Are you a workaholic ?

The other day I happened to interact with my PhD Supervisor Prof. Narayan Rangaraj who had come to Bangalore to my home and also Alliance central campus. He casually made the remark and asked me from seeng my workplace and hom setup, whether I am a workaholioc ?

His comments made me think deeply. Actually I realised that I was indeed one, al my social interactions had reduced though family interactions were strong, I preferred being at my work area or on my desktop machine, keeping mysefl busy with academic reading and writing, preparation for classes and the like. I searched on the internet how to break free from work-aholism and here is what I got using generative AI in ChatGPT.

Break Free from Workaholism

 

Turning away from being a workaholic can be a challenging but worthwhile endeavor. Here are some steps you can take to help you break free from workaholic tendencies:

1. Recognize the signs: Be honest with yourself and acknowledge that your workaholic behavior is negatively impacting your overall well-being, relationships, and quality of life. Reflect on the consequences of being a workaholic and the areas of your life that have been neglected.

2. Define your priorities: Clarify what truly matters to you beyond work. Consider your personal relationships, health, hobbies, and other interests that bring you joy and fulfillment. Identify the areas of your life that you want to prioritize and make a conscious decision to allocate time and energy to them.

3. Set boundaries: Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. Determine specific working hours and strive to stick to them. Avoid bringing work-related tasks or thoughts into your personal time. Communicate your boundaries with colleagues and set expectations with your employer regarding your availability outside of work hours.

4. Delegate and collaborate: Accept that you cannot do everything on your own and learn to delegate tasks to others. Trust your colleagues or employees to take on responsibilities and share the workload. Embrace collaboration and teamwork, which can help alleviate the need to shoulder the entire burden yourself.

5. Take breaks and practice self-care: Schedule regular breaks throughout your workday to rest and recharge. Engage in activities that promote relaxation, such as meditation, exercise, hobbies, or spending time with loved ones. Prioritize self-care and ensure you are getting enough sleep, eating well, and engaging in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment.

6. Develop a healthy work-life balance: Strive to achieve a healthy balance between work and personal life. Allocate time for activities that are not work-related and that help you rejuvenate. Create a schedule that allows you to pursue your personal interests, spend time with loved ones, and take care of your physical and mental well-being.

7. Challenge perfectionism: Workaholic tendencies often stem from a desire for perfection and fear of failure. Recognize that perfection is unattainable and that mistakes are part of the learning process. Embrace a growth mindset that allows you to view setbacks as opportunities for growth and improvement.

8. Seek support: Surround yourself with a support system that understands your desire to change your workaholic habits. Share your goals and challenges with trusted friends, family members, or even a therapist. They can provide guidance, encouragement, and accountability throughout your journey.

9. Celebrate progress: Acknowledge and celebrate your progress as you gradually transition away from workaholic habits. Recognize the positive changes you have made and the improvements in other areas of your life. Celebrating milestones will help reinforce your commitment to a healthier work-life balance.

Remember, breaking free from workaholism is a process that takes time and effort. Be patient with yourself, and remember that your well-being and overall happiness are worth prioritizing alongside your professional achievements.

#49 - a Platelet donation

Here is the billions story .. The other day I was contacted by the head of hematology dept Dr Rajalakshmi saying there is an urgent need of platelets at St John's hospital Bangalore for a cancer patient. Considering this as a God given opportunity I decided to visit St John's blood bank. 

I donated 350 billions of platelets at St. John's hospital on 5 July 2023. My fortyninth blood donation.. 

😁

In the platelet apheresis machine it starts at 0, then goes to 1 x 10** 11, then 2 x 10**11 and then 3 x 10**11 and finally 3.2 x 10 **11. It takes about 45 minutes when the whole blood from our body goes into the apheresis machine and only platelets are taken out, about 300 ml platelets total. Two and a half hours I spent at the hospital, right from tests etc.. 

Each patient needs upto 75 ml platelets at a time and so my 300 ml platelets gets used by 4 patients or 1 patient over 4 times.. A whole blood donation on the other hand, gets used only by 1 patient, whichever component he needs, either platelets or RBC or plasma and other components are wasted.

Apheresis is thus a very efficient procedure. 🙂🙂🙏

Earlier with platelet apheresis, after 2 days I used to get a small low back ache. But after the end Feb 23 WBC apheresis and the platelet apheresis now, I have had no low back ache.  The daily consumption of cod liver oil capsules has been having a positive impact on my health of late. Thank God. Waiting for the 50th donation, which in all likelihood will be again a platelet apheresis..

George..

AI selected best quotes on Death

Best 25 AI selected quotes on Death

"Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come." - Rabindranath Tagore

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." - J.K. Rowling

"Death is nothing else but going home to God, the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity." - Mother Teresa

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time." - Mark Twain

"Death is the last enemy that shall be destroyed." - J.K. Rowling

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." - Norman Cousins

"The boundaries which divide life from death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where one ends, and where the other begins?" - Edgar Allan Poe

"Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it." - Haruki Murakami

"Death is the final wake-up call." - Douglas Horton

"The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

"Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them." - George Eliot

"Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic." - W.H. Auden

"Death is the liberator of him whom freedom cannot release, the physician of him whom medicine cannot cure, and the comforter of him whom time cannot console." - Charles Caleb Colton

"Death is the golden key that opens the palace of eternity." - John Milton

"Death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be because death is very likely the single best invention of life." - Steve Jobs

"Death is not an event in life: we do not live to experience death. If we take eternity to mean not infinite temporal duration but timelessness, then eternal life belongs to those who live in the present." - Ludwig Wittgenstein

"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." - Marcus Aurelius

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal." - Irish Proverb

"The idea is to die young as late as possible." - Ashley Montagu

"Death is not the opposite of life, but a mirror of our existence." - Paulo Coelho

"Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time. It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other." - Leo Buscaglia

"Death is a stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to die before you die and find that there is no death." - Eckhart Tolle

"Death is a friend of ours; and he that is not ready to entertain him is not at home." - Francis Bacon

"Death is the ultimate truth of life, and accepting its inevitability brings true freedom." - Unknown

Indira Gandhi - Ma Durga

From the Internet ..

The year was 1971 and the month November. 

“If India pokes its nose in Pakistan, US will not keep its trap shut. India will be taught a lesson.”

- Richard Nixon

“India regards America as a friend. Not a boss. India is capable of writing its own destiny. We know and are aware how to deal with each one according to circumstances.”

- Indira Gandhi 

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi articulated these exact words sitting with the US President Richard Nixon in the White House, while maintaining an eye-to-eye contact. This incident was narrated by the then Secretary of State and NSA, Henry Kissinger, in his autobiography. 

That was the day when the Indo-US joint media address was cancelled by Indira Gandhi who walked away from the White House in her inimitable style. 

Kissinger, while ushering Indira Gandhi into her car, had commented, "Madam Prime Minister, don't you feel you could have been a little more patient with the President?" 

Indira Gandhi replied, "Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your valuable suggestion. Being a developing country, we have our backbones straight - & enough will and resources to fight all atrocities. We shall prove that days are gone when a power can rule and often control any nation from thousands of miles away.”

Thereafter, as soon as her Air India Boeing touched down at Palam runway in Delhi, Indira Gandhi summoned the leader of the opposition, Atal Behari Vajpayee to her residence. 

Post an hour of discussion behind closed doors, Vajpayee was seen hurrying back. It was thereafter known that Vajpayee would be representing India at the United Nations. 

Donald Paul of BBC had jumped in with a question to Vajpayee, "Indira ji regards you as a staunch critic. In spite of that, are you sure you'd be at the United Nations shouting your throat (voice) out in favour of the Incumbent Government?”

Vajpayee had a repartee.. "A rose adorns a garden, so does a Lily. Each is beset with the idea that they are individually the most beautiful. When the garden falls in a crisis, it's no secret that the garden has to safeguard its beauty as one. I have come today to save the garden. This is called Indian Democracy." 

The resultant history is all known to us. America sent 270 famed Patton tanks to Pakistan. They called the world media to demonstrate that these tanks were produced under exclusive technology, and are/were thus indestructible. The intention was very clear. This was a warning signal to the rest of the world that no one should help India. 

America did not stop here. Burma-Shell the only US company supplying oil to India, was told to stop. They were sternly told by US to cease dealing with India anymore. 

India's history thereafter was only about fighting back. Indira Gandhi's incisive diplomacy ensured oil came in from Ukraine. 

A battle that lasted just a day destroyed a majority of the 270 Patton tanks, in the Thar Desert. The destroyed tanks were brought into India for display at traffic crossings. The hot deserts of Rajasthan still stands as a witness where US pride was decimated.

A war that lasted eighteen days thereafter culminated in the capture of 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war.

  

Mujibur Rahman was released from Lahore Jail. 

The month now was March - Indira Gandhi recognized Bangladesh as an independent nation in the Indian Parliament. 

Vajpayee addressed Indira Gandhi as “Maa Durga.”

These events had a packet of long lasting manifested fallouts. 

— India's own oil company, viz. Indian Oil came into being. 

— India expressed itself as a nation of strength in the eyes of the world. 

— India led the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) from the front. Its leadership was unquestioned. 

Times and events of such strength however did get submerged into the great depths of yore and lore. 

Truthful history till date nevertheless remains as a baton that needs to be passed down generations. 

*This year is the 50th anniversary of the Indo Pak Bangladesh war. Our children must read this, lest we forget.*

AI mediated Malankara orthodox Christian service

This is an AI mediated sample outline for a Malankara Orthodox Christian Sunday church service that includes prayers and hymns: 

 

• Prelude:

• Instrumental music or a choir leading a traditional Orthodox hymn.

• Procession and Invocation:

• The priest, deacons, and altar servers process to the sanctuary.

• The congregation stands and the priest offers an invocation, beginning with "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, amen."

• Trisagion Hymn:

• The choir or congregation sings the Trisagion Hymn ("Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us").

• Opening Prayer:

• The priest offers a prayer of praise and thanksgiving, addressing God's attributes and seeking His presence.

• Qolo (Liturgical Chants):

• The choir or a group of chanters sing traditional Qolo (chants) in Syriac or Malayalam, praising God and invoking the intercession of saints.

• Scripture Reading:

• A selected passage from the Holy Bible, including an Old Testament and New Testament reading.

• Sermon:

• The priest delivers a sermon or homily based on the scripture readings, providing spiritual guidance and exhortation.

• Prayers of Intercession

• The priest leads the congregation in prayers for the church, the clergy, the faithful, the community, the nation, and the world.

• The intercessory prayers may include specific petitions for the sick, those in need, and the departed.

• Hymn: "Doxology of the Holy Cross":

• The congregation sings the hymn "Doxology of the Holy Cross," glorifying the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.

• Liturgy of the Faithful:

• The Eucharistic liturgy begins, including the Anaphora (consecration) and the participation of the faithful in receiving Holy Communion.

• During this time, various hymns and prayers are recited, such as the Sanctus, the Holy, Holy, Holy, and the Lord's Prayer.

• Hymn: "Lamb of God": The congregation sings the hymn "Lamb of God," acknowledging Christ as the sacrificial Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.

• Final Blessing and Dismissal:

• The priest offers a final blessing and dismissal, sending the congregation with God's grace and peace.

   
  

Note: This is a general outline based on the Malankara Orthodox Christian tradition. Actual practices and hymns may vary depending on the specific parish and the liturgical season or feast being celebrated.

How Amazon and AI is changing our lifestyle ..

When was the last time you went to a shop to buy books, dresses, footwear, electronic gadgets, home furnishings, home furniture or home cleaning items and the like ?

It will come as a big surprise to realise that over the past four or five years ever since the Covid scourge, almost all of the above purchases went online and were made over the net with the help of a website. The order fulfilment went flawless. The deliveries were on time, the product features and performance were as promised, the product was authentic. 

The product returns if any, went flawlessly, one never had to followup regarding refunds and pickup. If ever one felt like talking about a product or delivery to a customer service executive, it was just a click away.

When was the last time one went to a shop to book travel tickets, flight, rail or bus and book our stay at hotels across the country or to buy medicines ? Our shift to the online comfortable mode is more or less over and complete except for visits to the doctor and dentist.

When was the last time we went to a bank to withdraw money or open a fixed deposit or pay our monthly EMIs and our utilities bills ? We carry excess money in our digital wallets and not in  the physical ones. The technology behind United Payment Interface (UPI) and the many digital wallets have made transactons easier, reliable and documented. Even our visits to entertainment hubs, theatres, sports and games complexes have been secured digitally. 

Life over the past five years has become a lot more easier, pleasant, enjoyable, safe and secure. Thanks to technology and technological interventions. Artificial intelligence has played a great role in smoothening and expediting these experiences enabling creation of a  very fertile land for great innovations to follow.

The healthcare sector, justifiable so, remains still in the physical domain, till when ? The digital illustrations are copyrighted and created through Generative AI. 

Our lifestyle has changed a lot. AI so far, is working for the benefit of humanity ..

George 

An AI powered home - is it for the better ?

The quote by Sundar Pichai on AI is given on the right. His quote is very important to humanity as his company influences more than three fourth of humanity, through the cloud, Gmail, Google maps, Google Playstore, Google Chrome and the like,

I got my first Amazon AI pod Echo dot in 2017 Oct, within 2 months of Amazon releasing it in India. Ever since I have been a great fan of AI pods by Amazon, as it made by music listening experience much richer and joyful. Through Amazon AI, I came to know of artists of whom I had never heard and who were as good or even better than the artistes I knew. After a gap of 3 years after Amazon's Alexa, Google also got into this area with Google home. 

 

As of Sunday,14 May  2023, I have finally got my whole home in Electronic city Bangalore AI powered. With Amazon AI pods in all rooms, front room lights controlled by AI and Google Home in 2 rooms, it is AI way. In addition my office room in Alliance University central campus is also powered by an Amazon echo dot AI pod.

Dont know whether is for the good or bad, but keeping a bit ahead on the Gartner hype curve 2023. Only time can tell.

As a teaching professional, it is of utmost importance for me to be ahead of the hype curve. In the hype curve Machine Learning is just finished its initial hope and is climbing the rational bounds while Natural Languge processing in on the downward slope of the initial hype.

 

The AI apps that I work to make life easier, pleasant and enjoyable are 

• Google Maps, 
• Amazon AI Alexa and Google home for selecting a great collection of songs and artistes across all genres, languages and strains, including classical, instrumental and percussion, 
• Google AI and Open AI for lot of technology and management related topics for carrying research and greater understanding, 
• generative AI apps for artistic output, artistic AI apps, 
• AI powered ecommerce apps of Amazon with unmatched security,  
• Gmail emailing app offering powerful AI powered security 
• Amazon and Google AI smart assistants and the like.

Are you aware enough of the developments that are happening across the world on the Internet ? 

Nick Bostrom, the Oxford Professor and Swedish philosopher, author of Super Intelligence, Human Enhancement, Global Catastrophic Risks and others says this about Machine Inteligence,

Machine Intelligence is the last invention that humanity will ever need to make - Nick Bostrom

Nick Bostrom is of the strong opinion that the moment machine intelligence crosses that of humans, we will become useless and will become subservient to machines, that also speaks of the doom on humanity and the human race.

George