Day 9 - TED

Another boon of the internet is the access we have gained - to people, places, and most of all, to ideas.

"Ideas worth spreading" is the tagline of TED, which I think is one of the greatest things available on the internet today.  Superlative, uplifting, inspiring, thought-provoking talks by amazing people on all kinds of topics - it broadens your mind and expands your horizons.

I'm sure you've all watched some TED talk or the other, but if you  haven't, (or even if you have), this is a good place to start.   You can even google for "Top 10 TED talks" or "Most-watched TED-talks" and then one will lead you to another, and before you know it, you'll be hooked.

These talks aren't too long - less than 10 minutes, some around 20 minutes - you can watch them instead of watching TV, for instance.  When do I watch them?  When I'm having lunch, when I'm folding a heap of laundry - and most often, when I am engaged in that very boring but necessary task of cleaning and processing green vegetables.  Sometimes, if I need a break from work, or cooking, or if I just need to sit down, I watch a TED talk.

It is so heartening to see the kind of things going on in the world, to come to know about the latest ideas and research and technological developments that is happening out there.

You can listen to renowned scientists and writers and engineers and artists and performers.  You can listen to some great talks on education.  Or you can be quietly, but equally inspired by unknown, lay people from remote corners of the world who are silently making a difference in the world.  Like the Afghan girl who speaks about secretly educating Afghan girls, or a 13-year old Masai boy who created a solar-powered device to scare lions away. 

Every time the news in the papers sickens me, every time the cheapness, perversion and corruption of humans starts to get to me, I turn to TED talks.  They offer me solace, inspiration, and restore my faith in humanity.

The Right Mindset

My sis sent me this excellent link about the work of Carol Dweck, a Stanford psychologist, and her book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success".

While I urge you to read the article completely, I will highlight a few points here which appealed to me particularly.

I have always wondered what it is that makes some people successful. Why they strive, achieve, and reach where they want to, and go further. Why what works for one doesn't work for another. Is it motivation? Is it innate talent? Is it the ability to work hard?

Carol Dweck tried to figure it out, and...

The key, she found, isn’t ability; it’s whether you look at ability as something inherent that needs to be demonstrated or as something that can be developed.

What’s more, Dweck has shown that people can learn to adopt the latter belief and make dramatic strides in performance.

When she tried to explore why some people treated obstacles as challenges, where other people became discouraged by it, she found...

People who attributed their failures to lack of ability [...] would become discouraged even in areas where they were capable. Those who thought they simply hadn’t tried hard enough, on the other hand, would be fueled by setbacks.

Her research led her to conclude that there are two kinds of people - Those with "Learning Goals", and those with "Performance Goals", i.e. The former want to increase their ability, while the latter want to show off their ability.

People with performance goals, she reasoned, think intelligence is fixed from birth. People with learning goals have a growth mind-set about intelligence, believing it can be developed.

See this excellent diagram for the complete picture.

There is one more important thing that she says.

But aren’t there plenty of people who believe in innate ability and in the notion that nothing comes without effort? Logically, the two ideas are compatible. But psychologically, explains Dweck, many people who believe in fixed intelligence also think you shouldn’t need hard work to do well. [...] “The fallacy comes when people generalize it to the belief that effort on any task, even very hard ones, implies low ability,” Dweck says.

If you have been reading through this and increasingly feeling that you are one of those with a fixed mind-set, there is hope for you. Dweck says it is definitely possible to change your beliefs.

Dweck has also applied her theory to kids' moral education. Here's a sample - of how to motivate your child.

Reading this article has set my brain whirring. I hope it does the same to you.

Thyroid disorders

Check out my article on Thyroid disorders in the Health issue of JustFemme. For a long time, I have been thinking of writing about thyroid disorders here on my blog, but I have never got around to doing it.

It is one of the most common disorders around, but very rarely is it correctly diagnosed. But once diagnosed and treated, you are as healthy as anybody else.

I have been hypothyroid for the past 7 years, and am on thyroxine supplements. In the beginning, I was upset - What? Take tablets for the rest of my life? But now, it is second nature. Asking me, "Have you taken Eltroxin today?" is akin to asking me "Have you brushed your teeth today?"

As for my health, I couldn't be more normal (Physically at least!). Being hypothyroid hasn't affected my life in the slightest. Thyroxine levels change slightly during pregnancy, and all pregnant women are screened for it nowadays. Since I was already on thyroxine supplements, they just had to adjust my dosage slightly for a brief period. I had a healthy pregnancy, and have a normal and healthy daughter.

Thyroid disorders are more common than you think. Do read the article, and if you suspect that you or somebody you know might have a thyroid disorder, please get yourself checked at the earliest!

While you are there at JustFemme, do read my mom's story about surviving cancer. For all those who couldn't read the Kannada article, this one is for you!

Spotlight Series at Blogbharti

We have started the Spotlight Series at Blogbharti, where well-known bloggers/writers have been invited to write on contemporary issues. Two essays are already up, and there are many, many more to come. Do hop over, and join in the discussion.

JustFemme

JustFemme, a women's e-magazine, perhaps the only one of its kind, has been launched today. Do check it out! You are welcome to contribute too!

[And while you are there, look for my write-up too :)]

Feedback about the magazine is welcome. Mail to: justfemme DOT in AT gmail DOT com

Condensed Milk

Every Saturday, I read Vikram Doctor's excellent column in The Economic Times - "Garam Masala", and decide to blog about it that night. The muhurtha, as they say, had never arrived, until now.

Vikram Doctor, in my opinion, is a terrific food-writer. One, he loves his food. Two, he knows his food. Three, he has the knack of writing about it in a wonderful way. You are left mentally licking your fingers at the end of it.

Each time I read the column, I decide to alert my foodie readers about it, but then, as I said, I forget.

But this time, it didn't slip my mind - because this time, he wrote about condensed milk. Yes, that luscious, sweet, rich, sinful, viscous liquid that sends you straight to heaven with each delicious spoonful.

Vikram Doctor says it best -

As thousands of children have discovered over the years, condensed milk straight from the can is one of the most blissfully yummy things you can eat.

and

Both Nestle and Amul sell their condensed milk as an ingredient for home-made desserts, with recipes often provided helpfully on the can wrapper. I have never really been able to bring myself to make most of these, since good as they sound, they never sound quite as good as the plain product itself.

Heh!

Needless to say, S~ went out immediately after reading the article, and bought both Nestle's Milkmaid and Amul's MithaiMate. It had been so long, and man, am I enjoying it!

Do read the article. And yes, if you like your food, don't miss Vikram Doctor's column each week. You will not be disappointed.

Cancer Survivors

If you can read Kannada, please check out the Oct 11th 2007 "Sudha" (in the stands today). The cover page article is "Cancer Geddavaru" (Those who won over Cancer) by my mom Brinda N.Rao. You can also read it online on http://sudhaezine.com (You will have to register, though).

My mom battled and survived cancer about six years ago. It was a very difficult phase for all of us - and I cannot believe how beautifully my mom has emerged from that crisis. More active than before, and full of life as usual, she has continued her radio programs, given music concerts, and continued with writing and taking translation assignments.

She attributes her optimism during the treatment, and her positive attitude now, to timely counselling by Dr.Brinda Sitaram, the leading psycho-oncologist in India. The article is about Dr.Brinda, her institute COPER(Center of Psycho-Oncology for Education and Research), other cancer survivors, and my mom's own story.

Feedback welcome.

A baby is ....

.... An Alimentary Canal with a loud voice at one end and absolutely no responsibility at the other.

What a perfect definition! I found it in the Absolutely Useless Dictionary.

One more of my favourites, from the same place:

Sweater - Something you put on when your mother gets cold.

I am sure the Little One will agree to that wholeheartedly! I never know how to dress her, I just dress her like I would have dressed in that weather, just a little warmer. Sigh. I wish there was a babybodycomfortometer.

Visit the Absolutely Useless Dictionary at your own risk. You will have many many wonderful hours of laughter, but it is addictive, and then don't blame me!

Also read: The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce

This is a sponsored post.

Ok, my little sis PeeVee has updated her blog, and has promised to update it regularly. So please go and read.

Ok, PeeVee, done, advertised.

These little brats, they take advantage of their big sisters! I started my blog with four readers - my husband, sister and parents. And this kid wants instant readership, so she wants me to advertise her blog on my blog. *Snigger*

Ok, I'll come clean. She has bribed me for this. She has promised to send me the autographed photograph. Ha. Let's wait and watch.

Bond Forever

Bond... the one with the license to write. Ruskin Bond. Here is an example of why I adore the writer! - Way We Are in today's Sunday Herald (Sunday supplement of Deccan Herald).

Unfortunately, our stage manager had forgotten to put any tea in the pot, and poor Guttoo looked terribly put out as he went from cup to cup, pouring invisible tea. “Damn. What happened to the tea?” muttered Guttoo, a line which was not in the script. “Never mind,” said Gita, playing opposite him and keeping her cool. “I prefer my milk without tea,” and proceeded to pour herself a cup milk.

After this, everyone began to fluff their lines and our prompter had a busy time. Unfortunately he’d helped himself to a couple of rums at the bar, so that, whenever one of the actors faltered, he’d call out the correct words in a stentorian voice which could be heard all over the hall. Soon there was more prompting than acting, and the audience began joining in with dialogue of their own.

Do read it for a good laugh!

An old post on the day I met Ruskin Bond

She

She is my best friend and my confidante.
She is my partner in crime.
She and I have shared everything.
She and I have burnt gallons of midnight oil - chatting into the night.
She and I have driven people crazy with our giggling.
She and I can carry out entire conversations without speaking a word.
She is bright, witty, cheerful, and very sweet.
She is the one I miss the most, during this time when the Little One has arrived... coz..
She is far far away doing her MS in Stanford University.
She is my little sis P.

And..... At Long Last...She has started a blog!

Go read, but puh-leezzz do come back!

Link Love

There are a million bloggers out there. A few of them are very good, and accordingly, enjoy a large readership. But for every well-known blogger out there, there is an equally good blogger, who for some reason or the other enjoys very little readership.

To set this right, a meme is going around, which asks you to link to those bloggers who you think deserve more readership. I picked it up from Bombay Addict's blog (he has also traced the journey of the meme) - and here I go -

Anitha at Thoughtraker - She does have a dedicated fan following - but I think she deserves much more readership - she writes beautifully.
Usha at Ageless Bonding - Thought-provoking posts about life and people. I never go away from her blog without having gained something.
Raj at Plus Ultra - One of the funniest blogs around.

There are at least half a dozen more I'd like to mention - but either they already have a fair amount of readership, or they don't blog often enough - so I'll stop here.

If you feel likewise about any blogger that you read regularly, please carry this forward. Let's all get to read more good blogs out there!

Also, I have just joined BlogBharti as one of the contributors. What I like about them is that they give preference to the so-called "Z-listers" over "A-listers". Whenever I came across good posts in unknown blogs, I would wish I could link them all on my blog and give them a little publicity - I can conveniently do that now - on BlogBharti.

Most of the blogs of my regular commenters are already on my Blog Radar. But if you come across a good blog, or a good post, on any subject, which you think deserves to be read, please lead me to it. Thank you!

A reco.

I will be back with some posts, but I couldn't resist telling you about this very funny blogger - Raj of Plus Ultra. I have been reading his blog for over a year and he has only been getting better.

It is not that there are no other blogs on my blogroll that are worth mentioning. But the fact is that I feel that considering how good Raj of Plus Ultra is, he is not read by a proportionate number of readers. And when I see some other moderately funny bloggers praised to the skies, I keep saying in my mind, "But you haven't read Plus Ultra!" So I decided to bring the voice out of my head onto my blog -- this is my tiny attempt at publicity for him. And no, he is not giving me any commission for this. Just a fan's attempt to thank someone who always makes her smile!

Celebration

Anil makes a call to celebrate the anniversaries of two momentous occasions.

This year is the 75th anniversary of the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh and his comrades. It has passed almost unnoticed. No official functions to mark the occasion. No commemorative postage stamp, no portrait or statue to honour them and remember with gratitude the ‘supreme sacrifice’ of a band of young men committed to the cause of freedom.

Another occasion is close at hand and plans don’t seem to be afoot to celebrate that either. Next year is the 150th anniversary of the First War of Indian Independence. We were taught about it in the terms in which the British colonial historians referred to it – the Sepoy Mutiny. (sipaayi dange in Kannada, the language in which I had my school education). The name itself tried to trivialise the great uprising that resulted from a spontaneous upsurge of nationalist and anti colonial feelings. Since it had its origins in the colonial army, it was easy for them to refer to it as a mutiny, a mere a matter of discipline and quell it.

Wonder why this neglect of these historic occasions and their anniversaries? Is the revolutionary spirit passé? Is the idea of people thinking and who might be inspired by these events and stand up to authority too subversive for the people who hold power and who they hold it for?

He makes a request:

We the people shall celebrate the anniversaries of these momentous events. What the government seems to be ignoring, we shall celebrate in our own way.

Please copy the image above and put it in your own blog, along with this request.

Thank you!

If you also feel as strongly about this, then please spread the word around!

Update: Emma has a very interesting post where she points out that, this year, in fact, is the 200th anniversary of the "real" First War of Independence, otherwise known as the Vellore Mutiny, which happened in 1806. And this hasn't even found a place in our history books (at least not in ours). Do check out the post.

Waiter Rant

I recently discovered Waiter Rant. If you haven't heard about this, it is the blog of an anonymous waiter of a restaurant in New York. Oh is he popular!

Now if you, dear reader, already know Waiter Rant, and if you are thinking, "Huh, has this girl been living in a cave all this while?", then please bear with me for a while.

If I just say that I find the blog entertaining, I would be doing a disservice to Waiter, as he calls himself. The blog is totally enjoyable, and frighteningly addictive. Since he started blogging long back, I have a lot of stuff of his to catch up on. Whenever I am bored, or have ten minutes to spare, I go to his blog, click on the archives, and proceed to read.

What does he write about? Just about his work. About co-workers. But mostly about his customers. Their eccentricities. Their cheapness. Their silliness. The funny side of his job. The sad side. Everything. His stories are hilarious, wicked, poignant, all at the same time. He grabs you at the first line of each post, and holds your interest right down to the end. Anyway, in short, Waiter Rant is just a Waiter's Rant. And man, is it enjoyable!

Now, this blog got me thinking. If I were to write a blog only about my work, what would it look like? Left home. Boarded bus. Got stuck in traffic jam. Reached office. Checked mails. Drank tea. Pretended to work. Took some calls. Had lunch. Blogged a bit. Drank tea. Pretended to work. Left office. Got stuck in traffic jam. Reached home. Yawn.

So, a blog of which profession would be as entertaining? It has to be a job where you come across a variety of people. Just machines cannot be too interesting.

A doctor? Might work, but you might not really want to read it in your lunch break.
A lawyer? Maybe, but the legalese might get heavy.
A beautician? Now this one might be interesting.

But I can't think of anything more interesting than a Waiter's blog. (Can you?) Coz at a restaurant, people come in groups. And they spend some time there. You get to observe not just the person, but you also see his behaviour in a social setting, which tells you a lot more about him. And Waiter of Waiter Rant has this habit of drawing conclusions from the little slice of life of his customers, that he gets to observe. It might be slightly cruel at times, but for a bystander, its funny!

I guess that's what makes his blog popular. By Waiter ranting about his customers, you feel a certain superior goodness. That you could never be so rude. You would never tip so badly. You would never be so mean. I guess people read this blog for their daily dose of superiority!

Naturally, as you read this blog, you start viewing waiters in a totally different light. Now, as a rule, I am pretty polite and nice to waiters. After all, they bring me food. :) But what about tipping?

Waiter is very vociferous when it comes to tipping. How he treats a customer the next time they come in, depends on what they tipped him the previous time. Waiter says that the decent minimum is 15 %. If you are really happy with the food and service, you tip much higher. I googled a bit, and found that yes, this is the expected figure - but that is in the US. My momentary pangs of guilt dissipated. I googled a bit more, and arrived at some sites, which say that the average tip expected in a restaurant in India is 5-10 pc, which is comfortably equivalent to what I am used to. Phew! [Some restaurants add a service charge. So you are spared the agony of wondering how much to tip.]

But, really. I am sure I will never look at a waiter the same way again. What if one of the waiters at Aromas of China is a blogger, and writes about the crazy creature who always comes in, orders a plate of Honey-Pepper vegetables, attacks it and finishes it all, not letting her hapless husband take even a bite? *Shudder*

[Reading this through a feedreader? Here is the link to my blog until the end of the blog ban in India.]

Metroblogging Bangalore

I received an invitation to join Metroblogging Bangalore as a contributor. When the invitation came, I was in two minds. One part of my brain said that it would be a good experience, and the other part said, where will you find the time to do justice to posting at two places? [Coz one of the agreements at Metblogs is that you don't crosspost at your own blog!].

But then, the urge to be part of something new won over. Time will find itself somehow, if I am really interested, correct?

So I am now officially a Metroblogger. My profile is here. My first post is just up. Do hop over and have a look at it. And please don't forget to comment away as usual!

If you would like to read only my posts on the site for some inexplicable reason (like if you are my parents), then you could subscribe to just my posts using this in your regular feedreader - "http://embed.metblogs.com/authorRSS.php?author_id=1224". Or if you look at the sidebar, you will find the links to my latest posts there.

What I need from you, my dear readers, is a load of ideas. Come across anything exciting happening in Bangalore? Drop me a comment. Come across an interesting story, about anything connected with Bangalore? Write me a line. It could be anything at all. If you have posts about Bangalore, do let me know, I could link to them if I am doing a story on a related subject. You could also directly hop out here and suggest a story.

Posting on this blog will continue as usual.

Floccinaucinihilipilification

Floccinaucinihilipilification (FLOK-si-NO-si-NY-HIL-i-PIL-i-fi-KAY-shuhn) noun

Meaning - Estimating something as worthless.

[From Latin flocci, from floccus (tuft of wool) + nauci, from naucum (a trifling thing) + nihili, from Latin nihil (nothing) + pili, from pilus (a hair, trifle) + -fication (making).]

- My current favourite word!

Ever since my uncle introduced me to A Word A Day from Wordsmith , I have been hooked. A Word A Day(AWAD) usually lands in my box at lunchtime, and it is one of the brighter moments of each work day!

AWAD was started by Anu Garg. Each week, he presents five different words with a common theme. Along with the pronunciation and the meaning of each word, he also describes the root and the origin of the word. There is usually a short witty note on the word too. He also gives an example of the usage of the word in the media. And as a bonus, he puts in a very interesting quote (not related to the Word of the Day). [Sometimes I suspect that I wait for the quote more than I wait for the word!] At the end of each week, Anu sends across a mail, a collection of titbits and inputs from readers all over the world, on the words of the previous week.

Each email usually brightens up a dull day, and livens up a lifeless post-lunch Shruthi.

In fact, the credit for the name "Nychthemeron" goes to AWAD. The day I decided to start blogging seriously, I decided to change my url, and was trying all sorts of words. Nothing was available, and I was getting increasingly frustrated. Then I received that day’s word, and found that the word was Nychthemeron . I loved the meaning and the way the word slid off my tongue. I tried it – and it was available. And the rest is, of course, a branch of Social Science.

If you like words, and have not subscribed to A Word A Day yet, then go ahead and do it NOW. By the way, not all words are long and unpronounceable like today’s word is. This week’s theme is “long words”. So don’t worry!

AWAD is interesting and informative, and yes, you cheapskate - it is free.

A few links.

Since I am very busy (for a change), I haven't been able to blog at all. So I will leave you with a couple of links.

Anu, on Mysore - this beautifully written post reduced me to tears - with my love for Mysore. And no, this statement does not mean you get the license to crib about Bangalore on this post , coz I still love Bangalore :)

The weekend was very eventful. I have written about the Kannada serial Muktha earlier. When I went in search of info about the serial, I landed here. During the course of discussions, I was drawn into writing daily updates of Muktha here. The regular commenters at this post became so familiar, that we decided we had to meet up. We did meet up last Saturday, and the surprise guest was Mr.T.N.Seetharam himself. (The acclaimed, popular and well-loved director of the serial). I am itching to blog about it. Let's see if I can.

I gotta go now - please don't forget me ;)

My aunt's new blog!

At last! My aunt finally got herself a blog! It took quite a lot of persuading, though.:) I love her style of writing. She intends to write about her extensive travels, her life in UK and Singapore, and other interesting bits and pieces along the way. Look out for her at Anu's "Walk a-musing".

Skywalk at the Grand Canyon

Definitely tops my HAVE-to-go-there list. Check out this snap and you will know what I mean. Also, while you are there, look around - it will be well worth your time!