TEACHING STORY

 Kindness Transforms

 

    Once, the river became very proud of the tremendous flow of its water. She felt that she was powerful and could wash away everything with her --- mountains, houses, trees, animals, humans etc.

     One day, the river proudly asked the ocean, "Tell me, what should I bring for you? Houses, animals, humans, trees? Whatever you want, I can uproot and bring with me."

     The ocean said after a pause, "If you want to bring something for me, uproot some grass and bring it."

     The river replied,"Is that all? I'll bring it right away."

     While passing through the field,  the river exerted its full force on the grass, but the grass did not get uprooted. She tried several times but failed. Eventually, the river gave up and told the ocean, "I can uproot trees, houses and mountains, but whenever I apply force to uproot the grass, it bends and I have to pass over it, empty-handed." 

     The ocean listened carefully to the river and said with a smile, "Those who are hard and rigid like mountains and trees, are easily uprooted. But the one who has learned the humility of grass, cannot be disturbed even by the fiercest of winds or violent storms."

     Happiness in life does not mean fighting battles but avoiding them. To retreat skilfully is also a victory in itself because arrogance turns even angels into devils.

ENERGY OBTAINED FROM PLANTS AND ANIMALS

 Biomass energy

Introduction: The world is constantly developing. However, with development come a few dire side effects too. One of them is the consumption of non-renewable energy. Non-renewable energy is the energy we will eventually run out of. In addition to this issue, most non-renewable energy forms have harmful consequences on the environment. Therefore it is imperative to find other forms of renewable energy, which will not run out or harm the environment. One such energy is biomass energy.

Biomass is plant and animal based material that can be used as fuel to produce heat or electricity, which is called biofuel. This includes crops, manure, wood and even garbage. Biomass is one of the frontrunners in the renewable energy space and with technology developing rapidly; it could pave way to a greener planet.

The history of biomass energy: Biomass energy has been in use ever since humans discovered fire; they burnt wood, which is derived from nature, for fuel. Over time, advanced forms of biofuel began to emerge, such as ethanol. In the 1800s and during the industrial revolution, ethanol was used as lamp fuel. In the 1900s, cars ran on ethanol. In the last few years, scientists have started to experiment and use biofuels as an excellent alternative fuels like gasoline.

How is biofuel generated?

1) Burning: There are several ways to get energy from biomass. The simplest way is to burn it. Garbage and wood can be burnt to generate steam and electricity. Power plants that burn biomass are called waste-to-energy plants. Sometimes, fast-growing crops like sugarcane are grown primarily for their energy value. Scientists are also researching ways to grow aquatic plants like seaweed and algae for their energy value.

2) Bacterial decay: The second method is called bacterial decay. Bacteria feed on dead plants and animals. As these animals and plants decay, they produce a colourless smelly gas called methane. Methane is extremely rich in energy. It is also the main ingredient in natural gas. Methane can be burnt to generate heat and electricity. In some landfills, wells are drilled into piles of garbage to capture methane produced from the decaying waste. This methane gas can be purified and used as energy as, just like natural gas.

3) Fermentation: The third way is fermentation. Yeast is added to biomass such that the chemical reaction that occurs transforms biomass into ethanol. Ethanol is sometimes made from corn too and this ethanol is used to make motor fuel.

4) Conversion: The fourth method is conversion where heat or chemicals are added to the biomass to change it to gas and liquid fuels.

Applications of biomass:

Biomass can be used for the smallest to the most significant operations. It can be used in homes for cooking or heating and can also be used in large power plants to produce electricity. In residential applications, biomass can be used for heating a space or for cooking. Wood is the most common fuel source. New designs for wood stoves improve the efficiency of the cooking or heating systems, decreasing the amount of fuel that is needed.

Many industrial facilities, such as lumber mills, naturally produce organic waste that can be used to produce energy. Industry and businesses use biomass for several purposes, including heating up spaces and water and electricity generation. In the future, plants may be grown to fuel power plants. Farmers may also have huge farms of energy crops to produce ethanol and other biofuels for transportation.

Advantages of biomass:

Biomass is a renewable resource, which means we will never run out of it. It is highly versatile and can be made from plethora of resources. Moreover, it is extremely readily available and not much infrastructure is needed to produce the raw resources.

Disadvantages of biomass:

While biomass is a renewable resource, biomass does have some drawbacks. When burnt, it causes air pollution; gases such as carbon dioxide and other harmful chemicals are released that pollute the air. Building plants that can utilise biomass can be expensive. If too many people start using crops as biomass, it could also cause deforestation. Moreover, growing plants requires large amounts of water, which could be put to better use since freshwater is also a struggling resource. So, though biomass fuels do offer a lot of versatility and could emerge as an extremely useful resource in the future, they may not be the answer to all our problems.

DO YOU KNOW

 What is Bungee jumping?

     Bungee jumping is a sport that involves jumping from a tall structure (such as building, bridge or crane) with an elastic cord, attached to the jump site, tied to one's feet. After a period of head-first free fall, the jumper is bounced partially back when the cord rebounds from its maximum stretch. The thrill comes from the free falling and the rebound.

     The origin of this daring activity can be traced to a 1500 year old annual ritual called 'land diving', practised by the Bunlap tribals of Pentecost Island in the Western Pacific, between Australia and Fiji. In this ritual, men jump off a 90 ft log tower with vines tied to their feet. A test of raw courage, this ritual is performed without safety nets. Legend attributes its origin to a Bunlap woman who climbed a banyan tree to escape from her cruel husband who was pursuing her. She jumped down and landed unhurt, as she had tied vines to her ankles to break the fall. Unaware of this, he followed in pursuit, only to fall to his death. 

     Bungee jumping as we know it today, started when four members of the Oxford University Sports Club jumped off a 250 ft suspension bridge in Bristol on April 1, 1979, inspired by a BBC documentary about the Bunlap land divers. They were arrested by the police, but their feat made headlines, and thus a new adventure sport was born. Interest in the sport quickly spread in the U.S.A. and New Zealand. It was first offered commercially to the public in the late 1980s by A. J. Hackett, a New Zealand entrepreneur who developed a super-stretching elastic cord and demonstrated its use by jumping off the Eiffel Tower. Hackett created numerous bungee jumping sites and became the world's first commercial bungee operator.

     Since then, millions of successful jumps have been performed, not just from from fixed structures such as bridges, towers and cranes but also from movable objects such as hot air balloons and helicopters.

     Over the years, bungee jumping has matured into an experience that provides thrill without too much serious task. 

FROM ENGLISH BOOK OF FAIRY TALES

 Titty and Tatty

     This tale belongs to a time out of memory when the butterflies slept among the wheat; when the elephants played on the flute; when the pigs flew; when the right-hand foot was squeezed into the left-hand shoe; when curly locks fed upon sugar and cream...

     Titty and Tatty were two little mice; and they were twins. These were more sisterly than their human counterparts anywhere in England. Except for a very minute red mole on Tatty's snout, the two little rodents were unmistakably identical.

     They lived in a cottage of their own. Their parents had left them a substantial income to last a lifetime. So they didn't have to go picking and stealing, gnawing and nibbling, in some human kitchen or scullery. Their granary was always full. Though they could afford luxury they led a frugal life as most of the English mice did, in summer and winter alike, in those days.

     It was their third birthday. Titty merrily squeaked to Tatty that she would make a special rice pudding to celebrate the occasion in style. So she put the pudding into the pot to boil. 

 

    Then Tatty scurried to the pantry, to get bread, butter and cheese. (No, those mousy sisters had no cellar. In fact, they never had a drop of wine in their entire life on earth. Though it was whispered in the mouse-world that some of their kind at times ventured to have a bristly lick of the beaded bubbles at the brim of a cup.)

     When Tatty returned to their common kitchen, a most tragic sight stunned her to standstill. For while she had been in the pantry, her sister had met with her fatal end. The boiling pot had tumbled over, and scalded poor Titty to a most painfully squealing death. 

     Tatty could do nothing but to sit down and mourn for the departed soul. (The mice in England then were all pitch black in colour. So they didn't have to put on black clothes for mourning.) 

     A three-legged stool in the kitchen asked the weeping sister: "Tatty, why do you weep?"

     "Titty's dead", said Tatty, "and so I weep."

     "Then", said the stool, "I'll jump." And the stool jumped. But it could raise only one of its legs; the other unwilling two stood dragging on the floor.

     A broom in the corner of the room asked the hopping stool: "Stool, why d'you jump?"

     "Titty's dead, and Tatty weeps; and so I jump."

     "Then I'll sweep". And the broom began to sweep the room.

     A door asked the sweeping broom: "Broom, why do you sweep?"

    "Titty's dead, and Tatty weeps; and the stool jumps, and so I sweep."

     " Then I'll jar." And the door jarred ever so harshly.

     A window asked the jarring door: "Door, why d'you jar?"

     "Titty's dead, and Tatty weeps; and the stool jumps, and the broom sweeps, and so I jar."

     "Then I'll creak". And the window creaked ever so gratingly.

     The old bench outside the house asked the creaking window: "Window, why d'you creak?"

     "Titty's dead, and Tatty weeps; and the stool jumps, and the broom sweeps, the door jars, and so I creak."

     "Then I'll run around the house." And the old bench ran round the house.

     The walnut-tree growing by the cottage asked the running bench: "Bench, why d'you run round the house?" 

     "Titty's dead, and Tatty weeps; and the stool jumps, and the broom sweeps, the door jars, the window creaks and so I run round the house."

     "Then I'll shed my leaves." And the walnut-tree shed all its lovely green leaves.

     The little bird that perched on a branch of the tree, asked the unleaving fruit-tree: "Walnut-tree, why d'you shed your goodly green leaves?"

     "Titty's dead, and Tatty weeps; the stool jumps, the broom sweeps, the door jars, the window creaks, the old bench runs round the house and so I shed my leaves."

     "Then I'll moult all my feathers." And the pretty little bird let all its fair feathers fall from its body, unto the very last of the fluffy downs, too. 

     A little girl was walking below, carrying a jug of milk for her people living next door. She asked the unfeathering bird, "Bird, why d'you moult all your feathers?"

     "Titty's dead, and Tatty weeps; the stool jumps, the broom sweeps, the door jars, the window creaks, the old bench runs round the house, the walnut-tree sheds its green leaves, and so I moult all my feathers."

     "Then I'll spill the milk." And the girl dropped the jug and spilt the milk.

     Now an old man had been hired by Titty and Tatty to re-thatch their cottage, to give it a new look. The man was standing on the top of the ladder, busy covering the roof with dried reeds and straw. He saw the girl drop the jug and spill the milk. He asked her, "Little girl, why do you spill the milk?"

     "Titty's dead, and Tatty weeps; the stool jumps, the broom sweeps, the door jars, the window creaks, the old bench runs round the house, the walnut-tree sheds its green leaves, the pretty little girl moults all its feathers, and so I spilt the milk."

     "Oh! Oh my!" exclaimed the old man. "My dearie little Titty gone! Then I'll tumble off the ladder and break my neck." And the kind old man tumbled off the ladder and broke his brittle neck.

     In no time, the walnut-tree toppled down with a frightful crash. It upset the course of the old bench, and shook the Titty-Tatty cottage out of its balance. The cottage tottered and fell down. It knocked the creaking window out. The window unhinged the poor door. The door disturbed the broom. The broom overturned the stool. But that was not quite the end of these disasters and calamities.

     The utmost pity was that poor little Tatty went down with her own house. And she was buried ingloriously beneath the ruins, not a squealing second allowed. Her sister's carrion lay close by, on the same floor...

     That's the twin end of Titty and Tatty.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

From A to Z

Every ACCOMPLISHMENT starts with the decision to try.

Being different is one of the most BEAUTIFUL things on earth.

CREATIVITY is intelligence having fun.

The surest way not to fail is to DETERMINE to succeed.

The EXPERT in everything was once a beginner.

The best way to predict the FUTURE is to create it.

You are never too old to set another GOAL or to dream a new dream.

There is no substitute for HARD WORK.

Logic will get you from A to Z; IMAGINATION will get you anywhere.

A JOURNEY of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

The art of being wise is the art of KNOWING what to overlook.

Today a reader tomorrow a LEADER.

One way to keep MOMENTUM going is to constantly have greater goals.

Work alone is NOBLE.

If a window of OPPORTUNITY appears, don’t pull down the shade.

PERSEVERANCE is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20^th.

QUALITY is not an act, it is a habit.

Take RISKS: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise.

An obstacle is often a STEPPING STONE.

Every person is born with TALENT.

Always desire to learn something USEFUL.

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the VISIBLE.

Wake up every morning with the thought that something WONDERFUL is about to happen.

The difference between ordinary and eXTRAORDINARY is that that little extra.

Good habits formed at YOUTH make all the difference.

ZEAL without knowledge is fire without light.

FROM THE PAGES OF HISTORY

Two Virtues of Netaji: Kindness and Firmness

Netaji's  unique way of helping the poor: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was empathetic to the miserable since childhood. On his way to school, he would see a poor, frail old woman begging for alms. Seeing the old woman in such a debilitated state begging helplessly, the son of mother India was deeply aggrieved. He wanted to give monetary help to the old woman but he could not ask his father for money. So, an idea flashed through his mind. He stopped going to school by tram, instead he started to walk to school. He saved his tram fare and once a week, he would give all the money he had saved to the old woman. This continued for a few months. Sometime later his father came to know about the incident. He thought Subhash would not stop walking to school to help the old woman. So he sent a large sum of money to the woman. Thus, Subhash Chandra’s objective was fulfilled. 

I will not accept this condition: Netaji became a threat to the British Government due to his revolutionary efforts for the freedom of India. The top brass of the British Government were greatly harassed by him. On various occasions, the British Government tried to detain Netaji but they did not succeed. Finally they resorted to Machiavellianism. Netaji and his compatriots were convicted of treason under a false case and were given the punishment of strict imprisonment for six months.The British High Court put a diplomatic condition on their release in order to calm the people’s resentment and show sympathy to Subhash Chandra. It stated: “Subhash and his companions would be released but they would not be allowed to participate in any political activity for six months.” To turn away from his goal of attaining freedom even for a second was like walking on cinder for him. How could he turn away for six months? 

Netaji replied fearlessly, “This condition imposed on me is like allowing a person to live but not to breathe. I would refuse this condition which prohibits me from taking part in any political activity even if I were jailed for 10 years.” He accepted his Jail punishment, but would not accept the absurd conditions imposed by the British Government. After a few days, the Government was compelled to release him. Immediately after being released, he hoisted the Indian National Flag upon the Calcutta Corporation building for the first time astonishing the British rulers.

NATURAL WONDER OF INDIA

The breathtaking Borra Caves

     ONE of the lesser-known wonders of India are the magnificent Borra caves in the Araku Valley of Ananthagiri hills in the Eastern Ghats, 100 km from the coastal city of Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The caves, standing at an elevation of 2,313 ft and extending to a depth of 260 ft, are a geographical marvel. They feature among the largest, deepest, and most ancient caves in the country. The caves are also known for their unique collection of irregularly shaped stalactite and stalagmite formations that take on different shapes at different angles in the interplay of light and shadows in the subterranean world, providing a visual feast for the visitors. The Borra caves have a long and interesting history. They are basically limestone structures that have been formed by the pressure exerted by the Gosthani river flowing down the Ananthagiri hills. Humic acid in the water reacted with the calcium carbonate in limestone of the hills and dissolved the minerals, gradually breaking down the rocks. The perennial water flow over the centuries led to the formation of the caves, which are believed to be not less than 150 million years old. But interestingly, the world did not know of their existence until 1807, when they were discovered by British geologist William King, in the course of an expedition for the Geological Survey of India. Subsequent excavations by 20th-century anthropologists unearthed tools made of stone, belonging to the Middle Paleolithic Age (30,000-50,000 years ago), indicating human habitation in the surrounding areas. The caves are locally known as Borra guhalu (guhalu meaning‘cave’ in Telugu). The name Borra, meaning ‘hole’ in Oriya, is believed to refer to a hole in the roof over the central area of the cave. According to a popular legend, it was a tribal cowherd who discovered, the cave, while searching for his missing cow, which had fallen through this hole. He was amazed to find the cow unhurt after a fall of 200 ft. On spotting a formation resembling a Shivalinga inside the cave, he attributed it to Lord Shiva’s grace. When the tribal community heard the story, they set up a Shiva shrine on the spot and began regular worship there– a practice that continues to this day. The cave measures up to 330 ft horizontally and 246 ft vertically at the entry. On going inside, one is confronted with a variety of elongated icicle-like structures, some jutting out from the roof and others growing up from the floor of the caves. These formations, known as stalactites and stalagmites respectively, are mineral deposits formed by the dissolution of limestone through water percolation. 

     Their interesting shapes have captured the viewers’ imagination, and have been described as ShivaParvati, mother-child, a church, a crocodile, a tiger, a cow’s udder, and the human brain, to mention a few. Efforts are under way by the Archaeological Survey of India and the Andhra Pradesh Tourism department to get the Borra caves included among the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.