Part 2

Those who missed Part 1 here it is https://t.co/myV2RhzsxJ 1/n

Since Farming is the hot topic now, let us go back in time.

Many know that India was fighting against insufficient food grain production in 1950s.

The irrigation dams were being constructed, but the farmers were still following a monocrop policy that was rainfed. 1/n

The productivity per acre was very low

The threat of famine loomed.

We were dependent on US for feeding our people.

2/n

We always talk of the right man at the right place.

For Indians, that person arrived on the scene by mid 1960s.

The farmers did not have a clue as to how to exploit the benefits of better irrigation to improve agricultural production. 3/n

In their midst walked in Dr.Norman Borlaug, an American, who had done considerable work in the famished Mexico amongst the peasants with considerable success.

Would he be the Saviour? 4/n

One of the problems the wheat farmers of North India faced was that the plants were long which meant it could not support the weight of the wheat at the head, leading to the plant slanting and finally falling off.

The wastage due to this was phenomenal 5/n

I furnished a list of items to a newly wed couple (South Indian) who are setting up their home in B'lore. This list is indicative & should serve as a ready reckoner just so that they wont have to scratch their head thinking what is needed. Additions/deletions will be there 1/n

Sofa Set - 2+1+1 - Go for Wooden one with Cushion. They last longer and the cushion can be changed later. The rexine stuffed sofas look great but dont last more than 3 years. Most of the time they use very cheap wood inside, as they are covered. 2/n

A glass topped wooden teapoy that matches with the sofa set.

Cot - Instead of a Double Cot, suggest go for 2 Single Cots and join them together. This way one gets more space, and it is easy to clean under the Cots. 3/n

Go for matching orthopaedic mattresses. They support the back. Go for slightly harder ones

4 Pillows

At this stage guest cot is not required

2 Seater Dining Table with 2 Chairs should suffice and saves space

4 Plastic/ Deck Chairs that can be stacked 4/n

Refrigerator - Invest in at least a 270 litre - 300 litre as Fridge lasts long. Go for 2 door but ensure to buy one that has a smaller freezer. Frost Free with a higher Star Rating - 5 or above. Look for 7 years warranty for compressor. Buy a good brand 5/n

Anyone who has been to Kozhikkode (Calicut) know about the Prosperity of the Businesses in the Kozhikkode Angadi (Market). It is still a place buzzing with activity enjoying high level of turnover and tremendous cash flow.

There is a story behind this 1/n

Samoothiris (Zamorin) ruled Calicut from 12th to 18th Century. One of the Samoothiris Chief Minister was the legendary Mangattachan

Once the Samoothiri got a severe pain on his right shoulder, so much so that he was not able to lift his arm. 2/n

He complained to Mangattachan, who asked him to ignore/live with it, without telling the reason.

Mangattachan was forced to be away from Calicut.

Samoothiris pain increased. Many a Vaidyan (Ayurvedic Doctor) from places near & far tried to cure him but in vain 3/n

Kolathiri was a nearby Kingdom, who had a love hate relationship with Samoothiri. As a royal gesture he sent his Chief Physician to treat Samoothiri.

Kolathiri’s physician asked Samoothiri to apply a wet towel on his right shoulder continuously. 4/n

Miraculously his condition improved dramatically in a few days.
Samoothiri was delighted, showered gifts on the physician and thanked Kolathiri.

When Mangattachan came back, Samoothiri gloated and told him his pain was gone. 5/n

Prahlada the Asura was then emperor of all the three worlds, conquered by the power of his integrity.

As it always happens, Indra becomes jealous of Prahlada’s power and feels shaky – there is the threat of losing his throne to someone like the mighty Asura. 1/n

For the throne of Indra belonged to the man who had the highest character, who performed the most difficult austerities.

Indra assumes the form of a Brahmin and goes to Prahlada and serves him as a disciple, with the desire to learn from him the secret of his success. 2/n

Prahlada tells him his success comes from his following the noble teachings of wise men. However, Indra still continues to serve Prahlada and eventually the Asura emperor, pleased with the devotion shown and the service rendered, asks his disciple to ask for a boon, 3/n

not knowing he is Indra. Initially Indra refuses politely, saying that all his desires have been fulfilled.
But when Prahlada insists, he asks: “If you are pleased with me, Emperor, please give me your character, your integrity.” 4/n

Prahlada is shaken by the request, but he grants the boon since he had offered it: after all, that is what a man of integrity does.

Indra accepts the boon and goes away.
Soon Prahlada sees a dazzlingly lustrous being emerging from his body and leaving him. 5/n

We were all revering Cows and other animals much before all these 'Activists' cropped up. Respecting the environment, the trees and animals are a way of life for Hindus

On the eve of Maattu Pongal, here are a few personal Cow Remembrances 1/n

I was all of 4 when we moved to Vadakara. School was still a year away. We lived in a House named 'Kottaram' (Palace), which had a long backyard. Beyond that was a small house where a Brahmin Family Resided. Mami had a cow. 2/n

Around 2.30 pm, she will call "Konthe" (Colloquial for Kuzhanthai or Child), and that was the sign for me to run across pulling up my half trouser.

A Half Wall separated the houses and I would climb up to watch the guy who milched their cow. 3/n

Once he milched, I will get my quota of a very small glass of raw milk. She never ever took the milk inside without giving me my share fondly. Once I drink it, I played with the calf and then ran back home 4/n

We moved back to Palakkad when I was 9. Grandfathers Agraharam house was 20 kms away and I was a frequent visitor

Thatha and Paatti maintained 3 Cows

The Big Red, Elder Karumi (Blacky) and the Younger Karumi 5/n

We are all products of our own environments. Our environments shape our character, our personality, our habits, our identity.

The environment that Ousmane Dembélé grew up in and the environment that FC Barcelona seeks to engulf its youngsters with could not be more different.

The Great Gatsby starts with a life lesson.

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."

Ousmane hasn’t had the advantages that La Masia youngsters have had. That’s why he’s Ousmane.

Like every La Masia youngster, Ousmane grew up with a dream: playing for Barça.

Like every youngster, he fought to stand out amid a talented group of players, the majority of which would fail to go pro.

However, his football education was the polar opposite to that of La Masia.

Ousmane did not reside in one of the most expensive academies in Europe: he lived in a low-cost public housing unit in Normandy. He did not play in the well-trimmed pitches of La Masia, he played in the concrete jungles of Évreux. These disadvantages made him the man he is today.

While street soccer encourages individuality & creative freedom, academy-based training like La Masia encourages unselfishness & teamwork.

That’s why Barça produce certain types of 20-year-olds like a factory line. It’s also why Barça spent €145m on a 20-year-old Ousmane.

I have been working on pandemic outbreaks for 15 years.

There is a misunderstanding of the difference between the response in much of the West, versus successful countries (including New Zealand and Australia).

Summarizing:

1.Reactive versus proactive and goal oriented.

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2.Mitigation (slowing transmission) versus elimination (stopping transmission)

3.Gradually responding to increasing levels of infection by imposing greater restrictions which enables the infection rate to grow (red zone strategy), …

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versus starting with high restrictions to arrest transmission and relaxing restrictions only when the number of new cases is so low that contact tracing or localized short term action can stop community transmission (green zone strategy, including localized "fire fighting").

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4.Trying to keep economic activity and travel as open as possible but perpetuating the economic harm and imposing yoyo restrictions, versus making an initial sacrifice of economic activity and travel in order to benefit from the rapid restoration of normal economic activity.

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5.Focusing attention on few individuals resistant to social action because of shortsightedness or selfishness, versus recognizing the vast majority do the right thing if given clear guidance and support, which is what matters for success, as elimination is a robust strategy.

5/

1/OK, I should really write another thread about university-centric regional development, because I think people often make some (very understandable) mistakes when thinking about this issue.

2/The biggest myth, I think, is that universities help regions by educating locals as undergraduates.

Skeptics of universities say: "But most of the people who graduate end up leaving."

3/In fact, most of what a university does for a regional economy is NOT about educating local kids.

Educating local kids is good for the nation, but doesn't help a region much.

The way a university helps a region is through

4/Undergraduates usually leave town after graduation.

But university RESEARCH pulls in OTHER smart people from other regions, and they stay there.

Here's a paper showing that this is the main way universities increase a region's human capital:

5/Research also pulls in business investment.

Companies want to partner with university labs, so they can commercialize the technologies the labs produce. So they invest in the labs, and sometimes they even put their offices in the town.

Capitalism demolishes society and, with it, itself.

A thread.

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Prior to capitalism, there were plenty of elite-centric, exploitive systems in place. European and Japanese feudalism. Roman mass slavery. The corvee labor of the ancient hydraulic state. Etc.

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But as exploitive and repressive as these systems were, they still retained some sense of mutual obligation among classes. Elites depend on the masses to survive and thrive. You can only exploit them up to a certain point, beyond which you threaten your own labor supply.

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Consider this quote from Kenneth Jupp on European feudalism. Feudalism entailed *mutual obligations* between rich and poor.

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These obligations were not equal, uniform, or always universally respected. But they were at least *there.* In return for labor and agricultural surplus, a feudal lord was obligated to protect his villeins, provide them justice, and respect their usufruct land rights.

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