Entries Tagged 'SMALL WORLD' ↓

Font fan that I am, I loved this clever video featuring them at a conference!

Napping is good. Here’s a how-to guide if you’re not familiar with it.

Have been trying to make some some moral decisions when buying seafood … it’s not easy and there have been many mishaps along the the way. Came across some info that helps one make the right eco-choice. Based on the zones you live in, here’s one that displays sustainable seafood choices. Also some great buying advice from Henry Lovejoy, president of the sustainable-seafood purveyor EcoFish. And here’s a scorecard of how the top 20 US retailers did when it came to seafood sustainability. Even the winner didn’t make the grade

Migraines translated into visual art here. Product of the human hand or that of an ape? Take the quiz. I didn’t fare too well

It’s 2008 and New Year’s greetings and best wishes to all! Heard a brief interview on NPR this morning with Eric Weiner whose book is on my reading list, called “The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World“. Besides referring to the World Database of Happiness, he mentioned a trip to Bhutan where a man’s suggestion for being happy was to set aside a few minutes a day to think about death.

In the East, the cycle of birth and death can be table talk, linked figuratively to the waxing and waning of the moon, and change of seasons. Dealing with adversity differs among people and nations. Growing up in India, it was not uncommon to hear people when speaking of their problems, end their speech with a ‘What to do?’. (Kya karega?). The phrase adorns the end of every monologue that has to do with recounting a problem or ’situation’ and is accompanied by a shrug of the shoulder. If pressed for time, a Jaguar will not get you to your destination faster than the lowly auto rickshaw in Bombay’s crawling, leaden traffic. What to do? The telephone has been dead for over two days. What to do? Resignation, an apology that one can’t have control over all things in life. Just saying it insulates one from obsessive worrying – sort of a tension exhale. Apparently the phrase is infectious too. I had to do a quick double take and rewind when I heard it casually uttered by John McLaughlin while I watched the DVD Remember Shakti – The Way Of Beauty. There was an upcoming tour, and he was trying to locate L. Shankar the violinist who had strangely disappeared for several months, to no avail. Finally he engaged the talents of the mandolin prodigy U. Srinivas. And then he said ”What to do?” With a shoulder shrug. It was strange to hear an Englishman say that – but then John in many ways is even more a desi than I am. He’s spent several years of his life in India, immersing himself in the classical music, spirituality and culture of the country. Speaking of him, I need to revisit more of his amazing works from the 70′s. Also check out his latest DVD: The Gateway To Rhythm, which explains the system of ‘konakkol’ (the art of vocal drumming and rhythms from South India).

Neither apparently, as far as being green goes. We  know the best option is to carry a stash of canvas or re-useable bags when we go shopping, but there are times I forget to do this. Having to choose between the two was a grey area for me, and I’ve always wondered what would be the lesser of two evils for the environment. The Washington Post printed an informative diagram some time ago, weighing the costs and consequences of paper or plastic.

Came across a handy search on recycling info at http://earth911.org. Enter what you need to recycle and your zip code; and the search brings up the closest drop-off bins and recycling centers/shops in your area.

Received an IM this morning from my brother with a ‘Happy I-Day’ greeting (Independence Day that is). I’ve never really been patriotic, and had no political leanings when living in India. For some reason, today my mind flashed back to my school-going years in Bombay. I recall rising up early every August 15th to witness the flag hoisting ceremony on the school grounds, (which required compulsory attendance) after which we would sing the national anthem Jana Gana Mana (ok, I admit I tried to re-harmonize this every way I could when I played the accompaniment at the school assembly). After prayers and announcements, we would file in an orderly manner toward the school auditorium where a sweet ’boondi’ laddoo,  glistening with sugar and ghee, nested in a thick dark green almond leaf would be handed out to each kid. Seated crosslegged on the mosaic floor, we’d pick at this round gob of indulgence with our fingers, settling down as the room darkened, to watch an English movie. It would have to be a chaste film with a harmless story line, preferably with nuns in it. No westerns, murder plots or hollywood glam.

I’ve asked my parents a few times what it was like for them in the year 1947 on this day. They were in Poona at that time, but say they were too young to recount any personal experiences. Every year around this time, I read of horrendous Partition stories, and see shocking photographs of Hindu-Muslim riots, the dying and dead. How blessed am I to have seen peaceful times. I now live in a country that has seen its independence well over a century ago. In contrast to the US, India is relatively a young country, the weight of its problems totally out of proportion to her size. It is a cauldron of cultures, ethnicities & religions. I see the complexities and challenges - the apathy and evils on the one hand, and the human spirit that wills itself to make things right in the face of all odds on the other. For the most part, this is somewhat inexplicable to an outsider. However, with a camera, and some insightful narration, I thought ABC news did a fairly good job in their recent segment on India: ‘A Billion Reasons To Care‘.

Helpful info at www.ecocycle.org to stop unwanted catalogs, credit card solicitations and other such annoying mail from reaching your mail box.

In the early 70′s there were apparently only 1800 tigers left roaming the Indian plains, thanks to merciless poaching and de-forestation. Officials at that time scurried to reverse this alarming decline in this species, launching “Project Tiger” in 1972 at Corbett National Park. Bogged down by non-approval of management plans and poor funding since its launch, it’s good to know that the Indian government just announced that it is considering opening eight more sanctuaries for tigers and three for elephants, as part of its ongoing conservation plan. The increase in allocation for tiger conservation (up by 36%) comes in the wake of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh personally visiting Ranthambhore National Park last year, following reports that tigers were on the verge of extinction.

However, the protection of pachyderms under Project Elephant, set up in 1992, received a blow to its funding which decreased by 13.7%. It hasn’t had much success to show – there has been no increase in population, and like the tiger, the elephant continues to fall prey to deforestation, poachers and elephant-man conflicts.

Save Tigers Now
WWF – 2010, Year Of The Tiger