There are two deadly enemies for human beings: FEAR and WORRIES.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Friday, November 06, 2009
A Thought for Today-264:
There are two times in a man's life when he should not speculate: when he can't afford it, and when he can - Mark Twain
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Facts and Figures-59: "World Population 6.795 billion!"
I learn from The World Almanac 2009 by courtesy of Refdesk that as of November 2009, the Earth's population is estimated by the United States Census Bureau to be 6.795 billion. About 227,000 people are added to the world each day.
In spite of many halfhearted attempts by government machinery and service organizations, the population problem is growing all the time. All these have been proved to be inadequate. Unless individuals and governments take this problem seriously, it grow worse. But then, it is our nature not to worry about anything, till it reaches crisis proportions. So the population problem will not be taken seriously till it reaches crisis proportions.
Grateful thanks to Refdesk and The World Almanac 2009.
In spite of many halfhearted attempts by government machinery and service organizations, the population problem is growing all the time. All these have been proved to be inadequate. Unless individuals and governments take this problem seriously, it grow worse. But then, it is our nature not to worry about anything, till it reaches crisis proportions. So the population problem will not be taken seriously till it reaches crisis proportions.
Grateful thanks to Refdesk and The World Almanac 2009.
Eyecatchers-142: "Defense Bill: US$ 680,000,000,000!"
The following news from Harper's Weekly makes my head spin:
"President Barack Obama caved to pressure from Congress and military contractors and passed a $680,000,000,000 defense bill". (Weekly Review, HARPER'S WEEKLY, November 3, 2009).
If you convert the figure into Rupees, multiplying by 48, you would get a mind-boggling figure. When there is so much suffering, so much misery in this world, it is disgusting to see astronomical sums like this being spent on defense programs. And there are people, a lot of people, who make opulent and extravagant living out of human misery. What sort of a world is this?
Grateful thanks to Claire Gutierrez of Harper's Weekly and Harper's Weekly.
"President Barack Obama caved to pressure from Congress and military contractors and passed a $680,000,000,000 defense bill". (Weekly Review, HARPER'S WEEKLY, November 3, 2009).
If you convert the figure into Rupees, multiplying by 48, you would get a mind-boggling figure. When there is so much suffering, so much misery in this world, it is disgusting to see astronomical sums like this being spent on defense programs. And there are people, a lot of people, who make opulent and extravagant living out of human misery. What sort of a world is this?
Grateful thanks to Claire Gutierrez of Harper's Weekly and Harper's Weekly.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
TED News-2: "Charter of Compassion"
Pasting below a mail received from TED Team:
Dear TEDsters,
On November 12, 2009, we are unveiling the Charter for Compassion, a document about the core shared value of every world religion and moral code, the Golden Rule -- the result of 2008 TED Prize winner Karen Armstrong's wish.
Today, to enable you to participate in the event, we are sharing six short talks on compassion from six different perspectives -- from a Rabbi, an Imam, a Reverend, a Tenzin, a Swami and a secular voice of compassion. Together, these six speakers bear witness to the fact that compassion and the Golden Rule lie at the heart of all religion and all morality. We hope that in the week following the launch, thousands of sermons on the nature of compassion will be preached all over the world ... thousands of discussions will be held around dinner tables ... thousands of ideas will be shared.
Over 75 events are currently planned across the globe to help launch the Charter for Compassion. Help us launch the Charter by attending one of these events or hosting your own; email, blog, write, broadcast, or offer media space for Charter banners, widgets, and videos.
To get involved, email: armstrong@ted.com
TED is about ideas worth spreading -- please help us spread compassion, "the best idea humanity has ever had."
Our best,
Amy Novogratz
TED Prize Director
Chris Anderson
TED Curator
charterforcompassion.org
Dear TEDsters,
On November 12, 2009, we are unveiling the Charter for Compassion, a document about the core shared value of every world religion and moral code, the Golden Rule -- the result of 2008 TED Prize winner Karen Armstrong's wish.
Today, to enable you to participate in the event, we are sharing six short talks on compassion from six different perspectives -- from a Rabbi, an Imam, a Reverend, a Tenzin, a Swami and a secular voice of compassion. Together, these six speakers bear witness to the fact that compassion and the Golden Rule lie at the heart of all religion and all morality. We hope that in the week following the launch, thousands of sermons on the nature of compassion will be preached all over the world ... thousands of discussions will be held around dinner tables ... thousands of ideas will be shared.
Over 75 events are currently planned across the globe to help launch the Charter for Compassion. Help us launch the Charter by attending one of these events or hosting your own; email, blog, write, broadcast, or offer media space for Charter banners, widgets, and videos.
To get involved, email: armstrong@ted.com
TED is about ideas worth spreading -- please help us spread compassion, "the best idea humanity has ever had."
Our best,
Amy Novogratz
TED Prize Director
Chris Anderson
TED Curator
charterforcompassion.org
TED News-1: "TEDIndia Live Webcast"
Pasting below the mail received from TED Team on TEDIndia Live Webcast:
Dear TEDsters -
We're thrilled to announce that Day 1 of TEDIndia and the closing session on Day 3 will be webcast live, to the world, for free. The webcast is hosted by the Times of India, TEDIndia's online media partner.
On Thursday, the first day of the webcast, you can watch at ted.indiatimes.com (note that this page is not yet live).
Read more about the TEDIndia speaker program.
Webcast schedule (all times are India Standard Time , GMT+5:30):
Thursday, November 5
Session 1: Fast Forward -- 11am-12:45pm
Session 2: Not Business as Usual -- 2:15pm-4pm
Session 3: Wonder. Wonders. -- 4:45pm-6:30pm
Saturday, November 7
Session 9: Within You, Without You -- 11am-12:45pm
Want to watch the stream on your television screen? Download instructions for connecting your television to a Mac or a PC.
Follow @TEDNews on Twitter for real-time coverage. Use #tedindia in your tweets.
And find photos and news from the conference once it starts at conferences.ted.com/TEDIndia.
Best,
The TED Team
Dear TEDsters -
We're thrilled to announce that Day 1 of TEDIndia and the closing session on Day 3 will be webcast live, to the world, for free. The webcast is hosted by the Times of India, TEDIndia's online media partner.
On Thursday, the first day of the webcast, you can watch at ted.indiatimes.com (note that this page is not yet live).
Read more about the TEDIndia speaker program.
Webcast schedule (all times are India Standard Time , GMT+5:30):
Thursday, November 5
Session 1: Fast Forward -- 11am-12:45pm
Session 2: Not Business as Usual -- 2:15pm-4pm
Session 3: Wonder. Wonders. -- 4:45pm-6:30pm
Saturday, November 7
Session 9: Within You, Without You -- 11am-12:45pm
Want to watch the stream on your television screen? Download instructions for connecting your television to a Mac or a PC.
Follow @TEDNews on Twitter for real-time coverage. Use #tedindia in your tweets.
And find photos and news from the conference once it starts at conferences.ted.com/TEDIndia.
Best,
The TED Team
A Thought for Today-261:
Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us - Samuel Smiles
Sunday, November 01, 2009
A Thought for Today-260:
The mind without imagination is like an observatory without a telescope - Unknown
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Random Thoughts-34: "World Savings Day"
October 31. Today is World Savings Day. I am definitely not qualified to say or write anything about savings. For me, savings is an eluding art, in spite of my having lived for nearly 40 years in and around Karaikudi, the stronghold of Nattukkottai Chettiars, who are well-known for their thrift.
Long back I wrote a poem for our inhouse magazine, WINGS. I recall that today and copy it below for your benefit:
Religion
proudly proclaims:
"GOD SAVES".
As for me
Always overspend
and
Overshoot my budget;
End with a deficit,
Every time I make a budget..
God saves;.
No wonder
God is great..
While waiting for the bus, I saw a neon-sign saying "God Saves", which pushed me to write the above poem in a lighter vein. Don't take it a blasphemy or some such thing. I trust in your sense of humour. Believe me, I am a very pious man.
Long back I wrote a poem for our inhouse magazine, WINGS. I recall that today and copy it below for your benefit:
Religion
proudly proclaims:
"GOD SAVES".
As for me
Always overspend
and
Overshoot my budget;
End with a deficit,
Every time I make a budget..
God saves;.
No wonder
God is great..
While waiting for the bus, I saw a neon-sign saying "God Saves", which pushed me to write the above poem in a lighter vein. Don't take it a blasphemy or some such thing. I trust in your sense of humour. Believe me, I am a very pious man.
A Thought for Today-259:
Experience shows that success is due less to ability than to zeal. The winner is he who gives himself to his work body and soul - Charles Buxton
Picture of the day-68:
Recently I visited Rameswaram. On my way back, I took this photo of Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge connecting Pamban and Mandapam. I took the photo from the train; as I was in the 5th carriage, I could cover the Bridge as well as the train, while the train was negotiating a curve. Both the train and the bridge have come out nicely; what lies in between may be an eyesore, but that is what reality is!
Nellaiappan's Column-11: "Use-and-Throw Vs Mending
My father was in service for 39 years in Southern Railways in traveling ticket checking line and because of the nature of job he rarely stayed with us. But whenever he found time he used to attend to all household problems.
Binding our books (we are eleven), replacing worn-out/broken buttons to pants and shirts, repairing broken furniture with available tools, applying new wicks to the stoves, and taking appliances for outside repair such as changing broken handle of suitcase, repairing worn-out shoes and footwear and changing zips of bags were some of the works he casually attended to without any fuss. He never felt ashamed of doing such work. Neither his designation, nor his well-built stature nor age could stop him from doing so.
Today my daughters laugh at me when I try to take some of their garments for mending. Just because the stitching gave way in one or two places they have simply thrown away some costly dresses. Tailors too are very reluctant to take such work and tell excuses under the pretext of being very busy and having no time for such jobs.
Gone are the days and what now prevails is the use-and-throw culture. We applauded the idea when it first came for syringes and sanitary napkin. Students are relieved of the strain of filling ink in the pen and the stains that invariably follow it, thanks to the cheap, use-and-throw pens.
The concept got extended to paper cups, paper plates, water sachets, plastic water bottles, plastic carry bags and every day, some new item is added to this list.
It is cheap, easy to handle and no maintenance cost and time are required. Today no one talks about durability and quality. In the fast-moving mechanical world, the driving factors are cost and convenience.
People change things often. In industry too, durability has taken a back-seat. Everyone wants immediate returns, with minimum investments and no one talks about “long term”.
This use-and-throw culture is spreading like wildfire to every thing we do and to every walk of life, causing concern. Already heavy use of plastic is posing a threat to environment.
The use-and-throw culture is the order of the day and it started reflecting in every thing we do and “human relationship” is no exception. In the fast-moving materialistic world every thing is viewed and judged based on its material value only. The sense of belonging, the feeling of oneness, mutual usefulness to neighbors are slowly disappearing and causing concern.
I still remember the respect the postman, the station master, the EB wireman commanded from the public in those days of my childhood. No such relationship prevails any more. Even our family relations are becoming strained day by day. Our social contacts, if any, are all simply use-and-throw. Today everyone is a self-centered island and one has to wait for some big natural calamity or national crisis to bring us together.
Coming to Indian small scale industries the scenario is diametrically different. To meet the cut-throat competition, industries are not pumping any new money for capital items. Equipments and facilities are over-utilized and the maintenance team is always on their toes, going on repairing the machines and equipments again and again till the same comes to a grinding halt on its own.
People think that they are well managing the situation. The fact is, they are managing the situation with available resources, but at the cost of productivity. It is always crisis management and most of the people spend their time in first quadrant which means every thing is important and urgent. As a result the employees are put to overwork and hardship eroding their job satisfaction.
Because the younger generation is from the Use and Throw culture, they find themselves alien to the ever mending system of our small scale industries and they leave the job at the first excuse. This explains the heavy requirements for people on one hand, and the increase in unemployment rate on the other.
The mixie in my house is making hell of a noise. I told my betterhalf to clean it so that I can take it for repair. “Want to repair? It is as old as our first daughter. You know there is a festival offer. It is totally free along with a new refrigerator. Why not we try that dear.”- the echo is from my wife. Then what to do with our fridge?- as you guessed the feeble voice is mine. Well, there is another “offer” for that.
Binding our books (we are eleven), replacing worn-out/broken buttons to pants and shirts, repairing broken furniture with available tools, applying new wicks to the stoves, and taking appliances for outside repair such as changing broken handle of suitcase, repairing worn-out shoes and footwear and changing zips of bags were some of the works he casually attended to without any fuss. He never felt ashamed of doing such work. Neither his designation, nor his well-built stature nor age could stop him from doing so.
Today my daughters laugh at me when I try to take some of their garments for mending. Just because the stitching gave way in one or two places they have simply thrown away some costly dresses. Tailors too are very reluctant to take such work and tell excuses under the pretext of being very busy and having no time for such jobs.
Gone are the days and what now prevails is the use-and-throw culture. We applauded the idea when it first came for syringes and sanitary napkin. Students are relieved of the strain of filling ink in the pen and the stains that invariably follow it, thanks to the cheap, use-and-throw pens.
The concept got extended to paper cups, paper plates, water sachets, plastic water bottles, plastic carry bags and every day, some new item is added to this list.
It is cheap, easy to handle and no maintenance cost and time are required. Today no one talks about durability and quality. In the fast-moving mechanical world, the driving factors are cost and convenience.
People change things often. In industry too, durability has taken a back-seat. Everyone wants immediate returns, with minimum investments and no one talks about “long term”.
This use-and-throw culture is spreading like wildfire to every thing we do and to every walk of life, causing concern. Already heavy use of plastic is posing a threat to environment.
The use-and-throw culture is the order of the day and it started reflecting in every thing we do and “human relationship” is no exception. In the fast-moving materialistic world every thing is viewed and judged based on its material value only. The sense of belonging, the feeling of oneness, mutual usefulness to neighbors are slowly disappearing and causing concern.
I still remember the respect the postman, the station master, the EB wireman commanded from the public in those days of my childhood. No such relationship prevails any more. Even our family relations are becoming strained day by day. Our social contacts, if any, are all simply use-and-throw. Today everyone is a self-centered island and one has to wait for some big natural calamity or national crisis to bring us together.
Coming to Indian small scale industries the scenario is diametrically different. To meet the cut-throat competition, industries are not pumping any new money for capital items. Equipments and facilities are over-utilized and the maintenance team is always on their toes, going on repairing the machines and equipments again and again till the same comes to a grinding halt on its own.
People think that they are well managing the situation. The fact is, they are managing the situation with available resources, but at the cost of productivity. It is always crisis management and most of the people spend their time in first quadrant which means every thing is important and urgent. As a result the employees are put to overwork and hardship eroding their job satisfaction.
Because the younger generation is from the Use and Throw culture, they find themselves alien to the ever mending system of our small scale industries and they leave the job at the first excuse. This explains the heavy requirements for people on one hand, and the increase in unemployment rate on the other.
The mixie in my house is making hell of a noise. I told my betterhalf to clean it so that I can take it for repair. “Want to repair? It is as old as our first daughter. You know there is a festival offer. It is totally free along with a new refrigerator. Why not we try that dear.”- the echo is from my wife. Then what to do with our fridge?- as you guessed the feeble voice is mine. Well, there is another “offer” for that.
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