Some Sizzling Scintillating Speculations

Thought for the day: What is to give light must endure burning…Viktor Frankl I am always fascinated by the questions people ask in the column ‘Open Space’ in the Sunday Times . Even I throw in my two bits now and then, and send in some answers as well, which get published occasionally. This has been going on for more than ten years now, and I still look forward to the column, every Sunday. It’s always a learning process, answering some of the questions. For example, do you know what a busman’s holiday is? Answer: It turns out that a busman’s holiday is a holiday when you do the same things on your holiday as you do at work. Amongst the origins of the phrase are two which caught my eye: It is said that the drivers of horse-drawn omnibuses in London in the 19th century were so solicitous of their horses' well-being that the drivers would often spend their days off surreptitiously riding as passengers on their own trolleys to make sure that the substitute driver was treating their hor...

Thought for the day: Nowadays some people expect the door of opportunity to be opened with a remote control.... M. Charles Wheeler Good ole Georgie...he got us an unexpected holiday. What happened is this-yesterday morning,I was in conversation with an office colleague,and said' Doesn't it feel funny,to have a full five day working week,after nearly 5 weeks?Every week,there's been at least one additional free day.' Not that I'm averse to work,but,it's always nice to have a break in between two-three tough work days,isn't it? Anyway, so, this topic was forgotten and we shifted over to our respective work routines, and time flew by as it always does on the first day of the week. By afternoon, came the first rumour- Is it a holiday tomorrow? I was astonished- Why, I asked? "Well,we heard that a number of roads will be closed in the city tomorrow,due to Georgie's visit.So, it might be declared a holiday", came the reply.To cut a long story,nee, ap...