The value system that we grew up with.

Most of us over 50 were home schooled - in many ways.

1. My mother taught me to appreciate a job well done. "If you're going to kill each other, do it
    outside. I just finished cleaning".

2. My mother taught me religion. "You better pray that will come out of the carpet".

3. My father taught me about time travel. "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the
    middle of next week!"

4. My father taught me logic. "Because I said so, that's why".

5. My father taught me more logic. "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not
    going to the store with me".

6. My mother taught me foresight. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an
    accident".

7. My father taught me irony. "Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about".

8. My mother taught me about the science of osmosis. "Shut your mouth and eat your supper".

9. My mother taught me about contortionism. "Just you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!".

10. My mother taught me about stamina. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone".

11. My mother taught me about weather. "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it".

12. My mother taught me about hypocrisy. "If I told you once, I've told you a million times, don't
      exaggerate".

13. My father taught me the circle of life. "I brought you into this world and I can take you out".

14. My mother taught me about behaviour modification. "Stop acting like your father".

15. My mother taught me about envy. "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world
      who don't have wonderful parents like you do".

16. My mother taught me about anticipation. ""Just wait till we get home".

17. My mother taught me about receiving. "You are going to get it from your father when you get
      home".

18. My mother taught me medical science. "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to
      get stuck that way".

19. My mother taught me ESP. "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My father taught me humour. "When that lawn mover cuts off your toes, don't come running to
      me".

21. My mother taught me how to become an adult. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never
      grow up".

22. My mother taught me genetics. "You are just like your father".

23. My mother taught me about my roots. "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born
      in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me wisdom. "When you get to be my age, you'll understand".

25. My father taught me about justice. "One day you'll have kids and I hope they turn out just like
      you".

This should be sent only to the over 50 crowd because the younger ones would not believe we truly were told these 'exact' words by our parents.


Tailpiece.

Had got up half an hour late by my standards. Went through the chores and was ready on time and we headed straight for the Foundation dropping invitations for tomorrow's function at two places. At the office, it was further preparations for the function. Wrote out the briefs regarding the PN Panicker award winners and along with that, had written a short essay on the life and times of PN Panicker and worked out the finer details as per the minute-to-minute programme.

Meanwhile, Lekha and Kripashankar - my nephew who has come for the weekend from Chennai - saw two Malayalam movies and have been helping themselves to pizzas and fast food!

Sheeba, the compere for tomorrow, had fetched up by 6 and I briefed her about the detailed aspects of the programme. She's a Malayalam teacher in the Holy Angels' Convent - my alma mater - and is an accomplished lady in fine arts and cultural activities. We'd a run through the programme so that she was left with no doubts, whatsoever.

There were two outside errands - twice to check up the arrangements, the banners and the buntings; the sound system and the placement of the flower pots at various parts of the venue and a visit to Pothy's to buy ceremonial shawls.

It was a comparatively late evening as I hit the sack!      

At Thiruvananthapuram.

The day had begun at 4, thanks to the alarm set on Lekha's cellphone. Went through our chores and were ready well in time. Anto was at our gate by a 10' past 6 and he dropped us at the railway station without delay. Thankfully, the queue had not formed up and we could find a place to sit without problems. The advantage of going by the 0645 hrs passenger are two; one doesn't have to get ready too early and secondly, the train is parked on platform no.1.

After having selected our seats, I'd gone to pick up the day's newspapers from the lone vendor on the platform. Vidyadharan was thrilled that I remembered his name and casually, he'd inquired about me and my background. He was quite happy to hear that I was PN Panicker's grandson and went on to narrate the incident when my grandfather had provided him with his village library's membership owing to his keenness on the job. His hold on my hand lingered as he flitted back into the past.

We reached Thrissur by a quarter past 7 and settled down at the air conditioned retiring room, waiting for the Jan Shatabdi to Thiruvananthapuram, from Kannur, at a quarter past 8 which eventually arrived 10' late. The seats were comfortable and the journey was uneventful. Naduni Yadav, the bearer, gave us our breakfast of bread and omelette. Since he didn't have change, he'd promised to fetch us our lunch too, which he did!

Met Nileena, a young post graduate, who was preparing at a coaching centre at Thiruvananthapuram for the civil services examination and she wants to join the IPS. Wished the bubbly young lady the best in her endeavour as we got off the train.

Lekha does not enjoy travelling with her feet dangling and I had sorted out the problem by keeping one of our bags under her feet which seemed to be okay for her. The lunch of vegetable biriyani was okay. Meanwhile, the train had picked up speed and had reached the destination on time. As we got out of the station, Murukan, a taxi driver met us and offered to drop us where we wanted to go at a reasonable fare.

He dropped us at Indira kunjamma's house, where Lekha had disembarked. She'd be there for the next two days while I will be staying at Maman's house. It coordinates my moves to and from the Foundation, along with Maman. Murukan, incidentally, had worked for Muthachhan - in the '80s - while he was providing leadership to the literacy movement in the state! His eyes were moist as he recalled his days at the Kerala Association for Non-formal Education and Development (KANFED) and said some very nice things about me and also, that I resembled my grandfather!

After spending some time with Indira kunjamma, Murukan took me to the Foundation and I joined the others at work. The staff received me warmly with Indira ma'am giving me a nicely made filtered coffee! Wow, it was simply great. Over work, Maman and I discussed a whole lot of things regarding the Foundation and during the pace of the next four hours, met a lot of people who'd dropped by.

We reached home by 9 and it was nice meeting up with Ammayi and Chambu. It was a nice evening with plenty of yakkitiyak over dinner.

Tailpiece.

The journey by train was definitely far more comfortable!  

Limbering up....

Got up earlier than usual to finish up the work that was pending. Knocked off to sleep and skipped the morning walk. Actually, the doctor's words that walking does not necessarily have any effect on sugar levels have dampened my enthusiasm, somewhat!

Today was the maid, Bina's last day with us. She went about her work briskly and left at her usual time, on completion. She has got a job at the Guruvayur Devaswom and has done the same job earlier when her boss had got the tender for the work. She has left us after almost 3 months and has told Lekha that she's ready to do any work here; she only needed to be called and a reasonable time to react. Damn sweet of her!

Lekha has spoken to a few, for a new one and hopefully, someone will fetch up by the first week of March. There is plenty of movement for us next month; wonder when we would actually settle down to sort out this issue. Meanwhile, during this absence of ours, Pushpakaran, the farmhand will water the plants and the grass patch.

The Quarterdeck was shut down progressively: the heat has become oppressive. Some satisfying news heard in the course of the day, the corona virus cannot survive the environment with tropical climate. So Kerala, thankfully, will be spared of the dreaded virus. 

Babish, the plumber-cum-electrician, fetched up prior to sunset and set the light in the dining hall right - it was yet another repair by replacement!

Meanwhile, more and more murky secrets are tumbling out of the closet regarding the incitement of the recent riots in Delhi. It's sad as to how unscrupulous guys can put one citizen against the other by spreading lies and encouraging hatred, to culminate in violence! The full disclosure must come as a hard lesson for each one of us, who love our country.

Handed over the gate key to our neighbour to allow the KSEB meter reader, to note down the readings and the farmhand, to water the plants.


Tailpiece.

The heat is getting to be unbearable and correspondingly, the water table is receding and mind you, the month of February is still on. Meanwhile, the work of clearing the compound around Raj Nivas, back home, is going on steadily, reports the caretaker.

Why we fail to reach goals.

Our brains begin with one focus, but closing the deal requires another, a study suggests.

All of us start out after a goal with energy and motivation, so why do we often fail to hit the target?

A new study at the intersection of neuroscience and behavioural science offers a simple but useful insight about the failure to reach goals. It centres on the disconnect between our decision-making focus before we start pursuing a goal and our focus after we begin.

The study started with this hypothesis :-

   * When we set out to achieve a goal, our focus is on the reward. We envision getting the reward and
      how we'll feel when we do and that propels us into action.

   * But once we begin, we come face to face with what's really required to reach the goal and our
      focus shifts from reward to effort.

   * Here's the kicker : instead of refocusing on the reward, we stay focused on the effort and the more
      we focus on the effort the more likely we are to fail.

Researchers then conducted two experiments designed to measure physical and mental effort in pursuit of rewards (in this case, financial rewards). In both experiments, participants were offered options for combining high or low effort with high or low financial rewards. Giving them the choice allowed participants to align their expectations.

The results of the experiments were consistent for both physical and mental effort : the amount of the financial reward influenced how the participants chose their effort-reward combinations, as expected. But when they started the work, their performance was determined by how much effort reaching the reward was really going to require, regardless of how much money was at stake.

In other words, a focus on rewards fueled the pursuit, but a focus on effort took over when the work started.

"We found that there isn't a direct relationship between the amount of reward that is at stake and the amount of effort people actually put in" said Dr. Agata Ludwiczak, lead study author and research fellow from Queen Mary University of London. "This is because when we make choices about what effort to put in, we are motivated by the rewards we expect to get back. But at the point at which we come to actually do what we had said we would do, we focus on the level of effort we have to actually put in rather than the rewards we hoped we would get".

The problem, according to this study, is that we fail to refocus on the reward - not just once but as often as needed to keep effort in perspective as the means to our desired end.

An even more basic problem is not realistically thinking through the effort required to achieve a goal from the outset.

"Then when we face the reality of our choices, we realise the effort is too much and give up", added Dr. Magda Osman, study co-author and professor in experimental psychology at Queen Mary University, in a press statement. "For example, getting up early to exercise for a new healthy lifestyle might seem like a good choice but once your alarm goes off on a cold January morning, the rewards aren't enough to get you up and out of bed".

In fairness, though we don't always have the best sense of how much effort something will require, especially if it's a goal we haven't pursued before. Getting better at making decisions has much to do with figuring this out and not letting ourselves forget the lesson.

These findings back up those from previous neuroscience and behavioural science studies that tell us about the disconnect between our brains' valuation of rewards and the "get it done" realities that influence our behaviour. Our brains are reward-driven organs supercharged by neurotransmitters that fuel our drives and desires, especially dopamine and it's easy for us to get carried away in this chemical tsunami. It happens to us all the time, whether we are thinking about it or not, even when we have plenty of experience to guide us.

The takeaway from this research has two parts. First, we must begin our goal pursuits with as much realistic acknowledgement of the effort required as possible, no matter how strongly the chemical surge hits us. Then, once we begin, we must refocus back to the reward and keep the effort in perspective.

That will at least give us a fighting chance of reaching the goal, recognising, of course, any number of other factors can still change the game.

Note. The study was published in the journal "Behavioural Brain Research".


Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time and I'd gone for the morning walk. The maid was given an off by Lekha and we were ready after breakfast, when Shelji reached at a 5' to 10. We took off on the Kodungallur route and the traffic was definitely lesser than usual; we reached Kochi at a half past 12. Enroute, we were caught by the MVD, for over speeding and fined.

A bit of shopping, lunch at an eatery at Panampilli Nagar and we were at Dr. Bhat's clinic by a half past 2. We were out after seeing the doctor by a half past 3. He has tweeked my medicines and their doasages - I'd put on 3 kgs over the last three months and my sugar levels could be lower.

Shelji would not take money because of the over speed ticket and I'd to put the money into his pocket. That showed his niceness!

Reached The Quarterdeck by 6.

A failed strategy!

The riots in north eastern Delhi has not fetched the desired results, its perpetrators wanted to achieve! On day 3, rioting and arson continued when the overall tally had climbed to 11 dead and over 200 injured during the rioting. The media was on hype, with a continuous coverage of the riots and pilloried the police for 'being mere spectators' of the situation without taking any action, reporting about many journalists having been beaten up along with Delhi's Chief Minister Kejriwal asking for immediate deployment of the armed forces for sealing the border and tackling the rioters.

The central government made it clear that the situation was being tackled effectively by the police on the ground. In other words, it did not find enough reasons to deploy the armed forces.

The meeting the US President had with the press/media around 1700 hrs where certain foreign media journos raked up many difficult questions. Shall touch upon a few:-

   (a) On the Anti-CAA Protests.

         Trump was very clear that it was an internal matter of India.

   (b) On religious freedom.

         Trump answered that he had discussed the issue with the Indian Prime Minister and reiterated
         the fact that the latter was equally interested in every Indian enjoying religious freedom. He
         added that PM Modi had a clarity of thought, was patient and calm and he had the ability to
         ensure this aspect.

   (c) On the rioting in Delhi.

         The US president was clear that it was one isolated incident and that things were under control!

   (d) On Muslim radicals.

         The US President and the Indian Prime Minister have agreed to jointly work against Muslim
         radicals as it is a looming threat - all over the world - that needs to be curbed.

The US President's clarity of thought on the issues - especially on the anti-CAA riots - after his
meeting with PM Narendra Modi must have chastised the international and national media that have been critical of the Indian Prime Minister and his policy decisions.

The organisers of the riots must be licking their wounds for their failed strategy to defame India and thereby, show that PM Modi was not an effective leader.

What they failed on was not understanding the way the world was looking at Prime Minister Modi, as an effective leader. The US President is one among the many other world leaders who has high regards for him!



Tailpiece.

The morning walk was nice. Soon after, around 0800 hrs, dropped Rema and Padmakumar at the KSRTC bus stand and they could board a superfast bus to Ernakulam.

The evening walk was equally nice and productive in that I could meet up with a few more people.

Interacted with Haridasan, a lottery ticket seller in the morning - more about him some other day - and Johnny, a grocery shop owner in the evening.    

Not acceptable!

Violence in north east Delhi.

Stone pelting was resorted at Maujpur - Babarpur Metro Stationto after clashes between pro and anti-CAA protestors entered the second day. Vehicles were burnt, houses and shops set ablaze by arsonists.

Four people, including Delhi Police Head Constable Ratanlal were killed and about 35 others were injured.

Shame on us! It's a clear attempt to bring a bad name to India especially when the US President is on an official visit.

The perpetrators of the crime should be rounded up and legal action initiated so that a quick remedial pill is administered to prevent the episode from spilling over.

The present state is simply not acceptable!

     *                             *                               *

The Visits of US Presidents Over The Years.

Trump is the 7th US President to come calling. For the first 53 years since India's independence, only three US Presidents made official visits to India. But since 2000, every American President has visited the country at least once during his term.

1. Dwight D Eisenhower. 1959.

    The visit in the thick of the Cold War, helped break some of the frost caused by India's neutrality
    as head of the Non-Aligned Movement. It softened views in US that India was pro-USSR, though
    the distrust was to linger for many more years.

2. Richard Nixon. 1969.

    He hoped to ease tensions with Indira Gandhi, again over India's leading role in NAM. Ties
    nosedived in 1971 when Nixon supported Pakistan for its role in secret diplomacy with China.
    India's friendship treaty with the USSR was also an issue.

3. Jimmy Carter. 1978.

    There was no chemistry between Carter and Morarji Desai. Leak of Carter telling an aide that
    Desai should be given a "cold and blunt" message over N-issues did not help. Desai refused to
    consider signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

4. Bill Clinton. 2000.

    The visit was significant, breaking a 22-year gap and came after his crucial intervention in the
    Kargil war when he asked Nawaz Sharif to withdraw Pakistani troops. It was the beginning of a
    correction of US's pro-Pakistan tilt. He was feted in Parliament and danced with village women.

5. George W Bush. 2006.

    He was the best US President India ever had., said Forbes magazine. Bush's single minded and
    uncluttered approach saw him set aside the powerful anti-proliferation lobby in India and sign the
    deal that ended India's nuclear isolation. It legitimised India's nuclear deterrent and allowed civil
    nuclear co-operation.

6. Barack Obama. 2010 and 2015.

    On his first visit in 2010, he backed India's quest for a seat on the UN Security Council and trade
    and defence were highlights. He shared a good equation with Manmohan Singh. He was equally,
    if not more, at ease with Narendra Modi and in 2015 came for R-day.


Tailpiece.

Had got up at my usual time, walked towards Rajah hospital to have the fasting blood sugar test done. Consequently, could not attend little Advait's 'annaprashna' which took place before 0800 hrs. Went for the post-prandial blood sugar test at 0930 hrs. Meanwhile, two washing machinexes were initiated in between.

Went to town to get a few jobs done. Meanwhile, the plumber-cum-electrician was called up to rectify three defects.

Rema and Padmakumar had arrived at lunchtime and it was a nice get together. In the evening, we'd gone to the Chovvalloor Siva- Parvathy kshetram where a puja was fixed up for the next 12 Mondays, in Achu's name.

On our return, we'd bought sundries from the supermarket and thereafter, it was a boisterous evening!

Another story from Kashmir.

An eatery that has hit a century and going strong!

Buttered toast, mutton and chicken kantis (Kashmiri version of tikkas) and a teapot of nun chai — this is the favourite order of most Kashmiri locals as they step in Ahdoos, a 101-year-old restaurant set up near Residency Road in Srinagar. These are also the signature items of this eating joint, which started as a bakery in 1918 under the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh. “The location of the bakery was a little away in Polo View Market, but butter toast and kantis were available for locals even then,” says Hayat Bhat, the owner of the restaurant. “My grandfather Hazi Mohammad Sultan had started this bakery which was taken over by my father Hazi Gulab Hasan and now I am the third generation,” he says.

Chicken patties and walnut fudge were the other favourite items of the bakery and they still exist. The bakery venture transformed into a full-fledged restaurant within two to three years and since then the menu has not changed. This is according to the history of this restaurant, which has been displayed at the entrance along with the black and white pictures of the restaurant since pre-independence era. “We focus on Kashmiri Wazwan dishes rather than the traditional north Indian dishes. Gushtabas are large meat balls cooked in curd-based sauce, Ristas are the smaller and marginally spicier version, Methi Maaz is organ meats combined with dried fenugreek leaves and Tabak Maaz is pan-fried ribs. All are traditionally eaten with steamed rice and washed down with Kahwa or green tea,” Bhat explains.

The fading carpets and geometrical patterned Kashmiri ceilings were renovated first in 1985 and over the years some minor changes have been done in the wood work. The entrance wall shows photographs - one of them highlights as to how the head gears of the Kashmiri Pandits and the Muslims used to be the same. Other pictures showcase snowfall in Polo View market, Residency Road alongside one of the Chinar trees that cannot be missed.


Tailpiece.

Had got up half an hour late, went through the chores and dropped Suma kunjamma at the private bus stand where she boarded the first available bus to Thrissur for her onward trip to Thiruvananthapuram. Her train was delayed by over three hours because of the derailment of a goods train on the Alappuzha line. She finally had fetched up at her house by a half past 9!

Meanwhile, Jaya - Ramadasan kochachhan's daughter and folks - had checked into the rooms, at the Gopika Regency - that I'd booked sometime back by sunset time. Tomorrow is her grandson's 'annaprashnam'. 

Today's 'hartal' did not made any dent to the normal life in the state, as I understand and for that, I would express my gratitude to the organisers. 

News views.

An analysis of the news that are trending as headlines now.

 (a) US deal with Taliban?

       A week long reduction in violence across Afghanistan, beginning today, is a major condition
      for the US to sign the peace deal with the Taliban and hopes to end the 18-year war. How far
      it's gonna last is anybody's guess with the US being the most anxious as the Taliban has a
      penchant for going back on their words. It will also lay down a timeline for the withdrawal of
      the American troops.

      The peace deal may be signed by this month end. The situation is sure to worry India as many of
      its infrastructure work will get affected when Pakistan plays its own nasty games along with the
      crafty Taliban.

 (b) Trump's impending visit to India.

       It's amply clear that US President Donald Trump is looking forward to his next week's trip to
       India. We have come a long way from the times when the US hyphenated Pakistan with India
       and its leaders always made it a point to visit both the countries one after the other and help
       the former with a generous supply of military equipment. Those have become things of the
       past.

       In an election year, Trump would be looking for support from the Indian Americans and
       expects to get a head start as the presidential campaign picks up speed and heat.

       A trade deal was what he and his delegation was looking forward to, the most, but it's looking
       that it's gonna be a no-show during this visit.

       The one thing that stands out is the tremendous rapport between the US President and the
       Indian Prime Minister. That should be the harbinger of greater US-India co-operation in the
       months and years to come.

 (c) The Rising Temperatures.

       It's terribly warm out here in Kerala with met warnings of greater heat in many districts. Is this
       the new weather pattern? The water table is receding at a fast rate and one can already see water
       bowsers supplying potable water to many areas. And it's only the last week of February, there's
       plenty of time for the monsoons to set in. The convectional rains - rampant during these months
       - are yet to show the presence!

       Wait and watch, as we prepare for the worst. And of course, hope for the best.


Tailpiece.

Was in time for the morning walk. Lekha and Suma kunjamma had gone to the Guruvayur temple and provided Sekhar - he works in the Foundation - and his family a 'privileged darshan'. Sekhar's family had dropped by to spend time with us.

The evening walk was nice while Lekha and Suma kunjamma had gone for the Malayalam movie, "Ayyappanum Koshiyum. 

     

From here and there.

Today's post is a real hotch-potch of thoughts. Certain incidents have this way of numbing your thoughts, for a while, by the sheer speed at which it hits you.

 (a) The gruesome tragedy on the Tirupur-Salem Bypass.

       The salient points of the accident are:-

           (i) Yesterday was the 82nd anniversary of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
                (KSRTC) because it was on this day in 1965 it had shed off its old name of State Motor
                Service.

          (ii) The 340-km stretch of NH 544 (former NH 47) from Salem to Kochi is slowly turning
                out to be a death trap for many.

         (iii) A container truck laden with over 25 tons of tiles rammed into the KSRTC's volvo bus
                around 0340 hrs, killing 19 people near Avinashi, killing 19 people and injuring 25 others.

         (iv) The bus was heading from Bangalore to Ernakulam.

          (v) The driver of the container truck, obviously had fallen asleep and in that split second,
                jumped the central median and rammed into the ill-fated bus.

        The information regarding the seating arrangements shows that death had randomly chosen
        people for their onward journey to Valhalla. No wonder it's said that "Life is a comedy of
        errors".

        RIP, all of you whose promising lives have been cut short and the three pets travelling with
        their masters. Two pups and a cat! may their near and dear ones have the strength to tide over
        this stressful times. My tears and prayers.

  (b) China is up to tricks again.

        China had objected to our Home Minister, Amit Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh. The
        External Affairs ministry has issued a statement that it's but natural that the minister visited
        the state as it is an integral and inalienable part of India. What that country should be doing
        now is to effectively contain the corona virus epidemic on a war footing instead of pussy
        footing with India and coming up with silly arguments.

        The fog regarding the epidemic continues with the virus diagnosis criteria being changed by
        China.

  (c) It's Mahashivaratri today.

        Today was marked with hectic activities in all Shiva temples of the country. I'd the occasion to
        see the festivities and unprecedented crowds at the Vadakkunnathan kshetram in Thrissur town
        and at the Mammiyur Shiva kshetram at Guruvayur. Despite the crowds, there was orderliness
        at the places.



Tailpiece.

We set off for Thrissur, by 0900 hrs, in Shelji's cab. Ammu and Mithun were off to Kochi and we
had to see them off appropriately. Got an iPhone after much thought furiously egged on by Lekha; Ammu and Mithun helped me with the initial paces. They left in a KSRTC bus, soon after lunch. Suma kunjamma had fetched up by 1900 hrs. Had driven her to the Mammiyur Shiva kshetram around a half past 8; Lekha had gone there earlier in the evening, around sunset time.
       

12 famous quotes that always get misattributed.

These 12 examples are credited to people who never really said them.

1. "Let them eat cake".

    Not Marie Antoinette.

    Not only did Marie Antoinette not utter these words, if she had, everyone probably misunderstood
    her. In Jean-Jacques Rousseau's "Book 6" of his 12-volume autobiographical work, "Confessions",
    he writes, "At length I recollected the thoughtless saying of a great princess, who, on being
    informed that the people had no bread, replied, "Then let them eat pastry".

    Most people assume "great princess" refers to Marie Antoinette. But Rousseau wrote these words
    in 1767 - when Marie Antoinette was 12 years old. She also didn't marry Louis XVI until 1770.

    Even if Marie Antoinette did utter the phrase, the original version in French, "Qu'ils mangent de la
    brioche", means "Let them eat brioche" - a type of crumbly French pastry (not unlike cake but not
    totally the same) eaten by the upper class. The misinterpreted quote portrays Marie Antoinette as a
    callous patrician, unconcerned with the plight of the poor. But she could have meant the wealthy
    should stop monopolising food and share with the lower classes - if she said it.

    Other sources credit Marie-Therese, Marie Antoinette's eldest child (and the wife of Louis XIV).

2. "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".

    Not Voltaire.

    Voltaire didn't actually speak these words but the idea does fall in line with his ideology.

    In her well known biography of the French philosopher, "Friends of Voltaire", Evelyn Beatrice
    Hall writes, "I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it, was
    was his attitude now.

    The author was paraphrasing how she thought Voltaire felt about a certain topic. Everyone just
    decided the quote was real.

3. "Standing on the shoulders of giants".

    Not Sir Isaac Newton.

    Perhaps the most well-known phrase attributed to Sir Isaac Newton, these words appeared in a
    letter Newton wrote to Robert Hooke, another English philosopher and mathematician. But
    Newton didn't coin the phrase himself. He was alluding to a simile said much earlier by Bernard
    of Chartres, a 12th century man.

    John of Salisbury wrote that Bernard of Chartres used to say the "we (the Moderns) are like
    dwarves perched on the shoulders of giants (the Ancients) and thus we were able to see more and
    farther than the latter".

4. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful
    beyond measure".

    Not Nelson Mandela.

    This fanciful excerpt from the former South African President's 1994 inaugural address has floated
    around the Internet for years. The passage goes on :

       It is our light, not our darkness that most frighten us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant,
       gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your
       playing small does not serve the world....As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence
       automatically liberates others.

     But crediting Mandela for these words right after getting out of prison seems downright
     ridiculous. Brian Morton puts it best in The New York Times :

        "Picture it : Mr. Mandela, newly free after 27 years in prison, using his inaugural platform to
        inform us that we have all the right to be gorgeous, talented and fabulous and that thinking so
        will liberate others". Morton writes.

     In reality, self-help guru Marianne Williamson wrote these words in her 1989 spiritual best seller,
     "A Return to Love". The front page of her website even boasts about the excerpt.

5. "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter".

    Not Mark Twain/Jack Benny/Muhammad Ali.

    People throw this quote around all the time, accompanied by arbitrary attributions. With a little
    help from Quote Investigator, the problem becomes clear : No one knows who said it. The first
    reference found comes from an anonymous government researcher in 1968. "Aging is a matter of
    mind. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter".

    Since then, the quote morphed to include "mind over matter". Comedian Jack Benny said it on his
    80th birthday. And in 1981, Muhammad Ali flipped the phrase at a journalist while preparing for
    his last fight.

6. "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who
    matter don't mind". 

    Not Dr. Seuss.

     QI also debunked this famous misconception. We'd like to think Theodor Seuss Geisel, better
     known as Dr. Seuss, would wholly support the concept but the reality feels a little more
     depressing : No evidence of the phrase exists in any of his books and a snarky engineer coined
     the original.

     The quote first appeared in 1938 in a London journal for municipal and county engineers. An
     ambiguous "Mr. Davies" directed the words toward people who criticised his housing designs.

     The phrase morphed into advice about seating arrangements and a poem used in The Wall Street
     Journal. Dr. Seuss didn't come into play until the 2000s, mostly in high school yearbooks.

7.  "Well-behaved women rarely make history".

     Not Marilyn Monroe.

     In 2007, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a celebrated female historian, wrote a book titled, "Well-
     Behaved Women Rarely Make History". Some suspect she swiped the title of her best-seller from
     the 1950s' favourite buxom blonde : Marilyn Monroe.

     But they're wrong. Ulrich first wrote the phrase in 1976 for an issue of "American Quarterly",
     according to The New York Times. The original version refers to the colonial woman in a very
     literal way. We know almost nothing about well-behaved quiet women from that time period.

8.  "There's a sucker born every minute".

     Not PT Barnum.

     One of Barnum's biggest competitors and critics actually said this, according to "PT Barnum :
     The Legend And The Man", a biography by AH Saxon.

     In a 1948 article in the Bridgeport Post", the anonymous author asked Adam Forepaugh if he
     could quote him on the "sucker" statement.

     "Just say it's one of Barnum's slogans which I am borrowing for the occasion. It sounds more like
     him than it does me anyway", Forepaugh replied. 

     Barnum did, however, say, "The people like to be humbugged", which somehow doesn't seem as
     rude.

9.  "If you have to ask how much they are, you can't afford one".

     Not JP Morgan.

      No evidence exists that Morgan actually spoke these words, typically referenced as his response
      to an inquiry about the price of his lavish yachts. Biographer Jean Strouse doesn't think the quote
      fits Morgan's language style either, according to the Quote Verifier.

      Strouse did, however, stumble upon a recording of Morgan's response to Henry Clay Pierce's
      question about his yacht's price. "You have no tight to own a yacht if you ask that question", he
      said. Different words. Still uppity.

10. "If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by
      the time you're 35, you've no brain".

      Not Winston Churchill.

      Churchill never said this, according to the Churchill Centre and Museum in London. In fact, Paul
      Addison of Edinburgh University mentions this : "Surely Churchill can't have used the words
      attributed to him. He'd been a Conservative at 15 and a Liberal at 35! And would he have talked
      so disrespectfully of Clemmie, who is generally thought to have been a lifelong Liberal?"

      Instead, Francois Guizot coined the phrase in the 19th century. "Not to be a republican at 20 is
      proof of want of heart; to be one at 30 is proof of want of head".

11. "The ends justify the means".

      Not Niccolo Machiavelli.

      In "Heroides II", the Roman poet Ovid writes, "Exitus acta probat", which translates as "the
      outcome justifies the means". The closest Machiavelli comes to this idea, according to the
      Christian Science Monitor, occurs in "The Prince". He argues that people will always consider a
      prince's means as honest and praise him.

      Considering he dedicated the book to the Medici family, who later arrested and tortured him,
      Machiavelli may have written the entire book satirically.

12. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".

      Not Albert Einstein.

      Different versions of this quote appear everywhere (doing the same thing twice, expecting the
      same result, etc.) and we owe none of them to Einstein.

      After Michael Becker, an editor at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle (a local paper in Montana), let
      the wrong version slide into an editorial, he did some research on his personal blog.

      Becker traced the original back to Rita Mae Brown, the mystery novelist. In her 1983 book
      "Sudden Death", she attributes the quote to a fictional "Jane Fulton", writing, "Unfortunately,
      Susan didn't remember what Jane Fulton once said. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and
      over again but expecting different results".

 Now, go throw away half your coffee mugs and inspirational posters.

Note. Adapted from the article by Christina Sterbenz.


Tailpiece.

Got up on the dot and went for the morning walk. Felt good. Another quiet day. Put the house back in order after a fortnight's disorder in carrying out anti-termite and anti-woodborer applications and our two journeys. Phew!

Mithun and Ammu came in by teatime and lightened up the atmosphere. A late night, consequently! Earlier, had for the evening walk while they had gone to the Guruvayur temple.




       

How the Japs outsmarted the Yanks?

A parable.

A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (General Motors) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri river. Both teams practised long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior executives was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.

Their conclusion was that the Japanese had 8 people paddling and 1 person steering while the American team had 7 people steering and 2 people paddling.

Feeling a deeper study was in order, the American management hired a consulting consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat while not enough people were paddling.

Not sure of how to utilise that information but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganised to 4 steering supervisors, 2 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 2 people paddling the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program', with meetings, dinners and free pens for the paddlers. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and performance bonuses for the managers. The pension programme was trimmed to 'equal the competition' and some of the resultant savings were channeled into morale boosting programmes and teamwork posters.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management team laid off one paddler, halted development of a new canoe, sold all the paddles and cancelled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the senior executives as bonuses.

The next year, try as he might, the lone designated paddler was unable to even finish the race (having no paddles), so he was laid off for unacceptable performance, all canoe equipment was sold and the next year's racing team was out-sourced to India.

Sadly, the End.

Here's something else to think about : GM has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of US, claiming they can't make money paying American wages. TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US. The last year's results :

TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while GM raked up 9 billion in losses. GM folks are still scratching their heads and collecting bonuses......

IF THIS (The latter half) WEREN'T TRUE IT MIGHT BE FUNNY.


Tailpiece.

Got up on the dot, with my alarm, went through the chores and went for the walk. Phew! And felt nice. Lekha had gone to the Guruvayur temple after breakfast. Bina had taken a day off as her husband - a heart patient - had to be taken for medical review.

Tomorrow, Ammu and Mithun from Bangalore and Suma kunjamma from Thiruvananthapuram are fetching up to spend the Shivaratri and the weekend with us.

PS.
Saw Teesta Setalvad, going about tutoring the Shaheen Bagh protesters as to how to tackle the interlocutors, sent by the Supreme Court. They've been sent, by the court, with the specific purpose of  finding an end to the protest. Who gives her the right to do such a thing? Doesn't it come under the ambit of 'contempt of court', I wonder?  

Mom vs Dad!

Came across this gem and I thought I must share this with you all. So, here I go.

Dunno why dad is always lagging behind (compared to mom)!

1. Mom carries for 9 months, dad carries for 25 years, both are equal, still dunno why dad is lagging
    behind.

2. Mom works without pay for the family, dad spends all his pay for the family, both their efforts are
    equal, still dunno why dad is lagging behind.

3. Mom cooks whatever you want, dad buys whatever you want, both their love is equal but mom's
    love is shown as superior. Dunno why dad is lagging behind.

4. When you want to talk over the phone, you want to talk to mom first, if you get hurt, you cry
    'mom'. You will only remember dad when you need him, but did dad ever feel bad that you don't
    remember him the other times? When it comes to receiving love from children, for generations, we
    see that dad is lagging behind.

5. Mom has many gold ornaments but dad has only one dhoti with gold coloured border.

6. Almirah will be filled with colourful sarees and many clothes for kids but dad's clothes are very
    few, he doesn't care about his own needs, still don't know why dad is lagging behind?

7. Dad works very hard to take care of the family but when it comes to getting recognition, he is
    always lagging behind.

8. Mom says, we need to pay college tuition this month, please don't buy a saree for me for the
    festival. When children enjoy their favourite dish and don't leave anything for dad, he just eats rice
    with pickle that day. Both their love is equal, still dunno why dad is lagging behind.

9. When parents become old, children say, mom is at least useful in taking care of the household
    chores but they say, dad is useless.

Dad is behind (or 'at the back') because he's the backbone for the family. Because of him, we are able to stand erect. Probably, this is the reason why he is lagging behind......TRIBUTE TO THE DAD....SILENT MASK WORKING TIRELESSLY BEHIND THE SCENE.


Tailpiece.

Missed the morning walk today too; have become lazy! You need to buck up, Rajeev. It was a quiet day and very warm! The walk in the evening was nice.

A quiet China.

Written by a Chinese Pastor to a brother in Istanbul via friends in Singapore!

A poignant, sad story (the truth) about Man's greed and folly........

The hustle and bustle of China finally quieted down, the restless society finally calmed down and the restless Chinese people gradually calmed down.

The Wild Animals that were once held by humans in cages finally managed to Keep Humans in "Cages".
Humans finally lowered their proud head and have begun to think quietly ; Are we still the king of the earth?
Mankind, finally, felt the power of Nature once again.

In the face of the threat of death, human beings have only begun to reflect seriously, only to realise that a lack of awe-inspiring social atmosphere will lead to more harm and more risks.

The greedy heart is being purified by the virus and the mouth that loves to eat is being punished by the virus. The people who have been soaking in the bright red and green places all day have been driven home by the virus, saying.......Go home.

There are fewer and fewer people on the street, few cars on the road,

The Air is getting fresher......the Haze is Gone.....the Sky is getting Bluer.....the Sun is getting Brighter.......Family lives are getting Warmer, Harmonial and Cordial and People's hearts have become more and more Calm.

People who haven't read for years have picked up books at home. Parents and children who had no communication, couples who couldn't speak a few words a year have opened up the conversation box. Children who did not know how to respect the elderly have also begun to be filial.

The virus taught human beings a vivid and profound lesson. It made us understand awe. It also let us know what is called "Good Times". It also made us feel true love on earth. It made us gradually fall in love. "Return to the Road", we really should be grateful for this "Enemy", we need such an "enemy" to give us "Reminder" and give us "Empowerment".

The virus will not leave so quickly, it needs to see the "Cultivation of human's good habits" and the virus will not continue to rag because Human love will gather more power to keep the virus away, time will tell us everything. Time will also prove what is right.

I really like "Quiet China"and I hope the Chinese people will take the initiative to build a "Quiet China" without the virus to remind them.


Tailpiece.

Got up at 6 and felt ashamed with myself for not having gone for the walk. Got an early morning message from Vishy saying that he was marrying Uma on 13 Mar at Pune. Went to town to do the jobs that were listed on my slop chit. Returned only to find that I'd missed out on buying yoghurt! Vishnu, the bank manager, gave me a diary that he'd kept safe for so long!

The siesta was a must and I'd gone for the evening walk after almost a year, thanks to the jaundice. Met Ramachandran and Chandrika, who run a 'Milma' outlet - Ramachandran is an army veteran and gives me a smart salute whenever he sees me - and the ever smiling Majid, the grocery owner riddled with Myasthenia Gravis. Unni, his helper, was missing as he is into selling lottery tickets these days!

They showed genuine pleasure and inquired about my long absence from the circuit.

Results of the world's biggest scientific research.

Hanuman Chalisa and Gayatri Mantra

In Hanuman Chalisa, it is said :

   "Yug sahastra yojan par Bhanu!
     Madhur Leelyo taahi phal janu!!"

    1 Yug           =   12,000 years
    1 Sahastra    =   1000
    1 Yojan        =   8 miles

    Yug x Sahastra x Yojan                  =  par Bhanu
    12,000 x 1,000 x 8                         =  96000000 miles
 
     1 mile   =   1.6 kms

     96000000 miles  =  96000000 x 1.6 kms = 1536000000 kms to Sun.

NASA has said that it is the exact distance between the Earth and the Sun (Bhanu).

It is really interesting how accurate and meaningful our ancient scriptures are. Unfortunately, it is
barely recognised, interpreted accurately or realised by any in today's time.......

The GAYATRI MANTRA is the most powerful hymn in the world.

Dr. Howard Steingeril, an American scientist collected Mantras, Hymns and Invocations from all over the world and tested for their strength in his Physiology Laboratory and Hindu's Gayatri Mantra produced 110,000 sound waves/second.....

This was the highest and was found to be the most powerful hymn in the world.

Through the combination of sound or sound waves of a particular frequency, this Mantra is claimed to be capable of developing specific spiritual potentialities.

The Hamburg University initiated research in to the efficacy of the Gayatri Mantra both on the mental and physical plane of CREATION..........

The GAYATRI MANTRA is broadcast daily for 15 minutes from 7 PM onward over Radio Paramaribo, Surinam, South America for the past two years and in Amsterdam, Holland for the last six months.

"Om Bhoor Bhuvah Swaha,
  (Om) Tat Savitur Varenyam,
  Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi,
  Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat!"

Its meaning :-

"God is dear to me like my own breath,
  He is the dispeller of my pains and giver of happiness,
  I meditate on the supremely adorable Light of the Divine Creator,
  That it may inspire my thought and understanding".


Tailpiece.

Got up half an hour later than usual as Lekha had not set the alarm, being a Sunday. It was another quiet day and I was trying to work out a nice caption for the meeting notice for the programme on 01 Mar.  

The human body in space.

Six weird facts.

What does life in space do to you? From trouble sleeping to wimpy muscles, living on board the International Space Station really does a number on the human body.

(a) You grow taller

      During the six months that most astronauts spend on the International Space Station, they can
      grow up to 3% taller. Without gravity, the spine is free to expand, making the space fliers taller,
      even when they first return to Earth.

      The astronauts return to their pre-flight height after a few months of being back within the
      planet's gravity.

 (b) Puffy faces and skinny legs
  
       When on Earth, the fluids in the human body are distributed unevenly because of gravity. Most
       fluid pools in the lower extremities, leaving little fluid in the top of the body. Life in orbit
       changes all of that.

       For the first few weeks of space flight, most astronauts appear to have a puffy head and skinny
       legs. The fluid in their bodies redistributes evenly when gravity isn't playing a role in their
       systems. After a little time in orbit, however, the body adapts to the new distribution of fluids
       and the astronauts don't appear as puffy.

 (c) Co-ordination conundrum after landing

       After coming home from a stint on the space station, many astronauts have reported difficulty
       adjusting back to gravity.

       Sometimes, space fliers will drop things, forgetting that gravity is influential back on Earth.
       After six months in microgravity conditions, it is difficult to adjust to life in a place where
       materials fall if you drop them.

 (d) Muscle mass meltdown

       In the weightlessness of space, muscles aren't needed to support the body. An astronaut's
       muscles start to adapt to that change almost immediately. Instead of maintaining the usual
       base of muscle mass needed for life on Earth, astronauts' bodies quickly get to work ridding
       themselves of unnecessary tissue.

       Although this might be ideal in space, it's problematic once back on Earth. Astronauts have to
       exercise for two hours a day on the space station just to maintain a healthy amount of muscle
       mass that they will need once they are back on the planet.

 (e) Bone density loss

       All that exercise on the space station also helps prevent bone density loss. Each month,
       astronauts could lose up up to 1% of their bone density if they don't get enough exercise.

       There are two treadmills and two stationary bicycles on board the space station to help the
       residents keep in shape during their time in orbit.

  (f) You can't sleep

       Astronauts have reported seeing flashes of light zap through their eyes as they try to rest,
       making it difficult for them to sleep on the space station.

       The flashes are actually from the cosmic rays - high energy particles that beam through the
       solar system - shooting through the orbiting outpost. Space fliers have described the flashes as
       "fireworks" or "streaks". Although the radiation from the cosmic rays can build up over time, the
       particles don't pose too much of a risk during the limited time that astronauts spend on the
       station.

My take.

We'd better get used to these phenomena as inter-planetary movements by human beings is something that's gonna become common when we start living on the Moon, Mars etc in the not too distant future!


Tailpiece.

Got up on the dot at 6, only to know that the maid wouldn't be coming for work as she's down with fever. It was, thus, Lekha's efforts in the kitchen. A quiet day with washing machinex of the clothes used in the last trip.

  

Back at 'The Quarterdeck'.

The day had begun at a half past 5, thanks to Lekha's cellphone alarm. Went through our chores and we were ready in time. Sreekumar had come with his autorickshaw by a half past 6 and Lekha went for a 'darshan' of the Sri Thrikkonnamarkottu Devi. We, then, left for Pidavoor to meet up with Padmakumar's mother and have breakfast with all off them. Meanwhile our packing was done and I bid farewell to my parents and told them that we'd be back by the first week of March. The time was a quarter past 8.

Rema had prepared a lovely breakfast of puri masala. Over conversation with Pidavoor Amma and the others, didn't realise that we'd spent over half an hour, there.

From Pidavoor, we had returned to Raj Nivas, collected our baggage and then, went to Suresh's new house. It's swanky and the best thing about it is, that, about 10 years back, we could never believe that Suresh would ever turn around as he used to hit the bottle hard and lived a very tardy life. Mind you, he's, now, a teetotaler. Further, it was nice seeing Rajamma chechi, his mother, who'd seen abject poverty during her earlier days with the late Manian Pillai, drinking himself silly, seated on an elegant sofa and inviting us for lunch during our next visit during the first week of March, I was very happy to see this lovely transformation!

We set off for Sheeja's house at Kadavoor, soon after, at a trifle past 10. Though I was going there for the first time, I could drive without any errors and reached the place, maneuver the Chevy and park it within the confined space on the narrow stretch of road, in front of her house. It's beside the Vembanad lake and at a nice location. From the JSS, Kollam it was the Chairman who had visited her last, to offer condolences. Her sisters, Shyla and Sheela along with Sajeev, her uncle, were also present.

When I'd gone round the corner, I realised that it was the same toilet where her mother was found lifeless, exactly a fortnight back. Tomorrow will be the 16th day 'adiyanthiram' ceremony and I quietly heaved a sigh of relief to have dropped by within the official period of mourning. After dropping Rema and Padmakumar short of the bypass, we set course for Guruvayur.

Lunch was at the Motel Araam short of the Kayankulam bus station, around 1300 hrs. Yesterday, around the same time, we were on our temple tour! The journey was uneventful as we crossed through Alappuzha, the choke points of Ernakulam viz. Kundannoor, Vyttila, Palarivattom, Edappalli and Aluva. The evening tea was at Hotel Abhirami, near Kalamasserry. Took fuel at Angamali and continued with our journey; passed through Thrissur town when the traffic was maddening due to the commencement of the evening peak hours!

Lekha did some shopping from the super market and we reached our house around 2000 hrs. The opening up of all the windows, unpacking the bags and putting back the things at their proper places took a good amount of time though we, both, kept track of our favourite television programmes along with it.

Dinner was on the dot and soon, it was winding up time.


Tailpiece.

It was a short, quick trip and we could achieve doing everything that we'd to. The unique thing was that much of the drive was during dark hours that I abhorred. But it had to be resorted to for doing everything that we'd wanted to do. At the end of the day, I was dog tired...age catching up?    

A day on wheels!

It was almost a repeat of yesterday morning. Lekha's cellphone alarm woke us up at a half past 4. Saw that the taps were bone dry despite the fact that I'd worked the motor - albeit for a short while - last night and had the overhead tank filled. I knew that some tap must have been left opened and found that the shower of the bathroom outside was open and the entire amount of water that had been filled up had flown out. Blame it on the couple who had cleaned up the house!

There was indeed a comedy in the midst of all these happenings. We'd brought in everything for a comfortable two day-stay out here, we thought. But alas we'd forgotten the tooth paste! The caretaker spared us the blushes by getting us his toothpaste. We were ready by a quarter past 6, with Rema and Padmakumar already having arrived from Pidavoor and before commencing our journey, I'd a monologue with my parents!

We set off for Letha's house soon after, dropped Lekha there, wished Aarcha a safe and comfortable delivery and had an autorickshaw drop us in front of the I-Mall on the main road. After about 15' wait, the Innova with Indira kunjamma, Maman, Suma kunjamma and Santhi had come by. After having a round of coffee at the Nearest Indian Coffee House, we set off for Kala's house at Kayankulam for our breakfast and to pick her up. The idiappams and stew were lovely and appropriate.

We hit the highway soon after and reached Koduppana where Ammachi's uncles' families stayed. A special puja was conducted for the snake god that our family had 'brought the deity to life' about five years ago. After meeting all our relatives and spending time out there, we set off for the vegetarian restaurant on the highway. After lunch, we went across to the Reliance Mall, adjacent to it, to while away the two hours before the puja at Kainakiri. Everyone went on a shopping spree and it was then, that Santhi's son, Akhil had dropped by to spend time with us..

He'd sponsored the evening coffee and soon after, we were off to Kainakiri. The special puja began at around 1540 hrs and went on for about 21/2 hrs. Manju at Kainakiri and Krishna at Koduppana were of a great help in the conduct of the puja! Before going across to the Siva temple at Kalarcode, we'd called on Ritu's grandfather, on Akhil's request and he was very interactive. After a short session at the temple, we were off to the Sri Krishna temple at Ambalappuzha where we got a special 'darshan' thanks to Gopakumar, the Administrator.

On our return, we had dinner at Kayankulam that was sponsored by Kala and Unni. Saying bye to the both of them, we cut soon after and by about 2200 hrs, we were dropped at Lekha's sister's place. After picking up Lekha, we'd dropped Rema and Padmakumar at Pidavoor and returned to Raj Nivas. The night setting was similar to what it was last night.


Tailpiece.

A hectic day but could accomplish all that we'd planned to do. Lekha had also had a 'darshan' at the Kottarakkara Ganapati kshetram in the evening around 1700 hrs..    

At Raj Nivas.

We'd got up at a half past 5, thanks to Lekha's cellphone alarm, went through the chores and were ready on time. George, with his vehicle was at our gate on the dot, by a quarter to 8. Just after we'd taken off, I realised that I'd forgotten my cellphone and had to go back to retrieve it. George hit the road at a frenetic pace because we needed to reach Palakkad by 10 and visit the Manappully Kaavu temple prior to that!

George told us about the passing away of his young granddaughter within six weeks of her birth - she was the second child of his younger son and daughter-in-law. The little one was born with an unformed skull and had a whole lot of complications. I could just console him by saying that it was good that the l'il one had left this world early without having to fight her medical problems for long!

Somewhere enroute, he narrowly missed hitting a tempo truck who'd strayed into the middle of the road from a road side parking space. I didn't check his speed even after that.

We'd breakfast of idiappams and vegetable stew along with coffee at the Aryas in Pattambi. Reached Palakkad at the appointed hour. Lekha's lawyer friend was there along with Jamaal, Dipu and Mohammad who gave us the details of the deal - Lekha's dad's house, finally, has a buyer and the paper work was to be initiated today. Since Lekha's sister and her husband had informed us that they were caught up in a traffic jam and would be delayed by two hours, we took off for the Manappully Kaavu Devi temple.

Alas the sanctum sanctorum was closed but the office was open which facilitated Lekha to pay for the special puja and floral offerings for Ganesh and the goddess. We returned to the advocate's office and by then, everyone concerned had arrived. We, then, were taken to the buyer, Baby's house for the signing of the papers and light refreshments. Things went off without a hitch.

And it was then that Lekha and I made peace with her sister and brother-in-law after a lapse of almost five years. He was teary eyed when he said that he'd wanted to befriend us much earlier but was not sure as to how I would reciprocate! I've said earlier that I could be nasty! After saying our byes, we set off back for Guruvayur.

Lunch was at Chithrapriya, a nice restaurant by the way side and we continued our journey within half an hour. There was another narrow miss with an errant autorickshaw. We reached The Quarterdeck by 4 and saw off George.

A quick boarding of our luggage and we were out of the house, on a southerly direction, this time. The wait at the Paliyekkara toll was for about 15' and a quick tea and snack was had at the Anand Bhavan, near Chalakkudy. Vasu had looked after us well and there was hardly any delay. I was driving during dark hours - much to my detest - after a long time! The roads have been done up and the traffic was manageable throughout.

Supper was at Motel Araam at Alappuzha around a half past 8. The drive, subsequently, was free of glitches and we reached Raj Nivas by a half past 11. The caretaker was there to receive us with the house unlocked and all lights burning. He still couldn't figure out as to why we were so late.

The unpacking was swift, a quick wash and change, thanked and sent away the caretaker - the poor man was awake just for our sake!


Tailpiece.

Must say that we enjoyed our journey, accomplishing everything that we'd had in mind. Tomorrow is gonna be a long day, with me and my sister, accompanying my maman and his sisters for a special puja at the family's ancestral temples at Koduppana, Kainakiri. Lekha, meanwhile will attend the quaint ceremony at her elder sister's place, where the second daughter-in-law is being ceremoniously taken to her house at the seventh month of pregnancy. I shall be meeting her early in the morning to wish her.

On return, we need to look up our old farmhand, Suresh, who has commissioned a new, swanky house for himself   

Some inputs about the coronavirus.

The Wuhan virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed at a temperature 26 - 27 degrees. Therefore, drink more hot water. Go under the sun. It has been cold recently and drinking hot water is also very comfortable. It is not a cure and is good for the body. Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink ice, remember!

Doctors' advice about coronavirus :-

  (a) It is pretty large in size (cell is about 400 - 500 nm in diameter, so any normal mask (not just
       the N95 feature) should be able to filter it. However, when someone who's infected sneezes in
       front of you, it will take a great 3 metres (about 10 ft) before it drops to the ground and is no
       longer airborne.

  (b) When the virus drops on metallic surface, it will live for at least 12 hours. So remember if you
        come in contact with any metal, wash your hands with soap thoroughly.

  (c) The virus can remain active on fabric for 6 - 12 hours. Normal laundry detergent should kill the
        virus. For winter clothing that does not require daily washing, you can put it out under the sun to
        kill the virus.

About the symptoms of the pneumonia caused by coronavirus :-

  (a) It will first infect the throat resulting in 'a dry sore throat' feeling which will last for 3 to 4 days.

  (b) Then the virus will blend into the nasal fluid and drips into the trachea and enter the lungs,
        causing pneumonia. This process will take 5 to 6 days.

  (c) With pneumonia, comes high fever and difficulty in breathing. The nasal congestion is not like
        the normal kind. You will feel like you are drowning in water. It's important to go and seek
        immediate medical attention if you feel like this.

About prevention :-
 
  (a) The most common way of getting infected is by touching things in a public place, so you must
        wash your hands frequently. The virus can only live on your hands for 5 - 10 minutes (You can
        rub your eyes or pick your nose unwittingly).

  (b) Aside from washing your hands frequently, you can gargle with Betadine Sore Throat Gargle to
        eliminate or minimise the germs while they are still in your throat (before dripping down to your
        lungs).

Folks, take extra care and drink plenty of water!


Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, went through the chores when Valsala and her daughter, Sreelekshmi fetched up after their 'darshan' of Guruvayurappan. They'd travelled by the night train from Kottayam, after leaving Neelamperoor. They were with us till afternoon as they boarded the 1305 hrs passenger train for Thrissur. After dropping them, had topped up the Chevy and checked its tyre pressure.

Meanwhile, Lekha had got a message from her friend at Palakkad to reach there by 10, tomorrow morning, for completing the formalities regarding the sale of her dad's house there. Immediately, tied up with George to ferry us up and down in his cab. On return, we set off for Kottarakkara to attend three important activities spread over the next three days.

It's gonna be hectic tomorrow and I only hope that my drive during the dark hours is down to the barest minimum!

PS.
The results of the Delhi Assembly elections are out. Kejriwal's AAP has made a clean sweep by winning 62 of the 70 seats, leaving only 8 to the BJP.

Shaheen Bagh protests as I see it.

As a preamble to this post, I must put across my value system and these are a few of the things that I strongly believe in:-

   (a) I love my country and am proud of being an Indian.
   (b) JFK's saying, "Ask not what the country would do for you, but what you would do for the
        country" should drive each one of us.
   (c) There's too much freedom in our country. What do people foul mouthing the country and asking
        for 'azadi' actually want? To me, they seem to have another agenda and need to be questioned
        about their requirements/intentions.
   (d) Protests by the common man for their rights show the vibrancy of a democracy but it does not
         give anyone the right to destroy public property.
   (e) And also, protests cannot be at the cost of the normal lives of the other citizens in the vicinity.   
       
I, as an ordinary citizen of this country, have been keeping abreast of all the happenings at Shaheen
Bagh till this date. I've still not understood its aim because, from the start, it has been advertised that it was the protesters' reaction to the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019.

Therein lies the problem for this Act does not affect any of them, taking part in the protests! So, why are the protests continuing?

And as I understand, while the Act gives immediate citizenship to the minorities of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who have migrated into this country till 31 Dec 2014, the proviso of offering citizenship to the Muslims of these three countries after the mandatory residency period of 11 years continues.

And what can't be accepted is that the protesters have been using little children in shouting out the provocative slogans like, "Azadi chahiye". It can be noticed that the little ones do not know what they are shouting out but are enthusiastic because of being egged on by their parents and the people that they have been seeing around.

Perhaps, in the initial stages, people from other communities must have given their silent support to the protesters but as days went by, even they realised the evil intentions of the protesters and were aghast. Their vociferous support has started waning as the true colours started becoming visible.

So, why did it start in the first place?
 
   * Was it out of ignorance about the CAA?
   * Was it due to the wrong inputs about the act, by people who wanted to spark off riots in the
      country to show Modi and his government in bad light?
   * Was it to influence the outcome of the Delhi elections?
   * Were huge sums of money and other resources pumped in to keep the protests going?

Tomorrow the election results will be out. Let's see as to whether the protests wind up. Or if it were to continue, it will fall through, in due course of time, by its inherent contradictions and of course, fatigue! The game plan has been understood.


Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time to a massive power interruption. Thankfully, the power was restored soon after. I'd gone to the Geeyem Motors to hand over our Chevy for doing up the front bumper and liner while Lekha had gone to the Mammiyoor Siva kshetram and do a few other work.

Had gone to Amigos by 1800 hrs to have a haircut. Sajish, who did the honours had a bad cold. Pramod brought in the Chevy soon after. Had wanted to get these jobs done before our trip to my parents' place the day after tomorrow. 


 

  

Illegal telephone exchanges busted in Kerala, UP.

The Crime Branch of Bombay Police in a joint operation with Military Intelligence and Jammu and Kashmir Police's anti-terror wing on Friday busted a major network involving illegal telephone exchanges in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.

The Crime Branch arrested a man in the case. However, the investigating team was trying to get more details on his alleged handler who is said to be a Chinese national.

Military Intelligence had shared the information with Crime Branch regarding a call received in Bombay on a landline number located in Dongri. This was done by MI after months of surveillance and they discovered that the call originated from Saudi Arabia but when it finally reached the landline in Dongri, it displayed a local number.

This way, thousands of international calls were being routed through local numbers. This was not only a loss of hundreds of crores to the Department of Telecom but also high-security threat as the calls were being routed through local numbers and could be misused by terrorists and anti-social elements.

While probing the case with the help of cyber experts, it was found that one particular SIM card was being used with 20 mobile phones that is 20 IMEI numbers were detected while each IMEI number was seen being used by multiple numbers from Airtel, Vodafone, Idea and others.

The location of these IMEI or mobile phones would always remain the same and there was a fixed pattern of incoming calls or messages, there were more and more outgoing calls but the location of the IMEIs never changed which pointed out that the mobile phones were at the same location and never moved to any other tower.

Also, the outgoing calls were much more than a common mobile phone user and timings didn't matter. Calls would be mostly outgoing round the clock hinting that it was being run through a bot or machine.

Once the investigation started, Bombay Crime Branch through human intelligence zeroed down on two locations with the help of MI and Jammu and Kashmir Police in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.

Accordingly, raids were planned at the said locations which were in Changaramkulam in Malappuram district in Kerala and NOIDA in UP. "We found that the illegal exchanges were being run using SIM boxes imported from China and these were advanced SIM boxes which were used to route international calls using high-speed internet to these SIM boxes and then were diverted using the local SIM cards", said DCP Akbar Pathan from Bombay Crime Branch.

The DCP said, "We arrested one person who was running both the exchanges and he has been identified as Hilar Mohammad Kutty, 34, resident of Palakkad district in Kerala. The accused earlier worked in a call centre in UAE and thus had the know-how of operating through SIM boxes and he was further groomed and helped by a Chinese national who gave him the technology and training".

"The same Chinese national would land the international call traffic to these illegal exchanges and help them run". it is a question of national security and so this operation was jointly carried out with MI and Jammu and Kashmir Police", he added.

The raids revealed that the calls were not made using mobile phones but were being diverted using SIM boxes.

Advanced SIM boxes with slots ranging from 128 to 32 to 4 were recovered from both the locations and which were around 5 while VOIP was also recovered with more than 600 SIM cards from NOIDA and Kerala.

What is a SIM box?

SIM boxes are generally used for running telephone exchanges which involved high-speed internet. The accused involved, were illegally routing international voice calls through these SIM boxes which then were routed through local SIM cards installed in the SIM boxes in domestic network.

This is why, the calls despite being international calls were reflected in the receiver's device as local domestic numbers. This led to huge losses to the DoT in India. It could be misused by terrorists and anti-social elements as the calls were being routed using internet. The DoT in India has not allowed VOIP calls to be routed through domestic network.

Note. From the net!


Tailpiece.

Got up at 7 - late as per our standards. Went through the chores and were on our return trip with Padmakumar, Rema and Achu guiding us out of the Thrippunithura maze. We reached Guruvayur by 1300 hrs, had lunch at the Gokulam Sabari, picked up some fruits and vegetables from the supermarket and was at The Quarterdeck by a half past 1.

In between Kecherry and Choondal, I'd a close run with a private bus on a stretch that's accident-prone. Should avoid being rash especially with Lekha by my side. Bad show, Rajeev!       

News views.

Delhi went to polls today and it was a low turnout in polling at around 55%. Voter fatigue, I wonder? The exit polls have also come out and almost every channel has predicted Kejriwal and his party, to retain power. So, here I go:-

 (a) The Delhi Elections.

       Delhi had gone into the elections, this time, with the anti-CAA protests on at Shaheen Bagh that
       has been going on for weeks. The political parties didn't touch upon this aspect during the entire
       process of electioneering except for the BJP, for obvious reasons. The voter turn out has been
       comparatively low and the exit polls had come out soon after the polls. All of them have
       predicted a comfortable win for Kejriwal.

       So, it's AAP yet again! Have the Delhiites endorsed him and his government's performance?
       Was the BJP not able to convincingly put across what it would have done had it come back to
       power? Where does the Congress stand?

       Anyways, we need to wait till the 11th for the results.

 (b) The Coronavirus is Wreaking Havoc.

       The spread of the coronavirus is continuing unabated. In China, the number of deaths is reported
       to be about 722 as of now. Unconfirmed reports say that the local medical workers in China's
       countryside are literally battling odds in managing the epidemic.

       Meanwhile, seeing the plight of the Pakistanis caught up in China - their government has refused
       to evacuate them saying that "their safety is in Allah's hands" - Prime Minister Modi has offered
       to evacuate them to which his Pakistani counterpart is yet to respond.

       The news about existing cases being managed in several Indian hospitals is great to hear.

 (c)  The IT Raids on Tamil Film Personalities.

        Two days ago, IT raids were conducted in Film star, Vijay's (I like him as an actor) and the
        producer, Anbu Chezhiyan of his earlier money grosser, the Tamil film 'Bigil'. Nothing was
        obtained from Vijay's house but that wasn't the case with the producer.

        Rumours have it that the 'Goods and Services Tax (GST) was the butt of humour in the film
        and the BJP was irked about it and was the prime mover behind the raids. If the reason is true,
        it's in bad taste.

        I'm sure Vijay will come out of it unscathed.


Tailpiece.

Got up late compared with our usual time. Went through our chores and were ready on time. Rema's breakfast was nice and I ate myself silly. The four of us went for the 12 o'clock show of 'Varane aavasyamundu' which was a real family entertainer starring, Sobhana, Suresh Gopi, Dulquer Salman and Kalyani Priyadarshan. Returned by a half past 3, had a scrumptious lunch and then, Padmakumar and I went to collect medicines from Dr. Bhat's clinic.

Achu joined us at 2215 hrs. He'd left his office by around 6 and driven all the way from Munnar, to be with his parents, for the weekend.