Aerial View

OUR DEMOCRACY: HEADING TOWARDS ...... ? ? ?

2006-05-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

Three important issues catch your attention in today’s newspapers:

The doctors have continued their strike despite the Supreme Court’s words of caution.

The President has referred the “the Office of Profit” bill back to the parliament.

“Fanaa” issue seems to have remained unsolved.

These three issues are going to have far-reaching impact on the norms of democracy in our country.

Reporting on News Channels

2006-04-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

Today, the news channels have been highlighting the killing of the Indian engineer in Afghanistan. It is a cruel act. Needs to be reported and deplored by all the TV channels, no question.

But isn't it equally cruel to keep the cameras continuously focused on the bereaved family members?

Whither? ?

2006-03-30T23:54:00.000-08:00

.............

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Troy and Carthage.

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The Cruasades. Constantinole.

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Vietnam.

.....................

Afghanistan.

Iraq.

Iran?

? ? ? ? ? ?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Freedom of Expression

2006-02-28T05:35:00.000-08:00

Freedom is beyond bounds. True.

Freedom of expression should be exercised with discretion.

You are the Conqueror!

2006-01-09T00:31:00.000-08:00

The diagnosis is confirmed.

Big 'C'.

Your limbs seem to be desensitized. Motionless, you are staring at the reports.
In fact, something else is going on in your mind. I know your mind is racing beyond 'C'.

Beyond 'C', you are thinking of 'D'. Only 'D'.

You are taught that way, all these years. 'C' is followed by 'D'. No other alphabet has a place, then.

Our minds have been conditioned like that.
We start thinking about : What next? In how much time?

We tend to measure life in moments.

Let me admit that the situation is quite gloomy. Depressing and unnerving, too.

But the medical science has progressed marvelously to fight big 'C'.

The modern medicine has tamed the big 'C' into a dwarf 'c'- controllable, nay, almost curable!

Are you aware of that? Half of your worry should go now!

Rest assured. I am with you, my friend! Who knows, some well-wishers may also join me!

Walking side by side with you. How nice!

Cheer up! Now you have a reason to smile.

If the clouds are dark, there must a silver lining, too. Somewhere.
Find it out.

There may be a face to smile at.
There may be a hope to cling to.
There may be a purpose to go on.
There may be a mission to live for.

Kindle a desire for life. Nurture a will to conquer.

Oh, yes! 'C' stands for 'conquest' as well.

What is a conquest?

Conquest is not to achieve or win over something tangible.

Conquest is what you visualize and realize in your mind.

Have the conviction: I can conquer!

The Conqueror is one who never gives up. Who never gives in.

The Conqueror is one who fights bravely, with all his heart, against all odds, at all times.

So, let us reassess the situation. Beyond 'C', you were thinking about 'D'.

Can't we go beyond that?

Look beyond 'D'. It's 'E'.

The alphabets never run out!

'E' for Existence. 'F' for Fight. 'G' and 'H' for Great Hope.

So on and so forth. It goes on and on.

Because the alphabets never run out.

Choose your letters. Spell your own words. Make out your own meanings.

Pour life into every moment that you live!

If you do that, even a moment is longer than an age!

You are the Conqueror!

Bidding farewell to 2005!

2005-12-31T03:15:00.000-08:00

The year is drawing to a close.

Like every past year, this year, too, brought the mankind face to face with some unprecedented challenges.

If it was Tsunami last year, it was Katrina this year.

And some other events, too.

We pray Almighty to kindle hope in our hearts!

Abuse of media

2005-11-30T01:50:00.000-08:00

You have been reading a number of newspapers and magazines.

You have been viewing a number of news channels every day.

You have been surfing a number of sites on the Net.

The content on the Net has crossed all limits.

How much of information you come across adds some value to your life?

What should be the role of media in our life?

A one-man Institute

2005-10-29T04:11:00.000-07:00

The name is Sachin. Sachin Tendulkar.

You can not and you should never gauge his height with statistics.

The glitter of statistics is just one facet of his being. But it has little to add to his greatness as a player.

I have watched and admired Richards and Gavaskar. Richrds was unpredictable and awful, Gavaskar was a perfectionist and calculative. May be they had power, or techniques or ....

When it comes to Sachin, the story is different.

He is a master player of the ball. His judgement is simply superb! He steps forward, and a new style is born. He hits the ball and a new cricketing stroke is defined. His concentration is extra-ordinary. Above all this, Sachin is a great sports-person. He is humble and friendly. His mere presence would change the faces of the team players. The seniors would enjoy playing with him. The juniors would constantly watch him, his every step, his every move with respect and appreciation and try to draw some inspiration.

Mere entry of Sachin into the stadium would send waves of expectancy among the spectators.

Sachin is Sachin.

Even if he may not set any more records now, it hardly matters. Already he has done a great service to the cricket in taking it to high levels of popularity.

He will be long remembered as a one-man institute!

Welcome "Comments"!

2005-09-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome your comments!

I had disabled the 'comments' so far! My well-wishers have urged me "to allow comments". Let it be today onwards!

Friends! You may please share genuine and sincere thoughts in the interest of all- young and old viewers- so that we all are benefitted.

Thanks.

Convergence of Technologies

2005-09-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

A student has raised a question: What is convergence?

Convergence has been a hot topic discussed by the technocrats today.

It is difficult to define convergence in a few simple terms. The precise definition involves technical aspects not easy to follow. The following discussion sheds a flood of light on the topic without considering compex issues. It will give you an idea of convergence.

Think about the scientific devices and appliances we have used thus far. Almost each of them is meant for a well-defined, particular use and employs a specific technology.

If you wish to communicate, you use a phone. If you wish to take pictures, you have a camera. To listen to hi-fi music, you have an MP3 player. Each works on a different technology.

Now look at the latest gadgets developed over the last decade. What multiple functions you can perform with your cell-phone! You can communicate, take pictures and also play music on your phone. Your small phone can be used for various functions. Here different technologies are used in a single gadget. This may be called convergence of technologies.

By merging a number of technologies, you can use an appliance or a device for diverse functions. This may be termed as convergence. On a wider scale, if you interconnect different gadgets and operate them from a controlling unit, it may be referred to as convergence.

You have a wrist-watch with a calculator. It is a simple example of convergence. A personal computer can be used as a TV set to watch telecasts. It's convergence. You design a refrigerator with an alarm clock, telephone with speaker and answering machine, MP3 player and FM radio. It's an advanced convergence.

Despite several disadvantages, the convergence is the trend of the day.

In near future, you will have 'Smart-homes' backed by convergence of technologies. A number of gadgets will be interconnected and operated by a remote, wireless controlling unit in your hands. From your office, you will control air-conditioner of your distant house. On your way home in your car, you will switch on the oven so that you get a baked dish when you reach home.

Science and technology has so much to offer to us. Convergence is a great idea with a wide range of applications. Let us use convergence with discretion and make it a great boon for mankind.

States of Mind

2005-09-17T03:23:00.000-07:00

My apartment is close to one of the main roads of the city. The road is one of the pulsating arteries of the suburb.

From the terrace of our apartment, we can clearly view the road.

We have some close friends who really enjoy being on our terrace. A bosom friend of mine is a highly intellectual person. And so is her intelligent wife. He is an architect and she, with a PG in philosophy, is in the field of academics. We have spent many evenings together on the terrace. Dinners turn more delicious when we are on the terrace discussing various facets of life.

What we have together observed and discussed the most is the sky. The next comes the busy road. How paradoxical! The sky is static and still can fascinate you. The scenes on the road are in motion, yet can have magnetic spell on you!

The road remains too busy for words. Uninterrupted flow of traffic. Big and small speeding vehicles move on and on and on. A mad rush! It continues till nearly midnight. This is the time when the sky illumines its vastness. How pleasing it is! We are absorbed into its tranquility! How blissful it is!

The road and the sky. They represent two states of life - the one in motion, the other is a state of rest.

The human mind has these two states: the state of motion and the state of rest. All day and night, if uncontrolled, the mind is a flow of thoughts. Jumping from here to there. In a ceaseless "motion". When tired, it craves for peace. The state of "rest".

He who can keep a balance between the motion and the rest can live the life in its true sense.

The Helpless Man

2005-09-05T02:59:00.000-07:00

The limitations of man and his technology have once again come to light.

The Katrina Hurricane has caused horrible devastation in the USA.

My Blogger friends and other American friends have been mailing detailed news and pictures. I have been watching the CNN and the BBC. Grim situations!

Utterly shocking news! There has been very heavy loss of life and property. The essential services have been thrown out of gear. The law and order is better not described. The US government is facing the worst calamity in decades.

What is happening to the world? It was Gujarat earthquake in 2001, then the Tsunami last year and now the Katrina. Whether it is the developing Asia or the highly advanced America, nature plays havoc without any bias.

Huge uproar was sounded in the media on administrative failure at the time of Gujarat earthquake and the Tsunami tragedy. What happened in the USA? There was forecast of the Hurricane, people were warned of the impending danger, the red alert was announced and the administration was geared up to face any unfortunate situation. And what was the outcome? Huge losses, nearly all contingency plans and emergency measures proved inadequate or futile, breakdown of administrative machineries and a state nothing short of anarchism.

I do not wish to blame or find fault with any agency. Let others do that job. My point here is to highlight the man's pathetic helplessness despite the glorified technological advances.

Nature is nature. No technology yet can contain the fury of natural forces. This is the time that wisdom prevails in our mind and we channelize the advancement of technology in the right direction.

Science, technology and our life

2005-08-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

What is the most important gift of science? Science has offered many gifts to mankind. We are familiar with them; we have routinely been using them. Can you name a gift of science without which the modern civilization can not survive? Name one, only one gift. If we stop using it, the whole world would come to a standstill.

Wait please. Think for a moment. Answer it before you proceed. Close your eyes and think.

What is your answer?

It is electricity. If there is no electricity, the survival of the modern man would be jeoprdized.

Another interesting question: Which are the most essential devices or appliances today? Name just two of them. Without them, all functions of the society would be thrown out of gear. The structure of the ultra-modern civilization would collapse. Have you guessed them?

One is the time-measuring device, the other is the computer. A time-measuring device(a clock or a watch) regulates the activities and functionalities of our life - ranging from personal life to communication and transportation. A computer(now in changing technology, I would prefer to call it a computerating device) controls and propels both personal and impersonal transactions at local and global levels. How chaotic conditions could result if these two devices stop functioning all of a sudden! (Thank God! That can never happen!)

Science and technology has become such a part of our life that we take it for granted. The civilization is growing more and more dependent on them. And so is human existence. We have gone too far. And now we have to drag on and on. There seems to be no turning point. Have you thought about this?

Aerial View

2005-08-30T06:15:00.000-07:00

I am on this side of an object.

You are on that side of the object.

What you see is different; what I see is different.

Your view is different from that of mine as long as our angles are different.

Let there be differences. But cann't our views have something in common?

Let us try. Let us rise from this plane, to a higher level.

Let us have an aerial view.