Of "holy" cows and goats

Shashi Tharoor's recent tweet on traveling in cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows created quite a flutter amongst Indian politicians.

I guess an average literate Indian (I thought it was a pretty smart tweet) would have enjoyed the wit in the tweet as he is either used to being classified under this very class a lot of times prior or considered it a repetition from the question posed. Moreover the ruckus has been more from the political class than from the so called class themselves. This leads me to the other (and the main) controversy point, the usage of "holy cows". Even a naiveté could understand who Mr.Tharoor might be referring to. Alas despite his justification in a subsequent tweet he had to apologize publicly.

Now Mr.Scapegoat, you might use all your diplomatic skills at an international platform, and that is where they might work too but on domestic level and at personal front "Hail Holy cows" is the strategy to adopt. Now try following that without a tweet!

Beware of Cabbies in Beijing

Have read somewhere that in Beijing, cabbies joke about offering discounts to American and Europeans a discount on the fare.


Though I chuckled heartily reading the above I had immediately realized that one of the countries in question was the biggest economy in the world on which the Asians grew fat on. It dawned on me that in today's new world order, economies cannot flourish independently. Lets hope the whole world emerges stronger out of the economic recession.

Bhartruhari Subhashitani

keyuraani na bhushayanti purusham, haaraa na chandrojvala
na snaanam na vilepanam na kusumam na alankrita murdhaja
vanyeka samalam karoti purusham, ya samskrita dharyate
ksheeyante kila bhushanaani satatam, vagbhushanam bhushanam 


Meaning:  


Armlets don't adorn a person, nor necklaces like moon aglow;
Not baths, not anointments, not hair well-styled, not even flowers white as snow;
Only speech adorns a person, well-refined and sounding clever;
Jewels wear out and lose their value; good words help one shine forever.

Paradox of our life

The paradox of our time in history is that we have...
taller buildings but shorter tempers, 
wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. 


We spend more, but have less, 
we buy more, but enjoy less. 


We have bigger houses and smaller families, 
more conveniences, but less time. 


We have more degrees but less sense, 
more knowledge, but less judgment, 
more experts, yet more problems, 
more medicine, but less wellness. 

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. 
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. 
We've added years to life not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. 
We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. 
We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. 
We write more, but learn less. 
We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. 
We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. 
These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. 
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. 
It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom!!!

“For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it.”

Inspirations

Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn! 

Look to this Day! For it is Life, the very Life of Life. 

In its brief course lie all the Verities and Realities of your Existence. 

The Bliss of Growth, The Glory of Action, The Splendor of Beauty; 

For Yesterday is but a Dream, And To-morrow is only a Vision; But To-day well lived makes Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness, And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope. Look well therefore to this Day! 

Such is the Salutation of the Dawn

Note : I grew up thinking it is a poem written by the great Indian playwright Sri Kalidasa. However my online search for the original quote presumably in Sanskrit  lead me to  the views of a few Sanskrit scholars and researchers who point out that this quote doesn't find its place in any of the dramas of Kalidasa. I might never know the correct source of this poem, but its meaning energizes me nevertheless.

Action points to stop Global Warming

Most of us are convinced that Global Warming is a serious threat to humanity. However, some of us might not be sure of what we can do individually to reduce our carbon footpritnt. Making small adjustments to life style not only stop global warming but will also lead to some dollar savings. Here are some simple action points all of us can easily practice:

Say No to Plastic

It is estimated that in the US alone about 2.5million individual plastic water bottles are thrown off every hour. 

Try using reusable bottles. 

Also do remember to bring your own cloth bag when u shop. 

We can start getting habituated to this by adhering to the "bring your bag day". 

Use the carry bags you get with groceries for lining dust bins. 

Buy products with minimal packaging.

Constantly evaluate your mode of transport 

Use public transport more often and especially for shorter rides. 

Ensure your vehicle tyres are well inflated. 

Car pool whenever possible. 

Increase the usage of bicycles, this will also help burn yourcalories. 

Buy hybrid / fuel efficient cars. 

Turn off your engine (ofcourse except when in traffic) when you have to wait for more than 30 sec. 

Be more regular in getting the air filter of your car checked.

Use your electronic gadets discerningly 

Run your dishwashers and washing machines only with full load. 

Avoid usage of dryer and hang clothes in open air when it is sunny. 

Turn off all the appliances when n not in use and ensure that the plug is removed. 

Set your computer to sleep mode when not in use than to a screen saver mode. 

Move your thermostat down to two degrees in winter and up by two degrees in summer. 

Also try wearing a sweater /more clothes during winter to withstand cold than turn up your heat. 

Use the good old broom for cleaning instead of vaccuuming whenever feasible.

Switch to a tankless water heater.

Insulate your walls and ceilings. 

Replace old appliances that waste energy.

Clean or replace dirty AC filters as per the instructions.

Use less water

Take shorter showers.

Install a low flow shower head.

Do not ask to linen change during hotel stays unless absolutely necessary.

Avoid changing plates while dining in restaurants.

Use water used for cleaning vegetables for watering your plants. 

Others

Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs /energy saving bulbs.

Buy local produce as much as possible.

Reduce consumption of meat and diary products.

Buy organic food.