A brief road incident

Yesterday, I was to about slow down my car when a scotter overtook and paused before me. There was just few inches between us. I honked and alerted the scotter guys. The one sitting back mimicked a road rage. I took the car close to him and told the rider ' If I have not controlled my slowing movement, I would have probably hit him'. His friend still wanted to show some aggressiveness and screamed 'yeah we know'. I still maintained my cool and said 'Now you are able talk. You could not have done, if you were dead'. He then said 'sorry'.



That was end of the story.



Next time, I would tell such guys 'I also were like you in your age. But I wanted to tell you I have lost some friends who had craze for thrill and speed'. Lets see if they would change.

Forthcoming Blog Posts

Ten years back, one of my colleagues asked me a question on some topic which I would never knew the answer. I asked her how she knew I would have the answer. She said that I was able to talk on any subject.



May be I pretend to know everything. May be that we live in an information world, we have on us dust of everything. I will you some truth: there is no universal truth; the world is only a complex web of views.



With that note, I want to commit to myself on few blog topics in the coming days:

• Six Degrees of Separation




• Why Life is Cricket?




• The inconsistent BESCOM




• How weight loss program works




• Migrating from TOI to DNA




• Lief: Divorces, Old Age Homes

Online Book Shops

By the way, a mini disclaimer. Its just a coincidence that I write on few websites these days. Recently, I have been frequenting Flipkart.com but have not purchased anything yet.



I have purchased books through firstandsecond.com, rediff, indiatimes and fabmall extensively in the past. I also have received books through Citibank's loyalty points. (Want to share a bad experience here: For a book of worth Rs.96, Citibank took 250 points from my account. They even said 1 point equals 1 Re. but they could not justify how 250 equals 96). 



Many online websites review that Flipkart is similar to Amazon. But I find Flipkart's costs are dead cheap. I get my books from Sapna Books, Books Paradise, Landmark, Crossword, through office library and other book exhibitions. Landmark which never had a discounted sale (probably not realizing the competition from the locals?), recently is running a discount sale.



Next month, we can also expect a discount sale in Palace Grounds followed by one in Strand. 



Flipkart is the online website that provides very discount. No shipping charges!  I am planning to try their services.



Also read:

Interview with Flipkart Founder Binny Bansal

Cancer and Great Lives

For the past few years I have been seeing or hearing of cancer cases in friends families. All that I learnt about cancer was a painful experience, chemotherapy, losing hair, thinning body and finally death. During childhood days, the cancer was primarily a cinema plot element.



Some friends' parents losing their lives.I am sure for the future generation, they would certainly will have a scientific solution for cancer. Recent days Cyberknife as a new technology (Robotic Radio Surgery system) is known to be available in Bangalore. I hope there are free services for the poor.



Today morning, I was reading Jiddu Krishnamurthy's biography (The book I have is this).

He was one of the greatest philosophers of the century who died of cancer. My spiritual guru Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi too died of cancer. I was wondering if there is something that can be attributed to great personalities and cancer?



I asked myself. I asked the internet God - Google.  I came across this website: http://www.katinkahesselink.net/other/shearman14.html

A question which is sometimes asked about the occurrence of cancer is why cancer seems so often to attack people of outstanding and saintly character and exceptional wisdom. The cases of Sri Ramakrishna, Ramana Maharshi or J. Krishnamurti, and many others, are cited. The thought that comes to mind is that these were people who were nearing the end of a phase of human life and were soon to enter upon a higher quality of existence. A new adjustment of forces had to be made and a final "balancing of the books" had to take place before they were liberated into a higher and more completely fulfilling quality of living. A "dweller on the threshold" had finally to be met at that particular entrance into a new life.

It seems reasonable to imagine that as advanced individuals move on into the next stage of evolution, and the interplay between individual personal self and the greater Self achieves effective harmony, and duality yields to unity, then the sort of adjustment that finds its expression in cancer will no longer be necessary.

Not really answering my query...but I have something to ponder about.

Home Design Websites

I came across two websites today which are really good to browse through for our ideas.One is Apartment Therapy and  Loving, Living, Small



Unbeleivable collection of information on both these websites that inspires to put these ideas into action. I need a weekend to read the pages.



3 months from now, I would put all the good ideas in these sites to good use.  Decorating the walls with colourful posters, framed photos, decorating the walls with books, will make our small living space a lovable one too.



I will sure post a photo of the changes I have done in the coming weeks.

Google Books

Google Books is a great gift to the book lovers. I guess it recently introduced the Full View option where in one would be able to read the entire book. Many features of Google makes us hooked onto the Internet. I am linking to a book just a test.

Unfair Criticisms

This article is dedicated to someone close to me.



Every day is not the same day. Most of the days are just average. Some days are great. Some days are 'bad days' because someone is screwing up our lives. One common thing that puts most of us is 'Unfair Criticisms'.



First thing is do not react but respond. Let it reach your brain and be there and not reach further to your heart. That gives you control to respond than react.  When you react to someone, you are actually vulnerable! When you respond, you are certainly in control.



I recall Buddha's story where someone abuses him verbally with offending words. Buddha said something like 'If I dont accept a gift, it does not belong to me. Same way, I dont accept you words, so you take it back'.  Getting the message?  Buddha responded.



Second thing is analyze the situation.  It is possible that the other person has misunderstood. If there is an opportunity to clarify, please do so.



Third thing is Ignore.  Traffic on the road puts people on rage and they accuse whoever they see the next person. We all are part of the traffic, we together created the traffic, but one passerby will raise his fingers against us expressing his rage.  If we also shout, we lose our peace of mind and spoil our day. Helpless people, powerless people do so - just ignore.

Last thing - probably - an important one. Does the situation make you strong or weak?  Do you beat yourself because someone hurted you? Or Did you keep yourself in control exercising all your wisdom, your learnings, being an exemplary, role model for others. Its a wonderful situation to pass through. If there are waves, learn to sail through them - do not drown.  The plants that stand the strong winds grow to be trees; the rest fall.



So, my friend, unfair criticisms make us strong!

Now think of the troubling situation - are you still going red on the situation?  Re-read it my friend.



And I forgot to tell you, I love the phrase "This too shall pass".  Its a wonderful phase I am pondering over for the past two days. Will write blog on this very soon.