The thought that - as some of the epistemological scientists,philosophers and biologists of our t... Ignorance and reality...

The thought that - as some of the epistemological scientists,philosophers and biologists of our time cogitate - whether the incipient moment of theNeolithic age has brought forth the greed, covetousness and cupidity in the mindset ofHomo sapiens is an intriguing one. Before that age, human beings were not capable ofhunting the wild and ferocious animals and that they would have schemed and planned outhow to fend off the aggression and attack of the biped and quadruped. However, beingsentient beings such presumptions are undoubtedly false as no tribe, however, primitive,including the Kalahari bushmen have not failed to procure their basic needs of food andshelter. But the cerebral fertility - as having been nurtured through gradual thoughtprocess and inventive faculties - helped them to stumble across the sharp implementscarved out of stones and purveyed confidence for the first time to dominate over the wildflora and fauna. And invention of fire happened to be the precursor to reigning over thedark zones.

Being enchanted by their inventions, there were those who are presumedto have gone wild with their vicious mentalities to tame the bestiality in animals andthrough this line, they continued giving off bestial attributes, unbeknown in them andcreated an established psychology of "We are the best" by hunting themrapaciously. Human beings have feelings and go for knowledge and wisdom. They did not, anddo not, tread this path. Besides if the epistemological scientists, philosophers andbiologists are leaving the Divine equation out of their calculation.

According to these thinkers greed encompassed them totally and physicalprowess came to the fore as a methodology of survival instinct. Here ponder on thepsychological metamorphosis in human mindset at this stage - from being cowed, psyched outto gaining power to intimidate others. And this is no human trait. Sociologists reckon,this psychological set-up of supremacy has corrupted those of us who are not interested inself-study, or self-knowledge self-confidence and self-respect, and catapulted thosecrazed with power us to a new domain of power-grabbing. Those who exercise power havingnothing inside them. Governance is participative and consensual as exemplified by allgenuine monarchs in non-democratic states. But non-adherence to human principles leads toputrefaction in moral grounds.

The reality of human civilisation has always credited and merited theinvention of fire and the introduction of new Stone Age for the logical advancement oforganised social structure. But those who go - willy-nilly - for the vile part of thisrudimentary stage of civilisation, indulge in a sense of lust - lust for the rich, notwealth, greed for status and aspiration for supremacy, instead of self-satisfaction andenrichment of the soul that leads to its constant growth. The evolution of Knowledge haspresented us with a capacity to protect ourselves from danger and consternation. But forthose concerned with only the data part of knowledge, it ignites opportunism, greed andlust for flesh, the desire and the thought to score off others terms of wealth, power andstatus. Their mental lives have become teemed with vices and immoral inclinations as withthe advent and development of experimental and classified knowledge, just jargon for datacollection.

If you peruse mentally the streamline of current civilisation, you willregister that our foray into gaining knowledge is, by whatever means, for establishing ourdominance over the other. Scientists are casting about for occupying and prevailing overNature, physicians are running scissors to dig out the physical eeriness, biologist areengrossed in how to enliven the human physique or astronauts are occupied looking for theexistence of life on the Moon or on other planets. But the cast-iron fact is those who areof the humankind, are heavily immersed in attempting to prevail over everything for ourown benefits and profits. Beyond doubt they have been cramming material info to erase anderadicate our mystical observations of the subjects or objects. But then again, they areproud to boast of being able to explore their appetite for supremacy! See, a kind ofdominant instinct is being satisfied side by side with every material victory. Thus, falseand distorted info is germinating vile mentalities in their layers of thoughts.

The positive gainful words like success, victory, triumph, joy arecontinuously providing us with knowledge, the reverse gives some falsities. Theseerroneous words permeate through our grey-matter and are continuously influencing us notto bow to or acquiesce. This is a catch-22 situation, driving you for material gain, butchastising you for failing. Human beings thus are to respond positively to instinctiveaspirations by hook or by crook. The scrupulous layer of mind then is to submit itself tothe aspiring element of the mind. Vanquished by the impulse, we vie for material pleasure- plaudits for victors, but eternal rues for the defeated ones. Our knowledge suggeststhat the positive glory, joy and bravery are reality, the negative results cast us down.Notice how material knowledge is producing sorrow and anguish in us. Then why should wepander to obtain material knowledge, which, on the flip side, breeds grief for us?

To date we have given not knowledge but data collection or roteinformation a kind of carte blanche to determine and guide us. Sentences of axiom arecarried in our heads and we feel duty-bound to conform to the data or information that wehave allowed to be put into us disguised as knowledge. Thus traditional continuity ofgathering data has gone too far without having to be questioned by us whether it iscorrect to pursue such material one-sided knowledge vigorously. Life to us is just to bematerially successful and that we get riled, if we are unable to get there. A verysimplistic paradigm we are heavily bitten by.

Let us get back to the period before the new Stone Age. It isidiosyncratic that people of the then period were panic-stricken at the calamitous andcatastrophic power and cast of Nature. Numb with fear and grief, they would hidethemselves in the bushy corner of the jungles and head off any danger together. The lay ofgreed, covet, rapacity or other vices were hardly to have been found then. See, nomountainous pile of data, no lust. Rather, the use of knowledge permits the sharing offood together and to band together to preclude any attack from the natural inclemency.But, as exploitation of the data kind of knowledge has begun to surface, the division inthe humans and human societies too has evolved and widened.

If human beings are social and rational beings, then division in themshould, not only, be anathema to their behavioural demeanour, but also, be a negativeproperty that they would definitely strive to dust off. But we don't usually notice thatreflection in societies. Hence the constant need and presence of social reformers and theguidance of the sages. The development and expansion of knowledge has always been limitedas very few are genuinely fond of themselves and in the quest for self-knowledge. Most arestill confining themselves to run from themselves and the universal truths, especially thereality of the Creator, seeking to separate church or mosque or temple from the state - asif knowledge does not reveal everything is interconnected and separation is only fordeeper knowledge - analysis and synthesis, not for making us despair illogically.

The other day I was at a food court with my wife and I just could notresist listening in to a conversation between two friends sitting next to us. I would saythey were probably in the twenty to twenty five age group. Listening to them I came torealise that this is a problem not just in this age group but also for a certain part ofthe entire population. And the issue was "How do I introduce myself or start aconversation with a woman I like but don't know as yet?" Now this whole write up isfrom a man's point of view because in this arena, for a woman, certain achievements comerather easily than a man. At a point of time, when I was back in my home, I decided to sitdown and analyse the issue more thoroughly and the only positive answer I could come upwith was that you just cannot wait for good things to come to you rather there areoccasions when you are to pursue and get it for yourself.

The woman, who catches your eyes, or rather your attention, needs youto approach her and start a conversation. You can simply term this moment as breaking theice. If this was easy, then it would not have been an issue in the first place. Starting aconversation is an art and you have to be very skilled to make the best impression, whichshould last for a very long time. Both these tools the "skill" and the"art" are actually accessories you are born with, you just have to crack itright when you need it. The moment you crack the techniques that is what will make you asuccessful conversationalist.

The first time you speak to a woman, who interests you, never try andengage into her interests but spark her interests. The outcome would be, when you walkaway from her she would be literally curious to know more. This will also ideally help youfrom not having to gear up your to say what you wish to express. Remember to make yourfirst contact very very short but it should be sweet and polite. It could be as simple as"Hi, my name's Noor and I just wanted to move towards and introduce myself, what'syour name?" Trust me just make it that simple and you will reach you goal in thefirst step.

Now for the second step towards your goal, you will have to become afox and become a bit trickier for the second contact. You need to put an effort to gear upyour confidence so you can with good grace and efficiently pay her a nice admiring commentwithout hesitating or stumbling over your words (though at times it is the fumbling forwords which give your phrases of admiration that unstudied grace). You might say somethinglike "Hi Mithila, I just wanted to let you know how attractive you look." Makesure to give her your direct eye contact otherwise she will know your pretending or lying.Also remember to give her your most eye-catching smile, and eventually leave her curiousand thrilled at the same time!

From now on it is a rather difficult step. If you want someone to beinterested in you, you will have to show your interest in her too and it is veryimportant. Listen to her more and never leave her feeling miserable and bored, as thiswill give her the opportunity to look for any excuse to get away. Do not go on letting herknow more about yourself, this will make her lose interest. Rather ask her how she likesher classes or her job, or talk about a movie. The whole idea is to do anything to get herto open up a bit more about her.

Now that she has opened up a bit, the time has come to use someopen-ended questions to get the conversation flowing. For example never ask her whethershe likes something or not. It could be a conference or a classroom lecture, but ratherask her what she thinks about the whole thing. Here she would definitely give you heropinion. If you have come this far, you have become a good listener and that is positive.Remember at this point it's about just getting to know "her", not about showingoff your wittiness and great personality, which will be the next step.

So far everything went as planned. Now this is the moment most men messit up, ending the game and leaving the field as losers. The first few conversations arenot the right time, usually to let her know what you feel. But always remember there are"Rules and no rules" - especially when it comes to a woman! Be patient and keeptalking about topics that are enjoyable to both of you. By this time, which translates as"gradually", she will gain confidence in you. This is when she will open up andtalk about (sex) love and marriage. When the ball is on your court it will be time for youto decide, (depending on what kind of man your are yourself) where you want her, on thewheels of your car (depending on whether you have access to a car or whatever else) or thewheels of your life. This is a write up for men, so no offence to the gentle sex. Nor amI, hopefully, letting any cats (and ladies, please be generous and not catty - certainlynot with the man to whom you want to respond!) out of the bag.

Ever since there was a car - or rather, there were two of them, therehas been racing. Whenever people found anything that could go fast, previously the beastsof burden and then motorcars, they started racing against each other. In fact, just tenyears after Carl Benz gave birth to the world's first motorcar with a proper internalcombustion engine in 1885, there was the world's first motor race, theParis-Bordeaux-Paris event of 732 miles.

The cars participating in early races didn't look much different fromthe road cars and these unconventional racing cars were first seen in 1906, when the firstGrand Prix was held. The cars were tube-like and had almost all the normal car attributesstripped down, except for the four wheels. These were the ultimate speed machines at thattime. Big names like Renault, Panhard, Mors and Napier competed against each other andcould atop 33 to 45 mph on average and reach around 70 mph! Well, of course, such speedvalues in modern times are not considered to be large, as a modern saloon car can reachwell over 90 mph. Anyway, these machines were the fastest things at that time and also theinspiration to today's supercars.

In 1914, the world saw the advent of new marquis in racing history andMercedes, Bugatti, Bentley, Sunbeam and Alfa Romeo are few names worth mentioning. Theywere lighter and faster but weren't built for the road. People had luxury andmass-produced cars but most had to wait yet to get a true road-legal fast car. As motoringindustries grew, the lust for speed also grew; people didn't just need a car to get frompoint A to B only; they needed to show that their new toy was in every way better thantheir neighbour's. It was the time for companies to unleash a new branch in motoringindustry - supercars.

In the late 40s and in the following decades, many European motorcarcompanies concentrating on sports car manufacturing emerged; although the two World Warssigned the death warrant for many others. Some famous names to come out were Ferrari andLamborghini, both from Italy and both bitter rivals of each other.

However, both earned a lot of fame for having stylish, streamlinedbodies and being fast... and yes, having a price tag of astronomical value. They were farout of reach of common people and, therefore, an alternative path was to be chosen tofulfil the need for speed - customising normal cars to speed demons.

In the USA, road cars were plenty and so, a group of young speedenthusiasts tuned up some US road marquis like the 1934 Ford 3-Windows to the world'sfirst hot rods, thus leading to the ever-popular underground culture.

Some factory-made hot rods like Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Thunderbirdwere also made for an attempt to seek customers but such ideas remained fruitless untilthe arrival of Ford Mustang in 1964.

It was inexpensive and relatively fast, and in just six months about400,000 of them were sold in the USA. However, people needed something much faster.

Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini and many others continued building sportscars despite the limitations of their customers. Ultimately, they came out with the ideaof bringing racecars on road, which is the true definition of supercar. These are the carswith aerodynamics at extreme, massive engines like V12 and top speeds around 200 mph(Although 1950 Mercedes 300 SLR Gullwing is considered as one of the first supercars, theidea actually developed much later, either due to meet demands of rich customers or justto defeat rival companies). Ferrari F50, Ferrari Enzo, Jaguar X) 220, Mclaren Fl,Lamborghini Diablo and the recent Murcielago, Porsche Carrera GT and Pagani Zonda are someof the offspring of the big names in the pack.

Whatever the case, a road-legal Italian exotic, a US muscle car or aJapanese custom-made drag car, the urge for speed has always remained the same. It wasthought that cars would never reach over 200 mph. Bugatti Veyron and Mclaren F1 GTR hasproved such theories wrong and it will be proved wrong as long as the need for speedsurvives. Faster cars will be made in the future but an issue will then arise.

There is the Autobahn to satisfy the speed freaks now; in the futuremotorways might not be changing drastically, therefore, limiting the performance of thefuture cars. Dreams of supercar manufacturers will be shattered by the reality of theroad's restricting capability and the big marquis by then might have to sell oranges orjoin Lockheed and Northrop. There is a limit to everything after all.

The real key to surviving an earthquake and reducing your risk ofinjury lies in planning, preparing, and practising what you and your family will do if aquake occurs.

By planning and practising what to do if an earthquake strikes, you andyour family can learn to react correctly and automatically when the shaking begins. Duringan earthquake, most deaths and injuries are caused by collapsing building materials andheavy falling objects, such as bookcases, cabinets, and other furnitures. Learn the safespots in each room of your home. If you have children, get the entire family to practicegoing to these locations. Participating in an earthquake drill will help childrenunderstand what to do in case you are not with them during an earthquake. Make sure yourchild's school have emergency procedures for disasters. This will help you coordinatewhere, when, and how to reunite with your child after an earthquake.

If you're not near a table or desk, cover your face and head with yourarms; and stand or crouch in a strongly supported doorway OR . . . brace yourself in aninside corner of the house or building.

If an earthquake occurs, you may need to evacuate a damaged areaafterward. By planning and practising for evacuation, you will be better prepared torespond appropriately and efficiently to signs of danger. Take a few minutes with yourfamily to discuss a home evacuation plan. Sketch a floor plan of your home; walk througheach room and discuss evacuation details.

Take time before an earthquake strikes to write an emergency prioritylist, including: important items to be hand-carried by you other items, in order ofimportance to you and your family items to be removed by car or truck if one is availablethings to do if time permits, such as locking doors and windows, turning off theutilities, etcetera.

There are actions you can take, even while an earthquake is happening,that will reduce your chances of being hurt. Lights may be out, and hallways, stairs, androom exits may be blocked by fallen furniture, ceiling tiles, and other debris. Planningfor these situations will help you to take action quickly.

If an earthquake strikes, you may be able to take cover under a heavydesk or table. It can provide you with air space if the building collapses. If you getunder a table and it moves, try to move with it.

Inner walls or door frames are the least likely to collapse and mayalso shield against falling objects. If other cover is not available, go to an innercorner or doorway, away from windows or glass panels.

Stay away from glass and hanging objects, and bookcases, chinacabinets, or other large furniture that could fall. Watch for falling objects, such as,light fixtures, wall hangings, high shelves, and cabinets with doors that could swingopen.

If the lights go out, use a battery-operated flashlight. Don't usecandles, matches, or lighters during or after the earthquake. If there is a gas leak, anexplosion could result.

If you are in a crowded public place like mosques, shopping centres,market places or cinema halls, do not rush for the doorways. Others will have the sameidea. Move away from display shelves containing objects that may fall. If you can, takecover and grab something to shield your head and face from falling debris and glass.

If outdoors, move away from buildings and utility wires. The greatestdanger from falling debris is just outside doorways and close to outer walls. Once in theopen, stay there until the shaking stops.

If you are in a moving automobile, stop as quickly and safely aspossible and move away from utility poles, overhead wires, and under or overpasses. Stayin the vehicle, set the parking brake, and turn on the radio for emergency broadcastinformation. A car may jiggle violently on its springs, but it is a good place to stayuntil the shaking stops.

When you drive on, watch for hazards created by the earthquake, such asbreaks in the pavement, downed utility poles and wires, fallen overpasses and bridges.

Be prepared for additional earth movements called"aftershocks." Although most of these are smaller than the main earthquake, somemay be large enough to cause additional damage or bring down weakened structures.

Check for injuries. Do not attempt to move injured or unconsciouspeople unless they are in immediate danger from live electrical wires or other hazards.Internal injuries may not be evident, but may be serious or life-threatening. If someonehas stopped breathing, call for medical or first aid assistance immediately and begin CPRif you are trained to do so. Stop a bleeding injury by applying direct pressure to thewound. If you are trapped, try to attract attention to your location.

If you smell gas: (1) open windows; (2) shut off the main gas valve;(3) do not turn any electrical appliances or lights on or off; (4) go outside; (5) reportthe leak to authorities. If electric wiring is shorting out, shut off the electric currentat the main box. If water pipes are damaged, shut off the supply at the main valve.

Check to see if sewage lines are intact before using bathrooms orplumbing. Immediately clean up spilled medicines, drugs, flammable liquids, and otherpotentially hazardous materials. Stay off all telephones except to report an emergency.Stay away from damaged areas. Your presence could hamper relief efforts, and you couldendanger yourself. Cooperate fully with public safety officials. Respond to requests forvolunteer assistance from police, fire fighters, emergency management officials, andrelief organisations, but do not go into damaged areas unless assistance has beenrequested.

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