A howlarious e-mail sent by my friend, Luke de Noronha, immediately after Sachin scored his double ton had me in splits, and I just had to share it with all of you!
Thanks Luke, for letting me do so!
How would Management appraise Sachin Tendulkar's performance?
Sachin Tendulkar: 200 Runs, 147 Balls, 25x4, 3x6
Agree you have done well……BUT
25 x 4s = 100
3 x 6s = 18
It implies that you have done 118 runs in 28 balls
And
12 x 2s = 24
58 x 1s = 58
It means you have done all 200 runs in only 98 balls
So you have wasted 147-98 = 49 balls
Considering only 1 run scored on each of these balls you could have earned 49 valuable runs for our team
Manager’s Comment: You Met Expectations and NOT EXCEEDED (though anyone else of our team could not do it) and your Grade is C
Training Recommendations: Learn how to STEAL singles
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Congrats Sachin, but I wanted more!
Words fail me when I want to congratulate possibly the best overall batsman (and a good but under-utilised bowler) in world cricket today!
On the way to a meeting, listening to the commentary on AIR, I was rooting for Sachin to complete his double century and create a new world record. And when he eventually did, I stopped the car to clap, whistle and do a little jig right there, at the junction of Hiranandani and Kailas Complex, Powai.
But I must confess that I was a tad disappointed! Not much, just a miniscule - I think the disappointment was somewhere in the range of 2.96 parts per trillion.
Because when he had reached 186 in the 43rd over, and runs were coming in torrents, my expectations had increased.
I wanted him to then take more of the strike and score 230.
Because, that would have then been the world record for the highest score in any recognised form of one day international cricket.
Beating Belinda Clark's 229*, for Australia v/s Denmark in the Women's World Cup in Dec 1997; which was incidentally scored at Sachin's home ground - MIG, Mumbai!
That's the problem about this genius. The more he does, the more we fans expect. But really, he does not disappoint us, does he!
Congrats once again, Little Master!
On the way to a meeting, listening to the commentary on AIR, I was rooting for Sachin to complete his double century and create a new world record. And when he eventually did, I stopped the car to clap, whistle and do a little jig right there, at the junction of Hiranandani and Kailas Complex, Powai.
But I must confess that I was a tad disappointed! Not much, just a miniscule - I think the disappointment was somewhere in the range of 2.96 parts per trillion.
Because when he had reached 186 in the 43rd over, and runs were coming in torrents, my expectations had increased.
I wanted him to then take more of the strike and score 230.
Because, that would have then been the world record for the highest score in any recognised form of one day international cricket.
Beating Belinda Clark's 229*, for Australia v/s Denmark in the Women's World Cup in Dec 1997; which was incidentally scored at Sachin's home ground - MIG, Mumbai!
That's the problem about this genius. The more he does, the more we fans expect. But really, he does not disappoint us, does he!
Congrats once again, Little Master!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Qur'an on Embryology
During the course of an online discussion last week, a non-Muslim acquaintance made a sweeping statement about the Qur’an needing to be updated. While I immediately corrected him about making a statement without having read it or knowing about it, it set me thinking.
So, from this post onwards, I’ll try for every alternate post on the Qur’an for a while. And at the end of a few posts, I’ll let him decide.
So, RD, this is for you!
In one of my earlier posts (July 09), I had written about the water cycle. In that, I had mentioned that I would write about human embryology later. So, let’s start with that.
In approximately 610 A.D., the first verse of the Qur’an was revealed. And it says-
Iqra/ bi-ismi rabbika allathee khalaqa. Khalaqa al-insana min AAalaqin
Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created. Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood. (Qur’an 96:1-2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
The word ‘alaq’ in Arabic has multiple meanings. One of them is a drop of congealed blood. Another meaning is something that clings – a leech-like substance.
Describes the state of the foetus in the first two weeks very succintly, doesn't it?
There is another verse, which says-
Inna khalaqna al-insana min nutfatin amshajin nabtaleehi fajaAAalnahu sameeAAan baseeran.
Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight. (Qur’an 76:2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Mingled? Now what’s that?
Possibility one – we know that the zygote is formed from the mingling of the sperm with the egg. And most people even in the ancient times knew this. So what’s new?
But consider the word – mingled sperm. Sperm. Not mingled liquids, but mingled sperm.
Only in the past half a century or so, with advances in medical research and the invention of powerful microscopes, do we know that the semen doesn't just contain sperm, but fluids secreted by several glands during ejaculation.
During the sexual act, semen travels from the epididymis through the vas deferens, where it picks up a fluid rich in fructose - a sugary substance that acts a bit like rocket fuel. Other fluids kick in along the way to the urethra, from the prostate gland, the Cowper's glands and the seminal vesicles - each one having a role to play.
The finished product contains approximately just 10% sperm. The rest consists of enzymes, vitamin C, calcium, protein, sodium, zinc, citric acid and fructose sugar.
It gets more interesting.
Khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatin thumma jaAAala minha zawjaha waanzala lakum mina al-anAAami thamaniyata azwajin yakhluqukum fee butooni ommahatikum khalqan min baAAdi khalqin fee thulumatin thalathin thalikumu Allahu rabbukum lahu almulku la ilaha illa huwa faanna tusrafoona.
He created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. Such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)? (Qur’an 39:6; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Three veils of darkness.
Modern studies in embryology have proved that the foetus in the womb is covered first by the anterior abdominal wall of the mother, the uterine wall and then the amnio-chorionic membrane.
Let’s look at a couple more verses before I end.
Walaqad khalaqna al-insana min sulalatin min teenin. Thumma jaAAalnahu nutfatan fee qararin makeenin. Thumma khalaqna alnnutfata AAalaqatan fakhalaqna alAAalaqata mudghatan fakhalaqna almudghata AAithaman fakasawna alAAithama lahman thumma ansha/nahu khalqan akhara fatabaraka Allahu ahsanu alkhaliqeena.
Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay). Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed. Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create! (Qur’an 23:12-14; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
4 stages clearly mentioned: Alaqah (leech-like) - which is how the foetus implants itself in the uterus; then a mudghah (lump) – which is really how it looks after a couple of weeks of absorbing nutrients; then flesh and bones – which starts from about week four onwards; and then finally the birth.
Falyanthuri al-insanu mimma khuliqa. Khuliqa min ma-in dafiqin. Yakhruju min bayni alssulbi waalttara-ibi.
Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs (Qur’an 86:5-7; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Let me copy from Dr. Zakir Naik on this - In embryonic stages, the reproductive organs of the male and female, i.e. the testicles and the ovaries, begin their development near the kidney between the spinal column and the eleventh and twelfth ribs. Later they descend; the ovaries stop in the pelvis while the testicles continue their descent before birth to reach the scrotum through the inguinal canal. Even in the adult after the descent of the reproductive organ, these organs receive their nerve supply and blood supply from the Abdominal Aorta, which is in the area between the backbone (spinal column) and the ribs. Even the lymphatic drainage and the venous return goes to the same area.
There are many more verses, but not many people read long posts (or even long news articles) nowadays. Hence, in reader interest, let me stop here with two thoughts that I leave behind.
How could an unlettered – illiterate – person living in the desert of Arabia could have known all this?
More importantly, if this book, revealed between approx. 610-633 A.D., contains such verses that are in perfect harmony with modern medical science, does it need to be updated, or does our knowledge of it needs to be improved?
More on Cosmology in the next post, Insha Allah. Till then, just think about this!
(References: The Qur’an; ‘The Bible, The Qur’an and Science by Dr. Maurice Bucaille; The Qur’an and Modern Science by Dr. Zakir Naik; The Qur’an, Knowledge and Science by A. Abdallah; www.thesite.org)
So, from this post onwards, I’ll try for every alternate post on the Qur’an for a while. And at the end of a few posts, I’ll let him decide.
So, RD, this is for you!
In one of my earlier posts (July 09), I had written about the water cycle. In that, I had mentioned that I would write about human embryology later. So, let’s start with that.
In approximately 610 A.D., the first verse of the Qur’an was revealed. And it says-
Iqra/ bi-ismi rabbika allathee khalaqa. Khalaqa al-insana min AAalaqin
Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created. Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood. (Qur’an 96:1-2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
The word ‘alaq’ in Arabic has multiple meanings. One of them is a drop of congealed blood. Another meaning is something that clings – a leech-like substance.
Describes the state of the foetus in the first two weeks very succintly, doesn't it?
There is another verse, which says-
Inna khalaqna al-insana min nutfatin amshajin nabtaleehi fajaAAalnahu sameeAAan baseeran.
Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight. (Qur’an 76:2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Mingled? Now what’s that?
Possibility one – we know that the zygote is formed from the mingling of the sperm with the egg. And most people even in the ancient times knew this. So what’s new?
But consider the word – mingled sperm. Sperm. Not mingled liquids, but mingled sperm.
Only in the past half a century or so, with advances in medical research and the invention of powerful microscopes, do we know that the semen doesn't just contain sperm, but fluids secreted by several glands during ejaculation.
During the sexual act, semen travels from the epididymis through the vas deferens, where it picks up a fluid rich in fructose - a sugary substance that acts a bit like rocket fuel. Other fluids kick in along the way to the urethra, from the prostate gland, the Cowper's glands and the seminal vesicles - each one having a role to play.
The finished product contains approximately just 10% sperm. The rest consists of enzymes, vitamin C, calcium, protein, sodium, zinc, citric acid and fructose sugar.
It gets more interesting.
Khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatin thumma jaAAala minha zawjaha waanzala lakum mina al-anAAami thamaniyata azwajin yakhluqukum fee butooni ommahatikum khalqan min baAAdi khalqin fee thulumatin thalathin thalikumu Allahu rabbukum lahu almulku la ilaha illa huwa faanna tusrafoona.
He created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. Such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)? (Qur’an 39:6; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Three veils of darkness.
Modern studies in embryology have proved that the foetus in the womb is covered first by the anterior abdominal wall of the mother, the uterine wall and then the amnio-chorionic membrane.
Let’s look at a couple more verses before I end.
Walaqad khalaqna al-insana min sulalatin min teenin. Thumma jaAAalnahu nutfatan fee qararin makeenin. Thumma khalaqna alnnutfata AAalaqatan fakhalaqna alAAalaqata mudghatan fakhalaqna almudghata AAithaman fakasawna alAAithama lahman thumma ansha/nahu khalqan akhara fatabaraka Allahu ahsanu alkhaliqeena.
Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay). Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed. Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create! (Qur’an 23:12-14; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
4 stages clearly mentioned: Alaqah (leech-like) - which is how the foetus implants itself in the uterus; then a mudghah (lump) – which is really how it looks after a couple of weeks of absorbing nutrients; then flesh and bones – which starts from about week four onwards; and then finally the birth.
Falyanthuri al-insanu mimma khuliqa. Khuliqa min ma-in dafiqin. Yakhruju min bayni alssulbi waalttara-ibi.
Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs (Qur’an 86:5-7; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Let me copy from Dr. Zakir Naik on this - In embryonic stages, the reproductive organs of the male and female, i.e. the testicles and the ovaries, begin their development near the kidney between the spinal column and the eleventh and twelfth ribs. Later they descend; the ovaries stop in the pelvis while the testicles continue their descent before birth to reach the scrotum through the inguinal canal. Even in the adult after the descent of the reproductive organ, these organs receive their nerve supply and blood supply from the Abdominal Aorta, which is in the area between the backbone (spinal column) and the ribs. Even the lymphatic drainage and the venous return goes to the same area.
There are many more verses, but not many people read long posts (or even long news articles) nowadays. Hence, in reader interest, let me stop here with two thoughts that I leave behind.
How could an unlettered – illiterate – person living in the desert of Arabia could have known all this?
More importantly, if this book, revealed between approx. 610-633 A.D., contains such verses that are in perfect harmony with modern medical science, does it need to be updated, or does our knowledge of it needs to be improved?
More on Cosmology in the next post, Insha Allah. Till then, just think about this!
(References: The Qur’an; ‘The Bible, The Qur’an and Science by Dr. Maurice Bucaille; The Qur’an and Modern Science by Dr. Zakir Naik; The Qur’an, Knowledge and Science by A. Abdallah; www.thesite.org)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Justice
Two thoughts about our judicial system have been swirling in my mind for a few years now. The incidents that happened in the past one week - the Haveliwala drunken driving, and the Rathore stabbing - make me pen my thoughts down.
Before putting down my thoughts, let me categorically state that there is no intent or attempt at contempt of court, just my personal thoughts on our judicial system.
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied:
This oft’ used phrase never rung truer to me than when I had lodged a case regarding payment made for purchasing a house which I did not get possession of. I lodged the case in court in 2000, and had nothing but ‘taareekh’ (dates) till 2007. Except for once when I went to court and the Honourable Judge just saw my face; neither the builders nor I even had to go to court once till we went together to withdraw the case. The builders were honest fellows who had gone bankrupt, and when they recovered sufficiently, they themselves called and returned my money.
But just consider - if there was not a single hearing in a clear open-and-shut case for seven long years; had the builders not been honest, would I have ever got my money back?
The 1992/93 riot cases, the 1993 blast case are all still somewhere in some ‘fast-track’ court, while the main accused are all roaming scot-free! Someone who was caught red-handed by the army – no less - has won elections and become a minister, getting protection from the same policemen who were supposed to arrest him. And I don’t think anyone even remembers about the status on the 1984 police strike cases!
I’m not sure whether the student who stabbed Rathore was mentally unsound or not, but see the circumstances – 19 years!!!!
Certain cases like the Jessica Lal case, or the Ruchika case, catch our attention due to the media coverage they have got, but just consider this – as many as 3.14 CRORE cases are pending in Indian courts (as on June 2009), possibly in many of which the defendents or the complainants have passed away waiting for justice!
In our Quest to be Just, are we being Unfair:
To my mind, the Qasab case, the Haveliwala drunken driving case, the Salman Khan accident case are all open-and-shut cases. More than enough proof, enough witnesses, and yet, the police has to sew up every thread.
Why do the police have to check out Nooria’s driving record in the US? And how does it make a difference whether there was 457 mg of alcohol in her blood or 45.7 mg. Isn’t it enough that she was drunk and driving? And even assuming for a moment that the alcohol content was within limits, the fact is that she ran over two people. Enough witnesses, clear proofs to support it. Why does the case have to involve sub-cases of in-camera proceedings, media involvement et al? (There’s something else that I’d like to ask her father. Alcohol is haraam in Islam; have you done your duty as a good Muslim father? But that’s another story altogether!)
Why is the Qasab case going through so many twists and turns? The man has massacred innocents on camera – and we’re getting more twists in his case than in an Ekta Kapoor soap!
Why does the onus of proving and re-proving guilt ‘beyond doubt’ even in clear cases like the two above, have to fall on the prosecution? Why do the accused get the benefit of the rarest of doubts, even in cases – and some have been mentioned on court records by some honourable judges – when the honourable judge believes that the person is guilty?
Is it our endeavour to not let a single innocent be proved guilty, even if some guilty people go off scot free? Or is it our endeavour to show to ourselves and the world that we deliver absolute justice?
In both these cases, is it not that we are being over-benevolent to the accused at the cost of traumatising the complainant or the victim? In this case, are we not being unjust really to the victims?
Is it therefore, any surprise that criminals cock a snoop at the legal system?
Are these the reasons for ‘encounters’?
Methinks sometimes that the old days of the rajas that we read about were better – one hearing, clear discussions, quick decisions.
Maybe in a rare case, some innocents may be pronounced guilty (although I would trust our judiciary that such a thing would not happen). But isn’t that a chance worth taking to ensure that justice is not only served, but delivered on time?
Because, at the present moment, for sure, in our quest to be just, we are just being unfair!
(P.S. In case you have liked my post and would like to share it with your friends, I’ve made it easy for you by adding some links at the bottom of each post. Please feel free to just click and share it with others.)
Before putting down my thoughts, let me categorically state that there is no intent or attempt at contempt of court, just my personal thoughts on our judicial system.
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied:
This oft’ used phrase never rung truer to me than when I had lodged a case regarding payment made for purchasing a house which I did not get possession of. I lodged the case in court in 2000, and had nothing but ‘taareekh’ (dates) till 2007. Except for once when I went to court and the Honourable Judge just saw my face; neither the builders nor I even had to go to court once till we went together to withdraw the case. The builders were honest fellows who had gone bankrupt, and when they recovered sufficiently, they themselves called and returned my money.
But just consider - if there was not a single hearing in a clear open-and-shut case for seven long years; had the builders not been honest, would I have ever got my money back?
The 1992/93 riot cases, the 1993 blast case are all still somewhere in some ‘fast-track’ court, while the main accused are all roaming scot-free! Someone who was caught red-handed by the army – no less - has won elections and become a minister, getting protection from the same policemen who were supposed to arrest him. And I don’t think anyone even remembers about the status on the 1984 police strike cases!
I’m not sure whether the student who stabbed Rathore was mentally unsound or not, but see the circumstances – 19 years!!!!
Certain cases like the Jessica Lal case, or the Ruchika case, catch our attention due to the media coverage they have got, but just consider this – as many as 3.14 CRORE cases are pending in Indian courts (as on June 2009), possibly in many of which the defendents or the complainants have passed away waiting for justice!
In our Quest to be Just, are we being Unfair:
To my mind, the Qasab case, the Haveliwala drunken driving case, the Salman Khan accident case are all open-and-shut cases. More than enough proof, enough witnesses, and yet, the police has to sew up every thread.
Why do the police have to check out Nooria’s driving record in the US? And how does it make a difference whether there was 457 mg of alcohol in her blood or 45.7 mg. Isn’t it enough that she was drunk and driving? And even assuming for a moment that the alcohol content was within limits, the fact is that she ran over two people. Enough witnesses, clear proofs to support it. Why does the case have to involve sub-cases of in-camera proceedings, media involvement et al? (There’s something else that I’d like to ask her father. Alcohol is haraam in Islam; have you done your duty as a good Muslim father? But that’s another story altogether!)
Why is the Qasab case going through so many twists and turns? The man has massacred innocents on camera – and we’re getting more twists in his case than in an Ekta Kapoor soap!
Why does the onus of proving and re-proving guilt ‘beyond doubt’ even in clear cases like the two above, have to fall on the prosecution? Why do the accused get the benefit of the rarest of doubts, even in cases – and some have been mentioned on court records by some honourable judges – when the honourable judge believes that the person is guilty?
Is it our endeavour to not let a single innocent be proved guilty, even if some guilty people go off scot free? Or is it our endeavour to show to ourselves and the world that we deliver absolute justice?
In both these cases, is it not that we are being over-benevolent to the accused at the cost of traumatising the complainant or the victim? In this case, are we not being unjust really to the victims?
Is it therefore, any surprise that criminals cock a snoop at the legal system?
Are these the reasons for ‘encounters’?
Methinks sometimes that the old days of the rajas that we read about were better – one hearing, clear discussions, quick decisions.
Maybe in a rare case, some innocents may be pronounced guilty (although I would trust our judiciary that such a thing would not happen). But isn’t that a chance worth taking to ensure that justice is not only served, but delivered on time?
Because, at the present moment, for sure, in our quest to be just, we are just being unfair!
(P.S. In case you have liked my post and would like to share it with your friends, I’ve made it easy for you by adding some links at the bottom of each post. Please feel free to just click and share it with others.)
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