From Apollo 17 Spacecraft (1972).
Released by NASA in 2012 (at 50th Anniversary of last human visit to the moon).
Earth looks like the moon!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Tagore: The two birds
Two different perspectives...both birds are pretty sure of their own perspective!
The Two Birds
The captive bird in a gilded cage lay,
The free bird in the forest,
Fate decreed that they would meet one day -
Was God setting up a test?
The free bird said: "Dear captive bird,
Let us to the forest fly."
"Free bird; let us peacefully to the cage,"
Was the captive bird's reply.
The free bird said emphatically,
"I'll never give up my freedom."
The captive bird said ruefully,
"How can I in the forest be at home?"
Outside the cage, the free bird sang songs
Learned from its flight in forests,
The captive bird was full of notes memorized -
The two talked different tongues!
The free bird said, "Dear captive bird,
See if you can sing songs of the wild"
The captive bird answered,
"Learn from me songs of the caged"
The free bird said, "Never!
Will I sing songs dictated to me?"
The captive bird cried, "How can I ever
Sing the song of the free!"
The free bird said, "The sky is blue and bright,
And nowhere do I feel fettered."
The captive bird said, "The cage is proper and right,
See how I am perfectly sheltered."
The free bird said, "For once let yourself go
And become one with the sky."
The captive bird said, "To this retreat know
You can yourself firmly tie."
The free bird said, "No!
How can one there fly?"
The captive bird said, "This I know
There is no place to rest in the sky!"
This was how the birds wanted each other
Though destined to stay apart.
Through the bars of the cage one touched the other
Silently, desire stirred in each heart.
But each the other failed to understand
Failed even to give itself solace.
Vainly, they their wings fluttered
And wailed, "Come closer."
The free bird said, "What if I am trapped
Inside - never!"
The captive bird said with a sigh,
"I've lost the strength to fly!"
("Duie Pakhi" from Sonar Tari)
Translated by Fakrul Alam.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Ada Lovelace - First Computer Programmer!
Today (Dec 10th, 2012) is 197th birthday of Ada Lovelace - an English mathematician who wrote the first algorithm intended to be processed by an "analytical engine".
Friday, December 7, 2012
Advice to patient ("Ask Me 3")
"Ask Me 3" is a patient education campaign launched by National Patient Safety Foundation. It encourages patients to ask the following 3 questions at each interaction with health care personnel.
(Conversely, it is a good idea for each health care provider to address these 3 questions at each encounter with patients)!
1)What is my main problem?
2) What do I need to do?
3) Why is it important for me to do this?
(Conversely, it is a good idea for each health care provider to address these 3 questions at each encounter with patients)!
1)What is my main problem?
2) What do I need to do?
3) Why is it important for me to do this?
Monday, November 26, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Voting from Space
How Astronauts Vote From Space
Casey Chan
NASA Astronauts, who are true American heroes, aboard the ISS can vote in the presidential election tomorrow too. How? It's not like there are any polling stations near them. Well, it's sort of like an absentee ballot but obviously different because it's from FREAKING SPACE.
How does it work? Here's what Live Science says:
Astronauts residing on the orbiting lab receive a digital version of their ballot, which is beamed up by Mission Control at the agency's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. Filled-out ballots find their way back down to Earth along the same path.
"They send it back to Mission Control," said NASA spokesman Jay Bolden of JSC. "It's a secure ballot that is then sent directly to the voting authorities."
The voting is regulated by the same bill that was passed in 1997—even if you're not on our planet, you can still vote. So if you're already on our planet, you pretty much have no excuse not to vote now.
Casey Chan
NASA Astronauts, who are true American heroes, aboard the ISS can vote in the presidential election tomorrow too. How? It's not like there are any polling stations near them. Well, it's sort of like an absentee ballot but obviously different because it's from FREAKING SPACE.
How does it work? Here's what Live Science says:
Astronauts residing on the orbiting lab receive a digital version of their ballot, which is beamed up by Mission Control at the agency's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. Filled-out ballots find their way back down to Earth along the same path.
"They send it back to Mission Control," said NASA spokesman Jay Bolden of JSC. "It's a secure ballot that is then sent directly to the voting authorities."
The voting is regulated by the same bill that was passed in 1997—even if you're not on our planet, you can still vote. So if you're already on our planet, you pretty much have no excuse not to vote now.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Preventing Overdiagnosis...
A jaundiced view of technologic advances...I believe that discrepancies such as this will occur until the technology is improved based on experience. Increase in New Diagnosis has no effect on Mortality rate!Very interesting observation.
(Data below is for United States)
Click on the image to enlarge
Graph taken from BMJ article BMJ 2012;344:e3502.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Quote: Words
Be careful with your words.
Once they are said,
they can only be forgiven,
Not forgotten.
(From Rajendiren's facebook page)
Once they are said,
they can only be forgiven,
Not forgotten.
(From Rajendiren's facebook page)
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Humor: Growing old
The best revenge we have upon the smugness of youth is knowing that the young will be old someday, too!
The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball. ~Doug Larson
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ~Chili Davis
Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone. ~Jim Fiebig
The years teach much which the days never knew. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair. ~Sam Ewing
There is no pleasure worth forgoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward. ~John Mortimer
Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative. ~Maurice Chevalier, New York Times, 9 October 1960
Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. ~Author Unknown
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were? ~Satchel Paige
Be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. ~Muriel Spark
Father Time is not always a hard parent, and, though he tarries for none of his children, often lays his hand lightly upon those who have used him well; making them old men and women inexorably enough, but leaving their hearts and spirits young and in full vigour. With such people the grey head is but the impression of the old fellow's hand in giving them his blessing, and every wrinkle but a notch in the quiet calendar of a well-spent life. ~Charles Dickens
Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle. ~Bob Hope
Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart. ~Caryn Leschen
Forty is the old age of youth; fifty the youth of old age. ~Victor Hugo
Years ago we discovered the exact point, the dead center of middle age. It occurs when you are too young to take up golf and too old to rush to the net. ~Franklin Adams
Everyone is the age of their heart. ~Guatemalan Proverb
There is always a lot to be thankful for, if you take the time to look. For example, I'm sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt. ~Author Unknown
Youth is a disease from which we all recover. ~Dorothy Fulheim
There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age - I missed it coming and going. ~J.B. Priestly
I still have a full deck; I just shuffle slower now. ~Author Unknown
Age is a high price to pay for maturity. ~Tom Stoppard
By the time I have money to burn, my fire will have burnt out. ~Author Unknown
We are young only once, after that we need some other excuse. ~Author Unknown
The key to successful aging is to pay as little attention to it as possible. ~Judith Regan
The first half of life consists of the capacity to enjoy without the chance; the last half consists of the chance without the capacity. ~Mark Twain
Grow old with me! The best is yet to be. ~Robert Browning
Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life. ~Herbert Asquith
Old age is fifteen years older than I am. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
The great secret that all old people share is that you really haven't changed in seventy or eighty years. Your body changes, but you don't change at all. And that, of course, causes great confusion. ~Doris Lessing
Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts. ~Martin Buxbaum
An archeologist is the best husband any woman can have: the older she gets, the more interested he is in her. ~Agatha Christie, news summaries, 9 March 1954
Whatever poet, orator, or sage may say of it, old age is still old age. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm. ~Henry David Thoreau
They say that age is all in your mind. The trick is keeping it from creeping down into your body. ~Author Unknown
Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act. ~Truman Capote
Never use the passing years as an excuse for old age. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician. ~Author Unknown
I spent my 30s fixing everything I broke in my 20s. ~Eddie Murphy
You're never too old. Unfortunately, you're always too young to know it. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
We turn not older with years, but newer every day. ~Emily Dickinson
Middle age is when a narrow waist and a broad mind begin to change places. ~Author Unknown
I don't do alcohol anymore - I get the same effect just standing up fast. ~Author Unknown
Age is just a number. Mine is unlisted. ~Author Unknown
I'm not 40, I'm eighteen with 22 years experience. ~Author Unknown
The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom. ~H.L. Mencken
The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball. ~Doug Larson
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ~Chili Davis
Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone. ~Jim Fiebig
The years teach much which the days never knew. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair. ~Sam Ewing
There is no pleasure worth forgoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward. ~John Mortimer
Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative. ~Maurice Chevalier, New York Times, 9 October 1960
Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. ~Author Unknown
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were? ~Satchel Paige
Be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. ~Muriel Spark
Father Time is not always a hard parent, and, though he tarries for none of his children, often lays his hand lightly upon those who have used him well; making them old men and women inexorably enough, but leaving their hearts and spirits young and in full vigour. With such people the grey head is but the impression of the old fellow's hand in giving them his blessing, and every wrinkle but a notch in the quiet calendar of a well-spent life. ~Charles Dickens
Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle. ~Bob Hope
Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart. ~Caryn Leschen
Forty is the old age of youth; fifty the youth of old age. ~Victor Hugo
Years ago we discovered the exact point, the dead center of middle age. It occurs when you are too young to take up golf and too old to rush to the net. ~Franklin Adams
Everyone is the age of their heart. ~Guatemalan Proverb
There is always a lot to be thankful for, if you take the time to look. For example, I'm sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt. ~Author Unknown
Youth is a disease from which we all recover. ~Dorothy Fulheim
There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age - I missed it coming and going. ~J.B. Priestly
I still have a full deck; I just shuffle slower now. ~Author Unknown
Age is a high price to pay for maturity. ~Tom Stoppard
By the time I have money to burn, my fire will have burnt out. ~Author Unknown
We are young only once, after that we need some other excuse. ~Author Unknown
The key to successful aging is to pay as little attention to it as possible. ~Judith Regan
The first half of life consists of the capacity to enjoy without the chance; the last half consists of the chance without the capacity. ~Mark Twain
Grow old with me! The best is yet to be. ~Robert Browning
Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life. ~Herbert Asquith
Old age is fifteen years older than I am. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
The great secret that all old people share is that you really haven't changed in seventy or eighty years. Your body changes, but you don't change at all. And that, of course, causes great confusion. ~Doris Lessing
Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts. ~Martin Buxbaum
An archeologist is the best husband any woman can have: the older she gets, the more interested he is in her. ~Agatha Christie, news summaries, 9 March 1954
Whatever poet, orator, or sage may say of it, old age is still old age. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm. ~Henry David Thoreau
They say that age is all in your mind. The trick is keeping it from creeping down into your body. ~Author Unknown
Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act. ~Truman Capote
Never use the passing years as an excuse for old age. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician. ~Author Unknown
I spent my 30s fixing everything I broke in my 20s. ~Eddie Murphy
You're never too old. Unfortunately, you're always too young to know it. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
We turn not older with years, but newer every day. ~Emily Dickinson
Middle age is when a narrow waist and a broad mind begin to change places. ~Author Unknown
I don't do alcohol anymore - I get the same effect just standing up fast. ~Author Unknown
Age is just a number. Mine is unlisted. ~Author Unknown
I'm not 40, I'm eighteen with 22 years experience. ~Author Unknown
The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom. ~H.L. Mencken
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Quote: Nobility in profession
" Nobility is not in the name of the profession but in the person who practises it "
(Heard from Dr. T. Kannaiyan on his Facebook post).
(Heard from Dr. T. Kannaiyan on his Facebook post).
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Comparing With Other's Life
Stop comparing with other's life. You have no idea what their journey is about.
(Saw it somewhere on the internet)
(Saw it somewhere on the internet)
Reason for your happiness
No one is the reason for your happiness except yourself.
(Saw this somewhere on the internet)
(Saw this somewhere on the internet)
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Creative Monopoly
NYTimes - Op-Ed column by David Brooks
April 25, 2012
Thiel lost that one. So instead of being a clerk, he went out and founded PayPal. Then he became an early investor in Facebook and many other celebrated technology firms. Somebody later asked him. “So, aren’t you glad you didn’t get that Supreme Court clerkship?”
April 25, 2012
As a young man, Peter Thiel competed to get into Stanford. Then he competed to get into Stanford Law School. Then he competed to become a clerk for a federal judge. Thiel won all those competitions. But then he competed to get a Supreme Court clerkship.
Josh Haner/The New York Times
Thiel lost that one. So instead of being a clerk, he went out and founded PayPal. Then he became an early investor in Facebook and many other celebrated technology firms. Somebody later asked him. “So, aren’t you glad you didn’t get that Supreme Court clerkship?”
The question got Thiel thinking...
...
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Marriage in Heaven!
On their way to get married, a young couple is involved in a fatal car accident.
The couple find themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter to process them into Heaven. While waiting, they begin to wonder: Could they possibly get married in Heaven?
When St. Peter showed up, they asked him. St. Peter said, 'I don't know.
This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out,' and he leaves.
The couple sat and waited, and waited. Two months passed and the couple are still waiting. As they waited, they discussed that if they were allowed to get married in Heaven, what was the eternal aspect of it all... 'What if it doesn't work?' they wondered, 'Are we stuck together forever?'
After yet another month, St. Peter finally returns, looking somewhat bedraggled. 'Yes,' he informs the couple, 'you can get married in Heaven.' 'Great!' said the couple, 'But we were just wondering, what if things don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?'
St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard onto the ground. 'What's wrong?' asked the frightened couple.
'COME ON!', St.. Peter shouted, 'It took me three months to find a priest up here! Do you have any idea how long it'll take me to find a Lawyer?!'
(Ramesh Babu sent this via email)
The couple find themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter to process them into Heaven. While waiting, they begin to wonder: Could they possibly get married in Heaven?
When St. Peter showed up, they asked him. St. Peter said, 'I don't know.
This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out,' and he leaves.
The couple sat and waited, and waited. Two months passed and the couple are still waiting. As they waited, they discussed that if they were allowed to get married in Heaven, what was the eternal aspect of it all... 'What if it doesn't work?' they wondered, 'Are we stuck together forever?'
After yet another month, St. Peter finally returns, looking somewhat bedraggled. 'Yes,' he informs the couple, 'you can get married in Heaven.' 'Great!' said the couple, 'But we were just wondering, what if things don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?'
St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard onto the ground. 'What's wrong?' asked the frightened couple.
'COME ON!', St.. Peter shouted, 'It took me three months to find a priest up here! Do you have any idea how long it'll take me to find a Lawyer?!'
(Ramesh Babu sent this via email)
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Being a closer
Ideas, as we all know, can be incredibly powerful forces. And we are deeply fortunate to be part of a community where colleagues at all levels have the talent and creativity to come up with so many good ones.
But it strikes me that having great ideas is not enough. There’s also the matter of follow-through.
I’m sure you can think of many situations where even the most incisive insights don’t really achieve anything. There’s “Monday-morning quarterbacking,” for instance—the brilliant clarity about what the right strategy should have been…once the game is over. Or “nay-saying”—the talent for identifying everything that’s wrong with someone else’splan. Or coming up with a fantastic breakthrough…but waiting, and waiting and waitingto pursue it, until it just winds up in the bottom of some drawer.
It’s not just having ideas, in other words, it’s acting on them that counts.
However much time and energy may be involved in bringing an idea to fruition, the real issue, in my view, is courage. You have to find the balance between being properly cautious and thorough in your preparations on the one hand…and, on the other, insisting on so much proof ahead of time that you never get to find out whether your idea might actually work. You have to accept that you might be seen as tilting at windmills, or biting off more than you chew. You might even turn out to be wrong!
But it’s the willingness to be a “closer,” as they say, that turns ideas into accomplishments. And it’s accomplishments that move things forward and make them better.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Tagore Poetry: I asked of Destiny..
(“I asked of Destiny...”)
I asked of Destiny, “Tell me who with relentless hand pushes me on?”
Destiny told me to look behind.
I turned and saw my own self behind pushing forward the self in front.
Poetry June 1913.
(From March 2012 issue of Poetry magazine).
Tagore was introduced to English-speaking world in 1912 when Poetry magazine published his poem. He received Nobel Prize in 1913. This year is the centennial of that publication. Poetry republished some of Tagore's poems).
Bharathiar Poetry: Murasu
பெண்ணுக்கு ஞானத்தை வைத்தான் - புவி
பேணி வளர்த்திடுà®®் ஈசன்;
Again, from Rajendiren's facebook page.
Article from Poetry Magazine (March 2012)
By Kathleen Rooney
Interesting article about a fundraising campaign for a literary non-profit organization.
ஆசை à®®ுகமறந்து போச்சே - இதை
Click here to go to NYTimes article
Building the Team That Built Watson
By DAVID A. FERRUCCI
Published: January 7, 2012
மண்ணுக்குள்ளே சில à®®ூடர் - நல்ல
à®®ாதர் à®…à®±ிவை கெடுத்தாà®°்.
கண்கள் இரண்டினில் ஒன்à®±ைக் குத்திக்
காட்சி கெடுதிடலாà®®ா?
பெண்கள் à®…à®±ிவை வளர்த்தால் - வையம்
பேதைà®®ை à®…à®±்à®±ிடுà®®் காணீà®°்.
(p.237 in my book)
(p.237 in my book)
Monday, March 12, 2012
Seven Brilliant Quotes
Again, from Rajendiren's facebook page.As usual, can't understand Einstein's quote.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Poetry while you wait
Article from Poetry Magazine (March 2012)
By Kathleen Rooney
Interesting article about a fundraising campaign for a literary non-profit organization.
This picture captures one's attention! (Four poets wrote poems on topics given by the patrons for $5 per poem in a Chicago event. Used typewriters to write them, than using computers).
Hinduism
There is only one God (The Truth) and people call Him/It differently.
(A loose translation of "Ekam sat..." quote in Rig veda). This quote appears to be quite popular in the west.
(A loose translation of "Ekam sat..." quote in Rig veda). This quote appears to be quite popular in the west.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Bharithiar - Mukthi
இன்பமுà®®் ஓர்கணத் தோà®±்றம் - இங்கு
இளமையுà®®் செல்வமுà®®் ஓர்கணத் தோà®±்றம்
துன்பமுà®®் ஓர்கணத் தோà®±்றம் - இங்குத்
தோல்வி à®®ுதுà®®ை à®’à®°ுகணத் தோà®±்றம்.
தோன்à®±ி à®…à®´ிவது வாà®´்கை - இதில்
துன்பத்தோடு இன்பம் வெà®±ுà®®ை என்à®±ோதுà®®்
à®®ூன்à®±ில் எது வருà®®ேனுà®®் - களி
à®®ூà®´்கி நடத்தல் பரமசிவ à®®ுக்தி.
பாரதியாà®°்
(p.475 in my book)
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Bharathiar Poetry: Kannan Paattu
கண்ணன் பாட்டு
பாà®™்கியை தூது விடுத்தல்
ஆரிடம் சொல்வேனடி, தோà®´ி?
நேச மறக்கவில்லை நெஞ்சம் - எனில்
நினைவு à®®ுகமறக்கலாà®®ோ?
கண்ணில் தெà®°ியுதொà®°ு தோà®±்றம் - அதில்
கண்ண னழகு à®®ுà®´ுதில்லை.
நண்ணு à®®ுகவடிவு காணில் - அந்த
நல்ல மலர்ச்சிà®°ிப்பை காணோà®®்.
(p.300 in my book)
IBM - Smarter Cities Project
NYTimes article dt. 3/4/12
This is the Operations Center of the City of Rio, and its system was designed by I.B.M. at the request of Rio’s mayor, Eduardo Paes. There is nothing quite like it in the world’s other major cities. I.B.M. has created similar data centers elsewhere for single agencies like police departments. But never before has it built a citywide system integrating data from some 30 agencies, all under a single roof. It is the handiwork of an I.B.M. unit called Smarter Cities and, if all goes according to plan, it could lay the groundwork for a multibillion-dollar business.
By NATASHA SINGER
Published: March 3, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Stop making judgments
...If you make judgments you categorize yourself and thus make is much more difficult to be flexible and to move easily from situation to situation. By judging others you, in turn, get pigeon-holed yourself - not a good place to be.
Richard Templar "The rules of work" Rule 6.9
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Bill Clinton - Final days in the White House
Reportedly, produced for 2000 Correspondents Dinner
Saxphone
Saxphone
Monday, February 13, 2012
Jeremy Lin - 10 lessons from him!
Just Lin, Baby! 10 Lessons Jeremy Lin Can Teach Us Before We Go To Work Monday Morning
Forbes article by Eric Jackson
Lin-sanity has swept up the NBA over the last week. Now it seems like the phenomenon has gone worldwide.
Friday’s 38 point performance by Harvard grad Jeremy Lin for the New York Knicks against the LA Lakers was his greatest performance yet as a starter, since he burst on to the scene and propelled the team to 4 straight wins.
What can all of us learn from this young man — and how can we apply these same lessons to our own lives when we go back to work on Monday morning?
1. Believe in yourself when no one else does. Lin’s only the 3rd graduate from Harvard to make it to the NBA. He’s also one of only a handful of Asian-Americans to make it. He was sent by the Knicks to play for their D-League team 3 weeks ago in Erie, PA. He’d already been cut by two other NBA teams before joining the Knicks this year. You’ve got to believe in yourself, even when no one else does.
2. Seize the opportunity when it comes up. Lin got to start for the Knicks because they had to start him. They had too many injuries. Baron Davis was gone. The other point guards were out. Carmelo Anthony was injured. Amare Stoudemire had to leave the team because of a family death. Lin could have squandered the opportunity and we would have never have noticed. But he made the most of it. You never know when opportunities are going to arise in life. Often, they’re when you least expect them. Make the most of them. Don’t fritter them away.
3. Your family will always be there for you, so be there for them. It wasn’t until a few days ago that Lin got his contract guaranteed by the Knicks for the rest of the season. Before that, he could have been cut at any time. He had to sleep on his brother’s couch on the Lower East Side to get by. His family always believed in him and picked him up when he could have gotten down on himself. That made him continue to believe. If you want your family to believe in you like that, you’ve got to be there for them too when they need it.
4. Find the system that works for your style. Lin isn’t Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. He’s not a pure scorer. He’s a passer and distributor – who can also score very well. It didn’t work for him in Golden State or Houston – where he was before landing at the Knicks. But Mike D’Antoni’s system at the Knicks has been perfect for him to show off his strengths. You’ve got to do your best to understand what your strengths are and then ensure that you’re in a system (a job or organization or industry) that is a good fit for those strengths. Otherwise, people overlook the talents you bring to the table.
5. Don’t overlook talent that might exist around you today on your team. You probably manage people at your own company today. Are you sure you don’t have a Jeremy Lin living among you now? How do you know that “Mike” couldn’t do amazing things if you gave him a new project to run with? How do you know “Sarah” isn’t the right person to take the open job in London that you’ve been talking over with your colleagues? We put people around us in boxes. He’s from Harvard. He’s Asian-American. Not sure he can play. How many assumptions have you made about talent around you? Don’t be like the General Managers in Golden State and Houston, and let talent slip through your fingers. With all their money, scouts, and testing, they didn’t have a clue what they had in their hands. Do you know what your people (or even yourself) is really capable of? Take off the blinders of assumptions you wear when you look at the world.
6. People will love you for being an original, not trying to be someone else. You’ve got to be you. You can’t be some 2nd rate copy of Michael Jordan. There will never be another Michael Jordan. Just be Jeremy Lin — yourself. Whatever that is. That doesn’t mean you don’t work hard — it just means you find what you’re good at and do it. Fans will love you for being you, just like they love Jeremy Lin. Judy Garland said it best:
“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”
7. Stay humble. If you one day are lucky enough to have newspapers want to put you on the cover in order to sell more, don’t let it get to your head. It’s been remarkable watching how humble Lin remains through all this media frenzy. It makes his teammates and fans love him that much more.
8. When you make others around you look good, they will love you forever. I didn’t know how good Tyson Chandler was, until I saw him playing with Jeremy Lin. Lin has set Chandler up many times over the last week for easy dunks because he drew the defense and then passed the ball. That’s partly why the Knicks are playing so well. They are all working harder to share the ball with others. And it’s beautiful to watch. And when the media swarms Lin, he tells them how good his teammates are. Do the same with your peers and reports.
9. Never forget about the importance of luck or fate in life. Some people believe in God, some in destiny, some in luck. Whatever you believe in, be grateful for it.
10. Work your butt off. Lin couldn’t have seized his opportunity if he hadn’t worked like crazy for years perfecting his skills. There are no short cuts to hard work. Success is a by product of that. If you’ve got a Tiger Mom who’s always pushed you to work hard, great. If not, let your conscience be your own Tiger Mom! Get up early, stay up late. Nobody gave Lin any free passes. Why should you get any? You can only control what you control and that means you’ve got to work harder than anyone else you know.
I hope the Lin-sanity continues. And I hope we all can apply these lessons to our own work and family life.
There’s a great line from a New York Times article on Lin and his faith which is worth it for all of us to remember:
“suffering produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.”
Forbes article by Eric Jackson
Lin-sanity has swept up the NBA over the last week. Now it seems like the phenomenon has gone worldwide.
Friday’s 38 point performance by Harvard grad Jeremy Lin for the New York Knicks against the LA Lakers was his greatest performance yet as a starter, since he burst on to the scene and propelled the team to 4 straight wins.
What can all of us learn from this young man — and how can we apply these same lessons to our own lives when we go back to work on Monday morning?
1. Believe in yourself when no one else does. Lin’s only the 3rd graduate from Harvard to make it to the NBA. He’s also one of only a handful of Asian-Americans to make it. He was sent by the Knicks to play for their D-League team 3 weeks ago in Erie, PA. He’d already been cut by two other NBA teams before joining the Knicks this year. You’ve got to believe in yourself, even when no one else does.
2. Seize the opportunity when it comes up. Lin got to start for the Knicks because they had to start him. They had too many injuries. Baron Davis was gone. The other point guards were out. Carmelo Anthony was injured. Amare Stoudemire had to leave the team because of a family death. Lin could have squandered the opportunity and we would have never have noticed. But he made the most of it. You never know when opportunities are going to arise in life. Often, they’re when you least expect them. Make the most of them. Don’t fritter them away.
3. Your family will always be there for you, so be there for them. It wasn’t until a few days ago that Lin got his contract guaranteed by the Knicks for the rest of the season. Before that, he could have been cut at any time. He had to sleep on his brother’s couch on the Lower East Side to get by. His family always believed in him and picked him up when he could have gotten down on himself. That made him continue to believe. If you want your family to believe in you like that, you’ve got to be there for them too when they need it.
4. Find the system that works for your style. Lin isn’t Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. He’s not a pure scorer. He’s a passer and distributor – who can also score very well. It didn’t work for him in Golden State or Houston – where he was before landing at the Knicks. But Mike D’Antoni’s system at the Knicks has been perfect for him to show off his strengths. You’ve got to do your best to understand what your strengths are and then ensure that you’re in a system (a job or organization or industry) that is a good fit for those strengths. Otherwise, people overlook the talents you bring to the table.
5. Don’t overlook talent that might exist around you today on your team. You probably manage people at your own company today. Are you sure you don’t have a Jeremy Lin living among you now? How do you know that “Mike” couldn’t do amazing things if you gave him a new project to run with? How do you know “Sarah” isn’t the right person to take the open job in London that you’ve been talking over with your colleagues? We put people around us in boxes. He’s from Harvard. He’s Asian-American. Not sure he can play. How many assumptions have you made about talent around you? Don’t be like the General Managers in Golden State and Houston, and let talent slip through your fingers. With all their money, scouts, and testing, they didn’t have a clue what they had in their hands. Do you know what your people (or even yourself) is really capable of? Take off the blinders of assumptions you wear when you look at the world.
6. People will love you for being an original, not trying to be someone else. You’ve got to be you. You can’t be some 2nd rate copy of Michael Jordan. There will never be another Michael Jordan. Just be Jeremy Lin — yourself. Whatever that is. That doesn’t mean you don’t work hard — it just means you find what you’re good at and do it. Fans will love you for being you, just like they love Jeremy Lin. Judy Garland said it best:
“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”
7. Stay humble. If you one day are lucky enough to have newspapers want to put you on the cover in order to sell more, don’t let it get to your head. It’s been remarkable watching how humble Lin remains through all this media frenzy. It makes his teammates and fans love him that much more.
8. When you make others around you look good, they will love you forever. I didn’t know how good Tyson Chandler was, until I saw him playing with Jeremy Lin. Lin has set Chandler up many times over the last week for easy dunks because he drew the defense and then passed the ball. That’s partly why the Knicks are playing so well. They are all working harder to share the ball with others. And it’s beautiful to watch. And when the media swarms Lin, he tells them how good his teammates are. Do the same with your peers and reports.
9. Never forget about the importance of luck or fate in life. Some people believe in God, some in destiny, some in luck. Whatever you believe in, be grateful for it.
10. Work your butt off. Lin couldn’t have seized his opportunity if he hadn’t worked like crazy for years perfecting his skills. There are no short cuts to hard work. Success is a by product of that. If you’ve got a Tiger Mom who’s always pushed you to work hard, great. If not, let your conscience be your own Tiger Mom! Get up early, stay up late. Nobody gave Lin any free passes. Why should you get any? You can only control what you control and that means you’ve got to work harder than anyone else you know.
I hope the Lin-sanity continues. And I hope we all can apply these lessons to our own work and family life.
There’s a great line from a New York Times article on Lin and his faith which is worth it for all of us to remember:
“suffering produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.”
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Hide & Seek
Hide and seek has gone long enough
Please come home, won't you!
or
Hide and seek has gone long enough;
it is time to come home!
(A song in "Rang de Basanti")
Sunday, February 5, 2012
When a physician is unable to help a patient...(beware)
...When a clinician misses a diagnosis, or the patient is "failing their treatment," the unsuccessful doctor's disgrace turns quickly to derision and dismissiveness. You don't have anything I can fix turns into You don't have anything wrong.
(From Weekends in Bellevue by Julie Holland. p.188)
Friday, January 27, 2012
Happiness, Love, Friends and Success...
Happiness as light as air.
Love as deep as ocean,
Love as deep as ocean,
Friends as solid as diamonds and
Success as bright as gold.
From Ramkumar's birthday greetings (1/27/2012)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Building the 'Watson' team - NYTimes article dt. Jan 7, 2012
Click here to go to NYTimes article
Building the Team That Built Watson
By DAVID A. FERRUCCI
Published: January 7, 2012
...It was not easy finding people to join the Watson team in the mid-1990s. Most scientists I approached favored their own individual projects and career tracks. And who could blame them? This was an effort that, at best, would mingle the contributions of many. At its worst it would fail miserably, undermining the credibility of all involved.
Scientists, by their nature, can be solitary creatures conditioned to work and publish independently to build their reputations. While collaboration drives just about all scientific research, the idea of “publishing or perishing” under one’s own name is alive and well....
...From the first, it was clear that we would have to change the culture of how scientists work. Watson was destined to be a hybrid system. It required experts in diverse disciplines: computational linguistics, natural language processing, machine learning, information retrieval and game theory, to name a few.
Likewise, the scientists would have to reject an ego-driven perspective and embrace the distributed intelligence that the project demanded. Some were still looking for that silver bullet that they might find all by themselves. But that represented the antithesis of how we would ultimately succeed. We learned to depend on a philosophy that embraced multiple tracks, each contributing relatively small increments to the success of the project...
...Leadership had to be steadfast and persistent but grounded in optimism....
IN the end, the hero was the team, not any individual member or algorithm. Eventually, everyone came to appreciate that. Well into the throes of the project, one researcher commented, “Compared to the way we work now, it’s like we were standing still before.”
Watson went on to win “Jeopardy” a year ago, but its work is far from over. Now we and other research and development teams at I.B.M. are busy developing ways to put Watson to work in several different areas, most notably health care.
As for the members of the original Watson team, they’d tell you that never in a million years could they have imagined what we accomplished. Just like Watson itself, we all learned that the sum is much greater than the parts.
Monday, January 2, 2012
2012 New Year Poem (Tamil)
Forwarded by Siva...(Sorry, too small to read. When I find some time, I shall redo this).
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