What motivates these people, I wonder?

I view with absolute concern at many of my countrymen who act and think ill for the country. What motivates them into doing despicable things? Aren't they interested in seeing their country as the world's best, the most prosperous and even a superpower at that? And what gives them the right to indulge in anti-national activities after getting the best out of this country? Don't they understand the meaning of the word 'motherland'? It's my firm belief that the ones who don't understand the all encompassing meaning of the word 'mother' are the ones who sell their motherland!

I would like to quote a few instances to highlight my apprehensions.

* Former Vice President Hamid Ansari has been making a lot of unsavoury observations about the present situation prevalent in this country. A guy like him who has had the best of everything in this country is now making noises to the effect that he seems unsafe today. By saying so, isn't he lamenting, albeit indirectly, that his moribund party might not ever come back to power with their archaic ways of playing politics?

* Javed Akhtar wrote interesting movie scripts and all of us liked him for being a winner. But now he talks like a loser and comes out with vague arguments after getting the best from this country.

* It's a healthy sign that everyone of us has his/her own political opinion and based on one's ideology, must strive and work towards nation building and complement the other parties in such an effort. The battle of the ballot takes place periodically and the wise Indian public cast their votes for the party that offers the best of the alternatives. That castes have been misused, as convenient vote banks, has been a continuing bane.

* Can still not forget the horrific sights of 26 Jan 2021, at the Red Fort which was the handiwork of hooligans who bore ill will towards this country. Did they do it for those 15' of fame? Their funding agents should be seriously pursued and brought to book.

And seriously, what's wrong with the question, "It can safely be presumed that those who nurture ill feelings towards the country don't like it here. Why don't you go to a country of your liking? It will be the best solution for everyone.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 6, the chores and was ready by 10. Lekha wasn't quite okay early in the morning, but was all right an hour later. After breakfast, she'd gone to the ration stand with the maid to buy stuff and then went across to the 'akshaya kendra' to get her updated ration card. Phew! It has been her efforts all through.

Discussed with Dr Mallan about Lekha's dental condition and he has put her on three more days of antibiotics.     

 

The good 'ole days!

My mom used to make chicken sandwiches, chop eggs and spread butter on bread on the same cutting board with the same knife but we didn't seem to get food poisoning.

Our school sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper in a brown paper bag, not ice pack coolers and stayed that way till lunchtime but I can't remember anyone getting e.Coli.

We dipped our feet in lakes and ponds and didn't come home half dead with infection.

We all took PT.....And risked permanent injury with a pair of white keds from Batas instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors that cost as much as a small car. I can't recall any injuries but they must have happened because they tell us how much safer we are now if we spend thousands on branded running shoes.

We got a slap at home for doing something wrong at school, they used to call it discipline, yet we all grew up to accept the rules and to honour and respect those older than us.

We chanted the tables and all learned to read and write, do maths and spell almost all the words needed to write a grammatically correct letter........, FUNNY THAT!!

We all said prayers in school irrespective of our religion or sang the national anthem and no one got upset.

Staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention and we tried not to mention it at home.

I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself.

I just can't recall how bored we were without computers, Play Station, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cable stations. We weren't!!

Oh yeah.....And where were the antibiotics and sterilisation kit when I when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!

We played catch or cricket on vacant sites and when we got hurt, mom pulled out the bottle of iodine and we dreaded the sting.

Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10 day dose of antibiotics and then mom calls the lawyer to sue the site owner for not putting up a fence.

To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told they were from a dysfunctional family. How could we possibly have known that?

We never needed to get into group therapy and/or anger management classes. If there were anything  psychologically wrong with us there were ten people at home waiting to tell us.

We were obviously so duped by so many societal alls, that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac!

How did we ever survive?

Love to all of us who shared this era.

And to all who didn't, sorry for what you missed.

I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Aaaah, those were the days!!!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a 20' to 7, the chores, opened up the house and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Spoke to Rema and Mini. The caretaker had called up to say that there were 5 workers in our compound and that should finish up the job by tomorrow.

A quiet day otherwise.

The Arunachal teen returns.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Thursday, handed over Miram Taron to the Indian Army, nine days after the 17-year-old from Arunachal Pradesh was reported missig from the fuzzy India-China border.

The official report said that, "Due procedures are being followed including the medical examination. The Army's efforts were lauded for pursuing the case with the PLA and securing the boy's return.

The handing over had taken place at Wacha-Damai in Kibithu of Arunachal's Anjaw district.

My take

Was it a game by China? Or is it trying to divert our attention from something sinister that they are up to?

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle past 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. The maid came for work by 1400 hrs.

Participated in the 553rd episode of Aazhchakkoottam : "Courts and the Law" by Justice B Kemal Pasha (Retd) from 1600 - 1715 hrs. It was a very interesting lecture.

Back at The Quarterdeck.

Dateline 28 Jan 2022.

Lekha and I watched the Mohanlal starrer 'Brodaddy' on Hotstar and hit the sack at a half past 1. The rest of the inmates were fast asleep, in their respective bedrooms, simply because they had seen it the previous day! 

Lekha's cellphone alarm woke us up at 5, the chores and we were ready after a delicious breakfast of soft, fluffy idlis and sambar. We set off for Mallan's Dental Clinic at Muhamma by a quarter to 8. The traffic was sparse and I kept a comfortable pace because we reached the clinic 5' before 9.  The doctor and his staff came soon after and they got into the groove of things without much delay.

Earlier, the new FASTag was made operational when we passed through the Kumbalam toll plaza! And I was thankful, for having a FASTag on our Chevy's number, HR 26BF 7325 at long last!! 

The gum that had settled over the implants had to be removed by surgery and she was put on three days of antibiotics, multivitamin tablets and painkillers. The crowns' locations over the implants were cleared and artificial ones were placed. Moreover, the problems she faced with the top furniture were sorted out and the whole procedure took a little over 2 hrs. The doctor had come and given us the debrief before we cast off from there at about a quarter to 12. Consequently, we'd an interesting discussion with the doctor's brother-in-law at Mallan's Kitchen where, I tucked in an uzhunnu vada whle Lekha had a chilled mango drink.

We headed straight for the INCS (Indian Naval Canteen Service) as I'd a few pending things to do there. Out cards - both, liquor and grocery - had to be renergised but I did not have my pension pay order which is mandatory on such occasions. I spoke to Indu, at the management office, who allowed me the renewal of the smart cards, on the condition that a copy of the PPO was to to be sent by mail on reaching Guruvayur.

So, finally, we could draw the grocery and liquor without hassles and my new credit card and its PIN was operational during the course of the two transactions. We'd a bite of lunch - Lekha, on a brownie and me, on a vegetable sandwich. 

We hit the highway immediately and was on our return trip to Guruvayur. The drive, again, was smooth and we reached The Quarterdeck by a quarter to 5. Kittu was there to receive us and he displayed his usual, delightful capers.

I was a bit under the weather and put myself on a course of antibiotics, straight away!

And I caught up with my sleep without much ado. Saw the serials of the day and we were pleased.  

Tailpiece.

Helped Lekha with the watering of the plants, finished the unpacking and opened up the house. 

At my aunt's house.

It was like yet another day. Had got up a trifle after 6, went about the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Earlier, there was nothing much to do in opening up the house as all the windows were closed as of last evening in pursuance to our trip this afternoon to Kochi. Kittu was on the rug in the morning, as usual, but refused to be patted, exhibiting a sample of his foul mood.

He had a good helping of the food Lekha had given him, leaving a little for Mrs Kittu. 

I'd in the meanwhile, sent the mail regarding my memories of N Balakrishnan Nair sir to the editorial team and crossed yet another serial from the list of pending jobs. Lekha had called up the a/c guys for the servicing of the two machines before the onset of summer. Narayanan and his wife, Rema are down with Covid and that, too, soon after the administration of the booster dose. I've been getting a few similar reports and have begun to wonder as to why such things are happening.

We are due for our booster dose on 28 Mar! And I only hope that things go all right!!

We kicked off on our journey by 1340 hrs, had Unni check up tyre pressure at at Rajah Petrol bunk and we decided to go by the Kodungalloor route as my aunt's house was easy to reach. The drive was smooth because the traffic was sparse. Incidentally, before we left, Lekha had placed Kittu's lunch at the entrance because he always had a way of seeing us off but today, he was conspicuous by his absence.

We reached Leela chittamma's house around a quarter past 4 and she was waiting for us her compact yet beautifully maintained courtyard. While Vivek and Lakshmi were at home, engrossed in their online studies, we had begun our yakkittiyak and it was nice catching up with her. Salini, who'd returned from school by about 5 and eagerly joined in our conversation. Lekha's cake, that she'd brought, was relished by everyone.

It was a high tea and we went on to continue with the thread of our conversation. The dinner was an exquisite spread with chittamma having put her heart and soul into each of the dishes, that I was fond of. Damn sweet of her! Meanwhile, Vivek had helped me in generating the PIN for my renewed credit card.

It was quite late in the night when we turned in for the night.

Tailpiece.

It was a nice day, today. Tomorrow, it's gonna be a long day as we have to go to Muhamma - about 30 km away - to keep up Lekha's appointment with her toothy. 

 

73rd Republic Day.

It was a bright sunny day at Guruvayur.

Earlier, we had woken up around a quarter past 6 and went about our chores. The national flag was hoisted at our balcony at 8 AM. The Wednesday 'aarathi' of the house was carried out soon after, food was given to Kittu and then it was time for the morning exercises and prayers. Was ready by a half past 9.

Had settled down in front of the home theatre to watch the live telecast of the Republic Parade. I was particularly keen to observe the changes in the sequence of events after the merging of the Amar Jawan Jyothi with the eternal flame at the National War Memorial. It was a moving event with the Prime Minister placing the floral wreath at the tall memorial column.

The scene, then, shifted to Rajpath. There was no foreign guest to review the parade this time, too, like last year and our President was the chief guest, yet again, owing to the Covid protocols in place. The parade went off with the pomp and show associated with it and it was great to see the marching contingents, the colourful and educative tableaus, the folk dancers from across the country along with the spectacular floats from the states of the union.

The interesting point was the display of old uniforms as well as the latest, that was introduced earlier this month along with vintage aircraft participating with the latest aircrafts in our arsenal! From 1000 to about  a quarter past 12 it was an absorbing telecast. Our maid was surprised that both Lekha and I watched the whole parade and through the snatches that she'd viewed, she is now convinced that it's worth watching.

There was a touching moment towards the end when Virat, the black steed of the President's Body Guard, caught everyone's attention as it retired after escorting the President from the parade at Rajpath to the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. The Hanoverian breed horse was bid farewell by the President, the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister as they patted him.

Colonel Anup Tiwary, the Commandant PBG, was astride on Virat and the steed has been a part of the Republic Day parades for 13 years. It was awarded the Chief of Army Staff Commendation on the eve of the Army Day, this year, making it the first horse to receive such a recognition!

I had hauled down the tricolour at sunset.

Tailpiece.

Another quiet day, when I'd washed down our Chevy in the evening while Lekha watered the plants and provided the water for cleaning. The Quarterdeck was progressively shut down, as we got to go to Kochi to attend to Lekha's sixth monthly dental review. Will be back by Friday afternoon. 

 

Setback to the hospitality industry.

Third wave dashes hopes of resort and hotel businesses' recovery in Kerala. According to resort owners, after the first and second waves, there were some positive signs of a recovery from the adverse impact of the two lockdowns. However, the footfall in tourist destinations was less during this New Year because of the restrictions imposed by the state government.

The occupancy at major hotels and resorts slowly climbed to 65% by Nov 2021. Many of these resorts and big hotels came up with attractive packages and discounts for those who had booked rooms. As a result, the occupancy rose to 80% in some of these properties.

In most of the hotels now, the average occupancy has come down drastically. With the industry showing some signs of recovery last year, most of the hotels and resorts were working with full staff strength. As a result, they are finding it difficult to maintain the operational cost.

"We have offered attractive packages like 'Work from resorts' so as to recover from the setback due to Covid. However, with travel restrictions and the flow of foreign tourists declining, the business has been witnessing a steep fall", says the partner of Cliff Stories Resort, Varkala.

The bar-restaurants too are going through tough times. They have to pay an annual licence fee of Rs.30 lakhs every year.

"Last year, the state government helped us by a proportionate waiver of the bar licence fee. This year, too, we have requested for the same. We have also requested the chief minister to consider waiving off the fixed charges on electricity bills of the hotels" says the secretary of the Kerala Travel Mart.

- Adapted from a news article in the NIE.

    *     *     *

Saw this :

                                           Delhi shivers at 5 degrees Celsius

                                      Bombay shivers at 13 degrees Celsius

                                      Srinagar shivers at -1 degree Celsius

                                    Indian Army doesn't shiver at -40 degree Celsius

Tailpiece.

Got up around a 20' past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Lekha, along with the maid, went to the ration stand, then to the Akshaya Kendra to have my name added to the Ration Card and to have the handles/ears of the pans and cans renewed.

Spoke to three of my naval course mates who were celebrating their wedding anniversaries - Jags Varma-Sangeeta and Luv Virmani-Anu in Pune and Makhan-Meena in Jaipur. It was nice to catch up with them. 

For the last 50 years.

I am not a lament. I am just a flame who burnt for 50 years to keep your memories alive.

4,089 of you died while doing your duty for the nation in a foreign land. You fought well you fought brave on either front.

You fell with pride you fell in gallantry for either of the country. I just upheld your honour for the last fifty years.

Under the shadow of another memorial I burnt for fifty years explaining your sacrifice.

As I burnt solemn, a hundred million of you came over fifty years and paid homage to your great deeds.

I integrated the nation I bound the people, I motivated the citizens as I burnt for fifty years.

Every morning at sunrise and every evening at sunset I created a beautiful aura as I burnt for those 18,250 days.

When your families came I burnt with all the humility to ease your pain.

I burnt for fifty years not in vain.

I burnt with pride every 26 Jan and every 15 Aug to honour the values of freedom and democracy which you always protected.

Do not lament for me. I have done my job for fifty years as dutifully as you did yours.

I am just flying 200 meters away to merge with my other sisters where we shall burn ever ever brighter for the next fifty years.

Like a river meets the ocean, I am just meeting the bigger flames.

Not to be lost but just living in another place but in the same form.

The times change. Let the India gate regain its old format of an Arched Gate with traffic flowing unhindered beneath.

It has majestically kept me in its bosom as I burnt for fifty years.

Together we just value added to the character of soldiering for fifty years.

Don't lament for me. I have done my job for fifty years and I will keep doing it at my abode for the next fifty years.

Time changes. When I arrived I was white. Some time later my attire was draped in black granite. The rifle and the helmet got renewed.

LPG gave way to CNG, which gave way to PNG. From white to black it was just a change of time.

I hope that peace will prevail and there will be no need for engraving more names some time across the next fifty years.

For peace, independence and freedom I will keep burning so that you can live freely not worrying about security.

Just that I will be burning at a new place doing my duty. I will not die till eternity just like the Amar Jawan.

Just that my place of duty has changed. 

With all humbleness I have burnt for fifty years under the shadows of another memorial.

Do not lament for me, I will now keep burning under the open sky. 

Just doing my duty from another post.

Remember the last fifty years. Remember why I burnt. Remember 4,089 who gave their lives for others' freedom and your protection. Remember their sacrifice.

It has been an honour to burn for fifty years and so do not lament for me.

For the last fifty years I have burnt with no pain and my efforts have not gone in vain.

- Maj Gen HK Singh, a friend and course mate.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Went to town to fetch our fruit basket for the week. Spoke to Dr Srikant Mallan and fixed up Lekha's appointment on Friday.

Helped Lekha in watering the plants. 

Righting the wrong!

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose - and the Modi government's decision to honour his memory at the India Gate Complex. 

It is not an ordinary political gimmick. For those familiar with the complex characters and events involved in the freedom struggle, especially between 1920 and 1948 when Gandhiji was assassinated, it brings to the fore the fundamental differences between Sanatani Darshana and Gandhiji's lifelong ambition of being the undisputed leader of not only Hindus but Muslims as well. The essential difference between the Sanatanis and the Congress was that the former was of the confirmed opinion that Gandhiji sacrificed the interests of Dharma for his personal ambition of being recognised as the sole leader of the Independence movement, to achieve which he took Hindus for granted while according and surrendering to Muslim interests over the thirty or so years he dictated over the Congress party.

At the Karachi session of the Congress in Mar 1931, in the teeth of Gandhiji's opposition a resolution was passed in the open session admiring the courage and spirit of Bhagat Singh when he threw the bomb in legislative assembly in 1929. Subhash Bose took strong objection to and challenged Gandhiji's stance and immediately came into disfavour with Gandhiji. In what can only be interpreted as an extreme case of vindictiveness, in the Tripura session of the Congress in 1938, Gandhiji opposed Bose's candidature for presidentship of the Congress by putting up his own candidate, Pattabhi Sitaramayya.

Bose still won and Gandhiji declared that it was his personal defeat - at which the party passed a resolution that Bose could only form his cabinet in consultation with Gandhiji. Bose took the resolution as a vote of no confidence and resigned. That marked the break with Gandhiji.

Modi government's efforts at resurrecting the contribution of Congress leaders like Patel and Bose is an attempt at setting right the one sided myth of Gandhi-Nehru being the architects of Indian independence. This government is bringing to the fore recorded history which was deliberately pushed into the background in an attempt to push a particular narrative.

This is one of the changes which has taken place since 2014 which the opposition does not recognise and hence, can't reconcile with. This is not revisionism. It is only putting the other version on the table for the people to decide. 

How can one find fault with that?

Tailpiece.

Got up around a trifle beyond a half past 6, the chores and was ready by 10. Spoke to Rema and Mini after breakfast. Rema and Padmakumar are now, back at Pidavoor.

It was a quiet Sunday.

Helped Lekha in watering the plants in the evening.

Saw the Rajnikant-starrer, "Annaathe" - a fairly long movie over three hours. It required trimming. 

"Our trip is very short!"

Our trip is very short. I've read this at least five times since this morning. It's so true and beautifully written.

A woman climbed up the bus and sat down beside a man, hitting him with her numerous bags.

When the man remained silent, the woman asked him why he did not complain when she hit him with her bags?

The man replied with a smile. "There is no need to be upset about something so insignificant, as our journey together is so short because I'm getting off at the next stop".

This answer disturbed the woman so much, she asked the man to excuse her and thought the words needed to be written in gold.

Each of us must understand that our time in this world is so short, that darkening it with useless arguments, jealousy, not forgiving others, discontentment and bad attitudes are a ridiculous waste of time and energy.

Did someone break your heart?

Stay calm.

The trip is too short.

Did someone betray you, intimidate, cheat or humiliate you?

Relax - don't be stressed.

The trip is too short.

Did someone insult you without reason?

Stay calm. Ignore it.

The trip is too short.

Did someone make a comment that you didn't like?

Stay calm. Ignore. Forgive, keep them in your prayers and love them still for no reason.

The trip is too short.

Whatever the problems some bring to us, it is a problem only if we think of it, 

remember that our journey together is too short.

No one knows the length of our trip.

No one has seen tomorrow.

Nobody knows when it will arrive at its stop.

Our trip together is too short.

Let us appreciate friends and family. Keep them in good humour. Respect them. Let us be respectful, kind, loving and forgiving.

Because we will be filled with gratitude and joy, after all our trip together is very short.

Share your smiles with everyone......choose your path to be as beautiful as you wish it to be.

Our trip is very short.

- Courtesy What'sApp.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a trifle past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Our maid had taken a day off as she complained of body ache. Her substitute, Latha had come in instead.

Kittu was all over and he seems to like being amid us, these days!

Participated in the 552nd edition of the Aazhchakkoottam : "Drugs and the Youth" by Shri S Ananthakrishnan, IPS, ADGP, Government of Kerala from 1600 - 1715 hrs. He'd covered it beautifully, with statistics and mind you, some of them were disturbing.

 

"Don't we all?"

I parked in front of the mall sitting inside my car waiting for my wife to get a few items from the supermarket.

Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a tramp.

From his looks, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes and no money.

There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you are just not in the mood and don't want to be bothered.

This was one of those "don't want to be bothered times".

"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money", I thought.

He didn't.

He came and sat on the curb nearby but he didn't look like he could have enough money to even get a good meal.

After a few minutes, he spoke.

"That's a very nice car, you got there", he said.

He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him.

I said, "thanks" and continued listening to the car radio.

He sat there quietly and the expected plea for money never came.

As the silence between us widened something inside me said, "ask him if he needs any help".

I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held to the inner voice.

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget.

We often look for wisdom in great men and women and we expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments.

I expected nothing but outstretched grimy hands. 

He spoke the three words that shook me.

"Don't we all?" he said.

I needed help.

Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help.

I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare but enough to get a warm meal and a few other things for the day.

Those three little words still ring in my ears today.

No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too.

No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, you can give help.

Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that.

You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all.

They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have :-

* a different perspective on life.

* a glimpse at something beautiful.

* a respite from daily chaos that only you through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets.

Maybe he was more than that.

Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a tramp, then said, "go minister to that man inside the car, that man needs help".

Don't we all?

* Help somebody, you are only a custodian of whatever you possess.

* We come, we go; the in-between defines who we truly are.

* Have an insightful approach to life.

Tailpiece.

Got up at about a half past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. 

The maid had come by earlier than usual - to go out in between her work - to get financial help for her sister-in-law who is disabled and moves on a wheelchair. She'd gone off to get it done. Realised that the government, through the use of technology, have made life easy for the common man to get his dues without much wait or unnecessary questions being posed on him/her!

The Narendra Modi government has brought in a lot of things that make life quite easy for the average citizen. Great!

Helped Lekha in watering the plants. Kittu was with us, most of the time.

  

A white-wash!

Pakistan's national security policy : A wish list, a white-wash or a vision statement?

The quote about old Prussia - that it was not a country with an army but an army with a country - is true about Pakistan today. Their first national security policy, redacted version of which was released by Prime Minister Imran Khan who has also written the foreword to it, reinforces the truism.

But then, we in India don't have much to brag about. Despite repeated attempts to draft one, India still doesn't have a national security doctrine. Pakistan has one, approved by the cabinet last month.

Drafted by a committee headed by NSA Moeed Yusuf, the document, which will be reviewed every year and by every new government, reinforces most of what India's strategic thinkers have been saying about Pakistan - that the country continues to be obsessed with India. India is mentioned more than any other nation - 16 times to be precise in 62 pages - with Jammu and Kashmir dispute being mentioned as the "at the core of our bilateral relationship", something which India does not agree with.

A separate section on Jammu and Kashmir asserts that "Pakistan remains steadfast in its moral, diplomatic, political and legal support to the people of Kashmir until they achieve their right to self-determination guaranteed by the international community as per UNSC resolutions". Though India's actions of Aug 2019 are denounced, surprisingly there is no call being made on India to restore the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The document does recognise that "the most acute form of efforts to undermine stability and national harmony of a society is terrorism". The Indian leadership might remain sceptical about the Pakistan's protestations over it but the document does reveal the deep discomfort that lies within the Pakistan state about the Frankenstein monster it has created and is now forced to go to bed with. "The employment of terrorism has become a preferred policy choice for hostile actors in addition to soft intrusion through various non-kinetic means", says the document. "Terrorism is also being used to disrupt and delay development initiatives". India would dismiss it as the devil quoting the scriptures but the document claims that "Pakistan pursues a policy of zero tolerance for any groups involved in terrorist activities on its soil". As former deputy chief of the Indian Army, Lt Gen C Anandakrishnan (Retd) observed, "The self-congratulatory statements indicate that Pakistan is unlikely to change its approach towards terrorism".

The document has been made use of by its authors to draw international attention to domestic developments within India. "The rise of Hindutva-driven politics in India is deeply concerning and impacts Pakistan's immediate security. The political exploitation of a policy of belligerence towards Pakistan by India's leadership has led to the threat of military adventurism and non-contact warfare to our immediate east". There is concern expressed over "growing Indian arms build-up, facilitated by access to advanced technologies and exceptions in the in the non-proliferation rues....."

All the same, the authors have been cautious not to name or blame India's hand - as is wont to by certain fringe elements within the Pakistan security establishment - behind certain terror threats faced by the Pakistan state. On the contrary, it does protest to a deep desire for peace with India. Yet it accuses India of harbouring "hegemonic designs" and, for a document that is supposed to be vision statement, resorts to raising petty tactical-level accusations such as "ceasefire violations on India. As a former Indian Coast Guard chief observed, "This is a very amateurish document, as if prepared by a junior military officer and is more a wish list than a pragmatic strategic policy based on which a definite governance intervention can be modelled". 

Over the last seven-odd decades, Pakistan had kept its security policy tied to its strategic alliance with the US. Even after most of the western military pacts such as SEATO and CENTO were disbanded, Pakistan had remained the keystone to the US's central Asian and south Asian strategic policies. Thus even at the height of the ideological cold war, Pakistan could, through deft diplomatic manoeuvres, maintain cordial ties with both the capitalist west and the communist China and could even dramatically effect a change in the global strategic order by facilitating a rapprochement between the two.

- R Prasannan in The Week

My take

It's a whitewash for sure. Pakistan needs to turn over a new leaf. This was a golden opportunity to begin afresh and it would have only been possible if they dumped the cornerstone of their foreign policy of Indophobia and concentrated on reviving their economy! But one can't expect a shallow and frivolous personality like Imran Khan to think out of the box and tackle problems head on! And in the unexpected chance of him wanting to do so, will the GHQ permit him?

Tailpiece.

Got up around 6, the chores, changed bed-linen and was ready by a quarter to 10.

It was a quiet Thursday.

   

Clearing up the mess.

With Devas judgement, Modi government cleans yet another UPA mess.

India's case has been bolstered internationally with the Supreme Court judgement, which on Monday dismissed the appeal filed by Devas Multimedia against the decision of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) to wind up the company.

Had the Modi government not resorted to timely action by ensuring that ISRO's commercial arm, Antrix, moved the NCLT for liquidation of Devas on the allegations of fraud, the Union of India case against the arbitration award for Devas, currently under consideration of Netherlands court, would have weakened. The Devas-Antrix deal was signed in 2005 and was cancelled by the Manmohan Singh government in 2011 amidst allegation of corruption but without invoking the national security clause.

It is quite evident that the Narendra Modi government has spent considerable time from sorting out the mess left by the previous UPA regime. Let's examine these pitfalls :-

(a) Oil Bonds

During the UPA regime, oil marketing companies had massive under-recoveries as the retail fuel prices did not keep in pace with the global crude oil prices. Instead of compensating the oil companies through fuel subsidies, the government converted under recoveries into long term oil bonds and postponed the payments. It is the Modi government that is now paying Rs.10,000 crore annually as interest on oil bonds wort Rs.1.3 lakh crores issued by its predecessor.

(b) NPA crisis

Another aspect is the non-performing assets or bad loans that have wrecked the banking sector. Public sector banks lent thousands of crores to politically connected fat cats often without due diligence. Fact is that in some cases, defaulters managed to get new loans to pay off old loans.

(c) Breaking promises to states

The transition towards value added tax or VAT led to gradual reduction in the central sales tax (CST) distributed among the states. The UPA government, despite repeated assurances to states on compensation for lost share of CST collections failed to fulfill the promise. In 2015, the Modi government approved Rs.33,000 crores as CST compensation, restoring confidence in Centre-State relations and paving way for the GST implementation. Fact is that the previous regime did not even properly devolve the share of taxes due to states. The CAG has pointed out that for several years between 2004 and 2014, the centre had devolved less than the due share of taxes to the states as a result of which distrust was generated between Centre and States.

(d) High fiscal deficit

The high fiscal deficit was yet another landmine left behind. The average fiscal deficit under the UPA II was between 2 to 5.5 per cent of the GDP. This meant that immediate course correction was needed to avoid inflationary pressures and substantial borrowings. Since 2014, the Modi government has stuck to fiscal prudence without compromising on welfare measures for poor and without imposing additional burden on middle class.

(e) Retrospective tax

In 2012, UPA regime retrospectively changed the Income Tax Act to tax transactions involving sale and transfer of shares outside India, where the underlying assets are in India. The controversial retrospective tax amendments adversely impacted India's image as an investor friendly destination. Further, this amendment caused international embarrassment to India as it caused legal disputes with Vodafone and Cairn, in which the country had to face legal setbacks. It was left to the Modi government to undo this blunder.

My take

And then the constituent parties of the previous regime blame the government for all the economic ills. And mind you, the covid-caused economic downturn was an extraordinarily longish downturn during the present regime's ongoing tenure! 

Tailpiece.

Got up around 6, the chores including the usual Wednesday aarathi of the house and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Lekha and the maid had gone across to the Akshaya kendra at Kottappuram to correct the ration card.

A quiet day, thereafter.

Covid vaccines - Another viewpoint (2).

.........contd.

Sterilizing immunity can only occur through natural infection because the exposure process must take place in the mucus as it was intended by nature. After the infection is neutralized, a durable response includes resident memory T and B cells along with neutralizing IgA antibodies. These forces stand ready where they are most needed and they are poised to take on future infections in their early stages.

The human immune system is not a machine, programmed exclusively by vaccines

There is no doubt that the covid vaccine developers spent tremendous effort developing a correct code (for spike proteins), so the vaccines could elicit a response in humans and theoretically program immune-responsive cells. The vaccine makers also developed and optimized an efficient lipid nano-particle to deliver this program into the cells. Despite years of research into mRNA and lipid nano-particles, the vaccine makers missed the mark entirely with this vaccine because they did not study the best way to deliver this program to the human body. Vaccine makers needed more than a pinpoint solution; they needed more time to develop a holistic, full systems approach that focused on the delivery method. If the vaccine program is to be effective long term, it would need to target specific systems of the body that matter most for developing durable, long standing immunity. vaccine developers should be asking : How do we develop a durable immune response in the mucus, while equally activating T-cells?

Vaccine efficacy is promoted with absolutism but a measurement of antibody levels in serum is only one small part of a much more intelligent system that includes mucus, mucous membranes, glands, the lymphatic system, cellular surveillance proteins, commensal microbes, T-cells, cytotoxic T-cells and the T-Helper-1 and T-Helper-2 cells which work intracellularly to neutralize viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Vaccine makers trivialize the human immune system, giving off the impression that it is some programmable machine. The immune system is much more sophisticated than it is made out to be. The immune system contains many variables and it differs from one person to the next.

Vaccine-induced antibodies are mostly useless because they circulate in the blood and away from the mucus - where they are actually needed. They also cannot work to the body's benefit inside the cells, where virus replication actually occurs. As a general rule of thumb, antibodies are unable to bind with viruses that are replicating inside the cells. This is the job of the T-cells, which carry out the task of instructing infected cells to self-destruct.

Professor Michael W Russel (US) wrote about this topic in an article titled, "Mucosal Immunity in Covid-19 : A neglected but Critical Aspect of SARS-CoV-2 Infection". Intramuscular vaccines will not work for mucosal viruses, whether for influenza viruses or SARS-CoV-2 and its endless variants.

......concluded.

- www.naturalnews.com

My take

One begins to wonder as to what the best option was - to get vaccinated or no. I think it's good that many of us had decided to get vaccinated as there wouldn't be any guilt feeling of not having taken it if things were to go bad!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a trifle past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Off to the Geeyem Motors, Puzhakkal to install a new FASTag instead of the defunct one. My Customer Advisor, Shibu went through the entire process. And I was on my return journey 45' later but not before I'd finished a piping hot cup of tea. Reached home by lunchtime.

Helped Lekha in watering the plants.

A quiet evening; Kittu dropped by late but he enjoyed the food prepared for him by Lekha.

Covid vaccines - Another viewpoint (1)

It's impossible to achieve immunization with intramuscular Covid-19 vaccines because coronaviruses propagate intracellularly and in the mucus.

All vaccines for Covid-19 are dead upon arrival because the vaccines augment antibodies in the deltoid muscles bypassing the mucus and the mucous membranes, where coronaviruses actually attach and replicate. Any measurement of antibodies post-vaccination is all for naught. These vaccine-induced antibodies are produced in the muscle tissue, far from its target environment in the body. Furthermore, these short-lived antibodies cannot neutralize coronaviruses because they cannot travel inside the cells where coronaviruses propagate. A proper immune response to coronaviruses should include an equal response from the T-cells. Currently, this is best achieved through a full humoral and adaptive immune response via natural infection.

Prevailing immunity comes through natural infection, in the mucus of the nose and includes a full spectrum, T-cell response.

Over 9.5 billion doses of mRNA vaccine were delivered into the arms of people in 2021, yet infections continue to multiply, with case counts surpassing numbers recorded in 2020. Masks, vaccines and isolation have failed to stop a class of viruses that are endemic, are always mutating and are best neutralized in the mucus of the mouth, nose, digestive tract and lungs. This biological reality has been ignored by the fear-mongering media and public health officials who fail to understand how the immune system works.

Not only are there anti-viral treatments and anti-inflammatory protocols to assist the innate immune response but there are ways to thin mucus and prevent the thickening of the mucus so that the body can properly detect and eliminate viral threats. There are phytochemicals that thin the mucus to help the body respond to infections. Herbs such as mullein (Verbascum thapsus L) are beneficial for the innate immune response. Isolated saponins from mullein (Ilwensisaponin A and C) are proven anti-inflammatory, anti-viral agents. There are foods that thicken mucus in the body, too. Upon infection, foods such as sugar and dairy can contribute to excess phlegm and complications in the respiratory tract.

........to be contd.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a trifle past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. It was Lekha's show as the maid had taken an off to accompany her sister-in-law for medical review.

Kittu was around throughout the day, demanding his share of the spoils when Lekha was cleaning the fish for cooking.

A quiet day, otherwise.

 

Life in Yakutsk, Russia.

Yakutsk city is widely identified as the world's coldest city. It is the capital city of the vast (1.2 million square miles) Siberian region known as the Sakha Republic in Russia.

Temperatures

* Average monthly temperatures range from +19.5 degrees Celsius (67.1 degree Fahrenheit) in July to -38.6 degrees Celsius (-37.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in January.

* Although winters are extremely cold and long, summers are warm and occasionally hot, with daily max temperatures exceeding +30 degrees C (86 degrees F), making the seasonal temperature difference winter and summer for the region the greatest in the world at 102 degrees C (184 degrees F).

Location

Yakutsk lies in the far-eastern part of Russia, about 450 km south of the Arctic Circle. It has a population of about 200,000, with a million people living in the rest of the region. Yakutsk is six time zones away from Moscow. The road to Yakutsk was built by former labour camp inmates and is used mainly by trucks that bring supplies to remote villages.

The Russian settlement of Yakutsk was founded in 1632 as an ostrog (fortress). The Yakuts, also known as the Sakha people, migrated to the area during the 13th and 14th centuries from other parts of Siberia. They mixed with other local nomads in the area.

Russia's Mineral Wealth

Why do people live in its harsh climate? The land is extremely fertile and is rich with natural resources. 20% of the world's diamonds come from mines in Yakutsk. Today it is a modern city with hotels, cinemas, a university and even an opera house.

Some Interesting Aspects

* The climate is very dry.

* During winter time nobody leaves their houses if they do not have to.

* If they do go out, they wrap themselves up in warm clothes, mostly coats and boots made of rabbit, fox and reindeer fur.

* People take great efforts to ensure that their car batteries don't die from the cold.

* The people leave their covers running when they go to the store while others leave engines on the whole day when they are at work.

* Because the vehicles are constantly running, there's a constant layer of smog.

Are Locals happy?

* Do extreme environments trigger extreme emotions or behaviours in inhabitants? Not in Yakutsk, it seems. 

* It's often too cold to break ground for digging of graves, too cold for airplanes to fly or crops to grow. * People cannot wear eyeglasses with metal frames because the metal can stick to their skin so that taking off the glasses might even dislodge the skin.

* Markets may not have fresh vegetables but they have very fresh, very cold fish "arranged like bunches of flowers".

My take

Imagine staying in such cold conditions. Won't survive at all!

Tailpiece.

68 years ago, my parents had got married at Guruvayur on this day! So, it's a sacred day for me and my sisters! Today also happened to be the Remembrance Day of Vilasini kunjamma as per the Malayalam calendar.

Got up a trifle after 6, the chores and was ready by 10. Saw the 'Rangoli' on television while working out. Breakfast of idlis and sambar. 

Latha, the maid, had come by and went about her work and went away around a quarter to 5 in the evening.

Cleared out all worn out machinery of the Chevy, the old newspapers and empty plastic containers. Rashid and Sayeed - two enterprising guys from Nilambur - had taken the stuff in their pick up rickshaw. 

"Bacha posh".

In Afghanistan's heavily patriarchal, male-dominated society where women and girls are usually relegated to the home, bacha posh dari for 'dressed as a boy' is the one tradition allowing girls access to the freer male world.

In a Kabul neighbourhood, a gaggle of boys kick a yellow ball around a dusty playground, their boisterous cries echoing off the surrounding apartment buildings. Dressed in sweaters and jeans or the traditional male clothing of baggy pants and long shirt, none stand out as they jostle to score a goal. But unbeknown to them, one is different from the others.

Less than eight years old, Sanam is a bacha posh : a girl living as a boy. One day, a few months ago, the girl with rosy cheeks and an impish smile had her dark hair cut short, donned boys' clothes and took on a boy's name, Omid. The move opened up a boy's world : paying soccer and cricket with boys, wrestling with the neighbourhood butcher's son, working to help the family make ends meet.

Under the practice, a girl dresses, behaves and is treated as a boy, with all the freedoms and obligations that entails. But there is a time limit : once a bacha posh reaches puberty, she is expected to revert to traditional girls' gender roles. The transition is not always easy.

With a crackdown on women's rights by Afghanistan's new rulers, the Taliban, who seized power in mid-August, the bacha posh tradition could become even more attractive for some families. And as the children eventually revert to female roles, the Taliban might not deal with the issue at all, says Thomas Barfield, a professor of anthropology at Boston University.

The reasons parents might want a bacha posh vary. With sons traditionally valued more than daughters, the practice usually occurs in families without a boy. Some consider it a status symbol and some believe it will bring good luck for the next child to be born a boy.

The transition back, however, isn't always busy.

- Courtesy NIE.

My take.

Quaint traditions and customs!

Tailpiece.

Today's the 1st of Makaram.

Got up around a 20' to 7, the chores and was ready by 10. Washing machinex of the clothes.

Went to town in Hameed's auto rickshaw to fetch our fruit basket and grocery from the Harishree Supermarket.

Participated in the Aazhchakkoottam : "Police Criminality and Human Rights" by Mr Jacob Punnoose, Former DGP from 1600 - 1715 hrs. An interesting lecture! 

A quiet evening. Kittu didn't fetch up at all and Mrs Kittu was there around that time that saw his entry, both in the morning and in the evening.

Back at The Quarterdeck.

Got up at 4, nicely rested and wrote my blog while Lekha had prepared tea for the both of us and went about her chores. Anyways, we were ready a trifle after 7 and just before kicking off, had my parting conversation with my parents. The Chevy was wiped down with a clean cloth and the dew was removed. The caretaker was at hand to see us off and we headed straight for Lekha's sister's place by a quarter past 7. Enroute we'd paused at the Nagaraja temple at Randalummodu. 

We reached Letha's house soon after and it was a long wait till 9 when Anand had returned and then we were headed towards, 'Karthika Veedu'. The custom and traditions during the 'house warming' were followed to the tee. It's an aesthetically made house and Lekha and I congratulated the both of them - Anand and Archa - for their acquisition at such a young age!  

The customary milk was boiled on the new stove - the Vidya Balan endorsed one - which was gifted by Lekha during her last visit! And after breakfast, we made a quick retreat and headed towards Guruvayur. Had entered the petrol bunk at Kottarakkara and refueled the Chevy. Disaster stepped in when Lekha fell down after coming out of the Rest Room. The owner, John, was available at the bunk and he'd immediately employed Mukesh, one of his employees, to wash up Lekha's superficial wounds with Savlon and plasters+cotton were applied!

Made an error when I had begun to move when the traffic signal was red at a place, short of Changanesserry. The policeman on the beat was firm yet helpful. I felt sheepish to be caught for such a stupid mistake and apologised to him profusely. 

We'd the packed lunch of Idiyappams and stew, on our way to Kochi. Short of Thrippunithura, Padmakumar and Achu had come to meet us on the roadside, to hand over a few things. There was a huge bunch of vegetables and fruits from Achu-Karthika's garden at Munnar.

Had called up Lineesh and suggested that he came up to the 'Oottupura Restaurant', where we were having our tea and snack. Lekha's watch is running fine and it was handed over; the fault was that its cell had gone weak and it was replaced. Thus, all the tasks planned during the trip, were completed. 

I'll have to get a new 'FASTag', cancel the existing one as the Chevy's registration number has been wrong all along. What a disorganised guy I am?

The evening was quiet and nice. We reached our house and we went about unpacking. All the windows were opened up. Kittu and his mate had come to say 'hi' to us, I presume, as he did not insist on food! It was a quiet evening thereafter after a quick dinner. 

Earlier, Mithun of the National Supermarket had come and delivered the items, Lekha had ordered.

Tailpiece.

A short, sweet trip!

At Raj Nivas.

Dateline 13 Jan.

Had got up at 4, thanks to Lekha's cellphone alarm. Went about our chores but was finally able to kick off from home only by 7. It was mainly because Kittu wasn't to be seen and Lekha had prepared food for him. Thankfully, he made it at the last moment and it was delightful to see him have his bowl of food. The traffic was not really heavy for a working day and hence, driving was comfortable throughout.

We'd halted for breakfast at Ananda Bhavan near Chalakkudy and had shared a 'combo', washing it down with a filter coffee. Reached Ernakulam about an hour later and Lineesh, of Titan - was at hand vide my instructions -  to collect Lekha's watch for defect rectification. And as we had done earlier, we gone to my cousin's office to collect our bag which we'd forgotten during our last trip. Chatted with her for a while before resuming our journey. Jacob, the auto rickshaw driver was a great help in the ferrying bit!

Lunch was at Hotel Ripple Land at Alappuzha. The steward, Thomas, was friendly and remembered us from our last visit. Sadly, I had forgotten his name and he seemed to mind it and I'd blamed it on my bad memory for it all! Shall never forget the resumption of our journey because I'd opted for the AC Road which was under extensive repairs that I wasn't aware of. The drive was comparatively slow, what with the frequent deviations, till we reached Changanacherry.

We were at Lekha's sister's place at Kottarakkara by a half past 3. Caught up with her but her grand daughter, Devoo, refused to come to me because she was 'scared'! After spending an hour with them, we were on our last leg of the journey to Thalavoor. The roads were good and we reached Raj Nivas by a quarter to 5 where Syamala, the caretaker's wife was at hand with the house opened.

The house had been spruced up and we had settled down, without much ado, Had a short chat with my parents at their cremation spot as I'd to report to them about our intended programme. Went about the compound as the place looked neat and tidy after the recent cutting of grass and I must confess that it did give me a high! There were a few visitors who'd dropped by and the caretaker had come by to brief me about various things. 

Had lit up the evening lamp at the puja room asis the custom before switching on the lights of the house. The evening was quiet as we talked about a lot of things and had dinner at our usual time. Television wasn't available as I hadn't recharged the connection.

The net was slow and therefore, I couldn't work on the computer and therefore, had to turn in for the night rather early at a quarter to 11.

Tailpiece.

Felt tremendously at peace being here, at Raj Nivas, after what's been a long while. Our Chevy was back on our courtyard, for the first time, after that major defect in end-Apr 2021!

Whither Kerala?

Massive wife swapping nexus unearthed in Kerala.

Kerala is often touted for being the only Indian state with 100 per cent literacy. Much of the credit for the same is often hogged by Communists in the state, who have been the dominant political force of Kerala for a decade now. Yet, every now and then, a startling piece of news emerges from this southern state that shakes the conscience of every Indian. This time too, some shocking news has made its way out of Kerala. One would expect an educated state such as Kerala to not occupy such spaces in the news cycle but here it is yet again.

A massive "wife swapping" racket has now been busted in Kerala. Kerala Police have arrested seven persons in connection with the exchange of partners for sex after a woman from Changanaserry lodged a complaint against her husband, who was part of the 'couple sharing' group, stating that he forced her to have sexual relations with another man.

Extent of Racket is Shocking

This is no small wife swapping racket. The sheer scale of the racket is shocking and shows how women are being treated as commodities by some in Kerala. According to the police, more than 1,000 couples are in these groups and they were exchanging women. Sources told the NIE that several people who are in the higher echelons of society are part of this group.

A senior police official was quoted as saying, "The modus operandi is to first join the Telegram and Messenger groups and then two or three couples meet periodically. After that women are exchanged and there were even instances of a woman being shared by three men at a time. Money also changed hands as some single members in the group with some men providing their wives for money for a day of physical relationship.

According to a report in the ToI, the authorities discovered social media groups where members could engage in wife-swapping, cuckolding, threesomes and unnatural sex. Some organisations had over 5,000 members. Shockingly, some women were coerced into such acts by their husbands, while others willingly participated in such activities.

The CI of Karukachal said, "Many wives who are forced into this against their wishes are showing suicidal tendencies and so we need to investigate with extreme care. Almost 90% of the women are not comfortable with it, they are brainwashed into this".

The size of this disturbing racket suggests how wife swapping has become normalised for many in Keral. This antisocial practice needs to be cracked down upon immediately. The Kerala government should come up with specific laws to ban and make such activities punishable. The degree of punishment should be so harsh that nobody dares coerce their partners into such acts.

Already, Kerala is plagued with the menace of 'love jihad', where Islamists marry several non-Muslim women and force them to convert against their will. Surely, a mass acceptance of wife-swapping should not become the new normal in this state.

- Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra in TFIPOST.com

My take

A pathetic state of affairs! Hope we get out of this morass soon. This needs to be tackled socially after assessing as to how the tendency has crept in!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a trifle past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 10.

The maid is on leave and hence, Lekha was on her own.

Progressively shut down The Quarterdeck. 

From Kiran Mazumdar.

Notes from a call with Edward Ryan MD, Director of International Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital.

  1.  Close to 100% of the positive cases in Massachusetts are Omicron. Delta is almost completely gone from New England.

  2.  The surge will peak between 10 and 21 Jan and then begin a quick downhill journey of two to four weeks.

  3.  We will end up with a 20-50% positivity rate.

  4.  February will be clean up mode, March will begin to return to "normal".

  5.  Omicron lives in your nose and upper respiratory area which is what makes it so contagious. It isn't able to bond with your lungs like the other variants.

  6.  The increased hospitalisations should be taken with a grain of salt as most of them are secondary admissions (i.e. people coming in for surgery, broken bones, etc who are tested for Covid).

  7.  We don't need a booster for omicron because they wouldn't be able to develop one before it's completely gone and we're all going to get it which will give us the immunity we need to get through it.

  8.  Covid will join the four other coronaviruses we deal with that cause the common cold, upper respiratory infections, RSV, etc. It will become a pediatric disease mainly affecting young children with no immunity.

  9.  40% of those infected will be asymptomatic.

10.  Rapid tests are 50-80% sensitive to those with symptoms, only 30-60% sensitive to those without symptoms.

11.  Contact tracing is worthless because we're all going to get it and there's no way we could keep up with it.

12.  We are fighting the last war with Covid and should be pivoting back to normal life but society isn't quite ready for it yet.

13.  There is no need to stay home from work or to be a hermit unless you're immunocompromised or 85 or older but he does recommend staying away from large gatherings for the next six weeks.

14.  Spring/Summer will be really nice!

Overall a great presentation. Lot of good news.

Tailpiece.

Had slept past midnight at a half past 1, after watching an episode of Crime Patrol on Sony. Got up at a 20' past 6, the chores and was ready by 10.

The maid, Latha, had fetched up for work. Lekha's beautician, Seena had also come by and so the afternoon was hectic for Lekha. Caught my 40 winks though.

Helped Lekha to water the plants and she helped me in washing down the Chevy. 

News, happening immediately around me.

1. Reintroducing Agriculture

Tom Kiron Davis, an MA Economics graduate, left his high paying job in UAE in 2015 and decided to return home and work with the soil. The youngster was welcomed by many acres of barren land. He understood the obsolete marketing strategies followed by the farmers who were forced to leave farming and pick other odd jobs. 

He sowed the first set of seeds of an indigenous rice variety on the 1.5 acres of fallow land that was leased out. He moved the dirt, took out the weeds and leveled it and the soil had to be enriched with natural fertilisers like vermicompost, cow dung and jeevamrit. The paddy field fetched him good yield in the very first year. The results motivated many other farmers of the Velookkara panchayat of Thrissur district. The collective could turn the 10 acres of barren fields into fertile land. He and his collective also put an end to the conventional marketing method and removed middlemen.

At present, the signature produce of Tom's collective are rice and spices. They have been growing four varieties of indigenous rice for the last seven years. Since spices and rice can be stored for a long time because they aren't perishable, they can be sold at a fixed rate.

In 2018, Tom received the Swami Vivekananda Yuva Pratibha Award from the state government.

2. Mission Better Tomorrow

Led by IG P Vijayan, IPS by bringing together those who collaborated with him during the numerous projects of social cause. The organisation started off by reaching out to people in trouble during the pandemic days. The acceptance for the organisation grew gradually and became a global presence with an army of well wishers around the world.

Its has its footprint all across the state.

3. YouTuber E Shalini and Her Contribution to Dance

Shalini started uploading her semi-classical dance performances during lockdown through her YouTube channel Padma Shalini. Since then, she has uploaded more than 110 dance performance videos and the channel currently has 1,55,000 subscribers. Her mother, Padma, had encouraged her to gain so many viewers and that's why she has named her channel after her mother.

She is a first year BSc nursing student.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 6, the chores but was ready by a 10' past 10. The maid was on leave today too.

Today is the 10th Remembrance Day of my dad. How time has passed! It has been ten years without him!

Kingini, the daughter of our first maid, Sathiamma sent us a high lunch as part of the 1st Remembrance Day of her mom. One year has really flown past. She was very fond of Lekha and me. Quite sweet on the part of her daughter to remember us!

Saw the Allu Arjun starrer, "Pushpa'' - a Telugu movie - on prime video. Worth a watch! The item number by Samantha and the 'Saami' song are catchy.

  

Bet you didn't know all of these.

1. Shot of Whiskey

In the old west a .45 cartridge for a six-gun cost 12 cents and so did a glass of whiskey.

If a cowhand was low on cash, he would often give the bartender a cartridge in exchange for a drink. This became known as a "shot" of whiskey.

2. The Whole Nine Yards

American fighter planes in WW II had machine guns that were fed by a belt of cartridges.

The average plane held belts that were 27 feet (9 yards) long. If the pilot used up all his ammo, he was said to have given it the whole nine yards.

3. Buying the Farm

This is synonymous with dying. During WW I, soldiers were given life insurance policies worth $5,000.

This was about the price of an average farm so if you died you "bought the farm" for your survivors.

4. Iron-Clad Contract

This came about from the iron-clad ships of the Civil War.

It meant something so strong it could not be broken.

5. Passing the Buck/The Buck Stops Here

Most men in the early west carried a jackknife made by the Buck Knife company. When playing poker it was common to place one of these Buck knives in front of the dealer so that everyone knew who he was. When it was time for a new dealer, the deck of cards and the knife were given to the new dealer. If this person didn't want to deal, he would "pass the buck" to the next player. If that player accepted then "the buck stopped there".

6. Riff Raff 

The Mississippi River was the main way of traveling from the north to the south. Riverboats carried passengers and freight but they were expensive so most people used rafts. Everything had the right of way over rafts which were considered cheap. The steering oar on the rafts was called a "riff" and this transposed into riff-raft - riff-raff, meaning low class.

7. Cobweb

The Old English word for "spider" was "cob" which is how the word "cobweb" came into usage.

8. Ships' State Rooms

Traveling by steamboat was considered the height of comfort. Passenger cabins on the boats were not numbered. Instead, they were named after states. To this day cabins on ships are called staterooms.

9. Barge In

Heavy freight was moved along the Mississippi in large barges pushed by steamboats. These were hard to control and would sometimes swing into piers or other boats. People would say they "barged in".

10. Curfew

The word "curfew" comes from the French phrase "couvre-feu", which means "cover the fire". It was used to describe the time of blowing out all lamps and candles before sleeping for the night. It was later adopted into Middle English as "curfeu", which later became the modern "curfew". In the early American colonies' homes had no real fireplaces so a fire was built in the center of the room. In order to make sure a fire did not get out of control during the night it was required that, by an agreed upon time, all fires would be covered with a clay pot called a "curfew".

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter to 7, the chores and was ready by a trifle after 10. 

A quiet Sunday.

Pushpaakaran, the farmhand, had come by after 5 to trim the coconut tree in our courtyard. About 10 leaves had to be chopped off; now there's plenty of light around the tree. Watched "India's best dancer" on television, in the evening.  

The rule of Ablautreduplication.

Why doesn't 'tock-tick' sound right to your ears?

Ever wondered why we say :

tick-tock, not tock-tick,

or ding-dong,

not dong ding;

King Kong,

not Kong King....?

Turns out it is one of the unwritten rules of English that native speakers know without knowing!

The rule, explains a BBC article, is :

"If there are three words then the order has to go......

I, A,O.

"If there are two words then the first is I and the second is either A or O".

"Mish-mash,

Chit-chat,

Dilly-dally,

Hilly-shally,

Tip-top,

Hip-hop,

Flip-flop,

Tic-tac,

Sing-song,

Ding-dong,

King Kong,

Ping-pong".

There's another unwritten rule at work in the name Little Red Riding Hood, says the article.

"Adjectives in English absolutely have to be in this order :

Opinion - Size - Age - Shape - Colour - Origin - Material - Purpose - Noun.

So you can have a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife.

But if you mess with that word order in the slightest.....you'll sound like a maniac".

That explains why we say "little green men" not "green little men",

But "Big Bad Wolf" sounds like a gross violation of the "Opinion (bad) - size (big) - noun (wolf)" order.

It won't, though, if you recall the first rule about the I-A-O order....!! Got it....?

That rule seems inviolable :

"All four of a horse's feet make exactly the same sound.

But we always, always say clip-clop, never clop-clip".

This rule even has a Technical Name....!

If you care to know it.....

the Rule of Ablautreduplication!

But then....

Life is Simpler, Knowing that we Know the Rule....Without Knowing it.

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. No maid, so it was Lekha's show all the way. A quiet Saturday.

Participated in the 550th edition of the Aazhchakkoottam : "Development with people's participation" by Shri K Jayakumar, IAS from 1600 - 1715 hrs. It was quite interesting!

 

Visiting the Hare and the Tortoise story again.

Actually, everyone throughout the world has kept giving the example of Tortoise.....Saying that slow and steady wins the race and emphasizing the value of persistence and dedication.

Well! No one has ever bothered to ask the Hare his side of the story, so let me tell you the story from a different point of view......

I met the Hare and sat down with him for a heart to heart talk.

This is what he had to say after we spent the better part of a balmy summer afternoon getting to know one other.

It was a wonderful experience, believe me....

No, I did not get lazy or complacent.

Let me explain.

I was hopping over the meadows near the hills and looked back to realise that the tortoise was nowhere was nowhere to be seen.

Assured of my healthy lead, I decided to take a short under the large banyan tree near the pond.

The anticipation of the race had kept me up all night.

For days, that silly old tortoise had boasted about his ability to plod for hundreds of miles without stopping.

Life is a marathon, he said, not a sprint. I wanted to show him that I could run both far and fast.

The shade of the tree was like an umbrella.

I found an almost oval rock, covered it with grass and turned it into a makeshift pillow.

I could hear the leaves rustling and the bees buzzing - it felt they were collaborating and even conspiring to put me to sleep.

And it didn't take them long to succeed.

I saw myself drifting on a log in a beautiful stream of water.

As I came near the shore, I found an old man, with a flowing beard, sitting on a rock in a meditative pose. He opened his eyes, gave me an all-nowing smile and asked :

"Who are you?"

"I am a hare. I am running a race".

"Why?"

"To prove to all the creatures in the jungle that I am the fastest".

"Why do you want to prove that you are the fastest?"

"So that I get a medal which will give me status which will give me money which will get me food...."

"There is already so much food around". He pointed to the forest in the distance. "Look at all those trees laden with fruits and nuts, all those leafy branches".

"I also want respect. I want to be remembered as the fastest hare who ever lived".

"Do you know the name of the fastest deer or the largest elephant or the strongest lion who lived a thousand years before you?"

"No".

"Today you have been challenged by a tortoise.

Tomorrow, it will be a snake.

Then it will be a zebra.

Will you keep racing all your life to prove that you are the fastest?"

"Hmm. I didn't think about it.

I don't want to race all my life".

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to sleep under a banyan tree on a makeshift pillow while the leaves rustle and the bees buzz.

I want to hop over the meadows near the hills and swim in the pond".

"You can do all these things this very moment.

Forget the race.

You are here today but you will be gone tomorrow".

I woke up from my sleep.

The ducks in the pond looked happy.

I jumped into the pond, startling them for a moment.

They looked at me quizzically.

"Weren't you supposed to be racing with the tortoise today?"

"It's pointless. 

An exercise in futility.

All I want is to be here.

Hopefully, someday, someone will tell the world my story,

That I lost the race but got back my life!!

Live life to the fullest.....

today, tomorrow and ALWAYS.

- Courtesy What'sApp

     *     *     *

"My maternal grandfather was a good man. God bless his soul. I remember when I was a kid and spent some holidays with him. There was a lady neighbour called Elizabeth around his age. She used to come to the house every now and then with a letter from her brother in Australia and she would ask my grandfather to read and explain to her as she couldn't read. They will go to his room to read the letter for her and after a bit, she comes out with a red face and a smile.

Few years later, as I grew older, we found out that Elizabeth didn't have any brother in Australia and Grandpa was illiterate".

- Velma Kadiori

Tailpiece.

Got up at a trifle past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Shihab came along with his auto rickshaw at a half past 10 and we went to the Municipality Office at the eastern entrance of the temple. I was told that my query - regarding arrears of house tax, amounting to Rs.5 grand - would be solved at the Pookkode Panchayat, under whose jurisdiction my house was situated. So, took another auto rickshaw and Gireesh took me first to the fruit shop at the western entrance where I'd picked up a fruit basket, then went across to Thampuraanpadi Mukku to buy fish for Kittu and finally, to the Pookkode Panchayat where I met Mr Suresh Kumar, the superintendent who has been on the chair for the last three months.

The panchayat is in the process of computerisation. He has promised to feed in my particulars - his lady assistant, Ms Rathi was on the job who had collected my details - and on completion, inform me. So, finally the problem has been licked. Phew! I, being an ex-serviceman am exempted from paying this tax and also because my house has a plinth area < 2,000 sq ft.

It was a quiet day thereafter.