Posts
THE FAMILY
CAME TOGETHER
AT
KANAM
FOR PRECIOUS FLEETING
MOMENTS
ON 2ND FEBRUARY 2026
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
THE SIBLINGS
A RARE MOMENT
IN
OUR LIVES
WE GREW UP TOGETHER
LOVE AND AFFECTION
KEPT US TOGETHER
TILL LIFE PUSHED US
OFF IN DIFFERENT
DIRECTIONS
THE SIBLINGS
LAL, LILA AND LAJI
CAME TOGETHER
AT KANAM
AFTER A VERY LONG TIME
ON 2ND FEBRUARY 2026
OUR PAPA'S BIRTH DAY
IS ON 1ST FEBRUARY 2026
HE LEFT US ON 5TH APRIL 2008
OUR MUMMY HAD LEFT US
ON 30TH MAY 1978
WE HELD TOGETHER
EXTRICATE CSI THE CHURCH OF SOUTH INDIA
Industrialist Sunjay Kapur (53) had died in London in June last year.
The immense wealth he has left behind has brought his wife, mother, sister as well his former wife and children into litigation at the Delhi High Court.
After hearing multiple allegations levelled by the Kapur clan against each other, the Delhi High Court has taken a dim view of "the washing of dirty linen in Court."
The HC advised the litigants to go for mediation to resolve their differences and not let God's "blessing of wealth turn into a curse."
Justice Mini Pushkarna asked if there was "any chance of mediation."
She said, " God has blessed you with good financial wealth. At the end of the day, all parties are in pain. They are grieving and all of you suffered. Lead a good life rather than fight."
She further advised, "Sit together. Resolve the issues in a manner, everyone's interest is safeguarded."
"All of you should try to respect relations....Way forward is resolution in a peaceful manner. Efforts need to be from both the sides."
Is this not the CSI's and SKD's problem.
To put it in a nutshell, " It is the desire to appropriate wealth through all devious means and further the hold or grip on the assets of the Church forever that impedes the resolution of issues that threaten to destroy the edifice God has bestowed upon CSI."
The Bible is emphatic. It calls such avaricious people, 'FOOLS'
Perhaps the Courts would have to finally extricate us from intricate web we have bound ourselves in.
Perhaps an Armageddon alone would make the impossible, the possible.
ASCENT TO THE TOP
If you wish to ascent to the top and stay there you must work hard. There is no substitute to it
Effective training programmes
Effective training programmes are intentionally designed to introduce new and unexpected threats.
Evidence suggests that the element of surprise is critical.
If your training is on a predictable routine, it doesn't prepare you for real emergencies.
You can't be ready for anything if you haven't trained for everything.
You learn to cope with discomfort by intensifying it. And you build your skills as you navigate the discomfort.
Amplifying discomfort is pivotal to learning new languages or enhancing your capabilities. Systematic desensitization helps you overcome your shyness or diffidence.
Early mistakes help us remember the correct answer - and motivate us to keep learning.
LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE
Learning a new language is not basically for acquiring knowledge.
It's for building the communication skill.
TAKING ON A NEW CHALLENGE
If we wait until we feel ready to take on a new challenge, we might never pursue it.
Take the leap anyway, even if you are uncomfortable. It's never too late to learn.
Courage can be contagious
BETTY WRITES
She truly doesn’t need advice, because she is already richly blessed. God has placed within her a beautiful voice and a distinct calling, and those gifts were never given without purpose. In His perfect time, He will gently lead her onto the path He has already prepared for her. What matters most is not the many voices around her, but her willingness to listen to His. With faith and trust, her journey will unfold naturally, guided by the same God who gifted her so wonderfully in the first place.
Goldilocks concept
The Goldilocks principle is named by analogy to the children's story "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", in which a young girl named Goldilocks tastes three different bowls of porridge and finds she prefers porridge that is neither too hot nor too cold but has just the right temperature.[1] The concept of "just the right amount" is easily understood and applied to a wide range of disciplines, including developmental psychology, biology,[2] astronomy, economics[3] and engineering.
Goldilocks is the main character in the classic children's fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, known for her golden hair and for trying the bears' porridge, chairs, and beds, finding things "just right" in the smallest sizes before being discovered and fleeing. The story teaches about choices, boundaries, and listening to parents, while the term "Goldilocks principle" or "Goldilocks zone" is used in science (like astronomy for habitable zones) and economics to describe a perfect, balanced condition.
What is the Goldilocks concept?
In cognitive science and developmental psychology, the Goldilocks effect or principle refers to an infant's preference to attend events that are neither too simple nor too complex according to their current representation of the world.
BALKING
BALKING
Balking means to stop short or hesitate, refusing to go forward, like a horse refusing a jump, or someone recoiling from an idea, and it also refers to an illegal motion by a baseball pitcher, while in queue theory, it's when a customer decides not to join a line. Essentially, it's about being checked, obstructed, or deliberately avoiding something, often due to reluctance or an obstacle.
General Meanings
To stop short/hesitate: To halt suddenly, often refusing to proceed, like "the horse balked at the fence" or "he balked at the difficult task".
To recoil/refuse: To turn away abruptly from something, such as an idea or demand.
To thwart/obstruct: To check, disappoint, or foil someone's plans.
To avoid: To deliberately dodge a question or issue.
Specific Contexts
Baseball: An illegal move by a pitcher (e.g., starting a pitch to the plate but stopping, or faking a throw to first without throwing) that gives runners an unfair advantage.
Queueing Theory: When a potential customer sees a long line and decides not to join it at all (different from reneging, where they leave an existing line).
Computing (Balking Pattern): A design pattern where a method temporarily stops or "balks" if system conditions aren't right, preventing resource overload.
Examples in a Sentence
"She was balking at the idea of moving to a new city".
"The pitcher was called for a balk after faking a throw to second base".
"The service faced a lot of customer balking during peak hours".
BUSINESS AND SUCCESS
Business is well on the way to success
when blemishes no longer overshadows the strengths.
Strategic pivoting
Strategic pivoting
Strategic pivoting means making a deliberate, calculated shift in a company's business model, product, or target market to adapt to changing conditions, leverage strengths, and find new paths to growth, rather than abandoning the core vision. It's a proactive evolution, not a desperate reaction, involving changes in strategy or operations while staying true to the company's fundamental purpose, often using market data and core competencies as a foundation for the new direction.
TRANSFORM PRACTICE INTO PLAY
When practice is transformed into play, the monotonous daily grind becomes a source of daily joy.
Pushing ourselves through dull and dragging practice sessions cannot develop our skills to the utmost.
The former accomplishes it seamlessly.
With passion around, persistence translates into performance
Studying with knowledgeable colleagues
Studying with knowledgeable colleagues is good for growth.
We can see the colleagues teach and coach one another.
You learn as much when you are taught by peers as by the faculty.
Teaching is a surprisingly powerful method of learning.
COLIC IN BABIES IS TEMPORARY
COLIC IN BABIES IS TEMPORARY
Colic is intense, prolonged crying and fussiness in a healthy baby, often starting in the first few weeks and peaking around six weeks, usually resolving by 3-4 months, characterized by loud, inconsolable spells (often in the evening) with no obvious cause, even though the baby is otherwise well-fed and growing. During a colic bout, babies may clench fists, arch their back, draw up legs, have a red face, and be difficult to soothe, with the crying fitting the "rule of threes": 3+ hours a day, 3+ days a week, for 3+ weeks.
Key Characteristics
Excessive Crying: Crying for 3+ hours daily, 3+ days a week, for over a week.
Inconsolable: Standard soothing methods don't work.
Predictable Timing: Often occurs in the late afternoon or evening.
Physical Signs: Red face, clenched fists, tense belly, arched back, pulling legs to chest.
Healthy Baby: The baby is thriving, eating, and gaining weight.
What It's Not (When to Call a Doctor)
Colic is a diagnosis of exclusion; check for signs of illness first. Call your doctor if your baby has:
Fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher).
Poor feeding or weak sucking.
Unusual sleepiness or sluggishness.
Vomiting, diarrhea, or changes in breathing.
Common (But Not Proven) Causes & Theories
Immature Nervous System: Difficulty self-soothing or adapting to stimulation.
Digestive Issues: Gas, tummy rumbling, or sensitivity to food.
Swallowing Air: Can be reduced by upright feeding.
What to Do
Rule Out Illness: See your pediatrician to ensure no medical issue.
Soothe: Try swaddling, white noise, rocking, or a warm bath.
Feed Carefully: Burp often, try upright feeding.
Self-Care: Manage your own stress; colic is temporary and doesn't harm the baby long-term.
DELAYED SPEECH DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN
Little children usually say their first meaningful words like "mama" or "dada" around their first birthday (12 months), but speech development starts much earlier with babbling (6-9 months) and progresses to two-word phrases by 18-24 months, with significant variation as each child develops at their own pace, so seeing a doctor if concerned about delays is important.
Speech Development Milestones:
6-9 months: Babbling begins (da-da, ba-ba).
10-15 months: First recognizable words appear (mama, dada, ball).
12-18 months: Vocabulary grows to 10-20 words; can follow simple commands.
18-24 months: Starts putting two words together ("more milk," "go out").
2-3 years: Sentences become clearer, longer, and more complex.
When to See a Doctor (Red Flags):
Consult a pediatrician if by 12 months, your child isn't babbling or using gestures, or if by 18 months, they aren't saying simple words or using simple phrases by 24 months, or using word combinations.
How to Help:
Talk and read to your child often.
Name objects around them.
Respond enthusiastically to their sounds and words.
Play interactive games like peek-a-boo.
High-pitched cry in an 18-month-old can be normal toddler behavior (testing limits, frustration, communication) but can also signal underlying issues like pain, discomfort, or developmental concerns, especially if intense, prolonged, or accompanied by developmental delays, so consult your pediatrician to rule out medical problems or speech delays, ensuring it's not a persistent sign of distress like colic or specific neurological factors.
Normal Reasons for High-Pitched Crying/Screaming (Toddlerhood)
Developmental Stage: Around 18 months, toddlers develop stronger emotions, limited language, and poor impulse control, leading to screaming for excitement, frustration, or attention.
Testing Boundaries: They learn that loud sounds get strong reactions, reinforcing the behavior.
Communication: If speech isn't developing well, high-pitched cries can be a way to express needs.
When to See a Doctor (Red Flags)
Contact your pediatrician if the cry is:
Unusual or Sharp: Sounds more intense, odd, or like a "shriek".
Inconsolable: Nothing seems to soothe them.
Linked to Pain/Illness: Crying due to fever, ear pain, teething, or other discomfort.
Accompanied by Developmental Concerns: Difficulty with speech (imitating sounds, understanding words), motor skills, or social interaction.
Prolonged & Excessive: Crying for hours without relief, potentially indicating colic (though less common at 18 months) or other issues.
What to Do
Rule Out Physical Causes: Check for wet diapers, temperature issues, hair tourniquets, or signs of teething/illness.
Stay Calm: Reacting with frustration can reinforce the screaming; try to remain calm and model good behavior.
Teach & Redirect: Give them words for feelings ("angry," "sad"), use music, or play games to redirect their vocalizations.
Consult Your Pediatrician: This is the most crucial step to ensure their development and health are on track, especially regarding speech and behavior.
REGURGIGATE
Regurgitate
/rɪˈɡəːdʒɪteɪt,ˌriːˈɡəːdʒɪteɪt/
Learn to pronounce
verb
1.
bring (swallowed food) up again to the mouth.
"gulls regurgitate food for the chicks"
Similar:
vomit
bring up
disgorge
regorge
2.
repeat (information) without analysing or comprehending it.
"facts which can then be regurgitated at examinations"
WALKING AND PERAMBULATING
What is the difference between walking and perambulating?
When you walk for the sake of taking a walk, you perambulate. It's an old-fashioned way to describe taking an after-dinner stroll or a meander through the zoo. The Latin word at the root of perambulate is ambulare, "to walk," and the more common word amble shares this origin.
Example
He likes to perambulate
EVANA // LOVE BIRDS
EVANA
LOVE BIRDS
10TH FEBRUARY 2026
Rev Dr Santy S Paul, Faculty, KUT Seminary,Kannammoola, Trivandrum writes:
Blue and Red love birds bound in love that is gold, encompassed in the pinkish love....
Appreciate the little artist for the creativity in connecting the heart theme although...
Thanks for sharing this sir
Conveyed the appreciation
It was touching.
Thank you for the response
It looked so good I felt I had to share the picture.
She does this in her free time at the school
We pray God refines her talents
We are just vehicles in her journey
Sir, Please be assured of our good wishes always
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
WHY BABIES AND WHY BABIES ARE FEW
WHY BABIES AND WHY BABIES ARE FEW
Jerry
Seinfeld writes, “Make no mistake about why these babies are here – they are
here to replace us.”
Let
me quote the editorial in The Times of India of 10th February 2026
in full as it is very relevant these days.
Don’t Kid Yourselves
Why Indians won’t have
more babies just because Bhagwat & other notables want them to.
At
various points over the past decade, headline makers have urged Hindus to have
ten, eight, five, and four children per couple. RSS Chief’s exhortation to all
Indians – not just Hindus – to have three kids, is the most realistic, but it
won’t happen for the same reasons that it hasn’t in Japan, S Korea, Italy,
Poland, France and China. Pope Francis passed away after warning, “The Old Continent
is becoming an elderly continent … have children, lots of them.” In US Vance
said, “I want more babies”, and a baby Vance is on the way, but it won’t lift
the national average despite uncle Musk’s cheerleading:”immediate increase in
the birth rate is needed.”
Babies
are lovely, no doubt, but they have a nasty trick of growing up. Then you need
to school them, and educational inflation in India averages 11-12% pa, while
mom and pop’s wage growth doesn’t. One child can prematurely grey your hair,
two can mean financial ruin, who wants three?
You
also need to put a roof over their heads, but house prices have been growing at
9% in the top 10 cities, 24% in Delhi, where everyone wants to be. Heaven forbid,
someone in the family falls ill, and the reality of 10-12% medical inflation hits
like a sucker punch. So, from a couple’s POV –Point of View – babies are a
luxury. Each one can cost more than a premium German car, long-term, and may
not have a job eventually in an AI world. Separately, consider the mother’s
POV. Each baby is a hurdle for her self-realisation because she alone bears the
physical and career costs of child bearing. Caring responsibilities can be
split, but are they?
So,
population collapse looks inevitable everywhere. Five years ago, India’s
average fertility rate had already slipped below the level required to keep the
population stable. By now, the five states that were growing fast then –
including Bihar and UP – may have also slowed. So, we like China, will face all
the problems of a greying economy one day. But asking young couples to ward off
this scenario by having more kids is like expecting workers to buy fuel for the
factory furnace. Not fair. Won’t happen.
Monday, February 9, 2026
WATER AND A BAD COUGH
First letter
I had an opportunity to visit the famous textile shop on 2ndFebruary2026 along with my wife and my brother who is based in the city.
We stay in Trivandrum.
While we have shopped at a similar shop elsewhere, we could never do that at the city under reference..
Since we had enough time on hand yesterday before our return, we thought it was the best opportunity to explore the famous shop.
My wife wanted to purchase some dresses. As she was into the Sarees, a bad cough started to bother me. I was sitting on a chair near the counter where my wife was immersing herself among the Sarees.
I quietly asked the salesman for water. He responded. He pointed his finger in the opposite direction and told me I could have water from that end. Though the throat was bothering me much, I just sat there quietly.
Later I went to a billing counter and advised him that the shop should teach basic courtesy to its employees.
He at once said he was sorry and arranged a bottle of water. It was a big relief. I request that this gentleman may please be acknowledged for the good turn he did.
I have no complaints against the one who was disinterested in looking after my request
My only suggestion is all your employees must be given training in basic courtesy
Humility pays.
Second letter
Indeed grateful for the quick response.
The Officer in Charge spoke to me on receipt of my message. I reiterated I had no complaints against the salesman.
The Officer was receptive. He listened. We had a hearty conversation.
He invited me to visit the shop when I visited the city again. I have agreed to that. The only hitch is, I have no idea when I would do that.
The Officer appeared to me the right fit at the right spot.
I told him my visit to the City was to receive a literary award for the best book (general) 2025 from the CSI Madhya Kerala Diocese for my book A WALK THROUGH THE RAIN published in 2025 by the KUTSeminary, KUTS Publications, Kannammoola Trivandrum. The book was the compilation of my blog posts in childisprecious.blogspot.com.
Thank you once again for the prompt response.
I wrote because I wanted your shop not to lag behind in customer service.
Shobha De on Love
Lovemaking involves your partner's brain, imagination, emotions, tuning in to you, and your response to your partner.'
'If you look at it as something transactional or something that's a part of a relationship formula as determined by society, then it's fornication, not lovemaking.
ROSES ROSES ROSES
The pictures were taken at 2.20 pm. The Sun shone at its brightest. And at its harshest. The heat unbearable. It was burning hot.
I was not in the pink of health. I knew exposure in that weather would worsen my cough and wheezing.
I took a risk. I had to.
Two minutes in the Sun was terrible for me. Even after 10 minutes, the burning sensation on the uncovered parts of my body persists at the extreme.
But it was worth it.
The pictures came out superb.
You won't get a chance like this after the Sun went down.
Lalchaya, you took those pictures braving the elements. 👏🏼👏🏼 I could feel the heat of the sun. 🌞 Could we please compare them with golden hour shots?
Taken at 6.15pm yesterday
Wow, the pictures convey the ambient temperature so clearly.
Can almost feel the relief in the second pic.
5.47 pm the next day
This is a masterpiece. We can see the curve and depth of each petal. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Roses Roses Roses
Humorist Dave Barry
Humorist Dave Barry
If you had to identify in one word the reason why the human race has not achieved and never will achieve its full potential, that word would be, "Meetings."
BINU SAMUEL THOMAS
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me". 2 Corinthians 12:9. Also love this quote from the late great Bruce Lee: 'Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can.'
Binu Samuel Thomas
TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE LITERARY AWARD 2025
TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE LITERARY AWARD 2025
AWARD FOR THE BEST BOOK ON LITERATURE (GENERAL)
THEME
A WALK THROUGH THE RAIN
AWARDED TO ABRAHAM JACOB
TRIVANDRUM
It was surreal
One, presentation of the award for the best book in 2025 at Kottayam in front of a mammoth assemblage of believers last Sunday, 1stFebruary2026
Two, presentation of the award for the best book in 2025 at Christ Church, Trivandrum during the Malayalam Worship on Sunday, 8thFebruary2026
Praise the Lord
Rev Dr Santy S Paul, Faculty KUT Seminary Kannammola, Trivandrum writes:
What a proud moment dear sir.
I really appreciate your perseverance and creativity as well as your ability to connect an idea to the context, which invites the readers to 'Walk' alongside your thoughts and experiences.
May you bring out many more works.
Thanks for sharing the link and the photos. I watched the session.
Good wishes 🙏
And I replied:
Dear Achen
I am overwhelmed by your message.
I am struggling - groping in the dark - to pen a reply.
I am indeed grateful for your invisible yet invaluable involvement in this journey.
Thank you Achen once again for everything
Regards
Abraham
When somebody once asked me if I would receive royalty, I replied whatever it might generate it is for the KUT Seminary, Kannammoola, Trivandrum
I am grateful to them for launching me as an author.
This is my way of response to what they have done for me.
At Christ Church on 8thFebruary2026
EFFECT OF POPULATION CONTROL
EFFECT OF POPULATION CONTROL
Please go through the three clippings if you could spare the time
I joined the College at the age of 15 after SSLC.
In a span of few years, the Govt was advocating family planning. Initially it was two or three. Then it was brought down to two. And later one.
It was a blitzkrieg.
Kerala implemented it with vigour.
Now we have converted all men's and women's only schools and colleges to mixed institutions for lack of inflow of students.
We have reached a stage where young women do not wish to enter into marriage. They ask why marriage is necessary.
They wish to stay single.
If we look at the Choirs of Churches, they comprise of the aged. Youngsters and children are scanty.
Now the Nobel Laureate for Economics based in US of A says Pensions are destroying the economy of nations
Add to this the Chinese example.
When we visited China,the guide said govt allows a single child or two only for whom the expenses are met by govt.
If they had more children they were punished. The husband and wife would be posted at different locations. They would have to meet the expenses of the children themselves that was difficult.
Now, concerned at the dwindling population the govt is asking people to have more children. Sops are offered for larger number of children.
The hitch is the women do not wish to have children at all.Men too. Govt is pushing. People do not go in hand
Look at the paradox.
Finally as the longevity has gone up the pensioners live long. Now they must be thinking, less the number of pensioners, the good for the economy.
The accent could now be on, let there be more children and less number of the aged who are a drain on the economy.
I am scared.
Malayala Manorama
2 February 2026
Times of India
2 February 2026
It definitely causes worry as we subsist on the Pension.
The Malayala Manorama article tells Kerala stands to lose out in central grants in future because its population is receding
The effects of controlled population is in evidence here. Malayali manpower is not enough in Kerala. It makes the state depend on migrant labour.
Last Monday we visited Seematti Kottayam. The labour force is Tamil in majority. It is like that in Hotels too. If not Tamils they are Bengalis.
I was reflecting, "Are there such large number of Tamils to come and work here"
The point is:
The population in Kerala or the demographic balance has a peculiarity.
Just as the aged are growing in numbers, the number of young is going down. And a substantial number of the young are not here.
Add to that the fall in birth rate.
A MOMENT TO SAVOUR AND CHERISH
THE PRESIDENT OF SENATE OF SERAMPORE
REV PROF DR DAVID JOY
WITH HIS GRAND CHILD
ON 4TH FEBRUARY 2026
HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY AARON
HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY AARON
Aaron's sports interests are highlighted
There is the turf
There is the football
There is the shot put
There is the basketball
There is the discuss
Cake prepared by Indu of Kavadiar
Aaron's Amma, Reshma's friend
We celebrated Aaron's birthday at Hotel Residency Towers on 8th February 2026
Five families residing in three houses got together for lunch
Anoop organises the functions at this place.
Good food
Good ambience
They book the tables in advance
Good families could get together
Expensive
But worth it
EMERGENCY CSI SYNOD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULED ON 11TH FEBRUARY 2026
EMERGENCY CSI SYNOD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING IS SCHEDULED ON 11TH FEBRUARY 2026
How can the Synod executive usurp the powers of the Synod?
Will there be no end to the misery of CSI?
Just as Jesus predicted the destruction of the Jerusalem temple when he walked on earth, is it not a pointer to the demise of CSI itself?
For how long such wanton self centredness could last?
How long could they ride the faithful to satisfy their own whims and fancies?
If God doesn't act now, when should he act?
Is he waiting for the total destruction to rebuild?
One thing I am certain, the wrath of God is not distant.
It is not far away.
Saturday, February 7, 2026
PROMA MUKHERJEE KATHAK DANCER
PROMA
MUKHERJEE KATHAK DANCER
She
performed 12 shows during her treatment.
Kushagra
Dixit writes in Times of India of 5th
February2026
In 2025, Proma received a life altering Stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis.
Proma says, “It took a few days to accept the fact. Then I asked the doctor for a plan. The first thing he told me was not to stop my daily life, and especially not Kathak. My chemos were planned to suit my work. I ensured that I looked presentable and not weak.
Though
some of my colleagues even rumoured that I was faking it, my doctor had been
very supportive.”
Refusing to let the ‘Patient’ identity define her, she continued to perform her taals and complex footwork throughout her treatment. During this phase, she performed 12 shows overall, including a 50 minute performance after the last radiation. 2 weeks ago in Jan 2026, Proma was officially declared cancer free following a PET scan. She received her last radiation in the first week of Oct. She received her first chemotherapy in March 2025 and her last in June the same year.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Here
the newspaper article has been quoted as it is.
It had begun with a severe headache in August 1977 and the end was in May 1978.
Friday, February 6, 2026
DIGITAL BLACKMAIL ONE FACEBOOK PHOTO IS ALL IT TOOK
DIGITAL BLACKMAIL ONE FACEBOOK PHOTO IS ALL IT TOOK
Sneha Bhura writes in Times of India of 2nd February 2026
The first phone call came on a weekday last year, just as Ramesh Verma (name changed), 41, was finishing dinner with his wife Anjali in their Ghaziabad apartment. The man on the line said casually,"I have bad photos of you and your wife," Verma recalls.
"I thought it was a scam call and cut it." But the calls kept coming.
Then the caller sent proof. On WhatsApp, Ramesh received an image of himself and his wife that they immediately recognised. It was a photograph from facebook., taken years ago at a cousin's wedding. Except, now, both of them appeared naked. "It was us - same posture, same expressions - just undressed," he says with a shudder.
The caller threatened to upload the image on social media, porn sites and circulate it on WhatsApp groups if they didn't transfer Rs.5 lakh. A helpline for online scams informed Verma that it was most likely an AI tool used on the image and advised them to report it to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Following the complaint, the calls stopped.
"What stayed with us was how easily it happened. One Facebook photo is all it took," says Verma.
Anjali deactivated her social media accounts soon after.
"But the fear doesn't go away."
RETIRED HUSBAND SYNDROME OF JAPAN
RETIRED
HUSBAND SYNDROME OF JAPAN
Abhijit
Bannerjee, Nobel winning economist writes in the Times of India of 2nd
February 2026
Women
in Japan, faced with the impending retirement of their husbands, start to feel
worried and depressed. It can even turn into high blood pressure, ulcers and
rashes. The problem comes from the specific lifestyles of the Japanese ‘Salarymen’
in a generation when relatively few women worked outside the home. Workdays and
commutes were long, and men mostly socialized with their colleagues and male
friends..As a result, the couple never really needed to spend a lot of time
together.
But
once retired, it is hard to avoid his presence in the narrow confines of the
typical Japanese apartment.
She
wants to behave well, to be welcoming and friendly. But after 35 years of
limited intimacy, it is starting life all over again with an almost stranger, a
confrontation of her or his idiosyncrasies (easily concealed so far) with each other.
Saturday, January 31, 2026
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Novak Djokovic is not just a champion. He's a role model. His presence elevates the game itself
When the crowd chanted Roger, he said he had heard Novak as he was playing Roger Federer.
He had convinced himself it was like that.
When quizzed what made him so unyielding, when facing match points, Novak replied:
"It's like being on the edge of a cliff. There is no going back. This is it. I accept the situation and try to make the most out of it.
It's a matter of life or death at that point. At that point the feeling is all or nothing."
Thursday, January 29, 2026
ASTRONAUT JOSE HERNANDEZ
ASTRONAUT JOSE HERNANDEZ
“Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged
bird
That cannot fly.”
(Langston
Hughes)
In August 2009, a few
weeks after turning 47, Jose Hernandez stepped into the space shuttle. He sat
down, buckled in, and braced himself for takeoff. Just before midnight, he
heard the countdown and watched the engines light up. Eight and a half minutes after
blasting into the sky the engines were shut off. Jose couldn’t believe his
eyes. To convince himself it was real, he tossed a piece of equipment up.
Watching it hover, he marveled, “I guess we are in space!!” Over the course of
two weeks in space, he flew over five million miles. It was a short hop
compared to the distance he had travelled for the chance to wear a spacesuit.
Jose had gone from
picking strawberries in fields to floating among stars.
Jose Hernandez had
been raised in poverty by undocumented immigrants. To make ends meet, the
entire family took a long road trip from central Mexico to Northern California
each winter. They stopped at farms along the way to pick everything from
Strawberries and Grapes to Tomatoes and cucumbers. Come fall, they headed back
down to Mexico for a few months. The journey forced Jose to miss several months
of School and scrape by during the rest of the year in three different
districts. After José started his second grade, his father began cobbling
together day jobs so that they could stay in one place. But José still had to
work weekends in the fields to help and support his family. That left him with
limited time for homework and he couldn’t rely on his parents for assistance.
They had third grade education only.
Many kids go
through an astronaut phase. Jose was no exception. On a historic evening in
1972, ten year old Jose Hernandez was mesmerized by the moon walk of the last
Apollo astronauts. He watched them, on the TV, bounding across the surface of
the moon. Jose hoped that one day, he would etch his own footsteps on the moon.
He, however, was committed to making his dream a reality.
As his strongest
subjects were math and science, he felt engineering would be his ride to space.
Over the two subsequent decades, he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in
electrical engineering. The qualification landed him a job as an engineer at a
federal research facility.
No one was aware what
Jose had been through. As mentioned earlier, he was raised in a family of
migrant workers. When he started kindergarten in California, he didn’t speak
English. He finally became fluent in English only at the age of twelve. When he
applied for jobs after his master’s degree in engineering, the application
forms did not ask for unconventional skills like picking grapes. It didn’t
signal that gaining command over English language would qualify as
an honor. The awards section wasn’t a place to mention passing Physics while
working in the fields.
The system wasn’t
designed to identify and weigh the adversity, the candidates had overcoe in
life.
Jose’s academic
performance had been lackluster. In College he had Cs in Chemistry, calculus
and programming in the first semester No one would ever know why his grades
had suffered or why they had improved as time progressed.
To afford tuition,
Jose had worked the graveyard shift at a fruit and vegetable cannery arriving
at 10.00pm and finishing at 6.00am.It was a strain to stay alert in the class,
let alone master the topics.
When the fruit
season ended, he worked nights and weekends as a restaurant busboy. He
completed his first semester with a C average, between demanding classes and a
grueling schedule.
Things started improving
as Jose found work with more reasonable hours. He could organize a more
sustainable routine. It helped him take the initiative to seek tutoring to fill
gaps in his sphere of knowledge. The outcome was, he earned many ‘A’s that had helped
him graduate with cum laude honors. The excellent performance won him a full
scholarship to a master’s programme in engineering at the University of
California, Santa Barbara.
Jose accepted with glee
the offer of a job at the federal research facility, on successful completion
of his master’s degree in electrical engineering.
In 1989, he
submitted the astronaut application. NASA rejected it. But he didn’t give up
hope. He applied again and again, revising his resume, highlighting his
strengths and updating his references. However, he met with rejection after
rejection.
The last rejection
in 1996 broke his spirit. He had the sinking feeling he would never be enough
for NASA. He was on the verge of quitting. But his wife Adela, encouraged him
to go on. She told him he should not throw away his dream.
“Let NASA be the
one to disqualify you,” she urged, “Don’t disqualify yourself.”
In 1998, when Jose was
36, he submitted another astronaut application. Prior to that, he had taken a
year to earn his pilot’s licence. In addition to that, he spent another year to
acquire basic, advanced and master certifications in scuba diving. In between
all these efforts, he had learned to speak Russian.
NASA, at last had
responded to his application, inviting him to attend an interview. When the
interviewer gave him an hour to talk about his background, Jose for once had
opened up. He revealed he had started out as a migrant farmer. He narrated how
he had come up.
The observation of
the interviewer was, “If Jose could accomplish all that by coming from
someplace like he did, to overcome all that and get to the same place other
people reached, then he had a lot of desire and capability.”
Jose was partially
successful with the astronaut application in 1998. NASA had offered him a job
as an engineer, not as an astronaut. He was happy he could be part of the
mission to send humans to space, though he might not be going up.
After a number of years
working as a NASA engineer, in 2004, his phone rang. He was asked whether he
was replaceable. He replied he would be happy to train someone to take his
place.
“Good,” the caller
said, “How would you like to come and work for the astronaut’s office?”
After 15 years of
applying, Jose was selected to go to space.
“The second I
heard the good news,” he recalls, “My whole body went numb.”
He raced to his
house to break the news to his wife, children and parents who celebrated by
hugging and dancing.
“Success is to be
measured not so much by the position that one had reached in life
As by the obstacles ……..overcome while trying to succeed. (Booker T Washington)
In August 2009, a
few weeks after turning 47, Jose Hernandez stepped into the space shuttle. He
sat down, buckled in, and braced himself for takeoff. Just before midnight, he
heard the countdown and watched the engines light up. Eight and half minutes
after blasting into the sky the engines were shut off. Jose couldn’t believe
his eyes. To convince himself it was real, he tossed a piece of equipment up.
Watching it hover, he marveled, “I guess we are in space!!” Over the course of two
weeks in space, he flew over five million miles. It was a short hop compared to
the distance he had travelled for the chance to wear a spacesuit.
Jose had gone from
picking strawberries in fields to floating among stars.
Hidden Potential
Adam Grant
.
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