Archive for ◊ February, 2007 ◊

Author:
• Thursday, February 22nd, 2007
Wow!! I was really taken back when I saw the awareness processions and meetings in some parts of TN in connection with the Mother Tongue Day or Mother Language Day while I was watching the SUNTV(Tamil TV Network) news today. Is there a really a day to honor and celebrate our mother tongue? Looks like there is one.

I heard about Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Heart Day, AIDS Day, Teachers Day, Childrens day and never to forget the most well know Valentines Day. But I never heard one to celebrate and honor our Mother language/Tongue.

I am really happy to see people actually observing that day because I am lover of my mother tongue. Obviously everybody loves their mother tongue which needs to be honored and celebrated. It might not have any special effect in the western world because they really speak one and only language which is English. I guess thats the reason I don’t see any special cards from Hallmark which always try to make buck of it.

It really matters for people in those countries which has lots of different languages spoken and used. Especially in India, it really matters and makes a lot of sense. As per my knowledge, we have around 800 different languages with around 2000 dialects. We have 23 official languages in our country. Too many languages but each of them has their own heritage which needs to celebrated and remembered by their own people.

As usual, my buzzing brain wants to know how exactly this day start to be commenrated as Mother language Day ?

I found some interesting facts as below:

Feb21 – International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by UNESCO’s General Conference in November 1999. The International Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. Half of the world’s 6000 to 7000 languages are in danger of extinction.- International Mother Language Day, celebrated annually aims to promote the recognition and practice of the world’s mother tongues, particularly minority ones.
The main objective is by “Favouring the promotion of linguistic diversity and the development of multilingual education from an early age helps preserve cultural diversity and the conditions for international understanding, tolerance and mutual respect.”
Check out this site for more info: UNESCO.ORG
Language is the root of any culture and by showing the pride towards honoring it seems to be wonderful way. I think it makes real sense to honor and celebrate our mother tongue while there are other nonsense unimportant days celebrated in the world. It also gives the opportunity to talk about it to our kids and increase their awarness.
At this time, atleast start saying out loud that “I AM PROUD TO SPEAK MY Mother language {Hindi, Kannada, Telugu or any of you language}”.
 
 
I am saying it loud, “I AM PROUD TO SPEAK MY MOTHER LANGUAGE TAMIL”.
 
Also try to have a habit to speak only in your mother language whenever you talk to your friends who know your mother language instead of using some other language. Like for example, (Translation – Speak to Tamilians in Tamil to increase Tamil awareness)

Category: India, Others  | Leave a Comment
Author:
• Thursday, February 15th, 2007
I came across this nice email which I never seen before about the existence of God in connection with science. I thought it will be good to share it. Read along..
 
 
AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION.

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class
on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He
asks one of his new students to stand and…..

Prof      : So you believe in God?
Student : Absolutely, sir.

Prof      : Is God good?
Student : Sure.

Prof      : Is God all-powerful?
Student : Yes.

Prof      : My brother died of cancer even though he
prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to
help others who are ill. But God didn’t. How is this
God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)

Prof       : You can’t answer, can you? Let’s start
again, young fellow. Is God good?
Student : Yes.

Prof      : Is Satan good?
Student : No.

Prof       : Where does Satan come from?
Student : From…God.. .

Prof      : That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil
in this world?
Student : Yes.

Prof      : Evil is everywhere, isn’t it? And God did
make everything. Correct?
Student : Yes.

Prof       : So who created evil?
Student does not answer.

Prof      : Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred?
Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the
world, don’t they?
Student : Yes, sir.

Prof       : So, who created them?
Student has no answer.

Prof      : Science says you have 5 senses you use to
identify and observe the world around you. Tell me,
son…Have you ever seen God?
Student : No, sir.

Prof       : Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student : No, sir.

Prof       : Have you ever felt your God, tasted your
God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory
perception of God for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Prof      : Yet you still believe in Him?
Student : Yes.

Prof      : According to empirical, testable,
demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn’t
exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof      : Yes. Faith. And that is the problem
science has.
Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof       : Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof      : Yes.

Student : No sir. There isn’t.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn
of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more
heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat
or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We
can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but
we can’t go any further after that. There is no such
thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe
the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is
energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just
the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there
such a thing as darkness?
Prof       : Yes. What is night if there isn’t
darkness?

Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the
absence of something. You can have low light, normal
light, bright light, flashing light….But if you have
no light constantly, you have nothing and it’s called
darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it
were you would be able to make darkness darker,
wouldn’t you?

Prof      : So what is the point you are making, young
man?
Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise
is flawed.

Prof      : Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of
duality. You argue there is life and then there is
death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the
concept of God as something finite, something we can
measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought. It
uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen,
much less fully understood either one.  To view death
as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact
that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death
is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students
that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof      : If you are referring to the natural
evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your
own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning
to realize where the argument is going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process
of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this
process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching
your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a
preacher?
(The class is in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever
seen the Professor’s brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the
Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No
one appears to have done so. So, according to the
established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable
protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.
With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your
lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the
student, his face unfathomable. )

Prof      : I guess you’ll have to take them on faith,
son.
Student : That is it sir… The link between man & god
is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving &
alive.

Category: Philosopphy, Story  | 2 Comments
Author:
• Thursday, February 15th, 2007
VOIP – Voice over IP technology is been widely used for various purpose including local phone connections in USA. After VOIP phone/Internet phones came to the market, traditional phone companies faced a huge challenge and set back in their business. VOIP Phone companies offered all or most of the features for a small or cheaper flat rate compared to the traditional companies which charged seperate rate for each features.
 
I been using VOIP Phone(Vonage) since 2003. It makes it easier to get connected if you already have the Internet connection at home. Otherwise you have to the internet cable connection to have the VOIP phones. It saved me lot of money. For a flat rate of $14.99, I am getting all the features any phone company can offer including 500 free long distance minutes not to mention in-network mins are free. If you think, you speak a lot then you can always select unlimited mins plan for just $24.99 comparing to $50-60 with tradition phone companies like att or verizon.
 
There were some hesitation when VOIP Phones came to the market but with very high marketing campaign by different VOIP phone companies, it really changed the perpective of people to have phone from Internet. Recently, lot of friends subscribed for additional phone line and they sent to India for their parents to get connected. If their parents have broadband internet connection, you just plug in the modem sent by the company and you are connected. They can just make a local call to any USA phone numbers. Its so simple and works almost all the time. There are few VOIP phone companies already provide international portable phone numbers which can be used in different countries. Also many small call centers in India make use of this VOIP phones to reduce their cost of calling abroad.
 
VOIP really changed the way the phone works comparing to the olden days. You have to wait in line for submitting the application and then wait for your landline to get approved. Now its all done faster and it can get faster with VOIP. Around 10-15 years ago, you end up paying 100 rupees for a min of call to USA. Now its all free if you have VOIP phone in India.
 
Why don’t we see many companies coming up in India to use this VOIP technology to revolutionlize the phone industry. Telecommunication is booming like anything and the charges are way below the average call charge from 2-3 years ago. If VOIP comes into picture, then it will really bring down the landline charges and no need for wire running around all over our streets and potholes to be digged everytime they run wireline to the streets. Also it will make the phone available to any villages in the country. We just need a satellite internet connection and we have the phone working in that village.
 
Don’t you all think VOIP is the way to go to have all over villages connected to the main stream people with VOIP phones?!