Hi Guys,
It is the last few hours of 2009 before the eagerly awaited 2010 takes over. The reason I coined the phrase eagerly awaited is because 2009 indeed was not a memorable one. There were some patchy good pieces of news here and there but on the whole it was a below par year. The year was already in the jaws of Recession and therefore most of the year was spent facing the consequences and trying to find the solutions. Recession had the adverse affects on all growing economies and it is not a surprise that we have not done well in this year.
Coming to India, the only happening news was the thumping victory of Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. Apart from that most of the year was spent on scams, scandals, misuse of power and politics. As the saying goes "Absolute power corrupts absolutely". Power holders proved the statement right by their conduct and demeanor. Of course these things are pretty common and we all have got used to it. The new way to disturb the peace among the people was by using the ancient British method of Divide and Rule. The peace of the land was disturbed by dividing the people based on boundaries and languages. MNS have their local and non local issues, same as in MP , Bihar and other states. AP is still coming to terms with the unwanted division issue. As long as we are wasting our time and money on these insensitive issues we are not going to move up the ladder of growth and development. We are still far far lagging in terms of infrastructure, technology, construction , R&D etc etc.
Let me talk some spirituality here. Why don't we all understand that we are all essentially children of God. That is the fundamental and the biggest truth. We are all the reflections of that One. If we realize this fact then there will be no difference amongst each other and we all will strive to live for Brotherhood of man and Fatherhood of God. This is what was preached by Shankara and Vivekananda. This is exactly what is preached by Baba. How lucky we are that these souls have walked the earth. Why cannot we try to follow their teachings and make our lives more meaningful. We have to give up our false egos and realize the true identity of ourselves. That will give us Peace and that will put the country on the right path, for it is we who make the country. Hope 2010 brings joy and peace to all of us.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Hi Guys,
It is Christmas time and there is fun, celebration and joy in the atmosphere. The best part is that it is snowing heavily. A white Christmas is always a special one. What could I do other than listen to my favorite songs to pass my time. So, I decided to come again with a new post.
I am a big fan of classical Carnatic music even though I don't have any knowledge about it. Its my hobby to just listen to keerthans by various composers. I came across a complex keerthan a few months ago. It was Kurai Onrum Illai sung my the great MS Amma. The song gives me goose bumps every time I listen to it. It is amazingly different from all the other Keerthans I have heard before. The devotee has no regrets and accepts everything as Lord's Grace. The song got etched in my mind and therefore I tried researching on it. This post is therefore dedicated to the idea and the man behind Kurai Onrum Illai.
The song was written by Chakravarthi Rajgopalchari (CR). CR was a freedom fighter, politician, lawyer, writer and leader of Indian National Congress who served as the last Governor General of India (21 June 1948-25 Jan 1950). He served as the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency (14 July 1937-9 Oct 1939), Chief Minister of Madras State (10 April 1952-13 April 1954), Governor of West Bengal (15 Aug 1947-Jun 1948), Minister for Home Affairs of the Indian Union (26 Jan 1950-1951). He was the founder of Swatantra Party. I don't think anybody's resume would get better than this. Fittingly, he was the first recipient of Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. CR was an accomplished writer both in Tamil and English. He wrote the abridged versions of Mahabharata and Ramayana in English. In 1955, he translated Kambar's Tamil Ramayana into English. In 1965 he translated Thirukkural into English. Gandhiji once described him as"keeper of my conscience".
Kurai Onrum illai is a unique composition where the devotee has no regrets in his life. He accepts everything as God's Grace. Only a man with complete surrender and faith in God can pen anything like that. Truly, CR was a devout Vaishnavaite. Only a man who is completely contented and happy with his life can write about not having any regrets. But CR's life was far from happy. Death stalked him at all stages in his life. He was a widower by 37, lost his daughter aged 3, lost his son and both his sons in law. But even after experiencing so much pain in his life, he still penned the words Kurai Onrum Illai. It amazes me as what this man was made of ? Kurai Onrum Illai is a master piece from a complex mind, a mind which had its share of human sorrows but had the strength and wisdom to accept the higher truths of life.
There is another incident that happened in 1925 which might have triggered his mind to write the great song. The Congress had decided to boycott the British Courts. Rajaji was a loyal Congressman and there was no chance that he would take up any case. But a situation arose and CR responded. He acted according to his conscience and against the boycott. A person who was born in a lower caste was convicted by the sub-magistrate of Tirupathi for the man had entered the shrine of the Mother in Tiruchanoor. CR took up the case and fought for the man. The man was duly acquitted. Therefore, in my humble opinion Kurai Onrum Illai is a complex piece with more than one interpretation. Composed by Kadayanallur Venkatraman who set the song into three ragas namely Sivaranjini, Kapi and Sindhu Bhairavi and aptly sung by MS Amma, the song haunts the listener to this day. The last words spoken by CR at his death bed were "I am happy". It is almost impossible to emulate people like CR but we would do ourselves great favor by taking a leaf or two from his life and put that into practice. This post has come at the right time as Christmas also coincides with Rajaji's death Anniversary.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
It is Christmas time and there is fun, celebration and joy in the atmosphere. The best part is that it is snowing heavily. A white Christmas is always a special one. What could I do other than listen to my favorite songs to pass my time. So, I decided to come again with a new post.
I am a big fan of classical Carnatic music even though I don't have any knowledge about it. Its my hobby to just listen to keerthans by various composers. I came across a complex keerthan a few months ago. It was Kurai Onrum Illai sung my the great MS Amma. The song gives me goose bumps every time I listen to it. It is amazingly different from all the other Keerthans I have heard before. The devotee has no regrets and accepts everything as Lord's Grace. The song got etched in my mind and therefore I tried researching on it. This post is therefore dedicated to the idea and the man behind Kurai Onrum Illai.
The song was written by Chakravarthi Rajgopalchari (CR). CR was a freedom fighter, politician, lawyer, writer and leader of Indian National Congress who served as the last Governor General of India (21 June 1948-25 Jan 1950). He served as the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency (14 July 1937-9 Oct 1939), Chief Minister of Madras State (10 April 1952-13 April 1954), Governor of West Bengal (15 Aug 1947-Jun 1948), Minister for Home Affairs of the Indian Union (26 Jan 1950-1951). He was the founder of Swatantra Party. I don't think anybody's resume would get better than this. Fittingly, he was the first recipient of Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. CR was an accomplished writer both in Tamil and English. He wrote the abridged versions of Mahabharata and Ramayana in English. In 1955, he translated Kambar's Tamil Ramayana into English. In 1965 he translated Thirukkural into English. Gandhiji once described him as"keeper of my conscience".
Kurai Onrum illai is a unique composition where the devotee has no regrets in his life. He accepts everything as God's Grace. Only a man with complete surrender and faith in God can pen anything like that. Truly, CR was a devout Vaishnavaite. Only a man who is completely contented and happy with his life can write about not having any regrets. But CR's life was far from happy. Death stalked him at all stages in his life. He was a widower by 37, lost his daughter aged 3, lost his son and both his sons in law. But even after experiencing so much pain in his life, he still penned the words Kurai Onrum Illai. It amazes me as what this man was made of ? Kurai Onrum Illai is a master piece from a complex mind, a mind which had its share of human sorrows but had the strength and wisdom to accept the higher truths of life.
There is another incident that happened in 1925 which might have triggered his mind to write the great song. The Congress had decided to boycott the British Courts. Rajaji was a loyal Congressman and there was no chance that he would take up any case. But a situation arose and CR responded. He acted according to his conscience and against the boycott. A person who was born in a lower caste was convicted by the sub-magistrate of Tirupathi for the man had entered the shrine of the Mother in Tiruchanoor. CR took up the case and fought for the man. The man was duly acquitted. Therefore, in my humble opinion Kurai Onrum Illai is a complex piece with more than one interpretation. Composed by Kadayanallur Venkatraman who set the song into three ragas namely Sivaranjini, Kapi and Sindhu Bhairavi and aptly sung by MS Amma, the song haunts the listener to this day. The last words spoken by CR at his death bed were "I am happy". It is almost impossible to emulate people like CR but we would do ourselves great favor by taking a leaf or two from his life and put that into practice. This post has come at the right time as Christmas also coincides with Rajaji's death Anniversary.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Friday, December 18, 2009
Hi Guys,
The fall semester is up and it is break time. I have loads of work to finish but I doubt whether I would do any of it. It is extremely tough to work on a vacation. You need tons of passion and dedication which I totally lack in me. So, I will write my views on various issues of my concern. This is slowly becoming my favorite pastime but I do admit that it takes lot of time to publish each post. Anyways, coming to the point....I was reading an interesting article in Times. I had a good laugh after I finished reading the article.
Some of us are aware of Haagen Dazs. It is an ice cream company and is supposed to be world famous. Frankly, I had not heard of the company till date. But I checked later on and indeed it is a world famous ice cream manufacturing company. So they opened an outlet in Delhi and it created a furor in a short time. The banner boasting of the brand had a few stupid and senseless ways to promote it to the international tourists. The banner said that " access restricted to holders of international passports". I could not believe that a firm in India would not allow Indians into it. This was the most bizarre incidents of 2009. I am in fact glad that the year is over.
I thought about the incident later and I was convinced that it was just a case of
miss-communication. I don't think anybody has the courage to not allow the natives. It was a way to promote the brand to the international tourists as we are not very much aware of the brand. We are happy with Arun ice cream and we are right about our choice. But I am shocked by the way the company is being run. You cannot allow something like this to happen. It will not only bring disrepute to the organization but also to the person who is running it. I don't know how many years it will take for the firm to cover the lost ground.
Of course media intervened and gave the much needed promotion to the issue.The politicians joined the debates and finally the MD of the company announced that the company was open to all and duly apologized for hurting the local sentiments.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
The fall semester is up and it is break time. I have loads of work to finish but I doubt whether I would do any of it. It is extremely tough to work on a vacation. You need tons of passion and dedication which I totally lack in me. So, I will write my views on various issues of my concern. This is slowly becoming my favorite pastime but I do admit that it takes lot of time to publish each post. Anyways, coming to the point....I was reading an interesting article in Times. I had a good laugh after I finished reading the article.
Some of us are aware of Haagen Dazs. It is an ice cream company and is supposed to be world famous. Frankly, I had not heard of the company till date. But I checked later on and indeed it is a world famous ice cream manufacturing company. So they opened an outlet in Delhi and it created a furor in a short time. The banner boasting of the brand had a few stupid and senseless ways to promote it to the international tourists. The banner said that " access restricted to holders of international passports". I could not believe that a firm in India would not allow Indians into it. This was the most bizarre incidents of 2009. I am in fact glad that the year is over.
I thought about the incident later and I was convinced that it was just a case of
miss-communication. I don't think anybody has the courage to not allow the natives. It was a way to promote the brand to the international tourists as we are not very much aware of the brand. We are happy with Arun ice cream and we are right about our choice. But I am shocked by the way the company is being run. You cannot allow something like this to happen. It will not only bring disrepute to the organization but also to the person who is running it. I don't know how many years it will take for the firm to cover the lost ground.
Of course media intervened and gave the much needed promotion to the issue.The politicians joined the debates and finally the MD of the company announced that the company was open to all and duly apologized for hurting the local sentiments.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Hi Guys,
The newspapers and TV channels have been extremely busy for the past week and in the process would have made millions. At the same time there are people and the Government which have lost millions . The schools and colleges have been closed. The situation is extremely tense as there are lot of agitations, strikes, property losses, loss of lives.... However there is one man who has made history. He is Mr. K.Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). The scenario was a threat call to fast till death by KCR for a separate Telangana state.
I bet ,even he would not have expected this from his spoofy act of fast to death.The reason why I call his act as a spoof is because I believe that not everybody can undergo a fast till death. It needs great discipline, dedication and character to do that. Discipline and dedication are not achieved overnight. It may take years of self control to be like that. Some exemplary individuals who have done that before are Mahatma Gandhi and Potti Sreeramulu. Their lives are a testimony to the fact that I have mentioned before. I am afraid to say that Mr KCR has neither Discipline nor Dedication in his life. He just tried a gimmick (spoof) and surprisingly enough became a national icon. Government at the Center should or should not create a separate state is not my concern. I neither have the knowledge nor any right to argue about that. The decision should be based on the interest and needs of the people of the state and not because of somebody's fast. And that somebody should not be definitely KCR??????
The story is not a new one. The fight for Telangana has been going on for several decades. On 1 st October, 1953 the state of Andhra was established with Kurnool as its capital. However the Telangana state existed before as a separate state before it was merged with Andhra forming Andhra Pradesh with Hyderabad as its capital on 1 st Nov 1956 . This merger was done against the States Reorganization Commission Report(SRC). The SRC was constituted by the Central Government and consisted of Hon Fazal Ali, K.M.Panikker and H.N.Kunzru. After taking all the factors into consideration they concluded that in the interests of Andhra as well as Telangana, it was proposed to have Telangana area as a separate State, which may be known as the Hyderabad State with provision for its unification with Andhra after the general elections in 1961.
The reasons why the Central Government went against the SRC report is not known. More recently,in a fervent bid to come to power in 2004 assembly elections in AP, Congress joined hands with TRS and promised a separate state of Telangana. But with the years gone by and Congress in a super position the promises seems to have been forgotten.Anyways these are politricks.....Beyond the understanding of a common man.
The worst things are yet to come. There are already talks about separate Vidarbha and Gorkha lands. I believe in the idiom " As you sow, so shall you reap". The future looks very interesting for the time being. I am sure there will be more turnarounds and suspenses. Let us hope there will be a fair decision and people will not be affected.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
The newspapers and TV channels have been extremely busy for the past week and in the process would have made millions. At the same time there are people and the Government which have lost millions . The schools and colleges have been closed. The situation is extremely tense as there are lot of agitations, strikes, property losses, loss of lives.... However there is one man who has made history. He is Mr. K.Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). The scenario was a threat call to fast till death by KCR for a separate Telangana state.
I bet ,even he would not have expected this from his spoofy act of fast to death.The reason why I call his act as a spoof is because I believe that not everybody can undergo a fast till death. It needs great discipline, dedication and character to do that. Discipline and dedication are not achieved overnight. It may take years of self control to be like that. Some exemplary individuals who have done that before are Mahatma Gandhi and Potti Sreeramulu. Their lives are a testimony to the fact that I have mentioned before. I am afraid to say that Mr KCR has neither Discipline nor Dedication in his life. He just tried a gimmick (spoof) and surprisingly enough became a national icon. Government at the Center should or should not create a separate state is not my concern. I neither have the knowledge nor any right to argue about that. The decision should be based on the interest and needs of the people of the state and not because of somebody's fast. And that somebody should not be definitely KCR??????
The story is not a new one. The fight for Telangana has been going on for several decades. On 1 st October, 1953 the state of Andhra was established with Kurnool as its capital. However the Telangana state existed before as a separate state before it was merged with Andhra forming Andhra Pradesh with Hyderabad as its capital on 1 st Nov 1956 . This merger was done against the States Reorganization Commission Report(SRC). The SRC was constituted by the Central Government and consisted of Hon Fazal Ali, K.M.Panikker and H.N.Kunzru. After taking all the factors into consideration they concluded that in the interests of Andhra as well as Telangana, it was proposed to have Telangana area as a separate State, which may be known as the Hyderabad State with provision for its unification with Andhra after the general elections in 1961.
The reasons why the Central Government went against the SRC report is not known. More recently,in a fervent bid to come to power in 2004 assembly elections in AP, Congress joined hands with TRS and promised a separate state of Telangana. But with the years gone by and Congress in a super position the promises seems to have been forgotten.Anyways these are politricks.....Beyond the understanding of a common man.
The worst things are yet to come. There are already talks about separate Vidarbha and Gorkha lands. I believe in the idiom " As you sow, so shall you reap". The future looks very interesting for the time being. I am sure there will be more turnarounds and suspenses. Let us hope there will be a fair decision and people will not be affected.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Hi Guys,
Its been again quite some time since my last post. Frankly I am preoccupied with few other things which gives me less time and motivation to jot my views. Apart from that the winter has set in and the atmosphere and the mood has made me very lazy. Again, I did not find any interesting current affairs happening around us which could draw my attention. So for this post let me club few feel good things of the past week.
The first is of course a feel good home series victory for the Indian cricket team and a formal ranking of No 1 test side. The test series win is a pain relieving balm which the team can rub on for the pain inflicted by the brutal Aussies in the recently concluded ODI series. Of course the test matches were more one sided, but I think few individuals made it look like that. Rahul Dravid was at his best in all the matches, Sehwag was brutal in the third and all other batsmen contributed towards the team cause. Sreesanth was superb in the second test and Zaheer had a good third match. Overall it was a satisfying performance by the hosts.BCCI has to take care in preparing better test wickets rather than having to play on placid typical subcontinent tracks.
Coming to the No 1 status..... It all started under the aggressive Ganguly and the cool John Wright. Dravid, Kumble and Dhoni have done well to maintain it. The 2000 home series win against the formidable Aussies under Steve Waugh was the stepping stone which led to several test wins in Pak, Eng, SA , Aus, NZ and WI. Its been a consistent performance by the team and a few individuals and has taken 10 years to get this result.
Saina Nehwal was awarded the Sportsperson of the year. It is gladdening to hear that we are indeed looking beyond cricket. The shuttler is currently ranked 6 in the world. Its a great achievement and with the way things are going for her, she will be going up the ranking ladder.
The third interesting thing is Paa. It had a grand premiere and I also guess a great opening in the first week. I watched the movie and frankly speaking was not very much impressed. Amitabh is the heart and soul of the film. If you remove the character Auro from the movie, then Paa is just an ad for safe sex (I am sorry....thats my view). Tons of movies have been made about children with various disorders and Paa is no different. In my view TZP (Tare Zameen Par) was a better movie than Paa. The positives of the movie are superb performance by the legend AB and a sensitive and almost silent score by Illayaraja .
Well that's all from me....
Signing off.....
Krishna
Its been again quite some time since my last post. Frankly I am preoccupied with few other things which gives me less time and motivation to jot my views. Apart from that the winter has set in and the atmosphere and the mood has made me very lazy. Again, I did not find any interesting current affairs happening around us which could draw my attention. So for this post let me club few feel good things of the past week.
The first is of course a feel good home series victory for the Indian cricket team and a formal ranking of No 1 test side. The test series win is a pain relieving balm which the team can rub on for the pain inflicted by the brutal Aussies in the recently concluded ODI series. Of course the test matches were more one sided, but I think few individuals made it look like that. Rahul Dravid was at his best in all the matches, Sehwag was brutal in the third and all other batsmen contributed towards the team cause. Sreesanth was superb in the second test and Zaheer had a good third match. Overall it was a satisfying performance by the hosts.BCCI has to take care in preparing better test wickets rather than having to play on placid typical subcontinent tracks.
Coming to the No 1 status..... It all started under the aggressive Ganguly and the cool John Wright. Dravid, Kumble and Dhoni have done well to maintain it. The 2000 home series win against the formidable Aussies under Steve Waugh was the stepping stone which led to several test wins in Pak, Eng, SA , Aus, NZ and WI. Its been a consistent performance by the team and a few individuals and has taken 10 years to get this result.
Saina Nehwal was awarded the Sportsperson of the year. It is gladdening to hear that we are indeed looking beyond cricket. The shuttler is currently ranked 6 in the world. Its a great achievement and with the way things are going for her, she will be going up the ranking ladder.
The third interesting thing is Paa. It had a grand premiere and I also guess a great opening in the first week. I watched the movie and frankly speaking was not very much impressed. Amitabh is the heart and soul of the film. If you remove the character Auro from the movie, then Paa is just an ad for safe sex (I am sorry....thats my view). Tons of movies have been made about children with various disorders and Paa is no different. In my view TZP (Tare Zameen Par) was a better movie than Paa. The positives of the movie are superb performance by the legend AB and a sensitive and almost silent score by Illayaraja .
Well that's all from me....
Signing off.....
Krishna
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Hi Guys,
I was kind of busy for the past week and therefore I could not blog. There is another strong reason for me to abstain from writing. There is no interesting and constructive news happening in our surrounding. Writing the same negative trends observed in our society seems to me a very boring and monotonous job even though it accounts for 100 % truth. So I took some time off and thought about the most entertaining and engrossing thing that most of us enjoy. Yes you guessed it right. Its about movies. Today my post is dedicated to one of my most favorite movies.
The movie is Swades. Swades is a 2004 Indian film which was written, produced and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Everything about the movie was perfect. The cast led by Sharukh khan and Gayathri Joshi, lyrics by Javed Akhtar, music by the maestro A.R. Rehman and costume designed by Oscar winner Bhanu Athaiya. Before I go deeper I want to clarify that this post is not dedicated to the movie but to the inspiration behind it.
Swades is inspired by the story of Aravinda Pillarmarri and Ravi Kuchimanchi, the NRI couple who returned to India from US giving up their careers, and developed the pedal power generator to light remote and off the grid village schools. Ravi graduated with a Phd in particle physics from University of Maryland and is the founder member of AID (Association of Indias Development). Aravinda has double Masters in Library science and in South Asian studies from University of Boston and Wisconsin respectively. Both, very passionate and selfless people moved to India in 1998 to carry out the task they envisioned. There are many projects that AID either took up or cordinated with other groups. I will highlight about one such project ie generating power and giving light to Bilagaon village.
Bilagaon is a tribal village in the Satpuda with a population of over 200 households. There is a boarding school with a strength of 300 children for all the neighboring villages. These villages had never had electricity till 2002. The nearest point of national grid was about 12 km away.
Bilagaon has a 9 mt waterfall on river Udai . The people of the village formed a commitee and decided to tap the energy of the waterfall through a micro hydel system and use that energy to light the entire village. Inspired by NBA (Narmada Bachao Andolan) the people of the village did 2000 human days of shramdan (voluntary service) to construct a canal, check dam, Forebay tank, pipeline and a powerhouse. The project was designed by engineers from Peoples School of Energy and implemented by Sarvodaya friendship center with support from AID. The idea was that the small check dam 2 mt on top of the waterfall could divert a small part of water through the canal into the Forebay tank adjacent to the falls. From here the waters fall through the pipeline on to a turbine situated in a powerhouse at the foot of the hills. The pipeline was constructed by volunteers from Dhule and the turbine was made by a professor at IISc. The falling water turns the turbine which in turn rotates the generator and produces 15 KW of electricity to not only light up every house in Bilagaon but also the school. The project was completed in 2003.
A great human accomplishment. An achievement which a Government could not offer to its citizens for 55 years. A tale of inspired individuals who wanted lesser fortunate people to enjoy the minimum comforts that all of us have in plenty to waste. There are so many Aravindas and Ravis who are committed to serve the people. They are all doing a wonderful job and are our role models. Deep within us, somewhere there is a certain Ravi and Aravinda hidden in us. We need to bring them out and that can be done only by inquiring within. Each of us have to question ourselves sincerely and we will know the answer for sure.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
I was kind of busy for the past week and therefore I could not blog. There is another strong reason for me to abstain from writing. There is no interesting and constructive news happening in our surrounding. Writing the same negative trends observed in our society seems to me a very boring and monotonous job even though it accounts for 100 % truth. So I took some time off and thought about the most entertaining and engrossing thing that most of us enjoy. Yes you guessed it right. Its about movies. Today my post is dedicated to one of my most favorite movies.
The movie is Swades. Swades is a 2004 Indian film which was written, produced and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Everything about the movie was perfect. The cast led by Sharukh khan and Gayathri Joshi, lyrics by Javed Akhtar, music by the maestro A.R. Rehman and costume designed by Oscar winner Bhanu Athaiya. Before I go deeper I want to clarify that this post is not dedicated to the movie but to the inspiration behind it.
Swades is inspired by the story of Aravinda Pillarmarri and Ravi Kuchimanchi, the NRI couple who returned to India from US giving up their careers, and developed the pedal power generator to light remote and off the grid village schools. Ravi graduated with a Phd in particle physics from University of Maryland and is the founder member of AID (Association of Indias Development). Aravinda has double Masters in Library science and in South Asian studies from University of Boston and Wisconsin respectively. Both, very passionate and selfless people moved to India in 1998 to carry out the task they envisioned. There are many projects that AID either took up or cordinated with other groups. I will highlight about one such project ie generating power and giving light to Bilagaon village.
Bilagaon is a tribal village in the Satpuda with a population of over 200 households. There is a boarding school with a strength of 300 children for all the neighboring villages. These villages had never had electricity till 2002. The nearest point of national grid was about 12 km away.
Bilagaon has a 9 mt waterfall on river Udai . The people of the village formed a commitee and decided to tap the energy of the waterfall through a micro hydel system and use that energy to light the entire village. Inspired by NBA (Narmada Bachao Andolan) the people of the village did 2000 human days of shramdan (voluntary service) to construct a canal, check dam, Forebay tank, pipeline and a powerhouse. The project was designed by engineers from Peoples School of Energy and implemented by Sarvodaya friendship center with support from AID. The idea was that the small check dam 2 mt on top of the waterfall could divert a small part of water through the canal into the Forebay tank adjacent to the falls. From here the waters fall through the pipeline on to a turbine situated in a powerhouse at the foot of the hills. The pipeline was constructed by volunteers from Dhule and the turbine was made by a professor at IISc. The falling water turns the turbine which in turn rotates the generator and produces 15 KW of electricity to not only light up every house in Bilagaon but also the school. The project was completed in 2003.
A great human accomplishment. An achievement which a Government could not offer to its citizens for 55 years. A tale of inspired individuals who wanted lesser fortunate people to enjoy the minimum comforts that all of us have in plenty to waste. There are so many Aravindas and Ravis who are committed to serve the people. They are all doing a wonderful job and are our role models. Deep within us, somewhere there is a certain Ravi and Aravinda hidden in us. We need to bring them out and that can be done only by inquiring within. Each of us have to question ourselves sincerely and we will know the answer for sure.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Hi Guys,
Today's post is dedicated to Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal, the 68th Jagadguru of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. He is usually referred to as Paramacharya or Maha Periyavaal.
Maha Periyavaal was born on 20 May, 1894 into a Bramhin family in Villupuram, South Arcot District, Tamil Nadu. He was named Swaminatha after their family deity. Swaminatha began his early education at Tindivanam at Arcot American Mission High School. He was not only an exceptional student but also good in debates and recitations. He also won a prize for proficiency in reciting the Holy Bible.
It is said that life is a set of random occurrences. Incidents leading to his sainthood really support the above statement. It so happened that the 66th Jagadguru had attained Sidhi at Kalavai, a village which was 10 miles from Arcot. He had installed the maternal cousin of Swaminatha as the 67th Jagadguru of the Math. Swaminatha along with his mother and other siblings went to Kalavai to console his widowed aunt for her son had assumed the Sanyasa Ashram. They met the hereditary mason of the Mutt at Kanchipuram. He asked Swaminatha to accompany him and arranged another vehicle for his mother and siblings. On the way he informed him that he would be the next Jagadguru as the 67th Guru had developed delirium and would not last long. Swaminatha was stunned by the unexpected turn of events and started to chant Rama mantra ,the only spiritual mantra he knew then. He was installed as the 68th Jagadguru on 9th May, 1907. He was only 13 then. His robes of sanyasa were not the result of any renunciation from his part nor did he have the advantage of living under the tutelage of a Guru for any length of time.
Maha Priyavaal spent several years in the study of Scriptures and Dharma Shastras and acquainted himself with his role as the head of the Math. He soon gained the reverence and respect of devotees and people around him. He was the head of the Math for 87 years. This period is called the Golden Era of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. During this period, the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam acquired new strength as an institution that propagated Sankara's teachings. The devotion, fervor, and intensity with which the Paramacharya practiced what Śankara had taught are considered to be unparalleled by his devotees. Throughout his life, the focus of his concern and activities was rejuvenating Veda Adhyayana and Dharma Shastras.
The sage of Kanchi was active throughout his life. He undertook pilgrimages form Rameshwaram to Varnasi on foot, just like Sankara his Paramaguru. He attained Mukti on Jan 8, 1994. He was 100 years old.
What makes these people great is their Sacrifice. He sacrificed and suffered all through his life for people. He was humble through out his life. I came across an article that he had written long time ago for Bhavans Journal. I will copy some of the contents below which gives us a glimpse of the great personality he was. In his own words,
"On a tour in Tiruchunapalli District in 1923, I halted at a village when I heard a girl of about 12 admonishing her younger brother for his having uttered an untruth. Her advocacy of truth and her love for her brother which prompted her to see that he was not spoiled, far surpassed a saints direction. I cannot forget this incident after a lapse of so many years. When touring in Kerala, I happened to camp in a public halting place where in one room some elderly Namboodri Bramhins were talking together. One of them opened his Puja box in order to begin his Puja, but nevertheless took part in the gossip. After some time he realized his mistake and turned his attention to the Puja, but wound up the box and exclaimed that owing to his having taken part in the gossip, his inner efforts to secure the mental equilibrium required for Gods Puja had failed and rather than making a show of Puja without inner equilibrium, he would not perform the Puja that day.This incident which is fresh in my memory spells the need for honesty of purpose in ones own religious pursuits ".
These incidents pretty much happen everyday in our lives, but we don't pay any attention to them. But what a simple and profound message it has. Here is another incident written by him.
" I came into contact with two people. They were full of ecstasy in the adoration of my feet, absorbed in thought of me all day and night, which they told me, gave them immeasurable strength to bear any calamity or temptation very lightly. But when they came to know of my shortcomings and natural unsteadiness, not only did they discontinue their worship of my feet but also did their best to prevent anyone from gaining access to my feet as they thought that adoration of my feet by devotees contributed in a degree to my limitation. They too renounced all other responsibilities of their life and resolved to spend the rest of their lives in either entreating and imploring me or being engaged in austerities and prayers for my correction. Life has taught me only this that God has created some souls to live for others only".
Indeed, he was a Paramacharya. He had countless number of devotees worshiping and adoring his feet. But he had the honesty and integrity in him to accept the shortcomings if at all he had any.His charm invited the rich and the poor, old and the young to be his devotees. May his Grace protect all.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Today's post is dedicated to Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal, the 68th Jagadguru of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. He is usually referred to as Paramacharya or Maha Periyavaal.
Maha Periyavaal was born on 20 May, 1894 into a Bramhin family in Villupuram, South Arcot District, Tamil Nadu. He was named Swaminatha after their family deity. Swaminatha began his early education at Tindivanam at Arcot American Mission High School. He was not only an exceptional student but also good in debates and recitations. He also won a prize for proficiency in reciting the Holy Bible.
It is said that life is a set of random occurrences. Incidents leading to his sainthood really support the above statement. It so happened that the 66th Jagadguru had attained Sidhi at Kalavai, a village which was 10 miles from Arcot. He had installed the maternal cousin of Swaminatha as the 67th Jagadguru of the Math. Swaminatha along with his mother and other siblings went to Kalavai to console his widowed aunt for her son had assumed the Sanyasa Ashram. They met the hereditary mason of the Mutt at Kanchipuram. He asked Swaminatha to accompany him and arranged another vehicle for his mother and siblings. On the way he informed him that he would be the next Jagadguru as the 67th Guru had developed delirium and would not last long. Swaminatha was stunned by the unexpected turn of events and started to chant Rama mantra ,the only spiritual mantra he knew then. He was installed as the 68th Jagadguru on 9th May, 1907. He was only 13 then. His robes of sanyasa were not the result of any renunciation from his part nor did he have the advantage of living under the tutelage of a Guru for any length of time.
Maha Priyavaal spent several years in the study of Scriptures and Dharma Shastras and acquainted himself with his role as the head of the Math. He soon gained the reverence and respect of devotees and people around him. He was the head of the Math for 87 years. This period is called the Golden Era of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. During this period, the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam acquired new strength as an institution that propagated Sankara's teachings. The devotion, fervor, and intensity with which the Paramacharya practiced what Śankara had taught are considered to be unparalleled by his devotees. Throughout his life, the focus of his concern and activities was rejuvenating Veda Adhyayana and Dharma Shastras.
The sage of Kanchi was active throughout his life. He undertook pilgrimages form Rameshwaram to Varnasi on foot, just like Sankara his Paramaguru. He attained Mukti on Jan 8, 1994. He was 100 years old.
What makes these people great is their Sacrifice. He sacrificed and suffered all through his life for people. He was humble through out his life. I came across an article that he had written long time ago for Bhavans Journal. I will copy some of the contents below which gives us a glimpse of the great personality he was. In his own words,
"On a tour in Tiruchunapalli District in 1923, I halted at a village when I heard a girl of about 12 admonishing her younger brother for his having uttered an untruth. Her advocacy of truth and her love for her brother which prompted her to see that he was not spoiled, far surpassed a saints direction. I cannot forget this incident after a lapse of so many years. When touring in Kerala, I happened to camp in a public halting place where in one room some elderly Namboodri Bramhins were talking together. One of them opened his Puja box in order to begin his Puja, but nevertheless took part in the gossip. After some time he realized his mistake and turned his attention to the Puja, but wound up the box and exclaimed that owing to his having taken part in the gossip, his inner efforts to secure the mental equilibrium required for Gods Puja had failed and rather than making a show of Puja without inner equilibrium, he would not perform the Puja that day.This incident which is fresh in my memory spells the need for honesty of purpose in ones own religious pursuits ".
These incidents pretty much happen everyday in our lives, but we don't pay any attention to them. But what a simple and profound message it has. Here is another incident written by him.
" I came into contact with two people. They were full of ecstasy in the adoration of my feet, absorbed in thought of me all day and night, which they told me, gave them immeasurable strength to bear any calamity or temptation very lightly. But when they came to know of my shortcomings and natural unsteadiness, not only did they discontinue their worship of my feet but also did their best to prevent anyone from gaining access to my feet as they thought that adoration of my feet by devotees contributed in a degree to my limitation. They too renounced all other responsibilities of their life and resolved to spend the rest of their lives in either entreating and imploring me or being engaged in austerities and prayers for my correction. Life has taught me only this that God has created some souls to live for others only".
Indeed, he was a Paramacharya. He had countless number of devotees worshiping and adoring his feet. But he had the honesty and integrity in him to accept the shortcomings if at all he had any.His charm invited the rich and the poor, old and the young to be his devotees. May his Grace protect all.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Hi Guys,
Twenty years ago a teenager donned the cricketing gloves to represent his country against the arch rivals. He continues to represent his country till date and no one knows till when he will keep doing the same. Yes, he is none other than Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. He is the most accomplished batsman in both forms of the game (oops... sorry, I don't consider T20 as any format). He has hoards of world records to his name. He has played 436 ODI's and scored 17,178 runs, played 159 tests and scored 12,778 runs. He has 154 wickets in ODI's and 44 wickets in tests.
Arguably, he is considered as a purest batsman ever to have played the game. He has no signature shots of his own because he is strong on both sides of the wicket and can play any shot at will.In other words he is a rare genius. The ultimate compliment he got was from Sir Don Bradman when he confided to his wife that Sachin reminded him of himself.
He has carried the burden of hopes of a billion people for the past two decades. Whenever he goes to bat there are expectations and more often than not he performs and delights his fans. He has earned the respect of all people around the world. There is no stadium where he does not get a standing ovation.
But , the best part of Sachin is the way he carries himself. He has not been embroiled in any major controversy till date. He is the one unchanging factor of the dressing room from the past two decades. He gels very well with everybody. He is a very modest and down to earth human and that's what makes him so special. He has been awarded with Khel Ratna, Padma shri,Arjuna Award and more recently Padma Vibhushan in 2008.
Media, Celebrities and of course fans are pouring in their wishes for the Little Master. I am sure that he deserves all of those, but on a larger perspective all of us have to understand that Cricket is just a game and Sachin is a pure batting genius. He has played the game very well and earned his share of name and fame for himself and his country. In my personal opinion, we always give too much importance to all the celebrities (cricketers & film stars). I partly blame the media for this. We should appreciate their achievement to a certain extent and should stop there. We have better things to do than keep track of these celebrities. We have a long long way to go in terms of development. Each of us may not be a genius, but all of us have certain responsibilities towards our family and country. Each of us should concentrate on that aspect and then I can surely say that we are on the right path.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Twenty years ago a teenager donned the cricketing gloves to represent his country against the arch rivals. He continues to represent his country till date and no one knows till when he will keep doing the same. Yes, he is none other than Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. He is the most accomplished batsman in both forms of the game (oops... sorry, I don't consider T20 as any format). He has hoards of world records to his name. He has played 436 ODI's and scored 17,178 runs, played 159 tests and scored 12,778 runs. He has 154 wickets in ODI's and 44 wickets in tests.
Arguably, he is considered as a purest batsman ever to have played the game. He has no signature shots of his own because he is strong on both sides of the wicket and can play any shot at will.In other words he is a rare genius. The ultimate compliment he got was from Sir Don Bradman when he confided to his wife that Sachin reminded him of himself.
He has carried the burden of hopes of a billion people for the past two decades. Whenever he goes to bat there are expectations and more often than not he performs and delights his fans. He has earned the respect of all people around the world. There is no stadium where he does not get a standing ovation.
But , the best part of Sachin is the way he carries himself. He has not been embroiled in any major controversy till date. He is the one unchanging factor of the dressing room from the past two decades. He gels very well with everybody. He is a very modest and down to earth human and that's what makes him so special. He has been awarded with Khel Ratna, Padma shri,Arjuna Award and more recently Padma Vibhushan in 2008.
Media, Celebrities and of course fans are pouring in their wishes for the Little Master. I am sure that he deserves all of those, but on a larger perspective all of us have to understand that Cricket is just a game and Sachin is a pure batting genius. He has played the game very well and earned his share of name and fame for himself and his country. In my personal opinion, we always give too much importance to all the celebrities (cricketers & film stars). I partly blame the media for this. We should appreciate their achievement to a certain extent and should stop there. We have better things to do than keep track of these celebrities. We have a long long way to go in terms of development. Each of us may not be a genius, but all of us have certain responsibilities towards our family and country. Each of us should concentrate on that aspect and then I can surely say that we are on the right path.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Monday, November 9, 2009
Hi Guys,
You all would have heard about the drama that was enacted in the Assembly of Maharashtra. The 12th Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra got off to a disastrous start. Thanks to the ever problematic members of MNS (Maharashtra Navanirman Sena). 4 MLA s of MNS manhandled Mr.Abu Azmi , an MLA from Samajwadi Party (SP) in the Assembly. Actually, Mr. Azmi was chased by these 4 legislators. Other people had to intervene to stop them from committing anything serious. The reason this unfortunate incident happened was because Mr. Azmi took his oath as a legislator in Hindi instead of Marathi, the local language of Maharashtra. The state assembly passed a resolution suspending the 4 legislators for unruly behavior for 4 years.
The constitution allows the leader to take oath in any Indian language. I just cannot understand the problem of MNS. It always creates rifts and differences among people regarding the local and non-local issue. Maharashtra would not have progressed to these heights without the hard work and efforts of the other people in the state. Why do they forget that we are all Indians before being a Maharashtrian. This is definitely a cheap trick to enhance their vote banks. Recently, in MP a certain leader was talking against people from Bihar. I am sure that politicians can do no good for the people, but at least they should not create differences among people. If there are no resources to get a suitable job in Bihar or any other state for that matter, they have no other option but to come to the developed states like Maharashtra or Karnataka to earn a living. There are thousands of Indians in different countries making their living. They are all treated well and you hardly hear anything like this. Even if you hear about anything disturbing , I think it is still fare compared to what is happening in Maharashtra and MP.
These incidents again confirm the fact that politicians are the only hindrance in our progress. They can do no good for people. Each one makes a fortune to last for several generations and tries his best to get his children on to the main scene to continue the legacy.
Signing off for now,
krishna
You all would have heard about the drama that was enacted in the Assembly of Maharashtra. The 12th Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra got off to a disastrous start. Thanks to the ever problematic members of MNS (Maharashtra Navanirman Sena). 4 MLA s of MNS manhandled Mr.Abu Azmi , an MLA from Samajwadi Party (SP) in the Assembly. Actually, Mr. Azmi was chased by these 4 legislators. Other people had to intervene to stop them from committing anything serious. The reason this unfortunate incident happened was because Mr. Azmi took his oath as a legislator in Hindi instead of Marathi, the local language of Maharashtra. The state assembly passed a resolution suspending the 4 legislators for unruly behavior for 4 years.
The constitution allows the leader to take oath in any Indian language. I just cannot understand the problem of MNS. It always creates rifts and differences among people regarding the local and non-local issue. Maharashtra would not have progressed to these heights without the hard work and efforts of the other people in the state. Why do they forget that we are all Indians before being a Maharashtrian. This is definitely a cheap trick to enhance their vote banks. Recently, in MP a certain leader was talking against people from Bihar. I am sure that politicians can do no good for the people, but at least they should not create differences among people. If there are no resources to get a suitable job in Bihar or any other state for that matter, they have no other option but to come to the developed states like Maharashtra or Karnataka to earn a living. There are thousands of Indians in different countries making their living. They are all treated well and you hardly hear anything like this. Even if you hear about anything disturbing , I think it is still fare compared to what is happening in Maharashtra and MP.
These incidents again confirm the fact that politicians are the only hindrance in our progress. They can do no good for people. Each one makes a fortune to last for several generations and tries his best to get his children on to the main scene to continue the legacy.
Signing off for now,
krishna
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Hi Guys,
Today's post is dedicated to former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Mr. Madhu Koda. Right now he is admitted in a hospital in Ranchi following complaints of high blood pressure and stomach pain. I am reminded of my college days when I used to bunk classes and when reprimanded by a teacher the excuse of fever and stomach pain were so spontaneous. I think Mr Koda did not have any information or else he would have gone to the States for treatment......
Now for some stats. Koda and eight others have been accused of amassing property worth hundreds of crores. They broke the national barriers and went global. They have amassed property in UAE, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Libya. Both the ED (Enforcement Directorate) and IT department have started scrutiny of documents recovered during the searches. These documents pertain to Hawala transactions and investments running into more than Rs 2000 crore by Koda and party. The IT department will take care of the unaccounted money in the country and ED will probe the investments and purchases done outside the country.
The fresh news is that certain documents were uncovered that show that one of the close associates of the former CM was in serious negotiations to acquire an SEZ in Noida for a whopping 4800 crore to be paid in Euros (70 crore euros). The former CM and his associates are also said to award high value mining leases to industrialists and their friends.
All politicians and their respective parties are trying their best to proove that they are not linked to Koda. Each party is hurling stones at one another making it look like a joke. These scams are not new to us and I bet that either the charges will be dropped against him after the enquiry or the trial will go on for a few decades. In either case, he will go scot free.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Today's post is dedicated to former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Mr. Madhu Koda. Right now he is admitted in a hospital in Ranchi following complaints of high blood pressure and stomach pain. I am reminded of my college days when I used to bunk classes and when reprimanded by a teacher the excuse of fever and stomach pain were so spontaneous. I think Mr Koda did not have any information or else he would have gone to the States for treatment......
Now for some stats. Koda and eight others have been accused of amassing property worth hundreds of crores. They broke the national barriers and went global. They have amassed property in UAE, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Libya. Both the ED (Enforcement Directorate) and IT department have started scrutiny of documents recovered during the searches. These documents pertain to Hawala transactions and investments running into more than Rs 2000 crore by Koda and party. The IT department will take care of the unaccounted money in the country and ED will probe the investments and purchases done outside the country.
The fresh news is that certain documents were uncovered that show that one of the close associates of the former CM was in serious negotiations to acquire an SEZ in Noida for a whopping 4800 crore to be paid in Euros (70 crore euros). The former CM and his associates are also said to award high value mining leases to industrialists and their friends.
All politicians and their respective parties are trying their best to proove that they are not linked to Koda. Each party is hurling stones at one another making it look like a joke. These scams are not new to us and I bet that either the charges will be dropped against him after the enquiry or the trial will go on for a few decades. In either case, he will go scot free.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Hi Guys,
Today's headlines in the newspapers will draw the readers attention. VVIP security claimed the life of a 32 year old Sumit Verma. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was the chief guest for the Convocation of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education (PGIME).
A very ill Sumit Verma was taken from Ambala to Chandigarh where he was admitted to a private hospital for Dialysis. He developed breathing problems and was rushed to PGIME. Unfortunately, he could not get into the building due to the tight security arrangements for the PM. All the routes leading to the building were blocked. Family members said that after a two hour struggle they managed to reach the gate of the hospital but were not allowed inside and told to use another entry which was a kilometer away. It took a lot of time for them to get there and it was too late for Sumit.
Personally, I am so sad and dissapointed that a young man had to die because the system failed to take care of him. Of course you can get philosophical saying that he was destined to die. But I think if proper measures were taken Sumit would have been hale and healthy by now.
I am sure that the PM visit would have been known months before the D-day. Its the duty and responsibility of the security system to take care of the PM without causing too much inconvenience to the people. If I sound too harsh, at least a special arrangement for such unexpected emergencies should have been made.
I am not blaming anyone but I feel our system has definitely failed to save one life. The worst thing is that it happens again and again........
Signing off for now,
Krishna.
Today's headlines in the newspapers will draw the readers attention. VVIP security claimed the life of a 32 year old Sumit Verma. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was the chief guest for the Convocation of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education (PGIME).
A very ill Sumit Verma was taken from Ambala to Chandigarh where he was admitted to a private hospital for Dialysis. He developed breathing problems and was rushed to PGIME. Unfortunately, he could not get into the building due to the tight security arrangements for the PM. All the routes leading to the building were blocked. Family members said that after a two hour struggle they managed to reach the gate of the hospital but were not allowed inside and told to use another entry which was a kilometer away. It took a lot of time for them to get there and it was too late for Sumit.
Personally, I am so sad and dissapointed that a young man had to die because the system failed to take care of him. Of course you can get philosophical saying that he was destined to die. But I think if proper measures were taken Sumit would have been hale and healthy by now.
I am sure that the PM visit would have been known months before the D-day. Its the duty and responsibility of the security system to take care of the PM without causing too much inconvenience to the people. If I sound too harsh, at least a special arrangement for such unexpected emergencies should have been made.
I am not blaming anyone but I feel our system has definitely failed to save one life. The worst thing is that it happens again and again........
Signing off for now,
Krishna.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Hi Guys,
I was wondering about how much stress a human being can handle. All of us are under some sort of stress, be it financial, emotional, work pressure etc etc. The list can go on and on. I think the tension and fear we experience when we or our loved ones are diagnosed with a supposedly fatal health issue can be too much to handle. It needs great strength and courage to come out of it. Needless to say, it cannot be accomplished without the love and support of friends and family.
Breast cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases by all womanhood across the globe. I cannot imagine the mental turmoil a woman undergoes when she is apprised about a tumor in her breast. Woman should show sufficient courage when something like this strikes her. One should first understand the disease and then go step by step for a treatment.
Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. Cancer occurs due to mutations and abnormal changes in the genes which are responsible in regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. These changed cells have the ability to keep dividing without control or order producing more cells like it and thereby forming a tumor. A tumor can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not cancerous. They grow slowly and do not spread to other parts of the body. The latter case is more serious as it is cancerous and can spread to other parts of the body. Breast cancer is always caused by a genetic abnormality. 90 % of the time it is due to the aging process and wear and tear of life in general. However, only 5-10 % of cancers are due to an abnormality inherited by your mother or father. Breast cancer is never anyone's fault. Feeling guilty or cursing yourself for getting this is not good . Instead one should be strong at mind and heart to counter it. Here is where friends and family are so important. They can give the moral support to the patient and increase her confidence and help her to pull through.
Treatment for breast cancer would be decided by the Doctors based on the pathology report of the infected cell. The various treatments are Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Hormonal Therapy, Targeted Therapies, & Complimentary and holistic Medicine.
Nutrition is a very important aspect when it comes to recovery. One needs to eat a very healthy and balanced diet to keep the body strong. Women can also take dietary supplements like vitamins, minerals and herbs which can help them to stay strong.
Pain is a natural consequence of the treatment. Apart from medicines to relieve pain , women need the support of family and friends here. Women should try not to get discouraged. Its normal for anyone to feel frustrated , depressed and exhausted when plagued by pain.
You must be wondering why the hell I have a post on Breast Cancer. Well, one of my family members is undergoing treatment for it right now. I am sure she will pull herself through this mess. All she needs is Love and support from near & dear (and of course medicines and Gods grace).
Signing off for now,
Krishna
I was wondering about how much stress a human being can handle. All of us are under some sort of stress, be it financial, emotional, work pressure etc etc. The list can go on and on. I think the tension and fear we experience when we or our loved ones are diagnosed with a supposedly fatal health issue can be too much to handle. It needs great strength and courage to come out of it. Needless to say, it cannot be accomplished without the love and support of friends and family.
Breast cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases by all womanhood across the globe. I cannot imagine the mental turmoil a woman undergoes when she is apprised about a tumor in her breast. Woman should show sufficient courage when something like this strikes her. One should first understand the disease and then go step by step for a treatment.
Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. Cancer occurs due to mutations and abnormal changes in the genes which are responsible in regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. These changed cells have the ability to keep dividing without control or order producing more cells like it and thereby forming a tumor. A tumor can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not cancerous. They grow slowly and do not spread to other parts of the body. The latter case is more serious as it is cancerous and can spread to other parts of the body. Breast cancer is always caused by a genetic abnormality. 90 % of the time it is due to the aging process and wear and tear of life in general. However, only 5-10 % of cancers are due to an abnormality inherited by your mother or father. Breast cancer is never anyone's fault. Feeling guilty or cursing yourself for getting this is not good . Instead one should be strong at mind and heart to counter it. Here is where friends and family are so important. They can give the moral support to the patient and increase her confidence and help her to pull through.
Treatment for breast cancer would be decided by the Doctors based on the pathology report of the infected cell. The various treatments are Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Hormonal Therapy, Targeted Therapies, & Complimentary and holistic Medicine.
Nutrition is a very important aspect when it comes to recovery. One needs to eat a very healthy and balanced diet to keep the body strong. Women can also take dietary supplements like vitamins, minerals and herbs which can help them to stay strong.
Pain is a natural consequence of the treatment. Apart from medicines to relieve pain , women need the support of family and friends here. Women should try not to get discouraged. Its normal for anyone to feel frustrated , depressed and exhausted when plagued by pain.
You must be wondering why the hell I have a post on Breast Cancer. Well, one of my family members is undergoing treatment for it right now. I am sure she will pull herself through this mess. All she needs is Love and support from near & dear (and of course medicines and Gods grace).
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Friday, October 30, 2009
Hi Guys,
I was reading about Bharat Ratna M.S.Subbulakshmi and stumbled upon a fact that she was born on Sep 16 1918. Being an ardent fan of MS Amma, I thought I should dedicate a post on her. I think a typical day in South India begins with her melodious voice in all households. She is the Asthana Gayaki (court-singer) of TTD. There is a certain devotion and serenity in her voice which calms the listener and makes them forget everything else.
She was honored with Padma Bhushan (1954), Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1956), Sangeetha Kalanidhi (1968), Ramon Magsaysay Award (1974), Padma Vibhushan (1975), Bharat Ratna (1998)(I have mentioned only the prominent ones ).Pandit Nehru addressed her as the Queen of Music. Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan called her Suswaralakshmi. Lata Mangeshkar termed her as Tapaswini.
Indeed she was a Tapaswini .When one listens to her songs , you only think of the Deity. She donated all her award money and concert money to charity. Fame and Glory never really touched her. She was simple all her life. She was a humble and a great devotee of Kanchi Mahaswamigal and Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
She acted in a few movies like Sevasadanam, Savitri and Meera. During the shooting of Meera, she was supposed to sing a Bhajan and then faint after having the Darshan of the Lord. She was so much involved into the Bhajan that she really fainted. The Bhajan is Giridhara Gopala. One can listen to this melody at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3qD9EwvYEI
Who can forget her Jagadodharana. I think nobody can sing like that. One can listen to that at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qli9tU5MJa0&feature=PlayList&p=A2C0675FA20047A5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5
My personal favorite is Bhavayami Gopalabalam. One can listen to that at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxvd5DfpUt0
She herself looked like a goddess to me. I was so sad when I saw her without her trademark Kumkum after the death of her husband. She breathed her last on December 11, 2004. She will always live forever in the form of her melodious voice.
On a personal note I think she was a Karana Janmi (born for a purpose ).
Signing off for now,
Krishna.
I was reading about Bharat Ratna M.S.Subbulakshmi and stumbled upon a fact that she was born on Sep 16 1918. Being an ardent fan of MS Amma, I thought I should dedicate a post on her. I think a typical day in South India begins with her melodious voice in all households. She is the Asthana Gayaki (court-singer) of TTD. There is a certain devotion and serenity in her voice which calms the listener and makes them forget everything else.
She was honored with Padma Bhushan (1954), Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1956), Sangeetha Kalanidhi (1968), Ramon Magsaysay Award (1974), Padma Vibhushan (1975), Bharat Ratna (1998)(I have mentioned only the prominent ones ).Pandit Nehru addressed her as the Queen of Music. Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan called her Suswaralakshmi. Lata Mangeshkar termed her as Tapaswini.
Indeed she was a Tapaswini .When one listens to her songs , you only think of the Deity. She donated all her award money and concert money to charity. Fame and Glory never really touched her. She was simple all her life. She was a humble and a great devotee of Kanchi Mahaswamigal and Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
She acted in a few movies like Sevasadanam, Savitri and Meera. During the shooting of Meera, she was supposed to sing a Bhajan and then faint after having the Darshan of the Lord. She was so much involved into the Bhajan that she really fainted. The Bhajan is Giridhara Gopala. One can listen to this melody at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3qD9EwvYEI
Who can forget her Jagadodharana. I think nobody can sing like that. One can listen to that at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qli9tU5MJa0&feature=PlayList&p=A2C0675FA20047A5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5
My personal favorite is Bhavayami Gopalabalam. One can listen to that at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxvd5DfpUt0
She herself looked like a goddess to me. I was so sad when I saw her without her trademark Kumkum after the death of her husband. She breathed her last on December 11, 2004. She will always live forever in the form of her melodious voice.
On a personal note I think she was a Karana Janmi (born for a purpose ).
Signing off for now,
Krishna.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Hi Guys,
I was reading an article in the Times about why we don't excel consistently on the world stage. Actually this question is very important for each one of us. We don't win Olympic medals, we don't have many global brands (be it expensive items or even consumer goods ), we don't win Nobel prizes, we don't have a blockbuster drug of our own (all we have are generics). We boast of a huge IT industry but don't have our own Google. The list can go on and on. There is really no end to it.
Of course we also have a whole lot of positives but it is our responsibility to correct our negatives and improve our positives. Frankly speaking our negatives outnumber our positives a thousand fold.
Few common answers to this question are that we don't have money, our Governments are insensitive, Corruption etc etc. A very interesting aspect is that we don't give importance to talent and people. In our system , talent comes after connections, stature, heredity, experience etc. How often do we see an unknown and a common boy become a superstar, but definitely more often than not we see the son of a superstar become another superstar. Even if the talent is identified, we are not ready to train it and find it extremely difficult to reward it. We don't appreciate talent because we remind ourselves of our pain in their success ( in other words we have too much jealousy). That is the main reason why talented people go for greener pastures where they are respected and treated well. I am reminded of an incident that happened a couple of years ago in the KK express that travels from Bangalore to Delhi. There was a guy who was traveling with us in the sleeper class. He was a graduate from IIT and was doing his PhD from Purdue. He was visiting his hometown for a few days. There was a problem with his ticket and the TT was not listening to his pleas. What hurt him most was the manner in which the TT was speaking to him. There was a total disrespect shown by the TT towards the passenger. After all this, the TT pocketed 1000 Rs from him. That sums up everything about our attitude.
Ok , now for some solutions.....
At the individual level, we all need to appreciate and respect Talent. Talent should not cause resentment in us. It should inspire us.
At the Organizational level, we have to get rid of promotion system based on seniority. Exceptional Talent must also be rewarded exceptionally. I am sure these are small steps, but they will surely put us on the right path. Maybe, the path to few Nobels and a few Olympic Medals......
Signing off for now,
Krishna.
I was reading an article in the Times about why we don't excel consistently on the world stage. Actually this question is very important for each one of us. We don't win Olympic medals, we don't have many global brands (be it expensive items or even consumer goods ), we don't win Nobel prizes, we don't have a blockbuster drug of our own (all we have are generics). We boast of a huge IT industry but don't have our own Google. The list can go on and on. There is really no end to it.
Of course we also have a whole lot of positives but it is our responsibility to correct our negatives and improve our positives. Frankly speaking our negatives outnumber our positives a thousand fold.
Few common answers to this question are that we don't have money, our Governments are insensitive, Corruption etc etc. A very interesting aspect is that we don't give importance to talent and people. In our system , talent comes after connections, stature, heredity, experience etc. How often do we see an unknown and a common boy become a superstar, but definitely more often than not we see the son of a superstar become another superstar. Even if the talent is identified, we are not ready to train it and find it extremely difficult to reward it. We don't appreciate talent because we remind ourselves of our pain in their success ( in other words we have too much jealousy). That is the main reason why talented people go for greener pastures where they are respected and treated well. I am reminded of an incident that happened a couple of years ago in the KK express that travels from Bangalore to Delhi. There was a guy who was traveling with us in the sleeper class. He was a graduate from IIT and was doing his PhD from Purdue. He was visiting his hometown for a few days. There was a problem with his ticket and the TT was not listening to his pleas. What hurt him most was the manner in which the TT was speaking to him. There was a total disrespect shown by the TT towards the passenger. After all this, the TT pocketed 1000 Rs from him. That sums up everything about our attitude.
Ok , now for some solutions.....
At the individual level, we all need to appreciate and respect Talent. Talent should not cause resentment in us. It should inspire us.
At the Organizational level, we have to get rid of promotion system based on seniority. Exceptional Talent must also be rewarded exceptionally. I am sure these are small steps, but they will surely put us on the right path. Maybe, the path to few Nobels and a few Olympic Medals......
Signing off for now,
Krishna.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Hi Guys,
There are so many interesting things happening right now. What caught my attention is the row over cutting on the pay and perks of the Corporate executives. The movement was initiated by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. I feel that this action should have been taken at least 5 years ago. It is already too late but still better late than never.
But most surprising thing was the example set by Reliance group of industries. RIL has issued a notice stating that its CMD will draw a salary of 15 crores for the fiscal year 08-09 . He was earlier drawing a whopping 44 crore. There is so much praise for the exemplary behavior of Mr.Mukesh Ambani by Mr.Kurshid (Corporate Affairs Minister).
Now,I am from a middle class family and I very much know the struggles of a middle class family to sustain a good living. A post graduate will earn sufficient money to take care of the needs of the family. I repeat its just the needs and not the comforts. So even if he or she makes 4 lakhs per annum, to even equal 15 crores he or she would take 360 years. Then what about 44 crores??? My question is when there is so much unemployment, poverty, etc etc in the country then why should one person earn so much (as much as salary of 100 people). Why is there so much disparity. That is the reason we are not moving ahead. The rich get richer and poor remain poor. What is the solution for this problem. I don't know. Government should find a solution for this. It may take long time,but the first few steps should be taken now.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
There are so many interesting things happening right now. What caught my attention is the row over cutting on the pay and perks of the Corporate executives. The movement was initiated by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. I feel that this action should have been taken at least 5 years ago. It is already too late but still better late than never.
But most surprising thing was the example set by Reliance group of industries. RIL has issued a notice stating that its CMD will draw a salary of 15 crores for the fiscal year 08-09 . He was earlier drawing a whopping 44 crore. There is so much praise for the exemplary behavior of Mr.Mukesh Ambani by Mr.Kurshid (Corporate Affairs Minister).
Now,I am from a middle class family and I very much know the struggles of a middle class family to sustain a good living. A post graduate will earn sufficient money to take care of the needs of the family. I repeat its just the needs and not the comforts. So even if he or she makes 4 lakhs per annum, to even equal 15 crores he or she would take 360 years. Then what about 44 crores??? My question is when there is so much unemployment, poverty, etc etc in the country then why should one person earn so much (as much as salary of 100 people). Why is there so much disparity. That is the reason we are not moving ahead. The rich get richer and poor remain poor. What is the solution for this problem. I don't know. Government should find a solution for this. It may take long time,but the first few steps should be taken now.
Signing off for now,
Krishna
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Hi Guys,
I was watching the special report on AP flood situation in CNN. The water level has receded and the Government officials report that they have set up hundreds of relief camps and they are doing their best to provide the basic needs for the victims. But media has found out that Government is not trying its best to help the people. It is the local students, retired officers and other sensitive people who have come together and trying to help the people. Now, how many times have we heard and read about the incapability of the Government to take action at the right time. I can go on and on about the insensitive and corrupt people who form the so called Government.
But on the other hand, it is so gladdening to know that people feel empathetic for others who suffer the ordeal . They come forward and try to help the victims in whatever way they can. This is an eye opener for all of us. One needs to be considerate for other people because concern for others is Culture.
Another interesting news was about an engineering student whose heart was pierced by a 4 cm long needle. The needle remained stuck in his heart for 3 days. Doctors, who tried to operate him could not locate the needle. He was then taken to the Government hospital and they gave him few medicines and told him to come after 3 days as they were on a strike. Another example of the exemplary sense of Duty the Government Authorities have.
Finally, he was brought to Delhi and taken to Escorts Heart Hospital. He was put on a heart-lung-machine as his heart had to be stopped to prevent the needle from penetrating further down. They somehow could locate the needle and then pulled it out using a magnet.
I say that the guy was really lucky. In common parlance, he had a close shave.
Signing off,
Krishna
I was watching the special report on AP flood situation in CNN. The water level has receded and the Government officials report that they have set up hundreds of relief camps and they are doing their best to provide the basic needs for the victims. But media has found out that Government is not trying its best to help the people. It is the local students, retired officers and other sensitive people who have come together and trying to help the people. Now, how many times have we heard and read about the incapability of the Government to take action at the right time. I can go on and on about the insensitive and corrupt people who form the so called Government.
But on the other hand, it is so gladdening to know that people feel empathetic for others who suffer the ordeal . They come forward and try to help the victims in whatever way they can. This is an eye opener for all of us. One needs to be considerate for other people because concern for others is Culture.
Another interesting news was about an engineering student whose heart was pierced by a 4 cm long needle. The needle remained stuck in his heart for 3 days. Doctors, who tried to operate him could not locate the needle. He was then taken to the Government hospital and they gave him few medicines and told him to come after 3 days as they were on a strike. Another example of the exemplary sense of Duty the Government Authorities have.
Finally, he was brought to Delhi and taken to Escorts Heart Hospital. He was put on a heart-lung-machine as his heart had to be stopped to prevent the needle from penetrating further down. They somehow could locate the needle and then pulled it out using a magnet.
I say that the guy was really lucky. In common parlance, he had a close shave.
Signing off,
Krishna
Friday, October 9, 2009
Hi Guys,
To start with a very pleasant news.....The Nobel prize for Chemistry has one recipient from Indian origin. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan has made a country of billion people very proud. Born in Chidamabaram (T.N), Venkat got his Bachelors in Physics from Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda and migrated to the land of opportunity to pursue his Ph.D. He obtained his Doctorate in Physics from Ohio University in 1976 and then planned his 2 year transition from Physics to Biology. After a Postdoctoral stint at Yale, Venkat joined the staff of Brookhaven National Laboratory.Venkat has been awarded the Nobel prize in Chemistry this year for his pioneering work on Ribosomes. Venkat is now working as a senior scientist at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.
Previous Nobel Laureates
Tagore (1913, Geetanjali),C.V.Raman (1930, Raman Effect),Hargobind Khurana (1968, Genetic code),Mother Teresa (1979, Peace),Subramanian Chandrasekhar (1983, Evolution of stars),Amartya Sen (1998, Welfare economics).
Now for some not so pleasant news....
Floods have hit Andhra again and it has caused a lot of damage to lives and property.There seems to be no real solution to this recurring problem. PMO has released 1000 Crore for relief measures, but I am not sure how much of it will reach the really needy. There are lot of NGOs and Seva Dal groups who have alredy plunged into the relief work. I will get back with more news soon.
Signing off for now.
Krishna
To start with a very pleasant news.....The Nobel prize for Chemistry has one recipient from Indian origin. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan has made a country of billion people very proud. Born in Chidamabaram (T.N), Venkat got his Bachelors in Physics from Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda and migrated to the land of opportunity to pursue his Ph.D. He obtained his Doctorate in Physics from Ohio University in 1976 and then planned his 2 year transition from Physics to Biology. After a Postdoctoral stint at Yale, Venkat joined the staff of Brookhaven National Laboratory.Venkat has been awarded the Nobel prize in Chemistry this year for his pioneering work on Ribosomes. Venkat is now working as a senior scientist at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.
Previous Nobel Laureates
Tagore (1913, Geetanjali),C.V.Raman (1930, Raman Effect),Hargobind Khurana (1968, Genetic code),Mother Teresa (1979, Peace),Subramanian Chandrasekhar (1983, Evolution of stars),Amartya Sen (1998, Welfare economics).
Now for some not so pleasant news....
Floods have hit Andhra again and it has caused a lot of damage to lives and property.There seems to be no real solution to this recurring problem. PMO has released 1000 Crore for relief measures, but I am not sure how much of it will reach the really needy. There are lot of NGOs and Seva Dal groups who have alredy plunged into the relief work. I will get back with more news soon.
Signing off for now.
Krishna
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Hi Guys,
I was in Chicago over the weekend. I met few of my friends and some seniors from my college. It was basically an Alumni meet. I was so happy to meet all these people.
I was catching up with news today and read an article about ill treatment of Legendary Athlete P.T.Usha by Madhya Pradesh State Government. She was in Bhopal in connection with the 49 th National Athletic Meet. I bet that if the same thing would have happened to Sachin Tendulkar or for that matter even Harbhajan Singh, the issue would have been more serious and would have been discussed at the Parliament Session ( Our politicians have no time to solve the flood issues but will definitely have time to discuss this ). Such things will never happen to cricketers. It is not the fault of players. Players are being given importance by the rich Boards. It is high time that Govt should start investing in games beyond Cricket. We are way behind in all strenuous and stamina oriented sports like Athletics, Football, Tennis, Hockey, Boxing, Badminton....the list is endless. The Laurels brought to our Country by Paes, Bhupathi, Vijendar, Saina, Somdev and many many more unrecognized heroes are by their talent alone without much support from the Government. I remember that Abhinav Bindra (Gold Medalist of Olympics 2008 ) was not given air fare to travel to Beijing. He payed the money from his pocket. I am sure such thing will not happen to any established cricketer. In spite of repeated failures at major tournaments we still back Cricket. I think we have to encourage children to pursue other sports than Cricket.
Will be back tomorrow
Krishna
I was in Chicago over the weekend. I met few of my friends and some seniors from my college. It was basically an Alumni meet. I was so happy to meet all these people.
I was catching up with news today and read an article about ill treatment of Legendary Athlete P.T.Usha by Madhya Pradesh State Government. She was in Bhopal in connection with the 49 th National Athletic Meet. I bet that if the same thing would have happened to Sachin Tendulkar or for that matter even Harbhajan Singh, the issue would have been more serious and would have been discussed at the Parliament Session ( Our politicians have no time to solve the flood issues but will definitely have time to discuss this ). Such things will never happen to cricketers. It is not the fault of players. Players are being given importance by the rich Boards. It is high time that Govt should start investing in games beyond Cricket. We are way behind in all strenuous and stamina oriented sports like Athletics, Football, Tennis, Hockey, Boxing, Badminton....the list is endless. The Laurels brought to our Country by Paes, Bhupathi, Vijendar, Saina, Somdev and many many more unrecognized heroes are by their talent alone without much support from the Government. I remember that Abhinav Bindra (Gold Medalist of Olympics 2008 ) was not given air fare to travel to Beijing. He payed the money from his pocket. I am sure such thing will not happen to any established cricketer. In spite of repeated failures at major tournaments we still back Cricket. I think we have to encourage children to pursue other sports than Cricket.
Will be back tomorrow
Krishna
Monday, September 28, 2009
Hi
Today is the birthday of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar. She has been singing songs for Hindi films for almost seven decades. There is a certain devotion to her singing which takes the song to a different level. Even at this age, she can move you with her song. Her last song Lukka Chuppi ( Rang De Basanti ) brought tears to many eyes. Hats off to you madam .........
I was reading an article about Swami Vivekananda and stumbled upon a fact that the worlds parliament of religions conference happened on the 11th of September 1893 in Chicago. This was a platform for a wandering monk to become a world renowned personality. His opening statement " Sisters and brothers of America " throws light on his personality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHgkOs9ZFvM
Once Ravindranath Tagore said that " If you want to know about India, you need to read Vivekananda ".
He died at 39.All his accomplishments were done in 9 years. I wonder what he would have done if he had live for 100 years. Well, on a lighter note I am going to Chicago to meet few friends. I will try to visit the hall where the conference happened 116 years ago.
Signing off
Krishna
Today is the birthday of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar. She has been singing songs for Hindi films for almost seven decades. There is a certain devotion to her singing which takes the song to a different level. Even at this age, she can move you with her song. Her last song Lukka Chuppi ( Rang De Basanti ) brought tears to many eyes. Hats off to you madam .........
I was reading an article about Swami Vivekananda and stumbled upon a fact that the worlds parliament of religions conference happened on the 11th of September 1893 in Chicago. This was a platform for a wandering monk to become a world renowned personality. His opening statement " Sisters and brothers of America " throws light on his personality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHgkOs9ZFvM
Once Ravindranath Tagore said that " If you want to know about India, you need to read Vivekananda ".
He died at 39.All his accomplishments were done in 9 years. I wonder what he would have done if he had live for 100 years. Well, on a lighter note I am going to Chicago to meet few friends. I will try to visit the hall where the conference happened 116 years ago.
Signing off
Krishna
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Hi,
It is said that History repeats itself . South Africa keeps on proving this statement again and again. This is the umpteenth number of time it has been knocked out of a major tournament. All credit to the English for posting a daunting 323 .Their middle order batted like never before in the recent past.Shah was a grafter in the previous game against Lanka but today was a bully.His 89 ball 98 set up the victory for England. He was ably supported by Colingwood and Morgan.
SA did not look to be in a hurry at all in their chase. Their plan was to keep wickets in hand and flourish late in the innings as they bat deep .They scored at 5.5 throughout the match and when the time came to increase the momentum , they started loosing wickets. It was really sad to see Smith fight till the end but still ended loosing. SA are out of the tournament and Kiwis are hanging in there.They need to defeat England to enter the Semis. Their batting seemed to click today as they posted 315 against Lanka. The stronger teams of the group are virtually out of the tournament. That is the beauty of this game. It always has a surprise for you.
India is in a do or die situation tomorrow against the Aussies. I hope they can get their act tomorrow or they have to pack their bags and leave. Good luck to them.
JOY OF GIVING WEEK.
Sept 27- Oct 3 is celebrated as joy of giving week through out India.
This is a national movement that aims to engage all people in different acts of giving. The giving could be in terms of money, time, resources, skill etc . Lot of events are happening and people, NGOs, celebrities are supporting it. For more information regarding the event please log on to
www.joyofgiving.org.
It is said that Love lives by giving and forgiving and self lives by getting an forgetting. I really don't understand the meaning of this quote but I know that if we can practice it in our lives we don't have to celebrate such weeks. But that's a long way to go. We need to start somewhere. So why not support this event......
Signing for now
Krishna
It is said that History repeats itself . South Africa keeps on proving this statement again and again. This is the umpteenth number of time it has been knocked out of a major tournament. All credit to the English for posting a daunting 323 .Their middle order batted like never before in the recent past.Shah was a grafter in the previous game against Lanka but today was a bully.His 89 ball 98 set up the victory for England. He was ably supported by Colingwood and Morgan.
SA did not look to be in a hurry at all in their chase. Their plan was to keep wickets in hand and flourish late in the innings as they bat deep .They scored at 5.5 throughout the match and when the time came to increase the momentum , they started loosing wickets. It was really sad to see Smith fight till the end but still ended loosing. SA are out of the tournament and Kiwis are hanging in there.They need to defeat England to enter the Semis. Their batting seemed to click today as they posted 315 against Lanka. The stronger teams of the group are virtually out of the tournament. That is the beauty of this game. It always has a surprise for you.
India is in a do or die situation tomorrow against the Aussies. I hope they can get their act tomorrow or they have to pack their bags and leave. Good luck to them.
JOY OF GIVING WEEK.
Sept 27- Oct 3 is celebrated as joy of giving week through out India.
This is a national movement that aims to engage all people in different acts of giving. The giving could be in terms of money, time, resources, skill etc . Lot of events are happening and people, NGOs, celebrities are supporting it. For more information regarding the event please log on to
www.joyofgiving.org.
It is said that Love lives by giving and forgiving and self lives by getting an forgetting. I really don't understand the meaning of this quote but I know that if we can practice it in our lives we don't have to celebrate such weeks. But that's a long way to go. We need to start somewhere. So why not support this event......
Signing for now
Krishna
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Hi ,
Continuing the CT update...
Pakistan deservedly won a crucial game against their arch rivals in the Group A encounter at Centurion . Dubbed as the mother of all clashes , the game lived up to its expectations. Even though the scoreline suggests a victory margin of 54 runs , the game was far more closer than that . Pakistan set up a imposing target of 302 , thanks to a ton by Malik ( he has been a constant pain for India ) and a subtle 87 by the old horse Yousuf. We have to admit that India has a weak pace bowling unit right now and were rightly exposed. Unfortunately Harbhajan and Pathan leaked too many runs (127) in their spells, helping the total to go past 300. Our chase was spirited for almost 40 overs , thanks to Gambhir , Dravid and Raina. Gambhir was too much pumped up and I should say that it not only cost him his wicket but also the match. As I have said earlier two of the top 4 should score big runs for us to win big games. Sachin and Dhoni failed today and Pathan should have been more sensible. Finally, the better team won the game today. Unlike Indian spinners ,the Pakistani spinners were much more efficient and truly won the game for their team. Well played Pakistan . India has to win the remaining two games and keep their fingers crossed to qualify for the semis.
It was not easy for Australia against a weak but spirited WI in another group B clash. WI should have won the game from the position they were in. Inexperience and Mitchell Johnson were the big hurdles they could not overcome. Thats all about cricket for now.....
Mission Moon : Chandrayan-I
India's first moon mission was a historic feat accomplished by scientists of ISRO. The discovery of water on moon is hailed as a landmark in Space science. Chandrayan carried the probe M3 (Moon Mineralogy Mapper ) sent by NASA which detected the presence of water. The probe had access to only the top few millimeters of lunar soil and the analysis confirmed the presence of water.
Personally , I feel this achievement as purely academic . In a few years from now, children will study in their science books that Moon has water on its surface. Other than this I see no practical use of this. Maybe in a few centuries from now , due to the population overflow on Earth , human species might start living on the Moon and consume the water for their existence.
The real estate business has reached its peak and now stagnated. Thanks to recession. Presence of water on the moon might be a good news for all the real estate agents as they have another unexplored destination to cover which will bring their business back to normal. (P.J)
I have another thought regarding this. Even though man has progressed so much with Science & Technology, he still has not been able to completely unearth the mysteries of Mother Nature. Man looks so small and tiny when compared to the grandeur of Mother Nature.
Signing off for now
krishna
Continuing the CT update...
Pakistan deservedly won a crucial game against their arch rivals in the Group A encounter at Centurion . Dubbed as the mother of all clashes , the game lived up to its expectations. Even though the scoreline suggests a victory margin of 54 runs , the game was far more closer than that . Pakistan set up a imposing target of 302 , thanks to a ton by Malik ( he has been a constant pain for India ) and a subtle 87 by the old horse Yousuf. We have to admit that India has a weak pace bowling unit right now and were rightly exposed. Unfortunately Harbhajan and Pathan leaked too many runs (127) in their spells, helping the total to go past 300. Our chase was spirited for almost 40 overs , thanks to Gambhir , Dravid and Raina. Gambhir was too much pumped up and I should say that it not only cost him his wicket but also the match. As I have said earlier two of the top 4 should score big runs for us to win big games. Sachin and Dhoni failed today and Pathan should have been more sensible. Finally, the better team won the game today. Unlike Indian spinners ,the Pakistani spinners were much more efficient and truly won the game for their team. Well played Pakistan . India has to win the remaining two games and keep their fingers crossed to qualify for the semis.
It was not easy for Australia against a weak but spirited WI in another group B clash. WI should have won the game from the position they were in. Inexperience and Mitchell Johnson were the big hurdles they could not overcome. Thats all about cricket for now.....
Mission Moon : Chandrayan-I
India's first moon mission was a historic feat accomplished by scientists of ISRO. The discovery of water on moon is hailed as a landmark in Space science. Chandrayan carried the probe M3 (Moon Mineralogy Mapper ) sent by NASA which detected the presence of water. The probe had access to only the top few millimeters of lunar soil and the analysis confirmed the presence of water.
Personally , I feel this achievement as purely academic . In a few years from now, children will study in their science books that Moon has water on its surface. Other than this I see no practical use of this. Maybe in a few centuries from now , due to the population overflow on Earth , human species might start living on the Moon and consume the water for their existence.
The real estate business has reached its peak and now stagnated. Thanks to recession. Presence of water on the moon might be a good news for all the real estate agents as they have another unexplored destination to cover which will bring their business back to normal. (P.J)
I have another thought regarding this. Even though man has progressed so much with Science & Technology, he still has not been able to completely unearth the mysteries of Mother Nature. Man looks so small and tiny when compared to the grandeur of Mother Nature.
Signing off for now
krishna
Friday, September 25, 2009
Hi
Wonders truly will never cease......
This is my way of expressing my opinion about today's game between the Lankans and the English. I am still unable to understand how on earth Sanga could have lost the game. With all the match winners at his disposal, today's game was expected to be a cake walk . But all credits to the English. They bowled beautifully at the beginning and did not allow the Lankans to get away. The English middle order looked good today and now English are perched at the top of the points table in their group. The competition is wide open and I am sure that Kiwis will claw their way back in the next game and make the CT even more exciting.
Now for some good stuff.......
Recently , I read an article about a group of doctors from Chennai & Coimbatore who registered the first successful treatment of Thalassaemia in a child using a sibling's umbilical cord blood . Stem cells extracted from the cord blood of the healthy child were transplanted into the patient. After the observation period of 5 months , the doctors reported that the patient was completely cured.
It was an expensive operation and lot of NGOs and philanthrophists made kind donations and made the impossible happen. Credit to all of them. They all have taught us the lesson that human life is precious and we should always strive to save it.
Three Cheers to the team of doctors who made it possible. Our scriptures extol them as Vaidhyo Narayano Hari . They prooved the scriptures right. Way to go Docs.........
Will be back
Krishna
Wonders truly will never cease......
This is my way of expressing my opinion about today's game between the Lankans and the English. I am still unable to understand how on earth Sanga could have lost the game. With all the match winners at his disposal, today's game was expected to be a cake walk . But all credits to the English. They bowled beautifully at the beginning and did not allow the Lankans to get away. The English middle order looked good today and now English are perched at the top of the points table in their group. The competition is wide open and I am sure that Kiwis will claw their way back in the next game and make the CT even more exciting.
Now for some good stuff.......
Recently , I read an article about a group of doctors from Chennai & Coimbatore who registered the first successful treatment of Thalassaemia in a child using a sibling's umbilical cord blood . Stem cells extracted from the cord blood of the healthy child were transplanted into the patient. After the observation period of 5 months , the doctors reported that the patient was completely cured.
It was an expensive operation and lot of NGOs and philanthrophists made kind donations and made the impossible happen. Credit to all of them. They all have taught us the lesson that human life is precious and we should always strive to save it.
Three Cheers to the team of doctors who made it possible. Our scriptures extol them as Vaidhyo Narayano Hari . They prooved the scriptures right. Way to go Docs.........
Will be back
Krishna
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Hi Guys.....
Continuing the expert opinion series on the CT. As expected , SA recorded a thumping win over the Kiwis. There were some hiccups during the chase but AB ensured the victory by a well compiled half century. He was ably supported by Amla, Kallis and the super cool Boucher. SA has to win their next game with Eng to book a spot in the semis. I am almost certain that SA and Srilanka will be through to the semis.
Tomorrows another group A game is between SL and Eng . Andrew Strauss will be having sleepless nights thinking about the game. I am sure that Eng will loose quite badly as it neither has the quality bowlers to contain the Lankan batsmen nor does it have good batsmen to counter attack the likes of Murali & Co.
Signing off for now
Krishna
Continuing the expert opinion series on the CT. As expected , SA recorded a thumping win over the Kiwis. There were some hiccups during the chase but AB ensured the victory by a well compiled half century. He was ably supported by Amla, Kallis and the super cool Boucher. SA has to win their next game with Eng to book a spot in the semis. I am almost certain that SA and Srilanka will be through to the semis.
Tomorrows another group A game is between SL and Eng . Andrew Strauss will be having sleepless nights thinking about the game. I am sure that Eng will loose quite badly as it neither has the quality bowlers to contain the Lankan batsmen nor does it have good batsmen to counter attack the likes of Murali & Co.
Signing off for now
Krishna
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Champions Trophy Update
Hi, Namaste, Salaam, Vannakum to all
This is krishnas expert opinion on the ongoing Champions Trophy.
First of all congratulations to Srilanka for registering a thumping win against No 1 SA. Srilanka is always a force because it has match winning bowlers in its armory. With a strong middle order and flashy openers I bet they will be through to the Semis. I have a soft corner for SA as it has some exceptional players in its side but lack the vital luck factor. They were basically unprepared as they have been out of cricket for quite sometime. The last game was an eyeopener and I bet they will come blazing in their next game.Kiwis, Watch out... .
Another surprise package is the resurgent Pakistan . Though , they had a weak team as an opponent in todays win, their confidence is on a high and they will be rearing to get on to the field on Saturday against their arch rivals. With convincing wins against Srilanka and Warriors in the practice games, they look really good to book a place in the Semis.
Now,the hard part......India with its No 2 tag behind them, suddenly look lost. Their practice game was a shocker, but they can bring a smile on to their faces by remembering the just concluded Compaq cup. India looks so bad without Sehwag. With sehwag in the line up I am sure the opponents are really wary about ways to get him because one just cannot restrict him. This gives the space and time for the other batsmen to come through. If he gives a perfect start for the game, Yuvraj is the perfect finisher to a chase. I am not going into the details of their bowling prowess, but I consider Sehwag to be a very useful and wicket taking bowler and Yuvraj has been bowling quite ok in the recent past. I cannot comprehend a Ind ODI line up without these two.
Of course, injuries are part and parcel of this game and I hope Yuvi doesnt take much time for his recovery.There are few positives we can take from his injury. Firstly, he has been playing non stop cricket and this will be a good break for him. Of course he would be ruing his fate for missing the all important CT ,but there is nothing he can do about it. Secondly, this is a real good chance for the likes of Kohli, Yusuf, Nayar and even Raina to cement their places in the XI.Yusuf has really not got any proper oppurtunity in this format to show his talent. If he can seal a few wins for India with his bat here ,I bet he would become the poster boy of Indian Cricket for an year. Lot actually depends on Sachin, Dravid, Dhoni and Gambhir. At least two of them have to get a big score in every match to register a win. Dhoni should be praying for his envious luck to continue and smile upon him. Without Sehwag & Yuvraj and with a not so fit Gambhir I am sure he would not like to chase .The safest option will be to bat first and get a decent total and hope that our bowlers dont go crazy.......
So, good luck to SA for their match against NZ. I personally would be happy to see SA win, but this is cricket.Anything can happen.
Players to watch out for
SA : AB , Duminy ,Botha
NZ : Mcullum , Vettori , Bond
This is krishnas expert opinion on the ongoing Champions Trophy.
First of all congratulations to Srilanka for registering a thumping win against No 1 SA. Srilanka is always a force because it has match winning bowlers in its armory. With a strong middle order and flashy openers I bet they will be through to the Semis. I have a soft corner for SA as it has some exceptional players in its side but lack the vital luck factor. They were basically unprepared as they have been out of cricket for quite sometime. The last game was an eyeopener and I bet they will come blazing in their next game.Kiwis, Watch out... .
Another surprise package is the resurgent Pakistan . Though , they had a weak team as an opponent in todays win, their confidence is on a high and they will be rearing to get on to the field on Saturday against their arch rivals. With convincing wins against Srilanka and Warriors in the practice games, they look really good to book a place in the Semis.
Now,the hard part......India with its No 2 tag behind them, suddenly look lost. Their practice game was a shocker, but they can bring a smile on to their faces by remembering the just concluded Compaq cup. India looks so bad without Sehwag. With sehwag in the line up I am sure the opponents are really wary about ways to get him because one just cannot restrict him. This gives the space and time for the other batsmen to come through. If he gives a perfect start for the game, Yuvraj is the perfect finisher to a chase. I am not going into the details of their bowling prowess, but I consider Sehwag to be a very useful and wicket taking bowler and Yuvraj has been bowling quite ok in the recent past. I cannot comprehend a Ind ODI line up without these two.
Of course, injuries are part and parcel of this game and I hope Yuvi doesnt take much time for his recovery.There are few positives we can take from his injury. Firstly, he has been playing non stop cricket and this will be a good break for him. Of course he would be ruing his fate for missing the all important CT ,but there is nothing he can do about it. Secondly, this is a real good chance for the likes of Kohli, Yusuf, Nayar and even Raina to cement their places in the XI.Yusuf has really not got any proper oppurtunity in this format to show his talent. If he can seal a few wins for India with his bat here ,I bet he would become the poster boy of Indian Cricket for an year. Lot actually depends on Sachin, Dravid, Dhoni and Gambhir. At least two of them have to get a big score in every match to register a win. Dhoni should be praying for his envious luck to continue and smile upon him. Without Sehwag & Yuvraj and with a not so fit Gambhir I am sure he would not like to chase .The safest option will be to bat first and get a decent total and hope that our bowlers dont go crazy.......
So, good luck to SA for their match against NZ. I personally would be happy to see SA win, but this is cricket.Anything can happen.
Players to watch out for
SA : AB , Duminy ,Botha
NZ : Mcullum , Vettori , Bond
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