What’s a nationality? The idea of the nation-state is pretty modern. Ancient lands were usually under the suzerainty of kings & queens. While most emperors spilled blood to expand their kingdom, the common man was seldom concerned about borders.
[Peace of Westphalia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_of_Westphalia) was a famous peace treaty in 1648 that ended [thirty years war](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Years'_War). Historians often cite this as an example of first nation state. It relied on a system of independent states refraining from interference in each other's domestic affairs and checking each other's ambitions through a general equilibrium of power...Continue reading → diary rambling
If you are not living under a cave, you probably have already heard about carcinogens. News is often awash with headlines alerting perils of carcinogens. In a nutshell, these are substances that have the potential to cause cancer. Not all carcinogens cause cancer. Not all cancer is caused by carcinogens. Cancer is a complicated group of diseases. Of course, it’s not my forte to expound on the subject of cancer. However, we should try to understand how carcinogens are identified and what we should do to protect ourselves.
Cancer is pathological mitosis. The cells go bonkers where they have an insatiable urge to proliferate. Carcinogens have the potential to alter the genetic material of the cell. This genetic mutation sometimes can develop into cancer...Continue reading → diary rambling carcinogen meditation
Today I tried to meditate again. I used Insight Timer app for background sound. However I think I'll just stick to Youtube as it has more varieties. I struggled for 20 minutes sitting cross-legged as my mind wandered in the labyrinth of thoughts. I guess it will take more practice to hone my skill. Have you ever wondered how monks can meditate for countless hours or days?
There's a very famous picture of a Vietnamese monk called [Thích Quảng Đức](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%ADch_Qu%E1%BA%A3ng_%C4%90%E1%BB%A9c). He was protesting against the persecution of Buddhist. He self-immolated himself without making any fuss...Continue reading → diary rambling
Did you remember we watched The Time Machine movie together? The protagonist loses his fiancée when a mugger kills her. He then builds a time machine to travel back in time to save her. Of course multiple movies have been made romanticizing the concept of time machine.
I am not sure if the laws of physics allow time travel. There's no scientific consensus if time travel is possible in theory. Even if it was possible in theory, it might take aeons before humans could master this concept. However there's one time machine you see everyday...Continue reading → diary rambling
Today the sleep was better. Yesterday I was sleep deprived. Hunger is the best ingredient to make any food delicious. Likewise a sound sleep is like a `manna from heaven` for me.
I hope you are spending time honing SQL skills. I hope you are making some progress in the online course at [Educative.io](https://www.educative.io/courses/introductory-guide-to-sql/). There's also another resource [SQLZoo](https://sqlzoo.net/) that has some fun exercise that you can explore. Next week we can take a SQL quiz together to see how well we fare against each other...Continue reading → diary rambling
I didn't have proper sleep today. I could barely keep my eyes open. Empty stomach and a heavy mind is a disaster for sound sleep. Yesterday I was brooding too much while trying to sleep. I guess I need to filter noises in my mind. Proper sleep is the basic physiological need in Maslow's pyramid. I guess it's a blessed day not to have a insomnia.
I am beginning to practice meditation. Though I am not a religous person, I reckon meditation is a good practice to adopt from my religion. I like the [babbling sound of the water](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvjMgVS6kng&list=LL&index=1) while I meditate. Today I meditated for 15 minutes...Continue reading → diary rambling