Do it yourself

Some food for thought "I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship." —Louisa May Alcott (American Novelist, 1832-1888) Word for the day Keek (v) To peep; look furtively.   First thought this morning Noted industrialist Anand Mahindra triggered an interesting debate on Twitter with his suggestion as to who should first be landing on Mars. "A human landing on Mars is now not far away. I only hope the first wave of explorers will be poets & not real estate developers", Mr. Mahindra tweeted earnestly. Taking the thought further, the enterprising Elon Musk added, "Engineers, artists & creators of all kinds. There is so much to build." Agreeing to Mr. Musk's thoughts, Mr. Mahindra insisted, "Indeed. But let’s make sure the poets are in the first ark. Or there’ll be no one to make sense of why we’re there..." Curious what normal people wou...

Some food for thought "Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it." —Lao Tzu (Chinese Philosopher) Word for the day Yahoo (n) A boorish, crass, or stupid person   First thought this morning There are many windows in my abode, large and small, facing each direction. One window welcomes a brilliant new Dawn — every morning, the other bids adieu to the golden chariot – every evening. One brings cool easterly breeze, the other ushers nourishing westerly winds. Alas! I see nothing. Sun rises and sets behind thick curtains, without anyone noticing it. Winds blow away from our house, passing without touching anyone. We like mechanically conditioned air, avoiding any direct touch with Mother Nature. Sometimes though a tiny window in bathroom is left open, and Mother sneak in her blessings! Chart of the day   Per...

Some food for thought "A fool must now and then be right, by chance." —William Cowper (English Poet, 1731-1800) Word for the day Tsuris (n) Trouble; Woe   First thought this morning On the 10th anniversary of the heinous Mumbai terror attack, the mood in Mumbai at least should have been somber. But it did not appear to be. Save for some customary official rituals and mostly sartorial tweets, Whatsapp forwards, and FM radio notes, nothing much was visible. Outside Mumbai, no one seemed concerned any bit. A close observation of the Mumbai city behavior highlighted that the only thing that has changed in the city is the public entry procedures in large hotels. There are X-ray machines to scan the baggage of people entering the premises and a couple of security guards with automated weapons. It is mostly a small enhancement to the procedures followed since the terror strikes in 1993. There is little change in the at...