A soft target for astrologers – The Earth!

Suspended in isolation at a distance of approximately 94.5 million miles away from the closest star namely the Sun hangs our blue planet Earth. A unique planet harboring life since millions of years, the earth has a diameter of 12,756.3 kms, and a mass of 5.972e24 kgs. Its total area in square kilometers is 510,065,600 out of which 71% of the surface is covered by oceans, seas, rivers and canals. Earth is basically a dense mass of hardened matter, which circles the sun in an orbit covering a total distance of 149,600,000 kms (1.00 AU from the Sun). This beautiful planet which happens to be the abode of man since very beginning of man’s creation, is the third planet from the sun and the fifth largest in the solar system.

Holy Bible provides an insight into how Almighty God created man in His own image and likeness. The relevant portion from the Bible reads thus:

“Gen. 2:7:      And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth: and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul”.

Going by the inspired writings in the Bible, God descended on earth first as a Creator and then as Savior while a third coming of God on the final day to judge the living and the dead remains to be fulfilled.

Studies have revealed that earth has harbored millions of species of life, some of which have been extinct like the dinosaur, while others survive to this day. However, human beings stand out a grade apart from all creation, being the only intelligent being to have progressed this far with the world, step-by-step, leap-by-leap and destiny by destiny. 

The magnificence of God’s creation is profusely visible in the structure and composition of human body and man’s intellectual faculty. The story of man and his progressive strides during the bygone centuries sets at naught the oft repeated theory of evolution propagated by Charles Robert Darwin FRS (12 February 1809–19 April 1882) who attempted to prove the source of man’s appearance on Earth as if through an evolutionary process through a period of time.  However, believers mainly Christians consider this theory as an outcome of human imagination.

The Earth as we see it, is composed of approximately seven distinct layers namely Troposphere, Stratosphere, Ozone, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Ionosphere and Exosphere.  Out of the above layers, crust and the core are believed to be solid. Crust of the Earth or the surface consists of solid grid of tectonic plates, which keep shifting its resting mode on account of the heat namely the convection currents caused due to heat radiated from the inner core situated at 3,200-3960 miles (5,150-6,370 km) below Earth’s surface. The core is made up of iron and nickel. However, experiments continue to be conducted by Scientists for ascertaining the exact of Earth’s core and its repercussions to life on the surface of the Planet. The outer core is situated at 1,800-3,200 miles (2,890-5,150 km) below Earth’s surface keeps rotating with the Earth, whereas the inner core remains constant, on account of which the surface of the Earth experiences magnetic power, which as a matter of fact enables Earth to maintain its equilibrium vis-à-vis other planets or the surrounding atmosphere. This movement by outer core invariably gives rise to strain in areas that have weak build-up especially towards the edges of different sections.  Constant build up of energy and gaseous substance within the core of the Earth precipitate explosions and violent rocking at the surface. The gaseous substance which are so formed are simultaneously released through cavities of previously built up volcanic mounts or through areas that may have been weakened through strain and sliding of tectonic plates. 

Quakes or tremors are also caused on account of various other factors like constant activity at other levels of Earth’s interior or even as a result of weakening particular areas in the interior due to which the molten gas or lava from the core tend to blast through weaker areas at the surface. From records provided by Seismologists some of the countries like USA, Canada, France, China, Turkey, India and Pakistan happen to be precariously situated in areas prone to such or similar activities. The inner core of the Earth, on the other hand is situated about 6,400 kilometers below the earth’s surface and the temperature at that point is estimated at a high of about 7,000 degrees Celsius i.e. incidentally hotter than the surface temperature of the sun which is put at 6,000 degrees Celsius.

Apart from earthquakes, another dreaded factor which scares humans is Tsunamis. Tsunamis are caused by under-sea earthquakes which throw up tidal waves up to 30 meters (100 ft) high.  The tsunami which struck Chile on May 22, 1960 had a magnitude of 9.5 and was the largest recorded in human history.

The recent instance was the case of a severe and deadly under-sea earthquake which triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004.  This particular tsunami had a magnitude between 9.1 and 9.3 and was the second largest ever recorded earthquake which sent tidal waves up to 30 meters (100 ft) high. It affected 11 countries in all and a total of 2,50,000 humans were devoured by the fury of such tidal waves. 

Much like earthquake having as much devastating effect are dreaded volcanoes which cause explosive blasts through craters formed as vents in the earth’s crust through which huge quantities of molten lava, poisonous gas, steam and ash are discharged from the interior of the Earth. Except for areas where volcanoes erupt regularly, there is every likelihood of such eruptions in other places depending on the weakness of the zone which facilitate the exit of gases including lava.  Some of the areas where more active volcano eruptions are experienced are in Africa, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Europe, America (North-Central-South), New Zealand, Hawai etc. 

Apart from the above threats to human lives, the earth’s atmosphere and the closely knit planetary system also contribute to dangers facing humanity.  The trajectory of the earth around the sun which takes up to 149,600,000 kms is mainly in the area of constant crossing of massive rocks which is in effect prone to direct collusion by Earth or other planets and satellites.

Even after taking necessary precautions to avoid huge toll of human lives on account of above cited factors, Earth cannot escape the dangers hovering above its surface such as meteors, asteroid hits or things of the sort.  The earth’s atmosphere and space outside the solar system are yet to be fully explored and much remains to be studied regarding its immediate neighbors and other heavenly bodies. There are innumerable quantities of rocky and metallic objects called asteroids that orbit round the sun which could have a diameter of up to 1000 kms.  These objects are material left over from the formation of solar system.  Asteroids which are on a collision course with the earth are known as meteoroids. These meteoroids strike the atmosphere at such velocity that most of them burn up in the atmosphere and the remaining portion that does not burn up strike the earth. These have been found in large quantities inside Earth’s orbit to beyond Saturn’s orbit. If a large asteroid such as the recently identified 2004 VD17 which is about 500 m in diameter with a mass of approximately 1000 million tones collides with the Earth, there could be disaster for the planet. Although necessary vigil is being maintained to detect such objects and efforts put in to deflect them, man needs to maintain constant vigil lest any such mishap should wipe the intelligent beings off the face of earth. It is only appropriate that human beings keep their fingers crossed for future disasters which could emanate from the space as well.

Earth is thus a planet precariously placed among the suspended heavenly bodies with its primary character of revolving around the sun while it rotates on its own axis, thus providing man day and night. 

Predictions - 12 December 2012

Astrologers the world over have been cautioning human beings from time to time regarding any unforeseen development that could cause havoc of immense dimension which in effect could wipe out human civilization, as did the asteroid hit which wiped out the dinosaurs.

Incidentally the Scientists who have analyzed various theories and beliefs adduced by ancient civilization have concluded that the Earth and the universe is in for a surprising catastrophe, the nature of which has not been clearly spelt out.  The exact date of such a devastation as allegedly set out by the Scientists is 12 December, 2012.

Going by the Bible and the inspired teachings that were originally written down by the apostles of Jesus Christ, God, prior to creation dispelled darkness from the universe with His command ‘Let there be light’. But the devil in turn extinguished man’s light as a result of which sin pervaded the universe and end to the universe became inevitable.  This way, death, destruction and devastation entered the history of the universe. Time is therefore ticking away for the universe and the entire creation heading towards a necessary end. The question human beings are today faced with is: Can Scientists, Astrologers, Seers or learned human beings predict the time, day or the date the universe is to end?

With a finite frame of intelligence, man reads in to insinuations derived out of many years of research and the knowledge acquired through years of living for safeguarding earth from falling apart. In order to halt any untoward development to the blue planet, he resorts to predictions so as to be in a position to ward off any perceivable threat to his existence. He thus relies on prediction of events based on scientific, astrological or experimental study of universe and its constituents.

Predictions by Scientists, by and large, point to following events.

      North and South Magnetic Poles likely to interchange roles.
      Solar storms likely to cause heavy damage to Earth.
      Yellow stone super volcano due every 7000 years set to erupt.
      Atom smasher or particle accelerator set to cause black homes.
      Physists at Berkeley University expecting a disastrous event taking a 99% toll.
      End of Mayan Calendar pointing to end of the world.
      Prophesies of Armageddon of Bible fame to be fulfilled.

If Scientists are to be believed, time is ticking away for man and the universe. Man is at his wit’s end, weary of predictions of an imminent end.  2012 has thus become the focal point of human eye for any likely disaster overtaking the universe and man’s existence. Situation has further aggravated with a section of the world putting forward their view on events and developments that might occur during 2012. The entire creation of Almighty and Everlasting God is caught in a web of infinite and unfathomable crisis out of which the creator alone can lead His creation to safety. What then is to befall the universe on 12 December 2012? Will man and the universe which was wrought by the divine power of Almighty shrink to a state of nothingness by mid December 2012?  Man is helpless, unable to establish scientifically or by way of reason of intelligence, ways of halting an imminent end to his abode, the universe.

Incidentally, predictions by historians or learned men have come to stay in the form of an exit route to overcome man’s inability to safeguard earth and its inhabitants from the fury of natural disasters as also to acquaint humanity of events and developments that might befall him or his generation. 

Theologians too have chipped in with their version of forecast but totally denying the developments as foretold for December 2012. To quote them, ‘end of the world must be preceded by the following developments’.

General preaching of the Christian religion

Conversion of the jews

Return of Enoch and Elijah

A great apostasy

The reign of Anti Christ

Extraordinary perturbations of nature

The Universal conflagration

The Trumpet of resurrection

The Sign of the son of man appearing in the heavens.

December 21, 2012 according to Mayan calendar heralds the end of Solar Age which spans a 5125 year era commencing August 11, 3111 B.C. The rebirth or recreation of the world thereafter, portrays the entry of Sun Lord Bolon Yokte Ku, which deity is closely associated with misunderstanding, war, conflict, disaster such as plague, earthquake, flood, invasion, murder, drought, battles and like catastrophes. In short the year under purview brings to end the present day age that is likely to be followed by an unstable period in the history of mankind, forcing a chain of disasters descending on the universe.

My take:

 

The entire concept of an end to the universe needs to be viewed from a practical point of view.  The Almighty vouches for the well being of the universe and mankind in general. As such, no decay, destruction or devastation can annihilate God’s creation in its entirety.

Likewise, no development that can rock the infinite creation of God, its equilibrium and its existence can come about without the explicit consent of God Almighty. To be more precise, any incident that might strike the blue planet can only wreak havoc to the particular abode of mankind namely the earth and not the universe. The earth has hitherto withstood many such fury of nature and manmade disasters. But to nurse any notion regarding destruction of the universe to bring about an end to the world is mere finite thinking – without logic or reason.

Moreover any destruction of earth and likewise the universe can only become an ultimate reality after the Almighty and Super Human Power takes charge of his Creation through his angels or through a divinely appointed being.

Only then will God Almighty have his angels blow the final whistle to have the universe including space, matter and time including finiteness to be annihilated and be reduced to a void of nothingness.

More than threats to human lives or human existence from volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, forest fires, asteroid-hits or global warming or global chilling effect, there is a graver threat to human extinction and the source of this threat hinges on false predictions.  

Many such predictions have already crossed the stipulated deadline, which when made public created as much and more panic, beating of breasts in panic and bewilderment. However, whenever such predictions were made it only made the humans run for cover so as to escape any nature’s devastating fury or would be catastrophe, only to find the deadline expire with no such event meeting the sought for fate. Many such predictions are now history of failures.

The believers would recollect that, for the sake of twenty short eventless centuries God Almighty would certainly not have descended on Earth in the person of His Divine Son Our Lord Jesus Christ who very casually left an oral caution notice for a few lacs of contemporary humans to memorize the events that are to precede the end of the world. Jesus Christ Himself entered public life only after 30 long years of private life. Only as a token of a caution note did He convey His mind regarding the Judgment Day to be handed down to the descendants of his elite followers.

Mathew Chapter-24:

29           Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

30           And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; then too, all the people of the earth will beat their breasts; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Devastation and destruction will take place in sequence the same way as the ten epid

emics inflicted by God on the Egyptian Pharo for overcoming his obstinacy, which ultimately forced him to let the Israelites leave Egypt (Exodus 7:8 – 12:30; Psalm 77:42-51; 104:26-36).

 

Man created the B.C. Christianity the A.D. But now God alone will notify the J.D. (Judgment Day).  The writer does not intend to make predictions on when it is to come about, but Earth has a long way to go. Even by acceding a century each for the 30 years of Jesus’s private life, we are a long way for the 3000 J.D, by which time the earth and the universe would have returned to the situation when God first came down from heaven. So it will be a final command from God “Let there be light”. The divine light would then shine on humanity & the chosen ones of God with the shine of eternal Light and the solemn voice of God would be heard “Come ye, blessed of my Father, possess ye the kingdom prepared for you” – Amen!

Corruption – a 21st century myth!

How have Kisan Baburao Hazare (India) and his diehard zealots escaped being detained, restrained, arrested or prosecuted?

We live in an era of expediency. The world is thronged by bigots who only need a rattling sound by rumor mongers to spring a blockade on government, authority or establishment. The pomp and extravaganza of 2011-Common Wealth Games hosted in Delhi recently was one such occasion. The authorities overseeing preparations for the event had to be on their toes due to constant bickering and intermittent complaints by over enthusiasts, mostly from among opposition, that kept pointing fingers at instances of water logging caused due to incessant rain and inclement weather.  Even media did not lag behind in trumpeting the hazards faced by general public.  Whispers too went around about the likelihood of the event being cancelled. Fortunately a positive approach adopted by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and Central Government worked the miracle. All anxieties and apprehensions by people and the media were belied and the venues thrown open for the event within the stipulated period.

While the pendulum swung back and forth between hope and despair for the hosts, the opposition parties were eager to exploit the suspense leading up to the event. Finally, the needle within the haystack was traced and what emerged as a delight to the opposition turned out to be a nightmare for the government. The needle of suspicion pointed to a grueling corruption that practically deflated the moving wheels of a national event.

Before the curtain could be pulled up and the event commenced, loud whispers went around alleging huge amounts of public fund having been stashed away through spurious channels in to private accounts abroad. With a view to arresting any likely damage to the national image and to avoid embarrassment being caused to hordes of athletes participating in the event or sending wrong signal to athletes and dignitaries visiting from foreign countries, the Central and Delhi Governments swung in to action. A national catastrophe was nipped in the bud and a fiasco of colossal magnitude averted.  The grandiose event, the only one of its kind for a nation that deemed the event as a rare opportunity to upgrade its infrastructure and the overall outlook of the capital, was conducted with much fanfare. Thanks to the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government and other officials who intervened at the nick of time. The event marked a grand success. And the national anthem on the evening of 14^th October, 2010 pulled the curtain down without allowing rumors to mar the situation. But the damage was done and the cat was out. Corruption of a colossal magnitude! The question that now poses is “who will bell the cat?”

Extremism calls for daredevilry to act and make good the escape or self-destruct themselves, but not so with corruption.

Corruption is a despicable art, committed by people and syndicate with relatively high skill and ability to ride rough shod over government, law and authority. Corruption is no law and order problem, no failure of government machinery, no intelligence failure and does not attract a situation for imposition of emergency. Indulgence in corruption demands high density nerves, temerity of extreme tolerance and a spurt of intelligence that can withstand pressure from people and government alike.

Corruption is a high handed atrocity that adds new dimension to hitherto known list of social menaces. The people and government today are waking up to a new dawn, a new era emerging out of the shadows of crime and influence, a passion for wealth and comfort, a systematic descent to depths of ease and carefree-ness whereby large amounts of public wealth are tunneled off to foreign banks, the route and source of which are intrinsically shaded with dubious people and underworld dons.

For stamping out this social menace, there is need to ensure close coordination between people and government, frame new laws that can motivate people to scrupulously follow laws and procedures without straying off the path of truth and righteousness. Unfortunately, the world and people have fallen off the cliff of hard work and dedication in to depths of mediocrity and petulance because corruption was no issue at the time of framing of the constitution.

Kisan Baburao Hazare is a tune without rhythm, a voice devoid of sound, a spirit without truth, a mind without conscience, a wind that blows nobody any good and a man who cannot officiate as a mediator between masses and the government. The only good trait in him is an un-written will to fade away from life with a Gandhian image, which wish of his too fails to materialize because he possesses no charisma or a national image. All that he has is a driving force called ‘ego’, which is hooded behind his vague articulation to rid corruption off the national periphery and which call of his is orchestrated by a few of his regional followers from Ralegaon. To go straight to the point, he is yet to feel the pulse of the nation and the nation his worth.

What Hazare ought to have done, in the thick of allegations of corruption was to adopt a stand, formulate a view, find a solution and pave the way for people and machinery (democratically elected government) set in motion to act, without allowing chaos to set in and cripple the system that we have endeared for so many decades. In its place, what he actually did was to feign a ‘mahatma’ and undertake a fast. The welfare of the nation and the upholding of a government, the Constitution and the prestige of the nation ought to stand supreme in the mind of all citizens whereas in the case of Hazare, he had the entire machinery including the government beckoned to his aid, trying to persuade him to break the fast, which ultimately he did, but to what effect? The nation lost as many days of activity tending to a freak mahatma of ill-gotten mind of his own.

We have a functioning government unlike that of the communal one, which while in powr from 1998 to 2004, had engaged itself swaying between national priorities and communal organizations. It was a pretentious government that was manipulated by communal forces like RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, Ram Sene and their like.  The short break of 6 years at the centre tripped the national priorities and after the present government stepped in, with the help of a fractured coalition, the UPA made its mark felt by people and institutions alike, the statistics of which are there for everyone to see.

Merely picking out names of people, officials and members within the government and flinging aspersions of corruption on any particular politician does not augur well for a nation aspiring as a super power contender.  The present government is fully active and where instances of corruption does surface, necessary action to rectify the area is being carried out with loyalty and dedication.

The government at the centre is active and decisive with firm will to establish a corruption-free society. However, there are hurdles that need to be tackled through legal procedures and by keeping the prestige of the nation in mind. There are also areas which need to be kept aloof from prying eyes of foreign countries, others which need to be preserved from ordinary public.  Thereafter, to clear the hassles for ridding the nation of evil forces at work, will need to be done cautiously without stepping on to the rights and privileges of people at different levels.

Hazare needs to do homework and analyze the repercussions of over indulgence which could overstep on to other people’s privileges. Merely by undertaking a fast unto death, the evil does not vanish nor does it hasten the process. Moreover, government does not have sweeping powers to formulate policies and hand them down as law. It has to weigh the options, fight the opposition which is there to block any or all attempt at creation of laws and then give the objective a necessary thrust to make a law effective.

Ramdev or Hazare might blurt their mind or profess a fast unto death, but is that the ultimate that people need to do? Are we not diverting the work and profession of the government machinery? And for how long will two people hold the nation to ransom and to what effect? We all carry views that emanate out of hearsay or gossip stuff available at every nook and corner of the nation all 24 hours. But when you get down to reality, there are hurdles which can best be removed by a government set in motion. Corruption is a plague which has caught up with everybody but ought we to take to streets and stall the process of a democratically elected government to bend down to appease their singular demands? They, within the government, too are human beings who ought not be chased by pestering them at will, lest they commit major blunders, the repercussions of which could be irreversible. Individuals and mob ought not be allowed to ransack the system, which needs to follow legalities before arriving at a solution.

The duo – Hazare and Ramdev in unison have given the basic virtues of patience and scrupulousness a skip and adopted measures through coercive and blackmail tactics in their bid to axe a democratic appeal by the government to abide by a timely process. The present stage of corruption culminated through many decades of let up in our effort to bring about the process, which from time to time got deflected with the change of governments. Now that the UPA government is well in place, we may expect a possible and positive result, but for everything a vibrant majority within the government is the asking rate. Can we provide that?

In order to excel in every discipline or to bring about brilliance in every aspect, the complete system and governance need to be overhauled. Merely by pulling at loose ends such as corruption, the focus could be lost and opportunity squandered away unnecessarily whereby the very same elements indulging in nefarious activities might try and find out alternate methods of overcoming the hurdles placed in a hurry to keep the evil elements at bay. The country is presently on the right path to progress and development and it should be the endeavor of people and individuals to address the loopholes facing the society, the nation and the world in general.

The nation has its wheels deflated by a bunch of hostile elements in the shape of communal organizations (like RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena Ram Zene etc and the alike) and to realize any positive result, be it ridding of corruption, there is always these elements and the communal parties creating hurdles.

We the people of India have a tendency to side track burning issues that have a bearing on the lives and welfare of people. However, on the contrary, the majority of our people and organizations concentrate on communal issues because we are not able to rid our hatred and hate campaign against people of other communities. The great question that needs to be answered by those hankering to rid corruption is why does a nation with Hindu majority require so many Hindu organizations? Because logic and religion are not on their side, rather extremism and hate are. There is no oneness within the psyche of people who profess to be devout disciples of mythological idols and mystic gods.

Unfortunately, Hindus are not able to reconcile with their own misadventures, so people have to link them and their culture with a colour – why not saffron? Ayodhya issue and its aftermath where their own vices have given voice to their own culture of extremism rather than a spirit of reconciliation is by itself an eye opener, on the extent to which religion could disintegrate the nation in to a chaotic state in a couple of decades hence.

A bunch of jokers in the form of communal fanatics have taken the centre stage on a land which has always been safeguarded by the single party that has kept itself aloof from communal politics. We need to reassure ourselves that the nation is on the right rails and must necessarily allow it to function at a pace and process that would take the entire country forward irrespective of a community, race, caste or state.

However, by no means can corruption be curbed by undertaking a ‘fast unto death’ and paralyzing the government machinery, authority and establishment as did the 71 year old Baburao Kisan Hazare on 5^th April, 2011. Hazare from within the Panel is stepping up his penchant for fast-unto-death for 16^th August, 2011. He needs to realize that corruption is a world phenomenon and should he go ahead with his threat for 16^th August 2011, the least the Government of India ought to do is to depute a functionary to place a wreath as a mark of respect for a deliberately departed soul of Kisan Baburao Hazare, who being an uneducated Social Worker from Ralegaon Siddhi pursued the intelligent swindlers of a corrupt India and fasted to meet his end! R.I.P.

Logic - as simple as that!

Zailsingh decided to write the MBA exam. He understood everything except for the logic part. One day while reading, Rajiv came home.  And the following conversation took place.

Rajiv:               Zailsinghji - How is your MBA preparation?
Zail Singh:      Everything is fine, but I could not understand Logic.
Rajiv:               Logic is very easy.
Zailsingh:        Can you give me an example, so that I can understand.
Rajiv:               OK. Do you have fish pot in your house?
Zail:                 Yes.
Rajiv:               Logically, there will be water in it.
Zail:                 Yes.
Rajiv:               Logically, there will be fish in it.
Zail:                 Yes.
Rajiv:               Logically, someone will be feeding the fish.
Zail:                 Yes.
Rajiv:               I take a guess that your wife will be feeding the fish.
Zail:                 Yes.
Rajiv:               So, logically, you are married.
Zail:                 Yes.
Rajiv:               So, that means you are a heterosexual. 

Zailsingh was very glad that he understood logic. Next day he met Buta Singh who was also preparing for MBA. 

Zail:                 How is your MBA preparation?
Buta:               Everything is fine except for the logic part.
Zail:                 Oh, logic is easy.
Buta:               Could you please, give me an example. 

Zail:                 Why not - Do you have a fish pot in your house?
Buta:               No, I don't.
Zail:                 Saala* homo!!!