NARA'S NOTEPAD
VOLUME 22
AUGUST 2025
NUMBER 8
Thursday, July 31, 2025
POLITICAL SYSTEMS
Let's start
off with the most well-known political system in the world - democracy.
Democracy is a form of government where power is held by the people, either
directly or through elected representatives. It's a system that values
individual freedom, equality, and representation. Countries like the United
States, Canada, and Australia are all democratic countries, and it's a system
that has been praised for its ability to promote civil liberties and respect
for human rights.
However,
democracy isn't perfect. One of the biggest criticisms of this system is that
it can lead to the tyranny of the majority. This means that the majority can
vote to enact laws or policies that can negatively impact minority groups.
Additionally, democracy is often slow-moving and bureaucratic, making it
difficult to get things done quickly.
On the other
end of the spectrum, we have totalitarianism. Totalitarianism is a political
system where the government has complete control over all aspects of citizens'
lives. This means that there are no free elections, no freedom of speech, and
no individual rights. Countries like North Korea and China are examples of
totalitarian states.
Totalitarianism
is often criticised for its lack of respect for human rights and its tendency
to disregard the needs and well-being of its citizens. However, it can also be
highly efficient in achieving its goals, as there are no checks and balances to
slow down or hinder progress.
Somewhere in
between democracy and totalitarianism lies communism. Communism is a political
system where all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid
according to their abilities and needs. This system values equality and the
elimination of class distinctions. Countries like Cuba and China are examples
of communist states.
Communism is
often praised for its ability to provide for the basic needs of its citizens,
such as healthcare and education. However, it can also lead to a lack of
innovation and limited economic growth due to the lack of incentives for
individual achievement. Lastly, we have fascism. Fascism is a political system
where the government is led by a strong leader who has complete control over
all aspects of life. This system values nationalism, hierarchy, and the
suppression of individual rights. Countries like Italy under Mussolini and
Germany under Hitler are examples of fascist regimes. Fascism is often
criticized for its tendency towards xenophobia and its disregard for individual
rights. However, it can also be highly efficient in achieving its goals, as
there is no opposition or dissent allowed.
In
conclusion, there are many different political systems in the world, each with
its pros and cons. While democracy is often praised for its promotion of civil
liberties and individual rights, other systems like totalitarianism and fascism
can be highly efficient in achieving their goals. It's important to understand
the strengths and weaknesses of each political system and to strive towards
creating a government that values equality, individual freedoms, and
representation.
NATIONAL PARKS AND THEIR USES
National parks are areas of special scenic,
historical, or scientific importance set aside and maintained by a national
government and, in some cases, by an act of Congress. They are usually intended
to preserve the natural environment and provide opportunities for public
recreation and enjoyment, or education. Most of the landscapes and their
accompanying plants and animals in a national park are kept in their natural
state.
National parks vary in size, location, and
purpose across different countries and regions. The first national park in the
world is widely considered to be Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA,
which was established in 1872. However, some sources claim that Bogd Khan
Mountain National Park in Mongolia, which may date from as early as 1778, was
the first national park. Since then, many other countries have followed the
example of creating national parks to protect their natural and cultural
heritage. Some of the most famous national parks include Yosemite National Park
in California, USA; Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada; Serengeti National
Park in Tanzania; Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia; and Galapagos
National Park in Ecuador.
National parks have many benefits for both
humans and nature. They can help conserve biodiversity, ecosystem services, and
geological features; they can provide recreational, educational, and scientific
opportunities for visitors; they can support local communities and economies
through tourism and employment; they can foster national pride and identity;
and they can inspire people to appreciate and respect nature. However, national
parks also face many challenges and threats, such as climate change, species, poaching, pollution, overdevelopment, overcrowding, and conflicts with
local people. Therefore, national parks need careful planning, management, and
monitoring to ensure their long-term sustainability and effectiveness.
PALMISTRY
Palmistry is the art of telling the future from the lines on the palms of your hands. The lines are unique to each person and are said to each person and are said to show the person’s character and what will happen in the future. Palmistry began in India thousands of years ago as a form of counselling. The heart, head and life lines are especially important. They are judged by their length and strength. The life line shows how healthy you are and how much you enjoy life. The head line shows how intelligent you are, and the heart line reveals the physical condition of the heart as well as a person’s sexual and emotional nature.
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Bill Clinton is a prominent political figure who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and his presidency was marked by economic prosperity, social progress and international leadership. Clinton was born in Arkansas in 1946 and showed an early interest in politics. He went on to attend Georgetown University, and then Yale Law School. After completing his education, Clinton returned to Arkansas where he became the youngest governor in the history of the state. Clinton's tenure as governor was notable for his progressive policies, including his emphasis on education reform and health care. In 1992, Clinton announced his candidacy for the presidency and he went on to win the election, defeating incumbent George H. W. Bush. During his presidency, Clinton worked to reduce the budget deficit and oversaw the longest period of economic growth in U.S. history. He also signed into law the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), advocating for free trade and workers' rights. Clinton also sought to promote democracy and peace around the world, intervening in conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo and negotiating the Oslo Accords for peace in the Middle East. However, Clinton's presidency was marked with controversy and scandal. In 1998, he was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power related to his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. However, he was acquitted of the charges by the Senate. Despite the controversies surrounding him, Clinton remains a respected and influential figure in American politics. He has continued to be active in public life, campaigning for various political causes and serving as a global advocate for HIV/AIDS and climate change. He has also authored several books, including his autobiography "My Life" and "The President Is Missing," a collaboration with James Patterson.
Overall, Bill Clinton's presidency was a
transformative period in American politics, marked by both successes and controversies. His leadership and legacy
continue to be studied and debated today.
WHAT IS AGEING? WHY IT HAPPENS?
Ageing is simply the process of becoming older. Superficially, as we age, we appear to have more wrinkles and blemishes in the skin, and perhaps grayer hair. We don’t have the same strength, endurance, and even body shape as we did when we were younger. But on a molecular and cellular level in the body, what is driving these changes?
Cells are the building blocks that form all
our tissues. As we age, our cells age too. Stem cells, which are cells that are
capable of becoming a range of different tissues (bone, muscle, blood, etc.),
lose the capacity to undergo differentiation—the ability to change from one
cell type to another. This is problematic because stem cells are responsible
for replenishing damaged tissue, for example, damaged cartilage in joints. So,
the body cannot regenerate as effectively.
Unlike the cells in young bodies, cells in
the older person’s body also lose some of their metabolic capacity and start to
accumulate waste proteins, resulting in malfunction. This is thought to occur
because of several different reasons:
DNA
damage arising from exposure to free radicals (free radicals are high-energy
molecules in the body
capable of destroying or damaging
other molecules). Shortening of
telomeres (telomeres are structures on the end of your DNA that protect it from
degradation). Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) (destructive molecules
created from sugar) abnormally bond with other normal proteins and fat
molecules, and over time, these altered molecules accumulate. Our cells may be
intrinsically programmed genetically to age and stop working.
Thus, the body loses its ability to replace
old or damaged cells, and those older cells start to malfunction. This disrupts
the complex biological processes in the body. Cellular aging processes affect
the musculoskeletal system, and we know that three things happen:
Bones lose
density, becoming weaker and more brittle (aka osteoporosis and osteopenia)
Muscle mass and density decreases (a.k.a. sarcopenia)
The smooth cartilage which covers our joints wears down. In the spine, all three of these processes occur in addition to degeneration of the intervertebral discs—the structures which are responsible for linking our vertebrae together.
TO QUOTE
We see that some people do not want to have a child, while others have one, and that’s it. However, they often have dogs and cats that take the place of children. This may seem amusing, but it is a reality. – Pope Francis
JUST TO LAUGH
An Italian businessman goes to Indonesia for a business trip. He hates Indonesian food, so he asked the concierge in his hotel, "Is there any restaurant where I can find Italian food here?" The concierge says, "You're lucky, sir, a new pizza restaurant just opened and they deliver." The businessman asks for the restaurant's number, goes back to his room, and orders the pizza.
Thirty minutes later, the delivery person arrives with the pizza. He takes the
pizza and eats it. Suddenly, he's sneezing uncontrollably and shouting to the
delivery person, "What did you put on this pizza?!" The delivery man
bows deeply and says, "We put exactly what you ordered on the phone, sir.
It's pepper.
LINES I LIKED
Ø A crowd isn’t just a large number of people – it’s a mass in which members identify with one another.
Ø
A letter is a
communication written by one person to another, to convey a message or ideas.
Ø
A slow and steady
approach to wealth creation is always safer and more sustainable.
Ø
A small part of your
life is decided by completely uncontrollable circumstances, while the vast
majority of your life is decided by your responses.
A lack of self-confidence leads people to be afraid of the present and
the future.
Meet you next month – 2025
Professor A. Narayanan, Ph. D., FISPP
SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO:
E-mail: arumugakannu@gmail.com
Ph: 0422 4393017 Mobile: 75399 15614
(NARA’S
NOTEPAD)
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