This page is my personal timeline. I note down happenings and news items of interest here.
03-May-20
Harold Reid of "The Statler Brothers" passes away at 80
I'm a big fan of The Statler Brothers—Harold Reid (bass), Don Reid(lead), Phil Balsley (baritone) & Jimmy Fortune (tenor), particularly Harold, on account of his amazing bass voice. So, quite naturally, I was deeply saddened to hear the news of his passing on April 24, 2020.
He passed away due to kidney failure, aged 80.
Kurt Vonnegut called The Statlers "America's Poets" and here's my personal 'top ten' of their highly popular songs.
Small, Small World
Daddy
Bed of Roses
Susan When She Tried
More Than A Name On The Wall
Sweeter And Sweeter
Flowers On The Wall
Country Roads
I've Never Lived This Long Before
I'll Go To My Grave Loving You
Finally, here's a tribute to The Statlers by the sons of two of the group's members, who have formed a music group named Wilson Fairchild.
RIP Harold!
12-Dec-18
My review of the book "From Destitute to Plenitude" by Helene Louiesa Mynhardt
From Destitute to Plenitude: Breaking Through Barriers of Poverty by Helene Louiesa Mynhardt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Helene Louiesa Mynhardt’s “From Destitute to Plenitude” is the author’s second book in a trilogy in which “Memoirs of a Play-White” is the first. It is the story of her breaking free from the shackles of poverty that bound her young days and her entry into a life of plenitude and fulfillment.
Louiesa is a brave and enterprising woman. In 1998, she is successful in setting up her own firm, Sterling Debt Recoveries (SDR) that functions as an independent, external vendor to her former employer, Standard Bank (SB). SDR looks after debt recovery management/collection for SB. It is a firm that SB resorts to in dealing with the worst kind of bad debtors – those from whom even bank attorneys could not recover dues from – and hence, were practically “written off” by the bank. SDR pursues such cases and is a highly successful collector on bad debts. This book is chiefly the story of its inception, growth, successes, challenges, and a handful of failures.
Louiesa, who runs her business in a highly ethical manner and without ever compromising on her values, emerges as a woman of great character in this book. She has the guts to fight for what she believes is right. At the same time, she is a wise leader, tolerant, forgiving and patient. She is the protector of her vulnerable employees and one who is sincerely interested in the welfare of her employees. She bears the scars of betrayals, discouragements, disparagements, and threats in her battles with evil but never gives up. She has counted what it costs and continues to do what is right with fortitude. Consequently, albeit her relatively modest achievements as a businesswoman, she has a place on the honor roll of humanity that noted author Ellen G. White esteems when she writes, “The world does not so much need men of great intellect as of noble character.”
This book is a good read for wannabe entrepreneurs, particularly, small entrepreneurs. It’s even more suitable for small entrepreneurs based in South Africa (SA). It’s for you too if you are interested in the history and growth of SB, SA, lovers of author’s first book “Memoirs of a Play-White”, and those who enjoy reading any good book in general. Now if you love serious reading (religion, philosophy, science etc.) this isn’t quite the right book for you. You’ll be wise to give this book the go by too if you love action, drama, crime, thriller, mystery, horror, romance and similar genres.
View all my reviews
28-Oct-17Seminar "500 Years of Reformation" at St. Mark's Cathedral, Bengaluru
17-Sep-17
Gratuity Tip: If you serve for 6 months or more in your last year of service, it's counted as a full year!
Read this in 'The Hindu', Bangalore edition of date (17/9/17). Additionally, read that it is proposed to increase limit on gratuity from (the existing) ₹10 lakhs to 20 lakhs.
10-Sep-17
Change of guard
Got a new Hyundai 2017 Elite i20 earlier this month. Said goodbye to my earlier Santro. I used the Santro for 8 & a half years (nearly) and it had done over 42,000 KM when we parted.
18-Aug-17
'Indira Canteens' launched in Bengaluru
14-Aug-17
Todays Internet News: 81 lakh Aadhaar Nos. deactivated by UIDAI
Read on msn.com/ NDTV the disturbing news that about 81 lakh Aadhaar Nos. have been deactivated by UIDAI. Rushed to verify my Aadhaar No. at the UIDAI website. Thankfully, found it was intact!
10-Aug-17
Glen Campbell passes away at 81
08-Aug-17
Central Govt. Pensioners: Eligibility of divorced daughters for grant of family pension
Read yesterday in "Central Government Employees News" that divorced daughters of Central Govt. pensioners are now eligible for grant of family pension, provided that the claimant fulfills all other conditions as per rule 54 of the CCS(Pension) Rules, 1972. The relevant circular is No. 1/13/09-P&PW(E) dated 02/08/2017. More about CCS(Pension) Rules can be read here.
02-Aug-17
Indian Railways launches its first solar powered train
Was impressed to read on LinkedIn that Indian Railways launched it first solar powered local train today, in Delhi. Details are here -> IR's First Solar Powered Train
28-Jul-17
Abdul Kalam's memorial sees the light of day in Rameswaram!
Was informed by change.org that after a campaign lasting 584 days, Late President Abdul Kalam's memorial building has been completed in Rameswaram. So Good!
21-Jul-17
No. of Internet users worldwide as per Greenpeace
As of the end of first quarter 2017, it was estimated that there are over 3.7 billion internet users worldwide. In 2016, "Greenpeace estimated that within two years, information technology will take up between seven and 12 percent of all electrical use. About 21 percent of that will come from data centers."* Given these statistics, a Green Internet is crucial to sustainability in today's world. *Source: The Cloud Needs to Get a Whole Lot Greener in 2017, Wired.com
03-May-20
Harold Reid of "The Statler Brothers" passes away at 80
I'm a big fan of The Statler Brothers—Harold Reid (bass), Don Reid(lead), Phil Balsley (baritone) & Jimmy Fortune (tenor), particularly Harold, on account of his amazing bass voice. So, quite naturally, I was deeply saddened to hear the news of his passing on April 24, 2020.
He passed away due to kidney failure, aged 80.
Kurt Vonnegut called The Statlers "America's Poets" and here's my personal 'top ten' of their highly popular songs.
Small, Small World
Daddy
Bed of Roses
Susan When She Tried
More Than A Name On The Wall
Sweeter And Sweeter
Flowers On The Wall
Country Roads
I've Never Lived This Long Before
I'll Go To My Grave Loving You
Finally, here's a tribute to The Statlers by the sons of two of the group's members, who have formed a music group named Wilson Fairchild.
RIP Harold!
12-Dec-18
My review of the book "From Destitute to Plenitude" by Helene Louiesa MynhardtFrom Destitute to Plenitude: Breaking Through Barriers of Poverty by Helene Louiesa MynhardtMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Helene Louiesa Mynhardt’s “From Destitute to Plenitude” is the author’s second book in a trilogy in which “Memoirs of a Play-White” is the first. It is the story of her breaking free from the shackles of poverty that bound her young days and her entry into a life of plenitude and fulfillment.
Louiesa is a brave and enterprising woman. In 1998, she is successful in setting up her own firm, Sterling Debt Recoveries (SDR) that functions as an independent, external vendor to her former employer, Standard Bank (SB). SDR looks after debt recovery management/collection for SB. It is a firm that SB resorts to in dealing with the worst kind of bad debtors – those from whom even bank attorneys could not recover dues from – and hence, were practically “written off” by the bank. SDR pursues such cases and is a highly successful collector on bad debts. This book is chiefly the story of its inception, growth, successes, challenges, and a handful of failures.
Louiesa, who runs her business in a highly ethical manner and without ever compromising on her values, emerges as a woman of great character in this book. She has the guts to fight for what she believes is right. At the same time, she is a wise leader, tolerant, forgiving and patient. She is the protector of her vulnerable employees and one who is sincerely interested in the welfare of her employees. She bears the scars of betrayals, discouragements, disparagements, and threats in her battles with evil but never gives up. She has counted what it costs and continues to do what is right with fortitude. Consequently, albeit her relatively modest achievements as a businesswoman, she has a place on the honor roll of humanity that noted author Ellen G. White esteems when she writes, “The world does not so much need men of great intellect as of noble character.”
This book is a good read for wannabe entrepreneurs, particularly, small entrepreneurs. It’s even more suitable for small entrepreneurs based in South Africa (SA). It’s for you too if you are interested in the history and growth of SB, SA, lovers of author’s first book “Memoirs of a Play-White”, and those who enjoy reading any good book in general. Now if you love serious reading (religion, philosophy, science etc.) this isn’t quite the right book for you. You’ll be wise to give this book the go by too if you love action, drama, crime, thriller, mystery, horror, romance and similar genres.
View all my reviews
28-Oct-17
Seminar "500 Years of Reformation" at St. Mark's Cathedral, Bengaluru
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Attended this seminar on the topic "500 Years of Reformation" after Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church on 31-Oct-1517, at St.Mark's Cathedral. The end objective, finding ways forward to unify Catholic & Protestant churches, is extremely praiseworthy. The seminar provided knowledge and deep insights of the Protestant Reformation and the history of the two churches after that landmark event.
17-Sep-17
Gratuity Tip: If you serve for 6 months or more in your last year of service, it's counted as a full year!Read this in 'The Hindu', Bangalore edition of date (17/9/17). Additionally, read that it is proposed to increase limit on gratuity from (the existing) ₹10 lakhs to 20 lakhs.
10-Sep-17
Change of guard |
 |
Got a new Hyundai 2017 Elite i20 earlier this month. Said goodbye to my earlier Santro. I used the Santro for 8 & a half years (nearly) and it had done over 42,000 KM when we parted.
18-Aug-17
'Indira Canteens' launched in Bengaluru
The much talked about 'Indira canteen' scheme was launched in Karnataka (Bengaluru first) on 16-Aug-17. Here is a pic from one near my house in Hoodi, Bengaluru.
Breakfast is priced at ₹5/=. Lunch and dinner cost ₹10/= each. In this phase, a total of 101 canteens are to come up in Bengaluru.
14-Aug-17
Todays Internet News: 81 lakh Aadhaar Nos. deactivated by UIDAIRead on msn.com/ NDTV the disturbing news that about 81 lakh Aadhaar Nos. have been deactivated by UIDAI. Rushed to verify my Aadhaar No. at the UIDAI website. Thankfully, found it was intact!
10-Aug-17
Glen Campbell passes away at 81
Read today that Glen Campbell passed away on 08-August-2017, aged 81. He died from Alzheimer's disease that he had been battling since 2011. Glen Campbell has been credited with creating a new music style that combines country & pop. He was a strong believer in Jesus Christ and has contributed some beautiful songs to gospel music too. The YouTube video below (2 min, 36 sec) seeks to summarize his life with some milestone details.
08-Aug-17
Central Govt. Pensioners: Eligibility of divorced daughters for grant of family pension Read yesterday in "Central Government Employees News" that divorced daughters of Central Govt. pensioners are now eligible for grant of family pension, provided that the claimant fulfills all other conditions as per rule 54 of the CCS(Pension) Rules, 1972. The relevant circular is No. 1/13/09-P&PW(E) dated 02/08/2017. More about CCS(Pension) Rules can be read here.
02-Aug-17
Indian Railways launches its first solar powered train Was impressed to read on LinkedIn that Indian Railways launched it first solar powered local train today, in Delhi. Details are here -> IR's First Solar Powered Train
28-Jul-17
Abdul Kalam's memorial sees the light of day in Rameswaram!Was informed by change.org that after a campaign lasting 584 days, Late President Abdul Kalam's memorial building has been completed in Rameswaram. So Good!
21-Jul-17
No. of Internet users worldwide as per GreenpeaceAs of the end of first quarter 2017, it was estimated that there are over 3.7 billion internet users worldwide. In 2016, "Greenpeace estimated that within two years, information technology will take up between seven and 12 percent of all electrical use. About 21 percent of that will come from data centers."* Given these statistics, a Green Internet is crucial to sustainability in today's world. *Source: The Cloud Needs to Get a Whole Lot Greener in 2017, Wired.com
20-Jul-17
"Enabling the fight against Zika with Technology and equity crowdfunding"
Attended the above E4C webinar yesterday (19th). Host was Meg Wirth of Maternova Inc. Nanotechnology is used to bind permethrin (a natural mosquito repellent) to fabric that is to be worn by pregnant women/ expecting mothers to prevent getting bitten by vector Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Notes: 1. Zika is not a fatal disease.However, babies of expecting mothers are at risk of suffering microcephaly and other congenital birth defects. 2. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito bites during daytime!
2. Nothing new about todays personal healthcare gadgets!
Recently found out that in 1985, much like the personal healthcare devices of today, Puma introduced a computerized running shoe that stored details such as distance travelled, speed and calories burned when connected to an Apple IIe, IBM or Commodore computer. It was priced at $100-plus and was a failure on the market.
The link to the article is here -> 1985 Puma (Healthcare) Shoe
13-Jul-17
Attended Intel's virtual event "Fast Forward to your <NEXT>".
It was about the launch of the new, Intel XEON scalable processor (Twitter tag #XeonScalable). What appears to be "first ever" about it is that it is "scalable". On the first look, it appears to be a "Goliath" processor - 10 cores, 20 threads, 25MB cache ... & upwards. Launch news says its aimed at real-time analytics, groundbreaking VR, AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT, cloud, ML(Machine Learning) etc., so it has to be in the Goliath category!
It's "future-proof" as its capable of using future/ evolving technologies such as 5G networks. Also, it seems to have factored in the power needed to support AI, Machine Learning, real-time analytics etc. apps.
Intel EVP Navin Shenoy who did the introduction, calls it a "silicon wafer work of art"! Other pluses: reduces maintenance, power and space costs. NewLab (New York based company, that supports advances in new technologies) and Lenovo are partners.
2. Have been impressed by Autodesk PIXLR image editor.
2. Have been impressed by Autodesk PIXLR image editor.
Have been using Autodesk's PIXLR as image editor for sometime now. Its "Borders" feature is particularly impressive.
3. New security on the Internet?
It has been a litte over 2 weeks now that a new message "Performing a TLS handshake to <some domain>" appears in the bottom bar of the browser when accessing any website.
01-Jul-17
The long-awaited Goods and Services Tax(GST) was rolled out today.Didn't observe any big change. Bought medicines today. Offered price was MRP!
28-Jun-17
Heard of a new ransomware outbreak: ExPetr (aka Petya & NotPetya) from Kaspersky Lab thru email. Full text is below.
Kaspersky Lab’s analysts are investigating a new wave of ransomware attack - ExPetr.Our telemetry data indicates around 2,000 attacked users so far globally
Good news is that our behaviour detection engine System Watcher detects the threat as:
Finally,Good news is that our behaviour detection engine System Watcher detects the threat as:
- PDM:Trojan.Win32.Generic
- PDM:Exploit.Win32.Generic
- Check that all protection mechanisms are activated as recommended; and that KSN and System Watcher components (which are enabled by default) are not disabled.
- As an additional measure, using the Application Startup Control component of Kaspersky Endpoint Security, you can prevent the execution of the file with the name perfc.dat, and block the execution of the PSExec utility (part of the Sysinternals Suite).
- Configure and enable the Default Deny mode of the Application Startup Control component of Kaspersky Endpoint Security to ensure and enforce the proactive defence against this, and other attacks.
- Use the AppLocker feature of Windows OS to disable the execution of any files that carry the name “perfc.dat” as well as the PSExec utility from the Sysinternals Suite.
- Download our free Kaspersky Anti Ransomware Tool now!
We advise all companies to update their Windows software: Windows XP and Windows 7 users can protect themselves by installing MS17-010 security patch.
We also advise all organizations to ensure they have backup. Proper and timely backup of your data may be used to restore original files after a data loss event.
16-May-17
Heard of the "Wannacry" ransomware attack from Kaspersky LabsFirst heard about ransomware a couple of years back(?) Then ransomware attacks were rare and not as severe as now!
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