obtuse angle

On a regular basis, we see instances of 'already rich and wealthy people' swindling others' money. What could be the reason? It really baffles me. In the first instance, they might have amassed their wealth by legal or illegal means (which is definitely not pardonable). They have reached a particular level. There is absolutely nothing wrong in trying to garner more wealth by legal means. The rich people will naturally spend (splash or waste) their money on luxuries (mostly). Even then, the money gets spread into the economic system, benefiting the country as a whole. The more the money they get, the more they will spend. But for the ill-gotten wealth (which is stashed away in high-value goods/high-value currency), all other funds will be brought into the market, for their pleasure activities or for further expansion of their empire. In any case, the money gets mixed up in the country's economic system. Those rich guys who know how to make money legally, mostly purs...

Thomas Alva Edison's teacher once wrote a note to Edison's mother. Edison handed over the letter to his mother. She read the 'note' and told Edison that his teacher had written that 'he being a very brilliant boy and since his school did not have suitable teachers to educate him, it was better for him to be trained at home'. So he was taken out of school and his mother educated him and he later became the renowned inventor of the century. When his mother died, Edison went to his mother's home and started clearing the things, when he found the 'note' written by his school teacher. He unfolded it carefully and read the contents and was awestruck! The 'note' read, 'Your son is so very stupid, we cannot accommodate him in our school. Please be informed that we are removing him from our school'. His mother did not reveal the real contents to the boy at that time and did what was best for him. A lady's son got married to a girl. The ...

John Grisham's novel "Innocent Man" is the true story of a gross miscarriage of justice that sent Ron Williamson to 'death row' for 11 years, for a murder he did not commit. He was found 'not guilty' after 11 years and released from prison. Who can give back his 11 precious years lost in the prison, suffered due to no fault of his? Where is justice? May be the verdict was given based on several factors. It was probably a genuine mistake, but it turned out to be one man's misfortune. Had there been a rule that all cases (fresh or review) are to be given the final verdict, within a stipulated period, the 11 years in jail could have been avoided. Let us consider another scenario. There are innumerable number of cases pending before various courts, waiting for final judgement. Someone really guilty goes on living his cushy life, untouched by law, for the rest of his life. It is not at all fair, considering the victim (it could be an individual or a fir...

We do have to teach in schools the basics of everything. But there is no need for the students to memorize a lot of facts, which can now be found in the internet. Whatever information you need, is available at your fingertips. The focus of teaching should be to improve the analytical ability of the students. The need of the hour is analytical brain. If we have to beat the machines, we need to be having the analytical ability which leads to problem-solving capability. Future is not for the 'run-of-the-mill' type of graduates. There has been a recent research study done by an Australian University, by studying and analyzing the short selection of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, from their earlier Australian Open matches. By doing this, they have formulated an algorithm, which can predict the shot selection of the above players in different match situations. Though it makes sense, I still do not believe that this will work in real playing conditions. They mi...

Parents' Answering Machine : Good Morning ! At present, we are not at home, but please leave your message after you hear the beep.... Beeeeppp... If you are one of our children, dial 1 and then select the option from 1 to 5 in order of 'birth arrival' so we know who it is. If you need us to stay with your children, press 2. If you want to borrow the car, press 3. If you want us to wash your clothes and do iron, press 4. If you want the grandchildren to sleep here tonight, press 5. If you want us to pick up the kids at school, press 6. If you want us to prepare a meal for Sunday or to have it delivered to your home, press 7. If you want to come to eat here, press 8. If you need money, press 9. If you are going to invite us to dinner or take us to the theater, start talking..., we are listening! May be this is written in a lighter vein. But, this is sadly true! In this fast-paced world, there is no time for anyone to look after their parents. Can we blame ...

Do we have to celebrate women? YES. A definite and firm YES. There are countless reasons. They endure pangs of pain throughout their life. Despite all the pain they encounter and surmount, they achieve great heights, in all walks of life. Can anyone point out any activity where the women lack? I certainly do not think there is any. They are mentally tougher than than the toughest of men, for sure. There are several stories depicting the success of a single mother in bringing up her children. They have the grit and determination to shatter all odds in life and attain lofty heights. The man in such situations will break down, in most of the cases. The woman's single minded devotion and unwavering vision often see to it that her children are catapulted to superior positions in life. If I start enumerating the women achievers right from the medieval times, the list will be endless. So, I do not venture out to do that. We all know. Cite any field of activity. The women have achiev...