A Quote To Live By: “Don’t worry, the first bullet will hit me,”

Extract: The quote that stands out from the last three days is of the soldier who escorted to safety guests who had been herded into a salon in the Taj Mahal Hotel. “Don’t worry, the first bullet will hit me,” he said as he asked his frightened flock to follow him. That remark showed this unnamed hero's awareness that a wry sense of humour can help break the tension, it showed that he was not looking to his own safety, and it showed a confidence in his ability to manage the situation: he knew what he was doing. The question is, did the country’s leaders? @ T N Ninan: Failures at the top, Business Standard

see also: Heroes Emerge From Mumbai Massacre

Sunday: holy day &/or holiday

Books explore the evolution of Sunday
From Sabbatarianism to shopping - and why there's no such thing as a Wednesday driver Today it floats between its religious past and its secular present.
Nov 23, 2008
Comments on this story (14) Ryan Bigge Special to the Toronto Star

"Journalistic ethics demand that I make clear my lack of objectivity when it comes to the day of the week known as Sunday. This essay about Sunday is, after all, being published on a Sunday, and should not be considered unbiased. In my defence, the publication of two recent books on the topic (The Peculiar Life of Sundays by scholar Stephen Miller and Sunday: A History of the First Day From Babylonia to the Super Bowl by Brigham Young University history professor Craig Harline) suggest I am not alone in my affinity for, and fascination with, the first day of the week.
While the trend of single-topic books like Salt or Cod is finally abating, thanks in part to Henry Petroski's 400-plus-page ode to the toothpick, published last year, Sunday's right to sustained examination is inarguable. (Whether it requires 750 pages spread across two books is a separate debate.) To put it another way, a book-length examination of any other day would be unthinkable. We might prefer Friday to Sunday, but only Sunday, with its mix of history, culture, religion, politics and emotion, could generate 750 pages of discussion." continue reading

RELIGIONS AND IDEOLOGIES ON TOYS ~~ With Malice towards None

The following is by Phils Phun

Capitalism: He who dies with the most toys, wins.
Hari Krishna: He who plays with the most toys wins.
Judaism: He who buys toys at the lowest price wins.
Catholicism: He who denies himself the most toys wins.
Anglicanism: They were our toys first.
Greek Orthodox: No, they were OURS first.
Branch Davidians: He who dies playing with the biggest toys wins.
Atheism: There is no toy maker.
Objectivism: Toys are Toys.
Islam: You must force the world to play with this exact toy, other toys are forbidden. Polytheism: There are many toy makers.
Evolutionism: The toys made themselves.
Socialism: You will have toys eventually.
Taoism: The doll is as important as the dumptruck.
Mormonism: Every boy may have as many toys as he wants.
Fascism: We have ways of making you play with your toys.
Libertarianism: You can do anything you like with your toys as long as its consensual.
New Labour: We have firm evidence that masses of toys do exist somewhere.
Voodoo: Let me borrow that doll for a second...
Jehovah's Witnesses: He who places the most toys door to door wins.
Pentecostalism: He whose toys can talk wins.
Existentialism: Toys are a figment of your imagination.
Confucianism: Once a toy is dipped in water, it is no longer dry.
Buddhism: What is the sound of one toy playing with itself?

Racism was not... Thought for the day

"A historic first, a newly minted coin, would be an election in which a candidate’s skin colour is as unremarkable as his or her hair colour. When a candidate’s skin colour passes unnoticed, that will be a historic first for America.

Not for all countries or all periods, by the way. Some had shortcomings galore, but racism wasn’t among them. The Umayyad Caliphate ruled a fair chunk of the world without racism. The Doge’s Venice was perfectly content to entrust its fleet and Desdemona to the “blackamoor” Othello. " in George Jonas: Obama victory no historic first, The National Post : November 08, 2008.

Depressed astronauts might get computerized solace

Info courtesy: Janizarzagon

• Scientists working on robo-Freud for depressed astronauts
• The madness of offering depressed astronauts a computerized shrink
• Depressed Astronauts to Get Shiny New Computerized Therapist
• Depressed astronauts get computerised counsellors

Indian festivals: Ethos and health impact

Extract:
"Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated to commemorate the victory of good over evil, of knowledge over ignorance, of light over darkness and of hope over depression and despair...

Decoration with lights and bursting of crackers are salient features of the festival. However, excessive use of crackers has been a matter of concern. Firecrackers increase the concentrations of cobalt, nickel, chromium and cadmium in air. [2] Studies have also shown that there has been an increase in the particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and NO in air well beyond the safety ranges prescribed in the National Ambient Air Quality Standard [2],[3] The pollution induces susceptible individuals to develop irritation and inflammation of the respiratory tract and episodes of cough and wheezing. These episodes need to be prevented by minimizing exposure, introducing prophylactic therapy or enhancing doses of prophylactic medications. Besides, burns and a variety of ocular injuries have been reported and are a matter of concern. [4],[5],[6] Hospitals remain on guard to attend patients with burns and other injuries. Restrictions have been put on bursting crackers. Initiatives like 'noiseless' Diwali are also gaining ground..."

More

Yeolekar ME, Bavdekar SB. Indian festivals: Ethos and health impact. J Postgrad Med 2007;53:219-20 ...

See also:

• Businesses Accommodating Religious Festivals
• Celebrating Diwali the Telugu way Round-the-world