The last words of Alexander, The Great

Alexander, after conquering many kingdoms, was returning home. On the way, he fell ill and it took him to his death-bed. With death staring him on the face, Alexander realized how his conquests, his great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth were of no consequence.

He now longed to reach home to see his mother's face and bid her adieu. But, he had to accept the fact that his sinking health would not permit him to reach his distant homeland. So the mighty conqueror lay prostrate and pale, helplessly waiting to breathe his last.

He called his generals and said, "I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail." With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king's last wishes, whatever would they be.

"My first desire is", said Alexander, "my physicians alone must carry my coffin."

After a pause, he continued, "Secondly, I desire that when my coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones which I have heaped in my treasury".

The king felt exhausted after saying this. He took a minute's rest and continued. "My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin".

The people who had gathered there wondered at the king's strange wishes. But no one dared to question His Highness... At last Alexander's favorite General kissed his hand and pressed them to his heart. "O Mighty King, we assure you that your wishes will all be fulfilled. But tell us why you make such strange wishes?"

At this Alexander took a deep breath and said: "I would like the world to know of the three lessons I have just learnt."

Those lessons are now for you to learn....

I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor can cure anybody. They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death. So let not people take life for granted.

The second wish of strewing gold, silver and other riches on the way to the graveyard is to tell people that not even a fraction of the gold or the riches will come with me when I die. I spent all my life earning riches but cannot take anything with me. Let people realize that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth.

And about my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I wish people to know that I came empty handed into this world and empty handed I leave this world".

With these words, the king closed his eyes.
Soon he let death conquer him . . .

Lessons to Learn

Remember, your good health is in your own hands, take care of it.

Wealth is only meaningful if you can enjoy it; while you are still alive and kicking.

What you do for yourself dies with you, but what you do for others, lives on and is
called, 'Legacy'.

A 30 seconds Speech by Bryan Dyson (CEO of Coca Cola)

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air.

You name them - Work, Family, Health, Friends and Spirit.

Imagine you're keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.

But the other four balls - Family, Health, Friends and Spirit - are made of glass.

If you drop any of those;
they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered.
They will never be the same.
You must understand it and strive not to drop any of those."

Work efficiently during office-hours and leave on time for your home.

Spend quality time with your family and friends.. and don't forget to have proper rest.

"Value has a value only if its value is valued"

Thank you and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Love,

Prof. Dr. Alex Abraham Odikandathil

Earth Hour- Our Collective Movement to Save Mother Planet.

1. What is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour is a global grass-roots movement encouraging individuals, businesses and governments around the world to take positive actions for the environment, and celebrating their commitment to the planet by switching off lights for one designated hour.

Earth Hour 2011 aims to show the actions that people, businesses and governments world-wide are taking to reduce environmental impact, thereby establishing and encouraging others to join an interconnected global community engaged in dialogue and resource- sharing that advances real solutions to environmental challenges.

The highlight of Earth Hour 2011 will see the world’s most iconic landmarks go dark for one designated hour, as hundreds of millions of people transcend race, religion, culture, society, generation and geography, switching off their lights in a global celebration of their commitment to protect the one thing that unites us all- this planet.

2. When does Earth Hour take place?

Earth Hour 2011 will be held on Saturday March 26 between 8.30PM and 9.30PM in your local time zone.

3. What does Earth Hour ask people to do?

Earth Hour encourages individuals, businesses and governments to show leadership on environmental solutions through their actions, to use Earth Hour as a platform to showcase to the world what measures they are taking to reduce their environmental impact.

Earth Hour asks everyone to take personal accountability for their impact on the planet and make behavioural changes to facilitate a sustainable lifestyle.

Taking the first step is as easy as turning off your lights. By switching off your lights for Earth Hour you are acknowledging and celebrating your commitment to do something more for the planet that goes beyond the hour.

4. Does this mean during Earth Hour I have to turn off everything in my home and use absolutely no electricity?

No. The main point of Earth Hour is to show the world that a solution to the world’s environmental challenges is possible if we work together – together our actions add up!

Earth Hour only asks that you turn off non-essential lighting. This does not mean you have to turn off your refrigerator, but we do encourage you to be part of this global action by switching off your lights, as well as making a commitment to go beyond the hour with a long-term behavioural change.

Safety and security lighting should remain on.

5. How long has Earth Hour been going for?

Earth Hour began in one city in 2007 when more than two million individuals and two thousand businesses in Sydney, Australia turned off their lights for one hour on Saturday 31 March 2007 to take a stand on climate change.

In the space of three short years Earth Hour grew to become the greatest environmental action in history with individuals, businesses and governments across 128 countries coming together for Earth Hour 2010 to show the path to a sustainable future is a collective journey. More than 1000 of the world’s man-made marvels and natural wonders, including the Pyramids in Egypt, Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building, Niagara Falls, Beijing’s Forbidden City, Cape Town’s Table Mountain, Sydney Opera House, Buckingham Palace and Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, stood in darkness symbolising a landmark moment in the planet’s environmental consciousness.

6. Isn't switching the lights off dangerous? What about public safety?

Earth Hour only asks people to turn off the non-essential lights for one hour- not lights that affect public safety. Earth Hour is also a celebration of the planet so it’s important to enjoy the moment in a safe environment.

7. What does the Earth Hour logo mean?

The standard Earth Hour '60' logo represents the 60 minutes of Earth Hour where we focus on the impact we are having on our planet and take positive action to address the environmental issues we face.

For Earth Hour 2011 we have introduced the ‘60+’ logo representing a commitment to add to Earth Hour a positive act for the planet that goes beyond the hour.

To sum up,

Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007 when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Just an year later, Earth Hour became a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, CN Tower in Toronto, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.


In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

On Saturday 27 March, Earth Hour 2010 became the biggest Earth Hour ever. A record 128 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to the Americas switched off. People across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.

Earth Hour 2011 will take place on Saturday 26 March at 8.30PM (local time). In This Earth Hour we want you to go beyond the hour, so after the lights go back on think about what else you can do to make a difference. Together our actions add up.


Why get involved?

Put simply, our future depends on it!
Earth Hour has done a lot to raise awareness of sustainability issues. But there’s more to it than switching off lights for one hour once a year.

It’s all about giving people a voice and working together to create a better future for us; our planet.

Thank you and enjoy the rest of your week.

Love,

Prof. Dr. Alex Abraham Odikandathil

There is a reason behind every reason..

The ship wrecked and the lone survivor was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day after scavenging for food he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. "God, how could you do this to me?" he keened.

Early the next day he was awakened by the sound of a merchant ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.

"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man to his rescuers.

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It's easy to get discouraged when things go bad. But we shouldn't lose our spirit, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground, it may just be to trigger a smoke signal to summon His grace.

Thank you and enjoy the rest of your week-end.

Love,

Prof. Dr. Alex Abraham Odikandathil

Counseling to counsel

It's time we change the way we treat victims of sexual abuse.

You recently witnessed the brutal death of Soumya and may have heard about the sexual assault of CBS news correspondent Lara Logan. I’ve been horrified by some of the comments I’ve read about sexual crimes. The irrelevant information seems to have no bounds.

More than three decades ago, Psychologist Martha Burt coined the term 'Rape Myths' to describe the prejudicial, stereotypical and nonsensical notions about rape, rape victims, and rapists. Rape myths are widely believed and can help justify aggression and sexual violence. On a psychological level, rape myths also cause us distance ourselves from the victim. For example, "this could never happen to me because:
1) I would never have worn a short skirt, 2) I never walk alone at night, 3) I never board a night train, 4) I would not have been a journalist in Egypt" and so on.
It’s time to acknowledge and challenge these false beliefs so that we can begin to support victims of sexual violence, better.

Do understand:

Anyone can be sexually assaulted. Sadly, there is data showing men, women, old people, children, even sex workers can be raped. Studies of the general population suggest that approximately 22 percent of women and 4 percent of men are sexually assaulted in adulthood. As many as 25 percent of girls and 8 percent of boys are victims of childhood sexual abuse. Most people, regardless of their gender or ethnicity react to sexual assault in a similar way- with anxiety, shock and major depression. What seems to make a difference is whether victims have help available- people around to love and support them.


Sexual abuse is a violent crime. We need to start treating sexual assault like any other violent crime- mugging, stabbing or murder.

Most sexual assaults involves people we know, and not strangers and are often offshoots of domestic violence.

Lend a hand:

If someone you know is sexually assaulted, make sure you listen to them carefully. It can be the hardest thing to do- but we know that support plays a key role in helping people heal.

Don’t jump in with stories of your own traumatic experience. It’s human nature to want to let a survivor know you understand them and to give details of a traumatic event you’ve experienced or heard about. Resist this urge because a survivor doesn’t need to deal with another traumatic event while her own memories are still afresh.

Let the survivor set the pace of disclosure. It can be tempting to want to find out all the information you can about the assault, but remember that you are probably not in law-enforcement. This is not the time. The survivor may not be yet ready to speak out everything.

*Second guess your questions. What we say and do can help the victim in the healing process- but they can also make a survivor’s mental health go worse. Because of the stigma attached to sexual assault, many survivors are already in shame, guilt, and are thoroughly confused. So ask yourself, “Can I wait to ask that question about the assault?” For example, right after an assault, it is definitely not the time to ask about what the victim was wearing, or why he or she was in a certain place or with the perpetrator.

Finally, be yourself. If you don’t know what to say, just admit that and SHUT UP. Give the survivor a chance to tell you what she needs to.

If we work together, we can help many victims heal from the wounds of sexual assault. It’s high time we change the way we treat victims of sexual assaults.

AND ITS HIGH TIME FOR THE SEXUAL VICTIMS TO REALIZE THAT THEY ARE INNOCENT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND SO ITS NO REASON TO COMMIT SUICIDE.
IF YOU CAN'T ESCAPE (Martial Arts can take you a long way in this regard), CO-OPERATE IN THE ACT, THOUGH UNWILLINGLY. DON'T FEEL HUMILIATED SINCE YOU ARE NOT A WILLING PARTY TO THE ACT. YOU CAN SPRING BACK TO A NORMAL LIFE LATER.

Thank you and enjoy the rest of your week,

Love,

Prof. Dr. Alex Abraham Odikandathil

Trust/ Faith

It is a matter of faith and trust- two most important things in life!

Read the story to know whether you should hold the hand or if your hand should be held.

A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The father was kind of scared.

So he told his little daughter:
"Sweetheart, please hold my hands so that you don't fall into the river".

The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand."

"What's the difference?", asked the puzzled father.
"There's a big difference", replied the little girl.

"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go.
But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond.
So hold the hand of the person who loves you rather than expecting them to hold yours...
Brief, but carry a lot of feelings and wisdom.

Enjoy the rest of your week-end.

Love,

Prof. Alex Abraham Odikandathil Ph.D.

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Bonhomie, Luv Ya, Peace!

Feel free to visit my web site at http://www.alexodikandathil.blogspot.com

Brain-freezing

The Majority of Biology Teachers, Fearing Controversy, Avoid Teaching Evolution in US Schools.

We are aware that the debate over evolution is being continuously and ridiculously waged in the halls of power. But who knew that this oscillation over real science vs. unproven mumbo-jumbo had such a serious trickle-down effect in the nation's classrooms?

The surprising breakdown of the numbers, based on a national survey conducted by Science Magazine has been brought to light by the New York Times. The result is that just under 30% of teachers follow the National Research Council's recommendation in teaching evolution. You know how it should be: presenting evidence for it and making it clear that this theory is 'the unifying theme' of all biology. Notwithstanding, 13% devote serious time to creationism, leaving a huge swath in the middle who hedge their bets, teaching evolution but not 'endorsing' it.

Even worse, the survey pointed out that for many students, biology is the only science course they take - so the buck stops with these silly educators who are failing in their job of imparting information and dessiminating knowledge.

Are you smacking your hand against your forehead? Or not yet?

The Times' report runs:

The survey, published in the Jan. 28 issue of Science, found that some avoid intellectual commitment by explaining that they teach evolution only because state examinations require it, and that students do not need to 'believe' in it. Others treat evolution as if it applied only on a molecular level, avoiding any discussion of the evolution of species. And a large number claim that students are free to choose evolution or creationism based on their own beliefs.

Eric Plutzer, the co-author of the paper, said that the most enthusiastic proponents of creationism were widely spread across the country geographically.
Amidst climate-change denial and assault on healthcare benefits, this too - viz. the attack on logic, reason and scientific process- continues unceasingly.

Remember the scientific revolution and the enlightenment?

Apparently, we're still fighting the culture wars of the 17th century.

Thank you and enjoy the rest of your week.

Love,

Prof. Dr. Alex Abraham Odikandathil

Charity is love in action

The Art of Giving

Question 1: When should one give?

Have you heard about the following incident from Mahabharat?
Yudhisthir, asks a beggar seeking alms, to come the next day. Upon this, Bhima rejoices since he now knows that Yudhisthir his brother has conquered death. For, Yudhisthir will be alive tomorrow to give. Yudhisthir gets the message too. One does not really know whether one will be there tomorrow to give! We are not Yudhishthirs.

So earlier, the better.

Question 2: How much to give?


One recalls the famous incident from history. Rana Pratap was reeling after the defeat he received at the hands of the Mughals. He had lost his army, his wealth, and most importantly, he had lost hope; his will to fight. In this dark hour, his erstwhile minister Bhamasha came to see him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight the next day.

"Give as much as you can!

Question 3: What to give?

It is not only money that can be given. It could be a flower or even a smile.

It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing he received in days or weeks!

You can give anything but you must give it from your heart!

Question 4: Whom to give?

Many a time we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is asking for help. However, becoming suspicious and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving may be wrong.
Be not judgmental.

Question 5: How to give?

While giving, follow the biblical advice, "Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives."

Charity without publicity and fanfare is commendable. Give quietly; while receiving, let not the recipient feel harassed or humiliated. After all, what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and leave with nothing. The things we enjoyed were only gifted to us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to you? Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.

How should one feel after giving?

We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as 'Guru Dakshina', he unfalteringly chopped off his thumb and gave it to Drona.

There is a little known sequel to this story.

Eklavya, when he was dying, was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb.
He replied, "Yes! I regretted it once in my life. It was when the Pandavas were about to kill Dronacharya, whose heart was broken on the false news of the death of his son, Ashwathama and stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If it was there, no one could have dared to hurt my Guru." The message is loud and clear.

How much should we provide for our heirs?

Ask yourself, " Are we taking away the gift of work from them?"- a source of happiness!

The answer is given by Warren Buffett:

"Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing."

Let us learn the Art of Giving.

Quote from Kabir:

"When the wealth in the house increases, when water fills the boat, its time to throw it out with both hands."

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Possible Chocolate Shortage Due To Global Warming

One of the potential victims of climatic change will be chocolate.

Will the prospect of losing their favorite dessert finally get people to wake up?

In a world that takes for granted the availability of delicious and affordable chocolate, it's easy to forget that the popular product, in fact, comes from trees- unfortunately not from magical elves or free-flowing cocoa rivers. But some experts are predicting that in a matter of decades, a drop in production due to changing weather and agriculture incentives may make chocolate 'as expensive as gold'.

"In 20 years chocolate will be like caviar. It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won't be able to afford it," says a researcher.

According to a report, much of the world's cocoa is grown by farmers in West Africa- and the world's collective sweet tooth may not be enough to make producing the crop profitable for them. One of the reasons has to do with just how labor-intensive cocoa production is. Cultivation of cocoa takes several years as trees are slow to mature; not to mention about the depletion of the soil nutrients in the process. Meanwhile, there's better money to be made elsewhere.

Chairman of the Cocoa Research Association, Tony Lass points out: These smallholders earn just 80 cents a day. So there's no incentive to replant cocoa trees when they die off and to wait upto five years for a new crop. No younger generation are around to do the replanting, either. The children of these African cocoa farmers whose life expectancy is only 56 are heading for the cities rather than undertake backbreaking work for such a mean reward.

Cocoa production also faces competition from other crops which farmers may find more financially appealing, like palm-oil, driven by an increasing demand for biofuels and rubber. Besides, changes in weather patterns have crippled production in places like Indonesia that might normally be there to pick up the slack.

All this leads to an unfortunate reality that's sure to give chocoholics the shake- and not from a sugar-rush.
"Chocolate consumption is increasing faster than cocoa production and it's not sustainable," says Lass. Demand exceeds supply.

In the last few decades, these factors have led to higher cocoa prices but in the coming years they could place chocolate out of reach of the average consumer.

"Production will have decreased within 20 years to the point where we won't see any more cheap bars in vending machines," predicts Marc Demarquette, a British confectioner who advised the BBC on a story about the coming chocolate crisis.

Nevertheless, experts say that changes in agricultural practices can avoid a chocolate crisis. For example, if small-scale farmers are banded together, they might have more influence and incentive to keep the crop growing through programs like 'Fair Trade Initiative'.

While it may be detestable that one of the world's most delectable dessert options could soon be unavailable for all but the rich as the prices are set to skyrocket, it does delight the imagination to picture a world where chocolate is valued like gold- which really isn't worth much taste-wise at least to me.

Maybe in twenty years time, much of our cocoa wealth will be placed behind the heavily-guarded walls of some secure military facility for safe keeping. In Chocolate Bay?

Thank you and enjoy the rest of your week.

Love,

Prof. Dr. Alex Abraham Odikandathil