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Money is a good servant but a bad master

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shibli:
Computer and their uses

 

Perhaps the single greatest invention of the century is the computer. The computer is essentially a machine that enables humans to complete tasks that may be time consuming or very repetitive in nature. This it achieves by imitating human thought processes. In much the same way that humans think using pathways in their brains that conduct minute electrical currents, computers too use tiny electrical circuits which tell it what to do. The difference being that computers do this at incredible speeds.

In this modern age man has grown to be heavily dependent on computers to carry out all kinds of jobs that were done manually before. In banking for example computers allow for millions of transactions to be carried out involving large sums of money which would otherwise require thousands of bank tellers. Computers do the job in a much shorter time and practically free of any errors. Computers are responsible for air traffic control and the running of trains to ensure that travel is made as smooth as possible. In factories nowadays computers operate mechanical devices that produce goods we require for everyday living, in such quantities that would be otherwise impossible to achieve if these factories were run by humans alone.

Perhaps the greatest advancements have been made in the field of communications. All of us are by now familiar with the 'Internet'. The internet is a collection of computer systems and individual terminals linked up worldwide through telephone lines and other channels. It offers a cheaper alternative to communicating with people within a country and internationally through computers. It has also been described as an immense pool of knowledge just waiting for applications it has given rise to a new means for countries to carry on trade with each other through 'E-Commerce'.

It must however be kept in mind that as useful as computers are. They are not capable of independent thought and still require human input. In recent times scientists have developed' Artificial Intelligence' in computers that may enable them to function independently of man in the future.
          
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shibli:
The pleasures of reading

 
Animals may have moments of pleasure but only man has got a lot to do with it. It is through our sense organs that we enjoy pleasure. The sense of smell, sight, hearing, touch and taste each brings pleasure. Even the baby as soon as it is born feels the pleasure of sucking and the comfort of being cuddled in the wads of cloth in the mother's lap. But for the pleasing smell we will not be able to enjoy our food. We are thrilled by the sight of ice capped mountains or the roaring water falls of the Niagara. So they are the senses that help us to get pleasure.

There is no end to the sources of pleasure. But reading for pleasure belongs to a higher order and stands as a category by itself. While external things bring pleasure to the sense organs, reading brings pleasure to the mind. Greater the mind is cultured, greater will be the derived from reading for reading makes a full man.

Reading is the end product of writing. Unless there is something written one cannot read. So good writing is a concomitant of reading. Man alone can write, in other words put his ideas in black and white. In fact even before printing came into being man was writing and it is as old as modern civilization. Man can preserve his thoughts and ideas through writing. Thus the whole world of literature is there far one to read.

Now reading material is available for all tastes. A scholar may go through serious writing for the sake of enriching his knowledge. Another may read a magazine or a picture book for whiling away the
time. One chooses the reading material according to his moods, his literary background, the time at his disposal and the purpose if any. A teenager may like stories of romance and an old man may prefer books on philosophy and religion. Some gifted with imagination and the faculty to reflect may read poetry.

One who takes pleasure in reading always tries to build his library. Very often a good library may serve the purpose.

The greatest advantage in reading is when one comes across great minds. Whether you agree with what is there to read or do not agree there will not be any quarrel. You may pronounce your judgement on the writer. There will be no harm if your judgment is silent and not published.

Given the proper atmosphere like a good silent place, soft light and comfortable seat, one can read and read and enjoy it.

There are great masters of writing in all great languages of the world. English Language abounds in such great authors. Again it may be poetry, novel, fiction, drama, travelogue, and letters. Biographies and autobiographies, form a sizable part. In these days of rush good magazines supply the material for reading. For example, one may cite the Reader's Digest.

In order to enjoy reading, one must cultivate that habit. Reading is not the 'be all' and `end all' of life. Yet, it can be ennobling. There is dignity in reading habit.

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shibli:
A friend in need is a friend indeed
“What to do now? I’m frightened! The bear is coming near!” said the man who could not climb trees to the man who could. The latter, seeing that danger was imminent, ran way and climbed onto a nearby tree without considering what would happen to his friend. Being on the tree, he said, “I didn’t promise to you that I would be in your danger.”

His friend, finding no other way, lay down on the ground as if he were dead. The bear came and, smelling the man, thought he was dead and went away. The danger over, the first man came down from the tree and asked the second, “Friend, what did the bear tell you? “Friend!” the second man exclaimed, “What’s called a friend?”

Actually, who is a real friend” This question will set anybody thinking.

Everything can be judged, and so it should. And so should a friend too. Success has many friends. But they are only fair-weather friends, not real. A friend, says Plato, is a single soul living in two bodies. If this is the definition of friends, then anybody cannot claim to be a friend. On the contrary, one who helps his friend in danger is a real friend. That is, friendship should be tested by the touchstone of sorrows and happiness. As a matter of fact, a friend in need is a friend indeed.

By Zakir Hussain

shibli:
Money is a stupid measure of achievement but unfortunately it is the only universal measure we have. Discuss its importance

 

In life there must be a measure of achievement. In ancient society achievement was measured by the head of cattle one possessed, by the acres of land he owned and by the battle he had won. Among the cannibals by the skulls he had won; very grotesque and cruel indeed. In these examples we find it was never the money that counted in measuring achievement. Instead of money some societies had different measures, for examples, it may be the cowries or even salt. There are areas where the achievement cannot be measured numerically because of the uniqueness of the achievement, for instance, in the case of conquering Mt. Everest or landing on the moon.

However, today it is money. It can command a measure of achievement. If he has a big bank balance he is looked upon as a man of success. How he got them and at whose cost he got them are not questioned.

But the real worth of money is its exchange value. When money was there, of course then too there were transactions. They exchanged one commodity for another, called the barter system in the olden days. If one had a cow he may exchange it for wheat; if one had wool he may exchange it for finished product. With the complexities of the market and the multiplicity of commodities, barter is not possible. We can't say it is completely out of fashion for in international trade a kind of barter is still going on. A country exporting wheat may in turn get sugar. A country exporting tin and rubber, may import motor cars. But as a measure of value money is the best. As such it has brought many good things and bad things too.

To measure the achievement money is also used as a standard. The achievement of amassing great wealth has to be looked into. Has it come by honest work or dishonest means ? This moral side is very often eclipsed by the ostentatious show of the wealth. People are dazzled by the riches, the limousine a person drives, the brilliant gems his wife wears and other items of luxury.

Let us see why it is a stupid measure. How can one get money ? Can he get by inheritance, by being the owner of some natural resources e.g. petroleum, good land speculation or having a good market for products ?

Still we want a measure by which other things can be valued. Money is the greatest common factor and the genius who thought of money as such must have been a very brainy fellow indeed. It makes marketing and accounting easy. It is easy to carry. Intangible becomes tangible.

But all is not well with money. The value of money is only relative. It depends on how much a particular unit of currency can buy in the market. Some currencies are backed by good economic strength while others are weak. That is the picture we see today. To decide achievement by money alone is a very poor yardstick.
          

grotesque         strange and unpleasant in a frightening way
          
eclipse         to make another person or thing seem much less important
          
ostentatious         too obviously showing your money, possessions or power, in an attempt to make other people notice and admire you


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shibli:
"Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man" (Bacon). What influence do you think reading, conversation and writing have in making you a citizen of the world ?

 

The major aim is to become and be a citizen of the world. One may be a citizen of a town or city or country. That is easy because the spirit of the place grows into one's own blood as it were. Thus one can be easily a Malaysian, an American and so on. But to be a citizen of the world it calls for a much more broad outlook, deep understanding and a judicious appreciation of other cultures. Very few people could claim to be a citizen of the world. But there have been and there are people who have reached that height. If we analyze and study their lives we could see how their education, interactions with others and writings have made them citizens of the world. So let us see the role played by reading, interactions and writing in the make up of the citizen of the world.

First of all take the case of reading. One reads for pleasure or for understanding or for improving his stock for knowledge. What we read in the school or college or professional institutions is only the beginning and they show and guide what and where to look for. For example specialists like doctors, lawyers or engineers cannot be content with what they have studied in their colleges. Unless they study professional publications later they cannot be up to date. Thus a lawyer may study law reports; a doctor may study professional magazines and monographs. For pleasure we read a lot in our own mother tongue and in other languages as well. The companionship of books is the best that one could look for. Books may please you but never offend you. The reading may be light as a weekend magazine or it may be a master piece. One may read materials pertaining to his profession or personal interest; he may also read books on other areas for fun. Thus one may read books on dozens of different interests and this reading surely goes to make him a full or an all-round man. Such people of wide knowledge are really useful.

Very few people are good conversationalists though there are many well read men. To be a good conversationalist one requires certain qualities. Basically one must be a good mixer; in other words one should like to socialize and have the gift of the gab. He must be a good conversationalist and listener and must never be offensive or must not wound the feelings of the other. At a higher level when a man meets others in conference he learns a lot from them. To be a success at a conference one must have the ability to put forth his arguments forcibly and logically and convincingly. He must have the patience to hear the other man. He must grasp the other man's point of view quickly and reply. This makes one a ready man.

Coming to writing, we write when we cannot directly converse or talk to. In writing words are recorded and once the writing goes out of one's hand and reaches the other person it becomes a record. The right word in the right place shows the depth of knowledge of the writer and his penmanship. One may write simple, loving family letters, serious stories, poems, dramas, business letters and short articles. What ever is written the flow of words shows the man. You must write what you want to express in plain, straight forward language avoiding redundancy. In conversation one may be wandering; digressions are permissible but in writing each word or sentence must take you forward. We can see this in the great essays of master writers. The power of the written word has been proved in the great books of the world. From the Bible to the Communist Manifesto we find the effect of the written word. The compactness, the exactness, the sequence of logic, all these make good writing. The more one writes the more chastened he becomes like the polishing of a precious stone.

So to be a good citizen of the world one must read a lot, one must learn from companions and one must write. Then can he become a full, ready and exact man.
          



monograph         a long article or a short book on a particular subject
          
the gift of the gab         the ability to speak easily and confidently in a way that makes people want to listen to you and believe you
          
digression         to move away from the main subject you are writing or talking about and to write or talk about something else

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