The Economy Paradox.

1. (a) If interest rate goes up : "How the poor could afford a house, car for themselves?"

    (b) If interest rate comes down : "How will elders earn interest from the bank?"

2. (a) If foreigners invest in our country :  "They are taking away our wealth as profits/dividends".

    (b) If domestic companies invest outside : "Our wealth shifts for the development of outsiders".

3. (a) If tax rates are increased : "The government is robbing the people".

    (b) If tax rates are lowered : "The government is trying to help the rich".

4. (a) If GDP grows : "The government is working primarily for the big corporates".

    (b) If GDP contracts : "There is no job creation".

5. (a) If currency strengthens : "Our exports get impacted".

    (b) If currency weakens : "Our import bill has gone up".

6. (a) If food prices go up : "Masses are suffering".

    (b) If food prices come down : "Farmers are suffering".

7. (a) If stock market comes down : "The economy is in a mess".

    (a) If stock market goes up : "It's not a true measure of the economy, only corporates are being supported".

8. (a) If Corporate tax rates are increased : "Government is penalising private companies".

    (b) If Corporate tax rates are cut : "The government is only trying to boost the profitability of the corporates".

So, heads I win, tails you lose.

Courtesy . What'sApp

My take

The paradox is real! And we get enough reasons to criticise!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores. Carried out the Wednesday 'arathi' of The Quarterdeck. Was ready by a quarter to 10.

To the Thampuranpadi market to buy fish.

Washed down the Chevy with help from Lekha.

China in Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022.

Someone just asked if the World Cup 2022 is riding on China's capabilities. 10 ways China was quietly working behind the scenes at the Qatar World Cup.

 1. World Cup buildings were getting green electricity from a next generation power station which harvests only solar energy, built by the Power Construction Corporation of China.

  2. People were taken where they needed to go in a fleet of 888 fully electric buses - made by Yutong Bus - a Chinese firm that has quietly become, the world's biggest bus maker.

  3. The main stadium was built by China railway Construction Corporation : that's the firm that pops up in Africa and Europe and around the planet, known for its extraordinary ability to create infrastructure in difficult environments.

  4. What's a sporting event without souvenir merchandise? It's estimated that almost 70 percent of the World Cup related goods - from footballs to flags to jerseys to whistles - came from a single location in China, a southeastern city called Yiwu.

  5. A purpose-built extra-large reservoir was providing clean drinking water for sports people and fans. It was constructed by Gezhouba Group from Wuhan.

  6. The stadium-building operations needed huge amounts of heavy equipment, from massive earth movers to cranes - nearly, 100 of these were supplied by China's Sany Heavy Industry, one of the world's biggest construction firms.

  7. The most innovative venue is Qatar's Stadium 974 which can be disassembled and reassembled anywhere. Designed by a Spanish architect, the 974 building blocks were made by China International Marine Containers.

  8. All the LED floodlights came from the Unilumin Group of China

  9. Most people say air conditioners are a must for survival in that environment and China's Midea Co supplied supplied 2,500 aircons for the event.

10. This is the most expensive sporting event in world history and needed a lot of support from businesses. Nineteen Chinese firms signed up to sponsor the event.

Courtesy. What'sApp

My take

Now we know better. We are nowhere in this league.

Tailpiece.

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

Jerry had come by at a quarter to 1 to install the gas stove and the chimney. Sreejith, of the PCI, fetched up around 3 to do the servicing.

By the time the work was completed, it was a quarter to 5.

A nice evening.  

Oppenheimer's image cleared!

Oppenheimer, who died in 1967, led the Manhattan Project which developed the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. The physicist was later accused of having communist sympathies and his security clearance was revoked following a four-week, closed-door hearing.

In stripping Oppenheimer of his clearance, the Atomic Energy Commission did not allege that he had revealed or mishandled classified information nor was his loyalty to the country questioned, according to Granholm's order. The commission concluded there were "fundamental defects" in his character.

Years later, an Atomic Energy Commission lawyer concluded after an internal review that the system failed and a substantial injustice was done to a loyal American, according to the secretary's order. Granholm said the decision was driven by a desire among its political leadership to discredit Oppenheimer in public debates over nuclear weapons policy.

The Biden administration has reversed the decades-old decision to revoke the security clearance of Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist called the father of the atomic bomb for his leading role in the second World War's Manhattan Project. 

US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the 1954 decision by the Atomic Energy Commission was made using a flawed process that violated the commission's own regulations.

"As time has passed, more evidence has come to light of the bias and unfairness of the process that Dr Oppenheimer was subjected to while the evidence of his loyalty and love of country have only been further affirmed", Granholm said.

My take

Does such a posthumous pardon really mean anything to the victim? I've never understood as to what is achieved in the process that must have provided untold suffering and angst to the individual!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by 9. 

Akhil was our sa'arthi and we'd set off for Rani Menon's Eye Hospital at Ayyanthole for the appointment with the ophthalmologist at 10.

The entire exercise took up the whole of the forenoon. Visual fields and OCT Macula were carried out on Lekha's eyes and the results are good. 

After lunch, we'd picked up a cooking range and its associated chimney. The shop's rep had followed us to dismantle the existing contraptions and the installation team will fetch up tomorrow.

The River and the Ocean.

Once the River became very proud of the tremendous flow of its water.

The River felt that I am so powerful that I can wash away everything with me - the mountains, houses, trees, animals, humans etc.

One day the River proudly asked the Ocean, "Tell me, what should I bring for you? Houses, animals, humans, trees, whatever you want, I can uproot and bring with me".

The Ocean understood that the River has become egoistic.

He said to the River, "If you want to bring something for me, Uproot some Grass and bring it".

The River said, "Is that all, I'll bring it right away".

While passing through the field, the River exerted its full force on the grass but the Grass did not get uprooted.

The river tried several times but failed.

Eventually the River gave up and reached the Ocean and said, "I can uproot trees, houses, mountains etc

But whenever I apply force to uproot the grass, it bends down and I have to pass from above, empty-handed".

The Ocean listened carefully to the River and said with a smile,

"Those who are hard and rigid like mountains and trees are easily uprooted.

But the one who has learned the humility of Grass, cannot be disturbed even by the fiercest of winds or violent storms".

Happiness in life, does not mean fighting battles but avoiding them.

To retreat skillfully is also a victory in itself because arrogance turns even angels into devils.

And humility turns even an ordinary person into an angel.

The journey of the seed is up to the tree, the journey of the River is up to the Ocean and the journey of Man is to the Divine.

Whatever is happening in the world is the law of nature......you and I are just instruments.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6 but being a Sunday, lazed on bed for another half an hour working on the cellphone. The chores and was ready by a half past 10.

A quiet Sunday. 

'Just leave it'.

It's a wonderful sentence. If we know the value of it, we won't be suffering  as much as we do in our lives. The principle that's worth practicing.

* Try convincing a person once or twice. If he or she refuses to get convinced, Just leave it!

* When the children grow up and take their own decisions, do not impose, Just leave it!

* Your frequency doesn't match with everyone in life. If you can't connect with someone, Just leave it!

* After a certain age, if someone criticises you, don't get upset, Just leave it!

* When you realise that nothing is in your hands, stop worrying about others and the future. Just leave it!

* When the gap between your wish list and your capabilities increases, stop self expectations. Just leave it!

* Everyone's path of life, duration of life, quality of life is different, so stop comparing. Just leave it!

* Life has given you such a wonderful treasure of experience, stop counting what you don't have. Just leave it!

And finally, If this does not appeal to you or apply to you, Just leave it!

My take

A simple, sane advice which will avoid unwanted heartburns!

Tailpiece.

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

To the fruit shop to buy our fruit basket. 

The evening chores. Helped Lekha water the plants. Had an interesting chat with Allan, my classmate, currently at Pune.

Trials of nuclear-capable Agni 5.

Night trials of Agni 5, nuclear-capable-ballistic missile were successfully carried out by India on Thursday. It can hit targets at 5,000 km and was successfully launched from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Orissa.

The test was to validate new technologies and equipment on the missile which is now lighter than before. It has also proved the capability to enhance the range of the missile, if required. 

The missile, which uses a three-stage solid-fuelled engine, is capable of hitting targets at 5,000 kms with a great amount of accuracy.

The successful test is in line with India's policy to have 'credible minimum deterrence' that underscores the commitment to 'No First Use'.

Falling into the category of the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile category, it can carry a payload of 1.5 tons and weighs around 50 tons. India is the eighth country to have intercontinental ballistic missiles after the US, UK, Russia, China, France, Israel and North Korea.

The other missiles of the Agni series, along with their ranges are given below :-

      * Agni - 1              700 kms.

      * Agni - 2           2,000 kms.

      * Agni - 3 & 4    2,500 to > 3,500 kms.

My take

A moment of immense pride!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Today, incidentally, is the first of the Malayalam month, Dhanu.

Lekha's beautician, Seena had fetched up around 10. Changed the bed linen and carried out washing machinex.

Vibi and Ajeesh, of the Asian Paints, came in by a half past 12 to take stock of the entire house for carrying out paint work. Their quote should reach me by early next week.

And not to forget, today is the 51st anniversary of the successful India-Pakistan war of 1971.

     

At long last!

Op Saral Rasta : Road samples fail quality test; cases registered. 

The blacklisting and similar punitive actions should come from the government department concerned. We on our part have registered cases against the contractors for failing to adhere to the stipulated standards. 

- VACB officer

Kerala's Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered nearly two dozen cases after detecting irregularities during the multiple episodes of Operation Saral Rasta, a special drive intended to unearth malpractices in road construction in the state. The vigilance sources said samples from 200 roads were collected during the three legs of the drive. The samples were subjected to a quality test, of which 24 were found either using substandard construction materials or lacking the requisite thickness of bitumen.

The number of roads that failed the lab tests could go up further as more results are awaited. The lab reports, along with recommendations of the anti-graft body have been forwarded to the state government for further action.

The special drives had laid bare the reality that many of the roads were being built without following the directives of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Indian Road Congress.

The samples of the roads were taken by the Vigilance sleuths on the basis of the information collatedby its intelligence wing and through tip offs from the public.

If a contractor fails quality test in case of multiple samples, the vigilance will suggest blacklisting him and prevent him from associating with the government works in future.

Adapted from. The NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and set off for the Aspire Residential Public School, Perumbavoor for delivering my second motivational lecture.

After breakfast enroute, reached the school by a half past 9. Conversation with Fairuz Rehim, the MD and Anitha George, the Principal before beginning my interaction at a half past 10 was informative. I enjoyed the session thoroughly and there were many questions from the children.

Returned home by a half past 3. Siesta and the evening chores!