My Musings on Life, Poetry and Short Stories

In continuation of my earlier post on SU-DO-KU I am writing this one on Magic Squares. It is said that the Great Genius in Mathematics, Sreenivasa Ramanujam began his exploits with Magic Squares and went on to become the greatest Mathematician from India to be compared with the likes of Newton, Archimedes etc. Let us delve into it and see what it holds for us.

Magic Squares can be made either for Odd number of Squares or for Even number of Squares. First let us study the Odd Number squares. For Eg: let us construct a Magic Square of 5 x 5. We will be making amazing arrangement of numbers in a way that they all add up to same total either upon each row or each column or the diagonals.The squares can be of odd number like 3,5,7,9 et all. The method creating these squares are fairly simple and follows a pattern. They can be summarised as follows: 

1. Begin at the Top row middle square always.
2. When at the top, drop down to the bottom row in next column.
3. Where vacant keep ascending the diagonal to the right.
4. When blocked at the side, go to upper row extreme left column.
5. when blocked while ascending the diagonal. drop down to immediate lower square.

The construction of even number Magic Squares is more exciting. We can make squares of 4,8,12 etc and for now let us make 4x4 model. To begin you start from left to right and filling the numbers in natural order from 1 to 16 BUT only in the DIAGONALS. See Pic A. Then start filling again from 15 to 1 from Left to Right in the vacant squares to complete the Puzzle. Wasn't it easy! Have fun. I used to give this Puzzle to my children for creating an interest and familiarity with numbers in them. It worked and they are comfortable with Mathematics! Well even in old age this can provide the much needed exercise to the brain to keep it in shape, no kidding. it is true!

In continuation of my earlier post on SU-DO-KU I am writing this one on Magic Squares. It is said that the Great Genius in Mathematics, Sreenivasa Ramanujam began his exploits with Magic Squares and went on to become the greatest Mathematician from India to be compared with the likes of Newton, Archimedes etc. Let us delve into it and see what it holds for us.

Looks simple right! The challenge is the third requirement of mini squares. Ready, Go!

Even as a school boy I was deeply attracted towards the Great Mahatma and read a lot about him. I was impressed by his unique brand of fight against the Mighty British, his enchanting charisma and his witty remarks. When the movie Gandhi, with Ben Kingsley doing the lead, was released I was very eager to watch the movie. The role of Gandhi was played so well by Ben Kingsley and his striking resemblance to the Mahatma added more fervor. The scene when Gandhi tells Om Puri to adopt a child, especially a Muslim one, and raise him as a Muslim takes the Cake!

Julia Roberts has always been my favourite actress for a long time. Her performances in "Erin Brokovic" and "Pretty Woman" were of very high standard and fetched her the coveted Oscar! In Step Mom she did the role of a professional photographer in love with a divorcee with two children and the stress of endearing herself to the kids. She carried the burden with aplomb and I still remember the scene in which she tells the mother of the kids, Susan Sarandon, about her fears that the girl might still be thinking about her mother on her wedding day to which Susan replies that she is afraid that she may not be thinking that way! An emotional and sentimental scene not usually seen in an English Movie.

Playing the role of a mundane activist would deter the strongest of actors from accepting the role. Not Julia Roberts. She not only accepts the challenge but goes on to win an Oscar for her role in that movie.It was made as close to the original events as possible that it had the credibility and ready acceptance of the viewers. Alfred Finney as the Lawyer who employs Julia was brilliant too in his role. His humour and affection for her was beautifully picturised throughout. One scene, towards the end, when he goes to her office to handover her cheque for handling the case, was the icing on the cake. He remarks after surprising her with a generous bonus amount. "Do they teach the Beauty Queens how to apologise?, because you suck at it!". A movie I wouldn't mind seeing again.

Adolescence plays such an important role in the life of a person that it could make a difference between a well planned life and a frustrated one. The ability of the person to handle this delicate period decides how successful he / she will be in the adult life. This period relates to the span of time between the time of Puberty and the Maturity. With the changes that take place in the body and the brain due to hormonal effects can really influence a person’s behaviour. Examples of such behaviour can be that of youngsters who get infatuated with their favourite Film Hero / Heroine and keep carrying their pictures with stars in their eyes! They are too immature to know the difference between “Infatuation” and “Love”. The momentary crush due to physical attraction is often misinterpreted as Love.

The parents have a very important role to play in this regard. When their children attain puberty and are in their adolescence, it is vital for them to discuss about sex, relationships etc with the children in a free and frank manner. This would provide the much needed opportunity for the children to open up with their doubts and feelings without any inhibition. Unless your child feels free to discus with you about anything that is bothering him / her you are failing in your duty of creating the much needed trust.

A parent has to explain detail about the feeling of Love, what it entails and how it builds mutual bond of friendship, affection and respect. They should be advised about letting it mature into a deep bond of relationship before resorting to any physical form of committing to each other. They have to be counseled on the need for compatibility on many things besides just emotion, like education, financial stability, social and economical issues etc. Hasty decisions based on perceived Love often result in unsatisfactory marriages and lead to separation eventually.

I know of a friend whose daughter fell in love with a boy and wanted to marry him. When she told her parents about the same the parents were taken aback. The girl had just completed her graduation and was looking for a job and she had met this boy at the “Employment Registration” office. The parents acted in a very structured manner. They called her for a detailed discussion. They asked her whether she knows all the details about him and if he is in a position to support her and maintain an independent Family. She said that he was an Engineering Graduate looking for a job and has passed with distinction. His parents are school teachers. They asked her to invite the boy to their house for Tea. When the Boy came home they were happy to see a well mannered, handsome young man . The boy spoke of his ambitions to become a scientist in Rocket Propulsion and help the country in exploring the space. He also said that he loved the girl very much and would like to get engaged to her for eventual marriage to be done after he settles into a permanent Job of his dreams. He had also spoken to his own parents about his decision and they were keen to meet the girl’s family. Hearing this, the girl’s parents knew that the boy is very matured and well balanced man and a suitable match for their child. This is the way an adolescent should approach this issue, in my opinion.

For Haiku-Heights

6 Year old on Vertical Challenge - Dallas

Her vertical climb

For Haiku-Heights

For Haiku-Heights



In these days of severe competition in every sport it is virtually impossible to predict the outcome of any sport, even by seasoned critics. However the pattern of seedings in US Open Tennis 2011, Top Four, was picture perfect!

It is true that every sport, nowadays, is getting very competitive thanks to the advancement in training techniques, sports facilities and the staggering sums of "winnings" on offer for the players. Tennis,especially, is one of the richest sport, perhaps next to soccer or golf. The top 10 players are so talented that there is very little you can choose between any two of them. On a given day anyone of them can win the title. With Players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Roddick, Djokovic one can never predict how the game would go.

The USTA appears to have fathomed this daunting task of "discerning selection" by ranking these Tennis Legends (Top Four) to such a degree of perfection that it matched the results to a "Tee". Look at the seedings and scores of the Semi-Final and Final and decide for yourself.

While it is hard to get a proper employment befitting your qualification and experience, it is equally difficult for an employer to retain an existing employee from quitting his job. Proper understanding of the employees' needs and installing adequate systems and procedure for prompt identification and resolution of issues affecting the employee is a must. Here is my take on this matter.

It is a nightmare for any employer to see his employees leave. The enormous amount of time and effort spent on their recruitment apart, the task of grooming another to succeed is a daunting task. The experience and skill of an employee builds over time and there is no way for a quick fix to this issue. Hence the employers would do well to remember these tips for the retention of their employees:

Make sure they are deployed in areas which are directly relevant to their area of specialisation and they are happy to do their job. An unhappy employee quits at the first opportunity.

It is the duty of the employer to ensure that his employees are provided the necessary equipment / device for the performance of his duties. An ill equipped employee tires quickly and his work flow deteriorates. This also makes him detest his working condition and he begins to plan for shifting.

Any one would like a pat on the back for a good job done over and above his call of duty. An employer should recognise such special contribution made by the employee above his call of duty by either offering a Reward or a share of profits gained out of his contribution.This is the magic wand which makes an employee feel that he is a part of the organisation and a dedicated employee.I once wrote a Haiku about "Appreciation" which stresses this point

In any organisation, there are bound to be instances when an employee feels that he is treated unfairly and seeks to redress. Dealing the issue with an iron fist, ignoring his complaints, will totally demoralise him and the organisation will lose his loyalty. There should be well written rules / regulations clearly published for Grievance resolutions and a specific authority should be constituted for dealing with such important issues.

I have personally used this tool for interacting with my staff and it worked wonders for me. In an organisation there will always be some small mismatch or disconnect in the allocation of functions or the method of handling a service. Informal meetings, say once a month, with the employees will help them to point out such small irritants and pave the way for speedy resolution of problems before they develop into bigger issues later.
Well the list is endless. An employer employee relationship is no different from that of a husband and wife. They both call for a mutual trust and understanding for a long lasting relationship.

Folks it is in Lighter Vein, Have a Laugh it is good for the Heart.

In these days of Multi-Crore scams, phishing, credit card frauds etc one would shudder to think of losing their Wallet, especially when it is containing three of your priced credit cards, expensive cell phone with all the private addresses and good amount of cash. Well if wishes were horses even fools would fly, right. Imagine yourself going on a Family Vacation with the entire Family including 2 kids, load of baggage and 4 flights to change. Yes we went to Florida, Disney World, in June from Texas for a week of fun at Disney Land. While we enjoyed the visit so much we were little prepared for the incident that took place on the last day of our visit at Animal Kingdom. After watching a film in the Auditorium we left the place and when we reached the Bus Terminal, we realised that we had lost our wallet with credit cards, money and cell phone. Despite a dash to the place and searching it thoroughly again and again we could not find the wallet. We approached the Lost and Found office at the gate and lodged a formal complaint with very little hope of getting it back because 3 credit cards, money and a pricey cell phone is too good a haul to douse any tinge of honesty in a finder's mind! We totally forgot the incident and were getting back to our chores in Texas. A week after we returned we received a manila cover containing the Wallet, with all the contents intact and a sweet little note from the Lost & Found office wishing us all the best and enquiring about how we liked the visit. We were overwhelmed by their courtesy and the exemplary act of Honesty shown by the faceless finder of our Wallet.

It has become the favourite subject of everyone nowadays to talk about and voice their "Expert" opinion on the subject! It is like a virus and has its presence almost everywhere in this vast universe. The interesting thing about this despicable disease is the fact that both the exploiter and the victim are equally responsible for its existence. Those who speak so much against it are the ones who would not mind resorting to it in their day-to-day activities for getting some of their jobs done either expeditiously or economically. Many of us indulge in it just because we donot have the patience to wait for the normal processing time or fear of delay from a greedy official. If every one of us decide not to resort to this pernicious evil, come what may, the chances are that this poison ivy may begin to wither slowly. There is an old Adage in Tamil, which runs as follows:

திருடராய் பார்த்து திருந்தாவிட்டால் திருட்டை ஒழிக்க முடியாது!

Which means that "Unless the Thieves choose to reform themselves and become noble, no Law can eradicate thieving". We should learn to stick to our principles and stand firm against any form of extortion and fight this demon. Just making speeches or cursing will be of no avail in dealing with this monster. Take a vow today that atleast you will not be a party to propagate this evil and abide by it.

After the triumph against Australia in the Quarter-Final and against Pakistan in the Semi-Final everyone was eagerly looking forward to the FINAL. Somehow I was feeling very disappointed with the way our team played in both the matches. The bowling was lacking the bite and the fielding was at best mediocre. We could win thanks to our long tail and the mistakes of the opposition. MicroSoft (just an Adjective!) Dhoni was looking clueless while wielding his willow and was far from the MSD we knew. Fortunately the great thing that I admire in MSD is his total awareness of everything that is going on around him, including his pathetic personal batting performance and his ability to address the weaknesses with total confidence besides the uncanny skill of changing the bowlers and field placements.

When the indomitable Zaheer Khan lost a bit of his bite when he conceded those extra runs in the dying moments of Sri Lankan innings and the total stood at 274 everyone must have really felt butterflies in the stomach. No team has ever chased a total as high as 274 and won in any world cup final before. I am not sure if MSD was also nursing a fear because even if he did he was not showing it. His expression was a "dead pan" as ever.

More was to come when we started our innings. When the illustrious Shewag perished in the first over for a duck  and the Legend followed him with just 18 runs our hearts fell and one could almost hear the Heart Beats of the Indian supporters at wankhede stadium. Any other Captain would have felt safe to send an "in-form" batsman and pray GOD that he delivers! Not our MSD. He forgets the poor form displayed by him, the run of low scores in the previous innings etc and decides to hold the match by the scruff and pull it away from the SriLankans inch by inch with sheer determination, controlled aggression and an ice cold mind while egging on Gauti,Virat and Yuvi to perform. It was an excellent example of "Leading from the Front" and it silenced all the critics who were breying for his blood if India were to lose. He was concentration personified! Never indulged in any indiscrete stroke. He hit his first six of the innings when India was almost there and then again to finish the Job! He is by far the BEST CAPTAIN that India could ever ask for. It will not be wrong to say that he conducted the entire journey, from the league stages to knockout level, with such exemplary manouvres that it looked easier than it really was. Yes, he is Made of Steel, Dhoni.

Those who watched the match between England and Bangladesh on Friday were in for a treat! Boy! it was full of twists and turns and contained a few valuable lessons for our not so impressive cricket team. Determined to restrict England to a modest total, which Bangladesh direly needed to have any chance of remaining in the hunt, the bowlers and fielders of Bangladesh performed the task to perfection. At times the celebrated English team looked so helpless against the minnows that they were on the defensive. Sensing vulnerability, Bangladesh pressed home the advantage and restricted the English team to 225. Having achieved their primary objective, the minnows set about their further plan of action in such style and manner that the viewers witnessed a fabulous batting performance that created doubts as to who were the "minnows". Their inexperience did show up in the hasty attempts they made to keep the score board ticking resulting in some runouts and the tumble of 4 quick wickets. However it is the manner in which they came back into the game with the resilience, composure, determination and disciplined performance that provided a few lessons to every other team. Boy, did Shafiul Islam and Mahamudullah paint an exqisite picture on the World Cup Cricket canvas with such painstaking effort. Win or Lose, their triumph on the fateful Friday will remain etched on our memories for a very long time.

As I had mentioned earlier, the Indian team continues to languish in the bowling & fielding departments of the game as evidenced by the manner in which they struggled to record their win against minnows like Ireland, Netherlands and Bangladesh (If you dare to call them so!). Dhoni’s  continued persistence with Piyush Chawla instead of trying Ashwin is beginning to worry loyal Indian supporters. Even the mighty Tendulkar is finding it difficult to play a long innings, which is over due. The match against South Africa will be a lot more difficult than the previous matches and I hope MSD marshals his resources and men to put up a better show than the four earlier outings! Sachin and Shewag should bat with a lot of composure and stay long enough to ensure victory. Otherwise this may well be the Requiem for the “Burial of our World Cup Dreams”. Wishing our team all the very best for this crucial match.

As predicted in my earlier post, given below, Dhoni needed to rev up the fielding department and some fine tuning of the Bowling skills prior to facing England. Alas, it was not done and the result was an excruciating "Tie" despite a very strong score of over 300. Tendulkar crafted his yet another beautiful TON on the International cricket canvas ably supported by the belingerent team mates Schewag and Yuvaraj. The complacent bowling and fielding lapses that followed enabled Strauss and Pieterson to hammer the bowling at will!. When it looked as if they were cruising towards victory at ease, Zaheer's exquisite magic of a spell hit the English juggernaut like a ton of bricks and made them struggle to save the game. Again when India's victory was almost certain, the unimaginative bowling of Munaf Patel failed to clinch the issue. He lacked the tenacity shown by his little colleague Piyush Chawla, who despite being hammered by the batsman kept his cool and clean bowled him with a beauty of a Leg Break!. I hope Dhoni corrects his approach and show the grit and determination of the erstwhile super leader that he was earlier and bring home the World Cup. Good Luck.