My Album-15: "Achu dressed like a Girl!"

In our family, it is customary to have the first hair-offering ceremony at one of the various tremples of Lord Muruga, preferably the nearest one, after the child is one year old. Achu's hair-offering got delayed by nearly 5 months. His ear-boring and hair-offering function were held at the Lord Shanmuganathan (another name for Lord Muruga) Temple, Kundrakkudi recently. The day before this photograph was taken at a studio. His mother dressed him like a girl and had this photo taken. Does he not look charming?

A Thought for Today : February 5, 2008

Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching - Thomas Jefferson

Three Stages in Life

There are three stages in life: you have to take a nap and you don’t want to do; you want to take a nap but don’t have the time; and you want to take a nap, and you do have the time, but you can’t fall asleep. - Sarah Raymond

Courtesy: Reader’s Digest, September 1997

The Long and Short of Life

Pessimism is a very easy way out because it is a short view of life. If you look at what is happening around us today, you can’t help but feel that life is a terrible complexity of problems. But if you look back a few thousand years, you realize that we have advanced fantastically. If you take a long view, I do not see how you can be pessimistic about the future of mankind.

I become very amused by my colleagues – particularly in the study of literature – the tragic view is the only key to life. This is self-indulgent nonsense. They simply feel rotten about everything, and that is terribly easy. But if you try to see things a little more evenly, it is surprising what complexities of comedy and ambiguity and irony appear. And that, I think, is what is vital to a novelist. Just writing tragic novels is easy. – Robertson Davies

Quoted by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in Creativity (Harper Collins)

Courtesy: Reader’s Digest, September 1997 (Points to Ponder)

A Thought for Today : February 4, 2008

Truth is eternal, knowledge is changeable. It is disastrous to confuse them – Madeleine L’Engle

Three Obstacles to Success

Most people would like more out of life than they already have. Some of them even define it. Yet, most of them will never achieve it, and it is because they are so easily stopped.

Just think of all the things you have ever wanted to accomplish in your life, and then think why you did not accomplish them. You would probably say you did not try hard enough or you never planned it out properly. But it is because you were stopped by three things that stops many people from being successful than anything else. In no particular order they are:

1. FEAR : Fear of failure is the single, biggest obstacle to our success. Fear is a negative motivator. It paralyzes us. Most people don’t succeed because they are afraid to fail. They are so afraid to fail; they don’t even try; which creates a vicious cycle since the only time we really fail is when we stop trying! Do you really believe that if you keep going out there day after day that you are not at least giving yourself the opportunity to be successful, to be great, to be the best? It is only when we STOP that we take away any opportunity we ever had to be great.

2. OTHER PEOPLE: This is a huge obstacle to success. Other people are always so ready, willing and able to tell us “It can’t be done,” and stop us from doing all the things we want to do in our lives and careers. They would like you to think they are acting in your best interests, but they are not. In fact, too often they are acting in their own best interests. There are too many people who want to stop you so that you don’t become more successful than they are. They feel it is easier to keep you down with them, than to get up off their rear ends and join you in achieving success. The next time one of these “other people”, tells us it cannot be done, say to them, “you are right, you can’t do it, but I can.”

3. HABITS: Bad habits constantly stop us. The habit of procrastination; laziness; call reluctance; not writing things down and many others. The problem with bad habits is not that we have them; it is how we try to break them. Habits are not addictions (drinking, drugs, gambling). Addictions have to be stopped immediately. Habits only be changed gradually. After all, you did not acquire that bad habit overnight. What makes you think you can change it overnight? Bad habits must be changed a little bit at a time. Mark out one day a week that you would not procrastinate; make one more sales call a week than you normally would; wake up five minutes earlier every day. Do it for a month, the next month do it a little more. Don’t try to break out of your comfort zone, just expand it.

There are no overnight successes. Success is a long journey over a road that has many roadblocks (fear, other people, bad bits). It is the people that go over, around and through those roadblocks who become successful.

Courtesy: Yuva Bharati, Feb.2008

Letters-6: Farmers' Suicide

1. The editorial, “The unending farm tragedy (The Hindu, Feb.2, 2008) was a timely reminder of the grave crisis facing our nation. We have a polity and a governance mechanism that have chosen not to act decisively to tackle the crisis. It is a matter of irony that the same political class which witnessed the onset of the crisis still calls the shots. Why don’t our politicians launch a national movement to address the woes of the farmers? Has a single hour of Parliament been disrupted for the hapless farmer? Has a politician ever sat on a hunger strike for him? It is a disgrace that the Maharashtra CM sought to draw media attention to Davos and Germany than to the crisis being faced by the farmers of Vidharbha. Discontent among farmers is a sure recipe for social unrest. If we do not take corrective action now, it will perhaps be a case of too little, too late. (Sekhar Rayaprolu, San Jose, California – Letter to the Editor, The Hindu, Feb.4, 2008)

2. That our farmers are resorting to suicide is not at all surprising. What can they do with a CM, who is inclined to “believe only local journalists,” at the helm? We are ready to sympathize with our entrepreneurs who will take home a few lakhs less every month because of the rupee appreciation. But we could not care less about what happens to the man who is responsible for cultivating food for us. We need to realize that our national security will be in danger if we lack food security. (S.Srinivas, Viakhapatnam – Letter to the Editor, The Hindu, Feb.4, 2008)

3. The agrarian crisis is a national tragedy. Evidently, the relief packages announced by Central and State governments have failed to mitigate the crisis. A multi-pronged approach including speedy relief to the affected farmers, low-cost operations with emphasis on food crops, and a radical change of mindset is the need of the hour. (S.Janakiraman, Coimbatore – Letter to the Editor, The Hindu, Feb.4, 2008)

Thanks to the Individuals and The Hindu.

Letters-5: On Smoking

1. Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss’ appeal to cinema stars to quit smoking on screen is well meaning and in the interest of society. Superstars and cricket players have a huge fan following, especially among the most impressionable group – the youth. The power of the visual media being what it is, their actions are bound to have a tremendous impact on young minds. These multi-millionaires should have a sense of gratitude. They should pay back to society from which they have got so much. (K.N.Krishnan, Bangalore – Letter to the Editor, The Hindu, February 4, 2008)

2. Acting falls in the public domain and actors cannot claim unlimited freedom as a matter of right. In a film-crazy and hero-worshipping nation like ours, cine stars should maintain a socially correct and upright image at least in public. Let our stars study the life and career of M.G.Ramachandran who is still remembered for his films which resonated with socially progressive themes. (V.N.Mukundarajan, Thiruvananthapuram – Letter to the Editor, The Hindu, February 4, 2008)

3. There many youngsters who look up to Sharukh Khan and others as heroes. Everyone knows smoking is bad for health and addictive. Should not they behave in a manner that has a good influence on the people? (D.Arpana, Coonoor – Letter to The Hindu, Feb.4, 2008)

Thanks to the individuals and The Hindu

Eyecatchers-57: 'Superfast Train"

Spain is to introduce soon a superfast train between Madrid and Barcelona. One way trip takes 155 minutes and any delay more than minutes, the passengers get back the full fare! The train runs at a speed of nearly 350 k.m. and can accommodate 404 passengers. Every reclining chair is fitted with video and music players and passengers can enjoy the trip listening to music or watching videos.

Based on a news item in The Hindu, Madurai, February 4, 2008

Eyecatchers-56: ''Daytime Nap good for Memory"

Concerned that a daytime snooze might ruin a good night’s sleep? Do not fret. A team of researchers in the US has carried out a study and discovered that a brief bout of 45 minutes obtained during a daytime nap does not hamper sleep at night but boosts a person’s declarative memory performance. The results of the study have been published in the Sleep journal.

Courtesy: PTI / The Hindu, Madurai, February 4, 2008

A Thought for Today : February 3, 2008

Every action must be due to one or other of seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reasoning, anger, or appetite – Aristotle

A Thought for Today : February 2, 2008

Youth is a circumstance you can't do anything about. The trick is to grow up without getting old - Frank Lloyd Wright

Eyecatchers-55: ''For LPG in fiberglass cylinders" by Sujay Mehdudia

Lightweight and transparent composite cylinders for liquefied petroleum gas, termed the 21st century LPG cylinders, are all set to hit the Indian market. Attracted by the expanding Indian market, a Norwegian company, Ragasco, has obtained the approval of the Chief Controller of Explosives to set up business in the country.

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murali Deora, who met a representative of the company during a visit to London, said he had asked the oil-marketing companies to examine the feasibility of introducing the advanced technological innovation in India. Ragasco, the pioneer of this technology, is contemplating setting up a joint venture in the country.

It is learnt that officials of Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum have visited the company’s facility in Norway to have a look at the new technology.

The new fiberglass cylinders are lightweight, easy to handle and safe. They weigh 50% less than the steel cylinders now in use and will not corrode.

The design is stylish and one can even view the level of liquefied gas inside.

Ragasco has marketed 3,00,000 cylinders in European countries including France, Portugal and the UK and has received product approvals in the US, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.

India has 150 million LPG cylinders and on an average seven million cylinders are circulated in the market every year.

Ragasco manufactures cylinders ranging from 5 kg to 14 kg by weight.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, Feb.2, 2008

Facts & Figures-19 : 17,060 Farm Suicides in One Year

17,060 Farm Suicides in One Year :
Upward Trends in major States unchanged, Maharashtra is the worst hit
By P.Sainath

Farm suicides in Maharashtra rose dramatically in 2006, more than in any other part of the country. The state saw 4,453 farmers’ suicides that year, over a quarter of the all-India total of 17,060, according to the National Crime Records Bureau(NCRB) in its report, Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, 2006……

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 31, 2008

A Golden Moment

Jnanpith winning Malayalam writer, M.T.Vasudevan Nair, received a special honour recently. The Kerala Sahitya Akademi organized a grand four-day literary festival in Thrissur to celebrate the golden jubilee of his novel Nalukettu, published in 1958. The novel deals with the disintegration of the Nair joint families. Malayalam’s living literary pantheon was present in full strength at the festival to sing paeans to writer who is tipped to be the next Central Sahitya Akademi president.

Courtesy: ‘Indiana’, The Week, February 3, 2008

Eyecatchers-54: ''DELHI BOOK FAIR" by Anita Joshua

The 18th edition of the biennial New Delhi World Book Fair, billed as the world’s second largest such event, will open on Saturday.

Announcing this at a press conference here, National Book Trust (NBT) Director, Nusrat Ahmed, said this time it would be a trade-oriented event and not just a platform for book sales.

A highlight this year will be an international rights exhibition featuring works on and by Mahatma Gandhi, in the 60th year of his martyrdom. Titled, “In Words and In Deeds”, the exhibition will have on display 1000 titles in Indian languages. There will also be some published in French, German, Finnish, Spanish and Brazilian.

NBT has put together an Annotated Rights Catalogue. It features annotations, bibliographic details, information on the availability of translation rights, copyright status, and contact details for rights, permissions and licences. The purpose according to Ms Ahmed, is to have an estimate of the quantum of writings on Gandhiji across the world and facilitate copyright negotiations.

With 2008 being declred the A highlight this year will be an international rights exhibition featuring works on and by Mahatma Gandhi, in the 60th year of his martyrdom. Titled, “In Words and In Deeds”, the exhibition will have on display 1000 titles in Indian languages. There will also be some published in French, German, Finnish, Spanish and Brazilian.

NBT has put together an Annotated Rights Catalogue. It features annotations, bibliographic details, information on the availability of translation rights, copyright status, and contact details for rights, permissions and licences. The purpose according to Ms Ahmed, is to have an estimate of the quantum of writings on Gandhiji across the world and facilitate copyright negotiations.

With 2008 being declared the Year of Russia in India, the Russian Federation will be the Guest of Honour. Housed in a special hall, the Russian pavilion will have over 80 publishers displaying their publications. Russia will host panel discussions, literary programmes and children’s activities.

Anzhelika Zhukova, director general of IMA Dialog which is putting together the Russian component, said 30 writers from Russia would attend. Half of them are part of the official delegation; the rest are coming on their own.

Ahead of the Fair, the Frankfurt Book Fair will host an international conference. NBT is buoyed by this, as it points to India’s emergence as an Asian center of publishing on a par with China.

The NBT Director drew attention to the number of requests that hve come from publishers for visa facilitation. Participation from 23 countries is confirmed.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 30, 2008

Eyecatchers-53: 'Kolkata Book Fair'

Kolkata Book Fair – Staff Reporter, The Hindu

“It looks like a war is being waged against books,” West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said at a “symbolic” inauguration of the Kolkata Book Fair here on Tuesday.

A Division Bench of the Kolkata High Court ruled in response to a public interest litigation that the Fair, which was supposed to begin from January 29, could not be held at the venue previously decided due to environmental concerns and possible traffic congestion.

“My reason or logic fails to explain as to how books can pollute society”, Mr.Bhattacharjee said. “No civilized society can accept this and together, we must find a way out of the situation.”

American poet, Christopher Meryll, carried out the “symbolic” inauguration by sounding the gong.

American novelist, Paul Theroux said the ‘alternative Book Fair’ was the best that could be managed under the circumstances.

“We are meeting secretly like early Christians because we are all book-lovers and readers,” he said.

Eminent Bengali writer, Sunil Gangopadhyay said the Book Fair was not just an emotional matter but it involved the livelihood of a lot of people, especially the poor.

“But it is unfortunate that we are inaugurating a Book Fair that does not have any books”, he said.

While steps should be taken to make it pollution-free with conditions imposed on the organizers, the Fair itself should be returned to the maidan.

Tridib Chattopadhyaya, General Secretary, Publishers and Book-sellers Guild, who organized the Fair, requested Mr.Bhattacharjee to consider setting up a permanent venue for the Book Fair.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, Jan.30, 2008

Eyecatchers-52: 'Walk to India Without Money'

BRITON PLANS TO WALK TO INDIA SANS MONEY

A British man is planning to walk to India without using money. He expects to rely on the goodwill of people along the way or work for bed and board.

Former dotcom businessman Mark Boyle, from Bristol, aims to reach Mahatma Gandhi’s birthplace after the 14,500-km trek. He reckons it will take him about two and a half years.

“I have got some sunscreen, a good knife, a spoon, a bandage… no Visa card, no travellers’ cheques, no bank accounts, zero. I won’t actually touch money along the way.” The 28-year-old told BBC radio.

Walking between 25 km to 70 km a day, he plan to work his way through France, Italy, eastern Europe, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan before reaching Porbandar.

On his blog, Mr.Boyle said he was setting off on Wednesday. “I will start writing a new chapter in my life. From this point on I endeavour to never touch money again,” he wrote at www.justfortheloveofit.org/blog.php.

Describing the trip as a “pilgrimage,” he said he aims to demonstrate a “harvest philosophy” in which people can live by sharing skills rather than using cash.

“My mum and dad always speak about a time in Ireland when people came together and took in the harvest together, and no money changed hands,” he said in his soft Irish accent.

“It was your friend John down the street or Mike round the corner and everyone came together and chipped in. But now folks tell me back home that they don’t even know anybody in the street anymore, the door is always locked. My message is, we have got to get back to a time where actually we have got to open those doors and get back to a communal way of living,” added Boyle, who describes himself as a “freeeconomist”.

Having traveled in Asia before, he believes he should be alright there. But he expects the phase of leaving Britain and traveling through Europe to pose problems.

Courtesy: AFP/The Hindu, Madurai, January 31, 2008

A Thought for Today : February 1, 2008

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. –Confucius

Facts & Figures-18 : 11,000 deaths in one year

During 2006, there were 55,145 road accidents in Tamil Nadu, in which 11,009 persons were killed.

Courtesy: Dina Malar (Tamil daily), Madurai, Jan.30, 2008