Kerala Household Of Yesteryears

http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/WR1bgU5AzoVRfTUCqa1aSK/Kottayam-Her-Ammachis-house.html: A very sweet article by Elizabeth Kuruvilla.

Sequels Make Less Money Than The Originals And Other Animals

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-hollywood-makes-more-sequels-every-year-even-though-shane-snow?trk=eml-b2_content_ecosystem_digest-hero-14-null&midToken=AQFGTBkk8hSJtQ&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=3ZM7sv6aiZE7c1

As per the link above, sequels make more money than other films in a given year despite making less money than the originals because the originals were themselves superhits.

A nice article on Big Data:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-ghost-code-machine-predictive-power-big-data-analytics-prasad

What makes you likeable: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/silly-things-you-do-make-less-likeable-dr-travis-bradberry?trk=eml-b2_content_ecosystem_digest-recommended_articles-61-null&midToken=AQFGTBkk8hSJtQ&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=22pjUCHXuZE7c1

What not to do while recruiting great people: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-mistakes-ruining-your-chances-hiring-great-senior-software-yasin?trk=eml-b2_content_ecosystem_digest-recommended_articles-79-null&midToken=AQFGTBkk8hSJtQ&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=1NUOoMdCGZE7c1

Read also this: https://medium.com/swlh/the-one-method-to-eliminate-bad-tech-hires-630d539b2e1d#.sgs5fz3cj

Quote from https://medium.com/javascript-scene/assessing-employee-performance-1a8bdee45c1a#.q05lu28tc: "The best way to be a 10x developer is to help 5 other developers be 2x developers. Ironically, the best way to get fired for underperformance is to be a 10x developer." 

Merits of killing a good idea: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/secrets-x-formerly-googlex-part-1-peter-diamandis?trk=eml-b2_content_ecosystem_digest-recommended_articles-85-null&midToken=AQFGTBkk8hSJtQ&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=1NAN9nbOCZE7c1 : Very interesting article.

Wow - KGP

Here is an app developed by young guys from IIT Kharagpur and NIT to find alternate routes (from earlier or later station on the same route) for getting confirmed tickets (this is the way I understood) - there is no web version. http://www.bgr.in/news/ticket-jugaad-app-developed-by-iit-student-to-solve-your-trains-wait-list-woes-2/

Maybe they could also check other routes in their app - for example if I am traveling from Chennai to Delhi and there are no confirmed tickets available, then try Bangalore to Delhi

Head Vs Heart - Journey

https://m.facebook.com/notes/jasmine-bharathan/the-head-to-heart-journey/159552244016/?refid=28&_ft_=qid.6274394530952018462%3Amf_story_key.-2573981156274734987

A friend sent me this link. It's a very nice post. The heart talk has come out well but the head talk seems a little contrived. I guess the person who wrote it is a heart person. 

I wonder if the writer hasn't mistaken the T for S (as in MBTI) - meaning it also sounds like an S vs N talk.

Pretty Man - Charlie Munger

https://www.valueresearchonline.com/story/h2_storyview.asp?str=30853&utm_source=2016-04-18-fundline&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fundline

Measuring Pain Objectively

Apparently physical (not emotional) pain can be measured as per this article: http://io9.gizmodo.com/scientists-succeed-in-objectively-measuring-pain-472456061

Not only can pain be measured, it has also been found that the measured pain is reduced after painkiller is taken.. Interesting.

The article goes on to say that tests to determine pain quantitatively in a clinical setting are some time away.

Read also this: http://www.healthline.com/health-news/mental-scientists-objectively-measure-pain-for-the-first-time-041213 and http://factsfromfiction.blogspot.in/2012/05/human-body-handles-45-dels-units-of.html

Threats Aren't Good And Capitalism Isn't Always Good

A friend sent me this very interesting article about how threats create a bad bargain: 

http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/10/how-to-avoid-bad-bargain-dont-threaten.php

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/10/19/fighting-cognitive-dissonance-the-lies-we-tell-ourselves/ - a lovely article... Cognitive dissonance is more about J than about F.



Additional reading:

• http://vbala99.blogspot.com/2015/07/brain.html
• http://vbala99.blogspot.com/2014/08/social-psychology.html

Gymming And Kitchen In 1920

A friend sent me this: A woman's gym from the last century.

Bless To Be A Muslim And Have 72 Virgins In Jannat

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154850363018009&id=837878008&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.10154850363018009%3Atl_objid.10154850363018009%3Athid.837878008%3A306061129499414%3A2%3A0%3A1462085999%3A7153672908509139984&__tn__=%2As

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154848571043009&id=837878008&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.10154848571043009%3Atl_objid.10154848571043009%3Athid.837878008%3A306061129499414%3A2%3A0%3A1462085999%3A3323415730619079220&__tn__=%2As

Feff Brown

https://mobile.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154180007840982&id=156161230981&refid=28&_ft_=qid.6272912677020607643%3Amf_story_key.834835550830772646&__tn__=%2As&fbt_id=10154180007840982&lul&ref_component=mbasic_photo_permalink_actionbar&_rdr

https://mobile.facebook.com/SOULSHAPING/photos/a.432700530981.218622.156161230981/10154181175590982/?type=3&_rdr\

Dance To The Heart's Tune

A friend sent me this: https://www.facebook.com/chitra.jha/posts/10153206840019513

"actually what works between partners is not a contract... a contract is what you have between an employer and employee. With humans what one has is love and affection and respect and trust. When that is gone no contract can help. There can not be a formula to predict success in human relationships."

Now That IS A BTSA

I had earlier commented in passing about Sydney Sheldon's novel Tell Me Your Dreams..

What follows is an excerpt from the same novel - a conversation between a young married couple in love with each other. The husband, David, is a corporate lawyer working in a prestigious law firm where he expects to be made a partner within a day or so. Being made partner would mean higher salary and being able to buy the dream house that they have identified and decorate the house the way they had planned. The lawyer is asked by Dr Patterson to represent the latter's daughter Asheley who is accused of serial murder. The doctor had many years earlier operated on the lawyer's mother when she had a serious medical problem - the lawyer was penniless and a student then and all other doctors had given up hope. Kincaid, a senior partner in the legal firm, where the lawyer works has made it clear to the David that the firm does not want to be tarnished by the negative publicity of the defendant's case where she is accused of three murders. The firm does not want the lawyer to take up this case. The lawyer is in a dilemma.

Now read on...

When he spoke David said, "I have a choice. I can say no to Dr Patterson and become a partner in the firm, or I can defend his daughter and probably go on unpaid leave, and see what happens afterward." 

Sandra was listening patiently.

"There are people much better qualified to handle Ashley's case, but for some damn reason, her father won't hear of anyone else. If I take the case and I don't get partnership, we'll have to forget about moving. We'll have to forget a lot of our plans. Sandra. "

Sandra said softly, "I remember before we were married, you told me about him. He was one of the busiest doctors in the world, but he found time to help a penniless college going boy. He was your hero, David. You said that if we ever had a son, you would want him to grow up to be like Steven Patterson."

David nodded.

"When do you have to decide?"

"I'm seeing Kincaid first thing in the morning. "

Sandra took his hand and said, "you don't need that much time. Dr Patterson saved your mother. You're going to save his daughter." She looked around and smiled. "Anyway, we can do this apartment over in blue and white."

Emotional Slavery

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10152324829974513&id=563729512&refid=7&_ft_=qid.6270894381707191402%3Amf_story_key.3962601182621300123&__tn__=%2As&fbt_id=10152324829974513&lul&ref_component=mbasic_photo_permalink_actionbar&_rdr#s_1e25510d876c28b6518c32bef692600b: Very nice.

Additional reading:
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=nY4tDDO93E8C&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=emotional+slavery&source=bl&ots=Rv4dgQac4o&sig=MtAPulbA7_3bs2lnnNFzXeobkWY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjU3ILko__LAhVOV44KHX0CDTYQ6AEIVzAP#v=onepage&q=emotional%20slavery&f=false

How Animals Develop Venom

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160404-why-some-animals-have-venoms-so-lethal-they-cannot-use-them

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160511-almost-all-snakes-have-the-same-mindboggling-superpower

Aditional reading:
Reason for sex: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160704-the-real-reasons-why-we-have-sex

General Piece of Sh*t (GPS) Loses to Driver's Brain

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35976128

Gatimaan Express - India's SNCF

Gatimaan express was inaugurated today. It has a top speed of 160kmph and takes 100mins to travel 188km from Nizamuddin (New Delhi) to Agra. Apparently few more such trains are planned to be introduced mostly in the North, West and Central India.

I go back to the time when I was in school more than 30 years back when I had seen pictures of SNCF which used to travel faster than 160kmph even then. 

We, in India, aren't exactly setting a scorching pace.

Most Indian Prefer The Same Caste

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/running-in-the-family/article8427534.ece

Kolkata Flyover Tragedy

http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/03/31/kolkata-flyover-collapse_n_9581582.html?fb_action_ids=10153419209550286&fb_action_types=og.shares

Better Looks Matters

http://mintonsunday.livemint.com/news/why-a-better-facebook-photo-can-land-you-a-better-job/1.0.1076662079.html

Quality Of Close Relationships Enhance Happiness And Health

http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness#t-4463L: A very interesting video of the result of a 75 year old study at Harvard.

Spot the grammatical error in this post!!!

Additional reading:
Back to the front: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1201185083240193&set=a.510702135621828.125606.100000461390591&type=3&theater