Facts & Figures-59: "Daily 92 crore people go without food"

A report in the Tamil daily, Dinamalar (Madurai edition) says that daily 92 crore people go to bed without food. World Food Day is observed world over on October 16 from the year 1979. Self-help groups from various countries are demanding that this day be observed as 'World Foodless Day' rather than 'World Food Day'.

Courtesy: 'Dinamalar', Tamil daily (Madurai edition), October 9, 2008.

Detailed Wikipedia article on "World Food Day":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Food_Day

Grateful thanks to Dinamalar and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Letters-59: Terrorist Strikes in India

1. Apropos "Surviving the siege" and other related articles (The Hindu Weekly Magazine, Dec.7, 2008), the government, the police, the intelligence agencies have failed in preventing the terrorist strikes in India. But we do not need knee-jerk responses to deal with the menace of terrorism. Rather, a visionary leadership and corruption-free administration to strengthen our security, revamp the police, bolster intelligence and coordinate the efforts of various agencies to herald a counter-terrorism operation with strong political willpower and imagination to save the ordinary citizens of India. The electronic media too must show restraint by not sensationalising the news and should be careful in their coverage. They need training in this regard. - Akhil Kumar, Delhi.

2. It is not enough to merely condemn 26/11 terrorist attack on Mumbai. Terrorists are bent on destroying the rhythm of people's lives. Their aim is to instill fear in people's minds and disturb communal harmony. From the death and suffering of innocent people, and the fire-fighters and police who went to help them, the world needs to learn the lesson that terrorism solves no problems, and that it needs concerted effort by all nations to stamp it out.

It is also time to think whether the underlying reason for the increase in terrorism is economic and cultural, triggered by changes in international economic functioning to which some sections of society are unable or unwilling to adapt. Whether at an individual level or a national level, no amount of physical protection or technical sophistication can be a protection against terrorist attacks. India must revamp its policy and approach to terrorists. Far too long, despite the killing of several people in the terror attacks in major cities, we have not formulated a pro-active policy. We must stand united in this hour of crisis. The government, on its part, should enact tougher laws instead of dealing with terrorism in a reactionary manner. - Dr.T.Marx, Dept of English, Pondicherry University, Puducherry.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Weekly Magazine, Dec.14, 2008.

Grateful thanks to Mr.Akhil Kumar, Dr.T.Marx and The Hindu.

Eyecatchers-129: "Energy Home"

I am a Life Subscriber of 'IYARKAI MARUTHTHUVAM' i.e. 'NATUROPATHY' in Tamil, a Tamil monthly published by the 'Tamil Nadu Iyarkai Maruththuva Sangam' (Tamil Nadu Naturopathy Association), Gandhi Museum, Madurai-625020, Tamil Nadu. The life subscription is only Rs.100/- and you get the 4-page newsletter every month all your life. It contains highly useful and interesting Health News. The editor of the newsletter, Mr.Devadas Gandhi is a true Gandhian. He has chosen the path of celibacy and leads a simple and service-oriented life and resides in the Gandhi Museum complex itself. I find meeting and talking to him a wonderful experience. So whenever I get a chance I go to the Gandhi Museum and meet Mr.Gandhi there.

In the current issue of the newsletter, there was a brief article about 'Energy Home'. I found it very interesting and inspiring and thought I would share it with visitors of this blog. ENERGY HOME is a Natural Health Food Restaurant in Chetty Street of Pondicherry. It serves its customary natural food, not just a few items. About 150 varieties of Vegetable and Fruit Juice! In the mornings, you have 60 types of 'idli', 10 types of 'pongal', 'uppuma', 'kichadi', 'vada' and 'dosa' and 20 types of Herbal Tea! In the afternoon, 100 types of meals! At night you have many types of 'dosa', noodles, 'vada', cutlet and varieties of vegetable salads. All uncooked food!

Further, they totally avoid oil, tamarind, chilly powder, milk, curd and sugar in their preparations. How I wish we have some such Natural Food Establishment at my place, Karaikudi!

You can also get free health tips for your ailments. They say the less acidic food and more alkaline food you take, the more healthy you will be.

I am plain curious to know how they prepare all the above dishes without cooking and without oil and other ingredients. So when I visit Pondicherry next, I intend to go there, meet these interesting people and enjoy the healthy food they offer. If you are also inclined, you can also do the same.

They have their own website, which you visit and see the details for yourself:

http://www.energyhome.in/

My hearty congratulations to Dr S S Manickam and Dr.M Gopinath, Naturopaths, who run 'Energy Home', the Natural Health restaurant and propagate Naturopathy.

Grateful thanks to 'Iyarkai Maruththuvam' , Tamil Naturopathy monthly newsletter and 'Energy Home'.

Eyecatchers-128: "Obamabilia"

Merchandise celebrating Obama is being sold by companies and consumers have already spent perhaps as much as $200 million (Rs.1,002 crore) on Obamabilia, two months before his inauguration as the 44th President of the USA.

Excerpt from "Obamabilia" from The Hindu, December 9, 2008.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Facts & Figures-58: "Long Live the Mouse!"

Mouse, the pointing device, we use with our computer, is 40 years old today. This tool has been developed by Dr.Douglas Engelbart of the Stanford Research Institute, USA. It has gone through many advancements, making our life easy. So Happy Birthday, Mouse! and grateful thanks to Anand Parthasarathy for his nice article, "Happy birthday, mighty mouse!" in the Information Technology page of The Hindu, December 7, 2008, but for which I would have missed the news.

Detailed Wikipedia article on "MOUSE":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_(computing)

Grateful thanks to Mr Anand Parthasarathy, The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Eyecatchers-127: "Online Dictionary of North-East Languages" by Sushanta Talukdar

Are you curious to know what the right word is for 'mother' in some of the major languages spoken in north-east India? If yes, key in the word 'mother' in the search box at http://www.xobdo.net/ and choose the language or dialect you want and you will get the equivalent word.

To help users learn more words in NE languages, the publisher of the first northeast regional languages-English online dictionary, XOBDO (means 'sound' or 'word' in Assamese), is on the lookout for more volunteers in these languages to add to the dictionary's database.

Started as an online Assamese-English dictionary in 2006, XOBDO is the brainchild of Bikram M.Baruah, an engineer of Assam now based in Abu Dhabi.

It is currently run by a team of volunteers.

In 2007, xobdo.net added multiple interfaces to include 16 more languges spoken in the north-east: Khasi, Dimasa, Bodo, Karbi, Nagamese, Garo, Ao, Mizo, Mishing, Tanii(Apatani), Monpa, Meiteilon, Binshnupriya, Chakma, Kok-Borok and Kuki.

Compared to the 19,388 Assamese words, the database of other NE languages is still very small.

Excerpt from The Hindu, Madurai, Dec.7, 2008.

Detailed Wikipedia article on "XOBDO.org": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xobdo

Grateful thanks to Sushanta Talukdar and The Hindu.

My Photo Album-31:

Suri (extreme left) with kin

I came across this photograph while I was decluttering my room. This must be about 37 to 38 years old. This was taken in a professional photo studio, Kalpana Studio, Tirunelveli Town, if I remember correct. This was probably a few days after my first sister's marriage. I was in my twenties. Tirunelveli is the place where I did my high-schooling i.e. about 6 years. Now my contact with the place has diminished. Though many of my people are there, I rarely go there. I have lost touch my class-mates. Generally, I avoid all functions. When it becomes unavoidable, I make very brief visits. My visits to Tirunelveli fall under this unavoidable category. My memories of Tirunelveli have not been pleasant, unfortunately. My days there are better forgotten. However, this photograph kindled my memory of the place and people. As I look at this photo, I cannot but feel and realize the fact that time has ravaged my face and my hairs have turned grey. Anyway, this photo may be of interest to my children and hence I am posting it here.

Eyecatchers-126: "Intersex, The Third Gender"

Australia's official human rights watchdog wants a third gender called "intersex" to be created, for use in official documents such as passports and driving licences.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai ("Newscape"), December 7, 2008.

Detailed Wikipedia articles on "INTERSEXUALITY" and 'THIRD GENDER":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_gender

Grateful thanks to The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

S&T Watch-40: Stem Cell Niche

Researchers have identified the precise location of bone marrow stem cell, using a new technology termed ex vivo imaging of stem cells.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai ("Newscape"), December 7, 2008.

Detailed Wikipedia articles on "STEM CELL" and "STEM CELL NICHE":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell_niche

Grateful thanks to The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Eyecatchers-125: "Dr Romila Thapar wins Kluge Prize!"

Dr Romila Thapar, Emeritus Professor of History, Jawaharlal Nehru University has been chosen for the Kluge Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Study of Humanity instituted by the United States Library of Congress. She will receive the one million dollar prize along with Peter Robert Lamont Brown, Professor of History at Princeton University, in a ceremony on December 10 at the Library of Congress.

Source: The Hindu, Madurai, Dec.5, 2008.

Detailed Wikipedia articles on "Kluge Prize" and "Romila Thapar" with her picture:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kluge_Prize

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romila_Thapar

Grateful thanks to The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Letters-58: "Platitude or Declaration?"

The headline, 'Manmohan: no terrorist or enemy can destroy India's unity' (The Hindu, Dec.4), illustrates how a Prime Minister can make a self-evident platitude sound like a new declaration of national intent and a call to arms by a patriotic, unifying group of politicians. After the thousands of terrorist attacks and tens of thousands of innocent lives lost, which successive bands of netas have done little about, the one thing every Indian knows without the need for exhortations from anyone is that every such attack has resulted in greater unity. If it had been otherwise, this country would have imploded years ago. Our politicians miss no opportunity to pit the Muslim against the Hindu, and the Hindu against the Christian, one caste against another, tribes against castes, and sons of the soil against 'outsiders'.

The only schism they have left untouched is the poor against the rich. Indian unity is a reality that exists, not because of, but despite their machinations. - Nowroz J.Cama, Chennai.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, December 5, 2008 ("Letters to the Editor").

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

S&T Watch-39: Using Zinc Oxide Wires to Produce Electricity

A new type of power generator produces AC current by cyclical stretching and releasing of zinc oxide wires. GeorgiaTech has used piezoelectric properties of zinc oxide structures to harvest energy from the environment.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, December 4, 2008. ("Snapshots" in the Science & Technology page).

Detailed Wikipedia article on "Piezoelectricity":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectric

Grateful thanks to The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Q&A-3: "Does Caste Continbue to Haunt Urban India?"

Yes. Caste divides continue to haunt not only rural but urban India as well. Caste clashes have become commonplace in our country. Loss of lives and property in these clashes are considerable. Women and children are the worst sufferers. Admissions to our educational institutions right from schools to universities are made on caste basis and reservation quotas. The same can be said about employment too. So much so that there are caste-based associations and wings in educational institutions and public offices throughout the country. Parties in the name of castes do much damage to national harmony and peace - T.V.Ramamurthy, Guindy.

Courtesy: The Times of Adyar, November 23, 2008 ("Speak Out Loud")

Grateful thanks to Mr.Ramamurthy and The Times of Adyar.

Eyecatchers-124: "Towards Fuel Efficiency"

I came across this ad from the Petroleum Conservation Research Association, New Delhi and thought it should be seen by all who drive powered-vehicles, or at least the salient points. These tips we could follow easily.

1. Drive your car at 40-50 kmph, optimum fuel-efficient speed to give you maximum mileage. You can save up to 20% of petrol against driving at 70 kmph. (I think it is applicable to two-wheelers also and if you are driving a moped like me, 30-40 kmph may be the optimum speed).
2. Clean your car’s air filter regularly – dust causes rapid erosion of engine components and increases fuel consumption.
3. Always ensure that you drive in correct gear for better fuel efficiency.
4. Car-pooling reduces the number of cars plying on the roads, thereby leading to decongestion of traffic and decreasing pollution. It simultaneously leads to lesser greenhouse gas emissions and cuts traveling costs. The system also tackles the problem of inadequate parking space. Car-pooling eases driving stress and helps broaden your social network, increasing productivity and boosting morale.
5. Switching off engines at red lights for over 15 seconds
6. Using the recommended grade of engine oil
7. Periodically checking tyre pressure
8. Regular maintenance of vehicles is imperative

Use these tips from PCRA to make your contribution towards saving fuel and do your bit to tackle climate change.

A mere 2% saving of petroleum products will translate into saving of Rs.10,000 crores per annum!

Courtesy: The Petroleum Conservation Research Association, New Delhi.

Letters-44: Looking Ahead

As a security consultant who has worked overseas for 25 years, I am stunned at the callous, unprofessional and totally disorganised security response to a situation such as the Mumbai terror attack. I can understand politicians trying to divert public attention by blaming Pakistan, which has never been a friend. It is well known that the Pakistan army will do everything possible to destabilise us. But then, we did not establish institutions at great costs to point a finger at others.

The initial response from the Mumbai police showed they had no idea what the situation was and how to handle it. Proposals such as having NSG contingents in every city are not the solution. The command and control should always be with the local police. They should have the means to respond adequately and promptly and be able to demand help from all sources. - Samuel Martyn James, Chennai.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, December 1, 2008.

Grateful thanks to Mr.Samuel Martyn James and The Hindu.

S&T Watch-38: "New Electric Hybrid Bicycle"

Japan's Sanyo Electric on Monday (December 1, 2008) unveiled a new electric hybrid bicycle that can triple the user's pedal power to make it easier to climb hills. Equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the "eneloop bike" takes the crossover between a normal bicycle and a moped one step further, aiming to tap growing interest in tackling global warming.

The system harnesses energy from braking when the bike goes downhill, and can add extra power equivalent to double the rider's pedal force for going uphill.

The bike can travel 1.8 times faster than conventional bicycles, thanks to the motor powering its front wheel - AFP.

Courtesy: AFP and The Hindu, Madurai, December 2, 2008.
Grateful thanks to AFP and The Hindu.

Eyecatchers-123: "RAW has failed miserably!"

I came across this article about RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), the anti-espionage and intelligence wing of the Govt of India. Its annual budget is a mammoth Rs.1000 crores! It is supposed to gather intelligence about terrorist groups and espionage activities and feed it to the concerned security agencies. But as we all know, there have been bomb blast after bomb blast and terrorist attack after terrorist attack. One is constrained to come to the conclusion that RAW has failed miserably. But the most painful part that has been revealed is since there is no accountability for the money that is being spent by it, it is alleged that there is a lot of misuse. Further, it is alleged that there is infighting and ego clash between officers selected from IPS cadre and those who have been recruited directly, affecting the smooth functioning of RAW.

Source: 'Dinamalar', Tamil daily, Madurai, December 2, 2008.

Grateful thanks to Dinamalar.

Letters-57: "Living with Terror"

Terror has no heart. But we hve to live with it. We need to make some change in our way of life. We must overcome differences of religion, caste, region etc and vote for candidates on merit. We should cooperate with the authorities in maintaining tight security, and inform the police of suspicious characters and activities.

Anyone breaking the law - starting from basic traffic violations - should be dealt with severely to drive home the importance of discipline. - Donald DCruz, Kollam.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, December 1, 2008 ("Letters to the Editor")

Grateful thanks to Mr Donald DCruz and The Hindu.

Health News-9: "World AIDS Day"

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007, and an estimated 33 million people worldwide live with HIV as of 2007, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 2 million lives in 2007, of which about 270,000 were children. The concept of a World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. Since then, it has been taken up by governments, international organizations and charities around the world.

From its inception until 2004, UNAIDS spearheaded the World AIDS Day campaign, choosing annual themes in consultation with other global health organizations. In 2005 this responsibility was turned over to World AIDS Campaign (WAC), who chose Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise as the main theme for World AIDS Day observances through 2010, with more specific sub-taglines chosen annually. This theme is not specific to World AIDS Day, but is used year-round in WAC's efforts to highlight HIV/AIDS awareness within the context of other major global events including the G8 Summit. World AIDS Campaign also conducts “in-country” campaigns throughout the world, like the Student Stop AIDS Campaign, an infection-awareness campaign targeting young people throughout the UK.

It is common to hold memorials to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS on this day. Government and health officials also observe, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995 the President of the United States has made an official proclamation on World AIDS Day. Governments of other nations have followed suit and issued similar announcements.

Excerpt from "World AIDS Day" from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Grateful thanks to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. for providing the above material under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Eyecatchers-122: "Two Million Books/Articles/Images in Public Domain!"

A news item in the Newscape section of The Hindu, Madurai edition of November 21. 2008 caught my eye. It was about the Europeana Digital Library, which was launched on November 20, 2008. It had to be closed after it was swamped by Internet users. Then I went to their website (www.europeana.eu). Swamped is right. 10 million hits per hour! Naturally they had to close down. However, they have offered to come up with a robust version by mid-December.

In the meanwhile some info about the Europeana project.

Europeana is a search platform for a collection of European digital libraries with digitized paintings, books, films and archives. The project was initiated by the European Commission. The Library contains around two million digital items, all of them already in public domain.

I repeat for the sake of bloggers, all the 2 million items are in the PUBLIC DOMAIN, which means you can use, re-use, distribute, re-distribute, excerpt and probably modify also; of course, with ncessary credit/attribution. Sort of bonanza, what you think!

The project aims to have 10 million works by 2010, when Europeana is due to be fully operational.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.