Gulliver's Travels and Turkiye

In our school days, we have all enjoyed reading Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Names of people in present day Cyprus and Turkiye resemble those in the second island of Gulliver's visit. I wonder whether the author meant these regions in his novel.

Oddities in Online shopping

Most of us, particularly those who are 73 years of age like me, experience the convenience of online shopping. It reduces our risk of walking in chaotic streets and roads, it saves time etc. Still, when looked at holistically, it is not as good and straight forward as shopping in the store.

Yesterday I had a very unpleasant experience of ordering my dinner via www.swiggy.com.

I ordered for dosa and sambar costing nearly Rs 200. When ordering, I gave my residential address in their website. I paid the cost via Google Pay. 

After a few minutes I had a call from the delivery person that the address that I gave was wrong as his Google Map showed a different area of the city. There was no need for him to use Google Map when I had given my residential address including landmark correctly. 

He said that he cannot deliver the item and said that my order is cancelled; he also said that I should remit Rs 185 to Swiggy for cancellation. 

Thus I lost my money due to Swiggy's fault.

Recently we have seen the global chaos due to malfunctioning at Microsoft. 

Technology is useful when in good hands, but disastrous when in bad hands.

Sreejith's birthday

Today is Sreejith's birthday. He is a well behaved former colleague of mine when I was working at a K-12 E-learning materials development Company in Chennai during 2006 or so. 

If I had got married to any compatible woman, I would have probably had a son or daughter of Sreejith's age.

My best wishes to Sreejith for a happy birthday and many happy returns of the day.

Nostalgic journey

When I was fiddling around NHK WORLD JAPAN website, I came across a very interesting video that features analogue taperecorders.

I fondly remember my analogue radio receivers and taperecorders that were indispensable company until the late '80s when I switched to digital ones, during my many years of stay abroad. 

Divine Discourse

It was highly spiritually enriching to view  Shree Krishna Chandra Shastiji's Bhaagavad Katha (Shree Mahaa Vishnu's Story) on Sanskar TV Channel this evening.

He mentioned that according to Maharishi Vaalmeeki, after killing evil Raavan, Lord Shree Raam ruled the Ayodhyaa Kingdom for 11,000 years and He always looked strikingly handsome and youthful. He mentioned a very significant concept here. We all depend upon Nature. Shree Mahaa Vishnu doesn't depend upon Nature. Nature depends upon Him.

Jai Shree Seethaa Devi sametha Shree Raam🙏.

Shree Mahaa Vishnu

Yesterday was a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender; idols of Lord Jagannaath, His brother Lord Balabhadraa and His sister Shree Shubhadra were taken back to the Temple at the end of Ratha Yaathraa. 

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calendar. It is celeberated as Guru poornimaa. Guru means Lord Vedavyaasa, who is considered to an incarnation of Shree Mahaa Vishnu. Special worship is offered to Him.

Lord Vedavyaasa and Shree Madhwaachaarya. 

Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.

Media and quality degradation

As I write this post, there is a news that there is a mass IT outage across the world due to some technical issue with Microsoft.

We have been experiencing degradation of quality in all consumer goods from food to TV Channel content in general globally. Let me confine to media content in this post.

BBC World TV Channel's regular viewers would notice gradual but significant reduction in quality in it's programs over the past few years.

(I began listening to BBC World Service when I was a teenager in late 1960s and had been a regular listener until the early '90s, when I switched my interest to BBC World TV). 

Even 15 years ago, BBC World TV's programs such as Travel Show and Click used to change content every week. Nowadays, they don't do this. For example, today's Travel Show episode is 100% the same as that was telecast one week ago. 

Following is a clip from today's Travel Show telecast by BBC News TV Channel:

Besides, the program  content is certainly not as good as it used be even a few years ago. This applies to many programs telecast by BBC WORLD.

I don't understand why BBC and media outlets cannot change the way in which they function.  

More importantly, it is an obvious fact that in general, quality of people's attitudes and their behaviour is also undergoing deterioration globally. 

Regarding Microsoft OS, Sayee (my maternal uncle's son), a brilliant computer engineer with a Master's degree from a University in the US, says that Linux is a better OS than MS. I trust his opinion. He has worked in World Bank etc.

Karmaa Concept

US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with Covid according to media reports. It is a well known fact that he had Covid vaccines previously. 

There have been many cases such as that of Mr Vasanth, CEO of Vasanth & Co, a very popular consumer durables Store in Tamilnadu, where people  died due to Covid even after having the vaccine.

It is a popular belief that exercises or physically active life style can prevent Dementia//Alzheimer's disease. Former British PM Margaret Thatcher (known as 'Iron lady') had dementia. Former US President Ronald Raegan died after getting Alzheimer's disease. Shree Amitabh Bachan's mother is said to have died after living with dementia. She was well known as an active home maker and a support to her poet husband. 

According to Hinduism, if a person comitted sins in his/her life time or in previous births, he/she cannot escape from meeting the consequences. This is known as Principle of Karma.

Hence, Karma Concept is above pharmaceutical industry interested in making income by promoting anti dementia drugs etc.

Nelson Mandela

Today is the birth anniversary of Dr Nelson Mandela, legendary South African leader and a disciple of Mahatma Gandhiji. He and another former South African President F W De Klerk were instrumental in abolishing apartheid in South Africa. For this reason they received well deserved Nobel Peace. Prize.

Shayani Ekaadashi

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. This day is observed as Shayani Ekaadashi. Special worship is offered to Shree Mahaa Vishnu  on this day. Besides, being Wednesday, today is very auspicious to worship Shree Mahaa Vishnu and His wife Shree Mahaa Lakshmi.

Shree Krishna arpanam asthu🙏.