Pain relief - a distant truth

I have always thought we are scientifically advanced day-by-day and have all the equipments, techniques and concepts to take care of any situation. Like an incurable disease for example. But when it strikes you or someone near you, you realize the primitive jungle of human thought and emotion that can't be cured easily. But wait. Haven't we all heard about the new reality called pain relief techniques? Where is it, and how does a poor guy like me though literate (duh, with all the junk about the 100 years war, Hitler's suicide, Moon's craters) get it when I or my friend needs it the most?

Pain relief is a distant truth that many know exists, but never really get the opportunity to learn it.

'It is all in the mind', they say. But how do we practice it? How can we control pain with our minds, as it is said to be possible? Hello researcher, hello cutting edge scientist, you may have won the Nobel prize, but you have learnt haven't been applied and reached the ordinary people. Neither does an onlooker like me know how to help them. Help me help them. What improves lives? What decreases pain? What changes to the society can benefit us? Go out of your way and put it into practice. Few people will help initially. Gradually, a whole nation will be behind you.

Which society has modestly realized that life truths like these have to be incorporated in their school curriculum? I have a junk of knowledge which I won't use. But everyone needs some amount of knowledge which they will all use. But sadly, most of such 'creme' knowledge are not taught!

A lot of highly valuable information is limited to the conference halls and thesis-presentation halls of the high strata of scientific community for eons before it reaches a dying person, who could have been benefitted from it at its point of discovery. Many researchers spend about half their lifetime preaching and proving their work to the scientific fraternity than really going out with compassion to give it to the sufferers to help them straight away. This is how the scientific community is functions. This sort of system should change.

There are a few exceptions that laymen like me are now learning of. Thankfully. Take for example, Dr. Devi Prakash Shetty, or any doctor at the Cancer Institute of Adyar who provide their valuable knowledge with confidence and compassion to the people who need it. That's what makes them respectable - that they took their knowledge to the people who needed it knowing that wasting time takes lives. Trusting in what they have perfected, they go about their duty. Free of cost to most! This is justice to their knowledge. The real heroes. May more be like them. (Pray I would too.)

Well, yes this post conveys an exaggerated amount angst and ill feeling towards the scientific community. Although they are the path-breakers, they aren't really heroes until they get their knowledge to the people.

For, what good is he who earns the gems of knowledge and do not take pains to get it to the needy, thus completing the circle?

Baker Beach

Away from the city...

Another Saturday;
and another opportunity to explore the place!

I'm posting pics from this latest trip here, some of which are pure scenic, like this one. There are more coming up, while I am deciding which is the best place to put it online. Till now I have been using Yahoo photos, yeah outdated I know. The photos were getting compressed and they lost their quality. So I am contemplating on Flickr. Will soon post the remaining pics there.

Before I begin, here's a tip: San Francisco is a large city. Take a day pass ($11) and you can hop on any Muni, Trolley, or Cable car for the whole day. Its a good way to see the city real quick. The route numbers 29, 28 and 18 are quite scenic, although I didn't try all the routes..I guess there would be better ones too.

I decided to do some trekking this time. Went to Baker beach, on the west coast of SFO. Its one of the beaches that has a long way you can tread all to the Golden Gate bridge. Also a good view of the mystic (also misty) pacific ocean. 'Twas an opportunity to look from near end of the world (virtually) and stare into the vastness and beyond the International Date line, to Asia.

Heard it had interesting terrain, and was right on that. Beautiful hills, though not steep enough, lead directly into the pacific ocean. Scenic winding roads adorn the hills like a necklace basking in the glory of sun gleaming into the waters nearby.

So I did eventually do some trekking, climbing small hills and traversing easy routes. But I loved challenging rock climbs. And I got that just here.
At one point I almost made a mistake. Climbing up was easy. But getting down was real tough, especially with moving sand. I almost got myself killed atop this small climb. One slip and I'd be dead meat.

Somehow, I did manage to climb down. And when I did, the folks at the shore applauded and I flashed my embarrassed-sheepish smile. It was funny. I never knew it was dangerous trekking terrain. I simply fought my way up. And once I got there, I had trembling feet and moving sand beneath. A look down would kill what's left of my consciousness. I did manage to put on a brave face though and also took some snaps from above. God helped me, and I was back safe land. Why on earth did I attempt all this? The challenge was good, the terrain was inviting. The thrill and real scare made it memorable. So no complaints ;-)

Well, that's about the trekking part...Here are some more pics from there..

Beautiful; just beside the shore.

Quite Poetic..Steps..Ocean and beyond. Your first step counts..

Lonely warrior returning from the unknown...

Adios..!

Nobody's world.

Imagine ...

• you have totally failed in your job...,
• that you stand no more scope in your career...
• Your future is bleak -
  
• you're gonna loose almost all your earnings..
• ..and you have nobody close to share your grief with..you are an orphan...

Imagine.

Give it some time - quite some time (maybe hours). Talk to yourself and allow the feeling to sink down.

At first it would be really disheartening and heart breaking. Keep talking to yourself to find an answer.

How do you feel? Its not catharsis. But its nice.
Nice to know that you are a nobody, and that actually everybody is a nobody..and that what you are striving for is foolish, and...

Peace.

Google calculator

Ok, I may be the last person to know this, but the thrill of finding out yourself is something unique. So while that feeling lasts for me, let me jot it down here.

Google can be used as a cool calculator! You can enter any (yes ANY) calculator related stuff on google.com and it will get you the result - be in scientific computation, currency conversion, what not..!

Sample tries:

• sqrt(-4)
• 160 pounds * 4000 feet in Calories
• 1 USD in INR

SFO part 2

Here's another day's out travelogue in SFO, complete with pics for those interested.

This was my second visit to downtown and I could feel the pulse of the city better. Boy, its big! Every spot is so happening. So modern and quite fascinating. Theres a lot of variety in the kind of poeple you'l meet. I remember awe-ing at the big city streets of Dubai in my childhood. But I never thought I'd see a place this huge in every sense. I guess its second only to New York.

O.k, coming to my latest trip..I thought I'd try the world famous San Francisco cable cars all the way downtown to Fisherman's Wharf. It takes you across really steep hills going up and down. Its a nice ride. The crowd today was amazing. There were all kinds of people just out to enjoy the day. The vintage cable cars are quite fast for its age.

The other highlight of the day was a huge bunch of deep baritoned sea lions and seals awaiting my arrival at peir 39, complete with all the sound effects of their welcoming snorting and barking! Well, I didn't know, but they do give off a real barking sound. And today I saw about a hundred off them in the orchestra. Some of the people watching just joined the show....(the sea lions were better)

I had been to Fisherman's Wharf last time. But the place, the views and the crowd made me come back. Its a fabulous place with shops, restaurants, scenic bay views and lot of rides. Lot of street performers (wish I could be one) dancing and making music for money. There were also some who came there just to vent their feelings. Like a man I saw singing ballads, a red-head who just yelled at the top of her voice and using her violin in some frenzied ballet, created some sort of fusion music..all in all it was a place to be. My favourite was this person who played on deep flutes (the ones they use for Sufi music). It was so soulful and I wished I could lay in the grass there all day listening to that music.

Lot of crab eateries all around the place. Lot of shops on souvenirs and just about everything. Lot of rides and for the happy hour folks, a really jiving hard rock cafe! Aquariums, pools, rides, just about everything. People showing public displays of affection(!!), people proposing, and what not. Its fun. You'l find just your kind of place there. Oh and not to mention, lots of Indians too with the elderly gaping at, I guess the culture shock for whom it hadn't mellowed down yet! I just hung around the area a little longer and did some shopping for the folks at home.

And then I made my way back, yup in the cable car again. This time another route. And hey, what did I find!! A..secret, staring at me right in front of me. I did hang around a while though, trying hard not to be noticed and taking a peek inside, except when I was directly in front of the doorway an elderly dame just opened the door and walked out queering at my interesting pose, now frozen, looking inside. I walked the other way.

Well, the place I was then was the Union Square, a good place to hang out with friends. With artists painting potraits, all around the square. I hopped into Macy's, a high end shopping store, looking to buy a belt. The Calvin Kleins and DKNYs with their price tags made it just a frivolous visit with me rushing to the door. Duh!

Now dusk hit me sooner than I expected and it was time to take my train back to Redwood city where I stay. It was dusk. And I had planned to go to a Sushi place near my house for dinner!

Coming to my dinner - Sushi sucks (depending on which you have). Raw fish with some intoxicating sauce almost made me puke. I washed it down with some beverage. I tried oyster for starter and it was good. One thind I really loved was chicken teriyaki a dish similar to our chicken biriyani, with more chicken and more rice. The foods generally have a taste of vinegar and soy sauce, which when taken in excess is just not right for the first time. I tried using chopsticks to blend into the culture, but I found myself ordering a fork after having made enough fool of myself at the table.

So that's it from another round of updates travelling. Not to mention I'm in full awe with the city and striving not to get too attached. Until I get another time to visit the city, thought I'd pen today's experiences, first hand for those who missed...

Take care folks & have a good time. Adios!

As always, more photos here.

Evolutionary Collectivism

Here's something I scribbled as a reaction to, well something! 'Twas in my email drafts for a long time.

My idea of evolutionary collectivism

I see the present world filled with madness. All energies wasted on materialistic
and unyielding activities totally unproductive to the development of freedom and
eternal happiness. Those deeds that are so entwined with self praise, pleasures
and self empathy that feeds itself to glorify its presence as a necessity and a fashion.

While the unattended truth lurches in the dark corners of the background awaiting
the right soul kind enough to lend it a hand and show it some light. People have to
reinvent themselves..there's no other go. They have to seek out the real nature
in them to collectively produce ever-shining light, if we have to have lasting peace
and dignity in the society.

Everybody collectively - the media, the schools, the employers, the government -
should understand the consequences of proceeding like the present and the huge
pit we are digging ourselves beneath us unknowingly. One day its certain the
ground will give way and we will all fall into this pit we created ourselves.
We have to hold back.

Resist the quarrying into human values, search for the holistic pursuits and
feed the pure thoughts to cover up the nation of muck we have dug up.

Guess it was some bad day :)

Maya and reality

I was just curious the other day what google would spurn out for the search on the above topic. The wikipedia article seems to be quite engrossing , and I haven't finished it yet.

I later laid my eyes on the first result of my search - a book 'MAYA - The world as virtual reality'. Thought I would provide the link for those intrigued and the sci-fi fans atleast. This book by the way deals with vitual reality in a computer science perspective, which I think would interest many.

An excerpt:

"In the world of modern science, consciousness is reduced to a fading epiphenomenon, left over after the brain has been physically explained. It seems to arise when matter is suitably organized, but scientists and philosophers have been unable to explain why complex organization should produce anything beyond complex physical behavior. Yet consciousness won't go away."

Well, a goldfish cannot even get close to how much we can explain - it has a memory span of just 3 minutes. We definitely have limitations too regarding the extent of intellect we are built with. We are afterall just another animal in this universe. Ant is an animal too. Do you think it can figure this with the limited brain it has? We too are ants relative to this universe. (Btw, does the ant even care? Hah!) Explaining metaphysical aspects and super-science thus requires another dimension of thinking, which we lack.

So I would term such books bogus if it is just mathematical proofs coming in. Because mathematics cannot define conciousness, not even quantify it. (Unless of-course you are interested in science-'fiction' which to any scientist would be an oxymoron).

A day out in San Francisco

(Warning: most pictures in the post cover my head; sorry the incumbent was travelling alone and had to take his own photos most of the time! You could use the map here for reference.)

I landed in America without knowing the conversion cents to dollars or how many cents made a dime. Well it was on a real short notice that I came here you see. Since my stay here is for just a good month or so, I started backpacking and moving around the city the very first weekend I got. Today was the first day and I decided to visit the places according to my priority list. Right on top was the Golden Gate Bridge.

I started from my hotel in Redwood City at about 9:00 AM to the caltrain station to catch the train to SFO - a 45 minute ride. From there I began my journey to the Golden Gate bridge. (Mind you, I was totally unprepared for this). I walked downtown to catch a glimpse os its unique architecture. The climate was akin to Kodai or Ooty. I found this interesting place closeby. Its by the Zeum art center.

Downtown just got me snapping away for pictures. Adding just one shot here, as its quality is nice. There were skateboarders practicing, both serious and fun-minded joggers, yougsters revving their fast cars, crowded trams (very noisy) running down the street, people just out to enjoy the sunshine, and a lot of people with dogs (Americans love pets).

As I walked on, I reached the Bay Bridge. I thought it was Golden Gate bridge at first and hung around there for a long time until I simply asked the hot-dog person and found out to my horror. The seagulls there are huge and not scared of humans. Caught this inquisitive person staring at me :)

From there on I walked on towards the Golden Gate bridge, and in between went through Fisherman's wharf. There are many sights and sounds to capture out there. All I am posting here is a picture of this awesome musician performing. There are other dancers, musicians and street delights.

Also in the route was Alcatraz in the background. I used the biking/skating path to the bridge. There were folks on Segaways, bikes, roller skates and many jogging on. I just walked on taking in the breathless scenery along the way. The smell of eucalyptus wafted over the air. Its amazing that America has laid so much concern for bikers, setting aside bike trails and other conveniences for them. Nice to see that.


Okay so i got onto my last leg of the trek up towards the bridge and it was a nice climb. The trek reminded me of my Ooty days. Anyways, yours truly did manage to take a shot on his own, standing the camera up on a pier and setting the timer. I am pretty pleased with the result :)


Finally (yay!) I've made it to the bridge!! I start getting pictures in a frenzy. Luckily I carried two memory cards and I filled them both!
Now that was what I was waiting for! A glimpse of the famous landmark. As a bonus, I also got some astounding views of the city. There was a large crowd at the bridge on this saturday evening.

Well, I walked my way back as I couldn't get a single bus!! On the way, I passed through the art palace and the exploratorium. The art work and architecture is extraordinary. It felt like a mythical Greek setting. An English touch to it was a calm lake full of soothing-to-look-at ducks.












Well, that was about it. It was a long day. I took the bos 30 back to the Caltrain station and got back home. And my legs are aching and eyes are closing. So I don't have the capacity to spell check this post (not that I do normally) or check for grammatical errors. I'll do all that later. Till then, ciao.

Note: Entire set of photos here.

TIDBIT: cisco got its name from the abbreviation of San Francisco!

Large company vs. Small company - working for each

Well, I have to say that there is a large amount of difference working for a large company compared to working for a small company. I have essentially spent a year and a half with a large company (25000+ employees) and am currenty visiting and working for a smaller company(30+ employees), as our client.

Well, as a newbee to work, one would think your immediate surroundings and colleagues are all that matter to you. But your colleagues themselves are part of the organisation and they act and react as per the environment too. Ultimately, its a world of a difference.

In a nutshell, its like studying in a small village school run by your own uncles or someone like that [working for a small company] compared to
studying in a prestigiously run convent school with lot of rules [the larger company]. Both schools have principals (and also principles), but the way they hit you are different :)

Processes are well implemented in the larger company and due to that all the paths are firmly laid - you just have to follow the advice of your seniors to know how to advance.
With regard to the smaller company, its a silent tug-of-war that happens due to certain hapless situations too.

Well, this immature rambling here is primeval and I intend to make sense out of it later, but this is nevertheless a good placeholder. Am interested to know what others think about this too.

A sunny lunch

The climate in California is pretty good now compared to the rest of America (atleast its not snowing and chilly)!

This afternoon we had a pretty good lunch outdoors at the Pacific Shores office. Till yesterday evening it was damn cold to go out, but todays lunch made us feel we could sit out all day there enjoying the sun. Its also the time of the year when cherry blossoms bloom in this part of the world (sad I didn't get my camera today, but if I will soon, I'll out those pictures here).

By the way, did I mention my lunch cost $7? It was like this - I entered a self-service area (where almost everything looks relishing) and you pay by the weight of food that you take. I took a little extra and damn, the weight in my stomach reminds me of my today's expense (gulp) :-) This may prompt me to bring my lunch from tomorrow (if I can stand the catching sight of all that good food in the food-court)!

Indian Panorama - feb 7

Just would like to put in a few interesting headlines today:

a. Happy to know that Indian scientists have found answers that eluded Eintein and that Phillipines and India are the biggest spoilers of Coca-Cola's party!

b. In one way good that we're getting better buildings and on the other hand, its a mark of mistrust on our Indian builders! Foreign architects eye India's huge IT projects

c. And hey, is he true when Emraan Hashmi says: 'Women like bad boys'?

Go figure!

Sorry for the really uninteresting scheme of colours of-late, but I will change it when I get time!

Thanks to rediff.com for todays digest!

I am not the pilot, I wanna be the plane!

Ok, I know it sounds a lot cliched, but I'd like to be the planes in this video.
Its exactly like the spirit I have in myself if I am let loose - (like doing some soul-searching).

I share the fascination of flying with many others in this world, but I don't know what or how specifically they feel about it, I very much want to be the plane in this video, rather than the pilot.

Socrates

One is often asked who is their idol. While this keeps changing for me, for long during my childhood it was Swami Vivekananda.

Of late I have been thinking more and as it progresses, I seem to have developed a deep respect for Socrates. Something compels me to answer him as my idol at this point of time. It maybe how he took philosophy to new heights, constantly improving it and making use of his intellect. He strived to conquer ill-thgoughts using his rationale and of-course, the very philosophical manner in which he accepted his death! I dunno, there's a lot of respect I have for that man!

Needless to say, its not a tug-of-war between two great thought leaders who changed the world :-) Its just that certain ideas seem to influence my little mind more that what I have already perceived, this thanks to Socrates.

Maybe I will learn more. Maybe I will one-day be able to assimilate all that I've gathered for the betterment of the people. Maybe. Hope so!

The One Thought (a very personal ramble for myself)

I'm bad. I'm always manipulative. Of situations, of God-given rules.

All, for what? Well the beginning reasons were all for the good - so that I could simulate certain situations to make myself stronger. It was a way of teaching myself and disciplining me as I was almost self-taught on non-academic knowledge and was a loner during childhood.

I would force bad thoughts onto myself and wouldn't accept good things, only to discipline myself. But by then the reasons began to eat into me and it became an addictive habit. Now its really eaten into my life and is destroying it. Its affecting other lives too!

Maybe God would have had a purpose of doing that through me. But now I realise my bad habit and I also realise the power of God which makes everything happen in this world of illusions. So I now know the only truth - God. The only power is God.

He is the only aim worth having, because its He who does everything. So what I should be doing is to think of Him always and sing His praise wherever I go. All other material benefits would come and go - they are illusions of His making after all. In all this, only He is constant throughout time. Sages say our souls are eternal too and is a part of Him.

There's still a lot more to learn and to realise by this little person who is not even a quark in the ocean of His universe. So much to understand that even 100% usage of the human brain can't understand. But we can definitely make ourselves get to the point of transcending to the realm that would make us understand it. And thats only through the meditation of the One Truth.

Some truths uncovered

From my recent experiences so close and touching life, I've experienced some well heard of truths.

* There is an extraordinary amount of energy and capability hidden amongst us. To me this revelation came at a time of need and it surprised me how much different I can be from my lazy, less powerful self that I thought was.

* When in need, God does give power to the one who deplores him for it.

* How much ever circumstances change you, its an illusion; you are the same unchanging soul throughout. Its your body and sensory perceptions that change and hit highs and lows. Realizing this brings considerable amount of confidence even in the most trying situations.

* Angst, pain, happiness and pleasure are all sensory perceptions of this illusory world and is like a bubble waiting to burst. This also suggests that you can use mind control to save yourself from any of these feelings, although its a difficult task.

God Bless, people!
p.s: I know I haven't put the experiences in the right words. Hopefully when I am in the position to realize and to write at the same time, I shall put them better!

Long time I updated my blog. Atleast got this Sorry note posted as my classmate reminded me. Well, all's not well in my home front and my dad's not well. So am devoting my time for him and work.

So here are some quotes that I read of late..it shows the current state of my mind :-)

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. ~M. Kathleen Casey

If you're going through hell, keep going. ~Winston Churchill

Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead. ~Les Brown

• What I've learnt at this moment of suffering is fear of God.

• What I've experienced from others and now am trying to give back is unconditional human-love.It has to be experienced to know it. I also came to know how many people actually pray for us! My heartfelt thanks to them all.
  

Wanna know the worst software bugs in history?

Not joking. WIRED has come up with a collection of the world's worst software bugs recorded so far! Makes for an interesting read :-)
Link

Top 101 web sites - PC Magazine

The latest compilation of the world's top 101 web sites from PC Magazine is now available here. The web sites are well classified for the lay user to pick at them, although I have to say that only 5% of the page is real content. The rest 95% are splashed with all kind of ads and links!! What an irony

Google's AdWords in-kind advertising for non-profit organizations

Yes, you heard it right. Google is coming up with Google Grants as a part of their Google Foundation Google.org. The good thing I like about Google Grants is that it provides the use of the highly popular Google AdWords product to non-profit organizations. The exposure your organization would get though this is tremendous. Check it out and see if you can register your non-profit organization with it.
Way to go Google!

"Why not make your mistakes, enjoy the ride, explore all your abilities and discover new ones?"

Yet another forward. Its on the 'ambition syndome'. Very nice, read on..

Don't Hurry, Be Happy
All you have are your experiences. Why not make your mistakes, enjoy the ride, explore all your abilities and discover new ones?


I've spoken at well over 25 colleges in the last year, and I see this strange phenomenon. Our best and the brightest are in a hurry to go places - and worrying themselves insane about making the right career decision.

One of my students called a few months ago saying he hated his job. I asked him why; after all, it was from college placements. He said it was the highest paying job offered and with an overseas stint - he couldn't imagine not taking it up. He was, in fact, proud that he had 'won' it. I then asked him what he wanted to do - and it was something completely different.

All I could tell him was that he would be happier if he followed his heart - and that it was more important to trust your gut than your designation, location or paycheque.

I can't blame him. I was victim to what I call this 'ambition' syndrome. Each of us is taught that we need to have clear, specific goals - and that we should do our best to attain them. I was no different. A long time ago - or so it seems - when I'd settled down in advertising after a few false starts (trial-and-error, as I called it), I decided to prove things to everybody by having 'ambitious' goals. I secretly aimed to become a creative director by the time I was 28 and to run an ad agency by the time I was 30.

As things came to pass - I did become a creative director by 28 and, two years later, ran an ad agency - that too in the US, having started off in India. I thought I should be incredibly happy.

Surprise. I felt empty. The world didn't change. The sun still rose in the east. People still treated me the same. If that ambition was the purpose of my life, it suddenly felt completely meaningless. By focussing on the 'destination' and working insane hours and driving myself crazy to get there, I felt life had gone by in a blur. I suddenly felt 30 and old.

It came to me that carrying on further on this path (I had thought I would then set goals like earning my first million by the year X and so on) would make life even more meaningless.

Now your mileage may vary, but I decided to change. I consciously said I would forget about the 'destinations' and try enjoying the 'journey' instead. Out went targets and ambitions, in came simple things like enjoying every moment, seeing beautiful places, making room for serendipity and actually getting to know people. Some years later, my wife and I had a baby, and this belief only got further cemented. I was sure I wanted to be at home with him - and not go off tromping to work every day.

Perhaps, I've been inordinately lucky - but in the eight years since I made this call, I've had the time of my life. I've done different things: design front-ends for Yahoo! and Amazon, think-up programmes for a youth channel, pick VJs, create software, write ads, start companies, sell companies, help entrepreneurs and even write a fun column like this. All mostly from home. I'm not sure I could have consciously planned and been ambitious about any of it. The rolling stone didn't gather moss - but who the heck wants moss on oneself?

I can't imagine retiring and doing nothing, toodling around in a garden. Neither can any of the young people I speak with. Here's my belief - you're going to be doing something productive till you're well into your 70s. And if you're starting out today, or even in your 30s, that means you have another 40 or 50 active years ahead of you.

My point is simple - what's the darn hurry to get anywhere? We all end up in the same place anyway - I understand there's a 100% probability of death for all human beings, regardless of monetary wealth. All you have are your experiences. Why not make your mistakes, enjoy the ride, smell the flowers, explore all your abilities and discover new ones?

Back to my student - he called again a month later, said he'd changed lines, and was ecstatic. With due apologies to believers in reincarnation, I think this is the only life we have. Can we make the most of it?