Prophets of Doom.

There is no shortage of prophets of doom and gloom but where they run short is the science behind their predictions. They have been wrong so many times that we tend to take their doom-sayings with a pinch of salt.
But we must not forget that the doom-sayers may be off the mark umpteen number of times but it will take only one accurate prediction to hit the nail-or planet earth-on the head.
So, we need to stop,analyse and ponder the science or the lack of it--behind their gloomy prophesies.
So, this blog is hopefully fulfilling that need to step back and take a long,hard,look,and then balance the perspective.

Coronal Mass Ejections.

Coronal Mass Ejections are solar flare eruptions that periodically erupt from the sun and travel at high speeds in all directions.These waves of charged solar particles are usually intercepted by the earth's magnetic fields and the protective ionosphere and outer layers of the atmosphere.But when these charged particle waves do reach the earth and penetrate the protective layers,disruptive effects can follow. These charged particles typically take 3-5 days to reach the earth.The disruptive effects can vary depending upon the intensity and composition of the charged particle waves but typically telecommunication systems and satellite circuits are affected.The coronal mass ejections can knock out radio communication systems and do damage to electronic circuitry.Power grids and the complex software that controls them can be affected,even knocked out.This can result in inter-continental outages,as automatic tripping of power grids at one point,leads to a chain effect. So far,we on earth have been able to repair quickly whatever damage the worst of such solar charged particles have inflicted.But the next big one could be different.We need a strategy to deal with such periodic Coronal Mass Ejections.

Oprah Winfrey in India.

Oprah Winfrey in India is like watching one of her wildly popular TV series.There is the same buzz in the air,the same feeling of being part of an on-going drama.Oprah at the Jaipur Literary Festival came across as genuinely trying to "do as the Indians do".From wearing a saree,to paying compliments to the modern Indian woman,balancing life and career,steering a difficult course between arranged and love marriages, Oprah did not strike many false notes. She later declared the India visit to be the high-point.Oprah Winfrey came with full TV crew and paraphrenalia to record a show with the Indian spiritual guru,Deepak Chopra.But the only hiccup was in the mishandling by the bodyguards of Indian media persons. In an interview with Barkha Dutt,Oprah Winfrey gave her frank opinion on the Taj monument as worth one visit,and India as worth many visits.The best question posed to Oprah,undoubtedly,was about why she said she was not the "marrying kind",and even Oprah for once,was at a loss for words,when asked to define what that "marrying kind" meant.

Last Day of World Ending.

The last day of the world ending(?) in 2012 surely calls for special efforts-if not celebrations-of our existence on Planet Earth.After all,you only live once,so let us go out in style. Or like in The Titanic,with the band playing and merrymaking.But each to his/her own,so let your imagination set the limits to what you will do-or not do,on that last day of all days and nights. I will read the book I have put off till now,eat my last supper in style,listen to all the music,and raise a toast to friends and family. And yes,I will try to forgive those who have done harm to me and my family--though that may not be so easy.And there will be no lack of special effects--so Mission Impossible or Ra.One will pale in comparison.But it will surely be more colourful than any other red letter day upto now.

Kolaveri Di

The phenomenal success of Kolaveri Di has seen the Indian music scene undergo a collective hysteria that is puzzling,at first sight. But a deeper examination throws up interesting sidelights. Kolaveri Di apparently touched a chord that echoed across India,among all age groups.But the youth brigade first latched on to YouTube,from where it truly went viral.Perhaps one reason for it's amazing popularity is the ease with which it lends irself to adaptation and remix,cutting across regions.There are now many regional versions of Kolaveri Di,with some versions shooting up the charts every day on YouTube.There is even a version shot in USA,and that is also creating it's own following.Like a phenomenon,we should appreciate Kolaveri Di,for it needs no explanation and has it's own inbuilt logic.It resonates in our hearts.

Why the World will not end in 2012.

The world end in 2012,though widely discussed and predicted,is not likely to happen anytime soon.Supporters of the World End in 2012,and there are many,have relied o the Mayan calendar, Mayan predictions,solar flares,reversal of the earth's magnetic poles, to prop up the argument that the earth is doomed to come to an end in 2012. Yet the doom and gloom end of the world scenarios,do not stand up to scientific scrutiny. In a widely reported press release,NASA officially refuted the prediction that killer solar flares would destroy the earth in 2012.Though sun-spot activity and solar flares may peak in 2012,yet according to NASA,the destructive potential is greatly exaggerated. There may be electro-magnetic disturbances,leading to radio communication cut-outs,but those are not powerful enough to destroy our Mother Earth. That is reassuring,to put it mildly. But a look back at history,shows that such predictions of gloom and doom,have come and gone at periodic intervals.Interpreters have viewed Nostradumus and his writings,to predict the Earth End.But recent scholarly studies of his works,have thrown up widely differing interpretations,since he excelled in ambiguity and multiple meanings. Even if the last word on this debate is yet to be written,we should look at these predictions with the cold eye of scientific reason and scrutiny.As of today,such doomsday scenarios seem far-fetched. But stay tuned for latest updates.

Life Lessons for Busy Moms. Chicken Soup series.

This book is another in the "Chicken Soup" series.By now,that is a well-known book-brand,and the present book can usefully be viewed as a brand extension.That said,this one is for all Mommies,and the soup(er advice) is dished out in easy to digest spoonfulls,in the shape of 32 life-lessons from real life moms,with their coping strategies.The book's central idea is that before moms can take care of their family,they should nurture themselves.This advice is certainly useful and relevant,but in developing nations,where the food is limited in poverty stricken homes,each morsel has a price that the more affluent societies never think about. But certainly interesting reading,with an added bonus of time-management and strengthening relationships.