e-mail Dust and pollution -> ePollution

I successfully unsubscribed from tonnes of mailing lists today - many of them were chained through other subscriptions.   I didn't even remember subscribing to few of them and I was wondering  how did I get registered into them.    Over the past 6-months or so, I was suffering from a different kind of disease caused by pollution (the ePollution) created through e-mail dust.   Yes, we started calling it a 'dust'.   I borrowed the term from my wife as she saw and exclaimed at it terming it as a 'dusty inbox'.
Although, I did not agree with this term initially, but, the more I pondered around, I started accepting it. 

I don't know when my inbox started getting dusty, but I know the root cause.   It is probably the day when I started subscribing to some of the mailing lists and news letters thinking that I would get critical and helpful notifications.   But I did not realize that too much help is no help and I am the guy to be blamed - no one else.   Situation got dusty and uncontrollable when some of the important mails got burried within other unsolicited mails inside my polluted inbox.   Thanks to gmail's priority inbox feature which gave me some respite from this blunder which I created.  But, the situation did not get changed drastically.   

The only solution to this problem was to unregister/unsubscribe from those unsolicited mailing lists.

Many of us do suffer from this ePollution caused by the dusty inbox, some of us learn to live with it (like the the way people learn to live with pains) and some of us try to deal with it in different ways.   But, let me tell you, most of us are going through this unpleasant experience which we created ourselves.  

Is there a National Do Not Mail Registry system available to save us?    Probably not...we need something like this immediately.  I hope the Govt. will act now with due diligence. 

Erode district Collector makes a mark !

In my era, studying in a Government institution was a matter of pride, be it a school or a college.    There were no tutions, the teachers were extremely talented with abundance of knowledge and were passionate about their profession.    There were hardly any private school that time.    These days, the situation seems to be reverse.   Thanks to the growing population in the country - obviously Govt. cannot start schools in every nook and corner of the country.    Private schools have mushroomed in abundance everywhere trying to exploit the general public in the name of education.   With due respects, thanks to those private institutions who are still passionate about education and doing a great service to the mankind.

In cities like Bangalore, reputed private schools are charging anywhere between 60,000 to 1.5 lakhs per year in the name of high-quality education.  A friend of mine who works with me enrolled his daughter in one such school after paying a capitation fee of Rs. 2 lakhs.  Thanks to the growing economy of the silicon valley and the IT-savvy crowd.  

While the Government schools have well qualified and well paid teachers who have all the required skills for imparting quality education and showcase excellent performance, people are still hesitant to admit their wards in such schools.   What could be the reason?   Have Govt. institutions lost credibility?   Are they acting responsibly?  

Amidst all these, I happened to read the recent news in "THE HINDU" that a District Collector in Erode, Tamilnadu (Mr.Anand Kumar) has enrolled his daughter in a Government school - that too in a nearby village!   Mr.Anand Kumar has visited a village called Kumalankuttai, which is just half a kilometer away from Erode and visited a government school in that area. He sat in the parents chair and did not sit in the head mistress chair, even though she has offered to sit in her chair.

Here is a man who can get things done by whisking his finger probably wants his daughter to start from grass roots even though he and his family can get whatever he wants in the country. But he is taking an interesting route.

 Kudos to Mr. Anand Kumar for his bold decision !   

THE THUMB FINGER

All of us know that the thumb finger is the most important of all other fingers.
Well, all others fingers are important - no doubt about it, but the thumb is
the king of fingers.    Do you know why?

a.   Without the thumb king, you just can't do anything.
b.   It is the only finger which can touch any other finger directly.
c.   It is the shortest but strongest of all fingers.

So, next time whenever you see anyone worried about feeling low or complaining
about his/her height, give the example of the thumb king.

India - the country of love can't reject anyone

http://www.mfhussain.com/home/58-i-love-india-but-she-rejected-me-says-husain

I was in deep regret when I read the above page.  

We, Indians, are born to love - not to hate.
Saare-Jahaan Se Achcha, hindustan hamaara.


Sacrificing your motherland is like sacrificing your mother.

Improving your handwriting can stimulate your brain

Today, I admitted my son in Hosur Handwriting Institute (http://handwritingindia.com/) for improving his handwriting.  We seldom pay attention to our handwriting because most of us believe that it would get improved automatically as we grow.   I think this is a sheer myth.   The opposite is true - your handwriting probably deteriorates as years pass unless you pay special attention to it.   

In an 3-hr board exam, we tend to write fine for say 1 to 1 1/2 hours, beyond that, it starts deteriorating due to reasons such as fatigue, urgency, stress etc and there is no time to relax.   This is a real example all of us have experienced.   So, I have no reason not to believe that anyone's handwriting has some kind of reflection on the person's personality.  

A Certified Handwriting Analyst (CHA) is probably trained to analyze your handwriting and describe your personality to a certain extent and also recommend ways to correct it.   

By correcting your handwriting,  it may be possible to fine tune one's behavior to an extent possible.  This is scientifically called Grapho-Therapy.

Let me see how this has an positive impact on my son's handwriting and his personality.

I will be blogging more on this in days to come.....because I have limited knowledge in this area as of now.

A man drives an autorickshaw through a foam-swept road outside a factory in Ahmedabad on World Environment Day - Courtesy : Deccan Herald

HCA conducts 131st monthly chess tournament without a single break.

Mobile phones and brain cancer

In the recent past the news of linking mobile phones to brain cancer has been upbeat.   Although, WHO has just given a warning, this is not yet proven.  

My understanding goes like this....

There is something called as Glial cells that supports neurons inside the brain.   It provides oxygen to neurons which keeps us going (probably thinking! and inking!).   The brain cancer which they are talking about destroys these cells.   So...just imagine the damage it could cause to our central nervous system and the brain.   

While WHO is pursuing advanced research in this topic, all I can think of is "Why take the risk and get into trouble?".   After all, life is hear to live and just not talk....!

I think we are in the era where it is just not possible to avoid cell phones....well possibly yes for a few....but probably a big NO for most of us.    So, here are few tips that I can give you from personal front

1.  Use cellphone just when it is required and avoid general blah blah....!
2.  Wherever possible, use SMS instead of talking.   You may use a cell phone with a QWERTY keypad which is quite common and affordable these days.   It makes SMS easy.
3.   As much as possible, use hands free to talk....well thanks to the contribution of Indian Cinema which has made the younger generation latch on to listening music while on the move/working.
4.   Use a simple handset instead of touch panels unless there is a real need for one.    The world is already complicated with too many confusions.  Let us not add complex gadgets and devices and confuse ourselves.
5.   Avoid exposing children to mobile phones.   They already have too much exposure to radiation.
6.  Last but not the least, convey this healthy message to your friends and relatives.

Hosur Chess Academy

For those who love Chess. 

The academy has been 365 days a year without a single holiday.  Thanks to the passion and commitment of Jayapala Chandady, the founder of the academy.    He has been instrumental in taking the game to the poor and has produced many rated players.  He is the man of action with strong will, enthusiasm and commitment from a very modest background.  There are many thiings to learn about life and how it should be lived from this man.

More about Hosur Chess Academy can be read by googling.   However, these would be pretty interesting to see
http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/15/stories/2007101568760500.htm

http://hosur.hosuronline.com/HosurD.asp?pID=895&PCat=229