Eyecatchers-142: "President Obama's First Steps"

Upon taking office, Obama ordered all secret U.S. prisons closed immediately, and the detention center at Guantanamo Bay closed within a year; he stopped the torture of American prisoners; granted access to all U.S. detainees to the International Red Cross; ended the practice by which detainees could be sent to countries where they might be tortured; froze the salaries of all White House officials making more than $100,000; ordered all government agencies to "adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure" regarding Freedom of Information Act requests; ordered all administration appointees to take an ethics pledge; ended a government ban on funding for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad; and revoked Executive Order 13233, which placed limits on public access to the records of former presidents.

Courtesy: Theodore Ross, HARPER'S WEEKLY, January 27, 2009

Grateful thanks to Mr.Theodore Ross and Harper's Weekly.

Letters-66: "Well done, Obama!"

1. As a follow up to his speeches during the election campaign, President Barack Obama has halted the trials in the Guantanamo Bay and put Pakistan on notice. His strong message to Pakistan linking non-military aid to it to its performance in the war on terror is welcome. His approach is pleasantly different from that of the Bush administration, which knew Pakistan's double standards on terror but failed to rein it in. - Capt.T.Raju (retd), Secunderabad.

2. Mr.Obama's action to halt the infamous Guantanamo trials is welcome. It will help to restore the credibility of the U.S. in the eyes of the world. If he can also set a target for pulling the American troops out of Iraq, as he promised during his election campaign, the road to peace and stability in the Middle East will become visible. - Rajaram Santhanam, Mumbai.

3. Mr.Obama's order to prosecutors at the military tribunals in Guantanamo Bay to suspend the trial shows his respect for humanity. With the change in the U.S. leadership, the world is optimistic of a global change for the better. - A.Samshath, Chennai.

4. It was heartening to see Mr.Obama beginning to deliver on his campaign promises within hours of assuming office as President. The suspension of the trial proceedings against the Guantanamo detainees for 120 days is a positive step. Mr.Obama has initiated action to remove one of the ugliest legacies of the Bush era. Hopefully, the illegal detention centre will be shut down soon. - Shahabuddin Nadeem, Bangalore.

5. Mr.Obama's order to suspend trials at the Guantanamo Bay shows that he means business. His initiative to resolve the Middle East issue, too, deserve praise. - Y.S.Kadakshamani, Madurai.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 26, 2009.

Grateful thanks to Capt.T.Raju (retd), M/s.Rajaram Santhanam, A.Samshath, Shahabuddin Nadeem, Y.S.Kadakshamani and The Hindu.

S&T Watch-51: "Discovery of Magnetosphere"

Scientists discovered the "MAGNETOSPHERE", a layer of ions and electrons, surrounding the earth describe by one physicist as a "Warm Plasma Cloak".

Courtesy: Christopher R.Beha, Harper's Weekly, January 13, 2009.

Detailed Wikipedia article on "MAGNETOSPHERE":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetosphere

Grateful thanks to Christopher R.Beha and Harper's Weekly.

Self-Improvement-44: "Right Beginnings"

Life is full of beginnings. They are presented every day and every hour to every person. Most beginnings are small, and appear trivial and insignificant, but in reality they are the most important things in life.

See how in the material world everything proceeds from small beginnings. The mightiest river is at first a rivulet over which the grasshopper could leap; the great flood commences with a few drops of rain; the sturdy oak, which has endured the storms of a thousand winters, was once an acorn; and the smouldering match, carelessly dropped, may be the means of devastating a whole town by fire.

Consider, also, how in the spiritual world the greatest things proceed from smallest beginnings. A light fancy may be the inception of a wonderful invention or an immortal work of art; a spoken sentence may turn the tide of history; a pure thought entertained may lead to the exercise of a world-wide regenerative power; and a momentary animal may lead to the darkest crime.

You can, by careful thought, avoid wrong beginnings and make right beginnings, and so escape evil results and enjoy good results.

Direct your energies and attention to those beginnings over which you have complete control and authority, and which bring about the complicated web of results which compose your life. These beginnings are to be found in the realm of your own thoughts and actions.

How do you begin each day? At what hour do you rise? How do you commence your duties? In what frame of mind do you enter upon the sacred life of a new day? What answer can you give your heart to these important questions? You will find that much happiness or unhappiness follows upon the right or wrong beginning of the day, and that, when every day is wisely begun, happy and harmonious sequences will mark its course, and life in its totality will not fall far short of the ideal blessedness.

It is a right and strong beginning to the day to rise at an early hour. Begin the day strongly by shaking off indolence. How are you to develop strength of will and mind and body if you begin every day by yielding to weakness? Self-indulgence is always followed by unhappiness. Men and women are totally unaware of the great losses which they entail by this common indulgence: loss of strength of mind and body, loss of prosperity, loss of knowledge, and loss of happiness.

Begin the day, then, by rising early. If you have no object in doing so, never mind; get up, and go out for a gentle walk among the beauties of nature, and you will experience a buoyancy, a freshness, and a delight, not to say a peace of mind, which will amply reward you for your effort. One good effort is followed by another; and when a man begins the day by rising early, even though with no other purpose in view, he will find that the silent early hour is conducive to clearness of mind and calmness of thought, and that his early morning walk is enabling him to become a consecutive thinker, and so to see life and its problems, as well as himself and his affairs, in a clearer light; and so in time he will rise early with the express purpose of preparing and harmonising his mind to meet any and every difficulty with wisdom and calm strength.

There is, indeed, a spiritual influence in the early morning hour, a divine silence and an inexpressible repose, and he who, purposeful and strong, throws off the mantle of ease and climbs the hills to greet the morning sun will thereby climb no inconsiderable distance up the hills of blessedness and truth.

Excerpts from the the first chapter, "Right Beginnings" of "BYWAYS TO BLESSEDNESS" by James Allen.

Eyecatchers-141: "Quote from Inaugural Speech"

"On this day, we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. We come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises."

- Excerpt from the Inaugural Speech of Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America

Courtesy: The New Indian Express, Tiruchy, January 22, 2009.

Detailed Wikipedia articles on "BARACK OBAMA" and "BARACK OBAMA - THE BLACK KENNEDY (The bestselling biography of Barack Obama): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obama http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama_-_Der_schwarze_Kennedy

Inaugural Address of Barack Obama from WashingtonPost.com: http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/Obama_Inaugural_Address_012009.html

Grateful thanks to The New Indian Express, Washington Post and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

S&T Watch-50: "Invisibility Shield"

US and Chinese researchers are a step closer to creating an invisibility shield. They have created 'metamaterials' which can guide electromagnetic waves around an object, and have them emerge on the other side.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 23, 2009 ("Snapshots - Science & Technology page).

Detailed Wikipedia article on "METAMATERIALS":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamaterials

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

Health News-17: "Railways gesture to Cancer Patients"

The Railway Ministry will provide confirmed accommodation to cancer patients going to hospital for check-up. Accommodation will be provided in trains to the patient and an attendant travelling on tickets issued against a concession certificate. They can also avail themselves of the facility on their return journey. - PTI.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 22, 2009.

Grateful thanks to PTI and The Hindu.

Letters-65: "Satyam Scam"

1. This refers to the article "Satyam not an isolated instance" (The Hindu, Jan.22, 2009). The risk of many more Satyams cropping will remain as long as the auditors of companies are overpaid and government regulators underpaid. This practice reinforces the 'yes boss' and 'yes sir' culture. Self-regulation just cannot work in a system where the mice do everything possible to drive the cat away so that they can play. Self-discipline and integrity should taught in primary schools as business schools consider teaching them a complete waste of time. One can find many ways to circumvent the best security system but not his conscience. - Berry J.Vethakkan, Chennai.

2. The Satyam episode has tarnished the image of not only one company but also the entire corporate sector. How far a shareholder can trust a company's 'audited' statement of accounts is now a moot question. Normally, a company's health should determine the market price of its shares. But over the years we find that the market price has nothing to do with the functioning of a company. The stock market seems to have become a gambler's den where gullible investors are taken for a ride. - S.S.Rajagopalan.

3. The vested interests have created the image that the stock market is a provider of enormous returns. All vital players - promoters, shareholders and investors - are in the market with unflinching greed for more and more profits. All kinds of manipulations, therefore, take place to ensure that all these players get more returns on their investment. - N.Sekar, Salem.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 23, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor")

Grateful thanks to M/s.Berry J.Vethakkan, S.S.Rajagopalan, N.Sekar and The Hindu.

Health News-32: New Medicine for Growing Eyelashes"

Harper's Weekly reports of Allergan, the drug company that developed Botox, is releasing Lattisse, a new prescription medication for growing longer, thicker eyelashes.

Courtesy: Gemma Sieff, Harper's Weekly, January 20, 2009.

Grateful thanks to Gemma Sieff and Harper's Weekly.

Environment-15: "Google Search and Boiling Kettle"

Harper's Weekly reports that according to environmental researchers performing two Google searches generates the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle.

Courtesy: Gemma Sieff, Harper's Weekly, January 20, 2009.

Grateful thanks to Gemma Sieff and Harper's Weekly.

Health Warning-7: "Vicks VapoRub and Children"

Harper's Weekly reports quoting a study that Vicks VapoRub may cause bronchial inflammation and suffocation if used on children younger than two years.

Courtesy: Gemma Sieff, Harper's Weekly, January 20, 2009.

Grateful thanks to Gemma Sieff and Harper's Weekly.

Letters-64: "Ban Jallikattu"

1. Four persons lost their lives and many sustained injuries in jallikattu (bull-taming sport) held during Pongal in Tamil Nadu. One fails to understand the craze for such a sport among some sections. Every year, participants and bystanders are gored by the bulls. Compared with the bullfight in countries such as Spain and Mexico, jallikattu is disorganized. It is time jallikattu was banned. - K.Venkataraman, Mumbai.

2. The so-called sport called jallikattu involves neither bravery nor sporting skills. The argument that it forms part of the Tamil tradition does not hold water as we have discarded many other traditional practices in the name of rationalism. In any case, none of our matrimonial advertisements these days seeks bridegrooms with skills to tame bulls. - Rettavayal S.Krishnaswamy, Chennai.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 20, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor").

Grateful thanks to M/s.K.Venkataraman, Rettavayal S.Krishnaswamy and The Hindu.

S&T Watch-49: "Light Squeezed to Quantum Limit"

University of Toronto physicists have found a technique to squeeze light to the quantum limit. This may lead to high-precision measurement, next generation atomic clocks and novel quantum computing.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 8, 2009 ("Science & Technology Page: Snapshots").

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

My Photo Album-34: "The Pongal Greetings I received"

Pongal was indeed a happy day. From the morning, friends and relatives kept calling and greeting. There were SMS also. But the only one hard copy I received was from Aravind. If you are familiar with this blog, then you already know him. Otherwise, he is my little nephew, doing 5th standard. His hand-made greetings was unique and enjoyable, which I would like to post in my blog.

S&T Watch-48: "Tungsten Bulbs to be phased out in the EU"

By 2016, the incandescent light bulb will be passe in the EU. This month, 75W and 100W bulbs begin to disappear in the EU due to the switch to the eco-friendly, but dimmer, often expensive bulbs.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 8, 2009 ("Snapshots").

Detailed Wikipedia article on "Incandescent Light Bulb":

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

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

Health News-31: "Sadness and Health"

An American study suggests that sadness is good for human health; it serves an evolutionary purpose and helps us learn from mistakes.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 16, 2009 ("Snapshots").

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Happy Pongal!

Photo courtesy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sowri/2184307235/

Tamilians all over the world celebrate 'Pongal', the Harvest Festival tomorrow. Also known as the 'Festival of Tamils'. It is more than 1000 years old. It is a thansgiving day - thanking the Sun god, Rain god and the farm animals.

More on this, in a day or two.

Health News-30: "Secret of Longevity"

A study has found that people who are ambitious, organized and conscientious live longer than those who are impulsive, Health Psychology reports.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 6, 2009 ('Newscape")

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Eyecatchers-140: "Milky Way heading for a Crash"

Astronomers have sounded an alarm that Milky Way or simply called, Galaxy, is heading for a crash. Don't worry. This cataclysmic collision may take place after 7 billion years!

Source: The Hindu, Madurai, January 7, 2009.

Detailed Wikipedia article on "Milky Way":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way_(astronomy)

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

Random Thoughts-22: "More on Hanumanji"

After going through my post on 'Hanumath Jayanthi', my friend, Mr.Kannan, felt that I could have highlighted the strengths of Hanumanji and his relevance to the youth. He was right; further, I felt I could have included a few pages from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by Mahendra Nath Gupta or 'M' as he preferred to be known. Hence this addendum.

Hanumanji is a great of courage, confidence, concentration, strength, faith, devotion, celibacy and many more sterling virtues, which mould one's character and equip one to face whatever comes in life with courage and confidence. So the inculcation of the worship of Hanumanji in the formative years has special significance.

In ancient India, life was divided into four stages, the first of which being 'BRAHMACHARYA' - the period from childhood to entering adulthood. This is the period one devotes to acquiring knowledge, developing self-discipline and all the other virtues that mould one's character. With the knowledge or the skill acquired, one enters a profession; then only comes the second stage, 'GRUHASTHA' : getting married and raising a family of one's own. So the first stage is a very important one, the foundation on which the remaining three stages are built up. Distractions during this first stage could seriously hamper one's growth and development.

Unfortunately, there is every kindly deadly and dastardly distraction today; they corrupt the young minds and lead them astray. In the movies you see nothing the love of the other sex, right from the nursery school stage. What is meant for the second stage is needlessly and crudely thrust on the young when they are not yet ready for such things. Further, rowdyism and goondaism pass for heroism. Most of the evils in society are due to this. Hence it becomes the duty of the parents, teachers and other elders to introduce and inculcate the worship of Hanumanji, highlighting his sterling qualities and advise them to take Hanumanji as their role-model rather some movie star.

As a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, to me 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' is the Bible. Sri Ramakrishna greatly admired Hanumanji. He would try the different paths like Christianity, Islam, Tantrik and advaita and realize the Supreme through every one of them. He also practised 'sadhana' dressing and behaving like Hanumanji, identifying himself so completely with Hanumanji that he almost became another 'Hanuman'. Within a few days, he realized the Supreme. After that he said with the authority of one who has tried many paths, "whatever path one chooses, one reaches the same goal."

One comes across many passages in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, where Sri Ramakrishna refers to Hanumanji on several occasions. I am fond of a few of them, which I am reproducing below:

'Rama asked Hanuman, "Hanuman what attitude do you cherish toward Me when you worship Me?" 'Hanuman answered: 'Sometimes I see that You are the whole and I am a part; sometimes I see that You are the Master and I am thy servant. But Rama, when I have knowledge of Reality, then I find that You are I and I am You."

"...It was through the power of his mind that Hanuman leapt over the sea. 'I am the servant of Rama; I have repeated the holy name of Rama. Is there anything impossible for me?" - that was Hanuman's faith.

"Once a man asked Hanuman which day of the fortnight it was. "Brother," said Hanuman, "I don't know anything about the day of the week or the fortnight, or the position of the stars. I think of Rama alone." (All the three passages are from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by Mahendra Nath Gupta - Translated into English by Swami Nikhilananda and published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai).