Dass

 I have been a Christian for the last 54 years. Now I am better. I find the Bhagavad Gita very illuminating/ But that does not make me a Hindu. I have only one basic tenet. Be good and do good. That's all you need to be a good human being.

You will never know it but that's because you never think about it. The months from September to December are based on numbers. In Latin. And you will be  flabbergasted that Septem actually means seven. Seven (7) but ninth in the calendar. The same goes for October.... But we have to thank the Roman Emperors for the Names. But some folks decided that we should stick to numbers. July and August we know the emperors after whom they were so named. (Quintilis and Sextilis was the former names!) But, why was March the beginning of the  year? Well, seems like the start of war campaigns as also harvesting time? All months were lunar before we adopted the solar calendar. (The moon was closer!) January was named after a god. Could be Brahma of the Hindus because he had more than one face. I cannot think of why February was named...but little bit of searching and voila... Februa means to cleanse, and the Romans who were  turning to Christianity had the perfect reason for Lent. Marc...

 We are the sum of all we meet, hear and speak. No wonder.

 That's the funny thing about time-capsule. It is dated one day and written on another. But I let it be (I am actually writing on 1st of September) Now let's see 1. The muezzin is calling out to the faithful. It is 5 PM now. 2. The TV channels are  still at Sushant Singh Rajput's case. Especially Republic Channel, headed by the irresistible Arnab Goswami. He is turning heads. Mine is going nuts. 3. Pranab Mukherjee (Da) ex-president of India died yesterday. 4. The JEET-NIT exams were held today. Against much protests. 5. One of the pets that has been sick was taken to the Vet and given a shot. Hopefully he will be fine. 6. I called up an old friend and it made me happy to connect to him. Life is funny. Some more when the time is right.

 I woke up to a feline shriek. For a moment - a second or so - I pondered and then I was up from my bed and out of the room. I spotted the kittens. Three of them. I wondered where the fourth one was. Probably had gone to my room. I poured out some food for the three all the time calling the fourth one. By now it should have come out. I opened the main door and there it lay, dead. Probably mauled by a marauding cat from the neighbourhood. I felt guilty. The kitten had been out all night because of my stupidity. It was dead because of me. I was perplexed as to what my feelings should be. Sadness? Or just, it happened...move on! It is not your fault. First time is a mistake. It was a mistake. A life-taking mistake. Stupid if I do it again. Meanwhile what do I tell me sister.  Lie that it had just died or that it was my mistake.  I don't know what was right but I told her the truth. The kitten died because of me. (And then by the end of the day it flashed to me perhaps, perha...

It's presumptive of me to call them the greatest writers, but to me they are and very likely to many others too. Quite frankly they are my favourite writer but the greatest... oh well everybody has their list. But mine has not changed for the last 40 years. P G Wodehouse is classically the best of the humourous writers ever. His Jeeves is a synonym for butlers, Intelligent butlers. And there is Wooster and Lord Emsworth. Oh, the characters are finely etched and each one leaves behind an impression. Be it Psmith or  Cutbert in his short stories. I guffaw loudly every time I remember his characters and scenes. Sometimes it is just a smile - as I write this, I am smiling. He is the ultimate in humourous English writing. And he put it himself very devilishly in one of his short stories where a visiting Russian writer names another Russian author and P G Wodehouse as the best.  Then there is Joseph Heller. Catch 22 made little sense but then I had to read it many more times before ...

If one is truly great, one will love all humankind! If one is truly great, one will love all humankind! One will love the good and bad amongst all humanity. The good will be loved with pride, admiration and joy. The bad will be loved with pity and sorry, for one will know - if truly great -  that both good and bad qualities of people are often but the results of circumstances over which they have, because of their ignorance, little control.  To be truly great, one will be compassionate, sympathetic and tolerant. When compelled to pass judgement upon others, one will temper justice with tender mercy, throwing oneself always on the side of the weak, the uninformed and the poverty-stricken. Thus one will not only go the extra mile in a true spirit of fellowship, but will also go willingly and graciously. And if the second mile be not enough, one must go the third and the fourth, and as many additional miles as may be necessary. - Napoleon Hill (Master Key to Riches) I picked this...

No, I am not referring to the Merchant-Ivory film starring Shashi Kapoor which released in 1963.  We This one refers to all of us. The householder with umpteen things to worry about... Filial relations, money, job, clients, bosses,et al, the list is long. Who has the time to worry about Philosophy and Science. Who cares how we came about or where the world will be in a 1000 years!!! We are worried about today. The 21st century and this decade will do fine for worrying. Welcome to the householder.  When did the world ever belong to a particular time? When did we ever take a break from time? Never matter, while a few scientists and academicians wring out the mysteries of nature  the rest of us nearly 8 billion of us- we are content, or discontent,  with life in general. Because we are householders.

What is Singularity? It is a hypothesised future era or event when exponential improvements in computer intelligence and advances in technology will result in an acute change in human society and evolution.

What comes after trillion? I ask this question because we are reaching the zenith, over the use of trillion. There are no trillionaires in the world today but by next decade we should see one.  A million has six zeroes A billion is one followed by nine zeroes. A trillion has 12 zeroes 1,000,000 1,000,000,000 1,000,000,000,000 In the Indian context, it is 10 lakh that makes a million. (for those who unaware, one lakh is a hundred thousand!) I always thought that after trillion one would have a frillion.  But no! That's not even a proper word. Sad, but true.  The real word is  quadrillion. Now you know. Other words that follow are as follows: Quintillion : 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 Nonillion : 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 Decillion: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 Googol: 1 followed by 100 zeros (Yep, now you know what google really means!)   As you can see these numbers are formed with 3 has the power.   The number stands for ...

I reflect on the past and am sad. I think of the future and I am happy because I will be wiser... Really time travel is impossible. If I were given the opportunity to go back to my youth, I wouldn't. Because even with my present wisdom,as a youth, I would still be the old me. And the younger me would not listen to the older me. No matter how hard I try! No, don't give me the past with its predictability. Give me the future with its wisdom and unpredictability, Anytime. I look at youth today and envy them but I look towards the future and am happy to move into old age with wisdom..   

"I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics." Richard Feynman   Just because you see it here does not mean I understand it. In general, it is all balderdash! (I mean gibberish!). But I am interested because it relates to life. And it explains (!) to some extent, why or how things work. Because we are told, we believe. We are taught to  believe and there comes a time when we accept it as the Bible. (Pun Intended!) For the uninitiated, quantum (Quanta) is from Latin and means "how much or how great." Basically it mean mechanics at micro level of electron levels or simply put - at very small measures. (Electronics by the way  uses this majorly and the use of electricity is a matter of chance.) Quantum Mechanics is about light (photons) waves, or particles. (all matter too has  similar properties - wave and particle. Go figure!)  Einstein is one of the founders and was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discovery. He is more renowned for hid the...

Gratitude, forgiveness and humility are enough to live a life... Even just one virtue. Like one great great person has said, "Gratitude is the mother of all virtue." That's very true. Feel gratitude and you will be a kinder person.  

The past has no substance but it has shadows that stretch far...

Maximal God: A New Defense of Perfect Being Theism Yujin Nagasawa,  Maximal God :  A New Defense of Perfect Being Theism,  Oxford University Press, 2017, 225pp., $60.00, ISBN 9780198758686. Reviewed by Jonathan L. Kvanvig, Washington University in St. Louis ( https://ndpr.nd.edu/news/maximal-god-a-new-defense-of-perfect-being-theism/ ) We can automatically derive that it is possible that God exists because here God is understood as the being that has the maximal consistent set of knowledge, power, and benevolence. In other words, the maximal concept of God is by definition internally coherent because its components are mutually consistent (and internally coherent). This guarantees the possibility of the existence of God. (p. 204) There are two problems with this maneuver, however. The first is the rather astonishing claim that consistency guarantees possibility. It doesn't. That's the lesson revealed by a posteriori necessities, claims that have denials that are logically...

T he word Zen is very much a westernised word that originated in China as part of Mahayana Buddhism. It is derived partly from the Japanese word Kana but closer to the Chinese word – dzjen or Chan.   But in reality it is a version of Sanskrit word Dhyana. Sanskrit is native to India and is to Indians what Latin is to the Europeans. The word Dhyana is common to most Indian languages and has almost the same meaning. Dhyan is attention in Hindi. The same word is also Dhyana. Zen refers to meditation. And to bring the mind to dwell upon life.   Dhyana means the same thing. Meditation. (From Wikipedia) The practice of Buddhist meditation first entered China through the translations of An Shigao (fl. c. 148–180 CE), and Kumārajīva (334–413 CE), who both translated Dhyāna sutras, which were influential early meditation texts mostly based on the Yogacara (yoga praxis) teachings of the Kashmiri Sarvāstivāda circa 1st–4th centuries CE.[15] Among the most influential early Chinese m...

Everything is interesting. If you explore it. By this reckoning everybody is interesting. Nothing fascinates me more than science. To be more specific, the things that make up life. For example, the elements. Of course there is also the Mind. But truth  be told, if you can find the answer to one, you will find the answer for the other. Life is like that. But back to the topic under discussion... The Periodic table is the creation of Mendeleev of Russia. We in school shortened it to Mendel! This was done 200 years back. (Not me in school!) For people involved with Chemistry and Physics, knowing the table is crucial. But it is important for others also to know that life is made of these elements. One interesting aspect of Mendeleev's table was that he used Sanskrit in numbering the table. But later day scientists decided on the present day table presentation.  Why is it known as the Periodic Table? Because they are arranged in rows and columns - a tabular form and by their valen...

Her name was Rincy. Short for Princess. (My Sister Named it.) She was brought home two months back when she was around eight months old. She was a Siberian cat. She had a bloated tummy and  was very pregnant. And one month later she gave birth to four kittens, All healthy and cute. She hardly made a sound. Perhaps wisdom had breached her feline brain. A small mew was all that she mewed/said when she needed anything. She was regal and nonchalant in her behaviour.  She was quite a pet. Yesterday she managed to sneak out. First time in her two months here. And we searched for her everywhere we could. But she was spotted in the vacant lot with a lot of bushy growth hardly 100 yards away. She was dead and rigor mortis had set in fast. She had been bitten by a snake or had eaten something disagreeable. The neighbour helped us bury him. Curiosity did indeed kill the cat. For now I shed a silent tear.  

Time solves/resolves all problems.  Either you find a resolution or you learn to live with it.

Nirvana is the ultimate feeling of bliss and contentment. I feel it. It means the want of nothing....

I have to say as a writer I am impressed by scientists and hence this piece. One cannot say they are the greatest and few will disagree their eminence.  I like Copernicus, Galileo, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. But I do like a lot of others like Schrodinger, et al. More on them later....

The Time-Space conundrum requires to be written. Yet. Give it time.

Life is too short for prejudices. (So said a great person) Forgiveness is divine so I can but ask for it. To give or not, is your prerogative. I am sorry. For all the times I have been out of order. This to my family, my friends, acquaintances, people I have met in my life....  My sincere apologies. I know I have made many mistakes in life and I seek forgiveness.

William James  Durant  November 5, 1885 – November 7, 1981) was an American philosopher. He is famous for many books among them - The Story of Civilization - stands out. I read it.

This is for those who passed on too soon... Muruli Reddy : A classmate in school he was hefty and strong and would have gone on to become a Police Officer. But he was in a car accident and passed away when he was just 25 or so.  Anand : He was a school mate and what you would call a hood guy. He lived life like there was no tomorrow. He died early, don't really know how.  Adarsh : He was a classmate in school but he moved away and connected again very much later when we were in our 40s. Shivakumar (Esha ): Very intelligent guy. He could have been the one heading Google or Facebook but alas, life has other plans. He died before he touched 50. That's grim.

The mind is akin to the Universe. Ever expanding...

 July 04 is the American Independence Day. More important to me and my kin is that it is the Wedding Anniversary of my mom and dad. She would have been 85 and he would have been 90, I guess.  

The past is behind us. We have to forget the regrets, forgive ourselves and others and move on. But hold on. While nature never retraces its step, we are the sum of the past. Yes, the past is an inventory. Of memories,actions, errors, good deeds and a whole lot of things. No matter how delicious the thought, we can never, NEVER, go back and change anything. But we can change the future. The young never worry about the past. Mostly. Some think fondly of childhood. Some others are subject to worry - when they move from twenty to thirty. So sweet. But for most others, the past is definitely an inventory. Some live like the grasshopper. But many live to save. Build houses, family and security. Everyone, builds memories. Whether you are rich or poor. We all build memories as we trudge on. Life is like that. For those who save (wealth) and rarely (!) make mistakes the future is hunky dory. But for many others it is a tumultuous living. But you made the bed. Let's understand the future is...

Annus horribilis  is a Latin phrase, meaning "horrible year". A nnus  mirabilis means "wonderful year. It is a July 01, 2020. That's one half of 2020 gone and the judgement is that 2020 has been a annus horribilis. The year has been called this after only half an year! The most wonderful thing can happen in a day... so calling it a  horrible year is perhaps a little immature. But statistics can be foreboding. And it does not lie. And so far it has been nasty. True we can call this certainly as not promising. First there was coronavirus and then the Chinese aggression. In between there was the death of a a couple of loved actors and a suicide of a younger star who had achieved much. Across the world Trump is still being hammered by his critics. The economy is in doldrums. And we are just half way into the year.

One would think that there are enough number (or infinite!) of things to marvel at in this world. Sure but leading them is the confounding - yup, highly perplexing - is the order in chaos:  Like the atoms and the smallest matter ever - quarks - and how everything is made up of the same stuff with the small (vast) difference being in their electron numbers. But that's a piece for another day! Today one would like to talk about Pi and Phi. The Pi or pi is also known as 'Archimedes Constant. Go figure!  The Pi which is a Greek letter was used by Euler in early 1700. But it was discovered by the Babylonians in 200 - 4000 BCE. The Chinese and Indians too claim discovery and the jury is still out on this but it is a a certainty that Pi is true and it is true by 3.17..... with the decimals leading to infinity!   π “Probably no symbol in mathematics has evoked as much mystery, romanticism, misconception and human interest as the number pi”  ~William L. Schaaf, Nature and His...

Richard A. Dumas : A  corollary:  There's many a slip twixt the grasp and the  grip. Many would assume that a corollary is the opposite of something. I thought so too, in school because some theorems had a corollary.   But it's just an assumption, a preposition. It could also be applied as a reciprocal. But hold on. It is not. Anyway, that aside let us look at some of the well known adages: We know that the early bird get the worm. It could also mean the early worm gets caught. I can imagine most smart alecs are smirking thinking they can get away with anything. I have wondered about this adage in particular: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. So does it mean that the road to heaven is paved with bad intentions? I can see that many would be be apt to agree. The world is full of such people. But no! That's a vehement no! We are looking at the sentence as a whole and coming to our own conclusion. What it means is that good intentions are not enough. W...

                            What’s Content Marketing all about? Or why your  Content Strategy  should take precedence over marketing Strategy? As a former journalist I adhered firmly to the belief that content was King. Indeed it was - the better and more value our news had, the better the sales of our newspapers. Content made all the difference between success and failure. That was in the early 1990s. And I now ponder why it took marketers another 20 years to actually come up with the terminology of content marketing. Yes, when Joe Pulizzi formally founded the Content Marketing Institute, in 2010, he was being astute as much as it had to do with common sense. But let’s give credit where it is due and appreciate Joe for his remarkable venture that now is the leader in content marketing consultancy. For those who are feeling left out, let me start from the beginning with a definition by the aforementioned ins...

Its a good thing they are making a movie of Shakuntala Devi. She is a mathematical wiz who understood the magic of numbers. Could be interesting to see her story. There are plenty of geniuses there who have revealed the magic of numbers. Another Indian- Bobby Seagull is, despite his English sounding name (he is a British Citizen!) he is originally or native to Kerala, India.   But first, here's what little I know of numbers. They are magical. One almost believes that there must be God. The advent of the Arabic numbers finally put the Roman numbers to rest. It was easier to say 1,2, 3 then I, II,III, though it is still used. (Remember 2K?) But you who have been welded to numbers since birth what do you get when  you add the numbers 1+2+3 .. till 10. I can see you counting now: Let me make it easier for you. The number is is 55. What do you get when you add 1+2+3 up to 100. Gotcha!  Simple really. Elementary, it always is when explained. The atomic  magic numbers...

The little girl stood afar from the group, clutching her certificate, desolation writ on her face. She was withholding the tears that threatened to breach the dam behind her eyes. Then her father was in front of her and he lifted her and hugged her tightly. The little girl all of eight, heaved a sigh of relief and wrapped her hands around her daddy. "Congratulations  my angel, you did it!" "No, I didn't!" The girl whispered in his ears. The man put her down and looked at her into her eyes. It twinkled with the unshod tears. "Now, now ...  you are being hard on yourself."  The girl was silent looking at the winner who was grinning and smiling. Victory was nice. "What did I tell you about Success?"  Daddy asked her. "It is a road not a destination." "That is brilliant. What is the opposite of Success?" "Fail...  No wait... giving up!" "You are a smart girl.../what is the opposite of that... " "Not gi...

Reta eased her running, slowing the treadmill, as she let her muscles relax in relief. Two minutes later she went back to her mat and continued to do her cooling down stretch exercises, nimbly extending her legs and arms as far as she could. Then she lay still, flat on her back on the yoga mat, the exposed part of her body – only her face and palms, glistening with the sweat she had worked up. When she had started, it had been cold. So she was dressed appropriately. She was wearing a black seamless lurex pullover and a high-waisted legging with her feet ensconced in a Nike running shoes. She lay for a few minutes savouring the rush of the warm blood course through her taut veins as her muscles relaxed after a two hour long onslaught. Her reverie broke only when she heard her phone buzz for the umpteenth time. She never picked up the phone when she was working out and all her contacts knew her routine. She sighed contentedly and stood up and walked over and picked up the phone f...