Monday, December 31, 2012

 
NARA'S NOTEPAD
 
VOLUME 9
JANUARY 2013
NUMBER 1
 
 
NARA'S NOTEPAD
IS
SUPPORTED
BY
READERS LIKE YOU
 
 
 
WISH YOU
A
HAPPY NEW YEAR

MEMO FROM NARA

 
By 31.12.2012 NARA’S NOTEPAD (NN) has completed its eight years of service. The two-page monthly bulletin was started by me to share thoughts and knowledge with friends, relatives and unknown friends. It was received by men and women of all ages living in all parts of the world. Since, it is published as a blog and also printed in a sheet of A4 paper and distributed month after month; it could reach a large number of people who were looking for inspiration and motivation. Everyone on earth wants to improve their life by adopting a healthy life-style. So NN was helping every individual providing what one needs for their happy life. The feed-back I got from a section of readers was very encouraging – that kept me to work hard to bring out the issues every month without a gap.

 
Some of my friends who came forward to sponsor the issues were so kind to bear the financial load I incurred for printing the NN. My thanks are for their kind gesture. Any good work to help others certainly is liked by one and all. They come forward to support it. That’s what I got all through my attempt to bring out NN. One of the outcomes of NN was the contact I established and the connection made with all kinds of people. I come to know many people as they come to know me. Knowing each other is one of the great opportunities in life. I could achieve it successfully through NN.


My habit of reading could end up with a good collection of lines I liked. Three thousand lines that inspire and motivate people were collected and published by NN in the form of a beautiful book with the help of my printer Mr. A. Manikandan who taught me the intricacies of printing and publishing. So without going for a professional publisher, I published the book LINES I LIKED PART 1 in October 2012. The book was sold to friends and friend’s friends. It was given as gift to learned people. All sections of people were supplied with copies of this book. Everyone liked the lines I liked and the book served as a reference book for all who have read it. Demand for the book is increasing. Probably I have to go for the second edition!

 
The Part 2 of the book will be published sometime in 2013. It will also contain 3000 more lines I liked. Thus NN has generated new ideas to go near to people and inspire them to hear the lines I liked. It was my dream for a long time. That has come true with the help, cooperation and blessings of all of you. I wish I will be continuously getting your love and affection. After all, we are touched by others – the human touch that makes all the difference. Respecting others’ point of view, with simple living and high thinking is my way of life. Such an attitude gives me happiness and joy. I wish it will be sustained in the New Year 2013. I wish you a happy and joyful New Year. Let the New Year bring you and your family good health and prosperity.

 

SPONSORSHIP


 
NARA’S NOTEPAD thank

Dr. S. THAMBURAJ, Former Dean of Horticulture, TNAU, Coimbatore for sponsoring Dec.2012, Jan. & Feb. 2013 issues

and

Dr. K. Mohan Naidu, Former Director of Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore for sponsoring March, April, and
May 2013 issues.

 
LINES I LIKED

PART 1

A BOOK BY NARA

264 PAGES, PRICE: Rs. 150/-

 

If you want a copy, please send a cheque / DD favouring

A.Narayanan,  at Coimbatore to:

Prof. A. Narayanan, #19, Phase 5, Maharani Avenue, Vadavalli,

Coimbatore – 641 041 giving your postal address.

 
"Your life is a sacred journey. It is about change, growth, discovery, movement, transformation; continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly and deeply, listening to your intuition, taking courageous challenges at every step along the way. You are on the path... exactly where you are meant to be right now... And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing, of courage, of beauty, of wisdom, of power, of dignity, and of love."

ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT...


 
 
 
Good things come to those who ask! Asking for what you need is probably the most underutilized tool for people. And yet, amazing requests have been granted to people simply because they've asked for it! Whether its money, information, support, assistance, or time, most people are afraid to ask for what they need in order to make their dreams come true.
 
They might be afraid of looking needy, ignorant, helpless, or even greedy. More than likely though, it is the fear of rejection that is holding them back. Even though they are afraid to hear the word no, they're already saying it to themselves by not asking!

THINK ABOUT IT...




Your conscious mind is responsible for everything you're aware of.
Reasoning, logic, and decision-making are all part of the conscious mind's functions.
Every decision you make, from what to wear, to what to eat, to when you should go to bed, you utilize your conscious mind... and this usage represents just 10% of what your brain is capable of.
Your subconscious mind on the other hand is responsible for your body's autonomous functions, such as the regulation of your heartbeat, your breathing, your digestive system, and a whole lot of other processes.
You don't have to consciously will yourself to breathe; your subconscious takes care of it for you.

CHOOSING...


“I choose to live by choice, not by chance; to make changes, not excuses; to be motivated, not manipulated; to be useful, not used; to excel, not compete. I choose self-esteem, not self-pity. I choose to listen to my inner voice, not the random opinion of others.” – Isabel Bauche

JUST TO LAUGH...


 
 
The boss hangs a poster in office: “I’m the boss, don’t forget.”
When he returns from lunch, he sees someone has scribbled on the poster: “Your wife called up. She wants her poster back at home.”

 A crow sat on a tree doing nothing. When a rabbit thought to do the same and sat on the ground…
A tiger came and ate him…
Moral: To sit and do nothing, you need to be on top.

 A man calls up the hotel manager and says: “I need your help. My wife and I had a quarrel. Now, she wants to jump out of the window.”
The manager replies: “Sorry, Sir, It’s your personal matter. We cannot intervene.”
The man screams: “Of course not, you idiot! The window is not opening. That’s surely a maintenance matter!”

Mind, Temperament and Way of Living




  • There is no yoga greater than the control of mind.
  • Keep your mind busy and active with lot of physical work.
  • Keep yourself happy and at peace - avoid anger and hot temperament
  • By meditation, high blood pressures, forgetfulness and aging process can be controlled
  • Take life as it comes; don't get disturbed by the ups and downs of life. Eat and drink in moderation, work hard and adopt the habit of early to bed and early to rise.
  • It was the finding of survey done in Japan, that a large portion of centenarians were engaged in the Agriculture or Forestry as their primary jobs.

TO QUOTE...


 
Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not. – Ralph W. Emerson.
You are today where your thoughts have brought you;
you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.
James Allen

DEFINITION


 
Conference: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.

Office: A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

Marriage: It’s an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her masters.

LINES I LIKED




Ø  Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
Ø  Life reflects the way you are; if you want a better life; make more of your potential.
Ø  People preach peace to the world and prepare for war.
Ø  Prayers can work miracles, so no harm in trying them out.

 
 
For things to change, you must change!

Meet you next month – February, 2013

Prof. A. Narayanan, Ph. D., FISPP

 


 Ph : 0422 2423017 Mobile : 98422 42301

www.nara.tumblr.com  (NARA’S DIGEST)

www.nara2007.blogspot.com  (NARA’S NOTEPAD)

 

Saturday, December 1, 2012

 
 
NARA'S NOTEPAD
 
VOLUME 8
DECEMBER 2012
NUMBER 12
 
 
SUPPORTED
BY
READERS LIKE YOU
 
 
TRY TO
 
TELL THE TRUTH

 
 
A BOOK BY NARA

264 PAGES, PRICE: Rs. 150

 

If you want a copy, please send a cheque / DD favouring

A.Narayanan,  at Coimbatore to:

Prof. A. Narayanan, #19, Phase 5, Maharani Avenue, Vadavalli,

Coimbatore – 641 041 giving your postal address.

SPONSORSHIP


 

 

NARA’S NOTEPAD thank

Dr. S. THAMBURAJ, Former Dean of Horticulture, TNAU, Coimbatore for sponsoring Dec.2012, Jan. & Feb. 2013 issues

 

and

 

Dr. K. Mohan Naidu, Former Director of Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore for sponsoring March, April, May 2013 issues.

 

MEMO FROM NARA


 
 

 

According to me, scientist has two roles to play – one is the hard-core science and the other soft-core science. In the hard – core one, the real science is handled as hypothesis – testing – inferring – forming theory and testing again. It requires hard work day and night. There is no office time for it. Laboratory, field or workshop is the site of hard-core science. On the other hand, the soft-core science constitutes, writing of research projects, publication of research results, teaching, training, conducting seminar etc. So a scientist has great responsibility of handling these two important aspects day in and day out. All scientists are paid salary to perform these functions both in private and public concerns. They are also evaluated by competent authorities time to time.

 

One thing we need to keep in mind is that scientists are also human beings. They do have emotions and desires. They are part of the society. They have family and friends. Therefore we find some deviations in their behavior to meet the character of a scientist. Faking results, copying, cooking up data, publishing non-repeatable results, copying others’ results, plagiarism, mishandling project money, harassing subordinates and students – are some of the unpleasant activities we hear time to time. We all know that only a few do all these things. But the scientific community gets a bad reputation in the minds of public. Therefore scientists have to be careful in their duty and safeguard the sanctity of science.

 

As a Plant Physiologist for more than 30 years in Agricultural Science, I learned many things which were conveyed at various occasions to my fellow Plant Physiologists who heard me with keen interest and patience, but only few followed my suggestions. However, I am happy that today’s young scientists have gone far away from the old science and explored the unexplored with the help of modern knowledge and equipments. The advancement of biotechnology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering and bio-informatics is helping the modern day science to progress and produce fantastic results which are very much needed for all of us.

 

However, I find a growing dissatisfaction among the scientific community because of the bad attitudes of some of the so-called senior scientists who occupy high positions. I always hear such murmuring from the mouths of many young and even old scientists whenever I happened to interact with them. I am 75, still I feel a pleasure to talk to young agricultural scientists. Most of them have a negative thinking at the scientific institutions and the administration. Science is a bias less subject, but many a time leaders in these institutions are biased and thus the young minds are poisoned and work against the spirit of science.

 

One of the best ways to avoid such attitudes is to train scientists by some management gurus. Scientific management requires handling of plants, animals, electronic equipment and above all highly qualified human beings. Of course I know there is an Institute for Research Management. But we need to have facilities for scientist management. Basically this has to start at the post-graduate level of study or at the early stages of entering service. I wish someone thinks the possibility of changing the attitude of scientists so that science remains as science forever.

ACTION PLAN FOR INDIAN SCIENCE...




v  Teaching creative thinking with emphasis on active learning rather than passive or learning by rote.

v  Implementing teaching methods where every student participates (rather than simply listening to the instructor)

v  Emphasis on creative and critical thinking including inculcating the habit of question, develop opinions and the ability to think in a constructive way to improve upon the existing methods and designs.

v  Encouragement at the school level to try out new things, doing things in an unorthodox manner, whatever feasible and question the conventional methods.

v  Introduction of an appropriate system of evaluation of mentors by the mentees.

v  Periodic ‘health check-up’ of institutions by surveys on the opinion of the students, research scholars and faculty on the issues which affect their career and growth and all issues related to the cultivation of science.

                                       – Om P. Sharma, IVRI, Palampur.

ADVICE TO YOUNG SCIENTISTS


 
 
 
v  Try to find a good mentor, a recognized scientist, but also one with whom you feel comfortable.

v  Never afraid of asking questions. Asking good questions may be more important than finding answers.

v  Don’t embark on a new problem before you unambiguously identify the problem you would like to solve.

v  Don’t be afraid of branching out in any direction in the process of your study.

v  Truly, have an open eye and an open mind in every situation.

                   - M. Hargittai, Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

HABITS OF INCOMPETENT PEOPLE


 
 
1.     They think, say and do negative things.

2.     They act before they think.

3.     They talk much more than they listen.

4.     They give up easily.

5.     They try to bring others down to their level.

6.     They waste their time.

7.     They take the easy way out.

-       Michael Lee