Silent Talker

What is your thought process of Churches and Second chances, Second marriages?

2012-10-14T23:35:00.000-04:00

Day75

I have seen the hardships some of the Christian members are facing in the acceptance of their second marriage by the church, and are forced to find an alternative to their spiritual faith, I questioned the church’s ability to forgive. Some of these members are strong believers of their Christian faith and are accustomed with denomination but due to their unavoidable life circumstances their first marriage was unsuccessful and they have remarried. With a second marriage accepted by the constitution, they are hoping for a second chance in life. Unfortunately, the religious Church have denied the acceptance of this constitutional accepted marriage and restricted the remarried Christians from some spiritual ceremonies.

So here is my question: What is your thought process of Churches and Second chances, Second marriages?

I raised this question to one of my childhood friends Mathew Samuel a strong Christian at heart and practice.

Lenji Jacob- This was my inquiring question

“Just a Christian perspective or the church orders on giving people second chances. To my understanding forgiveness is one of the biggest lessons that Christ have taught us. Then why do churches give people an extreme hard time when people are looking for second chances? Second marriages? I know of so many cases, where churches have refused people to practice their faith or even be a part of their church constitution? Why does the church forget the biggest lesson of forgiveness? Why do we pray if we don't practice (Mathew : 6) " Forgive us for our sins, just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us." Just a thought process....”

Mathew Samuel responded:

“Christ and the Church are not too much different the way I see it. The Church forgives the first time, the second time and every time. When the Church stops forgiving, I do not think it remains as the Church.

However, for forgiveness to happen, the repentance is needed first. In my opinion, that part is what is one huge problem amongst us. We do not repent; we usually just use the Church to get our things done. We see the Church as another Club, like a Rotary Club .I am speaking very generally here, but sometimes, we feel the Church gives us a hard time, because most times we give the Church a hard time. We do not live as the Church commands; we are alien to the life in the Church, to the sacraments, to fasting, to prayers etc.

Having said that, obviously there are human imperfections in the Church and mistakes are done which need to be corrected.

Specifically about marriages, even the first marriage - the Church is very cautious because there had been abuses earlier. A priest told me of a situation where he married a couple in all sincerity, and as he steps out of the Church, a lady with a child stands outside asking him "what right do you have to marry my husband and my child's father off to another woman?" The priest had no idea the man was previously married. These are situations that have occurred because people have abused the goodwill of the Church. So precautions are in place.

However, I see what you are saying, people, even Church hierarchy can be sometimes insensitive. There are always exceptions, tragedies happen, and we need to move on and we hope the Church deals with us in a sympathetic manner seeing the sincerity of our case. I hope in genuine situations the Church considers the situations and gives us relief, because the Church is a hospital too, where the soul needs to find relief, not a court where judgment is passed.

But sometimes even after our best efforts, our honest tries, things don’t seem to work, and the Church seems too judgmental. All I can say is, since Christ is the Head of the Church, He will make right what the Church has failed to do, if our efforts are indeed sincere, if our prayers are indeed genuine, if our tears are real. So keep up the efforts, prayers and tears, they will bear fruit, please do not lose hope, it may be the resilience that is being tested here - like in the case of the Canaanite woman.

These were just some thoughts that passed by. It may or may not help someone in a particular situation, but hope you see my perspective. (I had initially thought of just messaging you, but then decided to post it here, hoping someone may benefit)”

~Lenji Jacob

~Mathew Samuel

Reference

Picture: http://neverhopeless.com/wp-content/uploads/second-chance2.jpg

What is the social binding towards second chances?

2012-10-13T23:15:00.000-04:00

Day 74

If I had a second chance, I be home now?

Mistakes are part of a human learning process: you make a mistake and you rectify the mistake and avoid the repetition of the mistake. Every opportunity endeavored to improve from a mistake would be considered a second chance. Another interesting factor in the equation of the mistake incorporated would be the severity of the mistake. The severity of the mistake displays a silent correlation with the society.

So here is my question: What is the social binding towards second chances?

When human beings has created a mistake under the regulations of the law and have completed the tenure of punishment designed for the correction of the mistake, how does the society react? Is there a silent code of blacklisting individuals creating a mistake with severity? Even with the code of equal opportunity employers ask for questions about past punishment records? What is the opportunity of second chances for individuals committing mistakes in the past?

As a human being why do we judge another person that have committed a mistake and completed the punishment for the committed mistake? If society does not prevail the opportunity of second chances, how would the scope of second chances succeed? Isn’t social abandonment of a human being after the tenure of punishment a mistake? How can society provide a chance of improvement or second chance by committing a mistake of rejection?

“Let us not stage the scope of second chance to a path of social abandonment”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

Picture: http://www.crosswalkcc.net/images/Second_Chances.jpg?79

What is the purpose of a test?

2012-10-12T23:21:00.000-04:00

Day 73

As a student, I have spend many hours memorizing for a test or a quiz that was due in class for the next day. Sometimes I ask myself what is the percentage of the information I remember that I have spend hours to memorize. The truth is the materials that I had memorized without understanding during my college days just to accomplish a high grade, I don’t remember much. The materials that I understood and had the ability to implement my learning in my daily life, I remember very well. All the information was learned to get good grades in a test.

So here is my question: What is the purpose of a test?

The theoretical answer about testing would be to analyze the understanding of the information and the ability to ensure applicability. Does this really happen in real life scenarios? How much of applicability is enforced in the testing today? Is the ability of understanding measure by the ability of memorization? Why are students spending plenty amounts of time in memorizing the education materials? How old is the testing and the grading structure?

When was the last time the method of testing established and changed? Why are we focusing on learning elements that we will forget in future because of the lack of applicability? How can we improve the methods of testing to ensure we keep the core standards of true testing? The purpose of education and testing should be for the development of the student and not asserted pressure in memorization.

“The insight of the testing should be enhance my understanding and not pressurize my memorization skills”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference:

Picture: http://www.fau.edu/testing/images/j0341513_1_.jpg

Why do we limit ourselves?

2012-10-11T18:31:00.000-04:00

Day 72

Today while driving to work I heard an interesting story by Joel Osteen from the Joel Osteen ministries. The story talks about a man noticing a fisherman while fishing is throwing away the big fishes back into the ocean and just keeping the small fishes to him. Curious at this action the man asked the fisherman about the reason about his actions. The fisherman responded he has a small frying pan at home and the big fishes would not fit in his pan. Try intercepting this story to our daily lives and do we restrict ourselves in our pre-determined conceptions?

So here is my question: Why do we limit ourselves?

Do you think our preconception restrict us for achieving the full potential that can be

accomplished? Does our subconscious mind create boundaries within ourselves? Does the concept of thinking outside the box mean getting out of predetermined conceptions about a topic or subject? The development of many inventions is reasons because inventors broke their predetermined conceptions about the subject and thought outside the box.

How do we train our mind to avoid any preexisting determination about a subject or topic? How can we avoid ourselves from being the reason of our limitations in life? Let us change from the fisherman who restricted himself to small fishes and open the opportunity to have the ability to catch all the potential fishes. What are some of the causes that create the predetermined conceptions about the topic?

“Limitations are caused by nobody but by yourself”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

Picture: http://zylab.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/limitations.jpg?w=594

What do you look for in your partner?

2012-10-10T23:35:00.000-04:00

Day 71

October 10 marks a big day in my life. On 10/10/10 I dared to walk out of my bachelor life and ask a girl at my favorite spot in Baltimore at around 10:00 pm “Will you marry me?” To my surprise, she just smiled and said “Yes”. I am dedicating this blog to this girl who brought an end to my reign of bachelor life. We got married a month from that and shared ours fights and laughter. Two years have passed by but I am happy that I dared to ask her the question that changed my life. One of the toughest decisions of our lives is choosing the right partner to spend the rest of our lives together. Finding the person is only part of the battle but having the courage to express the feelings and getting back a mutual sentiment is another portion of the battle. The ability to remind yourself in times of happiness and sorrow that your partner completes your world - completes the battle.

So here is my question: What do you look for in your partner?

I sometimes wished finding the right partner was as simple like the poetic words that propose “A strike of lightening and weakening knees.” The theory of an ideal partner is finding a person that does not have the same personality like you to complete your completeness. The challenge of this theory is finding the common conjunction in the person whose personality is not the same as yours. There is another theory about choosing the ideal partner, the theory of love. This theory dictates on the measurement of love and that your partner must reciprocate the equal amount of love and feelings that your share with the person. Another interesting theory would be the theory of purpose, why do you want the other person in your life?

Do all humans look for the same characteristics in their partner? Does the perspective of choosing a partner depend on the gender, age, culture, value, etc. of the person? What are the implications of chemistry for choosing the right partner? Is there a dedicated or accepted time-frame with respect to analyzing a human for partnership? At what point do you decide to pursue the bond of friendship to a bond of partnership?

Does a successful partnership guaranty a smooth sail? Do you think partners don’t fight or argue? In a partnership there will be times when we agree but there will be times when we don’t agree. Even though not a 100 percent successful, two of the biggest lessons I have learned to balance my partnership during times of dispute are the ability to focus the energy on understanding your partner and focusing the energy towards listening to encourage support to your partner.

“I can only be a truthful storyteller about our love-hate relationship with you on-my-side forever to catch my lies”

~Lenji Jacob

What is your take on public restrooms?

2012-10-09T23:01:00.000-04:00

Day 70

I had witnessed many a friends speeding home to use their restroom at home. People tend to hold their bowel or urination until they reached home because they don’t like the idea of using a public restroom. The concept of public restroom is a big taboo for some of my friends because they refuse to use a restroom that is publicly accessible. I always ask them this question “how do you perform when you are traveling or at work?” Some of the friends respond they would avoid public restroom as much as they can. The idea of using a restroom utilized by strangers is an extreme hard cookie to digest.

So here is my question: What is your take on public restrooms?

I have worked in the Airline industry for a period of eight years, and I have observed hundreds of travelers passing by the airport every day. With volume of travelers present one of the most use utility is the restrooms. I have seen the airport housekeeping crew providing sanitation standards every 45 minutes to an hour. How often do we sanitize our restroom at home, Is it every hour, or every day, or every week? What could be the possible sanitation complain for a restroom getting sanitized every 45 minutes to an hour?

Is the resistance of using a public restroom an actual sanitation fear or a phobia created by our minds? Which gender has a higher statistics of resistance of using a public restroom? What is the biggest fear that causes the resistance in the use of public restroom? Can this phobia of the fear or anxiety of public restroom be classified as Agoraphobia? Does the restroom phobia only affect people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?

People having resistance with public resistance create patterns of avoidance behavior. Do the high number of avoidance behavior start damaging human health and livelihood? Do people avoid eating or reducing liquid intake to avoid the use of public restrooms?

“Our phobias should not take control of our health and our livelihood”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

Picture: http://www.nycgo.com/images/uploadedimages/nycgocom/articles/plan_your_visit_contene/restroom_v1_460x285.jpg

Have you ever witnessed an eye-opening episode that has changed the way you think?

2012-10-08T23:28:00.000-04:00

Day 69

An eyeopener moment

This weekend Dominican Republic student had requested to teach a lesson on small business concepts. As the initial process of teaching the concept, every student was asked what are the requirements to start a business? As an answer to the question every student agreed that capital must be raised to start a business. I further asked them what are methods they are going to use to start a business capital? Almost every one responded they will pray to god, they will beg or borrow money for initial capital, save a little money to start a small business, etc. All the responses concluded to the theory “they are poor and it is hard to start a business, and it is not possible to start a business without begging or borrowing.” I further asked them if they have heard of the saying that “you can break one stick easily but it is hard to break to a bunch of sticks together.” I asked them is it possible to start a small business if all the members present in the class contributed a small share into the project. There was a big uproar in the class and all the members said that they had never thought about joining hands to start a project. This concept was an eye opener in the lives of the Dominican Republic students?

So here is my question: Have you ever witnessed an eye-opening episode that has changed the way you think?

For the first time when the students were exposed to the idea of opening a business as a joint venture rather than opening the business individually. I could sense the feeling of hope within the students. I asked the students if they felt they need to beg or borrow to start a new business, and the students responded “NO” in a very positive attitude. I almost felt like I have a new batch of student sitting in the class.

How do you react when you are exposed to an idea that you never thought was possible? Do you start thinking how to further conceive on the idea or do you just dismiss it thinking that it was a momentary bubble of excitement? Either way you decide to pursue it, the seed of starting a business and enhancing your life has taken a tiny root in your brain. If the students in the Dominican Republic can get excited and build on the idea of starting a business together, then why can’t anyone who wants to?

“When the impossible becomes possible, the biggest adjustment is adjusting to the possible”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference:

Picture: http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTcs5rZ5rYfoMsgKItEbvlw6KqWKsKBx3Ut7ToN5cYGQ5EUx-CRPw

Are you an organic shopper or non-organic regular food shopper?

2012-10-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

Day 68

Price Comparison

Ironically recently I had read an article that said poor people had to walk miles to buy their food on the other hand the wealthy had to walk miles to digest their food. Talking about food recently in this decade we have observed a growing trend of customers that are interested in the organic market in comparison to the inorganic foods. The prices of the organic food are much higher in comparison to the inorganic foods. Because of the high demand in the organic market, the organic foods are made available at local grocery stores rather than specialized organic stores.

So here is my question: Are you an organic shopper or non-organic regular food shopper?

There has been an ongoing debate about the topics on organic versus the non-organic. Is the organic food better with respect to vitamins and minerals in comparison to non-organic food? According to a study forwarded by the Stanford School of Medicine, the study did not find many differences in the quality of vitamins and minerals between both the organic food and the conventional food. If there is not much difference between the foods then why did the organic food sale grow from 3.6 billion dollars to 24.4 billion dollars? Why are the consumers spending extra money in organic foods when they can buy the conventional food at a lower price?

The primary argument about the conventional food was the presence of pesticides and growth promoting feeds. The primary argument on the organic food market is the manure contamination originating the presence of E-Coli bacteria causing toxins in food and another small argument enrolls that “the organic foods might not be 100 percent pesticide free”. Many consumers have started farming their produce to create a healthier life style and reduce the pinch in the high cost of the organic products.

Another concept in the food market is the difference between organic foods and natural foods. Organic foods are certified by the United States Department of Agriculture, while the natural foods are just certified by the vendors of the product. Have you paid extra because the product read “All Natural?” Have you paid extra of “Organic Seafood” because USDA are still working on the guidelines of organic seafood, so the current organic seafood claims is vendor based.

The biggest question for this blog would be “Can organic food feed us all?” With organic cultivation how can we maintain a balance between supply and demand? Because organic farmers cannot use pesticides, how many continuous farming is possible because the infection of bugs and insects? What is the designed resting period for the organic soils to eliminate contamination of bacteria?

“We cannot love well, live well, or last well if we cannot nutrient well to enhance our mind and our body”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference:

BRANDT, M (2012, September 3) Little evidence of health benefits from organic foods, Stanford study finds - Office of Communications & Public Affairs - Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford University School of Medicine Retrieved October 7, 2012, from http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2012/september/organic.html
Picture: http://lifeissavage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/organic-vs-conventional.jpg

Does diverse culture play an important role in developing a solution?

2012-10-06T23:11:00.000-04:00

Day 67

Diversity

Today in our class with Dominican Republic we had an interesting conversation on the topic about “what can a poor do to become rich?” I asked every member present for the class this question and recorded their response. Everyone said “they will pray to god”, some solutions included answers about begging for money, avoid eating a meal and saving money, saving and investing money on business, etc. But the strongest response was “praying to god’ and my colleague advised me in Haitian culture they pray to God for all their solutions. In the class session I asked forty students one question that had the potential to having forty different solutions. Because of all the members present in the classroom were culturally monolithic, the responses from the students had “thinking inside the box” effect.

So here is my question: Does diverse culture play an important role in developing a solution?

In a corporate culture group formation are diversified with all elements like age, experience, culture, values, race, ethnicity, gender, etc. This formation of the diverse group helps the corporate find a solution minimizing the thinking inside the box effect. The coalition of the heterogeneous group will initiate higher awareness, reduced conventional solutions, culture sensitivity, enhance collection of knowledge and skills, higher innovative concepts, and many more aspects of the similar trait.

What are the drawbacks when every members of the group thinks identical about a problem? Does an effective solution recommend uniformity in the solution or diversity in the solutions? How do you weigh a better solution if all the solutions are the same? What is the quality of the solution offered by non-homogenous group versus homogenous group? How do you measure the quality of the solution if all the members of the group had a carpel thought process?

“The strength of the solutions is capitalized from the differences rather than the similarities”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference:

Picture: http://www.cci.utk.edu/sites/default/files/docs/diversity_0.jpg

Do you have a support system that help you in times of a challenge?

2012-10-05T23:11:00.001-04:00

Support System

Day 66

Today I decided to enter a new mission to sign up for start working out on regular basis. After living a lazy lifestyle getting back on top of the treadmills, lifting weights was a challenge. The feeling of anger rose within me for not paying attention to my health and letting myself get obese. Luckily for me I have a great support system to enter this challenge.

So here is my question: Do you have a support system that helps you in times of a challenge?

With an excellent support system the option of quitting becomes obsolete. Is this the reason most of the therapies or rehabs are in group sessions creating a support system? What is the ratio of success for accomplishing a challenge individually versus group session?

Is it necessary that your support has a stronger personality than you? Should the support system require group of humans attempting to achieve the same goals? How long does a human need a support system before they can become independent? Does support system create a sense of dependency?

If a support system creates a sense of dependency do you need another support system to break free? Is the concept of the support system a lifelong commitment? Sometimes the presence of another human creates a boosting environment.

"My support system paradigms a bridge that helps me cross the sea of barriers"

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

Picture: https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSyzP6jD_plqb6nrYXgqCJF0SVwHDi_TC1zj6sRnCy1kJqsghVeDA

What will be the fate of "the art of listening"?

2012-10-04T23:18:00.000-04:00

Day 65

The current communication formula are primarily texting and instant messaging that are composed of abbreviated derivation of web-dialect words like LOL, TTYL, LMAO, BRB, etc. Because of the abbreviated texting, the conversation level is limited to couple letter words, and “K” is one of the primary responses for OK. According to the recent survey by pew internet, it is indicated that 58 percent of teenagers prefer to text in comparison to 33 percent of face to face conversation. The whole communication is slowly transferring from verbal to digital.

So here is my question: What will be the fate of "the art of listening"?

Do you think the concept of automation voice or text service is exterminator to the scope of personalized communication? Some of the basic industries that provided personalized customer communication but today are automated are banking, human resources, travelling, shopping, help desks, medical health, motor vehicle authorities and many more. People trying to make an inquiry through a telephone will have to process a chain of menus and options that could range anywhere from five to ten minutes. The customer service representative responding the telephone inquiries presented a limited scope of time allocation within the range of three to five minutes. Imagine after an interview, the company communicates the response of the job interview with the automated website not a call from a human resources representative.

What are the growing manager jobs in the country? Social media managers and Social media marketers are two growing jobs in the country. The focus of the business world has shifted from verbal advertisement to digital advertisement. The latest news or updates are normally tweeted or Facebook-ed. Do you think interviews will be soon conducted soon electronically? What is the statistics of current generation on alert and orientation will respect to regular talking?

As verbal communications are slowly changing toward a digital phase, what will happen to the small talks? Do you think people will have the patience to listen to a person for over a period of 10 to 15 minutes? Can electronic words produce the sounds for interpretation and understanding?

“The art of listening reduces noise and illuminates the clarity of understanding”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference:

Picture: http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Teens-and-Mobile-Phones/~/media/B04E7F9D1DE148189E6C4065597B6A1B.jpg?w=530&h=634&as=1

How do you associate with the concept of American Middle Class?

2012-10-03T23:03:00.000-04:00

Day 64

First Presidential Debate 2012

Watching the Presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney, one of the primary agenda of the debate was focused around the “Middle Class Family.” The debate evolved with topics like the taxes affecting the Middle Class family, high rate of unemployment that distress the “Middle Class Family,” etc. In this indecisive economy times, do you think the Middle Class is the new poor Class Family.

So here is my question: How do you associate with the concept of American Middle Class?

The middle class constituted the most American population. In a recent survey studies published in the Los Angeles Times, the American Middle Class have decreased from 67 percent of the population to 51 percent of the population. What happened to the 16 percent of the population? Do you think the unemployment rate shifted the 16 percent to the new poor American class that requires Medicaid for health and food stamps?

The middle class salary incorporated from 39,000 dollars to 118,000 dollars but with duel employers in the household, the median salary range was approximately 74,000 dollars. But the new shift in the American Middle Class dropped the median to approximately 69,000. But in true terms, with this high unemployment rate do you think that all the members in the household are currently working? What is the pressure on the single parents in raising their children? What are the opportunities for the young adults who are fresh graduates and new in the job market?

With the depleting Middle Class what will outcomes of the tax brackets? Will the country face an additional credit crunch because of the eroding American Middle Class? Do you think the demand for national health programs, and national affiliations for the poor will be on a rise?

“An age dedicated selfless for my family rather than myself, a middle class scripture”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference:

Trounson, R., & Times, L. A. (2012, August 23). Eroding middle class falls to 51%, survey finds - Los Angeles Times. Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 4, 2012, from http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/23/local/la-me-0823-middle-class-20120823
Picture: http://www.topnewstoday.org/i5/0/90/56/img_3456900.jpg

Have you ever faced decision fatigue?

2012-10-02T23:24:00.000-04:00

Day 63

What should I decide?

One of the hardest decisions that I have made in my life was to leave a comfortable job and shift my settled career in the pursue of a new career search. This decision included plenty of uncertainty and decrease in the financial status. Ideally shifting to a new career incorporates approximately three to four years of career investment to earn a career growth. The course in the pursuit of the dream career included many challenging decision-making process that at times created a syndrome the decision fatigue.

So here is my question: Have you ever faced decision fatigue?

On an average day, we make hundreds of decisions. The severity of these decisions can range from simple decisions like what to eat, what to wear, to many complex financial decisions. What is the relationship between decision-making to mood of the person? What is the formula of an experience decision-making? Does the ratio between the good decisions and bad decisions play an direct correlation to the decision fatigue syndrome?

What are the cycles of mental strain a human process through decision-making? The amount of decisions processed in a day has a direct relationship to the quality of decision-making. The numerous decision-making incorporates the phase of restless brain that causes the human to take shortcut methods to obtain the results. Does the overload of decision-making create the brain to stop functioning causing a decision fatigue syndrome?

The element of decision fatigue has the potential to create depletion in the mental energy. The biggest challenge in the depletion of the mental energy is that it is normally undetected and confused for another symptom. Reduced mental energy has the probability to effect the physical energy of the human being.

“Decisions are like wolf packs, you invite one decision, you invite the pack”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

1. Picture: http://www.maurilioamorim.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/decision-making.jpg

Is the technology era ruining childhood?

2012-10-01T23:00:00.000-04:00

Day 62

The sport of cricket is treated as a religion in India. In my growing years you would see a ground flooded with children playing their games of cricket. In the 80’s era sports has been the great aspect for child development. The teenagers from this era would look for every opportunity to run into the grounds to play cricket, soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc. In the 80’s era for kids technology like video games were just evolving in the culture. The prime outlet from studying for kids was playing sports outside and this incorporated a great form of daily exercise. The constant interaction with other kids helped in the development of friendship bonds, and better understanding of social culture. Recently I saw my cousin, 11 years of age refusing to play outside and playing his game on PlayStation. As matter of fact this is the story of many kids of this era, they prefer to sit home and play games on their interactive technology games.

So here is my question: Is the technology era ruining childhood?

What is the scope of physical development when a young adult is using technology to play sports? With children opting out of games, what are the other forms of exercise available for them? With virtual interaction on multiplayer games, what are the options of social development? Do you think kids become more prone to climate changing allergies because of the limited outside environment interactions?

Now let us focus on technology and academic scoop. In an article in Chicago Tribune, children are taught the art of typing or keyboarding as young as 2^nd grade. Some state schools recommends students to present their assignments typed in elementary school, while some state schools waits until the child has reached high school. Typing a document presents the option of auto spell checker for the students? With Auto checker options what happens to the foundation of spelling and sentence structure formation for the young children?

Now lets us focus on technology and communication. With the smart phone and cell phone era, texting or instant messaging is the accepted form of communication. Does this form of communication create laziness in the children? Does an ignored text or unanswered text initiate a level of anxiety, rejection or depression for the children?

Now let us focus on technology and personal. Social networking website is the new form of social interaction and communication. Change in the relationship status is one of the most commonly shared scoops or gossips. Unfortunately by updating the relationship status about the new soul mates or breakups, the child is publicly broadcasting about their personal details eliminating the factor of privacy or personal.

“Strong foundation oaths the first step to achievement before building advancements”

~Lenji Jacob

References

Picture 1: https://www.lords.org/data/images/originals/winner-sl-shanth-kumar-big-42157.jpg
Picture 2: http://api.ning.com/files/*L0h2F9d*Bn-KFy*FBQFaF3IaFt7Xm6wUGOTit6RWGgUJv9EShMheUN9DoetVCYYFgliL6zYTfKC7V-WwjnxY6VIwc-8g5uE/childcomputer.jpg
Steele, J. (1999, November 14). Teachers Tapping Into Debate As Typing Lessons Start Early - Chicago Tribune. Featured Articles From The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1999-11-14/news/9911140088_1_typing-keyboarding-elementary-school-teachers

How do you handle work pressure?

2012-09-30T23:00:00.000-04:00

Day 61

Because of the current economy many employers are shying away from recruiting and filling up open job vacancies. As a byproduct of this action, the current employees have increased work load and pressure. The progression of handling pressure will indicate high rate of deviance based on the personality of the employee. Every human handles pressure differently, some will indicate increased efficiency, while others will indicate increased depression. Where is the fine line for an employer to maintain the standards of pressure?

So here is my question: How do you handle work pressure?

Why do we feel pressured? Does the increased work load create a dispute in our abilities of time management? Do the challenging priority shifts create a blind spot to the integrity of our focus? When do the implications of quitting or a sense of non-competency or breakpoint intrude our mind?

Studies indicate that people fail under employment pressure are because of the feeling of overburden, lack of direction, inexperience, lack of leadership, and many more similar facts. Because of the high unemployment rate, people have limited opportunities creating a sense of confinement in the present employment. On the contrary, workings under pressure have challenged the caliber of many humans creating an effect of development. Positive pressure generates new inventive methods, increased resource volume, improvements to current procedures, and many more.

How can pressure be manipulated to work in favor and reduce distress? What are the main concepts we learn in schools and universities other than the obvious path of education? All throughout our educational career we have indirectly processed the concepts of managing time and pressure with assignments, homework, quizzes, and exams. Some of the prime technique we make use are focus, analyze, simplify, develop, customize to your strengths and execute.

“Pressure is an opportunist in disguise and all we have to do is brush-away the negativity”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

Picture: https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSrivYQRfqno7Tnw9GnI03llbfn9xDnZlvBx82vDNrzk3vJ34OA

Why do people think about committing suicide?

2012-09-29T23:00:00.000-04:00

Day 60

In my recent readings of Indian news, I have come across many articles about people committing suicides. Here are some of the examples of the news headlines I saw in the last 10 days.

1. CBI files closure report in Dr Sachan's death saying forensic report points to suicide Reported by Anant Zanane, written by Samira Shaikh | Friday September 28, 2012

2. Woman jumps before train with two children Press Trust of India | Wednesday September 26, 2012

3. Woman sets herself afire after constant teasing by male classmates, dies Press Trust of India | Wednesday September 26, 2012

4. Girl kills self after parents scold for talking on phone; boyfriend commits suicide too Press Trust of India | Wednesday September 26, 2012

5. Geologist suicide: Congress demands investigation against Goa Chief Minister Reported by Rashmi Rajput, Edited by Sabyasachi Dasgupta | Sunday September 23, 2012

6. Aged couple commits suicide Press Trust of India | Monday September 17, 2012

So these articles intrigued my curiosity and I furthered my research on this topic on United States. I was absolutely speechless and in shock when I saw the results. In an article presented by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports a suicide death happens in every 13.7 minutes and approximately every year 1,000,000 people have attempted suicide. The ratio of the suicide death seems higher than the automobile accident death ratio.

So here is my question: Why do people think about committing suicide?

What are some of the main causes that lead people to consider the hard decision of ending their life? Some of the common explanations that claims sucidial causes are classified as depression, pain, emotional distress, etc. At what point do the human ability to fight problems shut down and the philosophy of suicide ramifications enroll in to the human mind? Do you think the ratio of suicides can be reduced if we can overcome the momentary phase of the thought process? What is the state of human mind when the theory of suicide is implanted in human minds?

What is the age group that is most prominent with the suicide cases? Studies have indicated the suicide rate in teenagers have tripled in comparison to the last two decades? What is the potential explanation behind an increase in suicide rates in teenagers? According to the CDC the prime identified age for teenagers at high risk are between the ages of 15 and 25. What are the influences of alcohol, drugs, parent separation, bullying effect, relationship status, networking websites, etc. in the increase rate of suicide cases in young adults? Do you think it is an attempt of attention that was not clearly pre-calculated?

The more research I performed on this topic, I realize this could be a growing concern at a much faster rate than we realize. The increasing unemployment rate can act as a catalyst to the concern of suicides. There are many organizations in every state of the country promoting support system to reduce the ratio but is that enough. How can we help to save a life at every 13.7 minutes?

“Death byproducts grieve but life elevates new paths to happiness”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference:

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (2012) Facts and Figures AFSP: Understanding and Preventing Suicide through Research, Education and Advocacy Retrieved September 29, 2012, from http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?page_id=04ea1254-bd31-1fa3-c549d77e6ca6aa37

Picture: http://www.eyeonannapolis.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/suicide_speak_reach.jpg

What is the one thing you want people to remember about you?

2012-09-28T21:58:00.000-04:00

Day 59

Memory of a smiling face

Thank you to the social networking websites that I was able to reconnect with some of friends after over a decade. As soon as their picture surfaced, my mind reconnected to some of the old memories my subconscious mind had carried with me all these years. These were the happy reunions, but let us also think about the sad hearings. When one of the loved one has passed on these social networking websites you would see the chain of RIP posts, and prayers from acquaintance, friends and families. Through our course of life, we have acquainted with hundreds of people, out of which some people we have remembered and some we have forgotten.

So here is my question: What is the one thing you want people to remember about you?

It is an understandable logic that not everyone will have the same memory of the person, but is it possible to have a high volume of people has the same feeling about you as a person? Have you ever thought about how people have classified you as a person in the circle of life? What is that one aspect of your personality that people correlate to you automatically? What are the potential roles that you play in their life?

Sitting back and thinking about these questions, I want people to store me in their memory as “the person who always smiled”. Personally a smiling face of the person is one of the best memories a person can have about another person. It evolves a sense of happiness and I believe the memory of a smiling face to a point is contagious.

I recently came across with some people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Most of them luckily remember some of the best fascinating stories about self or their loved ones. Things brings out one good question, how would you like to remember yourself in life? What is that one thing you would like to remember about you even if you lost all the other memories about you? Do you think that one good memory about yourself would help you? How would you deal with life, if the only memory about yourself is bad?

“We may become dust someday but our memories can become the everlasting dawns.”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

Picture: http://www.graphics99.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/smile-picture-for-friendster.jpg

How do you feel about names that are different?

2012-09-27T22:44:00.000-04:00

Day 58

My dad’s first name is Jacob, my name is Lenji Jacob and my wife’s last name is Lenji. Every time I have shared this theory with my colleagues, their first reaction is they are confused and as soon as the story unfolds there are fascinated. Let me provide you a little background on this concept, I am a South Indian Christian from Kerala State. In the Christian culture of the state the spouse and the kids take the first name of the husband or the father. So strangely the ancestral tree chain will indicate the last names changing with every generation. This was the confusing part but the idea of the wife taking her husband’s first name as her last name is fascinating for many.

So here is my question: How do you feel about names that are different?

People have been able to pronounce my name quite easily and I feel it to be a blessing in disguise. Let me tell you a story about a Gentleman traveling from England to US after a conference. His name is Hemanth Subramaniam and is pronounced Hey-month Subra-man-yam. His name announced overhead to board the flight by the ticket agent as He-man the Superman. I find this story ironic because I always wondered what is thoughts going through the minds of his co-passengers. Do we really have comic superhero travelling with us?

There are more stories as such we encounter in real life. In reel-life Comedian Russell Peters in one of his acts talks about a gentleman he had encountered in a casino had click attached to his name. He explains his attempts to pronounce the name of the gentleman unaware of the possibility of a click sound to the name.

What is one of the hardest decisions parents face when a new born baby is born? Naming the baby is one of the top contenders of the new parent dilemma. Many different cultures and religions have different celebrations attached to the ceremony of naming the baby. The theory of names represents the focus to origin.

“The Name is one of the most sacred possessions of your identity”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxb_57LJ7XY

Have you ever had steamed crabs?

2012-09-26T23:50:00.001-04:00

Day 57

Are you ready for some Crab Feasting?

Every country or every state has a minimum of one unique food item that every traveler must try. The state of Maryland is well known for their Maryland Crabs. As a local resident of the State of Maryland, I am guilty of enjoying the crab feasting moments with my friends and family. My friends and I would dedicate a day to camp out at a restaurant providing us the option of “All you can eat crabs.” We follow this ritual of crab feasting every two to three weeks in a month. Steamed crabs, Old Bay, Beer, and Friends is an excellent remedy to heal from a stressful work week. It is ironic that before the steamed crabs come to the table all the friends are loud and talking but as soon as the crabs approach the table then there is a great silence. The only noise you hear is the noise of the cracking crabs.

So here is my question: Have you ever had steamed crabs?

I am not sure if I would recommend steamed crabs on a first date because it is very hands on. The technique of eating steam crabs is unique and if you are not careful when picking the crab you can injure your fingers. I guess when I am eating steamed crabs with my friends, it is the only time I don’t mind much about the whole community eating theory. To a point all my friends are in sync with each other with breaking the crab claws, and picking the crabs.

As little the crabs are, the crab meat is quickly filling. If you ever wonder why the crab meats are expensive, try picking some steamed crabs. But regardless of the labor involved, every bite of the crab meat makes the whole process worth the effort. Eating crabs has always provoked the happy moments with friends, so the warmth owes itself to both the crabs and longing

“If you are in Maryland and missed the Maryland crabs, you have missed everything.”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

Picture: http://www.imperialscatering.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/crab.7754921_std.png

Is working daytime the same as working nighttime?

2012-09-25T23:52:00.001-04:00

Day 56

The idea of working nights theoretically sounds brilliant with abundant amount of time available for self during the daytime. I have worked nights for a long period of time and my wife worked days. The most common argument in my household was “I work the same amount of time in the day you work at night, but why are you more tired than I am?” An exceptionally valid question, technically I should sleep straight for eight hours in the day and become functional just like the daytime workers.

So here is my question: Is working daytime the same as working nighttime?

In our argument, one of the biggest points I would address was the pattern of sleep? Do you think people that work at night sleep the same way people work during the day? People working during the day can ideally sleep for straight six to eight hours at night. Is it possible for the people working at night sleep straight for six to eight hours, or is their sleep pattern intermittent into smaller segments?

I would say most of the people working nights would agree that they sleep in segments. They will sleep for couple of hours after work and then wake up and then sleep for couple of hours before going to their work. What is the biggest problem with segmented sleep? The biggest problem with segmented sleep is the inability to achieve the complete sleep cycle. Without the complete sleep cycle, people working the nights would face a higher fatigue ratio in comparison to the people working days. There is additional risk of gaining weight because of eating to compensate the fatigueless level.

Do you think people working nights have to use medications like Benadryl or sleeping pills to get a good day sleep? What are the potential variations in the body because of the adaptations to the changing sleep pattern during the day? What is the interference of sunlight or daylight affecting the quality of sleep for the people sleeping during the day? Because of the segmented sleep, is it possible for the people working nights sleeping longer to cope with the disturbed sleep?

“A good sleep cannot potentially cure my problems but definitely recharge my mind and body to face the problems”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

Picture: https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRW9PH1t92fB47pTA_HNXiIQ_uMIRU-xdPBgxSZQ7GWxfL3nlTf0STwy71d7g

What is the Emergency room crisis with internet and media?

2012-09-24T23:53:00.001-04:00

Day 55

I am dedicating this blog to the members of the healthcare organization who contribute a major part of their life in saving lives of the people in crisis.

I have worked very close in the Emergency Department as the first point of contact. I had the opportunity to interact with some of the best health care providers, nurses, technicians, health administrative professionals, etc. The organization observed patients visiting the emergency room department for treatments from complains like the common cold to the critical cardiac arrest. Ideally for every patient their personal sickness outweighs the sickness of the other patients, but for an emergency room professional the weight of the sickness is measured based on the life threatening emergency. Unfortunately the average emergency room wait in the country is four to five hours, and during episodes of bottleneck effect the wait times could become higher. With internet availability and media shows like ER, House, Grey’s Anatomy, etc. we have many self-diagnosed patients with the expectation of response based on the televised medical drama shows. One of the most prominent questions in the ER is “How long is the wait”

So here is my question: What is the Emergency room crisis with internet and media?

What is the true meaning of an emergency health crisis? Does not a true emergency health crisis constitute a life-threatening health crisis? When did common cold become a life threatening crisis? Was the ideology of Emergency Medical Treatment to create the Emergency Room an extended doctor’s office visit or an alternative to doctor’s office?

According to EMTALA the definition of an emergency is classified as the following

“An emergency medical condition is defined as a condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in placing the individual's health [or the health of an unborn child] in serious jeopardy, serious impairment to bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of bodily organs."

What is the level of appreciation for an emergency room clinical member? I had witnessed emergency room nurses called names after providing the best patient care in the scope of their duty because of the wait times in the emergency room. Why does this happen? Does this happen because of the television Medical drama? Why doesn't the telecast medical drama focus on some of the elements like emergency room waits, scopes of duty of the triage nurse, front desk administrative professional, or any other member in the first line of contact? Why the health care workers are penalized for providing the best health care service but may have a low rating in the third-party surveys because of the extended wait times?

“As emergency room members we have listened to your complains, we have saved your lives, we have provided comfort, care and compassion, we have cleaned you when required, and all this act is done without a prescription and in return we just ask you to appreciate”

~Lenji Jacob

References:

EMTALA (2012) how does EMTALA define an emergency? American College of Emergency Physicians Retrieved September 24, 2012, from http://www.acep.org/content.aspx?id=25936

Picture: http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2010/04/05/04a_t607.jpg

When have you disconnected with the world to connect with nature?

2012-09-23T22:13:00.001-04:00

Day 54

After promising my wife for almost four years, we decided to take a day trip to Skyline drive at the Shenandoah National Park Virginia. The skyline was approximately 105 miles with a driving speed to 30 miles per hour. We left our home at 3:30 am to be in time to see the sun peeking out through the mountain valley. To my surprise at 6:30 in the morning the park had many visitors. Luckily today was an excellent day for this excursion with great fall like weather with some change of colors that were peeking through. Approximately every two miles, there was an overlook that displayed mesmerizing scenic display of the mountains. The symphony of nature was creating a meditating effect.

So here is my question: When have you disconnected with the world to connect with nature?

Unfortunately for me driving through the park disconnected me from my cellphone because of the lack of service. It was hard for me to check my emails, connect with Facebook and Twitter. Initially annoyed because I felt handicapped without the phone but then the scenic beauty took a hold of me. With the phone away, I actually enjoyed my surroundings in great detail and felt like I was spending some quality time.

In this trip we pursued an Apache trail leading us to a waterfall and since it had rained yesterday the whole 1.5mile walk was worth the huffing and puffing. Today I had great opportunities to pursue my photography skills. Strangely there was a feeling of Amish Culture somewhere behind my mind throughout the trip because I felt disconnected from the world.

When is the last time you have disconnected yourself from the world and pursued something that you like to do? In our busy life schedules, do you think a date with nature for a day will help us rejuvenate for more challenges? How about disconnecting ourselves from the world and spending the day with the people we care?

“Freedom of the mind opens in the peacefulness of the wild rather than in the preoccupied society”

~Lenji Jacob

Do you associate rain with romance or disaster?

2012-09-22T23:30:00.000-04:00

Day 53

Kissing in the Rain

My early childhood days were in India which is also a monsoon country. According to the book “Chasing the Monsoon by Alexander Frater” the highest rainfall happens in Cherrapunji, India. This country associates romance with rain, and the Indian cinema that has the maximum film output in the world supports the theme of “Rain and Romance” in the movies. Many of the classic poetry, cinema, songs, pictures, and many more literature in the world associates the concept of “romance and rain” together. Simultaneously rain is companioned with lightening, thunderstorms, tornados, floods that have brought many disasters in the world causing many death and grievances.

So here is my question: Do you associate rain with romance or disaster?

The question incorporates elements of two different extremes, and the answer would include a biased persuasion from the contributor. Do you think the answer of the question will be influenced by the age group of the contributor? Do you think the answer of the question will be influenced by the gender of the contributor? What do you think the ratio of the answer will outcome? What percentage of influence does media and literature incorporate in answering this question?

I guess the idea of rain and romance is incorporated because rain directly or indirectly stimulates our senses. The smell of the ground after the first rain (smell), a wet exposure included with potential rainbow sightings (vision), getting wet in the rain (touch), a cooler weather (feel), and taste of raindrops (taste). Ironically just not for humans but rain correlates to mating seasons for many of the species.

Hurricane

On the contrary to the idea of romance, recently United States faced the downfall of rain in the form of hurricane Katrina, and hurricane Irene. The hurricanes caused a death ratio of approximately 2000 lives, thousands of injuries, over 100 billion dollars in damages, and high homeless ratio. People had to leave their homes and causing an impact of being stranded.

“Rain the million droplets falling from the sky can play both the roles of the creator and the destructor”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

Picture 1: http://www.romanticlovepictures.com/downloads/Kissing_in_the_rain_with_umbrella1.jpg

Picture 2: http://www.faswd.com/uploads/Hurricane_4_large.jpg

How successful do you think a social life will be with no alcohol?

2012-09-21T22:02:00.001-04:00

Day 52

Recently I have been on a mission to incorporate a social life excluding the element of alcohol. The proposition of a social hangout with no alcohol was excellent but emerging the proposition to practice was a whole different animal. The concept of this idea was equivalent to going to Fogo de Chao (Brazilian churrascaria steakhouse) and ordering vegetarian food. With elements like happy hours an average American social hour incorporates alcohol, bars, clubs, etc.

So here is my question: How successful do you think a social life will be with no alcohol?

With an important ingredient of social hour like alcohol being eliminated out of the picture what are chances of having the potential threat of being a social outcast? What is probability of locating friends of sharing the idea of social hour with no alcohol? Does this idea require you to enroll in alcohol free social groups, rather than your old friends? With an honorable decision like eliminating alcohol from the lifestyle to reduce risks like diabetes, obesity, etc. initiates challenges in balancing the social life.

Why is an atmosphere in correlation to alcohol environment such a big part of our social regime? Until I made this commitment to refrain alcohol environments, I had failed to understand that the constituent of alcohol consumed a big part of my social settings. The social contacts and the friend lists had a drastically condensed in size. The social gathering venues had been reduced when the proposition of social hour with no alcohol was executed.

This could be the reason that the US alcohol beverage industry is one of the biggest contributors of the US economy. In a study performed in 2009, it is reported that US alcohol beverage industry contributed 393 billion dollars to the economy (DISCUS, 2009). This could be a reason that the sales taxation increments are always focused on the US alcohol beverage industry with 14 to 25 percent taxation.

"There is a fine line between you drinking alcohol and alcohol drinking you for a social commitment”

~Lenji Jacob

References

Economic Contributions of the Distilled Spirits Industry | DISCUS (2009) Distilled Spirits Council of the United States | DISCUS Retrieved September 22, 2012, from http://www.discus.org/economics/

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Should the Motor Vehicle Authority administer an age cut of point for issuing driver’s license?

2012-09-20T23:46:00.000-04:00

Day 51

In this month on the evening news I have heard over three incidents that included a senior citizen involved in a car accident. The vehicle accident has caused injuries to the victims. The citizens did not have any prior criminal record and unfortunately the accidents were caused because they had lost control of the vehicle.

(http://kiii.images.worldnow.com/images/19432284_BG1.jpg)

Here is a news article on Aug 31^st 2012: Senior Citizen Crashes Car into Building. The news article talks about a 92 year old driver had pressed the accelerated instead of the brake pedal. As a result to this action the vehicle crashed into a building. The senior Citizen was lucky with no injuries (Christi, 2012).

So here is my question: Should the Motor Vehicle Authority administer an age cut of point for issuing driver’s license?

When I addressed this question, the question brings forwards two opposite arguments

Argument 1: This argument supports the safety of the senior drivers and recommends determining an age limit to stop issuing driver’s license. The argument takes into consideration to the response times, medical conditions like Alzheimer’s, and many more

Argument 2: This argument supports the aspect of freedom and independence for the senior drivers. This argument debates taking away the driving privilege creates dependency for the seniors.

Do you think if a driver’s license is issued after a certain age, the renewable time should be one year with free license renewable options? Do you think the senior citizen driver’s license renewable should include an updated medical record from the primary doctor? Should there be a maximum driving mileage set for citizen after a certain age?

“What is the value of safety with compromised freedom?”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference:

Christi, C. (2012) Senior Citizen Crashes Car Into Building - KiiiTV3.com South Texas, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend. KiiiTV3.com South Texas, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend - Home Retrieved September 20, 2012, from http://www.kiiitv.com/story/19432284/senior-citizen-crashes-car-into-building