Peloponnesian War

This ancient war son, has had a hold on human history and still has lessons for us. Not just because Thucydides wrote about this war, we've got a copy of the book so do read it when you get a chance, but because it had implications on democracy, ethics etc. 

We praise democracy but democratic Athens became a hegemonistic state. Athens protected against the Persian imperial power but it itself became imperial and setup an empire. If you get a chance son, read Kennedy's rise and fall of the great powers. 

Sparta, a fascist state which relied on slavery and was heavily militaristic won this war. So the bad guys own and the good guys lost? Turns the usual story of good versus evil on its head no? 

But you don't hear about this son. People don't like to hear about facts that don't fit into a narrative. Like the joke I read today. God's good but he allows evil so that you can recognise goodness. Well if that's the case, logically god can be evil who allows good to happen so that you can recognise evil. 

Fascinating. 

Love

Baba

Peloponnesian War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peloponnesian_War

 

The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought byAthens and itsempire against thePeloponnesian League led bySparta. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases. In the first phase, the Archidamian War, Sparta launched repeated invasions ofAttica, while Athens took advantage of its naval supremacy to raid the coast of thePeloponneseattempting to suppress signs of unrest in its empire. This period of the war was concluded in 421 BC, with the signing of the Peace of Nicias. That treaty, however, was soon undermined by renewed fighting in the Peloponnese. In 415 BC, Athens dispatched amassive expeditionary force to attack Syracuse in Sicily; the attack failed disastrously, with the destruction of the entire force, in 413 BC. This ushered in the final phase of the war, generally referred to either as the Decelean War, or the Ionian War. In this phase, Sparta, now receiving support from Persia, supported rebellions in Athens' subject states in the Aegean Sea and Ionia, undermining Athens' empire, and, eventually, depriving the city of naval supremacy. The destruction of Athens' fleet at Aegospotami effectively ended the war, and Athens surrendered in the following year.

“Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives.

Kids
I read this quote or rather poem. Before I talk about what I think, read this first. 

“Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.”

William Martin

Small ordinary things are indeed important. Like cooking together. We have fun. Like how we cook the 10-12 course meal during Christmas. Small thing no? All 3 of us in the kitchen. Singing sometimes. Talking all the time. Teasing and laughing. Working our way through the menu. And that's an ordinary thing. And that's what makes it fun. Ordinary things. 

We've got to admire small things. I've noticed that since I've started photography, my eye for detail has changed. I look for interesting things in the simple aspects of life. On Thursday morning, was walking to the tube station and saw this little branch sticking out with little droplets along the branch. And it really brightened up my day. Take a look at the picture on Instagram. So yes. Do enjoy the little things in life. 

But I disagree about the extraordinary things kids. Totally. One can do both. One can aim at the stars. One can aim to do massive things. One can aim to live 5 lives in one life. One can aim to do things which others can't or wouldn't do. Teach. Do charity. Look after sick animals. Read up a storm. Make a difference to the world. Passion. Kids. Passion. Have a passion for life. Huge huge passion. So much that you feel like you will explode from the pressure inside you. You have to feel frustrated with your limitations and only then will you exceed them. 

The counterpart to the above quote is 'the heights of great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight. But they while their compatriots slept, were toiling upwards in the night'. Extraordinary things don't happen just like that. You've got to work bloody hard and have extraordinary passion and dedication for it. 

I'm proud of both of you. How kannu studies hard and is a good friend and how he reads and listens and saves and invests and and and. He's doing well. So is Diya. Your attention to detail, your intelligence, your artistic abilities, your math skills, your reading and your cuddling. All are perfect conditions for you to love the small ordinary things but also to achieve extraordinary things. 

Love

Baba

The effect of education on religion: Evidence from compulsory schooling laws

Hmmm, very curious set of findings..

For over a century, social scientists have debated how educational attainment impacts religious belief. In this paper, I use Canadian compulsory schooling laws to identify the relationship between completed schooling and later religiosity. I find that higher levels of education lead to lower levels of religious affiliation later in life. An additional year of education leads to a 4-percentage-point decline in the likelihood that an individual identifies with any religious tradition. This is a reasonably large effect: extrapolating the results to the broader population would suggest that increases in schooling could explain most of the large rise in non-affiliation in Canada in recent decades.

but I am wondering if this holds for all religions….outliers are of course people who are all smarty pants (the Islamists and Internet Hindus…) but are frankly crashing bores at best and totally idiotic at best. I am reminded of Churchill’s point, “a fanatic is a person who wouldn't change his mind and wouldn't change the subject” :)

but interesting..more education indeed is required.

Little book of magic

What a wonderful little book.

this is the little book of magic, a 17th century Icelandic manuscript written on animal skin and contains magical spells and stuff.

the full book is available here.

Appropriating Wives’ Income: New Form of Dowry

Dear son

Here's something that you will find of interest. How men steal the earnings of their wives. Despite the fact that it's religiously not mandated. There are two philosophical questions here. 

One, how can you ensure proper division of rights? Between man and woman, husband and wife. And what needs to be done from a legal perspective. Is that law from the sharia law? Or shall you do this from the perspective of universal law like the convention of rights of women or United Nations universal declaration of human rights. 

Second is what is religion? What has been written down or what is practised? Take this example in this situation. Islam in the majority version clearly says they the monies due to the wife are her's. But the way Islam is practised in Bangladesh is different. Then the question is, who determines who is right? Acres and tomes have been written on pretty much every topic under the sun and there's no consistency. 

For both questions, it's vital to remove religion from the public sphere. Absolutely vital son. Because most if not all religions are a way of controlling the populace and more importantly are skewed towards male patriarchy. It's one when you kick out morons of the religious orders that true civilisation exists. 

But it will be a long haul. Specially with these abhrahamic religions. Christianity has been controlled by and large. Judaism is still having challenges in Israel and well you know what's happening with Islam across the world. Both your and my generation will struggle with this religious genie son. It has to be forced into the bottle and capped hard. Long fight. 

Love

Baba

Appropriating Wives’ Income: New Form of Dowry - Dissertation Reviews
http://dissertationreviews.org/archives/7942

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A review of  Appropriation of Wives’ Income: a New Form of Dowry in Bangladesh, by Farah Deeba Chowdhury.

Farah Deeba Chowdhury’s dissertation investigates the interrelationship between law, culture, patriarchy, and Islam in the context of contemporary Bangladesh.  The dissertation has nine chapters.

Chowdhury has concentrated on the situation of Muslim married women in her dissertation. In the introduction, she argues that many practices in Bangladeshi society are based on misinterpretation of Islam and the main purpose of such manipulation is to seek control over wives’ income, financial resources and other assets. The author characterizes such practice as “appropriation of wives’ income as a new form of dowry” (p. 1). As the dowry system has been legally banned in Bangladesh, the income of working women is now considered as a source of earning for their husbands.  The author argues that the root of such practice lies in the norms of patriarchal society. Women are deprived as the patriarchal society never conveys their role to the broader society. Instead, the dominant fallacy is women are only obliged to perform duties towards their in-law’s family.

The Transformation of the World, by Jürgen Osterhammel

Kannu
This is what I'm talking about son. Having a vision. Have a biggest baddest  hugest vision son.
Forget about the books. We've got Toynbee and Eric hobswawm and Macaulay and gibbon. Btw, gibbon's book and language is perhaps the best ever. He writes well, so beautifully. Do you know how he wrote? He would walk around thinking his paragraph in his head and then would just come back and drop the paragraph on paper. Every para he did this. Can you imagine the idea? His paragraphs are a word of art. I learnt that trick son. Before I respond to an important email, I walk around. But even better I sleep over it. Do that son. Never. Respond to an email when you are angry otherwise you will make the best response that you will always regret. same with the any fights. Walk away. No point fighting. Can't do it all the time but walk away. Then you have a better way to manage the situation.
But I'm digressing. Go back to the vision son. You're at the age when you need to have a vision. Something for the world. Something for the country. Something for the family and something for the man inside you. Dream wild dreams son. Have a huge thing.
Don't be an insect grubbing for dirt but a man who is a dragon son. Flying over the world. World domination. Never accept limitations from others other than what people put on you son.
Nothing like hearing, he had a vision and made it happen. Do it son.
I'm proud of you.
Baba

I saw this article when using the Financial Times app and thought you might be interested:
Financial Times,
The Transformation of the World, by Jürgen Osterhammel
--
Review by David Cannadine
--
A monumental study of the 19th century takes the widest possible perspective on a globalising age
Read the full article at: http://on.ft.com/1mlTTUM

The 5 Stupidest Habits You Develop Growing Up Poor

Kids

I've told you about being poor. But we aren't poor now. But I still make these mistakes kids. I'm a banker and I'm supposed to be good with money. And I'm terrible at spending. Spend too much on gifts. Spend too much on bonus or tax refund time. Or not save enough or properly. These are terrible habits kids. Don't make the mistakes I made. Very bad terrible habits. 

Love

Baba

The 5 Stupidest Habits You Develop Growing Up Poor
http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-5-stupidest-habits-you-develop-growing-up-poor/

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Cracked Columnists

As some of you know, until the last couple of years, I was poor as shit. The first 18 years, I was a kid and couldn't do anything about it. The next 17, I was still a kid and wouldn't do anything about it. I take full responsibility for that, and I don't point a finger at anyone for the way I lived. I dug my own hole.

But along the way, a few miracles happened (including landing a job that doesn't suck), and I've finally found myself living the way I always pictured a normal person would: bills paid, groceries in the fridge and two gold-plated nude statues of myself standing proudly in my front yard.

But as anybody who's been through the poverty gauntlet can tell you, it changes a person. And it doesn't go away just because you're no longer fighting hobos for their moonshine. For instance ...

#5. You Develop a Taste for Shitty Food

Developing leaders in a business

Kannu

There are many articles and books like this out there. Talking about how to become a good leader. Fairly non contentious advise here son. 

But I would add 2 points. Be flexible with your leadership style. At one point you may need an autocratic style while another time you may need a democratic style. Or a consensual style. Or a communicative style. No one model is right for all situations son. So be flexible. The key here is to recognise that different situations exist. And then you use a different tool. It's like people just having a hammer in their tool box. And then everything looks like a nail. Smart people have several tools in their tool box and use them appropriately. 

Second point, don't be an arsehole. Seriously. Don't. Be nice. It goes a very long way. Nobody wants to work for an arsehole. It's surprising how many leadership books fail to mention this and it's not surprising how many arseholes become leaders. Very weird. 

And never have low expectations son. Expect high. Light a fire. Stand on a burning platform. Sense of urgency. Conquer the world!

Love 

Baba

Developing leaders in a business
http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/leading_in_the_21st_century/developing_leaders_in_a_business

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The shortcomings of command-and-control management are becoming ever more apparent. The hierarchy of bosses organized into ranks, with each superior exercising authority over subordinates who do exactly what their boss wants, has long been the dominant form of corporate organization. But recognizing that they are handicapped by their current systems, many companies are now questioning the way they manage themselves. They are striving for greater effectiveness and flexibility to cope with and capitalize on the fast-moving, ever-changing competitive conditions they see just ahead.

I believe that the old command system must be replaced. Fixing it is not good enough. My view is that authority should be replaced by leadership. By that, I don’t mean that a business should be run by a single leader, but that it should be run by a network of leaders positioned right through the organization. Leaders and leadership teams working together will, I suggest, run a business more effectively than a hierarchical, command-and-control structure.

What makes a leader?

Leadership scholars define a leader as a person who sets attractive goals and has the ability to attract followers, or constituents, who share those goals. Above all, a leader must be trusted and respected. Trust between a leader and constituents opens up two-way communication, making it possible for them to realize their common goals.

Anyone who aspires to lead must develop certain qualities and attributes. By “qualities,” I mean elements of character or personal makeup that are typically difficult (but not impossible) to learn. People usually bring their qualities with them when they join a company. “Attributes,” on the other hand, are more like skills and hence easier to learn. Fortunately, the attributes needed for leadership far outnumber the qualities.

Florence, 1100-1532, What a Republic!

Kannu Choti

Florence is one of the cities that I'm desperate to visit. It's high on my list. Along with Venice. It's an extraordinary cornucopia of artistic riches. And has a history that is literally breathtaking. 

We have read so much about Florence and it's grandeur that it's unbelievable that one city can actually absorb so much brilliance. And not just one or two people kids but it had people who were from all walks of life and all areas of human endeavour. 

The below mentioned example of Florence's political development is brilliant. We are citizens of a liberal democracy with a constitutional monarchy sitting over the elected members, judiciary and executive. Yes people quibble about which model is good, like the American one or the French one but the weight of history is something to consider. Very important. 

Fascinating background to Florence. We will go there soon :) 

Love

Baba

Mike Anderson's Ancient History Blog: Florence, 1100-1532, What a Republic!
http://www.mikeanderson.biz/2014/02/florence-1100-1532-what-republic.html

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Florence, in this blog? I thought this was supposed to be ancient history! Yes, but sometimes we can find value when we compare political systems from different times in history. The Republic of Florence an interesting case to compare to Republican Rome, because it gives us another example of how men try to build stable governments. Florence was a city republic like Rome but it was never able to expand in the same way because of the circumstances of its time. Still, its leaders faced the same challenges the Romans did – socio-economic class differences, economic interests, and cultural influences. In my last post I mentioned that those designing Republics, including America’s founding fathers, went to great lengths to insure their infant political systems would not revert to monarchies through the consolidation of power. Florence stands as an extreme case of this paranoia.

As one of the great merchant cities of the middle ages (Pisa or Antwerp would be other examples), Florence escaped participation in the feudal system because it had a strong capitalist engine and could operate as an independent political system. Feudalism could only take root where bureaucracy failed and it did not fail there. The Florentine political system certainly had its ups and downs, but it was business that moved Florence forward and politics were regulated by business.

By the year 900 A.D, the great cities of Europe had been weakened to a point where it was necessary to start from scratch. Commerce and artisanship had to be rekindled by recruiting citizens with the right skills from the outside, mostly from the agrarian economies of the surrounding territory. Florence always found aristocratic control unacceptable, so any tendency in that direction was continually resisted. Its leaders were a new class of man; middle class merchants we call burghers, who were independent, entrepreneurial, and confident. Between the years of 900 and 1250, these burghers turned Florence into an autonomous institution by resisting and expelling those who would attempt to impose on them some kind of hierarchical model of government. They were aided in this effort by the emperors and popes who wasted time and money fighting among themselves for control of Italy rather than attacking the city.

Will 2014 be the best year in your life ? I can tell you now !

Check this out son. I've got a new friend. Aasha. Stands for hope. She will do a free reading and tell me all about my future. I'm impressed. Did you know I have negative vibrations? I didn't. I do have negative vibrations around my tummy. And I do get negative vibrations when I go to the gym. Do you think she's trying to reduce my weight? 

What do you think son? Shall I ask her for my free reading? :)

Love

Baba
Begin forwarded message:

From: "Aasha, your friend, astrologer and guide" <promo@bestshoppers.in>
Date: 15 May 2014 05:06:37 BST
To: bdasgupta@gmail.com
Subject: Will 2014 be the best year in your life ? I can tell you now !
Reply-To: promo@bestshoppers.in

Aasha, one of the 5 greatest psychics in the world. She received a gift from the heavens when she was just a small child. Her aim is: to put her powers at the disposal of those with real difficulties and who call upon them to find harmony, love and happiness.

Change your Destiny for a much richer life. By grabbing the chance a lifetime, you could finally make your wildest dreams come true. Revelations await you to satisfy all your desires.

Fight the decrease in purchasing power; find a solution to your most serious problems and to all the daily worries that are ruining your life. Escape the negative vibrations that are stopping you living the wonderful life you deserve. Your free reading will set you on the right path.