Meaning of these words struck me when I heard of Vasu Valliachchan (father's elder bro) being no more in this world. It took some time to really wrap my head around and figure out what happened. All memories of times spent with him flashed in mind and felt terribly at loss and lonely. Valliachchan was a sweet person, so much look alike of my father (only the mustache and the voice discerned them and as a kid I couldn't differentiate them). I wonder how my Achchan (father) could have possibly endured this news that his beloved brother and many ways his role model passed away. The "Swantham" that he used to write in inland letters sent to my Achchan meant much to me (and for him too). I guess the presence of Devadath, my nephew kid growing more and more vikruthi (beautifully mischievous) day-by-day, is keeping Achchan engaged. Guess if the innocence and spontaneity of a baby cannot make you happy, nothing in this world can.
I am just being with myself and not attending any functions for this week.
Feel incomplete not being able to do the last rites for Valliachchan.
Prostrations and Love.
OM NamahShivaya.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Opiated Peacock.
When M (Mahendra Nath Gupta- the writer of "Gospel of SriRamakrishna") came and met his Master first time and saw his beaming and blissful samadhi state, he could not stop thinking about HIM till he returned next day at the same time.
SriRamakrishna then said this-
" if you give opium to peacock at a certain time of the day, it will get intoxicated and the next day at the same time it will be at your door steps to receive another dose of it"
Meeting Guruji for the second Gurupoornima, I figured that peacock in me was also opiated..
And I am enjoying it...
Will write about the course that I did, GP 2010 celebrations and experiences soon..
JoyGurudev!
JoyGurudev!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Two-fold cost of males
Have been thinking about writing some science for some time.
Here is a question that we in one of our class here at KSU (Kansas State University) discussed which is almost at the interface of science and philosophy, so picking that.
One of the most interesting debates we had in our evolution class was about the "two fold cost of males". According to the theory of evolution a species evolves and advances its genetic heritage to next generation. Every species including human beings undergo struggle for existence and the most fit forms which has adaptations to succeed in a particular environment survives and reproduces extending its genetic heritage to its progenies. Every time in nature they get better adapted to the existing environmental conditions. If any species fail in this battle, they are not fit and eventually that particular species go extinct since there are no individuals who can advance their genetic heritage. Any heritable variation (genetic changes or mutation) will be carried to the next generation and conserved there. So basically the "fitness" of a population is to have as many progenies as it can produce and advance it's genetic heritage to next generation. Then what's the need of two sex forms (male and female) in a population? Isn't it enough that one form can reproduce and advance their progeny to next generation and thus the population survive? Such questions tend to get philosophical and sometimes even spiritual.
Now take the greatest debate between atheist and believers in the West. In USA, the State of Kansas has become so (in)famous for instituting "theory of intelligent design" in their schools. The theory of evolution by Darwin was the single most jolt to the evangelist since that completely disowns the Genesis chapter of Old Testament and the way in which it has described how GOD created various life forms. As per Darwin's theory of evolution, simplest atoms and molecules came together to form the primordial cell (after the Earth became suitable for making those) and as time advanced, they got more and more complex, sophisticated, multicellular forms. Every time they evolved new adaptations which allowed it to tide over unfavorable conditions and almost a million year ago, from a neanderthal, one Homo sapien (human being) also came into being. Against this evolution theory, evangelists proposed "intelligent design" which says GOD did all this design of various species in the most intelligent manner as you can see now. In the State of Kansas, after a lot of opposition from scientists (especially Biologists who are 'real scientists') political parties and evangelists were able to institute intelligent design to schools so that kids learn that also.
Now coming back to the cost of males. Take the case of simple, single celled forms; they don't have two sex forms. Bacteria, viruses and many fungi are just only one kind and they advance their life like that reproducing by budding or fission and many other similar methods. The problem with a form which cannot give birth (males) is that it cannot reproduce by itself and it also tend to produce new unproductive forms of itself. So the resources had to be given for an unproductive member in a population and that also leads to the production of another unproductive member. This is the two fold cost of males in a population. As per theory of evolution, this is not economical. When there are limited resources, the species cannot succeed in fitness if there are members which cannot give rise to off-springs.
So scientifically speaking, why there are males in a population?
Ha ha it would be funny to imagine a population where there are only mothers, daughters and sisters in a population and there are no fathers, sons or brothers:-D.
One answer is to create variation. Suppose there are only females and they give rise to only females. Every time they give rise to new progeny which look alike. The presence of a complementary life forms creates more opportunity for variation in population. The importance of variation is that it will allow to succeed in a particular environment. For example, if there was an epidemic outbreak (like SARS), all identical forms will get susceptible and eventually wiped out due to the disease. If there is one member who is a variant which can resist the disease, he will survive and give rise to progenies that will also survive. So males are needed for diversity of a sexually dimorphic population.
PS: Have resorted little bit of dilution in some concepts to simplify the scientific theory.
Here is a question that we in one of our class here at KSU (Kansas State University) discussed which is almost at the interface of science and philosophy, so picking that.
One of the most interesting debates we had in our evolution class was about the "two fold cost of males". According to the theory of evolution a species evolves and advances its genetic heritage to next generation. Every species including human beings undergo struggle for existence and the most fit forms which has adaptations to succeed in a particular environment survives and reproduces extending its genetic heritage to its progenies. Every time in nature they get better adapted to the existing environmental conditions. If any species fail in this battle, they are not fit and eventually that particular species go extinct since there are no individuals who can advance their genetic heritage. Any heritable variation (genetic changes or mutation) will be carried to the next generation and conserved there. So basically the "fitness" of a population is to have as many progenies as it can produce and advance it's genetic heritage to next generation. Then what's the need of two sex forms (male and female) in a population? Isn't it enough that one form can reproduce and advance their progeny to next generation and thus the population survive? Such questions tend to get philosophical and sometimes even spiritual.
Now take the greatest debate between atheist and believers in the West. In USA, the State of Kansas has become so (in)famous for instituting "theory of intelligent design" in their schools. The theory of evolution by Darwin was the single most jolt to the evangelist since that completely disowns the Genesis chapter of Old Testament and the way in which it has described how GOD created various life forms. As per Darwin's theory of evolution, simplest atoms and molecules came together to form the primordial cell (after the Earth became suitable for making those) and as time advanced, they got more and more complex, sophisticated, multicellular forms. Every time they evolved new adaptations which allowed it to tide over unfavorable conditions and almost a million year ago, from a neanderthal, one Homo sapien (human being) also came into being. Against this evolution theory, evangelists proposed "intelligent design" which says GOD did all this design of various species in the most intelligent manner as you can see now. In the State of Kansas, after a lot of opposition from scientists (especially Biologists who are 'real scientists') political parties and evangelists were able to institute intelligent design to schools so that kids learn that also.
Now coming back to the cost of males. Take the case of simple, single celled forms; they don't have two sex forms. Bacteria, viruses and many fungi are just only one kind and they advance their life like that reproducing by budding or fission and many other similar methods. The problem with a form which cannot give birth (males) is that it cannot reproduce by itself and it also tend to produce new unproductive forms of itself. So the resources had to be given for an unproductive member in a population and that also leads to the production of another unproductive member. This is the two fold cost of males in a population. As per theory of evolution, this is not economical. When there are limited resources, the species cannot succeed in fitness if there are members which cannot give rise to off-springs.
So scientifically speaking, why there are males in a population?
Ha ha it would be funny to imagine a population where there are only mothers, daughters and sisters in a population and there are no fathers, sons or brothers:-D.
One answer is to create variation. Suppose there are only females and they give rise to only females. Every time they give rise to new progeny which look alike. The presence of a complementary life forms creates more opportunity for variation in population. The importance of variation is that it will allow to succeed in a particular environment. For example, if there was an epidemic outbreak (like SARS), all identical forms will get susceptible and eventually wiped out due to the disease. If there is one member who is a variant which can resist the disease, he will survive and give rise to progenies that will also survive. So males are needed for diversity of a sexually dimorphic population.
PS: Have resorted little bit of dilution in some concepts to simplify the scientific theory.
Friday, June 25, 2010
uff thera ada!!!!
Can't believe it's been one year that I haven't met HIM!
So much longing and excitement is there now.
On last Gurupoornima how many intimate moments that filled this heart!
But feels like never enough!
How charming is HE!
So I have a song about that.
This song from movie Veer-Zara that was love at first hearing.
In fact in the actual music cd it starts with Gulzar's voice-
"Ek din savere savere jab suraj ne parbat ke thaki se sir jo udhaya, tho dekha" (don't want to translate:-)
Like that what will happen today!?
"Where this life is moving!!!!!!:-D
From where this voice I am hearing
Whose face I am seeing in each and every flower!!!"
:-D :-D;-D
Life is Beautiful!
Have only heard about binge drinking, what an intoxication!
Gurudev says that you need to express it sometimes, otherwise heart will burst:-D
JoyGurudev!
So much longing and excitement is there now.
On last Gurupoornima how many intimate moments that filled this heart!
But feels like never enough!
How charming is HE!
And when we exchange roles, who is Krishna and who is Radha?.
This song from movie Veer-Zara that was love at first hearing.
In fact in the actual music cd it starts with Gulzar's voice-
"Ek din savere savere jab suraj ne parbat ke thaki se sir jo udhaya, tho dekha" (don't want to translate:-)
Like that what will happen today!?
"Where this life is moving!!!!!!:-D
From where this voice I am hearing
Whose face I am seeing in each and every flower!!!"
:-D :-D;-D
Life is Beautiful!
Have only heard about binge drinking, what an intoxication!
Gurudev says that you need to express it sometimes, otherwise heart will burst:-D
JoyGurudev!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
A good but foolish samaritan 2
This is the concluding part of this earlier post
Three weeks later when I had almost forgotten about Bereket and the accident, I got an email from him asking my apartment address and phone number. Also I got two or three emails in quick succession from him asking the same. Thinking that he might want to thank me or something I gave all my details. Then he called me to lab and told about about some difficult times he had to go through after the accident and also related to the statement that I gave to the insurance and police. He also told that he will be visiting me at my apartment so that he can see me in person.
His actual situation as explained by him;
That night the gentleman driver dropped him and everything was happy. Next day Bereket started having pain in his stomach and bleeding started through urine. He contacted the driver and told about this and requested to take him to hospital (because he didn't have car). The driver who told him to call for whatever help needed never responded to his request. He had to manage himself somehow to reach the same hospital and then also figure out that he has some internal injuries. He underwent treatment for two weeks and the amount went upto 10,000 dollars unimaginable for a student to pay. He didn't have full assitantship to cover his health insurance either. The little insurance money that he might have got was also disapproved by the company saying that my witness statement regarded it as Bereket's fault. In my statement I used the word 'he rushed" and that's it! I had to use that because how could he have possibly left my umbrella and reach the road earlier than me otherwise? Also the place he crossed was without any traffic lights and illegal to cross. The police station had already regarded him as a nuisance to public transport and denied him all sorts of assistance. This is because since I had a very good impression initially about the driver, I had told to the cops that he is very nice and it might not be the driver's fault also. (they asked me if the driver was inebriated, and I told absolutely not, he is a very good guy).
Bereket was still ailing and was resorting to some physiotherapy then. I told that it's impossible now to take my statement back and change it since it has been given. And we don't have any money to challenge them in court also. My financial status was also not very sound to help him in any manner. They have put his graduation and studies on hold till he pays back the money and release all those flags.
I was sad and the only relief was that he understood my good intention to help him when he fell on the road and accompanying till hospital. But then I foolishly gave away the statement to the insurance company without knowing the way of how things worked here. In this way I got to know that system here is complicated and usually protects those people who are rich and influential. People can put on a very good face so that you have a good impression and get their things done like that.
Now fastforward to 2007 May 13, the day of my graduation (yes, that day coincided to Guruji's B'day, much to my happiness!). I saw Bereket also walking with cap and gown graduating along with my own spring session graduation ceremony! He saw me and I told sorry for everything. He told that he knew my intention was not bad. He had changed his guide for Masters in between, got full assistantship and seemed happy too.
About this episode only one thing remained, dear Venki makes fun of me being the only one who was able to screw up the graduate life of a person. But, I have no regrets as of now..
PS: The good samaritan entry was given to me by my Oppol (elder sis) who is settled in California whom I update my week-life every Sunday.
Time for a song. Since samaritan story is what Jesus narrated to his disciples, song should be like that..A bro, in this movie, is not invited for his own sis' marriage and he finds a way to attend it by singing this choir in Church. Very touching for a bro like me:-D
Three weeks later when I had almost forgotten about Bereket and the accident, I got an email from him asking my apartment address and phone number. Also I got two or three emails in quick succession from him asking the same. Thinking that he might want to thank me or something I gave all my details. Then he called me to lab and told about about some difficult times he had to go through after the accident and also related to the statement that I gave to the insurance and police. He also told that he will be visiting me at my apartment so that he can see me in person.
His actual situation as explained by him;
That night the gentleman driver dropped him and everything was happy. Next day Bereket started having pain in his stomach and bleeding started through urine. He contacted the driver and told about this and requested to take him to hospital (because he didn't have car). The driver who told him to call for whatever help needed never responded to his request. He had to manage himself somehow to reach the same hospital and then also figure out that he has some internal injuries. He underwent treatment for two weeks and the amount went upto 10,000 dollars unimaginable for a student to pay. He didn't have full assitantship to cover his health insurance either. The little insurance money that he might have got was also disapproved by the company saying that my witness statement regarded it as Bereket's fault. In my statement I used the word 'he rushed" and that's it! I had to use that because how could he have possibly left my umbrella and reach the road earlier than me otherwise? Also the place he crossed was without any traffic lights and illegal to cross. The police station had already regarded him as a nuisance to public transport and denied him all sorts of assistance. This is because since I had a very good impression initially about the driver, I had told to the cops that he is very nice and it might not be the driver's fault also. (they asked me if the driver was inebriated, and I told absolutely not, he is a very good guy).
Bereket was still ailing and was resorting to some physiotherapy then. I told that it's impossible now to take my statement back and change it since it has been given. And we don't have any money to challenge them in court also. My financial status was also not very sound to help him in any manner. They have put his graduation and studies on hold till he pays back the money and release all those flags.
I was sad and the only relief was that he understood my good intention to help him when he fell on the road and accompanying till hospital. But then I foolishly gave away the statement to the insurance company without knowing the way of how things worked here. In this way I got to know that system here is complicated and usually protects those people who are rich and influential. People can put on a very good face so that you have a good impression and get their things done like that.
Now fastforward to 2007 May 13, the day of my graduation (yes, that day coincided to Guruji's B'day, much to my happiness!). I saw Bereket also walking with cap and gown graduating along with my own spring session graduation ceremony! He saw me and I told sorry for everything. He told that he knew my intention was not bad. He had changed his guide for Masters in between, got full assistantship and seemed happy too.
About this episode only one thing remained, dear Venki makes fun of me being the only one who was able to screw up the graduate life of a person. But, I have no regrets as of now..
PS: The good samaritan entry was given to me by my Oppol (elder sis) who is settled in California whom I update my week-life every Sunday.
Time for a song. Since samaritan story is what Jesus narrated to his disciples, song should be like that..A bro, in this movie, is not invited for his own sis' marriage and he finds a way to attend it by singing this choir in Church. Very touching for a bro like me:-D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)