Warrier's Collage on Friday February 3, 2023

Welcome To Warrier's COLLAGE On Friday February 3, 2023 Tourism in and around Kannur https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g777115-d3913076-Reviews-or15-Arakkal_Museum-Kannur_Kannur_District_Kerala.html Good Morning Nice Day M G Warrier A Messages/Responses 1) C V Subbaraman Even before completing reading the Collage of TODAY, I am urged irresistibly to write to you about the fantastic speech of Eddie Jaku. Oh, what a speech! I would walk a thousand miles gladly to listen to such a speech. It is deeply inspiring. Every word is chosen to be an invaluable ruby. The speech just does not come from the brain or the tongue or the mouth. It comes from the inner recesses of the speaker's heart. It comes from his experience of his life, his sufferings, his love, his urge to survive, his hopes and his aspirations. If perhaps such a speech had been delivered before Adolf Hitler, before the holocaust took place, such a terrible unforgettable tragedy would not have taken place at all. The speech, yes, is capable of moving any hard heart. I have sent the link to my children and grand children. Subbaraman 2) Sitendra Kumar Dear Shri Warrier, Bonanza in the form of scripts, articles, events etc; in the Collage. How J Santhanakrishnan fell in love with the House Journal of RBI, the fascinating peacock dance (Remember the dance of Vyajantimala like the peacock in the song ' Baakad Bum Bum -----Naach re Mayur Bhanj-----) , Badrinarayan's message on 'Stress and Tension' in life, beautiful retirement villas of Coimbatore which one just wants to grab and many other alluring features. Raghu Nayar's video on his daughter's marriage made my day. A reading of psycho analysis of EGO by Babusenan should enable many of us to shed the same. EGO in balanced proportion elevates us but otherwise can be devastating. One may like to be updated* on Equity- linked Mutual Fund after adverse disclosure on Adani Group. Vathsala Jayaraman's write up on 'Presence of Mind' is highly educative. Thanks for the Collage. Regards, Sitendra Kumar *I invested a small amount more than a year ago. During first 6 months of investment my loss was about 4 percent. Really it was not a new transfer to equity. After the subsequent appreciation and the recent fluctuations in the market, my Rs100 investment is today worth Rs98.30. As that is a long term investment and much less than the optimum equity investment suggested by professional advisors for investors of my age (20 percent, "100 minus age" percent of all investments), I'm okay with the present situation. 3) S R Badrinarayanan Thanks for your kind words, Sitendra Sir. . Mine was, after all, a forward only. A small suggestion: In case of (+ve) reference of a person's contribution I think if the particular mail is marked to the person concerned too, I think such niceties would be well welcomed by the person and would surely feel elated. If I had exceeded my limits, pl excuse 🙏. Thanks again🙏. ..... Badri 4) R Jayakumar Dear Shri Warrier Though little busy because of daughter's overdue visit from States I could spent some extra time to go through your Wednesday Collage and could not resist the urge to respond to the same. I am sure Shri Sitendra Kumar Sir will be offering his wholesome response to the Collage as usual. I pick up only three or four items here. Continued at G B Collage in Classroom 1) Puzzle about puzzles Confessions of a crossword addict https://www.npr.org/2009/06/23/105808456/meditations-digressions-from-a-crossword-addict#:~:text=Maybe%20it%20just%20so%20happens,people%20coming%20back%20for%20more. Excerpts : "The possible long-term mental benefits of puzzling aside, Olsher says that crosswords have an addictive, immersive quality that keeps people coming back for more. He likens settling into a puzzle to attending the symphony orchestra or the cinema. "We like to be sucked into something that's bigger than ourselves and makes us feel as if we've entered into this other world," he explains. Part of the appeal of the puzzles is the familiarity they breed. As Olsher points out, devoted crossword fans often find the same familiar language and references in their favorite puzzle. But, he says, "If you step out of your own dialect, and try a puzzle made by some other syndicator, edited by someone else, don't you find that it's alien territory?" This is one of the reasons that Olsher dismisses the idea that crossword puzzles can stave off Alzheimer's. "[Crosswords are] kind of the same activity over and over again. But the Alzheimer's research shows that really what matters is novelty." Know More : See Collage Books @ D 2) B for Blogging https://baggout.com/blog/2015/02/26/top-15-book-blogs-india/amp/ Even if you are not a blogger, no harm in trying to understand why bloggers blog. I posted my first blog @ www.warriersblog.com more than a decade ago taking help from my daughter Reshmy. That year in September (2008 or 2009), my first post was the last one also! Now the Blog has thousands of posts and lakhs of page views, average daily views hovering around 100 even if I don't visit the site. During the pandemic, when I discontinued serious writing, I opened an account @ Times of India Blog (WarriersViews). Here's the link to the last post : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/warriersviews/twilight-years-49882/ If you visit, you can find over 120 snippets here posted between November 2019 and January 31, 2023. You may even find some chord connecting the first and last posts! C Current Affairs RBI Governor's speech https://m.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_SpeechesView.aspx?Id=1349 Financial markets in India : In pursuit of stability and development (Keynote Address by Shri Shaktikanta Das, Governor, Reserve Bank of India - January 27, 2023 - at the 22nd FIMMDA-PDAI Annual Conference, Dubai ) Excerpts : "The journey of Indian financial markets through the last decade has been a story of steady progress with stability. We have been steadfast in our commitment and consistent in our approach to keep the ship stable while continuing to move ahead. Going forward, greater challenges will emerge as the footprints of Indian banks increase in the offshore markets, the range of products expand, non-resident participation in domestic markets grows and as capital account convertibility increases. Market participants will have to prepare themselves to manage the changes and the risks associated with globally integrated markets. The achievement of desired outcomes is contingent on financial institutions and market participants taking forward the reform agenda so that we have more vibrant and resilient financial markets" D Babusenan's Column More on debates A few Collages earlier, I wrote something about dabating societies to which I wish to add a little more. I quoted a couple of lines from Tennyson's 'In Memorium' to refer to a famous debating society that throve in Cambridge during the latter half of the 19th century. Though famous, it was not part of the university programme. The recognized clubs were 'Magpie and Stump' and the 'Moral Science Club' of which the former is familiar to those who had read Nehru's Autobiography. As participation in that club was compulsory and the young Nehru having been very shy, he had to pay fine on many occasions. The debating club mentioned in Tennyson's poem( E. M. Forster who wrote the novel 'A Passage to India' had dedicated another novel of his to the same club) was somewhat of a secretive nature as the discussions were required to be totally frank. It bore an Italian name meaning a club set-up to discuss serious topics threadbare and its membership was restricted to 12. As Christ's Apostles were 12 in number, this club was nicknamed 'The Apostelian Club'. After Saturday's dinner, all Apostles would assemble in the room of one of them, by prior appointment, and it was the host member's duty to present the topic for discussion. All the other eleven had to participate and had to talk and that too absolutely without any reservation.Often the discussion would go on till daybreak and all participants would continue it during their morning walk. The end must come with a resolution and voting thereon. Who won was not important,but the frankness in the discussion was. Once the topic for discussion was a very daring one : Lady students must be given membership in the club. In those days, there were only two colleges for women (Girton and Newnham) under the Cambridge University and they were not allowed elsewhere. They were permitted to complete their course and pass the examinations but no degrees were awarded to them. The above topic for discussion had to be seen in that context. The resolution in favour of it was passed because of the impressive reasons put forth by the speaker, but it took some years for the bold proposal to materialise. "Speaking, speaking and speaking? Such endless talk is of little use. What is needed is action". One may say. But, sir, speaking, to wit, discussion without any trace of rancour, is as important as action ,especially in a democratic set-up. One cannot expect it to be like the Apostelian type but threadbare discussion on a topic affecting society is likely to open up more than one beneficial path which you have only to choose and traverse. E Collage Books From Square One : A Meditation, with Digressions, on Crosswords https://amzn.eu/d/eoDo0mc Excerpts Public radio personality Dean Olsher explores the fascinating history, lore, and addictive appeal of crosswords in this clever and entertaining narrative—featuring the construction of an actual puzzle by professional puzzle writer Francis Heaney. Filled with lively, original reporting,From Square One is a captivating and in-depth exploration of the puzzle world. It delves into the psychology—even the meta- physics—of crosswords. Olsher assesses the claim that solving crosswords helps prevent Alzheimer’s and discovers, in fact, that the drive to fill in empty spaces is more likely a mental illness than a cure. Puzzle obsession, while it can be a light- hearted metaphor, can also be indicative of actual addictive behavior. Skeptical of the widely reported claim that more than fifty million Americans do crossword puzzles on a regular basis, longtime crossword enthusiast Dean Olsher does his own research and finds that the estimate is conservative. Along the way, Olsher looks into the origins and traditions of this popu- lar pastime, which made its debut in a New York newspaper in 1913. And, he revives the quest of musical theater legend Stephen Sondheim—who composed crosswords for New York magazine in the 1960s—to introduce American solvers to a British crossword style that demands a love of verbal playful- ness over knowledge of arcane trivia. Informative, engaging, and often surprising, From Square One is a unique and enjoyable cultural history for puzzlersand non-puzzlers alike. Review ""From Square One" takes the reader into stranger and more illuminating corners of the world glimpsed in "Wordplay". Dean Olsher shows the wide-ranging and nimble mind you'd expect of someone who loves crosswords." -- Stewart O'Nan, author of "Last Night at the Lobster" and "Songs for the Missing" "Dean Olsher has written a great book that everyone will love, not just crossword people." -- Isaac Mizrahi "Dean Olsher is the Robert Pirsig of crossword puzzles." -- Jon Delfin, seven-time American Crossword Puzzle Tournament champion "If Dean Olsher wrote a book on the history of plumbing supplies, I would snap it up. He whips the subject in a blender of love, curiosity, elation, mystery, humor, and obsession (plenty of that). Plus, you learn a lot of odd and interesting facts about crossword puzzles -- and human beings." -- Maira Kalman, author of "The Principles of Uncertainty" "This is my kind of book. If you like words, and wordplay, and the oddities of the imagination, and the company of an engaging and witty narrator, then it is your kind of book, too." -- Meg Wolitzer, author of "The Ten-Year Nap" and "The Wife" About the Author Dean Olsher has been a broadcaster for more than thirty years, most of which he has spent in public radio. He was an arts and culture correspondent for NPR News as well as the creator and host of The Next Big Thing, a popular national show. Olsher is currently a visiting professor at New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. F Leisure POSITIVE THINKING* During my School days, After getting the first beating on my hands from the teacher, I used to wipe my hands on my trousers and then only take the second one ....! I was very particular about cleanliness. All my teachers used to stand and take the classes... You know the reason? Respect.... They respected me so much... Nothing else During my school days, my teachers used to often request me to bring my father as they were afraid of telling me anything, lest they offend me My teachers were very fond of reading what I had written... In fact they would make me write it a hundred times so that they can read it again and again... Many times the teachers have thrown their valuable chalks to me without me asking for it. Many times my teachers have made me stand outside the class to ensure 'Z' category security while they were teaching. Many times I have been asked to attend lower classes to assist those teachers evaluate the students... How many times I have been honoured/elevated by asking me to stand up on the bench with all others looking up to me .... How many times I have been given a break from class to enjoy the sunshine & fresh air, when most others were sweating/choking inside the classroom .... As I knew everything, the teachers used to appreciate my knowledge and have told me many times....."Why do you come to school? Why can't you do something else instead" It's how you look at it that matters ... BE POSITIVE ALWAYS *From a Minister's nostalgic memoir SOORYA 2 ND FEBRUARY 2023. G Continued from A3 First I want to congratulate Shri Raghu Nayar who has sent a video clip of his daughter's wedding reception. My good wishes and blessings to the newly married couples. Secondly I wish to extend my congratulations to Shri J Santhanakrishnan Sir for his successful effort to bring out a short video on the house journal of RBI Without Reserve for the benefit of the retirees. As I had to view the video on my cell phone screen the matters appearing therein were difficult to read. But surely it is a great work which has already been appreciated by many stalwarts in the exrbites group. Thirdly I took your advice to heat to go through the Kathakali Dance video on Lord Narasimha, not seeing it as god and religion but as work of art and performance, and spent some time to enjoy viewing it. Thanks. The other day I received a video from a friend of the Meenakshi Amman temple describing its architectural splendor with a request to appreciate the fact that our forefathers had a good scientific knowledge on architecture and building. Lastly I felt I must respond something on your article titled Twilight Years which you have posted in your Times of India blog. Recently in one of the articles connected with Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary I read that he was 78 years old* when he was assassinated. Looking at his appearance from different photos, till now I was thinking he lived beyond the age of eighty. Gandhiji did not retire till the last minute of his life. The other day someone wrote age is only a number. Live life to the fullest till the last day. You are a perfect example for this as you are already 78 and look much younger than Gandhiji and you are busy from dawn to dusk and till you go to bed. But all senior citizens are not lucky like you and me to be busy in someway or the other. Many are encountering boredom and loneliness in their daily life. It is true that forty years back we did not expect to live beyond the age of seventy. My family doctor then used to tell me that if I lived beyond sixty it would be god's grace, bonus years. Worrying about good health, BP and diabetes would only increase the stress. But today we feel eighty is achievable. So we have to be prepared for long innings in life. Health planning and activities to kill time have become essential. But what about those aged who are forced to live as singles? They are the ones who easily feel fed up with routines. It is not strange that the rich man you have mentioned about in your article who sold all his properties and built a retirement village for other singles and for himself to live is now wanting to live in an independent house somewhere, with someone to take care of him. The solution is that even at an old age those who are single may be encouraged to accept a life partner through remarriage or some other arrangements. You may have read two recent news items that a rich American of 95 years old married his girlfriend of teen age and in one of our northern states a young girl gladly married off her widowed mother to a widower, both above sixty years of age. R Jayakumar *Are you telling I'm ripe? 🙏-Warrier H Obituary : R C Mody I received the following sad news via email on February 2, 2023 : "Mr. R. C. Mody passed away peacefully early this morning, 2 February 2023. The cremation will take place at 4 pm this afternoon at the Green Park Crematorium. Gautam On behalf of Ashoka and Shalini" Heartfelt Condolences to the bereaved family and Prayers 🙏-Warrier