment of transcendence, for I was able to grasp for the first time the essence of true fulfilment and agape [unconditional] love. What I cherish about Amma is that she not only talks the talk and is the embodiment of unconditional love, but She expresses that love in action. She walks the talk. Mahatma Gandhi urged us to 'be the change we wish to see in the world.' Amma is the change she wants to see in our world. She is a profound living example for all of us.
—Ms. Yolanda King, Daughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Director, Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change
during Amritavarsham50 Kochi, Kerala, 25 September, 2003
Dr. P.L.O Lumumba, Renowned advocate and Human Rights defender
We come to celebrate and acknowledge a personification of love. Amma, your selfless desires, your selfless actions are your greatest testament and commitment to man.
—Dr. P.L.O Lumumba
Renowned advocate and Human Rights defender
(Kenya) 14 April 09
Di Kerr, Elder from Australia's Wunrundjeri Aborigini Tribe
Amma, you are an inspiration to a lot of people, and if we all took one page of your book of life, we can be better people, and being better people, we can have a better world.
—Di Kerr
Elder from Australia's Wunrundjeri Aborigini Tribe:
Melbourne, Australia,6 April 2008
Tridandi Madusudha Maharaj, Vaisnava Sannyasin
There is no end to Her perfection.
— Tridandi Madusudha Maharaj
Vaisnava Sannyasin
27 February 2005, Amritapuri
Mae-Chee Sansanee Sthirasuta, Thai Buddhist Nun
Amma gives unconditional love, unlimited love, to anybody that she meets.
— Mae-Chee Sansanee Sthirasuta
Thai Buddhist Nun
during Amritavarsham50, Cochin, Kerala, 26 September 2003
Rev. Dr. Ipe Joseph, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in India
Question: How do you reconcile the Church's doctrine that Jesus Christ was the only son of God in the face of someone like Amma?
Answer: Doctrine must take a back seat. God chooses many ways to manifest His grace in the world.
— Rev. Dr. Ipe Joseph
General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in India
during Amritavarsham50, Cochin, Kerala, 24 September 2003
Madhvacharya Vishvesha Tirtha, Pejavar Math, Udupi
As King Bhagirath flowed Ganga in the land of Bharata, our Mother, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, is flowing the Ganges of Love over the entire world. For this, I offer my special gratitude to Amma. I feel very happy when I look at the service Amma is rendering to the world. She sees the vision of the Lord not only in all of humankind, but even in animals. Watching the service that Mata Amritanandamayi is rendering for the welfare of the entire world – today's society that is blemished with selfishness – one sees She is flowing the nectar of love and reviving the entire society.
Amma is the Incarnation of the Lord. She is the Avatar of Devi. To give amrita [nectar] to the devas [demigods], the Lord took the Mohini Avatar. But now, Mata Amritanandamayi – not only for the devas but for the entire humankind, for the entire animal world – She is the giver of amrita. I offer my salutations to Her. Under Her guidance, let peace and harmony be established in this world.
— Madhvacharya Vishvesha Tirtha
Pejavar Math, Udupi
during Amritavarsham50, Cochin, Kerala, 24 September 2003
Sri Durgaswami, sannyasin
There are flowers for incense, flowers for use in worship and flowers for medicine… but this flower is chosen by God.
—Sri Durgaswami
A sannyasin
during Amritavarsham50, Cochin, Kerala, 24 September 2003
Rabbi Leah Novick, Pathfinder of the Jewish Renewal Movement
Amma accepts everyone. She inspires us to open our hearts to new ways of being and doing in working selflessly together. (…)
I thank Amma for giving me the direct experience of the Divine Mother. It has been 13 blissful years; this year I celebrated my bat mitzvah with Amma.
—Rabbi Leah Novick
Pathfinder of the Jewish Renewal Movement
during Amritavarsham50, Cochin, Kerala, 25 September 2003
Swamini Niranjanananda, Acharaya of the Chinmaya Mission
One Mata Amritanandamayi can bring about the integration of the people of the world in a deeper sense than any number of organizations like the U.N.O. Love is the greatest conqueror.
—Swamini Niranjanananda
Resident Acharaya of the Chinmaya Mission,
during Amritavarsham50, Cochin, Kerala, September 25, 2003
Brother Wayne Teasdale, author of A Monk in the World
By her emphasis on selfless service and charity, Amma will,
I believe, hugely influence the future world.
—Brother Wayne Teasdale
Parliament of the World's Religions Trustee,
author of A Monk in the World
Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, Director, Chautauqua Institution Chautauqua, New York
Amma, your embrace has become a worldwide treasure sought by princes and peasants, women and men, babies and frail elderly. Your embrace is not just to comfort the suffering, but is a gift of strength and spiritual energy to all who work to embrace the world, the world of work, the world of government, and the world of family.
—Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell
Director, Department of Religion, Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua, New York, September 2003
His Grace Dr. Pascal Topno, Arch Bishop of Bhopal
All religions should work together for peace. Amma is a voice for all of us. She is certainly inspired by God and sent by God to guide us on this path. She is doing great work. She can only come from God. She is spiritually empowered, this spirituality of brotherhood. We all feel inspired by Her, and we thank God that He sent this gift to humanity!
—His Grace Dr. Pascal Topno,
Arch Bishop of Bhopal,
During Amma's programme in Bhopal, 12 March 2004
Swami Chidananda, Divine Life Society
H.H. Parama Pujya Shri Mata Amritanandamayee,
Blessed Divinity!
Dear and revered Mother,
Jai Sri Durga!
This servant of the holy Master Gurudeva Swami Sivananda sends his "sashtanga dandavat namsakarams" to your revered self through this letter.
May you live long to bless all sincere seeking souls and enrich their lives with the wealth of "bhakti"!.
— Swami Chidananda,
Divine Life Society
From a letter sent by Swami Chidananda to Amma in July 1995.
Shankaracharya Raghaveshwara Bharati, Ramachandrapura Math
We see in the living hug that Mata extends to Her devotees, the principle of Advaita [philosophy of non-dualism] expounded by Shankaracharya. In a hug, two bodies come into contact with each other. Similarly, when the jivatman [individual soul] unifies with Paramatman [the One Supreme Soul], an immortal bliss – that is, amritananda – is established. This is Advaita. We believe that the Advaita preached by Shankaracharya is reflected in the hug by Mata Amritanandamayi.
—Shankaracharya Raghaveshwara Bharati,
Ramachandrapura Math, Hosanagar, Karnataka
During Amritavarsham50, Cochin, Kerala, 24 September 2003
Philipose Mar Chrysostum Mar Thoma Syrian Church
Amma is a blessing given by the Lord to his world. I thought that for me at the age of 90, everything was over. But meeting you has given me new experiences and a look into the future. And I am very happy.
—Philipose Mar Chrysostum
Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar Senior Metropolitan
Amritapuri, 29 August 2008
H. H. Swami Prakashananda, the president of the Sri Narayana Guru Dharma Sangha
In front of Amma, I always feel like a child and she is the Mother of the world.
—H. H. Swami Prakashananda,
the president of the Sri Narayana Guru Dharma Sangha
Sivagiri Math, Varkkala, Kerala 24 September 2007
Philipose Mar Chrysostum, Mar Thoma Syrian Church
Amma is a gift of God. God is love. Wherever there is love, God is there. What is real love? We come to understand it through Amma's different seva activities. God has blessed Amma with the ability to understand human need and render appropriate help accordingly. As a result many other people are also inspired to join in the humanitarian efforts. All praise to God who has given us this blessing in the form of Amma. May Amma be a blessing to many more people.
—Philipose Mar Chrysostum
Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar Senior Metropolitan
Tiruvalla, Kerala, 7 March 2009
Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp, former President of the Jewish Institute, Holland
Amma teaches us that we should, at least, start with tolerance. But then we have to evolve on to respect, and from respect on to love. When we do that, all problems are solved. With Amma, I believe we can together create a world filled with real cooperation, love, truth and justice.
—Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp,
former President of the Jewish Institute for Jewish values
Holland 14 October 2009
Philipose Mar Chrysostum, Mar Thoma Syrian Church
Amma is a blessing given by the Lord to his world. I thought that for me at the age of 90, everything was over. But meeting you has given me new experiences and a look into the future. And I am very happy.
—Philipose Mar Chrysostum
Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar Senior Metropolitan
Tiruvalla, Kerala, 7 March 2009
Alice Walker, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Amma presents the kind of leadership we need for our planet to survive. This is the most heroic person I've probably ever met. Because she is sitting there hugging people. This is the most heroic thing that any of us could do now. Because shooting each other is not heroic. The most heroic is caring, and she does that.
– Alice Walker,
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Dr. Steven C. Rockefeller
When I think of Amma and her life of devotion and service, I see a shining example for all of us of the spirit of reverence, compassion and care.
PhD, philanthropist, educator, social activist
Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Amma is truly such an enormous fountain of energy and love and compassion. I think if all of us were to get even a fraction of it within our own beings, there would be only joy in the whole world… Whatever little I can do with her inspiration, I will strive my best to accomplish it.
– Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri
Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 while Dr. Pachauri served as IPCC Chairman).
Andrew Cohen, spiritual teacher and founder of the magazine What is Enlightenment
For me Amma is the ideal. She is the yardstick. She is the measurement to which all of us [must hold ourselves], whether we are beginners on the spiritual path or matured seekers. She always shows that you can give more love, show more compassion. Amma is the greatest living saint on this planet. I met many Masters, but in Amma I see a combination of unconditional love and ferocious determination and an indomitable spirit. Her example is peerless. – Barcelona, 13 July 2004
– Andrew Cohen,
spiritual teacher and founder of the magazine What is Enlightenment?
Barcelona, 13 July 2004
Sri. Sanjay Gupta, Managing Director, Dainik Jagran
Amma is playing a transformative and inspirational role to help people cross a lot of barriers of religion and caste so they can be spiritually uplifted. – Kochi, 25 September 2003
—Sri. Sanjay Gupta,
Managing Director,
Dainik Jagran, a leading Hindi daily newspaper, during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, 25 September 2003
Sri. N.V.R. Nathan, Director, IILM Institute for Higher Education
What I have seen Amma doing is way beyond what most are able to achieve in such a short time. She is actually touching the heart of the people. She is able to make everyone realise that it is one's duty to work for humanity.
– Sri. N.V.R. Nathan
Director, IILM Institute for Higher Education
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, 26 September 2003
Dr. Timothy Conway, author of Women of Power & Grace
She [Amma] is one of the most glorious lights to appear in the history of religion. Just her stamina—embracing these millions of people one by one, day after day, without a break, all over the world—is some kind of divine gift. No mere human resources could accomplish this.
—Dr. Timothy Conway, Ph.D.,
author of Women of Power & Grace
Dr. K.S. Fathima Beevi, Syndicate Member, Mahatma Gandhi University
When we go to Amma for darshan, we forget what is happening around us. When Amma hugs us, we feel it to be something special that we have never got from anyone else. Her love, smile, kiss and the way She talks to us are things I cannot describe. Her love is forever."
—Dr. K.S. Fathima Beevi , Lecturer,
Government College, Tripunithura, Kerala
Syndicate Member, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, 25 September 2003
Ms. Linda Evans, American actress
We all need heroes, people like Amma, who remind us of how great we can be when we've forgotten."I think Amma is truly doing more for women than any other being on earth."
— Ms. Linda Evans, American actress
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 24 September 2003
Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, Indian classical dancer
Amma symbolises the truth and beauty of life.
—Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam,
Indian classical dancer,
during Amritavarsham50
Kochi, Kerala, 24 September 2003
Dr. D.N. Srivastava, Senior Scientist Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai
A society having only the government system, no matter how powerful and sincere, cannot survive for long without the solid base provided by spirituality. One plausible solution is to evolve a new universal religion. Now, only a vague outline can be speculated. Fortunately to have a glimpse of a sage of that universal religion, we have not to wait for some distant future. Sri Mata Amritanandamayi's life and work is a living example of universal love and service.
— Dr. D.N. Srivastava,
Senior Scientist
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai
Dr. Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO
A type of force emanates from Her. I think it cannot be defined by our analysis.
—Dr. Madhavan Nair,
Chairman of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation),
at Amma's Bangalore Ashram, 21 February 2004
Dr. Deepak Chopra, author of Ageless Body
Amma is the embodiment of pure love. Her presence heals.
— Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Author of Ageless Body, Timeless Mind:
The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old
2004 Barcelona
Dr. Jane Goodall, world-renowned primatologist
I believe that She [Amma] stands here in front of us, God's love in a human body.
—Dr. Jane Goodall, world-renowned primatologist
while giving Gandhi-King Award for Non-violence to Amma,
Geneva, 7 October 2002
Jan Kounen, renowned French Filmmaker, Paris
I feel rejuvenated after meeting Amma. She gives me tremendous energy through her darshan, which helps me remain focused and also adds value to my work and life
—Jan Kounen
renowned French Filmmaker
Paris – 25 Oct 2008
Doug E Fresh, Hip-hop American legend
Her energy is just incredible. I picked up youthful, bright, exciting energy. She is endlessly just giving, giving, giving. I think a lot of people need to feel her energy because it will make a difference in their life.
—Doug E Fresh
Hip-hop American legend
New York, July 2009
Dr. Stephen Dunnett., PhD Professor and provost for international education State University of New York, Buffalo
Amma has been a leader in expanding educational opportunity in India, particularly through the establishment of Amrita University, which in its first 15 years has become one of the most distinguished private universities in India. – May 2010
—Dr. Stephen Dunnett. PhD
Professor and provost for international education
State University of New York,
Buffalo. May 2010
Jim Lauderdale, Grammy Award winner
I've never met anyone like Amma—someone who has such a great impact on people's lives for the good and for humanity. I am hard-pressed to think of someone who is doing more for mankind and the environment.
—Jim Lauderdale
Grammy Award-winning Country and Bluegrass artist
30 June 2008 — Addison, Texas, USA
Sharon Stone, World renowned actress
Amma has embraced 26 million people. But she has done this as an action not only of giving, but as an action of example. I welcome this saint, this angel, this person of active goodness.
—Sharon Stone
World renowned actress,
Paris, 12 October 2007
Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Amma is the glory and light. Amma is compassion, light, consciousness and fullness. I offer my pranams to Amma.
– Adoor Gopalakrishnan
27 September, 2006


text: Anthony Hopkins was born on December 31, 1937, in Margam, Wales, to Muriel Anne (Yeats) and Richard Arthur Hopkins, a baker. His parents were both of half Welsh and half English descent. Influenced by Richard Burton, he decided to study at College of Music and Drama and graduated in 1957. In 1965, he moved to London and joined the National Theatre... See full bio »

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The arrest of a suspect in a string of violent sexual assaults is a relief, Julie Lalonde of the organization Hollaback! said Saturday. But it should be used as an opportunity for a broader discussion about the nature of sexual assault and not create a false sense of security.
Charges an opportunity to better understand nature of sexual violence, activist says
The arrest of a suspect in a string of violent sexual assaults is a relief, Julie Lalonde of the organization Hollaback! said Saturday.
But it should be used as an opportunity for a broader discussion about the nature of sexual violence and not create a false sense of security.
Yousef Hussein, 25, appeared in an Ottawa courtroom by video on Friday after being charged with sexually assaulting six women in 2012 and 2013.
The cases kept the city on edge. Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleau created a special task force to catch the sexual predator.
Lalonde, who founded the Ottawa chapter of the group that fights street harassment, had earlier criticized Ottawa Coun. Diane Deans when Deans said women must be vigilant at night and walk in pairs if possible.
But Hussein's arrest, made after a person who lives in the same building called the police, shows that the way to stop a predator is not to tell women to stay home at night, but to broadcast as much information as possible, she said.
"It is important that he was apprehended because somebody trusted their instincts. That shows the importance of bystander intervention."
She also noted that the suspect in the cases doesn't fit many peoples' preconceived notions of a sexual predator – he is good looking, employed and married.
And although the cases terrified many Ottawa women, Lalonde said it is crucial to talk about the fact that cases such as this – in which women are assaulted by a stranger in a public place – are the minority of sexual assaults.
Women are more likely to be assaulted by someone they know, sometimes a family member or a partner or someone they were previously involved with.
The attention focused on cases of this kind can sometimes lead other victims to feel that they are to blame or the assault against them is not that bad. That is why most cases of sexual assault are not reported to police, she said.
"Reinforcing the idea that if you are going to be sexually assaulted it will happen in a public space by someone you have never met is a really dangerous message," she said.
It is important to talk about it so that people don't develop narrow definitions of sexual assault, she said.


text:
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text:
True or false? It's one of the worst allergy seasons in recent memory. I am afraid the answer is true! A series of events over the past several decades are all adding up to what I refer to as the "perfect storm" for those with allergies.
Government and other botanists and pollen researchers are finding a series of environmental changes leading to an onslaught of more pesky pollens (tree, weed, and grasses) almost everywhere. So what are these climate changes we hear so much about, and how do they affect those with allergies?
First, with increasing global temperatures the average pollen season in many locations is actually getting longer, thus exposing us to increasing amounts of seasonal pollens. Second, an increase in global warming greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, a direct boosting effect on plants that produce allergenic pollens, can in some cases push up pollen production by as much as threefold. The pollens produced may also be "more powerful" in causing allergy misery.
Unfortunately, one cannot escape seasonal allergens. Over the past decade, many individuals and families that migrated to the southwestern United States in search of states and towns with fewer allergic triggers have not been successful — allergenic plants have just moved in along with them. You might just need to take a vacation during pollen season — try someplace near a body of water (think beach or lake) where pollen levels are typically lower.
The record breaking levels of precipitation and flooding in the northern states this past winter have also led to the worsening of seasonal allergies. The reason: Allergenic plants and of course trees love water and moisture and have been more than adequately "watered" and primed to produce lots of pollens. In addition, the sudden warm temperatures in this part of the country have helped to bring in the pollen surge over the past several weeks.
Another theory is that we're just too clean! The "eat dirt" or "hygiene hypothesis" argues that over-sanitizing the world may have an indirect effect on the increased prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases. So it may be that germs are actually important in giving us a stronger and more robust immune system.
Finally, diet plays a role in any condition where the immune system is concerned. Stay tuned for an anti-allergy diet designed to help you fight allergies and even shed some pounds.
Do your allergies seem more intense? Write in and let me know if you think this allergy season is worse than usual.
Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine. He is the chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and a fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. No information in this blog is intended as medical advice to any reader or intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. For more allergy and asthma tips you can visit his website: www.nyc-allergist.com.


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Mr. Speaker, recently released documents showed that Global Affairs, diplomats, and our allies were confused by the decision to appoint the Hon. Stéphane Dion as Canada's ambassador to the EU and Canada's ambassador to Germany, a country within the EU. Confusion, hundreds of documents, and months of that have shown that the decision was ill-conceived, and Canada has been looked on poorly by our allies.
Canadians know that it is not easy for Mr. Dion to set priorities. Will the minister inform the House whether his priority will be the ambassador to the EU or ambassador to Germany? Which is it?


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Giant monsters are back and they are bigger than ever.
Director Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim" heralds the mainstream return of an offbeat, still durable cinematic genre known as Kaiju – literally translated from Japanese as "strange beasts," but shorthanded by aficionados to stand for all manner of colossal monstrosities terrorizing a tiny human population as they bash and blast through crumbling skyscrapers.
In the long tradition of Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Rodan and similar rampaging creatures who reigned in Japanese cinema, "Pacific Rim's" Kaiju are the nearly unstoppable heralds of invading extra-dimensional force, emerging from an ocean portal to wreck havoc across coastal cityscapes.
And del Toro – an unabashed lover of all monster movie genres and whose own takes include "Mimic," "Hellboy" and the Spanish-language film "Pan's Labyrinth" – adds a fresh twist by giving his monsters some fierce opposition in the form of gigantic human-driven, heavily armored robotic fighting machines derived from another Japanese pop cultural tradition known as Mecha and dubbed "Jaegers" (the German word for "hunters") in "Pacific Rim."
A fan of the Kaiju form since his youth in Guadalajara, Mexico, Del Toro says the style initially emerged in the 1950s (Japanese studio Toho's 1954 film "Gojira" – better known in the U.S. as "Godzilla" – was the defining genre entry) as a Japanese take on Hollywood creature features such as 1933's "King Kong" and the works of special effects artist Ray Harryhausen in 1953's "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms."
The Kaiju genre flourished "because it became a coping mechanism for Japan to heal the wounds of World War II," says del Toro. The monsters were typically the aftereffects of atomic fallout, an anxiety particularly poignant to the nation's culture after the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that prompted its surrender in World War II.
U.S. & World
Travis Beacham, the screenwriter who crafted the story with del Toro, is one of generations of audiences who first fell in love with the Kaiju genre as children watching old, often badly re-dubbed films on television.
"It's part of my personal mythology in a really fundamental way," Beacham says. "One of my earliest memories is seeing a Godzilla movie – not just my earliest movie memory, but ANY kind of memory. As a kid, I always gravitated towards that stuff: Kaiju movies, Ray Harryhausen movies, anything with a giant or a giant monster in it. I gobbled that up."
"The appeal for the Kaiju is all about variation and their special abilities and where they come from and what they represent," says Ryan Turek, editor in chief of the horror website ShockTillYouDrop.com. "I grew up watching Godzilla movies not knowing that Godzilla was born out of the Hiroshima angle, representing the souls of those who were lost. Godzilla is big walking monstrosity that represents angst and death and all of the other stuff, and then he was diluted as time went on."
The Mecha format also bowed in the 50s with the film "Tetsujin-28go" (known as "Gigantor" in the U.S.) but was more precisely defined through the 70s, 80s and 90s largely in manga comic books like "Mazinger Z" and anime film and television like 1979's "Mobile Suit Gundam."
"Mecha is guilt-free," says del Toro. "The relationship of Japan with the culture of technology is guiltless. They don't have this ambivalence that we have in the West, that technology is bad is going to destroy us and so forth. They embrace it and they love it, and that allows for the Mecha warriors to become almost like mythical figures. They adored them."
"Pacific Rim" actress Rinko Kikuchi plays a rising hopeful in the Jaeger program who must be mentally paired with a like-minded driver – "drifting" – to operate the robot and fend off the Kaiju. As a Japanese native, she says, "I've loved sci-fi films since when I was a kid, so being part of this role is just kind of dream come true. A lot of really great Japanese directors made a lot of monster movies like Godzilla like Rodan and they also have a lot anime, so I hope most of the Japanese audience will love this movie."
Del Toro says the enduring appeal of watching a colossal creature reigning devastation on the landscape lies in the sheer spectacle of the seemingly unstoppable destruction. "We rarely are able to enjoy seeing a force of nature personified," he explains. "A Kaiju is like a hurricane or a tornado. Everybody secretly is in awe of a tornado footage lifting cars and going through skyscrapers, but when you see a Kaiju, you're seeing a character do that. And there is no guilt or moral downside to it because it has nothing to do with real life.
"You're not enjoying somebody having a brutal fantasy of aiming an automatic weapon to a crowd. You are literally being lifted into the realm of the gods, of the elemental gods, and you are able to be taken by that spectacle without any guilt."
In fact, Turek says that force-of-nature parallel might strike a particular chord in contemporary moviegoers. "The Kaiju of 'Pacific Rim' certainly feel like Mother Nature's wrath," he says. "We can predict when they're going to come out, like we can predict the weather sometimes, and every time they keep coming back, they're coming back more and more aggressively, which is certainly what we're seeing with the weather patterns today."
But even with such far-reaching antecedents, the goal was to build on the inspiration of the past to create a new mythology that, with its familiar elements, felt extremely fresh.
"I didn't want it to be a Kaiju movie sort of reset in an American backdrop," says Beacham. "I wanted it to be in the region of the Pacific, and to still be firmly anchored in the Asian tradition. The fresh stuff that I thought was really important to bring in was asking who these pilots were and the drama there."
And despite the film's blockbuster aspirations, del Toro chose to sidestep casting movie star "names" in his production, preferring to focus on a handpicked cast of well-regarded internationally flavored actors (including Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Kikucki, Charlie Day, Robert Kazinsky and del Toro mainstay Ron Perlman) and giving over the film's star power to the Kaiju and Jaegers.
"If you're going to revitalize a subgenre, you've got to raise the stakes, up the ante, give us something that is absolutely mind-blowing." says Turek, who believes del Toro's resurrection of the Kaiju form succeeds admirably. "We've never seen anything like that before, and with spectacular FX, too. I love man-in-a-suit monster movies, but some of the stuff in 'Pacific Rim' you would never be able to pull off with a man in a suit, ever."


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virotype btv pan 4 rt pcr kit
Detection of RNA from all 27 known bluetongue virus serotypes plus separate identification of BTV serotype 4 (BTV-4) in a single PCR run
Effective April 1, 2018, product available exclusively from INDICAL BIOSCIENCE (formerly QIAGEN Leipzig). Learn more.
The virotype BTV pan/4 RT-PCR Kit allows the safe detection of RNA from bluetongue virus (BTV) in samples from cattle, sheep, and goats. The kit contains all of the reagents for multiplex real-time RT-PCR in a single, ready-to-use reaction mix. It can be used with pools of up to 10 individual samples of blood and with tissue samples from the spleen and lymph nodes.
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The virotype BTV pan/4 RT-PCR Kit is for veterinary use only.

In Germany: Licensed in accordance with § 11 (2) of the German Animal Health Act. MA No.: FLI-C 020
Product Details
The virotype BTV pan/4 RT-PCR Kit detects RNA from all 27 known serotypes of bluetongue virus.
Analytical sensitivity was determined by a titration series of in vitro BTV RNA, resulting in the detection of 1–10 RNA copies in the BTV pan and the BTV-4 system. The virotype BTV pan/4 RT-PCR Kit specifically detects BTV-4 (Cy5) and at least 27 BTV serotypes (FAM). BTV-26 is detected by virotype BTV pan/4 RT-PCR Kit using in silico PCR. (See the table "Testing of the BTV serotypes 1–25 and 27 using the virotype BTV pan/4 RT-PCR Kit".)
For validation of the virotype BTV pan/4 RT-PCR Kit a total of 482 samples were tested. 138 of 482 samples were BTV-4–positive, 119 BTV-8–positive, 6 BTV-5–positive and 202 BTV-negative. BTV-4–positive samples were kindly provided by various eastern and southern European diagnostic laboratories. Additionally, BTV-positive and negative samples were tested in a European field validation study. (See the table "Testing of BTV-4 positive blood samples using the virotype BTV pan/4 RT-PCR Kit and a reference test".)
The validation results show that BTV-4 was specifically identified. The virotype BTV pan/4 RT-PCR Kit demonstrated diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100%. In addition, no cross-reactivity with other ruminant pathogens tested was detected.
This is a real-time RT-PCR kit for the detection of RNA from bluetongue virus, the causative agent of the highly infectious bluetongue disease, which mainly affects cattle, sheep, and goats.
RT-PCR is based on the amplification of specific regions of the pathogen genome. It is a sensitive and specific tool for pathogen detection.
Real-time RT-PCR involves the reverse transcription of viral RNA and subsequent amplification of the cDNA by PCR. The amplified product is detected using fluorescent dyes. These are usually linked to oligonucleotide probes that bind specifically to the amplified product. Monitoring the fluorescence intensities during the PCR run (i.e., in real time) allows the detection of the accumulating product without the need to re-open the reaction tubes afterward.
The virotype BTV pan/4 RT-PCR Kit uses three specific primer/probe combinations: one for the RNA of at least 27 known BTV serotypes, one for BTV-4 RNA, and one for the control RNA.
The kit contains a ready-to-use PCR mix and an enzyme mix with all of the necessary reagents for the detection of BTV RNA and the required positive and negative controls. With this kit, both reverse transcription and PCR are performed in one reaction tube, reducing the risk of contamination.
RNA is extracted from the sample material (blood or tissue) using a suitable sample preparation kit. The extracted RNA is used for the RT-PCR, which is run on a thermal cycler.
The virotype BTV pan/4 RT-PCR Kit is for detection of RNA from bluetongue virus (BTV) in samples of from cattle, sheep, and goats.
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Quick quotes: Sony still has a bit of a PS2 "hangover" says SCE UK boss
"What I find at SCE is that we've lots of passionate and committed people. But there's definitely an opportunity to up the pace of our competitiveness. We still have a bit of a hangover – at least in the UK company – from the days of being market dominant [with PS2]. I don't think we […]
SCE UK headlines
SCE UK planning "biggest campaign we've ever executed" for Vita launch
SCE UK has said it's set to go big on the launch for PlayStation Vita, promising the "biggest campaign" in the brand's 17 year history.
SCE UK encouraging schools to bring on board game design course
SCE UK boss Ray Maguire has encouraged that videogame design courses should be presented in schools as a viable career choice.
GT5 will help sell more PS3s this Christmas despite delays, says SCE UK
Sony's head of UK PR, David Wilson, has said Gran Turismo 5 will help Sony sell more PS3s this Christmas.
Sony announces PlayStation Beta event in Birmingham
Sony's announced a special event called PlayStation Beta, which will take place on the weekend of July 31 and August 1.
PlayStation 3 sells 3 million in UK, confirms SCEE
Sony's confirmed that over 3 million PlayStation 3s have been sold in the UK.
250Gb PS3 bundles confirmed, detailed, priced
SCE UK's confirmed a line-up of 250Gb PS3 bundles for the UK, priced £284.99. From October 1, a choice of soft bundles containing either two Platinum titles or inFamous will be available. On October 16, this range will be expanded to include an Uncharted 2 bundle. Finally, October 19 will see the launch of a […]
SCEE expresses "serious concerns" over Watchdog report accuracy
SCE UK boss Ray Maguire has expressed "serious concerns" about a Watchdog program airing tonight in the UK, which takes on PS3 hardware failures. "From [our] correspondence to date, I have serious concerns as to the accuracy of these allegations and the likely tone of the Watchdog report," said Maguire in a six-page letter you […]
Sony UK: PS3 sales are past our "expectations"
The huge spike in sales of the PlayStation 3 that was confirmed to VG247 today by Chart-Track was beyond the "expectations" of SCE UK. That is according to sales director of Sony UK Mark Howsen. "The first week's Chart-Track numbers for sales of the new PlayStation 3 were ahead of our expectations, so we were […]
SCE UK latest
Quick quotes: Sony still has a bit of a PS2 "hangover" says SCE UK boss
SCE UK planning "biggest campaign we've ever executed" for Vita launch
SCE UK encouraging schools to bring on board game design course
GT5 will help sell more PS3s this Christmas despite delays, says SCE UK
SCEE expresses "serious concerns" over Watchdog report accuracy


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Friendlypak products contain renewable and sustainable resources and are guaranteed not to last… After use they can be composted and returned to the earth, called Cradle to Cradle, saving landfill and enhancing our environment.
Why do we only recycle about 20% of our waste?
There is a reason… food waste is usually contaminated with packaging so can't be composted… packaging is usually contaminated with food so can't be recycled… The solution… Compostable Packaging! Combined with food and green waste; both food & packaging can be composted together!
Supported by our proven food scrap collection bin systems Friendlypak provides economical earth friendly alternatives that can replace existing old world petroleum based options that are damaging our only planet. We supply industries such as export, packaging, waste management, hospitality, food service, and manufacturing through to the consumer.
All our compostable and biodegradable products are genuine and contain renewable resources that are grown and manufactured sustainably, enabling reduced dependence on oil. They contain no toxic or harmful ingredients and have a superior TLCA (total life cycle analysis). They also have a reduced environmental footprint, are traded fairly and produced without exploitation or harm to people or animals.
Visit our Showroom at 651b Rosebank Road, Avondale, Auckland - open 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday and other times by appointment.


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This online course will train you to become a professional video game artist. Training centers around developing core skills for jobs related to Digital Art, 3D Art, Modeling, Character Design and Environmental Art Design. Once completed, you will have multiple employable skills including modeling game props and characters, importing required elements into game specific software, animation of game assets, and more.
This is a skills-specific course which will teach the key components and competencies needed to excel in positions related to 3D Art for Games and Environmental Art for Games. That said, beyond software and game related techniques, the course touches on just about everything, including general design and concept art. You will learn the fundamental principles of what makes good art great and the key social aspects needed for continued growth and professional development.
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Basic computer literacy and software installation.
Christian Bradley is the Director of Curriculum Development for Digital Media at the Art Institute of California, Orange County campus. He was as an instructor and Academic Director of Game Art and Design at the Art Institute of California, San Diego from 2003 to 2015. For more than twenty years, Bradley was an environment artist and texture artist with more than 35 commercial video game titles for PC, and Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo consoles in his portfolio. He has worked at Interplay, the Dreamers Guild Studios, and the Collective Studios. Some previous clients include Activision, Digital Extremes, and Legend Entertainment.
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Dedicated to quality and distinctive design, this manufacturer promises only the highest standards in quality and workmanship. Their skilled designers and engineers are committed to the creation of stylish and exclusive ranges rich in individual character.
Lending a contemporary feel to a classical design, the Saoirse bedroom range has all the airs of a timeless collection. Stylish yet subtle design details emphasise practicality above all, while the crisp paint finish gives the set a soothing sense of relaxation. A hard-wearing lacquer finish promises pieces to last.
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Within the ever-growing range of compact SUVs, Kia's little Sportage has represented a bargain-priced, well-warranted alternative to industry darlings such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. But there's a reason the others have been the standouts and the Sportage has not: The outgoing model wasn't dynamically or stylistically compelling.
The Sportage will be better prepared to challenge the segment leaders come August, however, when the all-new 2011 model hits U.S. dealerships. Sharing most of its dirty parts with the redesigned 2010 Hyundai Tucson, the Sportage remains less expensive and slightly smaller than the recently redesigned Sorento crossover in Kia's lineup. It's now wrapped in edgy, look-at-me styling that Kia hopes will succeed in attracting the male buyers most entries in the segment have not.
Massively Masculine-ized Styling, Inside and Out
The styling asserts its boy-car intentions loud and clear. The new model's proportions are as dramatic as the outgoing model's are dull, and few curves are found on its sheetmetal. The body graphics—including its angular headlamps, intricate taillamps, "tabbed" upper grille, flared lower grille, and chopped window shapes—all contribute to a beefy, high-tech appearance. Springing for the top-dog EX model yields a thin, Audi A5–esque strip of LED daytime running lights in the headlamps, a first for non-luxury compact utes and indicative of the Sportage's modernization. Even the color palette is aimed at men, with the basic white, black, silver, red, and blue shades supplemented by a dressy dark pewter and, our favorite, a shimmering metallic orange.
The interior is a big improvement compared to the dowdy trappings of its predecessor. While most surfaces are rendered in the hard plastics that are unavoidable in anything at this price point, the low-gloss finishes and beveled, masculine shapes help give the materials an upscale look. The deeply tunneled gauges are easy to read. As you'd expect, feature content ranges from relatively low-frills in base form ($18,990) to more comfortable in the mid-grade LX ($20,990). The lineup is topped by the EX model ($23,990), which loads up on interior extras while dressing up the exterior with chrome trim and a rear spoiler. Kia's Uvo voice-controlled media center also will be available, and rear-seat occupants benefit from access to direct sunlight through an optional two-row panoramic sunroof. Check all the boxes—including those for navigation and leather—and the Sportage will cost nearly $30K.
Lighter, More Powerful, More Efficient—And There's a Turbo Model Planned
For all the attitude served up by its bossy looks, driving the Sportage is a decidedly benign experience. Power comes from Kia/Hyundai's quiet, smooth 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 176 hp and 168 lb-ft of torque. Compared with last year's wussy 140-hp four-cylinder, the new engine feels positively muscular, and it's even three ponies up on the outgoing Sportage's optional 173-hp V-6. The Kia's four-cylinder is a few horsepower brawnier than both the Nissan Rogue's 170-hp four and the Ford Escape's base 171-hp four, yet it's a few horses shy of the four-bangers found in the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, which are rated for 179 and 180 hp, respectively. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the base front-wheel-drive model, while all others receive a six-speed auto.
The power increase feels amplified by a welcome weight loss for 2011. A base 2011 Sportage with a six-speed manual transmission weighs 73 fewer pounds than the prior entry-level model with its five-speed manual, according to Kia; a loaded 2011 Sportage EX with all-wheel drive and the new six-speed automatic registers 172 fewer pounds than the 2010 Sportage V-6 in four-wheel-drive guise. That said, no 2011 Sportage will challenge a Cayenne Turbo from a stoplight, and nor do we see all-wheel-drive models giving chase to Range Rovers in knee-deep mud ruts (although the electronically locking center differential is a pleasant surprise). With low-end grunt at a premium, it's near impossible to break the front wheels loose (even facing uphill on steep San Francisco streets), making the all-wheel-drive system a bit pointless for those who live in all but the rainiest and snowiest climes. Response is respectable once the revs are up, and winding the engine to redline is not the unpleasant experience it used to be. Fuel economy is decent thanks to its lower mass, wider gear spread, and improved aerodynamics. The front-wheel-drive 2011 Sportage will achieve fuel economy ranging from 21 mpg city/28 highway for the all-wheel-drive/automatic combo to a very respectable 22/31 with the front-wheel drive/auto setup.
While the 2.4-liter four is the only engine available at launch, Kia has promised to make its new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder—which debuts in the 2011 Optima and Hyundai Sonata wielding a potent 274 hp—an option for the Sportage within about six months. The resulting model will be called the Sportage SX, and we hope that Kia will find a way to add some life to the Sportage's steering by then. Installing a faster steering rack wouldn't hurt, either. At least body motions are nicely controlled, as we discovered on an extremely unpredictable, high-crowned, variable-camber road we found after breaking from Kia's prescribed drive route. But the well-sorted front strut/rear multilink suspension is let down by the slippery all-season tires, which screamed in protest on every hot corner, prompting the stability control to intervene early and often. On the other hand, harsh impacts are managed impressively on all but the roughest of roads.
A Decent Value, As Ever
We will perform our normal battery of instrumented tests on the 2011 Sportage soon, but, for non-enthusiasts, it seems that the new Sportage is as respectable a vehicle on which to spend 19 grand as any in its class, combining brash new looks with a contemporary cabin and a thoroughly modern powertrain. It's arguably the boldest effort we've seen yet from Kia's so-called "design-led transformation," and it should bolster the brand's longstanding reputation for offering strong value. Whether or not it siphons shoppers from Honda and Toyota showrooms remains to be seen.


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By at August 04 2019 01:06:25
Provide checklists. As users complete your form, you may well be asking them to provide supporting information or attach supplementary documents where required. Providing a checklist, often at the beginning or end of a form, helps remind users about all the things they should remember to attach, and any further steps they need to go through.
Use colour strategically. Colour in forms should be used with care - but used well it can really aid form completion and navigation. In general, yellow, for example, is a colour to avoid as much as possible - text set in yellow on a typical light background can be very hard to read - and people can find yellow aggressive.


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Acceleread Speed Reading Trainer by BananaBox Inc.
by via_web on
June 22, 2012
Filed under App DB, Productivity
I'm writing to ask if you'd be interested in reviewing our new iOS app, Acceleread Speed Reading Trainer, on your site. The app trains users to read significantly faster and save time, which we believe would be of interest to your audience. It's free to download and is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
iTunes Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/acceleread-speed-reading-trainer/id528963250?ls=1&mt=8
It's based on a previous iPad-only app we created that had fantastic results and was featured as an iTunes Staff Favorite several times: http://www.acceleread.com/
Our goal was to democratize and demystify "speed reading" so that anyone could learn the skill. There is a guided course that generates a personalized training program, a number of training tools to bolster reading effectiveness and several speed and comprehension tests to track your improvement.
I would love to tell you more as it really is a great app and we'd be thrilled to share it with your readers!
Warmest regards,
Rosanna Myers
Developer Website: http://www.acceleread.com/