At Hyderabad.

At Kochi.

Got up at 4, thanks to Lekha’s cell phone alarm. We went through our chores and kicked off from The Quarterdeck by 8’ to 6. Rain had stopped by then. Kittu wasn’t there to see us off though Chakki and Manjakkandan were at the balcony.

The journey through Chavakad and beyond was peaceful with no sign of rain. 35.7 km from our porch we turned on to the Moonnupeedika-Potta road and reached Ananda Bhavan at Chalakkudi by a half past 8 to have a Combo, shared between Lekha and me.

We’d reached Panampilli Nagar by about 10, when the Chevy’s clutch developed trouble and was stuck. Luckily, like godsend, Commodore Mohan Ancheri and his brother-in-law, Babu Abraham were sighted right in front of the car. We got dropped at the INCS complex and they were off on their way. Damn sweet of them!

Our Chevy was emptied and we’d put our luggage in the Zamorin suite of the Engineer Officers’ Mess. She was parked in front of the Kairali Apartments! Had spoken to Mohan, my mechanic at Kottarakkara who dispatched Monish, pronto, for defect rectification. 

We’d picked up grocery and wines, Lekha had gone for her 12 o’clock appointment with Fleury while Murali dropped me at Oottupura, the eatery. After Lekha’s return at 4, we did three other jobs before getting back to the Engineer Officers’ Mess.

And thereafter, to a lovely evening with Murali and Radhika at the NOI club!

PM Modi’s nine requests.

The Prime Minister has put forth nine ‘requests’, urging the people to fulfil them :-

1. Save every drop of water and make more people

    aware about water conservation.

2. Go from village to village and make people aware

     about digital transaction, teach them about online

     payment.

3. Work to make your village, your locality, your city

     number one in cleanliness.

4. Promote local products, use only Made in India 

    products.

5. First see your own country, travel around in your

    country and if you want to go to another country 

    then you should not feel like going abroad until

    you see the whole country.

6. Keep making farmers more about natural farming.

7. Include Millets as Shri-Ann in your daily eating

    life, promote it widely, it is a super food.

8. Be it fitness, yoga or sports, make it an integral 

    part of your life.

9. Be a supporter of at least one poor family, help 

    them. This is necessary to remove poverty in

    India.

My take

What a simple way to ask his people to do their

duty!

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready

by a quarter past 10.

The maid was at work.

Off to town for the following:-

* drop credit card cheque 

* bank work

* completed scanning of documents 

* gave my laptop for repair

Shut down The Quarterdeck in stages.

Sajish, the hair stylist.

Sajish, a young lad of about 30 yrs, is a hair stylist and works in the outfit called Amigos which is just next door to ours. Owned by Kunjumon, it has established itself well and the local, fashion-conscious youngsters flock to this place to fine tune their appearances!

He had come by, this morning, to give me my monthly haircut and massage.

I am impressed with the way he carries himself, the way he carries his working tools in a designer bag and the manner in which he maintains a smart appearance at all times.

He earns about 40 grand and is contended with what he has got. 

May god bless you, Sajish, with all that you want. His wife stays with his mother at Ponnani and every month, he goes home at least twice.

Tailpiece.

He told me about Majid, who used to own a grocery shop which I used to frequent in the evenings during the last leg of my walk. He used to look forward to our interactions!

He was inflicted with Myasthenia Gravis and had shut down his shop, choosing to stay stay at home. I believe he passed into the mist of time almost a year back. Kunjumon of Amigos is his younger brother.

Adieu Majid! Om Shanti! Sadgati. Sorry for coming to know about you so late.

Adieu Charlie Mike!

Commander CM Mohan 01 Dec 1956 - 01 Nov 2024

Cadet Cheethampadi Murali Mohan, Roll no.395 joined Sainik School, Kazhakootam in Jan 1966, one year before I'd joined school. While at school, we came across each other be it on the PT fields, on the parade ground for drill, during Academic periods etc in fact,  during all the activities in school and we were not the best of friends while at school either. During our final days, he was stricken with Trachoma - an ailment of the eyes.

We joined the NDA , he in Autumn '72 with the 48th course in Echo Squadron and I, during Spring '73 in Hunter Squadron. Whenever we used to meet at the Academy, it was always a smile and a hello; and that was that! Both of us had passed out as AF cadets, got grounded and returned to the Academy, as naval cadets.

On passing out, this time, we were posted as 'seagoing cadets' on board the old INS Delhi in Spring '77. We were allotted adjacent bunks in the roomy, airy and well lit starboard chest flat - his was bunk 59 while mine was 61. From then on, it was an uninterrupted beginning of a lasting relationship...we became friends with a vengeance to make up for lost time.

On board INS Delhi, there was a pitiable sight that I saw him in, just once. He'd gone out on liberty at Bombay and returned late in the evening with a bruised face and swollen lips. It was a taste of the thugs who create havoc on the suburban trains - his shirt, that he'd borrowed from me, was torn and they'd snatched away his brand new Ray Ban goggles!

We were appointed on board INS Beas, in Autumn'77, as Midshipmen and our friendship grew. He used to come and listen to my classes to a few, on intricate Seamanship and Navigation. After becoming Sub Lieutenants, we were in different groups during the SLt Tech courses and we went about our respective professional paths, thereafter.

But there were hellos and hugs between us whenever we met off and on. And we came together at the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in Apr '91. Both of us stayed at Gorkha Hill and we used to interact regularly on exercises; I used to be fascinated by his quick grasp of tactical situations to formulate a straightforward appreciation! We talked of life in general, during breaks, and offered our solutions always within the stipulated time. Our families had also got close.

We, then went our ways again but I'd got in touch with him soon after, when he was posted in my ex-ship, INS Agrani. He'd made a statement then, "Rajeev, I knew that come what may, you'd be my classmate/course mate who'll make an endeavour to get in touch with me".    

On retirement, after we'd settled at Guruvayur, he and his family had dropped by and stayed with us for a couple of days. It was sometime in 2015 and my mom was also with us, then. Mom and Charlie Mike got along famously, like a house on fire! He had gifted us with a beautiful electronic clock which occupies a prominent place in our house, 'The Quarterdeck'.

We were in touch on WhatsApp till the day before, around 1620 hrs! Was wondering as to why he'd not replied to my morning hellos yesterday and today. It was this morning that I came to know of the tragedy. He'd contracted a viral fever that got complicated and took away Charlie Mike from our midst.

There was never a dull moment with him around as he'd a fantastic sense of humour!

Adieu Muahanu! You shouldn't have left so early. Om Shanti! Sadgati. My tears and prayers. May god give strength to Sasikala, Arjun and Anish to pass through these difficult times. 

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

Sajish had come to give me a haircut and massage. Selvam dropped by to press clothes.

Many happy returns of the day, Keralam!

68 years back, the state of Kerala was formed - on linguistic basis - on 01 Nov 1956!

Numberspeak

* 97.03% of the people of the state speak Malayalam, while Tamil speakers constitute 1.49%, in 

   Kasaragod district, 8.77% speaks Tulu while Kannada speakers comprise 4.23%

* 1,084 females per 1,000 males as per the 2011 census; sex ratio higher than the national 

   average of 943

* Rs 9.78 lakh crore is the annual Gross State Product

* 35 lakh Keralites work in the Gulf countries

* 900 km of lakes, rivers, canals and lagoons

* 1 major port in Kochi and 17 intermediate ports

Courtesy. The NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

Rema, Achu and Karthika went to have a 'darshan' of the good Lord by a half past 7. They left after

after breakfast for Kochi.

The maid was at work.

A quiet day.

Diwali 2024.

The day had begun on a fine note. Rema, my sister, had reached us around lunch time from Kochi. Achu, her son and Karthika, his wife reached us around a quarter to 8, from Bangalore.

Our Diwali turned out to be joyous, boisterous and enjoyable. 'Diyas' were lit, fire crackers were burst  and it was an evening filled with fun and frolic.

After dinner it was yakkitiyak which went beyond midnight!

Tailpiece.

An interesting day.

A Malayalam encyclopaedia on AI.

Simply put and releasing this November.

An encyclopaedia dedicated entirely to Artificial Intelligence (AI), that too in Malayalam.

After the success of its AI-themed journal, the team at the State Institute of Encyclopaedic Publications (SIEP) is gearing up to release an encyclopaedia, easy-to-grasp write-ups on 121 topics dealing with various aspects of AI.

The work is nearing completion. In fact, 80% of it is finished, said its editor S Rajesh Kumar and the release of the encyclopaedia, "Nirmithabudhi", is slated this November.

The encyclopaedia will offer its readers insights into the science behind AI as well as its ethical and legal implications. It will explore a range of topics, including the history of AI, responsible AI, privacy, fairness, cognitive computing and more. The team has high hopes that the encyclopaedia will be well received. 

Work on the encyclopaedia was launched in February. The content has been contributed by AI experts, researchers and professionals from around the globe.

The book spanning approximately 230 pages, is being printed in a first batch of 1,000 copies.

Courtesy. Excerpted from Varsha Somaraj @ Thiruvananthapuram in the NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid fetched up for work; she has a medical problem.

To the town for :-

   * buying grocery from Harisree supermarket

   * Diwali crackers from the 'pataka' shop

   * Diwali sweets from Ganesh Stores

   * Fish for the cats

Lineesh, of the Titan Time, comes to hand over Lekha's watch that had gone for repairs.

Ran the Chevy for 45' after a long break.

Mr Srivastava confirms our booking in the Engineers' Mess on 05 Nov. And I ask Murali-Radhika to join us that evening. A lot of work to do that day!

Diwali began in right earnest, when sweets were distributed to Lineesh, Aswathy and Nikhil.

A Tata initiative.

The first private plant for the manufacture of Military aircraft, in India.

After an impressive roadshow in Gujarat's Vadodhara, PM Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the Tata Advanced System Limited (TASL)-Airbus plant to manufacture C-295 military aircraft in the city.

It is the country's first assembly line where at least 18,000 components of the aircraft will be manufactured. "Till now we had the vision of Make in India, now proudly we extend it to Make in India, Make for the World", the PM said in his address.

The foundation stone of the project was laid in Oct 2022 and within two years, work on production of a C-295 has started. Another plant to manufacture Bombardier train coaches was commissioned in record time, it was recalled.

PM Sanchez called the Tata group a "giant among giants". "Today, we are not only officially inaugurating a cutting edge industrial facility....this partnership will contribute to the progress of the Indian aerospace industry", he added.

Courtesy. The NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

The maid was off with a medical problem and so, put the clothes through washing machinex. 

A quiet Tuesday.

News!

The inaugural conclave

At the inaugural conclave of Tamil cine star Vijay's 'Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam' political outfit at Vikravandi in Villupuram district yesterday, he said that the BJP was the ideological foe while DMK was the political foe. He also said that the party's ideological leaders are EV Ramasamy, K Kamaraj, BR Ambedkar, Velu Nachiyar and Anjalai Ammal.

KGs to shut shop in China

Hit hard by China's deepening demographic crisis, thousands of famed kindergartens have been closed as enrolment of children dropped sharply across the country due to a significant decline birth rates.

China faces a twin crisis. While on the one hand the birthrates and fertility rates dropped, there is also a sharp rise in the old age population.

Immigration remains hot campaign topic

With just eight days left for Election Day, immigration remained one of the contentious issues in the US Presidential campaign, with many immigrants, including from India and other South Asian nations, fearing a backlash if Republican hopeful Donald Trump wins the polls.

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

Heavy rains during the forenoon.

Could finish some of the backlog of work.

Gender, age and learning.

32.9% of girls participate in unpaid domestic activities, markedly higher than 9.1% of boys, which significantly impacts their education and learning, according to a UNICEF report.

The report "Time spent on unpaid domestic and caregiving services by children in India : Insights into gender, age and learning" is based on India's Time Use Survey 2019 by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation".

On an average, girls spend 134 minutes per day on unpaid domestic services almost 70% more time than boys, who spend 79 minutes per day.

Time to study

1 in 5 children (20%) are engaged in unpaid domestic services.

Age groups in domestic work

* Adolescents (15-17 age group)             -   124 minutes a day.

* Younger children (6-14 age group)       -   95 minutes per day

Rural vs urban difference in kids doing domestic work

Rural children                21%

Urban children               15.7%

Participation in food preparation

Girls                    21.9%

Boys                     7.3%

Participation in cleaning and maintaining the house

Girls                    18.3%

Boys                      2.6%

Time spent on studies

11% less time spent on studies by children involved in domestic work.

16% less time spent on studies by teens engaged in domestic work.

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

A quiet Sunday.

Spoke to my sisters.

AcREM - Stem to boost stem cell research.

Advanced research in chronic wound healing, hair regeneration and cartilage repair has got a shot in the arm with the establishment of Kerala University's Advanced Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research in Cutaneous Biology (AcREM-Stem). The first such facility of its kind to be set up in state universities, the centre will also have a 3D bio-printing laboratory for organ and tissue engineering.

It is also aimed to create cellular models for therapeutic testing and develop alternative models for toxicity and drug metabolism studies.

Hair and skin regeneration is currently the prime focus of the research carried out at AcREM - Stem.

The ongoing projects of AcREM - Stem include the use of next-generation nanoparticles and herbal-based treatments for degenerative diseases. Commercialising nutraceuticals, cosmetics and stem cell therapies and also conducting early-phase clinical trials.

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

The maid was at work.

Went to the Rajah Hospital for Lekha's review by the orthopedic surgeon.  

RIL, Nvidia partnership for AI infrastructure in India.

Nvidia will supply Blackwell AI processors for one-gigawatt data centre that Reliance is building in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

* RIL will deploy Nvidia's latest GB 200 supercomputer technology to create a massive AI infrastructure

   in India

* Reliance says the company's AI service, Jio for Intelligence, will be very affordable and accessible to the

   general public.

* Reliance expresses hope that India will develop its own AI model, potentially 10 times more advanced

   that Meta's Llama model.

* In addition to collaboration with RIL, Nvidia is partnering with other Indian companies including

   Tech Mahindra, Flipkart to enhance conversational AI in customer service.

* Nvidia will provide services to various healthcare organisations to leverage AI for improved

   productivity and patient care.

My take

AI is poised for a big take off in India. Great!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by by a quarter past 10.

Changed bed linen followed by washing machinex.

Carried out my usual work.

Protestors back on streets in Dhaka.

Political tension in Bangladesh was growing after a leading student group called for the resignation of the country's figurehead president. It was over his comments on former PM Sheikh Hasina's resignation.

The student group called the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement set a two-day deadline for President Mohammed Shahabuddin. Hundreds of protestors rallied in the capital, Dhaka, while hundreds of others attempted to storm the presidential palace, Bangabhaban.

The new political turmoil began after Shahabuddin said in an interview with a Bengali Daily that he only heard about Hasina's resignation but had not seen the actual letter - a statement that infuriated the Yunus-led government and student activists.

Courtesy. The NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

The maid was at work.

Electrician Vijeesh was quick to repair a pedestal fan.

The usual evening chores. 

Cuddle cap?

New Zealand airport imposes 3 minute cuddle cap for drop off.

Emotional farewells are a common sight at airports but travelers leaving New Zealand city of Dunedin will have to be quick. A new three-minute time limit on goodbye hugs in the airport's drop off area is intended to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams. "Max hug time three minutes", warn signs outside the terminal, adding that those seeking "fonder farewells" should head to the airports parking lot instead.

The cuddle cap was imposed in September to "keep things moving smoothly" in the redsigned passenger drop-off area outside the airport.

The airport CEO said, "We were accused of breaching basic human rights and how dare we limit how long someone can have a hug for".

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Off to town by 10, for the following :-

    * Bank work

    * Harisree supermarket for grocery

    * Fruit vendor for our fruit basket

    * Thampuraanpadi mukku for fish for the cats.  

India, China inching toward a border agreement?

Both the sides arrive at patrolling agreement on LAC - and that too, in Ladakh.

It was in 2020 that 20 Indian personnel died after a brawl with PLA soldiers in the Galwan valley along the LAC.

We need to reach the pre-2020 situation.

This has opened up the possibility of a bilateral meeting between the President of China and the Prime Minister of India on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work.

Vijeesh comes and does the pending electrical repairs.

More Indian flights receive hoax bomb threats!

Hoax bomb threats continued to disrupt the Indian aviation sector for the seventh consecutive day, grounding planes and unnerving passengers. 

Since 14 Oct, over 90 Indian flights have been affected by similar bomb scares. 

Though these threats turned out to be fake, the fallout has been colossal :-

    * Delayed flights

    * Disrupted schedules

    * Mounting anxiety among passengers and airlines

My take

A very serious issue especially for the security agencies. The only silver lining in the otherwise dark cloud is that there has been no mishaps! 

God, let them remain hoax calls only!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 4, after which sleep refused to fetch up, wonder why? Went through the chores after 5 and was ready by 10.

A rainy day to begin with.

Met up with the doctor who put me on a course of antibiotics for my sore throat and cough.

Lekha and I are to fly to Hyderabad on 06 Nov to attend our Naval course mates' get together. Hope our schedule doesn't get upset.

 

The Five Spiritual Laws of Attention.

Life may seem chaotic but centuries of spiritual wisdom and neuroscience reveal patterns. These five laws of attention define how focus, purpose and clarity shape our lives.

The universe propels our evolution at a pace in proportion to our passion for uncovering purpose and meaning in our lives. 

On the surface, life appears to be unpredictably random and chaotic. However, thousands of years of recorded collective spiritual wisdom and what neuroscientists are now discovering about the human brain uncover patterns emerging from this randomness and chaos. These patterns are the five laws of attention that flow from and into each other.

(a) The Law of Focus

(b) The law of Earnestness

(c) The Law of Clarity, Conviction, Consistency and Course Corrections

(d) The Law of Veracity and Integrity

(e) The Law of Non-separateness, Not-knowing and Non-doership

Courtesy. Anil Bhatnagar in the Sunday Magazine of the NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

A sunny day.

My sore throat, though mild, and the cough have been constrained for a change.

Headless HAMAS defiant.

HAMAS confirms Yahya Sinwar's death, says hostages won't be released until there's a ceasefire.

No 2 Al-Hayya in line to take the reins.

With Sinwar gone, the Qatar-based Al-Hayya could head the outfit. 

And Israel has vowed to continue the Gaza offensive.

101 Israeli hostages are still held by HAMAS of whom 30 are feared dead.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work.

Short of lunch time, the maid saw a snake slither into our work area and hid beneath the fridge.

Autodrivers Sukesan and Rajesh caught the 31/2 ft long kid-cobra, put it into a bucket and handed it over to a forester who stays nearby.

Sec 6A of Citizenship Act.

The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which grants Indian citizenship to immigrants from Bangladesh who entered Assam before the cut off date of 25 Mar 1971.

It was a five-judge Constitution bench, led by the CJI that ruled in a 4:1 verdict. The CJI, Justices Surya Kant, MM Sundresh and Manoj Misra upheld the validity while Justice JB Pardiwala dissented and quashed the section prospectively.

The majority verdict held that Section 6A was enacted to balance the humanitarian concerns with the need to protect the local population.

Sec 6A was brought in to deal with those covered under the 1985 Assam Accord signed by the the Rajiv Gandhi government and AASU. The provisions are :-

    * Those who reached Assam after 01 Jan 1966 but before 25 Mar 1971 must register for citizenship.

    * But they can't vote for 10 years. Those who had come after 25 Mar 1971 are bound to be deported.

    * Petitioners argued that Section 6A helped mass immigration. Wanted 1951 as cut-off year to detect

       and deport.

    * SC said the impact of influx of migrants is higher in Assam due to its small size and detection is 

       tough.

My take

It was high time that the action was taken!

Tailpiece. 

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

It was alternating between a sunny weather and rainy weather.

A quiet evening.

What a liar?!

Justin Trudeau, the Canadian PM, has turned out to be a big liar and I'm sure has become a liability and an embarrassment to the Canadians, world over!. 

For over a year, he has been saying that India had violated Canadian sovereignty, alluding to the murder of Khalistani radical Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last year. He was testifying before a federal commission probing into foreign interference in the country. He named gangster Lawrence Bishnoi jailed in India as one of the conduits for criminal activities in Canada at the alleged behest of the Modi government.

He continued that Indian diplomats were collecting information of Canadians who were opponents of or in disagreement with the Modi government. They passed the information to their government which employed criminals like Lawrence Bishnoi gang to harm Canadians, he alleged.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) wanted to disrupt this chain, which is why they went public on the 13th, he said. "We wanted to question the Indian diplomats but since they didn't agree we asked them to leave the country".

The Canadian PM has now clearly come out with the fact that they didn't have a shred of evidence which he has been harping on over the last year or more! 

What a liar?!

My take

AI flight 182, a Boeing 747 named Kanishka running on the route Montreal - London - Delhi - Bombay had gone up in an explosion to disintegrate over the Atlantic Ocean on 23 Jun 1985. The culprits were Sikh extremists!

As the investigations were in progress, this guy's dad, Pierre Trudeau had lied about important facets that could have helped in the investigations!

All for a few votes from the Sikhs so that he could hold on to his chair! So, telling lies is in the DNA of the family, just to shamelessly cling on to power!

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work.

A quiet evening!

Predator drones for India.

India sealed a mega deal with the US to buy 31 high-altitude long-endurance drones from US defence major General Atomics.

The armed drone, known formally as MQ-9B, will help India crank up the surveillance apparatus of its armed forces, especially along the border with China. The drones can carry four Hellfire missiles and 450 kg of bombs and remain airborne for 35 hours.

While the Navy will get 15 of them, the Air Force and the Army will get eight each.

The deal is under a government-to-government framework.

Tailpiece.

Got up as usual, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Carried out our usual Wednesday morning 'aarathi' of the house.

A quiet though wet day.  

Winning the battle in your mind.

Seven Powerful lessons from "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer

1. Your thoughts shape your reality. 

    Meyer emphasizes the idea that your thoughts have a direct impact on your life. Negative thoughts

    can lead to negative outcomes while positive thoughts can create positive experiences. 

2. The power of positive affirmations.

    Affirmations are positive statements that can help reprogram your mind. By repeating positive

    affirmations, you can replace negative thought patterns with more empowering ones.

3. The importance of guarding your mind.

    Meyer encourages readers to be vigilant in guarding their minds from negative influences. This 

    includes limiting exposure to negative media, people and situations.

4. The power of forgiveness.

    Holding on to grudges and resentment can weigh you down emotionally and mentally. Forgiveness

    is essential for healing and moving forward.

5. The role of self-talk.

    The way you talk to yourself can have a significant impact on your self-esteem and overall

    well being. Positive self-talk can boost your confidence and motivation.

6. The importance of prayer.

    Prayer can be a powerful tool for overcoming negative thoughts and seeking guidance from a

    higher power.

7. The benefits of meditation and mindfulness.

    Meditation and mindfulness can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings,

    allowing you to control your mind better.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work.

Chakki has littered two adorable kittens; their colour matches that of Kittu.

 

Spacex 'catches' rocket booster.

Spacex, yesterday, successfully caught the returning first-stage booster minutes after the launch of its fifth Starship test flight in a historic first!

Catching the booster

The launch tower sported monstrous metal arms that caught the descending booster. It comes after the US regulator granted SpaceX its long-awaited licence to move forward with the fifth test launch of Starship.

How it helps SpaceX

Recycling boosters will help SpaceX speed up the launch rate and save millions in cost.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

A bright and sunny day but by evening, it was raining.

It was a quiet day.

Why do we seek fame?

We want to be famous as a writer, as a poet, as a painter, as a politician, as a singer or what have you? Why? Because we really don't love what we are doing. If you loved to sing or to paint or to write poems - if you really loved it - you would not be concerned with whether you are famous or not.

To want to be famous is tawdry, trivial, stupid, it has no meaning; but because we don't love what we are doing, we want to enrich ourselves with fame. Our present education is rotten because it teaches us to love success and not what we are doing. The result has become more important than the action.

You know, it is good to hide your brilliance under a bushel, to be anonymous, to love what you are doing and not to show off. It is good to be kind without a name.

That does not make you famous, it does not cause your photograph to appear in the newspapers. Politicians do not come to your door. You are just a creative human being, living anonymously and in that there is richness and great beauty.

Courtesy. Jiddu Krishnamurthy in his Book of Life.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

A wet day.

The day meandered by as we went about our work.

Dussehra.

KILL TEN (Dasha Hara) is a Sanskrit word which means removal of ten bad qualities within you...

                  1. Kama/Vaasana (Lust)

                  2. Krodha (Anger)

                  3. Moha (Attachment)

                  4. Lobha (Greed)

                  5. Mada (Over-pride)

                  6. Matsara (Jealousy)

                  7. Swartha (Selfishness)

                  8. Anyaaya (Injustice)

                  9. Amanavta (Cruelty)

                10. Ahankaara (Ego)

Hence, it is also known as Vijayadashami which means Vijaya (Victory) over these ten (Dasha) bad qualities.

There's yet another interpretation about it, which is, "Destruction of the Raavana in you"!

In Kerala, tomorrow is Dussehra.

The PN Panicker Foundation is organising a 'Digital Literacy Morning' at Chengalchoola in Thiruvananthapuram where children will impart the basics of digital literacy to the elders. 

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by 10.

The maid was at work.

A quiet weekend.

 

Adieu TP Madhavan chetta.

Firstly, my apologies for putting across my thoughts about you, so late.

I am reminded of our last meeting at the Gandhi Bhavan at Pathanapuram. It was about three years back and you were very keen to interact with me after knowing that I was PN Panicker's grandson. Your father, Dr NP Pillai sir was a great friend of my grandfather and together, they'd taken part in many activities, started a host of programs in the Library and Literacy movements.

You were like a kid, when you shared a lot many things about life while you held back your personal pain deep within yourselves. Was deeply impressed with your simplicity!

And no, I don't pardon your children for dumping you to yourself in your old age. They haven't done anything spectacular by being there at your funeral....it was their bloody duty!

Adieu chetta! My tears and prayers. Om Shanti! Sadgati.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Took Lekha to the Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr C Sasikumar for the pain that she has on her right knee which has been lingering on for over a week, the medicines prescribed by Dr (Mrs) Sodhi not withstanding.

A quiet Friday, otherwise.

Adieu Ratan Tata!

Ratan Tata, all of 86 years, passed into the mist of time yesterday. A thorough gentleman and a successful business icon, he believed in ethics and principles without caring a damn for profits!

Here's an incident - in his life - that he often recounted.

When Indian billionaire Ratan Tata was asked by the radio presenter in a telephone interview : "Sir, what do you remember when you got the happiest in life?"

Ratan Tata said :

"I have gone through four stages of happiness in life and I finally understood the meaning of true happiness.

The first stage was to accumulate wealth and resources. But at this stage I didn't get the happiness I wanted. But at this stage, I didn't get the happiness I wanted.

Then came the second stage of collecting valuables and items. But I realised that the effect of this thing is also temporary and the lustre of precious things does not last long.

Then came the third phase of getting a big project. That was when I had 95% of the diesel supply in India and Africa. But even here I did not get the happiness that I had imagined.

The fourth step was when a friend of mine asked me to buy wheelchairs for some disabled children....about 200 children. At the behest of that friend, I bought them.

But the friend insisted that I go with him and hand over the wheelchairs to the children. I got ready and went with him.

There I gave these children the wheelchair with my own hands. I saw a strange glow of happiness on the faces of the children.  I saw them all sitting in wheelchairs, moving and having fun.

It was as if they had reached a picnic spot, where they were sharing a winning gift.

I felt real happiness inside me.

When I decided to leave, one of the kids grabbed my leg. I tried to slowly release my leg but the child looked at my face and held my leg tight. I leaned over and asked the child : do you need anything else?

The answer the kid gave me not only shocked me but also completely changed my outlook towards life.

The child said" :

"I want to remember your face so that when I meet you in heaven, I can recognize you and thank you once again". 

My take

Adieu Ratan Tata! Om Shanti!! Sadgati!!!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a half past 8.

Sundaran was my sa'arthi and we were off to the Department of Defence Pensions at Chembukaavu, in Thrissur. Mr Asokan was replaced by Ms Rajalekshmi, who was also very helpful.

Got my User ID and had my password inserted. Got the extracts of the two Corrigendum PPOs.

A quiet day, otherwise.

A worrying trend!

The developments in West Asia are impacting Shia pockets across India as Lucknow, Leh, Ladakh, Hyderabad and Delhi have witnessed unusual online traffic depicting the attacks and abuse against America and Israel. Noting that the current trend was never seen in India, sources said the intelligence report indicated collection of funds in the Shia-inhabited pockets.

In its report to the Multi-Agency Centre under the MHA, the report highlighted that there has been a massive increase in traffic on the internet relating to "attack videos and literature", which portray the strikes on Muslims by Israel as "genocide".

It is posing a major challenge for the Indian security establishment, as multi-faceted radicalisation has been on the rise and is leading to "anti-America" and "anti-Israel" sentiments among the gullible youth.

The need of the hour is to manage the narratives that are flying thick and fast, many of which propagate falsehoods and untruths. 

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The maid was at work.

Washing machinex of bed linen was carried out.  

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun win Nobel Prize for Medicine.

US scientists discovered microRNA, the tiny pieces of genetic material that alter how genes work at the cellular level.

Though each cell in our body has the same set of instructions, called DNA, some turn into brain cells, while others become muscles. That's because microRNAs regulate genes at cellular level, acting as a switch that turns genes off or on. "Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a new principle of gene regulation essential for multicellular organisms", the jury said.

* Ambros and Ruvkun discovered microRNAs during their study on two mutant strains of worms. The 

   results of the study was published in 1993.

* As microRNAs help us control the behaviour of genes, they could help in treating various diseases. In

   cancer patients, they can be used to cause the mutated gene in the cancer cells to stop its activities.

My take

Victor and Gary, BZ!

Tailpiece.

Got up by a half past 6, washed up and along with Anish, went for the morning cuppa from one of the street vendors and returned with tea for the others.

Chambu joined us for having breakfast and getting two for Maman and Ammayi.

Left the PWD Rest House by a half past 10 and I had hopped on to a private bus to Muvattupuzha. From there, I boarded a superfast to Kozhikode and got dropped at Thrissur. From there, I'd hopped on to another private bus and got dropped at Guruvayur.

BJP retains Haryana while the Congress-NC wins the majority in J&K.  

At Thodupuzha.

Maman and folks had fetched up around a quarter past 11, last evening, in pouring rain after losing their way enroute. By the time we hit the sack, it was well past midnight. 

Dinner was brought in from Hotel Welcome. While it was a non veg fair for the four guests viz. Maman, Ammayi, Chambu and Anish, Lekha and I were on a strict veg diet!

Maman and Ammayi were put up in the master bedroom, Chambu in Amma’s room and Anish, in the sitting room with a bed put up on the floor!

Got up before 5 because of Maman’s early morning call as Ammayi couldn’t get water from the taps! Got that going and went about my chores!

Maman and folks had gone to the Guruvayur temple while I secured things for Lekha. Suma kunjamma, who has been here for the past two days dropped by. Meanwhile, Lekha had got our breakfast from Hotel Welcome. The temple goers had returned by 10, finished their chores and we set off for Thodupuzha by a trifle after 11.

Mini had gone for her medical review with the surgeon, Dr Ram Raj of the Cosmopolitan Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, who has given an all clear signal regarding her health which is great news, indeed. Maman and I spoke with her.

Visited the Blossom QC HQs enroute, 5 km short of Muvattupuzha. Put across our proposal of making brassieres for them under their technical expertise and also help us marketing the same. A detailed briefing was given to them.

Reached Thodupuzha by a half past 4. Bought Maman two pairs of casual footwear, drove around the town to see the evening sights and had a light and early dinner.

Hit the sack comparatively early.

A nightmare for the passengers!

A seven-hour Indigo system outage gave passengers a tough time.

The technical fault lasted for more than seven hours leading to long queues for check-ins, baggage drop points at airports across the country.

The system slowdown was reported around 1115 hrs at Bombay, yesterday!

My take

How glad I am that neither me nor my wife were passengers yesterday!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

It was a quiet Sunday.

Maman and gang fetched up late as predicted.

Apple expands its footprint in India.

Apple says it will manufacture entire iPhone 16 line up in India

Weeks after launching its iPhone 16 series, Apple said it will manufacture its entire iPhone 16 line up, including premium devices, in India.

Premium devices to roll out this month

This marks the first instance of Apple producing its premium devices outside China. The company said Indian-made iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models will be rolled out this month. These will be available for local customers and will also be exported. 

Four more Apple stores coming up

* The iconic phone maker also said that it will open four more stores in India, to be located in Pune,

   Bangalore, Delhi-NCR and Bombay.

* Apple's manufacturing partners in India include Taiwanese giants Foxconn and Pegatron, as well as  

   the Tata-owned Wistron. The Tata group is Apple's only Indian manufacturing partner.

My take

China loses its sheen when compared with India.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work.

Completed the backlog of work.

Strategy for the Haryana Assembly polls.

Development work have taken place along the Grant Trunk Road stretch that comprises 29 seats in seven districts. Cities like Ambala, Panipat, Kurukshetra and Sonepat are major commercial hubs. 

The BJP and the Congress have concentrated on those 29 seats as part of their election strategies.

The elections are on tomorrow.

Let's wait and watch!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 16' past 5, the chores and was ready by 10.

Lekha's knee is still not okay despite the medicines over the last three days. Will show her to an ortho specialist tomorrow as promised by Dr (Mrs) Sodhi.

Went to the town for the following :-

      * Providing my Life Certificate for 2024 - '25. Subha was a great help.

      * Grocery from Harisree supermarket.

      * Fruit basket from Ravindran's.

      * Drop cheque at the ICICI Bank.

      * Fish for the cats from Thampuranpadi Mukku.

A quiet Friday!

 

The flood relief aid.

The Union government released 5,658.60 crores to 14-flood affected states as central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and and advance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). 

The breakdown is as under :-

  (a) Maharashtra                           Rs.1,492 cr

  (b) Andhra Pradesh                      Rs.1,036 cr

  (c) Assam                                    Rs.716 cr

  (d) Bihar                                      Rs.655.60 cr

  (e) Gujarat                                   Rs.600 cr

  (f) West Bengal                            Rs.468 cr

  (g) Telangana                               Rs.416.8 cr

  (h) Kerala                                    Rs.145.6 cr

  (j) Himachal Pradesh                   Rs.189.20 cr

  (k) Manipur                                  Rs.50 cr

  (l) Mizoram                                  Rs.21.6 cr

(m) Sikkim                                     Rs.23.6 cr

 (n) Tripura                                     Rs.25 cr

 (p) Nagaland                                  Rs.19.2 cr

Tailpiece.

Got down at Kunnamkulam at a quarter past 3. Got a nice guy as my auto driver and I reached home by a half past 3. Hit the sack by a 10' past 4.

Was up at 6, to switch on the music.

The maid was at work.

Tomie gets us our grandfather clock.

A great turn out.

Dateline 02 Oct

The third and final phase of Assembly polls in 40 seats of witnessed 68.72% voter turnout, two percentage points more than the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Brisk polling was reported in all separatist bastions in north Kashmir while there was greater enthusiasm in the Jammu region, where the West Pakistani refugees, Valmikis and Gorkhas got to exercise their franchise for the first time in the Assembly polls.

For the first time, the people of Sopore openly came out to vote. "This is the first time we are voting without fear", said retired government teacher Abdul Aziz. The town was in the stranglehold of separatists and militants. 

The PN Panicker Foundation had two significant functions organised on this day. The first was at the 3rd Adivasi collective at Paangaavu in Kuttichal Panchayat which has got all its members practice UPI payments after attaining digital literacy. The Foundation, the RBI and the NABARD had made it possible and its declaration was made in the presence of George Kurien, the MoS in the Modi cabinet. Kerala's minister, O Kelu and the local MLA did not fetch up owing to political reasons!

The second was our yatra from the Museum Junction to the VJT Hall saying "No to drugs". Bishop Robinson of the Lutheran Church and other cultural leaders participated in the yatra which was spoilt by rain to a little extent. 80 college going youth - also part of the National Service Scheme (NSS) - formed the backbone of the yatra.

Returned to the Foundation, changed and caught the the Swift bus to Guruvayur that left Thiruvananthapuram at a quarter past 7. Dinner of chappathis and vegetable korma had somewhere at Ettumanoor. 

Neelamperoor Devi kshetram’s Pooram padayani.

Got up at 3, the chores and was ready by a half past 5. Prabin dropped me close to the 3A/C coach of the Guruvayur-Madurai Fast Passenger. Reached Changanasserry by a 10’ to 9. The journey was uneventful, nice.

Reached Changanasserry by 10' to 9. Maman and folks with the car came by, soon after and without much ado, we set off for Puthuvayil House. The Pooram padayani celebrations of the Neelamperoor Devi kshetram were on in full swing. Following, from the family, were attending :-

Indira kunjamma, Maman, Ammayi, Suma kunjamma, Chambu, Padmakumar, Rema, Mini and Santhi.

Had a good 'darshan' of the Devi during the 'ucha puja'.

Lunch at Unni's place.

And then, to the Panchayat office and the Village Officer's office said our piece about the transfer of ownership of the Puthuvayil House to the Foundation.

We began our journey to Thiruvananthapuram at 3. Had a darshan of the Kottarakkara Maha Ganapati kshetram and as we were returning, we met Lekha's Ananthan chittappan, Letha, Archa and Devootti.

Dinner at Hotel Al Saj.

A quiet evening at Maman's place.

Retrieving astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.

SpaceX rocket lifted off late Saturday that will bring back the two American astronauts stranded at the International Space Station (ISS).

Dragon capsule to return in Feb '25

The Falcon 9 rocket carrying Dragon spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov on board, leaving two seats empty for Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore. The spacecraft will return with all four in Feb 2025. By then, Williams and Wilmore would have logged over eight months in space.

Spacecraft docked with ISS early morning today

* Williams and Wilmore arrived in the ISS in June on the newly developed Boeing Starliner, which           was making its first crewed flight.

* However, the shuttle developed a cascade of thruster troubles and helium leaks and NASA decided it 

   was too risky for the duo to return on it.

* Dragon spacecraft docked with ISS this morning.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a 20' past 10.

Washing machinex of bed linen.

Sent my September mail by lunchtime, though a trifle late.

A bountiful South West monsoon.

India has recorded an overall above-normal (107%) south west monsoon rainfall between June and September. The season has kept the Gangetic plain dry and the arid region wet.

Between 01 Jun and 27 Sep, India got 918 mm rainfall compared to the normal seasonal rainfall of 868.8 mm. The IMD counts the south west monsoon period from 01 Jun and 30 Sep.

This year, this period marked record depression and low pressure area events.

However, scientists are confused over the factors that drive bountiful monsoon. "This year the south west monsoon is bountiful despite the absence of the La Nina factor", said a scientist. "We are clueless about the factors that drive above normal rainfall".

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 10.

The maid was at work.

A wet evening with a promise of more rain tomorrow.

BrahMos earmarks Agniveers quota.

In a major initiative, the BrahMos Aerospace has emerged as the first entity across private companies, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) to reserve employment for Agniveers under the Agnipath Scheme.

The corporation management has planned to integrate the Agniveers with Extended Employment Opportunities. Besides regular employment they will also be integrated into outsourcing contracts, providing a wider scope for their reintegration into civilian careers.

BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd (BAPL) will fill up 15% of vacancies in technical roles and 50% in administrative and security positions with Agniveers.

BrahMos is encouraging its more than 200 industry partners to reserve 15% of their workforce for Agniveers in roles tied to BAPL's requirements.

My take

A step in the right direction!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by 10.

A quiet Saturday.

Pushpaakaran plucked the coconuts in the evening and served us tender coconuts.

Israel, now after Hezbollah.

After successfully smashing the deadly Hamas terror network, Israel is now after the terror outfit, Hezbollah.

US, France and other allies jointly called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire to give room for negotiations to de-escalate tensions as the situation in Lebanon is becoming intolerable. But a truce may not materialise anytime soon. Israel has rejected it and vowed to continue fighting till it crushes Hezbollah's ability to harm Israelis. 

PM Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his troops to "continue the fighting with full force".

Indians told to avoid visiting Lebanon

* The Israeli military said it struck 75 targets in Lebanon yesterday. It said an attack on Beirut killed  

   the head of Hezbollah's drone unit.

* Amid escalating violence, the Indian Embassy in Beirut urged Indians to avoid travelling to Lebanon 

  and advised those present to exercise caution and leave the country as soon as possible.

My take

I like Israel's clinical removal of terror networks. After relentless assaults, it has wiped off the Hamas terror network to zilch. It has now concentrated on the second terror network of Hezbollah and I am sure it won't be long when that terror network will also be sent to oblivion!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 5, the chores and was ready by 10.

A quiet Friday.

The CPM workers of Nilambur have been let loose on PV Anwar, MLA for hurling corruption charges on Pinarayi Vijayan.

56.05% turnout in polling.

Phase II polls in J&K is over. The second phase of polling for 26 Assembly seats is over and the Election Commission says that this percentage is gonna go up higher.

While brisk polling took place in five districts, there were no long queues in Srinagar where the poll percentage for eight seats stood at 29.24%. A team of foreign diplomats visited a few polling stations and found it "heartening" to see Kashmiris casting their votes after 10 years.

The US Deputy Chief of Mission Jorgan K Andrews, who was among them had this to say, "It has been excellent and fascinating to see how India organises its elections and how thorough the preparations are. It has been very inspiring".

The turnout was good in three violence-hit districts of the Jammu region :-

   * Reasi (74.14%)

   * Poonch (73.78%)

   * Rajouri (69.84%)

Even Ganderbal (62.63%) and budgam (61.31%) in the Kashmir region did well.

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi seat in Reasi district recorded the highest voter turnout of 79.95%.

In Srinagar, which has remained a hot bed of separatist politics, people came out to vote for the first Assembly polls without any poll boycott or militant threat.

"It is the first time that I am casting a vote. There are no jobs, power bills are very high and youth are falling to drugs. We hope that the elected government will provide some relief to the population", said Javed Ahmed, a resident of Nowhatta area of Srinagar.

Nowhatta was once a stronghold of militants and separatists where stone pelting used to take place every Friday.

My take

What would be the outcome of the elections in J&K? I hope the Congress-NC alliance doesn't come to power because it has promised to bring back Art 370 and has a pro-Pakistan line. 

PM Modi's efforts in bringing back normalcy in J&K should not suffer a setback. The Abdullahs, the Muftis and what have you, must lose, for the good of the union territory.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Lekha had gone across to the Thampuranpady junction to buy fish for us and the cats.

The maid was at work.

Ramesh had fetched up with his assistant, Abhinand, to set up the garden.

At Kochi (3).

Dateline 25 Sep

Had got up at 5, the chores and we were ready to go to Dr Mallan's dental clinic. Sudhakaran and the car had fetched up in time and we set off at a half past 7. Reached the clinic by a half past 8, had our breakfast and were in time by 9.

The pain that Lekha had on her gums, was because of bacterial action and a procedure by laser was carried out. It took about 45' and we headed back for the Holiday Home.

After releasing the hired car, we'd driven off in our Chevy to the tow. After parking it at Panampilli Nagar, we'd gone across to my cousin, Prabha's office and after spending a while there, we'd lunch and began our return to Guruvayur via Moonnupeedika.

Reached The Quarterdeck, opened up the house and carried out the unpacking, Sorting out soiled clothes for washing/dry washing. 

A quiet evening thereafter! 

Tailpiece.

We were dog tired by the end of it all! Had done all the work that we'd planned to do except for the visit to the INCS as it was closed for the monthly stock taking.

At Kochi (2).

Dateline 24 Sep

Our quarterly medicals

Had got up leisurely, went about our chores and were ready by a half past 8 to be served a colonial breakfast and we'd kicked off by a half past 10 to Shenoy Care and after dropping Lekha there, I'd gone across to my doctor at Panampilli Nagar.

My medical condition is good and we'd a long chat about various things. He looks forward to my monthly mail and is an admirer of my narrations!

After I'd finished my medicals, Had returned to Shenoy Care and we both met Dr Shenoy. Her medicals had also gone fine and the doctor was keen to know about my activities at the Foundation.

We, then, did some personal work. Lekha had to change her bangle at Bhima's, pick up some cosmetics at Goodwill and we also met Tomie to select a grandfather clock replace our grandmother clock.

Captain Muralidhar Nair had hosted dinner for us at the 'High Tide' restaurant at the NOI. It was a great evening though his wife, Radhika couldn't join us because her 94-year-old mom was discharged from hospital earlier in the day!

Hit the sack at our usual time!   

Tailpiece.

Handed over my ceremonial medals for redoing, to Murali. 

 

At Kochi.

Our day started at 4 AM this morning, thanks to Lekha's cellphone alarm. We went through the chores and were ready well in time. Kannan came in by a quarter past 6 and we kicked off by a 35' past 6. We took the Moonnupeedika-Pota road and reached the Ananda Bhavan at Chalakkudi by a half past 8.

Shared a combo, as usual, with Lekha and washed it down with a filter coffee.

Reached Giridhar Eye Hospital by a half past 10. Through Sunitha, at the counter, our movement toward Dr Sai was arranged. Meanwhile, Lekha went through the OCT, Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and visual field analysis (HFA)..

Brought lunch for Lekha from the canteen, two floors above. Never knew that people were noticing me running errands for my wife. After Lekha had finished her food - she ate less, though - I was taking the tray with the used plate, when Remya, the good looking sister at the reception, put her foot down and told me to leave it in a corner there itself, saying that the canteen's staff would come and pick it up1

Damn sweet of her: she valued my persona! God takes care of you!!

We left the hospital by a half past 5 and we could say our byes to Dr Sai. Thus, we renewed our friendship all over again.

Meanwhile, my bookings at the Holiday Home was confirmed and I'd called up my sister and brother-in-law, to cancel our stay at their place. Didn't want to bother them as they had toiled to look after my cousin, Bindu post-liver donation for the last three weeks!

Settled down in Suite 2 (Tulip) for a quiet evening.

Found the reason for Lekha's erratic reading during the field trials of her eyes! She found the sustained concentration that she needed to put in during the procedure, rather cumbersome - causing her eyes to water thereby causing erratic reactions! Toxicity from the sustained use of HCQS hasn't had any effect on Lekha, as yet but we'll have to wait till the next quarter till another review is carried out at the Giridhar's!

A quiet evening, thereafter! Settled down at suite no.2 (Tulip) of the Holiday Home.

The Victory Tower.

600 years ago, there were no excavators or JCB 

machines, but still, this 9-storey masterpiece is a 

wonder of the world, an evidence to the bravery

and grandeur of India's history.

The Victory Tower, also known as the Vijay Sthambha

is located in Chottorgarh, Rajasthan.

India, the land of many wonders!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by 10.

A quiet Sunday.

Shut down The Quarterdeck in stages. 

Amazing English.

  1. When you say "a, e, i, o, u" your mouth gets smaller with each vowel you say!

  2. You don't really wash your hands; they wash each other while you stand thee and watch....

  3. Things are not on fire.....fire is on things.

  4. When you say 'Forward' or 'Backward'....your lips move in those directions! (yes, just like that!)

  5. The word 'Australia' has three As.....and all of which look the same but are pronounced differently!

      (Surprised??).

  6. If you rip a hole in a net, there are actually fewer holes in it than before!

  7. The sentence "All the faith he had had had had no effect on the outcome of his life".... is actually

      right!!

  8. Sometimes you have to sing the whole alphabet in your head.....just to find the next letter!!

  9. "Dammit I'm mad" backwards is still "Dammit I'm mad". (and that's the condition you have almost

      reached!!).

10. Nothing is behind your back. It is always in front of your back!

11. Most of the time the people who tell you to calm down are the same people that made you angry in 

      the first place!

12. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is not fun to say, but ironically, this is the medical term for

      the fear of long words!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by 10.

Lekha had gone to the Mammiyoor Siva kshetram and to purchase snacks for the guests coming in this evening.

Vijayan, Syamala, Sridevi, Muthu, her husband and li'l Bhadra had dropped in at teatime. 

Adieu Kaviyoor Ponnamma chechi!

Kaviyoor Ponnamma, who'd made the mother's role in many of the Malayalam films over the decades iconic, passed into the mist of time today. She was 79.

What I shall always remember, however, is her role in the famous "Oadayilninnu" with Malayalam's legendary actor, Sathyan, that had the cash registers ringing in the late '60s. The story was Kesavadev's and it talked of an energetic rickshaw puller, Pappu, who supported a mother-daughter duo as he was fond of the little one. Their friendship had developed when Pappu's hand-drawn rickshaw had hit the girl on the road and injured her. Nursing her, he goes on to become a regular visitor in the house!

It was only a matter of time when the mother - enacted by a young Kaviyoor Ponnamma - begins to dream of Pappu as her man! The little girl grows up to be an extraordinary singer, played by KR Vijaya. Prem Nazir is her fiance.

Pappu dies of tuberculosis toward the end of the movie and scorches her dream forever.

Adieu chechi! My tears and prayers!! The Malayalam film world will be poorer without your 'motherly' presence.

My take

We'd wanted her to be the guest-of-honour in one of our programs during the National Reading Month 2024, but it didn't attain fruition because of her health-related-issues. She'd promised the Foundation of her participation in Panicker chettan's functions once her health was okay! 

That shall remain an unfulfilled promise.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 5, the chores and was ready by a half past 10.

Rajish and his assistant had come by to collect my blood samples for fasting and post prandial stages.

The maid was at work.

     

59% turn out in J&K Phase 1 polls.

Voters made a beeline outside polling stations in seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir that voted in the first phase of Assembly elections, the first in 10 years, yesterday. Close to 59% of the electorate cast its vote by evening, which is decidedly the highest among the past seven elections.

"I stood in a long queue and voted patiently to cast my vote. It was my first since the 1987 polls", said 72--year-old Ghulam Nabi Mir at a polling station in Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

There were long queues at all polling stations in the Tral Payeen area, a remarkable development given that Tral was known as "Kashmir's Kandahar" during the era of militancy as it was a known stronghold of militants and separatists.

"People have realised the importance of electoral politics. After the abrogation of Article 370, which disempowered us, we want to safeguard whatever is left there through our vote", Mir said.

Zubair Ahmed, a first-time voter, said he hopes, the elected government will create jobs and usher in an era of development in J&K, especially in the valley.

Brisk polling was reported in Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts of south Kashmir, which voted in this phase. The first phase of poll covered 24 seats across 7 districts.

An election official in a polling station in Tral said it is the first time that such a large number of people are voting. "In the past, only a handful of people used to cast their votes", she claimed.

Courtesy. The NIE

My take

A welcome sign! Hope the voters elect the right government!! PM Modi needs to be given a 'high five' for having brought about the turnaround!!! 

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by 10. 

Went to town to get my bank work done and buy fish.

A quiet Thursday!  

Responses to an unusual invite!

In response to the invitation for a rather unusual REUNION of all time Greats :-

* Newton said he'd drop in.

* Socrates said he'd think about it.

* Ohm resisted the idea.

* Boyle said he was under too much pressure.

* Darwin said he'd wait to see what evolved.

* Pierre and Marie Curie radiated enthusiasm.

* Volta was electrified at the prospect.

* Pavlov positively drooled at the thought.

* Ampere was worried he wasn't current enough though alternately none were.

* Audubon said he'd have to wing it.

* Edison thought it would be illuminating.

* Einstein said it would be relatively easy to attend.

* Archimedes was buoyant at the thought.

* Dr Jekyll declined - he said he hadn't been feeling himself lately.

* Morse said, "I'll be there on the dot. Can't stop now, must dash."

* Gauss was asked to attend because of his magnetism.

* Hertz said he planned to attend with greater frequency in the future.

* Watt thought it would be a good way to let off steam.

* Wilbur Wright accepted, provided he and Orville could get a flight.

* And Dr Sigmund Freud couldn't help but give it the slip!

Courtesy. What'sApp

Tailpiece.

Today's the 1st of the Malayalam month of Kanni and also the star of Uthrattaathi or the 28th onam! It was also the day of the Aranmula 'vallom kali'!

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Also carried out washing machinex of bed linen.

Earlier carried out the 'aarathis' of Lekha and then, the house. 

The maid was at work.

A quiet day. Had gone to town to buy sundries.

Maalu, Paroo go to Abu Dhabi and Anand to Lagos, Nigeria.

Chathayam - the fourth onam!

Got up at 4, the chores and we were ready by a quarter past 6. The caretaker, as usual, had come to help me with the luggage and its loading in the boot. Sadly, in the heat of the moment, had missed saying bye to mom and dad. Felt really sad!

We kicked off for Guruvayur by a quarter to 7. The first break was at the Randalummooddu Nagaraja kshetram. After my prayers, had interacted with the pujari, who was only too happy to interact with me. Shaped course through Kottarakkara.

The Chevy behaved well throughout after the recent repairs.

Had breakfast of puri-bhaaji around a half past 8 at Changanasserry. Lunch was at Valapad as I'd cut towards Moonnupeedika from Pota. The road was nice and this exercise is being followed thanks to the pathetic condition of the Thrissur-Guruvayur road!

Reached Guruvayur by a quarter to 3. Lekha purchased grocery, sundries and the fruit basket from the shops that we usually visit out here.

Reached The Quarterdeck by a half past 3. Unpacking and opening up of the house were carried out.

A quiet evening, thereafter!

Since we were early, we weren't swamped by the Chathayam ghoshayatra! Phew!!  

Avittam - the third onam!

Got up at a trifle before 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 8. Walked towards the 'shaappumukku' bus stop. The bus was half an hour late!

Meanwhile, there were a horde of monkeys atop our roof. Sent the caretaker to close all the windows of the house so that Lekha didn't have any problems with the animals. Thankfully, they were already on their return leg after plucking a few of our coconuts!! Incidentally, had heard their thump on our truss work early in the morning, but didn't give it a second thought!

Got a heavily loaded fast passenger to Thiruvananthapuram and the driver was the saving grace. He got me at my destination within 21/2 hours, caught an autorickshaw to Indira kunjamma's place and reached by a trifle after a half past 11. Had a quick wash, took in a glass of warm water and changed my shirt.

Maman, Kuttu, Chambu and self travelled to Vizhinjam in Kuttu's car. Sabu, Ramachandran and Rajan, the neighbour came in the second car. 

Reached Aromal's house by a quarter to 12. Interacted with quite a few of them within the limited time. A nice 'sadya' for the occasion. Aromal's dad, Padmakumar and mom, Manju have become friendly. 

After ensuring that everyone had lunch, we took leave of them. I was dropped at the KSRTC bus stand at Thampanoor, from where I took the Bangalore super deluxe @ Rs.316/- Met a young lady, Neeraja, an ICICI bank employee at the Ramayya Medical College and Hospital branch, at Bangalore. A smart young lady who has her head on her shoulders.

Didn't know how time passed but she got sick and puked. She was okay as I saw her off at Kottarakkara!

Reached home by 5 and went about securing things for an early morning get away to Guruvayur, tomorrow.

Tailpiece.

What's wrong with the yanks?

Have been following the political madness that's currently in vogue in the US. There has been a second assassination attempt on the Republican Party's Presidential candidate, Donald Trump. He was playing on the 5th hole of his golf course at Mar-e-lago when a guy in the vicinity had fired five rounds from an AK-47 look alike rifle. 

Trump was whisked away by the secret service guys and the would-be-assassin was overpowered.

I've a few questions which are :-

   * Why do the yanks have so much hatred towards Trump?

   * Isn't it confirmation that he's expected to win with a huge margin?

   * He's fighting a tough battle in that almost every agency of the government seems to be against

      him. Not fair, huh!  

I'm rooting for him, this November! It's my fond hope that he becomes the 47th President of the United States!!