MY BROTHER PASSED AWAY

My younger brother Mathew passed away on Monday (22/7) morning. He was having a fever and difficulty in breathing for a few days. Funeral was held on Thursday (25/7). He was 59. Mathew was a Chartered Accountant and was working as a Finance Manager in a Government Organisation. I will not be posting on this blog for some time. Thank You.

COFFEE OR TEA

Long ago when I started drinking coffee and tea, both were almost the same for me. I would drink either one and feel no real difference. Later on I started to hate coffee. The coffee I was usually drinking was instant coffee and I did not like it. So I began to drink more tea. It did not matter if the tea was prepared with tea dust, tea bags or tea leaves.

Many years later I started drinking coffee again. This time I was drinking ground coffee which tastes so much better than instant coffee. Now I drink one cup of tea in the morning prepared with tea leaves and with milk added. Then I have several cups of black coffee during the day. I usually buy smaller packets of tea and coffee. I think once we open a packet of tea or coffee it begins to lose its freshness. The smaller packets are more likely to retain its freshness since we tend to finish them before it loses its freshness.

NEUROWEL

Neurowel, Asramam, Kollam

FISH OIL

I had an ache in my right shoulder which was usually felt in the morning as I got up from bed.  I checked the net for information about it and found that it could be the beginning of arthritis. I also found that fish oil could help provide some relief.  I don’t eat fish regularly and so I felt I may be missing something. It made sense that I should get the fish oil. I started taking one capsule of cod liver oil daily. After about two weeks the pain in the shoulder was gone. A few months later my arm was as flexible as usual. I think I should give credit to the cod liver oil for the recovery.

KADAPPAKADA SPORTS CLUB

Kadappakada Sports Club, Kollam

SONGS ON THE RADIO

I haven't listened to the radio for a long time but I still remember enjoying songs on the radio. The quality of sound was not so good, especially on MW and SW. FM radio had better sound quality but it was from a local station that played local songs. When we listen to songs on the radio we don't know which song will come next. It maybe a song we don't like or it could be one of our favorites. It could also be a song new to us, which we may or may not like. This surprise element adds to the pleasure of listening to songs on the radio.

DR. MOHINI'S EYE CENTRE

Dr. Mohini's Eye Centre, Kollam

WAR AND TV NEWS

There was a conflict at the India – Pakistan border recently. The news channels went into a frenzy. They got so excited and tried to get the people excited too. It’s their job to report the news but more often they tend to give their opinion and a biased version of the news. It felt like they wanted a full scale war. TV news anchors and members of the discussion panels said the enemy should be taught a lesson they will never forget.

It’s so easy for them sitting in the comforts of the studio to encourage the escalation of war. If these people are forced to go to the border and fight the war they would have a different opinion. When they work for the news channels they put their interests first. It is in their interest that the war escalates because the viewership will increase providing them with all the benefits that come with it.

SAIN PLAZA

Sain Plaza, Kollam

GLOBAL WARMING

I first heard the term ‘Global Warming’ long ago. Scientists used the term to explain that the average temperature of the planet is increasing but for the common person the term would imply that the whole planet is warming up. The average temperature of the planet may have increased but the average temperature of every place on earth has certainly not increased. Some parts of the world were getting warmer but there were other parts that experienced temperatures colder than usual.

Later on, the term ‘Climate Change’ was also used. This term was more appropriate since it would explain that parts of the world could get warmer or colder. This was easier for the general public to understand.

Now both the terms ‘Global Warming’ and ‘Climate Change’ continue to be used. The claim is that ‘Global Warming’ is causing ‘Climate Change’. This may be true but it would be more convincing and less confusing if only the term ‘Climate Change’ is used.

FABRICLEAN

Fabriclean, Kollam

PAID NEWS

I once had a boss who would tell us that we should befriend some journalists so that we can pay him or her to write something favourable about us, our products or our service. He said it was cheaper and more effective than advertising because people tend to believe the news more than advertisements. He already had some journalists helping him in this way.

Later on, I came to know that the media can also be paid to reduce the coverage or even not report news that is not favourable to an organisation.

THREE WHEELER

Three Wheeler, Kollam