Filter Coffee #025

Recap!

Dear Friends,

This is, in a sense, a Jubilee edition — Silver Jubilee is associated with the 25th event. This minor milestone would not have been possible without the blessings of my elder citizen readers and the good wishes of my friends and peers. Some of the readers have posted comments with unfailing regularity right from FC #1 to FC #24. I have learnt a lot from those comments. They were, to me, more than just appreciation. They contributed to the content, supplemented my views with their views and made a few suggestions as well. The time and effort that they invested is indeed gratifying.

I decided to celebrate this milestone by presenting the highlights of the previous 24 editions (with links for you to click and read every one of them). I do hope you will walk with me down memory lane. It means a lot to me. Depending on what you may have missed or what may interest you, you could read that particular issue of FC. So here are the last 24 editions in a nutshell! And here’s a link you can use to share Filter Coffee with your friends, family, and coworkers.

---

🎥 Recap

FC #01 was written in the context of COVID-19: “Neither, Law, Governance or Business can provide succour to the people holed up in their homes contemplating an uncertain future. The emotional struggle that each one goes through is of such magnitude that it makes me wonder what kind of a society we shall see in the new normal.

FC #02 was all about Hakuna Matata — “No Worries”. “The situation is worrisome,” is the refrain you hear everywhere now, with news of a COVID spike. The Government says the situation is worrying and the opposition says that the inaction of the Government is worrying. For those of us on the street, the uncertainties are worrying.

FC #03 focused on China: “The Indian e-commerce market differs from China in these aspects: the Chinese market is protected from foreign competition and investment. Indian market is more open and allows foreign competition and investment. This means that Indian startups like Flipkart get acquired early and global giants like Amazon are able to come in and build scale quickly.”

FC #04 featured Mathew George ‘The Elephant Man” and discussion on consumer protection: “Corporates and other entities that cater to consumers will have to exercise greater care and caution in terms of quality, quantity, and product safety.”

FC #05 featured Laila Ollapally, a much-acclaimed Mediator who said: “Mediation is assisted negotiation where a neutral third party, called the Mediator, assists disputing parties to negotiate and find mutually acceptable terms of settlement to resolve their dispute.”

FC #06 featured Governance, and in the context of getting good people to join the Board, I quoted Warren Buffet: “You’re looking for three things, generally, in a person — intelligence, energy, and integrity. And if they don’t have the last one, don’t even bother with the first two.” It also featured Anna Chandy on mental health during Covid times and Bhooma Krishnan on the importance of Meditation.

FC #07 emphasised the need to execute a Will. It also featured Ian Fleming and his charismatic fictional spy James Bond, along with my dear friend and fellow Freemason Sunil Kumar, who is a Myrmecologist — a person undertaking scientific study of ants.

FC #08 featured iProbono, an organisation that provides access to justice. It also featured Sreeram Gangadharan who spoke about the art of making good coffee.

FC #09 featured ‘Law & Disabilities, Power of Attorney and Living Will. Indira Dave, Additional Director — Spastics Society of Karnataka spoke passionately about the yeomen service the Society is rendering.

FC #10 featured Kamala Naganand who spoke about women’s right to property.

FC #11 featured Srinivas Vijayaraghavan who spoke about personal data protection and privacy.

FC #12 featured Shashi Maudgal who spoke about ‘leadership during Covid times’. I also covered a bit on Idioms and IPL.

FC #13 featured World Tourism Day, the Covid Vaccine (which seems a reality now!) and a humorous piece on Indian Roads.

FC #14 discussed the law relating to adoption, tips on how folks 60+ can stay young and International Coffee Day.

FC #15 discussed adoption among Muslims & Christians and also discussed the difference between Wisdom & Intelligence.

FC #16 featured the proverb “Neither be a borrower nor a lender be, much less a guarantor” and what it means to be politically correct.

FC #17 featured yet another proverb ‘fools build houses & wise men live in them’. I also reminisced on my experiences with the Mysore Dasara festival.

FC #18 featured Rajyotsava and the law relating to dishonour of cheques. It also gave an overview of Turkish Coffee.

FC #19 dealt with various aspects of marriage and registration of marriages. I also included a fun bit about tongue twisters!

FC #20 featured ‘Don't judge the book by its cover’: Don’t judge a person by what that person may be wearing. I also spoke about World kindness day & Children’s day.

FC #21 featured Sanjeev Aga who spoke about Independent Directors. I also wrote a piece on ‘Common Sense’.

FC #22 featured the difference IOUs, favours, bribery and corruption. It also featured ‘Constitution Day’.

FC #23 was titled ‘Do you want a partner O’ partner’. It was all about partnerships and their agonising outcomes if founded on mistrust.

FC #24 said ‘Put faith in your abilities and not the stars’ and it went on to discuss astrology, palmistry, Tarot cards, crystal gazing etc.

🎄 Friday the 25th - Christmas Day! 

As you read this 25th Newsletter, you will be getting into the Christmas week. To Christians, it is a religious holiday but to the rest, it is a cultural holiday. It is a festival that sort of brings all of us together, and we wish each other Merry Christmas just as we would wish one another Happy Diwali.

As per didyouknow.org , The word “Christmas” means “Mass of Christ,” later shortened to “Christ-Mass.” The even shorter form “Xmas” – first used in Europe in the 1500s – is derived from the Greek alphabet, in which X is the first letter of Christ’s name: Xristos, therefore “X-Mass.” Today we know that Christ was not born on the 25th of December. The date was chosen to coincide with the pagan Roman celebrations honouring Saturnus (the harvest god) and Mithras (the ancient god of light), a form of sun worship. 

Santa Claus — otherwise known as Saint Nicholas or Kris Kringle — has a long history steeped in Christmas traditions. Today, he is thought of mainly as the jolly man in red who brings toys to good girls and boys on Christmas Eve, but his story stretches all the way back to the 3rd century, when Saint Nicholas walked the earth and became the patron saint of children. 

You must have heard about ‘Air Bubbles’. Air bubbles or travel corridors are systems established between two countries that perceive each other to be safe and allow national carriers of both the countries to fly passengers either way without any restrictions.

The word ‘family bubble’ is inspired by the air bubble concept. It envisages the coming together of two or three closely related families to celebrate Christmas. 

This is Covid-Christmas and great care must be taken to maintain social distancing. If you are planning to attend the Mass in the Church or get together for an Xmas party, please ensure you are well protected. As our maid said, it is better to listen to the Mass on the loudspeaker standing outside in the open than to sit inside and shudder with apprehension whenever someone coughs or sneezes. She says ‘how can one be with God if you are going to worry about humans around you?’

Christmas is an event for merriment and a time for families to get together to entertain, laugh, and have fun, especially with our children. They are innocent, playful, and their laughter also multiplies the joy that is within each of us. Well then, why not use Christmas jokes for kids to cheer up your family atmosphere now! Here are some you can share with kids:

• Knock Knock| Who’s there?| Mary | Mary who?|Mary Christmas!

• What do Santa’s helpers like to post on Twitter?
  Elfies!

• Why was Santa's helper depressed?
  He has low ELFesteem.

• Why are Christmas trees very bad at knitting?
  Because they always drop their needles!

• One night, a Viking named Rudolph the Red looked out the window. He turned to his wife and said, “It’s going to rain.”
  “How do you know that?” she asked. “
  Because,” he replied, “Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear.”

• What do you call a kid who doesn’t believe in Santa?
  A rebel without a Claus

• What did Adam say to his wife on Christmas?
  It’s finally Christmas, Eve!

• Who is Santa’s favourite singer?
  Elfis Presley!

• Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?
  You do all the work and the fat guy in the red suit gets all the credit.

That’s it, for now, ladies and gents. Have a great week full of fun and please get together only in a family bubble. Merry Christmas!