Egypt, Suez and India. Turning back the pages of History.

Dec 1961. When India blitzed Portuguese-held Goa, both USA and Portugal moved a ceasefire resolution in the United Nations (UN).

The Soviets used the power of VETO against the resolution and Egypt blocked the Portuguese Navy at Suez Canal. 

Why?

Using the 'Bay of Pigs' incident as a perfect smokescreen, India planned to take back Goa from Portugal.

Portuguese Prime Minister Salazar was furious and he ordered the Portuguese soldiers in Goa to fight to the last man. The Portuguese soldiers started planting mines in Goa. Salazar, then, dispatched the Portuguese Navy towards India. 

Salazar's plan was simple. If the Portuguese Navy crossed the Suez canal and engaged in a small skirmish with the Indian Navy, then the NATO forces could be called for help (Since Portugal was a founding member of NATO) :-

(a) Under the terms of the 1899 Anglo-Portuguese Treaty, Britain was obliged to come to Lisbon's assistance if any Portuguese colony was attacked.

(b) Article 5 of NATO states that an attack on one member of NATO is an attack on all its members.

The plans of Salazar flopped as the Portuguese Navy was stopped at the Suez Canal by Nasser's Egypt (A Non-Aligned Movement - NAM member).

This unprecedented move by Gamal Abdel Nasser shocked NATO and USA. Why did Nasser help India?

The Suez Crisis of 1956

In 1956, India supported Egypt during the Suez Crisis, when the two former superpowers (Britain and France) tried to regain the Suez Canal and overthrow the Nasser regime.

The crisis arose when Nasser decided to nationalise the Suez Canal, which had been owned by the British.

Controlling Suez Canal = Partially controlling world trade.

British and French troops invaded Egypt along with Israel. Soon the Soviets threatened to get involved on Egypt's side and American President Dwight Eisenhower, ordered Britain and France to withdraw immediately.

In the aftermath of the Suez Crisis, Britain and France, two former Superpowers, found their influence as world powers severely weakened as the USA and Soviet Union became the two new superpowers.

The British were humiliated.

The crisis made Nasser a powerful hero in the Arab World. 

The Indian contingent (a first for India to send armed troops for peacekeeping) left for the Suez on 15 Nov 1956 and was placed in the Sinai Peninsula. Indian peacekeepers built a reputation for themselves.

On its part, Egypt went out of its way in supporting India's military efforts to liberate Goa, Daman and Diu on 18 Dec 1961 by blocking Suez Canal in the face of the Portuguese Navy.

These episodes made NATO angry.

USA and NATO, then, tried everything in the '60s and '70s to weaken both Egypt and India. 

And the 1956 Suez Crisis was recorded in history as the death knell of the British Empire and India played a crucial role in it.

All this is not told extensively in Indian History books!

Sources

* The International Status of the Suez Canal by Joseph Obieta.

* Blueprint to Bluewater, the Indian Navy, 1951 - '65 by Satyindra Singh.

PS.

Egypt, then, supported India from 1957 - 1972 against Pakistan in the Arab World, angering the Americans again.

Tailpiece.

Got up leisurely, the chores and were ready much before 10 and we kicked off for Guruvayur soon after. Refuelled and checked tyre pressure at Kalamasserri and continued with our journey. Reached The Quarterdeck by a half past 1, had lunch, followed by siesta.

The house was opened up and we settled down to our usual evening chores. 

                                         

One virus, one stuck ship spark global trade rethink.

Against this backdrop, governments and businesses alike are bringing production back home where it may be more expensive but at least is more secure.

A virus visible through only the most powerful microscopes and a huge container ship stuck in the Suez canal visible from space highlight how fragile the "just-in-time" global trade system can be. Businesses no longer hold larger stocks of materials and parts at great expense, instead they rely on regular and even daily shipments of what they need.

Japanese auto giant Toyota developed the just-in-time logistics system to cut supply chain costs and the model has been universally adopted.

But it has a potentially key weakness - it only needs one link to break and the whole supply chain quickly comes to a halt.

As demonstrated by the stranding of the massive Ever Given container ship in the Suez Canal which blocked one of the world's most important shipping channels for a week until it was freed on Monday.

The passage provides a shortcut for everything from oil to manufactured goods and livestock to travel between Asia and Europe and any deal creates headaches for retailers and suppliers around the world.

Diverting ships around southern Africa added around eight days to deliveries. "It again shows the fragility of this very complex, long supply chain", said Ian Goldin, professor at Oxford University. "It is not that we have things from all over the world, it's that they arrive the day that you need it", Goldin said.

Black Swan Events

The corona virus pandemic had already forced companies to think about their supply chains given the massive disruption caused, especially early last year.

Auto production has been disrupted across the world due to a shortage of semiconductors, which have been in hot demand as the pandemic fuelled demand for crucial microchips used in consumer electronics.

A fire this month at a factory of Japanese chip manufacturer Renesas has threatened to worsen the shortage, with the company saying Tuesday that it could take three to four months to restore full capacity.

Resilience is now the watchword, having more than one supplier and then closer to home base so as to minimise the impact of lockdowns and restrictions imposed to curb the virus.

Stephen Innes, chief global markets strategist at Axi, said supply chain "black swan events" - exceptional incidents - like the Suez Canal bottleneck are "likely to diminish over time".

A "fourth industrial revolution" driven by technology" is expected to make logical production efficient and do away with inefficient and costly supply chains", Innes said.

Governments have learned the lesson from early shortages of medical equipment whose manufacture had been moved almost entirely offshore, mostly to China and Asia to take advantage of cheaper labour there.

The price to be paid however when the crisis broke outweighed any such savings, sparkling a backlash as hospitals scrambled for protective clothing and basic equipment and the public demanded action.

Great when it works

Against this backdrop, governments and businesses alike are bringing production back home where it may be more expensive but at least is more secure.

"How much just-in-time do you want to be?" Soren Skou, head of giant Danish shipping line Maersk, told the Financial Times in an interview on Monday.

"It's great when it works but when it doesn't, you lose sales and there's no just-in-time cost savings that can outweigh the negative of losing sales", Skou said.

The way the pandemic has evolved is likely to put additional pressure on global transport links as house-bound, locked-down consumers drive an explosion in online demand.

If and when restrictions are eased - as in Britain or the US on the back of a robust vaccination rollout - there is likely to be a huge wave of relief demand which will test the system anew.

- Economy

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 6, the chores and was ready before 8. We'd left the house by a quarter past 8, Padmakumar showed us the way to the highway and we reached Mallan's Clinic at Muhamma by a half past 9. However, the doctor was away treating his father and his assistant took care of Lekha.

We returned home to a different lunch, courtesy Achu ordering from outside. He, then, took us to the Thrippoonithura town for certain purchases.

Saw the night show of Mammootty's "One" at the nearby cinema.     

The uneducated surgeon.

Cape Town's uneducated surgeon Mr. Hamilton, who was awarded the honorary degree of Master of Medicine, could neither read nor write. Let's see how this was possible. Cape Town Medical University has a leading position in the medical world. The world's first bypass operation took place at the same university. This university conferred the honorary degree of Master of Medicine, to a man who had never seen the face of a school in his life, who could not read an English word and could not write.

But one morning in 2003, world-renowned surgeon Professor David Dent announced in the university auditorium : "Today we are awarding an honorary degree in medicine to the man who produced the most surgeons in the world, who is an extraordinary teacher and an amazing surgeon and who studied medical science and surprised the human mind". With this announcement, the professor took the name "Hamilton" and the entire auditorium stood and greeted him. It was the biggest reception in the history of the university.

Hamilton was born in Sanitani, a remote village in Cape Town. His parents were shepherds, he wore goat skin and he walked in the mountains, barefoot, all day. As a child, his father fell ill, so he left the sheep and goats and moved to Cape Town. Construction was underway at the University of Cape Town in those days. He joined the university as a labourer. He would send home as much money as he could get after a hard day's work and he used to sleep in the open ground by chewing gram himself. He worked as a labourer for many years. The construction process ended. He got the job of mowing the tennis courts. He arrived at the tennis courts every day and mowed the lawn. He did this for three years. Then came a strange turn in his life. He reached a point in medical science where no one else had ever been.

It was a mild, warm morning. Professor Robert Joyce, researching giraffes, wanted to see : "When a giraffe bends its neck to drink water, why doesn't it have a seizure?" They laid a giraffe on the operating table, knocked it unconscious but as soon as the operation started, the giraffe shook its head. So they needed a strong man to keep the giraffe's neck tight during the operation. The professor came out of the theatre. Hamilton was mowing the lawn in the front, the professor saw that he was a healthy young man of strong nature. They beckoned him and ordered him to grab the giraffe's neck. Hamilton grabbed his neck and held it. The operation lasted eight hours. During this time, the doctor continued to take tea and coffee breaks, however Hamilton stood holding the giraffe's neck. When the operation was over, he quietly went out and started mowing the lawn.

The next day the professor called him again, he came and grabbed the giraffe's neck and stood up, after which it became his routine. He worked double the hours for many months but he demanded no additional compensation for this duty and nor did he complain. Professor Robert Joyce was impressed by his perseverance and sincerity and Hamilton was promoted from mowing the tennis courts to "lab assistant". He now came to the university, went to the operating theatre and helped the surgeons. This process continued for years.

In 1958 came another turning point in his life. This year Dr Bernard came to the university and started heart transplant operations. Hamilton became his assistant, during these operations, he went from assistant to additional surgeon. Now the doctors operated and after the operation, he was given the task of stitching. He used to do excellent stitches. His fingers were clean and fast. He stitched fifty people in one day. While working in the operating theatre, he began to understand the human body more than surgeons. So the senior doctors gave him the responsibility of teaching the junior doctors. He now began teaching surgery techniques to junior doctors. He gradually became the most important figure in the university. He was unfamiliar with the terms of medical science. But he was the best surgeon in the world.

The third turning point in his life came in 1970, when research on the liver began that year and he identified one such liver artery during surgery......which made liver transplantation easier. His remarks astonished the great minds of medical science. Today, when a person has a liver operation in some corner of the world and the patient opens his eyes and sees the light, the reward for this successful operation goes directly to Hamilton. 

Hamilton achieved this position with sincerity and perseverance. He was associated with the University of Cape Town for 50 years and in those 50 years he never took a vacation. He would leave home at three o'clock at night, walk 14 miles to the university and would enter the theatre at, exactly, six o'clock. People used to fix their watches with his time.

He received an honour that no one in medical science has ever received. He was the first illiterate teacher of medical history. He was the first illiterate surgeon to train 30,000 surgeons in his lifetime. He died in 2005 and was buried at the university. It was then made compulsory for surgeons to pass out from the university after obtaining their degree, to go to his grave, take a picture and then get into practical life.

"You know how he got this position". Only one yes. "The day he was called to the operating theatre to grab the giraffe's neck, if he had refused that day, if he had said that day, "I am a Grounds Maintenance Worker, my job is not to hold the giraffe's neck", he would never have become anything more than a lawn mover. It was a yes and an extra eight hours of hard work that opened the door to success for him and he became a surgeon. 

"Most of us have been looking for a job all our lives. While we must find work". Every job in the world has one criterion and the job is available only to those who meet the criteria while if you wanted to do work, you could start any work in the world in a few minutes and no power in the world would be able to stop you. Hamilton had found the secret, he gave importance to the work rather than a job. Thus it changed the history of medical science. Imagine if he applied for a surgeon's job, could he have become a surgeon? Never, but he put the hoe down and held the giraffe's neck and became a surgeon.

There are scores of unemployed people. They fail because they just look for a job, not for work. The day we start working like Hamilton, we will sow the seeds of greatness in ourselves.

Hamilton Naki was a laboratory assistant to cardiac surgeon Dr Christian Barnard in South Africa.

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time of 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. We set off for Shenoy Care but found that we were a bit too early vis a vis Lekha's time of appointment. The doctor saw her around a quarter past 2 and he was happy to see her improvement and her overall medical condition.

We, then, made a dash for Satish Bhat's clinic but I'd to finish lunch before he could see me since my sugar level was dipping, wonder why? The funniest thing was that I'd no discomfort whatsoever!

Reached my sister's place by a quarter to 6 and Padmakumar was a great help in navigating to their house. I seem to be bothering him everyday as I still haven't been able to get my bearings to get the right route. 

The grounding of the cargo ship in the Suez canal.

The large container ship grounded while navigating the Suez canal with the assistance of the Canal Pilots who are usually well experienced and mostly ex-Egyptian naval officers. If an accident occurs when a Pilot is guiding the ship, the responsibility continues to rest on the Captain. That is the maritime law.

It is true that the Pilots and officials in Suez Canal and elsewhere demand a lot of 'gifts' (varying from cigarettes, booze, provisions.....In the old days, in Russia, Nescafe was much sought after!) from ships passing through the canal, though not a contributory cause in this incident. In each port, the ship may have to shell out gifts worth Rs.50,000/-, but companies just bear it as daily ship hire charges could be upwards of 20 lakhs and don't want some petty official throwing the book at them, finally costing crores.

In this incident, if the wind was not that strong, she would have passed through quite easily as many, many ships of similar size have done. With her huge size, large wind gathering area due to containers stacked on deck, the drift must have been significant.. In the narrow canal, the only option available would be to increase speed but it can create consequent hydrodynamic effects, which can cause loss of control, as it appears to have happened in this case. The recording from the ship's electronic chart indicates that it was not in control soon after entering the canal when wind effects became more pronounced.

Tugs were provided but they weren't meant to do anything but follow the ship. If an emergency occurs they would have assisted the ship and helped to keep her to the bank, where she can be secured. This happens if there is a sudden sand storm which can reduce visibility to zero or mechanical failure on a ship in convoy.

In the Ever Given incident, the ship was doing over 13 knots! The Ever Given is a Golden-class container ship, among the largest container ships in the world. It's owned by Shoei Kisen Kaisha and is time chartered and operated by the Taiwanese Container Transportation and Shipping Company, Evergreen Marine.

It would be worthwhile to watch the remedial/refloating actions being taken over the next few days.

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores and were ready by 10. Got an early morning call from Bunty and Babli - our helps during our Delhi days - wishing us a happy Holi. 

We'd taken off for Seematty for today's shopping serial, soon after 10. The entire sequence was well co-ordinated and executed, with us securing for lunch by about a half past 1. After a half an hour's break, we continued with our work and finally, left for home by a half past 3.

Reached home by about a half past 4. The remaining time was used to take stock of the purchases and yakkitiyak!

At Kochi.

Got up at 4, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 6, though Lekha was ready much earlier. We kicked off for Kochi soon after. A sad Kittu saw us off and he definitely didn't like the situation that he was gonna be in for the next few days! Maman had called us to say that he had left Thiruvananthapuram to meet up with our advocate at Kochi and I'd made up my mind to meet up with him sometime today.

The sun was bright and our passage through Thrissur town was magic as the Saturday morning traffic was sparse. Our first stop was at the Ananda Bhavan restaurant and we shared one favourite combo and washed it down with the tasty filtered coffee! We spent about a half an hour there before we continued our journey and we were at Ernakulam, a little past 9 and were at the Giridhar Eye Hospital, a trifle before 10. Since the parking area was a bit far away and finding a suitable parking slot took time, I'd asked Lekha to go through with the registration formalities. 

And it was an amazing maze at the hospital. By the time we left the place it was about a quarter to 1. Lekha, meanwhile had gone through Electro Retinogram (ERG) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) for which she was referred to by her doctor to rule out any evidence of toxicity owing to the usage of HCQS 300 mg everyday, for so many years and that's the most satisfying news during this visit thus far!

We reached the Ceylon Bake House on the MG Road, for lunch, along with Padmakumar, Rema and Achu. Maman and Bijumon joined us after a bit of a wait but my cousin did not fetch up. It was a nice and impromptu get together thought up, by me, at the last moment. We split and then, went our separate ways, Maman to Thiruvananthapuram and us to Pothy's Mall for purchases in connection with Achu's wedding that's to take place on the 2nd of May!

Rema and Padmakumar finished a set of purchases towards the wedding, with Lekha being an eager help. Her discomfort on her hand was something that she seemed to have forgotten because she loves to do shopping! Before reaching Pothy's, we'd dropped by at Bhima's to meet a dear friend.

By the time we settled down at my sister's house for the evening, it was a half past 10. We settled down to a boisterous evening touching upon a variety of things. In the meantime, Lekha was given an Ultracet, a pain killer and her right wrist was applied a bandage!

Tailpiece.

The day passed off, quite fast, with us doing a lot of things to complement the occasion, the only sour point being Lekha's fall in the lift that should have been avoided and I happened to be a helpless spectator!!     

Each gives what he has!

History has it that when the ancient Chinese decided to live in peace, they made the Great Wall of China; they thought no one could climb it due to its height. During the first 100 years of its existence, the Chinese were invaded thrice and every time, the hordes of enemy infantry had no need of penetrating or climbing over the wall, because each time, they bribed the guards and came through the doors.

The Chinese built the wall but forgot the character-building of the wall-guards. Though the Great Wall has over the years become a powerful symbol of the country's enduring strength and spirit, but it has actually been a good reminder to the Chinese of the superiority of the human character.

The Chinese realised much later that the best defence against the enemy is not a fortified wall but a fortified character. Thus, the building of human character comes before building of anything else.

William Shakespeare captured it succinctly when he said : "The fault is not in our stars but in ourselves".

Peter Schutz, the former chief executive officer of Porsche said : "Hire character; train skills".

Back in the days when Germany was divided, a huge wall separated East and West Berlin.

One day, some people in East Berlin took a truck load of garbage and dumped it on the West Berlin side.

The people of West Berlin could have done the same thing but they didn't. Instead they took a truck load of canned goods, bread, milk and other provision sand neatly stacked it on East Berlin side. 

On top of this stack they placed the sign : "EACH GIVES WHAT HE HAS".

How very true! You can only give what you have.

Tailpiece.

Got up on the dot at 6, the chores and was just in time to receive the Rajah Medical team that had come to collect our samples. Wished Maman many happy returns. Had an early breakfast to be ready, by 9, for the post prandial blood sample collection.

Went out with Bijeesh, the plumber-cum-electrician, in our Chevy to pick up a few spares to carry out repairs. On return topped up the Chevy with fuel and checked the tyre pressure.

Systematically shut down The Quarterdeck by sunset. Incidentally, Kittu stayed with us alost throughout the day. Has he come to know that we'd be away, albeit, for a short while?  

Wild Geese.

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I'll tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

- Mary Oliver

    *          *           * 

"Lexophile" is a term used to describe those who are clever with words, such as "you can tune a piano but you can't tuna fish" or "to write with a broken pencil is pointless"!

A competition to see who can come up with the best lexophiles is held every year in Dubuque, Iowa.

This year's winning submissions are :-

* A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

* The batteries were given out free of charge.

* A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.

* A will is a dead giveaway.

* A boiled egg is hard to beat.

* Police were called to the daycare centre, where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

* Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.

* A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

* The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine is now fully recovered.

* He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

* When she saw her first strands of grey hair, she thought she'd dye.

* Acupuncture is a job well done. That's the point of it.

This is what literary sense of humour is all about! 

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Bijeesh, the plumber-cum-electrician ditched us yet again; he called up late afternoon saying that he would come at 1030 hrs tomorrow.

Chalked out our entire programme for meeting up with Lekha's doctor, next Monday.

Where the world is running dry.

We are slowly reaching an alarming situation. In a statement marking World Water Day, UNICEF said more than 1.42 billion people - including 450 million children - are living in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability in the world. Let's have a global look at water shortages.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Despite the existence of vast groundwater reserves, unchecked borehole drilling has depleted much of them.

90% shrinkage in the size of Lake Chad, due to climate change and population growth.

LATIN AMERICA

The region has the most water resources in the world, yet recurrent drought is causing shortages, leading to unrest, large-scale economic distress and displacement. Deforestation is also a concern in the region.

75% of Latin America's waste water is discharged into rivers and other water bodies.

WEST ASIA & NORTH AFRICA

The most water-scarce region in the world.

60% of the region's population is living in areas of high surface water stress, way above the global average of 35%. Conflict and displacement are closely linked to water scarcity here.

SOUTH ASIA

South Asia is highly affected by water scarcity and many urban centres such as New Delhi, Dhaka, Kathmandu and Karachi face severe water shortages.

20 Million wells in South Asia are contributing to over-extraction of groundwater resources due mainly to agricultural production.

50% of global groundwater-based irrigation is done in South Asia.

EAST ASIA

In megacities in the region, urbanisation has caused extreme water stress. Jakarta, for example, is sinking faster than any other major city in the world.

29 out of 48 economies are 'water insecure'.

90 km saltwater intrusion in some coastal areas in Vietnam.

Note. The data is based on how water scarcity overlaps with lack of access, including dependence on untreated sources and the length of time it takes to collect water.

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time; Lekha did not show any sign of after effects. Phew! The chores, the Wednesday 'aarathi' of the house and was ready by a quarter to 10. Lekha had gone across to her friend, Asha's boutique for purchases and returned within an hour.

It was a quiet day, otherwise.

  

Who, When and When not of Covid Vaccination.

1. History of Anaphylaxis or Anaphylactoid reaction to any drug or food is a strict NO-NO for the vaccine.

2. History of allergic reaction to the first dose is a contraindication to the 2nd dose of vaccine.

3. All others must take the vaccine. The when and how are as follows :-

(a) A person who has suffered from Covid should take it 2 months after the date of Negative Report.

(b) People on immunosuppressive drugs for diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis and other auto immune diseases should stop immuno suppressants for a week before and after the vaccination if clinical condition permits.

(c) Those who have a organ transplant should take the vaccine without stopping the immuno suppressants for whatever benefit it gives.

(d) Blood thinners need not be stopped before vaccination.

(e) What if one tests positive after the first dose? The second dose should be given 12 weeks after the first dose.

(f)  Although, this is not yet officially announced, my personal feeling is that we may have to take 3rd, 4th or even more boosters before the epidemic ends. When and how remains to be decided.

(g) I have no hesitation in claiming that the vaccine will drastically bring down deaths and severe diseases. If that happens, Corona will just remain 'najala aur zukhaam'.

(h) Everything that happens after vaccination is not because of the vaccine. Similarly, every incident must be thoroughly investigated before being waived aside. People die of cardiac arrest almost every hour in India but when they have cardiac arrest after taking vaccine, skeptics start blaming the vaccine for it. We must compare the rate of occurrence of an event with the background rate of that event.

Let us keep faith in the vaccine and ignore those who make skepticism, a way to remain in the news.  

Tailpiece.

Got up around our usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Lekha's certificate clearing her for the vaccination by her doctor was in my mailbox and Jimmy, next door, gave me its printout. After a long agonising wait and many missed calls, I was finally able to get through to the Covid desk at the Rajah Hospital to tell them as to who I was and as to what my call was for. We'd a quick bite of lunch and by the time I had parked our Chevy at the parking lot of the hospital, it was a quarter past 2.

Lekha and I walked into the special ward, the sister at the desk did the spot registration and she was vaccinated by a half past 2. After the mandatory half-an-hour wait and after rechecking her BP and the Oxygen saturation levels of the blood, she was allowed to leave. She was also given the Covid vaccination certificate.

We were back home by 3 and hit the sack for the half-an-hour siesta. Lekha didn't seem to have any difficulty, post Covishield vaccination. I shall observe her all through tomorrow, too, for any unusual reactions.

Interesting facts about the English language.

 * No word in the English language rhyme with "month", "orange", "silver" or "purple".

 * "Hungry" "Angry" are the only words in the English language that end in -gry.

 * The number 4 is the only number that has the same number of letters in it - FOUR.

 * Did you know the word 'underground' is the only word that begins and ends with the letters 'und'?

 * The word 'uncopyrightable' is the only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating any letter.

 * The word 'typewriter' is the longest word that can be typed using only the top row of a keyboard.

 * Did you know the sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the English alphabet?

 * The word 'rhythm' is the longest word without a vowel.

 * "Dreamt" is the only word that ends in mt.

 * Did you know there are only 3 sets of letters on a keyboard which are in alphabetical order - ' F G H', 'J K L', 'O P'.

 * The word "queue" is the only word in the English Language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed.

 * "Dammit I'm mad" is the same spelt backwards.

 * "Set" of all the words in the English Language, the word "set" has the most definitions.

 * "Bookkeeper" "Bookkeeping' are the only words in English language with three consecutive double letters.

 * The least used letter in the alphabet is Q.

 * The most commonly used word in English conversation is 'I'.

 * The dot on the top of the letter 'I' is called a tittle.

 * There are only 4 words in the English language which end in 'dous' (they are : hazardous, horrendous, stupendous, tremendous).

 * The oldest word in the English language is 'town'.

 * The word 'strengths' is the longest word in the English language with just one vowel.

 * The past tense for the English word 'dare' is 'durst'.

 * The first English dictionary was written in 1755.

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle late but was soon overtaken by a massive power interruption which was partially restored without one phase! So, the usual early morning hymns on the music system was missing. The power restoration took place at 9 and we listened to the 'Ganesh hymns' subsequently).

Lekha and the maid had gone to the ration shop and returned with the kit for Feb and Mar around 10.

The heat is getting to be unbearable, especially, after the rain last night.   

The Thirteen Commandments for Seniors......

As one puts on years and attains seniority, one needs to take note of these commandments.....

  1. Talk to yourself. There are times you need expert advice.

  2. "In Style" are the clothes that still fit.

  3. You don't need anger management. You need people to stop irritating you.

  4. Your people skills are just fine. It's your tolerance for idiots that needs work.

  5. The biggest lie you tell yourself is, "I don't need to write that down. I'll remember it".

  6. "On time" is when you get there.

  7. Even duct tape can't fix stupid - but it sure does muffle the sound.

  8. It would be wonderful if we could put ourselves in the dryer for ten minutes, then come out wrinkle-free.......and three sizes smaller.

  9. Lately, you've noticed people your age are so much older than you.

10. Growing old should have taken longer.

11. Ageing has slowed you down but it hasn't shut you up.

12. You still haven't learned to act your age and hope you never will.

And one more

13. "One for the road" means peeing before you leave the house.

Tailpiece.

Got up almost 40' later than usual, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Earlier, we wished my sister, Rema many happy returns. It was a quiet Sunday.

Ammu from Bangalore, by evening, had ordered a cake on her friend's mom at Kottarakkara and the same was delivered at Pidavoor. The cake was cut by the birthday girl and we were in attendance on the web. A great evening and I'm sure Rema would add this to her list of memorable birthday celebrations!

Thundershowers after sunset but for a short while.

A sad end to an incredible journey!

Wing Commander Rama Iyer (Retd), South African Air Force passed away in the morning of 17 Mar at the Swartkop airfield. A Palakkad Iyer by birth, Wing Commander Iyer was an alumnus of the 40th NDA course and was commissioned into the IAF in Dec 1972.

After 24 long years in the IAF, including the command of frontline Mig 21 Squadrons and an instructional tenure at the DSSC, Wellington he missed the selection rank as a Wing Commander. After putting in his papers, he applied for a tenure in the newly formed South African Air Force (SAAF) and got a three year temporary commission in 1998. The three years in SAAF rolled to nearly 20 years - he picked up the rank of Colonel and became Director Flight Training. After somatic parlays, he was permitted to wear the Indian service medals in SAAF uniform. He also routinely did displays for SAAF on various aircrafts including Havilland Vampires.

In 2016, he was battling a different enemy - Stage 4 bone cancer. With the customary fortitude and grit, he vanquished this enemy too by 2019 and joined the DGCA-equivalent-agency in South Africa as a flight inspector. SAAF continued to permit him to fly their vintage museum aircrafts. On Wednesday morning he crashed in Pretoria flying a "Patchen Explorer" - which is believed to be the only one of its kind in the world.

Rama Iyer sir, a toast to your amazing life! Blue skies forever!! 

      *          *           *

One Art

The art of losing isn't hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster

of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.

The art of losing isn't hard to master.

The practice losing farther, losing faster :

places, and names, and where it was you meant

to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! My last, or

next-to-last, of three loved houses went.

The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster, 

some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.

I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

- Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture

I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident

the art of losing's not too hard to master

though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

- Elizabeth Bishop

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle later than Lekha, who'd got up on the dot. Today's the 5th remembrance day of Lekha's dad as per the Malayalam calendar.  She went to the Mammiyoor Siva kshetram to offer the 'Thil homam' for him.

I was okay, post vaccination. Participated in the Aazhchakkoottam - "The Modern Times and Spirituality" by Swami Gururathnam Jnaanatapaswi, General Secretary, Santhigiri Ashram, Thiruvananthapuram from 1600 - 1700 hrs. It was nice!

  

Lightning, the cause of life on earth?

Bolts from the blue may have kick-started life on earth. Lightning strikes may have supplied primordial Earth phosphorus to support the emergence of life, according to new research in Nature Communications that offered an alternative explanation as to how living organisms were born.

Hadean Eon 

4.6 to 4.0 billion years ago

* Earth coalescing

* Water

* Moon

Meteor strikes began to decline

* Core accretion

* Magnetic field 

* Late bombardment stage

Archean Era

4.6 to 2.5 billion years ago

* First oceans

* DNA

* Tectonic activity

Lightning strikes surpassed space rocks for phosphorus production, around 3.5 billion years ago

* First continent

* Prokaryote bacteria

* Banded iron formation

* Great oxygenation event

- Phosphorus from meteors declined after the Moon formed 4.5 billion years ago. Lightning became the dominant source of phosphorus a billion years later

- Phosphide produced by meteors

- Phosphide produced by lightning

- Phosphite produced by lightning

* Note. Phosphide and phosphite are compounds of phosphorus

Importance of Phosphorus

* Phosphorus is a vital building block of life as we know it, forming basic cell structures and the double helix shape of DNA and RNA

* Billions of years ago on early Earth, most of the available phosphorus was locked away in insoluble minerals

* However one mineral, schreibersite, is highly reactive and produces phosphorus capable of forming organic molecules

Schreibersite

- Since most schreibersite on Earth comes from meteorites, the emergence of life here has long been thought to be tied to the arrival of extraterrestrial rocks

- But schreibersite is also contained within the glass-like rock (fulgarites) formed by lightning strikes in clay-rich soils

- Imaging techniques were used to analyse the amount of the phosphorus-giving mineral formed in each lightning strike

11,000 kg

Researchers estimated that lightning strikes could have produced between 110 and 11,000 kg of phosphorus a year

Over a billion years, 1 quintillion lightning strikes may have hit our planet, slowly releasing some usable phosphorus

Meteor impacts around the time of the emergence of life are far less than thought a decade ago. But I don't see our work as a competition against meteorites as a source of phosphorus. The more sources, the better.......Meteor impacts decrease through time whereas lightning, at least on Earth, is relatively constant through time

- Benjamin Hess, lead study author from Yale's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said as an explanation for how the new research didn't entirely discount meteorites as another source of life-giving phosphorus

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. To the bank for personal work and for transferring an amount to the false ceiling contractor for the completed work in Raj Nivas. Went across to the Rajah hospital and took the vaccination after on-the-spot-registration. There was no crowd at all. BP and the Oxygen saturation levels of my blood were monitored before and after the vaccination and the certificate was handed over to me. Lekha, because she's 54 years of age, needs a certificate from her doctor for taking the vaccination says the sister on the desk. Must find out more about it tomorrow itself and tackle the issue.

Suma finished her day's work by a quarter to 7. No after effects of the Covishield vaccine till now, as I punch in this post. 

In search of the 'ghost particle'.

From the bottom of a lake

One is inside mountains, the solid ice of Antarctica hides another in its bosom and the latest addition finds its home in the depths of Lake Baikal in Russia. These are some of the bizarre locations where scientists have placed telescopes in their search for neutrinos. An international team of scientists lowered the underwater telescope into the lake last week to trace the elusive neutrino, also known as the ghost particle. Let's see as to how they will do it.

Why Baikal Lake?

It is the deepest and oldest lake in the world, with its geological age estimated to be about 25 million years. Baikal is the only lake where you can deploy a neutrino telescope because of its depth, the experts said.

1,637 M

Max depth, with average depth at 758 metres, as per WWF.

20%

Of world's fresh surface water is held by Lake Baikal.

31,494 Square Km

Surface area. It is the largest lake in the world by volume.

2,500

Species of plants and animals are found on the lake. Two-thirds of the species cannot be found elsewhere.

Why build an observatory?

To unravel the mysteries of the cosmos, provide insights into the nature of dark matter, evolution of stars and origin of cosmic rays.

To test the results of recent experiments carried out by CERN, the world's biggest physics laboratory which suggested neutrinos are faster than light.

Neutrino

A subatomic particle very similar to an electron but with no electrical charge and a very small mass. They are one of the most abundant particles in the universe.

Dark matter

Roughly 80% of the mass of the universe is made up of material that scientists cannot directly observe. Known as dark matter, this bizarre ingredient does not emit light or energy.

Cosmic neutrino

Neutrinos produced in any part of the universe other than Earth.

Atmospheric neutrino

Those produced in Earth and escaping the atmosphere unhindered.

Muon

Charged particle produced when a neutrino collides with matter.

Why is the ghost particle elusive?

  * Neutrinos interact extremely weakly with matter, so they rarely collide with atoms and are difficult to observe.

  * When neutrinos collide with matter, they produce a flash of detectable light when passing through something transparent, like ice or water. This is why observatories are preferred underwater or beneath the ice.

  * Atmospheric neutrino travels through the planet unhindered, hence it is difficult to distinguish it from cosmic neutrinos. But muons - produced when cosmic neutrino collides with matter in the earth's atmosphere - can travel only a few kilometres.

  * By building neutrino arrays like Baikal GVD(Gigaton Volume Detector) deep underwater, astronomers hope to detect muons that are actually produced by cosmic neutrinos alone.

  * Detectors have only been able to conclusively find neutrinos from the Sun and from one supernova, 1987A, so far.

Baikal-GVD

* Work started in 2015

* Currently at depth 750-1,300 metres, about 4 km from the lake Baikal's shore

* Built by Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Russia and Slovakia.

India's own observatory

The India-based Neutrino Observatory Project is a multi-institutional effort aimed at building a world-class underground laboratory with a rock cover of approximately 1,200 m for non-accelerator based high energy and nuclear physics research in India. The project is jointly funded by Dept of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Dept of Science and Technology (DST). It's proposed to be set up at Pottipuram in Bodi West Hills of Theni district in Tamilnadu.

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle late than usual. Wished Indira kunjamma many happy returns. Two rounds of washing machinex resorted to; first for the bed linen and the second for the soiled clothes of the last two days as Suma was gonna be absent today too. Went through the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Pushpaakaran had come by for the spring cleaning of the house. 

Selvam, the pressman, had also come by today while the PCI rep was asked to come over next Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Bibin had completed the false ceiling work at Raj Nivas after a gap of three days, on receiving the advance amount of 10 grand from me.

National Mathematics Day.

Today is National Mathematics Day ie the birthday of Srinivasa Ramanujan. See this absolutely amazing mathematics given by the great genius. 

1 x 8 + 1 = 9

12 x 8 + 2 = 98

123 x 8 + 3 = 987

1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876

12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765

123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654

1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543

12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432

123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11

12 x 9 + 3 = 111

123 x 9 + 4 = 1111

1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111

12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111

123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111

1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111

12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111

123456789 x 9 + 10 = 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88

98 x 9 + 6 = 888

987 x 9 + 5 = 8888

9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888

98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888

987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888

9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888

98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

And look at this symmetry :

1 x 1 = 1

11 x 11 = 121

111 x 111 = 12321

1111 x 1111 = 1234321

11111 x 11111 = 123454321

111111 x 111111 = 12345654321

1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321

11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321

111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Suma is on two days' leave as her son-in-law is going back to Dubai.

Went for the matinee show of the Malayalam movie, 'The Priest' starring Mammootty, Manju Warrier and others at Appas cinema. It's a nice crime thriller. The crowd within the cinema was sparse!

Remembering Bruno!

Bruno, our pet Doberman, had passed into the mist of time, on this day, 18 years ago. Lekha and I have still not got over his loss despite the passage of time. We remember his antics and delightful capers as they remain fresh in our minds even to this day. 

   *        *         *

Strange but true !!!

1. In spite of so many colours - White is considered class.

2. In spite of so many voices and sounds - Silence is considered ultimate.

3. In spite of so much to eat - Fasting is considered healthy.

4. In spite of so much to travel and explore - Meditating under trees and on mountains is considered superior.

5. In spite of so much to see - Closing your eyes and looking within is apex.

6. In spite of listening to all the outside world - Voice from inside you is eternal.....

Trust your senses.

      *             *             *

Why & Where to Return & How to Return?

Let me share Tolstoy's famous story with you to learn, understand and decide to return : Returning......is never easy

A man went to the king. Said he was poor, he has nothing, he needs help. The king was kind. He asked, "What help is needed". The man said : "A little plot". The king said, "Come here tomorrow morning at sunrise. Run as far as you can run, that whole plot is yours. But remember, from where you start running, you have to come back by sunset, otherwise you will get nothing!

The man was happy and excited. He started running at sunrise....kept running and running; the sun had climbed over head.....but the man did not stop running.....a little more hard work.....then rest for whole life!

Evening was about to come and the man remembered, he has to return, otherwise he will not get anything! He saw he had come far away......now he had to return.....but how would he return....? The sun had turned towards the west.....the man had full breath.....he could have returned....but time was passing fast.....a little more strength to be put.....he started running at full speed.....but now he felt tired.....and he dropped dead!

The king was watching it all. He went with his colleagues where the man fell on the ground and looked at him carefully and said, "He only needed few yards of land. He was running so much without any reason!

The man wanted to return....but could not return......he returned there, from where no one comes back!

Now imagine by putting yourself in place of that man, if we are not making the same mistake that he did. We don't know the limit of our desires. Our needs are limited but our desires are infinite! We do not prepare to return in the fascination of acquiring more. And when we do, it is too late! Then we have nothing left. I was involved in the race of life, where did I reach till today? Where do I have to go and how long will I reach? We are all running without realising that the sun returns in time. Even Abhimanyu did not know about returning. We are all Abhimanyus. We also do not know how to return!

The truth is that.....Those who know how to return they know how to live, but.....it is not easy to return.

I wish that character of Tolstoy's story could have returned in time! May we all get the conscience, strength and decision to return.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by 10 o'clock. Did my morning work. Achu left for Kochi by about a half past 12.

Had a long chat with Ajith. Gopu and Aniyan had called. 

 

Back at Guruvayur.

Had got up at a half past 5, the chores and was ready on time. A quick bite of breakfast and we were out of the house by 20' past 10 - well clear off the commencement of the 'Rahu kaalam'. Said bye to Indira kunjamma and Resmi. Went to Parottukonam to pick up Gopu and was disappointed that I could neither meet Sathi nor Sundarikutty. We continued our journey, got into Vettu Road - quite familiar during my school days - and thereon, onto the NH.

We reached the KEDES unit at Chathannoor by 9. By the time Anita, the in-charge, had come by it was a half past 9. She had opened up the building for us to see the progress of work. The old machinery have been removed and the flooring is being redone. The surroundings are clear of weeds and wild grass; the boundary wall is almost complete and I'm told that the influx of anti-social guys - during nights - has stopped completely. So far, so good.

After spending almost an hour out there, we set off for Kollam to be at the venue of the meeting in time. The Rotary Club auditorium is smack on the beach and had a good ambience. Met the office bearers and the staff and the meeting got under way at 1100 hrs.

Since all the members were new and the quorum was almost complete (The union government rep was missing), the members expressed a keen desire to know about the organisation. The power point presentation was adequate with the Director clearing the doubts that were thrown up. The ceremonial shawl was draped on me and some very nice words were said about yours truly.

Interacted with everybody and there were many in the staff who told me that they were sorry to see me leave. The meeting got over by a 10' past 1, followed by a traditional lunch on banana leaves. Had Appu sit along with me and within 10', we'd finished our meal; took leave of everyone and kick started our return journey to Guruvayur. Came via Kodungalloor and boy, wasn't the traffic quite heavy at certain stretches?

Spoke to a class mate of mine whose wife has also been diagnosed with SLE. But in her case, the liver has suffered some damage. Her review scheduled for 05 Apr should give the overall picture about the effects of the medicines, thus far.

Reached 'The Quarterdeck' by a quarter to 9. Had a quick wash and change to join Lekha and Achu for dinner. 

Tailpiece.

A hectic day but was a twad sad - for having bid farewell to the Kollam organisation after nurturing it during the last six years. Incidentally, Anita had told me that Remany and her group have a great opinion about yours truly! Well!!  

A relaxed Sunday.

Had got up by a half past 5, the chores and was ready by a half past 8. Since I was on the move, the addition job of washing my personal clothes is an added work. Appu, meanwhile, had washed down the Chevy and we left for Nikhila's mom's place at Vattiyoorkavu by a quarter to 11.

Since Nandu, my cousin, had outlined the route map and Reshmi and Indira kunjamma were with me, we reached the house within no time. I'd fetched up exactly 58 days after the passing away of Nikhila's father. The interaction was nice and Nikhila's younger sister, Nimita along with her mom, explained to us about his last days. Without doubt, his was a swift and peaceful end! 

He was a person who was protective about his family and did everything to make his wife, Meera's and their two daughters' lives comfortable and they are slowly trying to be more independent. The mother has realised that her two daughters would spend their time worrying about her and therefore, has found a novel way to circumvent that. She will join up in an old age home - its attraction being that there were quite a few of her friends already there - from the first of April. It is situated in the foothills of the scenic, Theni on the border of Kerala and Tamilnadu.

Both Nikhila and Nimita - along with their husbands - have visited the place and satisfied themselves about the retreat being well run and ambient.

Returned home, had a light lunch and a short nap before going off to the Foundation for our afternoon meeting Maman, Gopu and me. The details were discussed and by the time we left the premises, it was a half past 7. There was a bit of a slip up on my part; I'd forgotten to get my wallet. Gopu, who was accompanying me, used his credit card and helped me out of the embarrassment!

We were at Indira kunjamma's house soon after and had an informative conversation. Gopu left by 9 and we'd decided that We'd join up before a half past 7 and proceed to Kollam for the meeting, dropping by at the KEDES' bags-for-carrying-rations manufacturing unit at Chathannoor. That should be interesting and informative!

Our meeting starts at 11 and I expect it to be over by 1. After a quick lunch, Appu and I will set off for Guruvayur. Should reach there before 9, in the evening.

And the Malayalam month of Meenam begins tomorrow.  

Tailpiece.

Suma kunjamma, all by herself, at her Kuravankonam house in her present condition needs to be under observation. 

At Thiruvananthapuram.

Got up at 4 thanks to Lekha's cellphone alarm. She was instantly up and about as she set about preparing breakfast and lunch for both Appu, my chauffeur and me. Eventually got up at a half past 4, the chores and was ready by 6. Appu had come in by a half past 6. After bidding Lekha and Achu a hasty bye, we'd set off by a quarter to 7.

We went by the Kodungalloor route and was at Ernakulam by 9. We stopped at Aroor, had our packed breakfast and washed it down with a hot cup of tea from a wayside tea shop. The appams and the egg masala were heavenly and gave the thumbs up to Lekha, who was thrilled. I was quite thrilled to be whizzing past the newly opened Alappuzha bypass. 

Kollam came and went. We'd our lunch of fried rice soon after Kottiyam and it was then that I realised that the amount could have been inadequate for Appu but he kept saying that he was full and happy. Probably wanted to see me happy.....nice boy!

Reached Indira kunjamma's house by 10' past 3. After a hot cup of tea and a bit of conversation, Appu and me took off for the Foundation. The new office space looked swanky.

Between Maman, Gopu and me, we'd a long discussion about the strategy for the Monday's meeting. We secured at a half past 7 and Appu and I returned to Indira kunjamma's house. After picking up Indira kunjamma, Resmi and Kripa-shankar, we headed straight for Kuttu's house at Peroorkada. We spent about an hour and a half with Sree kochachhan, Suma kunjamma, Nonu, Vani, Naina and Sidharth.

Sree kochachhan has shed a lot of weight but looked cheerful. Suma kunjamma looked a bit subdued because both her hands were in plaster.

We'd picked up a light dinner enroute and settled down to have it with a lot of conversation.

It was a late evening.

Tailpiece.

Felt glad that I could complete quite a few things that I'd set out for the day. 

Participated in the Aazhchakkoottam, "Budget houses and the common man Sabir Thirumala, Architect" between 1600 and 1700 hrs". It was nice. I was at the Foundation by then. 

Palmyra - its sad destruction.

Syria was an archaeologist's paradise, a world heritage home to some of the oldest and best-preserved jewels of ancient civilisations. A brutal war that engulfed the country in 2011, one of the worst conflicts of the 21st century, has brought wanton destruction to the country's heritage. Let's trace back the violent history of one Syrian city - Palmyra - and list below some of the architectural treasures that were destroyed by the ISIS jihadists.

Palmyra

Is a majestic ancient city whose influence peaked towards the end of the Roman empire. Here's a timeline of the city's tumultous past.

Arch of Triumph

1,100 metres. Palmyra's imposing kilometre-long colonnade is unique and one of Syria's most recognisable landmarks. "Places like Palmyra have a universal significance and value.. They are part of our civilisation, they are milestones in our history as humans and so anything that damages them is a wound for all humanity" - Justin Marozzi, historian.

2000 - 1001 BC

Palmyra began as a caravan oasis.

300 BC - 100 AD

Palmyra prospered as a road through it became one of the main East-West trade routes during this period and for a couple of centuries more (Silk road route and other trade routes). The trade routes connected the Roman empire to India, Persia and China via Palmyra about 2,000 years ago.

150 AD

It had grown into a city and was colonised by the Roman Empire. Palmyra stood at a route that linked India, Persia and China with Rome - regions home to the major civilisations of the ancient world. 

260 AD

This was the height of the city's prosperity. The city was famously ruled by Queen Zenobia, who defied Rome. Few years later, an angry Roman emperor, Aurelian, burned Palmyra to the ground.

1400 AD

The Mongol conqueror Tamerlane, a self-styled heir of Genghis Khan, put the regrown city to the sword. Palmyra's importance as a trading centre had declined by then.

2015 AD

ISIS jihadists hurtled into Palmyra to expand the 'caliphate' they had proclaimed over parts of Syria and Iraq earlier. They sacked the ancient city, also known as "The Venice of the Sands" and defaced statue and sarcophagi. The site became a stage for public executions and other gruesome crimes. The headless body of chief archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad was also displayed there by ISIS henchmen who had tortured him to get him to reveal where the site's artefacts had been transferred.

Bent on their enterprise of cultural genocide, the nihilistic ISIS jihadists rigged Palmyra's famed shrine of Baal Shamin and blew it up.

Compiled from NIE.

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. To the bank to tie up a few pending jobs.

Achu had gone to the Guruvayur temple in the evening.

2017 AD

By the time government forces retook control  of Palmyra in 2017, it had been irreversibly damaged.  

Good tidings during Mahashivaratri!

Mahashivaratri is an occasion for fasting, prayer and awakening.

The story goes that Lord Shiva held the deadly poison in his throat neither allowing it inside nor letting it out, thereby saving the worlds inside and outside. He went into deep meditation till the time the deadly poison lost all its potency.

The worlds were waiting anxiously till the time Lord Shiva came out of his deep meditation.

So it is improper to say Happy Shivaratri; it is improper as saying happy good Friday.

May good tidings happen to all of us during Mahashivaratri!

                        THE SYMBOLISM OF LORD SHIVA

  1. Ganga

      Symbolism : The end of ignorance and the dawn of knowledge and peace.

  2. His matted hair

      Symbolism : Unison of mind, body and spirit.

  3. Serpent

      Symbolism : Controlling one's ego.

  4. Blue throat

      Symbolism : Suppression of the evil (anger).

  5. Ash smeared on his body 

      Symbolism : Everything is temporary, even our own body.

 6. Kamandalam

     Symbolism : Removal of all the evil from the body.

 7. Trishul

     Symbolism : Control of mind, intellect and ego.

 8. Third eye

     Symbolism : Seeing with the mind's eye, beyond what's visible.

 9. Dhamru

     Symbolism : Ridding your body of all desires.

10. Meditative pose

      Symbolism : Calmness.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Sajish had given me my monthly haircut and massage early in the morning. Didn't wet my wound as instructed by my aunt, last evening. Went to town to get the following done :-

    

  * Got a duplicate sim for Lekha's cellphone as it had suddenly gone duff last evening.

  * Got my watch - repaired recently - going yet again. He reiterates that our wall clock will arrive next

     week.

  * Picked up our fruit collection.

  * Topped up the Chevy and checked tyre pressure.

  * Recharged my vehicle's FASTAG.

Achu reaches a trifle before a half past 6, in the evening. We've a long chat.

Spoke to my course mate, Ceedee. 

The Big Picture.

Cognition researchers are of the opinion that people, generally, take in the things they see as a whole first and then focus on the details. Children also process what they see in this way but a new study offers evidence of how modern technology is changing how kids perceive the world. 

The atypical attention style in mobile user children is not necessarily bad - but different for sure - and we cannot ignore this...for example in pedagogy - Krisztina Liszaki-Peres, co-author of the study.

Digital Dimension

The stereotype of young children being glued to handheld devices has been around for years, yet it's not easy to pin down how this changes their mental development. This recent study in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour looked at the attention pattern of 120 kids aged between 4 and 6.

Study Method

Before being shown a picture of the sun and the stars, some of the kids played a mobile game while the others played a non-digital game.

Those who played the mobile game noticed the stars first when they saw the picture. Kids who played physically noticed the Sun first first. Noticing the stars first indicates prioritised attention to local details, whereas registering the Sun first suggests a global or overall focus.

Research Implications

Does the study results mean kids who play a lot of mobile games have a radically different perception of the world? Short answer : We can't say for sure yet. What the results do indicate is that at a time when the human brain is plastic, any prolonged exposure to digital devices could have could have significant long-term impact.

Paths Of The Mind

Past studies suggest that those who focus a lot on details tend to be analytical in thinking but are "less creative and have weaker social skills", said a release from Alpha Generation Lab at the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest. If this is true then increased exposure to digital devices may mean that this generation of children, who were born after 2010, may grow up to be more scientific and less artistic and social.

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores, carried out the usual Wednesday 'aarathi' of the house and was ready by a half past 9. The day was marred with frequent power interruptions. Lekha, along with the maid, had gone to the ration shop to get the kit, marked for February.

Hamid dropped me at the Rajah Hospital at 5. After about half an hour's wait, could meet the doctor, who removed the 6 stitches and had said that the course of treatment was over. Took leave of the doctor without much ado and made it a short farewell, as I did not want to delay the other patients waiting to meet him. 

The cyst removal and the healing of the wound had taken up a fortnight! Phew!! 

Interesting feedback!

India's vaccine roll out 'rescued the world' from the pandemic. Her huge efforts in combating global pandemic is a story that's not really getting out in the world, says Dr Peter Hotez. He goes on to say, "I'm on weekly teleconferences with our colleagues in India, you make a recommendation and within days it's done and not only done but it's done well and with incredible rigour and thought and creativity".  

The roll out of the Covid-19 vaccines by India in collaboration with leading global institutions has rescued the world from the deadly corona virus and the contributions by the country must not be under estimated, a top American scientist has said.

India is called the pharmacy of the world during the Covid-19 pandemic with its vast experience and deep knowledge in medicine. The country is one of the world's biggest drug-makers and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring corona virus vaccines.

Dr Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston during a recent webinar said that the two mRNA vaccines may not impact the world's low and middle income countries but India's vaccines, made in collaboration with universities across the world such as BCM and the Oxford University have rescued the world and its contributions must not be underestimated.

During the webinar, 'Covid-19 : Vaccination and Potential Return to normalcy - If and When', Hotez, an international-recognised physician-scientist in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development, said that the Covid-19 vaccine roll out is India's gift to the world in combating the virus.

India's drugs regulator gave emergency use authorisation to Covishield, produced by Pune-based Serum Institute of India after securing licence from British pharma company AstraZeneca and Covaxin, indigenously developed jointly by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and Indian Council of medical Research scientists.

The webinar was organised by Indo-Amarican Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH).

- PTI from Houston.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. It was a quiet Tuesday.     

On the occasion of Women's Day.

Woman.............

When God created woman he was working late on the 6th day........

An angel came by  and asked, "Why spend so much time on her?"

The Lord answered, "Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her?"

She must function on all kinds of situations,

She must be able to embrace several kids at the same time,

Have a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart,

She must do all this with only two hands",

She cures herself when sick and can when sick and can work 18 hours a day".

The angel was impressed, "Just two hands.......impossible!"

The angel came closer and touched the woman.

"But you have made her so soft, Lord".

"She is soft", said the Lord,

"But I have made her strong. You can't imagine what she can endure and overcome".

"Can she think?" The angel asked....

The Lord answered, "Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate".

The angel touched her cheeks.....

"Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her".

"She is not leaking.....it is a tear". The Lord corrected the angel......

"What's it for?" asked the angel.......

The Lord said, "Tears are her way of expressing her grief, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride".

This made a big impression on the angel,

"Lord, you are a genius. You thought of everything. A woman is indeed marvellous".

Lord said, "Indeed she is.

She has strength that amazes a man.

She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens.

She holds happiness, love and opinions.

She smiles when she feels like screaming.

She sings when she feels like crying, cries when happy and laughs when afraid.

She fights for what she believes in.

Her love is unconditional.

Her heart is broken when a next-of-kin or a friend dies but finds strength to get on with life".

The angel asked : "So she is a perfect being?"

The Lord replied : "No. She has just one drawback.. She often forgets what she is worth".

And to all men who respect a woman. A woman :

* changes her name.

* changes her home.

* leaves her family.

* moves in with you.

* builds a home with you.

* gets pregnant for you.

* pregnancy changes her body.

* she gets fat.

* almost gives up in the labour room due to the unbearable pain of child birth...

* even the kids she delivers bear your name.....

Till the day she dies....everything she does....cooking, cleaning your house, taking care of your parents, bringing up your children, earning, advising you, ensuring you can be relaxed, maintaining all family relations, everything that benefit you.....sometimes at the cost of her own health, hobbies and beauty.

So who is really doing whom a favour? 

Woman means :-

W - wonderful mother.

O  - outstanding friend.

M - marvellous daughter.

A  - adorable sister.

N  - nicest gift to men from God.

My salutes for all the women in my life who have shaped me to be the person that I am.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Hamid took me to the Rajah Hospital for the renewal of the dressing on my wound.

Between Lekha, Padmakumar and me, we gave shape to Achu's wedding and reception cards.

How did 'Bluetooth' get its name?

The best-known modern technology owes its name and logo to a Viking-era king with a bad tooth. This is the story of how, a quarter century ago, two engineers hatched the idea for the moniker "Bluetooth".

Birth Of A Name

In late 1997, two engineers - Sven Mattisson, a Swede working at Ericsson and Jim Kardach, an American employed by Intel - faltered in pitching their wireless products at a seminar. They then realised that they needed a cool code name for the project.

After their confusing pitch, they hung out and Kardach, a history enthusiast, asked Mattisson about Vikings. Mattisson recommended that Kardach read a well-known Swedish historical novel about the Vikings, The Long Ships.

10th Century

Set in the 10th century, the book had one name that caught Kardach's attention : that of the king of Denmark, Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson.

An important historic figure in Scandinavia in that period, the Denmark king's nickname is said to refer to a dead tooth or as other tales have it, to his liking for blueberries or even a simple translation error.

Magic Of Unions

During Gormsson's reign, Denmark turned its back on its pagan beliefs and Norse gods, gradually converting to Christianity. But he is best known for having united Norway and Denmark in a union that lasted until 1814.

A king who unified Scandinavian rivals - the parallel delighted those seeking to unite the PC and cellular industries with a short-range wireless link.

1998

The dawn of the "wireless" era. An international consortium created a universal standard for the technology first developed by Ericsson in 1994.

1999

The first consumer device equipped with the technology hit the market. Its name was initially meant to be temporary until something better was devised. But it became permanent.

Secret Of The Logo

The logo is a superimposition of the runes for the letters "H" and "B", the King Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson's initials.

       Nordic H + Nordic B = The logo.

Tailpiece. 

Got up leisurely at a half past 6, being a Sunday and was ready by a quarter to 10. Video called Ammu and Mini and had a long chat. Meanwhile Pidavoor Amma was celebrating her 94th birthday. Also spoke to Suma kunjamma who has had a fall in her bathroom and fractured both her wrists.

Since everyone was there at Pidavoor during the daytime, we'd video called her in the evening and wished her many happy returns. 

Earlier, we'd ordered for grocery on Harisree Supermarket and the stuff was delivered before lunch time. 

The political cauldron in West Bengal.

It's with great interest that I'm watching the political slug fest that's going on in West Bengal. I've reached a conclusion - and I fully know that I ain't any psephologist and don't have the foggiest about the ground realities as I'm far away from the scene - and here are my thoughts.  

Let's, first, see the personal egos at play :-

* Prashant Kishor was the poll strategist for the BJP in 2014 and fell out with that party when he had differences. After that, he has been trying to play up with every party - just to satisfy his ego - to see the BJP bite the dust. (He got his way, to some extent, in Bihar during the Assembly elections of 2015 when he got the 'mahagathbandhan' going and when the results were out, the BJP had to sit in the opposition, albeit for just one year because Nitish Kumar was uncomfortable with Laloo Prasad Yadav!). He is the poll strategist in West Bengal, this time. Now, let's see what he has achieved - again a 'mahagathbandhan' has been formed. 

* The Congress, the communists and the Muslim grouping of the 'Indian Secular Front' have come under one umbrella and their stated aim is to 'keep the BJP out of power'. Here's what I feel that he and the parties are quite out of sync with the grassroots level thinking. Does the Congress and the Communists' grass root level workers subscribe to this view after having been tormented by the TMC workers over the last ten years that it has been in power?

* Political violence - once the communists' weapon - has been used to the hilt by the TMC to deal with its opponents. Consequently, there has been many political murders and deaths over the previous years.

* Minority appeasement had exceeded all limits under Mamata Banerjee. She has been doing it openly but don't you think the Muslims haven't seen through her tactics and are fed up with the wretched existence of theirs?  

The BJP under Prime Minister Modi has, therefore, become a welcome alternative because of two reasons :-

* If it comes to power, the governments at the state and at the centre being from the same party, will accrue benefits to the state in terms of good governance and development.

* It has a comparatively clean image compared with that of the other parties.

And doesn't Mamata Banerjee's body language show that she wants the whole thing to finish at the earliest - the steady influx of her party men and women into the opposition camps having become a daily affair?

Interesting.....the results that would come out on 02 May will tell it all.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Completed most of the bill payments today online.

Participated in the Aazhchakkoottam : "Covid Vaccine and Heart Patients" by Dr Tiny Nair, Chief Cardiologist, PRS Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram. It was a nice interaction. 

Political churning in Kerala.

Towards the run up to the Assembly elections in Kerala, things have slowly begun to heat up. The LDF seemed to have its adrenaline pumped up to unimaginably high levels, the UDF has been trying to pick up the pieces and get its act together. The BJP has been going about its rallies in the usual manner showing fault lines in its top leadership.

And suddenly, things seem to have changed or seems to have electrified the environment. Let's go through them :-

(a) The BJP state president, K Surendran, had announced at a public rally that the metroman, E Sreedharan would be its chief ministerial candidate. He'd taken the party membership just a couple of days back.

(b) The Customs Directorate has filed an affidavit in the court, on the gold smuggling case, that the chief minister and the speaker have direct links with the case, based on the secret testimony of Swapna Suresh. Mind you, it's common knowledge that no government agency will implicate a sitting chief minister unless and until there's solid evidence with it!

(c) The UDF is having a tough time with the Kerala Congress faction of PJ Joseph regarding their share of seats in the forthcoming elections. Its Wayanad unit has cracked up because of the seat allocations and similar actions have been reported from other constituencies as well.

And see how things changed within a matter of hours :- 

(a) The BJP leader is made to swallow his words and say that Sreedharan has not yet been decided as the chief minister. (Probably, that would be announced by the Prime Minister, later).

(b) The LDF cries foul and says that the BJP is using the central investigative agencies to tarnish its image. (The LDF will begin to hold rallies and picket Customs Collectorates, in the state, from tomorrow).

(c) The UDF, though happy at the massive opportunity that has come its way, insists on a game being played between the LDF and the BJP.

My queries.

* Will electoral politics undergo a sea change in the state during the run up to the elections? 

* If E Sreedharan is projected as the chief ministerial candidate, will the BJP be able to perform better?

* Will the UDF put up an impressive show? 

My personal wish is that we have a clean ministry under the leadership of E Sreedharan. At 88, we owe him to be given a chance so that he can clean up the stables and give the Malayalees good governance.

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Meanwhile, Had taken up an appointment with the surgical specialist this evening.

The doctor saw the wound and was happy to note that it was healing well. He has said that the stitches would be removed by next Wednesday. I told him about the problems that I had because of the intake of antibiotics. Did I see a note of regret in him for not having kept that in mind?

   

Contracting Covid from surfaces very unlikely.

It's now exceedingly clear : Much of our fear of catching Covid from plastic, paper, steel and other surfaces was triggered by flawed research.

The Favoured Route

There's little evidence that surface transmission is a common route the virus takes to infect. The main way it's spread is by air, either by larger droplets via close contact or by smaller droplets called aerosols.

* People not distancing and talking loudly without masks inside a closed room are more of a threat than a doorknob.

* This is why it's important to wash hands and not surfaces.

By the end of 2020, global sales of surface disinfectant was at $4.5 billion, a jump of more than 30% over the previous year.

Scary Study Had 'Ideal Conditions For Virus'

Last year, studies said the virus stays on surfaces for hours. And in October, an Australian study said particles can survive "almost a month" on surfaces. But this test had flaws.

The research used so many unrealistic conditions to favour the virus's survival. They kept samples in the dark to spare it from light that kills the virus. They used optimal temperature and humidity. Their samples also included thousands and thousands of virus particles, when research on influenza indicates that coughs or sneezes emit something in the range of 10 to 100 virus particles in a droplet.

The Australian lab study set off a torrent of alarming headlines with many going on to claim banknotes, glass surfaces were sources of risk.

What Real-World Research Found

In Israel, experts swabbed belongings, furniture in isolation units and a quarantine hotel. Half the samples from two hospitals and more than one-third of samples from the hotel were positive for viral RNA. But none of the viral material was able to infect cells.

So What Does This Mean?

* The new analyses say surface transmission is rare but not absolutely impossible.

* Such transmission events also assume one has licked fingers soon after touching a contaminated surface.

* It also means we should spend less on disinfectants and improve ventilation.

- Emanuel Goldman Microbiology Professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, quoted in a media report. (Goldman was also among the first to support use of face masks).

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores, initiated the washing machinex of bed linen and was ready by a quarter to 10.