Career- An Art of Right Choice

The career of each of us to himself or herself is a matter of most vivid interest; where every turn, every color, and every shade in life is acutely realized by the person who lives according to the dictates of conscience. It is nearly allied to matchmaking, with all the desires to express our personality in most appropriate and significant terms. 

Wikimedia Commons by Paoloarao

There is nothing which a man desires more fervently than his natural instincts to rule at least his own province in order to make his life more pleasurable and less penitent. 

The career of each of us provides certain opportunities to develop the creative faculties, and at the same time gives us a chance to alleviate the debt of gratitude, which we owe to the society in general. 

The career should open new vistas of knowledge and experience. One should work for the social and moral amelioration, because the ethos of age are highly uncongenial, due to doubt,disbelief, cultural chaos, social turmoil, communal hatred, political unrest and above all the lack of moral values.

Rising above petty issues, one should cultivate advanced thoughts with judicious balance between self- love and love for society, indeed cosmopolitan one. One should try to awaken the fellow beings from the slumber of ignorance, which indeed is not strength. We have to sustain and rejuvenate our crumbling credibilities against the winds of several doctrines. 

I don’t think that for the sake of experience, all the discreditable acts relating to ten Commandments are essential to be committed, before earning the wisdom.

Consolation- A poem

Don’t cry!
Trash human endeavor,
Shadows chased 

Wikimedia Commons by Palagiri

But sever.

Own self He devours,
Dying again and again
In cosmic bargain.

The purpose dissolves,
What remains,
Will it be?
And what does not remain, 
Will it not be ?

The tempest 
Of spring season, 
Is lasting elasticity, 
the sole reason?

What provoketh thee,
Or thy pursuits?

I unto all,
A passeth show.
All unto me,
The palaver of the flow.

Whatever is born,
Is it shorn?

Is the crumbling credibility,
A vital plumage
Of the the reality?

Can Relationships fulfill us or vice- versa?

In every relationship there is a mutual expectation of fulfillment of something. Whatever is done is aimed at some objective or some motive. In another way it implies that every human being is incomplete, and there is a constant urge for completion. 

Wikimedia Commons by Wizxmat

Everyone aims at completion at the cost of some relationship. It is often termed as destiny or the wish of god or internal conscience as said by Freud. But all are answerable to some reason. The actions are derived from necessities which in turn fulfill the desires. The relationship is in reality, to chase the desires.

Whenever the desires are not fulfilled, the relations become strained and lead to discord. Generally it happens due to confusion as the person does not know what he needs. The demand is often specific. It is better to make a list of expectations from relations. 

Think what you need from life or the persons close to you like love, importance, support, friendship, understanding, communication, attention, stability, pampering, help, finance, popularity, power etc. Find the specific thing and all the doubts would dissolve. 

Remember one can never give you all these things at the same time. You need different relations for each liking. Similarly we ourselves can never provide all these things to a single person. Because all these things have different meanings and are never equal to a single person.

Déjà vu

In David Copperfield, Charles Dickens explained an experience that hints at the remembrance from past lives.

Wikimedia Commons by Rlbberlin

We all have some experience of a feeling that comes over us occasionally of what we are saying and doing, of having been said and done before in a remote time of our having been surrounded in dim ages ago, by the same faces, objects, and so; surroundings, i.e., deja vu.

I too have personally felt it when I lit the pyre of my deceased father, visited an ancient temple, went for a surgery into the operation theater etc,. I felt that, I have already undergone through these traumatic experiences, or have visited these places in a remote past.

This experience is due to our super consciousness. It gives us the proof of the spirit or the soul which rules or carries our consciousness through ages and ages. 
Has anyone felt the same? 

Criticisms and Appreciations

We all have an innate tendency to criticize, both in a cynicism and in applause. In other way this criticism is to critically evaluate the thing or the idea, but it is very easy to criticize than to appreciate. 

Wikimedia Commons by Lance
Cpl. Frederick J. Coleman

The criticism is often a negative and a pessimistic tendency, coming out of envy and jealousy, however good the intentions may be.

On the other hand the appreciation is an art, which in perfection reaches the level of aesthetic science. Because, the outcome of healthy interest in life is an art, or music, or poetry, or literature etc. 

These aspects are the outcomes of honest human endeavors. It needs hard work to communicate and enjoy all arts.

So the cynical criticism is a low level faculty than critical appreciation. There is a hairline like distinction between the two. The latter is not absolute, because it is again changing with times. 

Appreciation needs indifferent attitude, so that the personal feelings may not influence and it may not become cynicism. 

The factors of race, time, place, personality, consciousness etc., all influence the human faculties to justly evaluate anything.

Past, Present and Future

Wikimedia Commons by Nicolas Raymond

During the times of great emotional stagnation or when the crisis suddenly befall on man like a lightening, the time and space cease to be what they actually are. At that time the present hardly exists because then there becomes an absence of feeling and sensation, which can separate the present from the dead past. This is a stage of nothingness. 

Aurobindo Ghosh, an Indian thinker has beautifully summed it up as, “the pure an virgin moment, that razor's edge of time and existence which divides the past from the future and is, and yet instantly is not.”

All the virgin moments lose their virginity in the harlotry of the past. The coming moments have a life span of a fraction of second, and then they get merged into the all pervading past. It proves the nothingness of the present. But the present is more important than past and future. It is a transition stage between the two. The present is like a river which goes on flowing.

Freedom Comes with Discipline

It needs great discipline to perform the feat
Wikimedia Commons by AngMoKio

Freedom and discipline are like antonyms or contrary to each other, but they are mutual compliments too.

Is there any freedom in safety. 

The cop and the soldier who have no freedom themselves, protect the freedom of others. 

They are bound in discipline and hence are the custodians of freedom. 

Thus freedom and discipline go hand in hand together.

In life too we have to follow the rules to get the freedom. 

The joys and sorrows of life depend on whether we concentrate on freedom or on discipline. 

Discipline is necessary to enjoy the fruits of freedom.

National Test Range at Balasore

Model of Agni and Prithvi at Chandipur, Balasore.
Wikimedia Commons by Ansuman

The national test range of India, is located at South Baliapal in Bihar and Bhograi on the east coast of Orissa, in the district of Balasore at Chandipur.

It is the launching pad for the long distance missiles and rockets. It is a test range for the newly developed missiles rockets and pilot-less aircraft.

More than 100,000 people residing in the area were sore with the installation and had formed an association to oppose the setting up of the test range.

The area is rich , fertile, and agriculturally prosperous. It is spread over 400 sq. Km. 
The crops grown in the area are rice, wheat, coconut, chilies, beetle,etc. there are more than 30,000 vineyards of beetle, which export beetle of crores of rupees to different parts of India.

Healthy Relationships- Can Relationships fulfill us or vice- versa?

Love has no Limits
Wikimedia Commons by AleeiixK

In every relationship there is a mutual expectation of fulfillment of something. Whatever is done is aimed at some objective or some motive. In another way it implies that every human being is incomplete, and there is a constant urge for completion. 

Everyone aims at completion at the cost of some relationship. It is often termed as destiny or the wish of god or internal conscience as said by Freud. But all are answerable to some reason. The actions are derived from necessities which in turn fulfill the desires.

The relationship is in reality, to chase the desires.Whenever the desires are not fulfilled, the relations become strained and lead to discord. Generally it happens due to confusion as the person does not know what he needs. The demand is often specific. It is better to make a list of expectations from relations. 

Think what you need from life or the persons close to you like love, importance, support, friendship, understanding, communication, attention, stability, pampering, help, finance, popularity, power etc. 

Find the specific thing and all the doubts would dissolve. Remember one can never give you all these things at the same time. You need different relations for each liking. Similarly we ourselves can never provide all these things to a single person. Because all these things have different meanings and are never equal to a single person.

The Amnesty International

The prisoners forced to produce oil.
The Andaman Cellular Jail- the shadiest part of British India.
 Now the National Memorial and tourist attraction at Port Blair.
Wikimedia Commons by Biswarup Ganguly 

It is a worldwide movement that is independent of any Government, political party, political ideology, economic interests, religious creed or regionalism. 

It seeks the release of political prisoners of conscience arrested because of their beliefs, ethnic origins, color, sex, language or religion, who have not advocated or used violence of any kind in words or deeds. 

It also seeks a free and fair trial for all political prisoners. Besides it opposes torture and death penalty.

The Amnesty International wants to ensure that no confessional statement given to the police under torture should be admitted as a evidence in the court of law, as guaranteed in Article 12 of UN declaration against torture.

Life is Too Short for Trifles

Portrait of Julius Caesar (oil on canvas). 
Based on bust of the ruler from the British Museum
Wikimedia Commons by Amadscientist

There is a saying that the brave die only once but the cowards die again and again. 

The people are generally afraid of death, because throughout their life they fail to live fully. The live in the webs of their anger, hatred, arrogance, hypocrisy, greed, sycophancy, cheating, falsehood, superstitions, infightings, egoism, cynicism, and all other things except living truly to themselves. 

They fail to appreciate the life, fail to love, and fail to have concern for all living and non living things. The live in their selfishness. 

During this time they complete the lifespan and the death comes knocking at the doors. 

Only the man like Julius Caesar can say, “Don’t stop me due to some superstition, that I am going to be killed, I am Caesar and I always try to be different, not like the people who live under the constant fear of dying”. 

So be true to yourself and spread the message that life is too short for trifles.

Life Means Capturing the Fine Moments

The moments come to be captured
Wikimedia Commons by Navicore

Let us suppose, somehow we come to know that we will die within a couple of days. Then what will be our reaction? We would be left to introspect and retrospect. Now we have got a final situation or a final moment or an ultimate destination up to which we will soon have to go. 

We will try to make the most of the time and would make sincere endeavors, to capture the last moments. It is true that all will not go for material pursuits. So herein lies the point, which I intend to bring home. That is, it is not the material but the emotional satisfaction, that matters the most, for the fulfillment of the self. 

There are certain things bestowed to us only once in life, and we spoil it by our ignorance and false ego. We get only one and the final chance, but we generally miss this rare situation. So don’t let the time fly as usual, rather try to make the most of it. 

Capture the fine moments of life with fine associations, as it will enrich us emotionally, or rather try to create the fine moments. Because life slips like a handful of sand.

If once this attitude is developed, it becomes a part of the “Will”. Then one can impart any color to these moments, to explore the deeper meanings of life- a life that opens new vistas and new horizons, with an uninterrupted flow of sympathetic consciousness.

The “Being” on the other hand is the integration of total self which is life. So an appeal to the sympathetic consciousness must be absolutely direct, as direct as music and dance. We must feel this conflict of “Will and Being”, not in our intellect but in our nerves as it actually is and not as we are. We should not oppress ourselves by constantly being watched by our own self, because it is due to our assertiveness and our frightened self- insistence that makes up the “Will”. While “Being” is the impulsiveness and true ego, rather than the consciousness of the ego.

The Wet Wipes

Wet wipes (2 Thai models)
Wikimedia Commons by Mattes

The wet wipe or the folded tissue papers are available in different forms, like alcohol free wet wipes, wet wipes for sensitive skins, fragrance free wet wipes, wet wipes with baby oil etc.

The antibacterial wet wipes are used to clean the hands, because the use of towel or napkin or soap is usually difficult. These are used in public places where sometimes the hand washing becomes necessary. These are handy and easy to use.

The cleaning of hand is the best option to keep away from several contagious diseases. It is good for personal hygiene.

The baby wipes are suitable for the sensitive skins of the babies.

The cleansing wipes are used against infections and for family hygiene. 

The beauty wipes are the best for facial cleansing or the removal of dust, sweat etc from the face.

The Dark Side of Modern World

Wikimedia Commons by Heidi Schneider

The modern man has basically become corrupt and selfish, while the claims are made that the world has become more civilized and a better place to live, than it was before.

The dishonesty, greed, selfishness,treachery, machinations and betrayal are present everywhere. It is done to arrange more and more luxuries and amenities in life. 

When the man is after the blood of man, then how the present world could be termed more better than the previous ages. 

It may be a stage in evolution, where everyone is likely to become corrupt, so that ultimately all will realize the importance of honesty and truthfulness, because then everyone will become the victim. 

Better times will come after this transition. This may be a wishful thinking, but good sense will prevail and the coming generations will term this period as the dark phase of modernism.

Corporal Punishment

Wikimedia Commons by José Cruz/ABr

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child defines corporal punishment as a physical force intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light.

It involves hitting (smacking, slapping, spanking) children, with the hand or with an implement – a whip, stick, belt, shoe, wooden spoon etc. It involves kicking, shaking or throwing the children. On the one hand it includes scratching, pinching, biting, pulling hair or boxing the ears of the children and forcing them to stay in an uncomfortable condition. The burning, scalding or forced ingestion ( for example washing the mouth of the children with soap or forcing them to swallow hot spices) are the other forms of corporal punishment.

In view of the committee, the corporal punishment is degrading and inhumane. Besides, the other non-physical forms of punishments like belittling, humiliating, denigrating, threatening, scaring, ridiculing or making a scapegoat of a child in one way or the other, are also cruel cruel and degrading. 

It is an universal fact that the punishment meted out to the children in any form, restricts the harmonious growth of the child. It causes adverse effects on the physical, mental, spiritual, psychological and educational growth of the children, that emotionally leave their scars on the psyche for the remaining part of the lives. It could also lead to the development of violent attitudes and actions in childhood as well as in adulthood. It could also lead to low self- esteem, depression, delinquency, inferiority complex in the child. These are the qualities that no parent would like to be developed in their children.

How to Handle the Whimsical Child

Wikimedia Commons by Meco

The children left in care and custody of others, generally become whimsical and obstinate. Because the parents themselves pamper the child to compensate for their absence. The demands of the child whether reasonable or not are fulfilled. This makes the child obdurate and disobedient. All these things make the child moody and he knows how to exploit he emotions. 

The parents should devise the means to correct the behavior of the child, in order to make him a decent, calm and cool person. 

It is better not to get irritated with the child as he may imitate your behavior and get further spoiled.

Try to find the reason of his irritation as he may be trying to get your attention. In case of second reason spend some time with him.

If the reason is the reckless demand then teach him to behave properly.

Don’t fulfill the demands if he raises much storm, because it will encourage him to repeat the same thing.

Talk with the child, as the counseling will inspire him to behave properly.

Lift - The Marvelous Discovery

Roller Coaster
Wikimedia Commons by Vicreate

The Roman engineer Vitruvius Polio used the pulleys for the first time in 26 BC, to lift the material for the construction of buildings. He used a platform for the purpose, which moved up and down on the wheel- pulley arrangement. That is how the high rise buildings were constructed at that time in Rome. These platforms lifted heavy materials and were moved by beasts and men.

Then about 1800 years later such lifts began moving with steam energy. But all these lifts were used to carry the goods only. They were considered to be dangerous for lifting the man. That is why only the churches or temples were the highest buildings constructed till the middle of 19th century. Because there were two major problems, the first was to lift the material above 4 stories, and the second was the need of a strong support base. Besides the people were not desirous to live in skyscrapers.

It is said that the French Emperor Louis XV in 1743, had a moving chair outside his room, on which he used to go upstairs to the room of the queen. This lift is considered to be the first lift of the world.

But in 1848 the problem of building material and stairs was solved, when the solid structures of steel girders and cast iron came into being. Then in 1857, Ilia Otis used the same lift for a departmental store in New York, which he had already displayed three years ago in New York trade fair. This lift used steam energy but it moved very slowly. 

Then the Otis Company, first of all used an electric lift in 1899. Thereafter the lift underwent several improvements. In 1894 the life began moving by a click of a button and its speed too improved drastically. In 1903 the counterweight system in lift was developed. Otis sold his first lift for $ 300.

The modern lift automatically moves up and down and the doors too are automatic. These lifts balance the weight with pulleys and cable and are computerized too. In 1948 the lift became fully automatic. Now the lifts travel at a speed more than 500 meter per minute. The skyscrapers could not be imagined without a lift. 

The transparent lift made of glass was first used in Eiffel tower in France. Presently the lift is also used in ships, dams and rockets etc.

Silver- The Wonderful Metal.

Natural silver nugget
Wikimedia Commons by Jurii

Silver is generally used for making ornaments, utensils or decorative items. 

The silver was first of all discovered at Laudia, the capital of Eastern Asia Minor in 640 BC. It is very difficult and expensive to extract silver from the mines. It needs deep excavation and and modern tools to get the silver from the mines. About a troy ounce of pure silver is extracted from 1000 kilogram of raw silver.

Silver is weighed in troy ounce, and 32.15 troy ounce makes one kilogram. 

Silver is used in photography, solar power, medicines, space sciences etc. It is used in photographic plate, which is sensitive to sunlight. In medicines it is used as a foil on the dead tissues of skull. 

In space sciences it is used to make powerful batteries. These batteries make those machines function which supply oxygen to the astronauts. The discovery vehicles on alien planets also move with these batteries. The signals too get transmitted to earth with them.

Silver is used for defense against germs and bacteria in medicines.

Being rustproof it is used in electricity. It has helped in the improvement of computers, telephones, television, and other communication systems. it is used in solar cells and solar cookers. Silver is used in jet engines, nuclear reactors, explosive furnaces, rockets etc.

Painkillers or Analgesics- The Dangerous Side Effects

Painkillers
Wikimedia Commons by Fæ

The people generally take the painkillers for fast relief. These tablets are often taken without consulting the physicians. On the other hand some doctors too resort to the reckless use of painkillers. But these pain relieving wonder drugs have dangerous and sometimes fatal side effects. 

The excessive use of painkillers now and then becomes painful itself, and the situation instead of improving becomes worse.

It may cause mental problems like memory loss or the loss of intelligence, depression, illusions, and stress.

The people with heart and kidney problems or diabetics, should not take any analgesic without medical supervision.

Don’t take the painkiller in fasting or in empty stomach. Because the non-narcotic painkillers may permanently damage the lever and kidneys, if the stomach is empty.

Increasing Population and Food Security in India

Wikimedia Commons by Bluemoose

The population explosion in India is continuously getting out of proportion. This increase in population is creating undue pressure on our resources. The population further rises, as and when we make an effort to fulfill the needs of present population, and the whole process becomes a shadow chasing.

The government instead of encouraging the family planning, is indifferent towards the whole issue, due to electoral compulsions. The politicians are worried only about next elections, and do not care to take interest in taking serious measures to control the population. The illiterate masses of India consider the child as a prospective worker, to start earning earlier.

Further the Food Security Act of India ensures free food-grains to the poor people, according to the number of family members. The larger families will get more food grains without any compulsion or condition to keep the family under check or go for family planning. 

The WTO had summoned the Commerce Minister of India, to explain the effect of free food grains distribution on international prices, as India has been accused of hoarding. This action is supposed to badly affect the production and the share of farmers. 

When the people will get free food, then who will work in the fields? The people getting the benefit are mostly the farm laborers. This may lead to decrease in production, which will cause inflation. The free food-grain scheme may also run a muck when the production will decrease.

The WHO has so far not taken any cognizance of this decision. They should impose the condition of fixed ration to a family unit of four based on the criteria of -we two our two- as per the family planning logo of India. They could impose sanctions on India for this decision, which is against global the interest and may lead to further increase population explosion.

Where are A, B, C

Wikimedia Commons by Xixtas

We often write the numbers like one, two, three, four and so on in English. 

But the spellings of numbers in English have peculiar and interesting facts associated with them.

It is worthwhile to note that the spelling from one to 99 does not include the letters A, B, C and D.

The letter D comes in the spelling of the word hundred.

The letters A, B and C never occur in the spelling of numbers from one to 999.

On close observation a strange thing appears that the letter C never comes in the spelling of any number.

The Historic Silk Route

The SIlk Route
Wikimedia Commons by Splette

It is the ancient network of interlinking trade routes leading to China. The name silk route or silk road has been derived from the lucrative silk trade to China. Along this route of about 6,437 Km, the silk was the major trading commodity. 

This route passed across the extensive transcontinental network or the Afro-Eurasian landmass and connected the East, South and west Asia, with Europe, North-East Africa and the Mediterranean world through land and water. It passed from Europe, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and India the up to China.

The silk trade on this route, began during the reign of Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) in China. The part of route in central Asia was developed around 114 BC, due to the efforts of Zhang Qian of the aforesaid dynasty, who sent several expeditions on this route. From 114 BC, up to the time of collapse of the Yuan Dynasty, this world-famous route remained important for 1,600 years.

It is worth mentioning that before the discovery of silk route, other trade routes across the continents also existed at that time.The trade along this route helped in the development of the civilizations. The prominent among them are those of China, India,Persia, Europe, Arabia, Africa etc. 

Besides silk from China, many other goods were also traded, and various technologies, religions and philosophies hybridized with each other. Moreover the plague and other diseases also traveled along this route. The Indians,Arabs, Persians,Sogdians, Bactrians etc., were the main traders on this route.

The products of China like iron ware, gold and platinum items, bronze mirror, lacquer ware, bamboo works, medicines, farming and metallurgy techniques were introduced in India and Europe through this route.On the other hand the alfalfa, grapes, flax, pomegranates, walnuts, cucumbers, lion, peacock, elephant, camel and domestic animals along with some other plants and animals were taken back to central China.

How to Clean the Washing Machine

The Washing Machine
Wikimedia Commons by Stilfehler

Sometimes the washing machine looks more dirty than the clothes.So it is necessary to keep it clean, because it becomes a fertile ground for the bacteria and germs. So here are the few rips to keep the washing machine clean and sparkling.

1. Clean the detergent box of the washing machine, as it is the breeding ground for the germs. Remove the box from the machine and clean it with the help of an old toothbrush and ordinary household cleanser.

2. Because of the dampness and the warmth, the filter is another hidden place for the bacteria. Open the filter and clean it.

3. The drum inside the washing machine contains several holes where the germs accumulate.So it is better to clean the drum every month by starting the empty machine. 

For this purpose use water at 60 degree temperature and put some soda crystals in it. This will kill the bacteria and germs. It will also remove the bad smell from the machine.

The Hand Driven Old Washing Machine
Wikimedia Commons by Julo

4. The bad smell can also be removed by keeping the lid of machine open after washing the clothes. 

This will allow the free passage of fresh air and the germs would not develop.


5. The choice of right detergent is also necessary. 

Don't use liquid soap, because the lather or foam of the soap remain embedded to the hidden places and the internal walls of the machine, which later cause foul smell.

Online Publishing

Wikimedia Commons by Hoblok

In earlier times it was very difficult for a writer to get his works published. He had either to bear the entire cost of publishing or just surrender and accept defeat. But now there is an option of online publishing on internet. Some writers have earned millions from online publishing by writing e-books. These books are cheaper and are easy to be published, copied distributed, purchased or sold.

This trend has revolutionized the world of publishing. The publishers too have benefited from it, Because now they have an option of getting the online feedback of the readers, instead of deciding themselves or seeking the opinion of few selected and paid readers. In this way they can successfully publish the e-books.

The online publishing is very easy. The writer can give an appropriate form of e-book to the creative work, and upload it on the gadgets meant for e-books. The popular gadgets are Amazon’s kindle, ipad of apple,and Sonny’s e-reader etc. These companies look after an unauthorized presentation, sale, and income etc. They charge a part of the income against the services provided by them. 

Every e-book cannot become an online bestseller. Because anyone can upload anything on internet, but the quality needs hard work and dedication, so that the people may buy and recommend the work with favorable comments.

In America the income from online publishing has reached millions of dollars, and is about one fifth of the market share.