Ellen Kaufman – Page 8 – The Talkative Man

Ben Franklin’s Fable of The Lion And The Dog

Ben Franklin's Fable of The Lion And The Dog

In January 1770, in the London newspaper The Public Advertiser, Benjamin Franklin published a fable about a young lion cub and a large English dog traveling together on a ship.

A lion’s whelp was put on board a Guinea ship bound to America as a present to a friend in that country: it was tame and harmless as a kitten, and therefore not confined, but suffered to walk about the ship at pleasure. A stately, full-grown English mastiff, belonging to the captain, despising the weakness of the young lion, frequently took its food by force, and often turned it out of its lodging box, when he had a mind to repose therein himself The young lion nevertheless grew daily in size and strength, and the voyage being long, he became at last a more equal match for the mastiff; who continuing his insults, received a stunning blow from the lion’s paw that fetched his skin over his ears, and deterred him from any future contest with such growing strength; regretting that he had not rather secured its friendship than provoked its enmity.

This is one of the many his articles, letters, hoaxes, and other pieces of political propaganda all aimed at convincing the British colonial powers that its oppressive treatment of the American colonies would sooner or later backfire. Franklin was acting in his capacity as the spokesman in London for several colonies.

Franklin “humbly inscribed” this to Lord Hillsborough, the British Secretary of State for the Colonies, who had become Franklin’s most ardent opponent.

Lord Hillsborough (Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire PC) served as the colonial secretary from 1768 to 1772, a critical period leading toward the American War of Independence.

For a great collection of the writings of Benjamin Franklin, see ‘A Benjamin Franklin Reader’ by Walter Isaacson. Not only was Franklin a self-made man, but he gave great advice about connecting with people and interacting with others both from a business and from a personal point of view.

India Will Not and Must Not Become a Superpower

Indian historian and environmentalist Ramachandra Guha speaks of why India will not and must not become a superpower.

I broadly agree with Guha’s analysis about India’s last 60+ years since 1947, especially in the arena of inclusion/exclusion of communities in development process (e.g. tribals being mostly excluded), also the growing Maoism factor, and the polarization of religious communities who, unfortunately can have a foothold in mainstream politics with their religious agenda (e.g. Sangh Parivar via the BJP or the Muslim Parties such as the recently launched one by Akbaruddin Owaisi in Hyderabad).

But Guha is cautious not to completely belittle India’s progress in the last 7 decades and is in fact very hopeful of India’s future. This comes across in most of his writings.

India Flag As for Guha’s reasons why India should not become a superpower his talk mentions something to that effect. He is suspicious of superpowers because the 20th century’s experience with political/economic superpowers (Britain, USA, Russia mainly) is by and large not a good one when you see the record of colonial and post-colonial 20th century. Africa and all parts of Asia were left in tatters and the effects are still unfolding especially in the Middle East and South Asia (Indo-Pakistan conflict/ Hindu-Muslim communal rivalry).

However is it possible to define a superpower differently? Can India become a superpower of a different kind? There is no answer to this question since the model does not exist for the 21st century of such a superpower (EU is a close alternative but EU is historically unique and cannot be replicated). But the model being pursued by India since the last 20 years or a little more does not lend itself to an interpretation that India, even if it became a superpower, will be different from China or USA. And hence my opinion would be in agreement with Guha that India is better off not being a superpower but taking care of its internal issues as best as possible. This does not mean that we cannot unleash Indian potential. The day we unleash Indian potential by and for Indians will actually be the day India might actually claim “superpower” status. (There you go! a new understanding of what it means to be a superpower!)

Ex-Google’s Marissa Mayer on Nine Principles of Innovation

The last decade’s most remarkable business story has been the rise of Google as a dominant force in computing. Whenever a company becomes wildly successful in a brief span of time, it naturally becomes an object of fascination for corporate executives and even the general public.

Marissa Mayer on Creativity Marissa Mayer, then Vice-President for Search Products and User Experience at Google, and presently CEO of Yahoo, shared nine guiding principles of innovation that have helped her succeed with Fast Company:

Innovation, Not Instant Perfection. “The Googly thing is to launch it early on Google Labs and then iterate, learning what the market wants—and making it great. … The beauty of experimenting in this way is that you never get too far from what the market wants. The market pulls you back.
Ideas Come from Everywhere. “We have this great internal list where people post new ideas and everyone can go on and see them.
A License to Pursue Your Dreams. “We let engineers spend 20% of their time working on whatever they want, and we trust that they’ll build interesting things.
Morph Projects Don’t Kill Them. “Any project that is good enough to make it to Labs probably has a kernel of something interesting in there somewhere, even if the market doesn’t respond to it. It’s our job to take the product and morph it into something that the market needs.
Share as Much Information as You Can. “People are blown away by the information you can get on MOMA, our intranet. Because there is so much information shared across the company, employees have insight into what’s happening with the business and what’s important. … It allows us to share what we know across the whole company, and it reduces duplication.
Users, Users, Users. “In a truly virtual business, if you’re successful, you’ll be working at something that’s so necessary people will pay for it in subscription form. Or you’ll have so many users that advertisers will pay to sponsor the site.
Data is Apolitical. “Run a test on 1% of the audience and whichever design does best against the user-happiness metrics over a two-week period is the one we launch. … We probably have somewhere between 50 and 100 experiments running on live traffic, everything from the default number of results to underlined links to how big an arrow should be. We’re trying all those different things.
Creativity Loves Constraints. “People think of creativity as this sort of unbridled thing, but engineers thrive on constraints. They love to think their way out of that little box: ‘We know you said it was impossible, but we’re going to do this, this, and that to get us there.’
You’re Brilliant? We’re Hiring. “There is this amazing element to the culture of wanting to work on big problems that matter, wanting to do great things for the world, believing that we can build a successful business without compromising our standards and values.

How Google Fuels its Innovation Factory

Innovation, not instant perfection.: Google launches early and often in small beta tests, before releasing new features widely
Ideas come from everywhere.: Google expects everyone to innovate, even the finance team
A license to pursue dreams.: Employees get a “free” day a week. Half of new launches come from this “20% time“
Don’t kill projects—morph them.: There’s always a kernel of something good that can be salvaged
Share everything you can.: Every idea, every project, every deadline—it’s all accessible to everyone on the intranet
Worry about usage and users, not money.: Provide something simple to use and easy to love. The money will follow.
Don’t politic, use data.: Mayer discourages the use of “I like” in meetings, pushing staffers to use metrics
Creativity loves restraint.: Give people a vision, rules about how to get there, and deadlines
You’re brilliant, we’re hiring.: Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin approve hires. They favor intelligence over experience

The Tallest Free-standing Stone Sculpture of Gommateshwara in Shravanabelagola

Gommateshvara in Shravanabelagola

The statue of Gommateshvara at Shravanabelagola, the tallest free standing stone sculpture in the world has given a unique and international cultural status to Karnataka.

Shravanabelagola is the most sacred religious centre of the Jains. It has a hoary antiquity dating back to the third century B.C., when Bhadrabahu along with the Maurya king Chandragupta came and settled down here. From then on many Karnataka dynasties like the Gangas of Talakad, the Chalukyas, the Hoysalas, the rulers of Vijayanagara and others patronised this Jaina sacred place.

However, it was during the period of Ganga king Rachamalla IV (973–999 A.D.), the place became famous because his minister Chamundaraya consecrated this image of Gommateshvara on the summit of the hill commanding a picturesque view of the whole area. A large number of Jaina temples were built here at different periods by various dynasties which have made this center an open air museum of Jaina art.

Colossal Image of Bahubali in Shravanabelagola The real attraction of Shravanabelagola is the colossal image of Bahubali also known as Gommateshvara. Its height is 57 feet and is the tallest stone sculpture in the world. The image is nude and stands facing north; in an erect yogic posture. The serene expression of the face is remarkable. The hair is curly and the ears are long, the shoulders being broad and the arms hang down straight with the thumbs turned outwards. The lower portion adds majesty and grandeur. The entire image stands on a pedestal which is in the form of a lotus. The foot measures nine feet in length; the toes are 2 feet 9 inches; the middle finger is 5 feet 3 inches; the forefinger is 3 feet 6 inches; third finger is 4 feet 7 inches; the fourth finger is 2 feet 3 inches.

Shravanabelagola is a sacred religious centre in Jainism

The face of Gommateshvara is most artistic and is a commentary on the success of the skill of the sculptor who carved it. The eyes are half open and the eye balls appear as if real. This also symbolizes the pensive mood of the saint. The total effect is one of majesty, grace and dignity, and expresses his compassion towards the fellow beings and hence is considered as the best in this type. Gommateshvara has been watching the human beings and their sufferings for the past one thousand years and people are looking at him for guidance for an ethical and religious life. Thus he is inspiring people to follow the path of Dharma. Once in twelve years a special ritual called Mahamastakabhisheka takes place when lakhs of people assemble here to be blessed by the compassionate Gommateshvara.

Drink your Tea the Turkish way in this beautifully ornate Gold- and Sapphire-Colored Turkish Tea Set

Gold and Sapphire Colored Turkish Tea & Coffee Cups

There’s nothing like a Turkish tea to set you up for the day.

Gold and Sapphire Colored Turkish Tea & Coffee Cups

It’s the right time to drink a cup of turkish tea at this cold weather to feel warm.

Gold and Sapphire Colored Turkish Tea & Coffee Cups

Turkish Tea Set. Beautiful at home or work. We love this colorful set!

Gold and Sapphire Colored Turkish Tea & Coffee Cups

Harland Sanders’ Cafe and Museum Celebrates the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Col. Sanders, founder of KFC—Amazing Unknown Destinations

Birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken - Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum

Logo of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) with Col. Harland Sanders Col. Harland Sanders was a late bloomer. At age 40, he put his savings into a small gas station in Corbin, Kentucky. By age 65, Sanders’ fried chicken had developed a cult following. Then, a new highway came along and diverted most of the customers away. A few of them hung around, mostly to eat Sanders’ fried chicken. It was at this point that Sanders turned his cult into a franchise that eventually became the international fast food giant, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC.)

Harland Sanders liked to pressure-cook his chicken. He offered franchisees a handshake deal: he’d ship them his secret seasonings for fried chicken by train in return for a nickel for every bird cooked.

Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum Celebrates the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Col. Sanders, founder of KFC

Entrepreneurial Spirit of Col. Sanders, founder of KFC

Sentimentalists now flock to Col. Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum in Corbin, Kentucky, where Sanders’ original cafe has been restored, down to its battleship-gray floors. The museum features antique pieces furnishings from the home of Col. Sanders, glassware, old KFC boxes and bags, an old Cash Register, a unique Cigarette Machine—so many memories packed into one small museum!

Restoration of Col. Sanders' Original Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Cafe

Getting to the Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum

Sight: Col. Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum
Location: Junction of US 25E and 25W
City: Corbin, KY [ map]
Phone: (606) 528-2163
Hours: Open Daily 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Recommended Books about Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Col. Sanders

Autobiography: ‘Col. Harland Sanders: The Autobiography of the Original Celebrity Chef’ by Colonel Harland Sanders
‘Life As I Have Known It Has Been Finger Lickin’ Good’ by Colonel Harland Sanders
‘The Incredible Colonel’ by Colonel Harland Sanders
‘Colonel Sanders and the American Dream’ by Josh Ozersky
‘KFC in China: Secret Recipe for Success’ by Warren Liu
‘Secret Recipe: Why KFC Is Still Cookin’ After 50 Years’ by Bob Darden

Of Nagas and Naginis: Serpent Figures in Hinduism and Buddhism

Vishnu and Ananta-Shesha

Nagas and the feminine Naginis are serpent figures who play a role in the Hindu and Buddhist mythologies. The source of the Nagas may possibly be attributed to the pre-Aryan fertility cults of ancient India.

Nagaraja Mucilinda protects Gautama Buddha as he attains enlightenment In the Hindu mythology, the nagas reside within the earth in an aquatic underworld. They are embodiments of terrestrial waters as well as door-and gate-custodians. In terms of significance, the nagas are creatures of abundant power who defend the underworld and confer fertility and prosperity upon those with which they are individually associated in the worldy realm—a meadow, a shrine, a temple, or even a whole kingdom.

If a naga is suitably worshipped, prosperity can result. If ignored, snubbed, or affronted, the naga can cause debacle and cataclysm.

Nagas in Buddhism

In the Buddhist tradition, when Gautama Buddha attains enlightenment, he is said to have been protected by the hood of hood of Nagaraja Mucilinda, symbolizing the principle that the nagas can place their natural powers in the service of a Buddha.

Krishna conquers Naga Kaliya

Nagas in Hinduism

In the Hindu tradition, Vishnu and his avatar Krishna are both portrayed as vanquishers of serpents, indicating their power over the realm of waters. In the middle of the dissolution of one epoch and the beginning of another epoch, Vishnu sleeps on what is left of the old world, a remainder of the cosmic sacrifice represented by the serpent Ananta-Shesha. Krishna conquers the poisonous Naga Kaliya living in the Yamuna river. And Shiva is portrayed adorned with the “Nagendra Haara,” the garland of a serpent. A naga also covers the linga—the iconic representation of Shiva.

Naga Panchami

The Hindu festival Naga Panchami centers around the traditional worship of snakes or serpents throughout India and also in Nepal.

Zen Buddhism is Like a Philosophical Iceberg

Great Buddha of Kamakura, Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism is a variety of Buddhism that developed as “Chan” in seventh century in China and permeated east into Japan to become known as “Zen” Buddhism.

Zen Buddhism is rooted in the principles and wisdom of the historical Buddhist philosophy, Zen places less prominence on theory and studying texts than do other varieties of Buddhism. Zen Buddhism places far more emphasis on practicing meditation to gain direct experience of one’s true nature. The distinguishing characteristic of Zen Buddhism is that it gives principal meaning to meditation and to the concept that the world is beautiful, when experienced through the senses that are not eclipsed by desire and want.

Zen Buddhism is like a philosophical iceberg: roughly all of the values are beneath the surface. On the whole, Buddhism is predicated upon the proposition that desires and attachment happen to be the principal grounds of suffering, and that deliverance from suffering comes from one detaching the misapprehension of a substantial self and one losing desires and attachments. This principle are infused and embedded in Zen texts.

The Zen texts also take from the Madhyamika discipline of Buddhist beliefs the anti-realist assertion that there is no objectively correct and authoritative perspective on anything. These assertions are highlighted—not argued for—in the Zen literature by use of koans (puzzles.) Zen Buddhist monks meditate upon koans as a way of disposing of the notion of dependence on reason in their pursuit of enlightenment.

From the time when it arrived in the West in the late nineteenth century, Zen Buddhism has appealed to academics, philosophers, truth-seekers, and practitioners who like its unique paradoxes, its emphasis on philosophy rather than holy practices or dogmatic beliefs.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Various Research Methods

Experimental Method

Advantages of Experimental Method:

Precise control possible

Disadvantages of Experimental Method:

Artificial setting typical
Causal conclusions possible
Intrusiveness typically high
Precise measurement possible
Complex behaviors difficult to measure
Theory testing possible
Unstructured exploratory research difficult

Correlational Observation

Advantages of Correlational Observation:

Relationships between variables can be found

Disadvantages of Correlational Observation:

Causal conclusions impossible
Precise measurement usually possible
Control of variables difficult
Intrusiveness usually low
Many participants required

Ethnography

Advantages of Ethnography:

Unfamiliar situations can be described

Disadvantages of Ethnography:

Control of variables impossible
Complex behaviors can be described
Precise measurement difficult
Intrusiveness low
Investigator bias possible
Participants treated humanistically
Causal conclusions impossible

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Questionnaires

Questionnaires

Advantages of Questionnaires:

Data collection efficient

Disadvantages of Questionnaires:

Causal conclusions impossible
Attitude or opinion can be measured
Self-reports difficult to verify
Unbiased sample selection difficult
Response rates low when mailed

Naturalistic Observation

Advantages of Naturalistic Observation:

Realistic setting helps generalization

Disadvantages of Naturalistic Observation:

Control of variables impossible
Intrusiveness low
Data collection inefficient
Investigator bias possible

Archival Research

Advantages of Archival Research:

No additional data collection required

Disadvantages of Archival Research:

Causal conclusions impossible
Rare behaviors can be studied
Appropriate records often not available
Nonmanipulable events can be studied
Data collected by nonscientists
Data usually correlational at best

Case History

Advantages of Case History:

Rare cases can bestudied

Disadvantages of Case History:

Control of variables impossible
Complex behavior can be intensively studied
Data often based on fallible memories
Investigator bias highly likely
Causal conclusions impossible

Victor Hugo’s Finest Peom: “To the One Who Stayed in France”

Victor Hugo, French Poet, Novelist, and Dramatist Victor Hugo wrote “Notre-Dame de Paris” (1831), usually translated as “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, when he was in his twenties. Set in fifteenth century Paris, The Hunchback of Notre Dame tells a moving story of a gypsy girl Esmeralda and the deformed, deaf bell-ringer, Quasimodo, who loves her. The success of the book in France gained Hugo great fame and renown. He used his celebrity to criticize the autocratic regime of Napoleon III and encourage the French to revolt.

Napoleon III declared Hugo an enemy of the state. In 1851, just before soldiers arrived to arrest him at his home, Hugo managed to flee the country in disguise. He lived in exile in Guernsey, an island in the English Channel, until the revolution against Napoleon III in 1870.

In exile, Hugo wrote at a fast pace. “Les Châtiments” (“Castigations”,) a volume of aggressive invectives against the emperor, appeared in 1853.

It was also during his exile that he wrote his masterpiece, “Les Misérables” (1865), about Jean Valjean and other characters’ struggles for human rights, love, revolution, and redemption through a period of 18 years. Les Misérables was hugely popular, and when Hugo returned to his homeland in 1870, he was elected to the Senate of the new Third Republic. By the time he died in 1885, at the age of 83, he was a national hero. In Paris, two million mourners joined his funeral procession from the Arc de Triomphe to the Panthéon, where he is buried.

Laments For Leopoldine, the “One Who Stayed in France”

Leopoldine Hugo, Daughter of Victor Hugo, the In 1843, Hugo’s oldest and favorite daughter, the 19-year old Léopoldine Hugo, drowned shortly after her marriage in a boating accident in the river Seine at Villequier in northern France. When her boat overturned, she was pulled down by her heavy skirts. Her young husband Charles Vacquerie also died while trying to save her.

“Les Châtiments” was followed by “Les Contemplations” (1856), (“The Contemplations”,) the belated laments for Leopoldine. “Les Contemplations” concludes with “To the One Who Stayed in France,” a major elegy and one of Hugo’s grandest poems.

“To the One Who Stayed in France”

During his exile in the English channel, Hugo was unable to continue his annual visits to his daughter’s grave. Hugo offered “Les Contemplations” as surrogate, and asked a minimal favor of the visionary world; some hope that his daughter somehow will receive “this strange gift of the Exile to the Dead!” in her eternal rest.

Well, may at least this book, this somber message, reach
The silence as a murmur
The shore as a wave! May it fall there—sigh or love-tear!
May it enter the grave where youth, dawn, kisses,
Dew, the laughter of the bride,
Radiance and joy have already gone—and my heart along with them:
Indeed, that has never come back! And may it be
A song of mourning, the cry of a hope that can never tell lies,
The sound of a pale farewell in tears, a dream whose wing
We feel brushing against us lightly! May she say:
“Someone is out there—I can hear a noise!”
May it sound in her darkness like the footstep of my soul!

– Victor Hugo (from “The Contemplations translated by E. H and A. M. Blackmore”)

Author: Ellen Kaufman

Ben Franklin’s Fable of The Lion And The Dog

India Will Not and Must Not Become a Superpower

Ex-Google’s Marissa Mayer on Nine Principles of Innovation

How Google Fuels its Innovation Factory

The Tallest Free-standing Stone Sculpture of Gommateshwara in Shravanabelagola

Drink your Tea the Turkish way in this beautifully ornate Gold- and Sapphire-Colored Turkish Tea Set

Harland Sanders’ Cafe and Museum Celebrates the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Col. Sanders, founder of KFC—Amazing Unknown Destinations

Entrepreneurial Spirit of Col. Sanders, founder of KFC

Getting to the Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum

Recommended Books about Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Col. Sanders

Of Nagas and Naginis: Serpent Figures in Hinduism and Buddhism

Nagas in Buddhism

Nagas in Hinduism

Zen Buddhism is Like a Philosophical Iceberg

Further Reading on the Zen Doctrine

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Various Research Methods

Experimental Method

Correlational Observation

Ethnography

Questionnaires

Naturalistic Observation

Archival Research

Case History

Victor Hugo’s Finest Peom: “To the One Who Stayed in France”

Laments For Leopoldine, the “One Who Stayed in France”

“To the One Who Stayed in France”

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How Google Fuels its Innovation Factory

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Entrepreneurial Spirit of Col. Sanders, founder of KFC

Getting to the Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum

Recommended Books about Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Col. Sanders

Related Posts

Nagas in Buddhism

Nagas in Hinduism

Further Reading on the Zen Doctrine

Related Posts

Experimental Method

Correlational Observation

Ethnography

Questionnaires

Naturalistic Observation

Archival Research

Case History

Laments For Leopoldine, the “One Who Stayed in France”

“To the One Who Stayed in France”