Blog@GraceJunction

Konrad Steffen, climatologist who settled in Greenland’s icesheet in 1990, was only hoping to gather more insights into the processes that drive-and are effected by-changes on ice bodies of Greenland, that hold roughly 8% of world’s freshwater supply!

Today his Swiss Camp serves as eyes and ears for climate scientists worldwide. ‘Koni’ as he is called by his friends, personally customised and deployed much of the instruments that tell the scientific world, hour by hour and year by year about these ice sheets.

Greenland’s icesheets are very crucial, and kind of a barometer for the rest of the world because of its sensitivity to climatic changes and because of the tremendous influence it has on the ecological cycles in the Northern Hemisphere. (more…)

On my way to work, I have to always pass through a railway crossing (a.k.a. level crossing). Mostly, regardless of the time that I go for work, I encounter a closed gate bringing a sudden stop to my usually fast journey.

When the train is passing by, every one has to stop. Regardless of who is in the vehicle, all have to wait till the train passes. Regardless of what the vehicle is, none of the vehicles is now as important as the train. Though the train maybe carrying only ordinary people, less important than the ones waiting in their cars et cetera, yet the only thing they can do is- to wait. However urgent and important the work on the other side of the gate maybe, the gate will not open. Be it a matter of crores or even a matter of life and death. (more…)

Come Olympics and most of us would be glued to this mega event unfold itself. More so because the built up to it and the country in which it is taking place promises much drama. This is one event which commands the most number of eyeballs, with the Athens Olympics drawing more than 4 billion people watching it just on TV. Most of us have already witnessed the violence that has marred the carrying of the Olympic torch, which signifies the uniting thread between the ancient games and modern games.

The purpose of the ancient games has been replaced by the spirit of the modern games. The Greeks placed emphasis on the Artistic nature of athletics and the preparatory role it played for its warriors. Games were important due to the impact it had on the regions economy and politics. But over a period of time the athletes began to be paid heavily for their sporting achievements and sports heroes emerged resulting in the demise of the amateurs and with it so many other things that sports stood for. (more…)

It was mid April when I read about the elaborate plans of the Chinese government, on how they are preparing themselves for the upcoming Olympics. Frankly, I was quite impressed about the level of thought & effort they are putting in, to make the event a success. If you’ve ever been to China and if you had a glimpse of what they have built it to be, you would surely bow down to their achievements. In everything that they did, they’ve shown it to the world.. what sheer human grit could achieve!

The news article read something like this “The Chinese government hopes launching shells containing silver iodide pellets into clouds will curb rainfall and ensure clear skies for the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing. According to the plan, 100 staff at 21 stations surrounding the city will have 10 minute window to blast away at the clouds so that they can be dispersed before they come near the stadium. Three aircrafts will also be on stand-by to drop catalysts on the clouds…!! (more…)

In these present times, perhaps the most defensive word used by most people is “excuse me”. People do not do what they have to (and they have an attitude that reflects it too) and then they use these words as a shield to save themselves! These two words are used in every area and aspect of life e.g. for not reaching school or college on time, not reaching office or violating the traffic rules etc and the list is endless. We have excuse(s) for everything!

Why we use these words is because we do not want anyone to blame us for not doing things in the proper way or at the proper time. We want to avoid doing them and then we also want to go scot-free and unrestricted. It only shows our lack of sincerity towards most of the things we do (or we are supposed to do). We take things lightly without even trying to know seriousness or gravity of it. (more…)

Three students of Class XII committed suicides in three days of the exams having started. In less than three months of 2008, 15 students of Class X and Class XII committed suicide across the state. A mother, troubled by her unfaithful husband, jumped into a lake with her three children in the wee hours of one morning. All three died. Another 32 old mother of two had a quarrel with her husband went on to hang herself to death. A son of a police official committed suicide under mysterious circumstances. Another woman who came to her father’s house, consumed poison and succumbed at the hospital. Another woman immolated herself due to constant bickering by her in-laws over a property dispute. Another young girl hung herself from the ceiling fan under mysterious curcumstances. She had only married a few months back. A five member family committed suicide by consuming poison due to financial crisis. (more…)

The 80’s to the early years of the 21st century has seen the most happening time in history and I am privileged to have witnessed it all. Mankind has seen many changes in and around him. We have seen rapid strides being taken in education, technology and research. Communication has become faster and information is flying. Things which looked impossible in history are a reality today, what could not be achieved in centuries is getting achieved in a short span of time. Everything is measured in speed and size. Gone are the days, when parents used to tell their children that slow and steady wins the race, the fast and furious have taken over. The rabbit is worth emulating and he wins over the tortoise every time, or so it is believed to be!

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Come first week of April and you’ll find it very difficult to get a hotel booking in all the best locations in the country. Reason being almost all sales driven organization will be having their strategy meet or plan for the year 08-09.

They will be planning the entire strategy and targets for the year. The targets is then distributed according to the zone, region and location. Every employee gets their share of target. The meeting goes for two days and at the end of the day there’s a huge party where everybody has a target of how many pegs they’ll gulp down!! (more…)

‘Workaholic’, ‘Stressed Out’ these have been western phenomenon’s for our forefathers who used to work in the dusty and worn out offices of the government and PSU’s for the first 50 odd years from our independence until it one day quite surprisingly had sprung its neck in our families which for us existed only in Manhattan! And may be by a stretch of our imagination in Bombay too! Most of the Indian middle class was brought up in this atmosphere where being late in office was unacceptable to the elders and a taboo when it came to working women! (more…)