The ancient scholars studied for their own improvement. Modern scholars study to impress others - Confucius
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A Thought for Today-420:
The ancient scholars studied for their own improvement. Modern scholars study to impress others - Confucius
Monday, August 30, 2010
A Thought for Today-419:
Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It is not something you learn in school. But if you have not learned the meaning of friendship, you have not really learned anything - Mohammad Ali
A Thought for Today-419:
Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It is not something you learn in school. But if you have not learned the meaning of friendship, you have not really learned anything - Mohammad Ali
Friday, August 27, 2010
A Thought for Today-418:
One must forever strive for excellence or even perfection, in any task however small and never be satisfied with second best - JRD Tata
A Thought for Today-418:
One must forever strive for excellence or even perfection, in any task however small and never be satisfied with second best - JRD Tata
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
S and T Watch-59: Man invents machine to convert plastic into oil
Thanks to Digg, I could see this interesting and enlightening video. Though the commentary is in Japanese, they do give English sub-titles and hence I could follow the whole thing. Akinori Ito has found a way to reduce carbon emission and pollution and save energy. I wish authorities take note of this invention and try to get this machine and test it in India. The whole thing seems to be very simple.
As plastic is made from oil, it should not be difficult to convert it back. Our man Akinori Ito's machine just does this. Just put plastic articles into the machine; you don't have to break them down. As the machine is swithched, the temperature increases; the plastic melts and becomes liquid; liquids boils and gas emanated which passes through a tube and is cooled with tap water and then it becomes oil. With further processing it can be used as gasolene, diesel and kerosene. One kg of plastic can be converted into one litre of oil. When you burn one kg of plastic waste, three kg of carbon dioxide is released. By Ito's process, you can reduce carbon emission by 80%. Thus, waste becomes treasure. He has demonstrated this in many places. What are we waiting for?
For further info:
For further info:
Plastic to oil fantastic
http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/plastic-to%20-oil-fantastic/
A Machine That Turns Plastic Back Into Oil
http://motherboard.tv/2010/8/22/a-machine-that-turns-plastic-back-into-oil--2
Grateful thanks to Akinori Ito, Digg, Our World, UN University, MotherboardTV and YouTube.
S and T Watch-59: Man invents machine to convert plastic into oil
Thanks to Digg, I could see this interesting and enlightening video. Though the commentary is in Japanese, they do give English sub-titles and hence I could follow the whole thing. Akinori Ito has found a way to reduce carbon emission and pollution and save energy. I wish authorities take note of this invention and try to get this machine and test it in India. The whole thing seems to be very simple.
As plastic is made from oil, it should not be difficult to convert it back. Our man Akinori Ito's machine just does this. Just put plastic articles into the machine; you don't have to break them down. As the machine is swithched, the temperature increases; the plastic melts and becomes liquid; liquids boils and gas emanated which passes through a tube and is cooled with tap water and then it becomes oil. With further processing it can be used as gasolene, diesel and kerosene. One kg of plastic can be converted into one litre of oil. When you burn one kg of plastic waste, three kg of carbon dioxide is released. By Ito's process, you can reduce carbon emission by 80%. Thus, waste becomes treasure. He has demonstrated this in many places. What are we waiting for?
For further info:
For further info:
Plastic to oil fantastic
http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/plastic-to%20-oil-fantastic/
A Machine That Turns Plastic Back Into Oil
http://motherboard.tv/2010/8/22/a-machine-that-turns-plastic-back-into-oil--2
Grateful thanks to Akinori Ito, Digg, Our World, UN University, MotherboardTV and YouTube.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Eyecatchers-153: Julian Assange of WikiLeaks caught up in a drama
I read with interest an article in The Hindu of August 23, 2010 by John F.Burns and Eric Schmitt. Naturally, after seeing the TED Global Video Interview of Julian Assange (embedded in this blog some days back) and reading much about him, any news about Assange is of interest to me.
According to this New York Times Newservice report Julian Assange of WikiLeaks was sought by the Swedish authorities on allegations of rape and molestation and later, the rape allegation was dropped.
The whole thing sounds fishy. One wonders whether people are after Julian Assange or some sort of conspiracy is brewing to intimidate Assange and close down WikiLeaks. Assange has tweeted that the whole thing is baseless.
The whole thing sounds fishy. One wonders whether people are after Julian Assange or some sort of conspiracy is brewing to intimidate Assange and close down WikiLeaks. Assange has tweeted that the whole thing is baseless.
I feel this is not the end. More may be coming up. Let us hope that he does not get caught in any conspiracy. I wish him all the best and may God protect him!
Grateful thanks to The Hindu, John F.Burns, Eric Schmitt and New York Times News Service.
Eyecatchers-153: Julian Assange of WikiLeaks caught up in a drama
I read with interest an article in The Hindu of August 23, 2010 by John F.Burns and Eric Schmitt. Naturally, after seeing the TED Global Video Interview of Julian Assange (embedded in this blog some days back) and reading much about him, any news about Assange is of interest to me.
According to this New York Times Newservice report Julian Assange of WikiLeaks was sought by the Swedish authorities on allegations of rape and molestation and later, the rape allegation was dropped.
The whole thing sounds fishy. One wonders whether people are after Julian Assange or some sort of conspiracy is brewing to intimidate Assange and close down WikiLeaks. Assange has tweeted that the whole thing is baseless.
The whole thing sounds fishy. One wonders whether people are after Julian Assange or some sort of conspiracy is brewing to intimidate Assange and close down WikiLeaks. Assange has tweeted that the whole thing is baseless.
I feel this is not the end. More may be coming up. Let us hope that he does not get caught in any conspiracy. I wish him all the best and may God protect him!
Grateful thanks to The Hindu, John F.Burns, Eric Schmitt and New York Times News Service.
Eyecatchers-152:
1. Even if we don't pay wages, people will contest for Parliament. Some out of idealism, to change India. Others, to rob India - Pritish Nandy in Twitter
2. Nuclear Liability Bill: High time UPA govt stops behaving naive, Bhopal experience key. Should protect Indian interests rather than suppliers! - Sanvai in Twitter
Courtesy: Tweets of the Day, The New Indian Express of August 23, 2010.
Grateful thanks to Pritish Nandy, Sanvai and The New Indian Express.
Eyecatchers-152:
1. Even if we don't pay wages, people will contest for Parliament. Some out of idealism, to change India. Others, to rob India - Pritish Nandy in Twitter
2. Nuclear Liability Bill: High time UPA govt stops behaving naive, Bhopal experience key. Should protect Indian interests rather than suppliers! - Sanvai in Twitter
Courtesy: Tweets of the Day, The New Indian Express of August 23, 2010.
Grateful thanks to Pritish Nandy, Sanvai and The New Indian Express.
Eyecatchers-151: Sidewall of Underpass Bridge on 4-lane NH collapses
If you think train journey is unsafe and you can take to road travel, please read this report.
Mr.J.Arockiaraj of ENS writes in The New Indian Express of August 23, 2010 of the collapse of the sidewall of underpass bridge towards Vadivelkarai from Nagamalai Pudukkottai in the Samayanallur-Virudhunagar National Highway four-way lane. The construction is barely six months old. It is alleged that faulty design and inferior construction have led to the collapse. Other details of the article make painful reading and I don't want to record them here. The official machinery will take its own time to attend to the problem and maybe they will spend some more public money and come up with some sort of temporary protection.
We don't know who is at fault for this collapse. Generally, what I recorded elsewhere about trade unions and associations holds good for contractors also. It seems nobody can touch them and they can get away with anything. Usually such contractors have the backing of some strong politician or the 'benamis' or close relatives of some powerful politician. So it seems they can never be brought to the book if they commit any misdeed. The least we can expect is that the concerned department will take up the problem at the earliest and does some corrective action or repair.
Grateful thanks to Mr.J.Arockiaraj of ENS and The New Indian Express for bringing out the news before the public.
Eyecatchers-151: Sidewall of Underpass Bridge on 4-lane NH collapses
If you think train journey is unsafe and you can take to road travel, please read this report.
Mr.J.Arockiaraj of ENS writes in The New Indian Express of August 23, 2010 of the collapse of the sidewall of underpass bridge towards Vadivelkarai from Nagamalai Pudukkottai in the Samayanallur-Virudhunagar National Highway four-way lane. The construction is barely six months old. It is alleged that faulty design and inferior construction have led to the collapse. Other details of the article make painful reading and I don't want to record them here. The official machinery will take its own time to attend to the problem and maybe they will spend some more public money and come up with some sort of temporary protection.
We don't know who is at fault for this collapse. Generally, what I recorded elsewhere about trade unions and associations holds good for contractors also. It seems nobody can touch them and they can get away with anything. Usually such contractors have the backing of some strong politician or the 'benamis' or close relatives of some powerful politician. So it seems they can never be brought to the book if they commit any misdeed. The least we can expect is that the concerned department will take up the problem at the earliest and does some corrective action or repair.
Grateful thanks to Mr.J.Arockiaraj of ENS and The New Indian Express for bringing out the news before the public.
Eyecatchers-150: U.S.Banktruptcy Filings
The New Indian Express of August 23, 2010, quoting PTI, reports a total of 1,572,597 bankruptcy cases were filed in federal courts in U.S. during the year ended June 30, 2010. It also reports of 118 banks biting the dust during the current year till now. In the meanwhile, an analyst is predicting another U.S.market crash next month. When the market of a nation like that of U.S. crashes, naturally it has worldwide impact. It worries me. Will the Indian Govt take necessary precautions so that if and when such a crash occurs, the Indian economy is not seriously affected?
Gratful thanks to PTI and The New Indian Express.
Eyecatchers-150: U.S.Banktruptcy Filings
The New Indian Express of August 23, 2010, quoting PTI, reports a total of 1,572,597 bankruptcy cases were filed in federal courts in U.S. during the year ended June 30, 2010. It also reports of 118 banks biting the dust during the current year till now. In the meanwhile, an analyst is predicting another U.S.market crash next month. When the market of a nation like that of U.S. crashes, naturally it has worldwide impact. It worries me. Will the Indian Govt take necessary precautions so that if and when such a crash occurs, the Indian economy is not seriously affected?
Gratful thanks to PTI and The New Indian Express.
Letters-89: Devastating Floods in Pakistan
Sir, Aditya Sinha in "The flood of silence" (TNIE, August 21, 2010) is blaming the middle and media (of India) for a cold response to the devastating floods in Pakistan when he himself has given the reason for our lack of interest. More than three unprovoked wars, repeated terror attacks, a hate campaign for the last six decades, sending militants to Kashmir, sowing seeds of separation, instigating the minority communities.... have left a bitter taste among Indians towards their neighbour. Given this, it is pointless to blame the media and the middle class. - V.Sundararajan, Chennai. (Letter to The Editor, The New Indian Express of August 23, 2010).
My comment: Perhaps Mr.Aditya Sinha expects every Indian to be a Buddha or a Jesus. We are ordinary mortals burdened with our own problems and difficulties. More often we are not able to express our token of gratitude people who do some good or the other to us. So involved and enwrapped we are in our problems and so difficult is life. When such is the case, how we could take an interest or sympathise with people who add to our misery.
Grateful thanks to Mr.V.Sundararajan and The New Indian Express.
Letters-89: Devastating Floods in Pakistan
Sir, Aditya Sinha in "The flood of silence" (TNIE, August 21, 2010) is blaming the middle and media (of India) for a cold response to the devastating floods in Pakistan when he himself has given the reason for our lack of interest. More than three unprovoked wars, repeated terror attacks, a hate campaign for the last six decades, sending militants to Kashmir, sowing seeds of separation, instigating the minority communities.... have left a bitter taste among Indians towards their neighbour. Given this, it is pointless to blame the media and the middle class. - V.Sundararajan, Chennai. (Letter to The Editor, The New Indian Express of August 23, 2010).
My comment: Perhaps Mr.Aditya Sinha expects every Indian to be a Buddha or a Jesus. We are ordinary mortals burdened with our own problems and difficulties. More often we are not able to express our token of gratitude people who do some good or the other to us. So involved and enwrapped we are in our problems and so difficult is life. When such is the case, how we could take an interest or sympathise with people who add to our misery.
Grateful thanks to Mr.V.Sundararajan and The New Indian Express.
Eyecatchers-149: Major Train Accident Averted
The New Indian Express of August 23, 2010, reports of a major train accident averted in Howrah (quoting South Eastern Railway officials and PTI). Two trains moving in opposite directions came on the same tracks, when the driver of a train apparently overshoot a signal. The incident occurred - no, no, night during night or midnight - during day time, 3.20 pm to be precise. One wonders how a signal can be overshot. What is going on? You may recall the ghastly train accident when many people met with gruesome death, when a train disregarding signals and warning announcements, rammed into a stationary train not long ago. People who are responsible for that will ever be apprehended? How such people are entrusted with responsibilities endangering the lives of hundreds of people? Is the Railway going to probe deep into it and punish the culprit/s? Or will it be covered up? With frequent cracks in rails, train robberies and carelessness, one wonders how safe rail travel is. Further, I wonder why in our country, people in power always want to cover up things instead of exposing culprits and punishing them? When somebody commits a misdeed he should be severely punished; otherwise it will be an encouragement to further misdeeds. Severe punishments would only act as deterrent, will it not?
My friend to whom I read out the above report says that people in power don't want to antagonise powerful unions and associations and you know, in this country, except rapists, murderers and robbers, everybody else has a got the support of some strong union or association and these unions and associations are usually headed by some powerful politician. No wonder cover up or hushing up is preferred to probing and punishing!
Grateful thanks to PTI and The New Indian Express.
Eyecatchers-149: Major Train Accident Averted
The New Indian Express of August 23, 2010, reports of a major train accident averted in Howrah (quoting South Eastern Railway officials and PTI). Two trains moving in opposite directions came on the same tracks, when the driver of a train apparently overshoot a signal. The incident occurred - no, no, night during night or midnight - during day time, 3.20 pm to be precise. One wonders how a signal can be overshot. What is going on? You may recall the ghastly train accident when many people met with gruesome death, when a train disregarding signals and warning announcements, rammed into a stationary train not long ago. People who are responsible for that will ever be apprehended? How such people are entrusted with responsibilities endangering the lives of hundreds of people? Is the Railway going to probe deep into it and punish the culprit/s? Or will it be covered up? With frequent cracks in rails, train robberies and carelessness, one wonders how safe rail travel is. Further, I wonder why in our country, people in power always want to cover up things instead of exposing culprits and punishing them? When somebody commits a misdeed he should be severely punished; otherwise it will be an encouragement to further misdeeds. Severe punishments would only act as deterrent, will it not?
My friend to whom I read out the above report says that people in power don't want to antagonise powerful unions and associations and you know, in this country, except rapists, murderers and robbers, everybody else has a got the support of some strong union or association and these unions and associations are usually headed by some powerful politician. No wonder cover up or hushing up is preferred to probing and punishing!
Grateful thanks to PTI and The New Indian Express.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
A Thought for Today-417:
It is easier to fight for principles rather than live up to them - Alfred Miller
A Thought for Today-417:
It is easier to fight for principles rather than live up to them - Alfred Miller
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Picture of the day-241:
An evening in Tirupporur (on the Old Mahabalipuram Road - OMR; 40 km from Chennai and 15 km from Mahabalipuram). Rain-clouds were forming. Still I leisurely offered my prayers at Sri Kandaswamy Temple and took a few photos. On my way back, I got drenched in the rain. But it was a pleasant experience, all the same.
Picture of the day-241:
An evening in Tirupporur (on the Old Mahabalipuram Road - OMR; 40 km from Chennai and 15 km from Mahabalipuram). Rain-clouds were forming. Still I leisurely offered my prayers at Sri Kandaswamy Temple and took a few photos. On my way back, I got drenched in the rain. But it was a pleasant experience, all the same.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
A Thought for Today-414:
Everyone can be great because everyone can serve - Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Thought for Today-414:
Everyone can be great because everyone can serve - Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
TED Interview-1: Why the world needs WikiLeaks: Julian Assange on TED.com
Julian Assange from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange
WikiLeaks from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikileaks
Grateful thanks to Julian Assange, Chris Anderson, TED.com and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
TED Interview-1: Why the world needs WikiLeaks: Julian Assange on TED.com
Julian Assange from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange
WikiLeaks from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikileaks
Grateful thanks to Julian Assange, Chris Anderson, TED.com and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Monday, August 09, 2010
A Thought for Today-413:
He is the best physician who is the most ingenious inspirer of hope - Coleridge
A Thought for Today-413:
He is the best physician who is the most ingenious inspirer of hope - Coleridge
Sunday, August 08, 2010
A Thought for Today-412:
Life is a tragedy to those who feel, and a comedy to those who think - Jean DeLaBruyere
A Thought for Today-412:
Life is a tragedy to those who feel, and a comedy to those who think - Jean DeLaBruyere
Friday, August 06, 2010
A Thought for Today-411:
Memory is the cabinet of imagination, the treasury of reason, the registry of conscience, and the council chamber of thought - St.Basil
A Thought for Today-411:
Memory is the cabinet of imagination, the treasury of reason, the registry of conscience, and the council chamber of thought - St.Basil
Thursday, August 05, 2010
A Thought for Today-410:
We lift ourselves by our thought, we climb upon our vision of ourselves - Orison Swett Marden
A Thought for Today-410:
We lift ourselves by our thought, we climb upon our vision of ourselves - Orison Swett Marden
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
A Thought for Today-409:
A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm - Unknown
A Thought for Today-409:
A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm - Unknown
Monday, August 02, 2010
Sunday, August 01, 2010
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