Author: Natarajan
World’s worst airlines named in Skytrax rankings…..
North Korea’s Koryo Air has been named the world’s worst airline again for the fourth year running by Skytrax, which holds the annual World Airline Awards. It is the only airline listed by Skytrax to receive a lowly one-star rating out of a possible five, due to its Soviet-era planes, rudimentary safety belts, and questionable safety.
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Koryo Air has been named the world’s worst airline again for the fourth year running by Skytrax, which holds the annual World Airline Awards for best airline in the world.
It is the only airline listed by Skytrax to receive a lowly one-star rating out of a possible five, due to its Soviet-era planes, rudimentary safety belts, and questionable safety.
Ryanair is one of these.
Two star-rated airlines (in alphabetical order)
Bahamasair – Bahamas
Passengers saeem to agree with Skytrax here – the customer reviews on the same website give the airline an average 2/10.
“A two-star airline rating,” Skytrax’ website states, “normally signifies poorer or inconsistent standards of product and front-line staff service for the cabin service and the home-base airport environment.”
Biman Bangladesh – Bangladesh
Customer rating: 5/10
“Checking in was totally disorganised.”
Bulgaria Air – Bulgaria
Customer rating: 6/10
“It seemed that the best I could get from them [the crew] was ignorance”.
China United Airlines – China
Customer rating: 8/10 (from only two reviews)
“China United is the only airline that uses Beijing Nanyuan a former military airport in the South of Beijing. Check-in was quick easy but the check-in area is noisy and dilapidated. Toilets at the airport weren’t great.”
Cubana Airlines – Cuba
Customer rating: 4/10
“So many things went wrong with this flight but the customer service or lack of was ridiculous.”
Iran Air – Iran
Customer rating: 5/10
“IranAir does not serve any alcohol but that’s part of the current Iran experience I guess.”
Lion Air – Indonesia
Customer rating: 4/10
“Once seated another passenger showed me his boarding pass that was the same seat as mine.”
Mahan Air – Iran
Customer rating: 7/10 – shortly to be moving out of the two-star catgory perhaps?
“I always select Mahan for my Dubai – Tehran trips. It’s a budget airline but the food service and staff hospitality are on par with any top airlines of the world.”
Nepal Airlines – Nepal
Customer rating: 5/10 (from only two reviews)
“New plane but limited legroom between seats.”
Onur Air – Turkey
Customer rating: 5/10
“The seat was very uncomfortable. Water was not free, they charge 3 Euros for a small bottle.”
Pegasus Airlines – Turkey
Customer rating: 5/10
“I had four flights booked on Pegasus for business and vacation and the four of these flights were delayed – not by a few minutes, at least an hour or hour and a half.”
Rossiya Airlines – Russia
Customer rating: 5/10
“Meal service is the worst in the air.”
Ryanair – Ireland
Customer rating: 5/10
“In Dublin, when I approached the desk to say that we had our boarding passes on a laptop, the customer service worker starting yelling at us. “How am I supposed to stamp your boarding pass if it’s on a device?””
SmartWings – Czech Republic
Customer rating: 5/10
“Flight was on time (sic), but that was the first and last good thing about it. Flight staff was rude, there is almost no service, you get 1 glass of water or cheap soda and one distasteful sandwich, seats were not comfortable and plane looked old.”
Spirit Airlines – USA
Customer rating: 3/10
“Everything negative everyone has said about Spirit is true. Spirit ruined my trip with unnecessary stress and anxiety.”
Sudan Airways – Sudan
Customer rating: 1/10 (from only one review)
“Aircraft very scruffy inside and needed some real attention and cleaning.”
Syrianair – Syria
Customer rating: 2/10
“The cabin staff on the way out smoked behind the curtain and when my husband challenged them about this they actually offered him a cigarette.”
Tajik Air – Tajikistan
Customer rating: 0/10 (from only four reviews)
“The whole plane was as smelly – in brief the worst of all airlines.”
Turkmenistan Airlines – Turkmenistan
Customer rating: 4/10
“Worst airline and customer service I’ve seen miserable staff who don’t smile.”
Ukraine Int’l Airlines – Ukraine
Customer rating: 5/10
“Long drive (again no air-conditioning) to the airplane. It was a very old 737-500, with signs in Portuguese and Russian.”
Yemenia – Yemen
Customer rating: 4/10
“Seats standard economy not too clean though and interior showed serious signs of wear.”
Source…..www.traveller.com.au
Natarajan
மீண்டு வந்த விநாயகர்…..
கடற்கரைப் பட்டினமான புதுச்சேரி, பிரெஞ்சுக்காரர்கள் வசமிருந்த காலம் அது. அப்போது புதுச்சேரியின் கவர்னராய் இருந்த பிரான்சுவா மர்த்தேன் (1674 1693), மணற்குளத்து விநாயகரை உள்ளூர் மக்கள் வழிபடுவதை தடுத்து நிறுத்த முயன்றார்.
இதனால் மனம் சலிப்புற்ற உள்ளூர் நெசவாளர்களும், பிறரும் தெய்வத்தைத் தொழ அனுமதியில்லாத ஊரில் குடியிருக்க வேண்டாம் என்று முடிவெடுத்து, ஊரைக் காலிசெய்துவிட்டு வெளியேற திட்டமிட்டனர். இதனைக் கேள்விப்பட்ட குவர்னர் பிரான்சுவா மர்த்தேன், இந்த நெசவாளர்கள் இல்லாவிட்டால், கிழக்கு இந்திய கம்பெனியின் வியாபாரம் பெரிதும் பாதிக்கப்படும் என்று உணர்ந்து, மணற்குளத்து விநாயகரை வழிபடுவதற்கு விதித்திருந்த தடையை விலக்கிக்கொண்டார். இப்படியான ஒரு கர்ணபரம்பரைக் கதை புதுச்சேரியில் உண்டு.
காலைப் பிடித்தேன் கணபதி நின்பதங் கண்ணிலொற்றி
நூலைப் பலபல வாகச் சமைத்து நொடிப்பொழு(தும்)
வேலைத் தவறு நிகழாது நல்ல வினைகள்செய்துன்
கோலை மனமெனு நாட்டி னிறுத்தல் குறியெனக்கே
என்று மகாகவி சுப்ரமணிய பாரதியாரால் பாடப்பெற்ற அரிய திருத்தலம் இது.
உலகமெலாம் படைத்தளித்தே ஒடுக்குநிலைக் களமாகி
இலகுபிர ணவவடிவாம் எழிலானை முகத்தவனே !
அலகிலருட் சித்தியெலாம் அளித்தருளும் ஐங்கரனே !
மலமகற்றும் புதுவைநகர் மணக்குளத்து விநாயகனே !
என்று யாழ்ப்பாணம் எஸ்.கந்தையா பிள்ளையாலும், இன்னும், தமிழிசைக்கு இலக்கணம் கண்ட வண்ணச்சரபம் தண்டபாணி சுவாமிகளாலும் போற்றிப் பாடப்பெற்ற, வினைகள் தீர்க்கும் இந்த மணக்குளத்து விநாயகப் பெருமானைப் பற்றி புதுச்சேரி வரலாறும், புதுச்சேரி நாட்டுப்புறக் கதைகளும் பலவாறான செய்திகளை நமக்குச் சொல்லுகின்றன.


மணக்குள விநாயகர் முன்னர் வெள்ளைக்கார விநாயகர் என்றே அழைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளார். இந்த ஆலயத்தின் தல புராணத்தின்படி, பிரெஞ்சு கவர்னர்களின் ஆட்சியிலிருந்தபோது, மணக்குள விநாயகரை அகற்றும் நெருக்கடிகள் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளன. விநாயகரின் சிலை ஒருமுறை கடலில் தூக்கியெறியப்பட்டதாகவும் தகவல்கள் உள்ளன. எல்லா நெருக்கடிகளிலிருந்தும் மீண்டு, விநாயகர் எங்கும் நகராமல் இங்கே குடிகொண்டுள்ளார்.
“மணக்குள” என்னும் சொல்லுக்கு இரண்டு வகையான பொருள் சொல்லப்படுகிறது. ஒன்று, மனம்+குளம் என்பது. அதாவது, இலைச்சருகு ஒன்று காற்றின் வேகத்திற்கு தக்கவாறு அசைந்து அசைந்து குளத்தில் வீழ்ந்து சிறு சலனத்தைத் தோற்றுவித்து பின் அமைதியைப் பரப்புவது போல, விநாயகப் பெருமானின் அருள், மனமாகிய குளத்தில் ஒரு ஞானச் சிலிர்ப்பைத் தோற்றுவித்து, அமைதியை நிலைப்படுத்தும் என்பதுவாம்.
இன்னொன்று, மணல்+குளம் என்பது. பழைய புதுச்சேரியில் மணலால் சூழப்பட்ட குளங்கள் நிறைய இருந்தன. அத்தகைய குளங்களில் ஒன்றின் கரையில் பிரதிஷ்ட்டை செய்யப்பட்டதால் “மணற்குளத்து விநாயகர்” மணக்குள விநாயகர் என்று மறுவி வழங்கப்பட்டு வருவதாகவும் கருத்து உள்ளது. அந்தக் காலத்தில் மக்கள், அந்த குளத்தில் நீராடிய பின்னரே இந்த ஆனைமுகக் கடவுளை வழிபட்டுள்ளனர்.
12 ஆண்டுகள் கும்பாபிஷேகம் காணாத இந்த ஆலயத்தில் கடந்த ஏப்ரல் மாதம் கும்பாபிஷேகம் நடத்தப்பட்டது. புதுவை மக்களின் காவல் அரணாக மணக்குள விநாயகர் அருள்பாலிக்கிறார்.
Source…..மகரந்தன்…www.tamil.the hindu.com
Natarajan
WHY DO THEY CALL GRANDFATHER CLOCKS BY THAT NAME?…..
J.Kaus asks: Why are Grandfather clocks called Grandfather clocks?

At first glance, the answer seems obvious. Think about it- when was the last time you saw a grandfather clock in the house of anyone under the age of 70?
Grandfather clocks- with their long cases, pendulums, echoing chimes, and Roman numerals- seem to belong to the world of courting parlors, Model-T Fords, silent movies, and going out on a date for an ice cream soda. In short, the world of grandparents.
Yes, this may seem logical and obvious, but the real reason these timekeeping devices (technically called “Longcase clocks”) picked up the grandfatherly nickname has nothing to do with grandparents per se.
So how did grandfather clocks get this name? Here’s the scoop…
In 1875, an American songwriter named Henry Clay Work was visiting England. While there, he checked in to the George Hotel in North Yorkshire.
In the hotel’s lobby was a large pendulum clock. The clock had stopped long ago and just sat in the lobby, serving no apparent purpose. This unmoving clock fascinated Work and he asked about its history.
He was told a story by the proprietors, whether true or not (probably not) isn’t important to how grandfather clocks got their name. The story was that the clock had belonged to the inn’s previous two owners, the Jenkins brothers, both deceased. It seems the clock had kept perfect time during their lives, but when the first Jenkins brother died, the clock started becoming less accurate.
After this, the story went that the clock stopped completely dead- to the minute and second Jenkins brother had died. Maybe because it was his job to wind it and nobody else wanted the task, you say?
According to the story Work was told, it was actually because it broke. Despite the best efforts of a host of repairmen supposedly hired by the new owners of the inn, they couldn’t get the clock going again.
Now, of course, what probably actually happened was the clock died and was prohibitively expensive to fix, but looked nice, so the new owners of the hotel came up with a great story for the clock to hide the fact that they maybe just didn’t want to pay to get it fixed nor have it hauled off.
Whatever the case, the bemused Work thought it was a great story. Being a song writer, he then wrote a song about the incident. The song was called “My Grandfather’s Clock”, released in 1876.
The lyrics were as follows:
1. My grandfather’s clock was too large for the shelf, So it stood ninety years on the floor;
It was taller by half than the old man himself, Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born, And was always his treasure and pride;
But it stopp’d short – never to go again – When the old man died.
CHORUS
Ninety years without slumbering (tick, tick, tick, tick),
His life seconds numbering (tick, tick, tick, tick),
It stopp’d short – never to go again – When the old man died.
2. In watching its pendulum swing to and fro, Many hours had he spent while a boy;
And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know And to share both his grief and his joy.
For it struck twenty-four when he entered at the door, With a blooming and beautiful bride;
But it stopp’d short – never to go again – When the old man died.
(CHORUS)
3. My grandfather said that of those he could hire, Not a servant so faithful he found;
For it wasted no time, and had but one desire – At the close of each week to be wound.
And it kept in its place – not a frown upon its face, And the hands never hung by its side;
But it stopp’d short – never to go again – When the old man died.
(CHORUS)
4. It rang an alarm in the dead of the night – An alarm that for years had been dumb;
And we knew that his spirit was pluming for flight – That his hour of departure had come.
Still the clock kept the time, with a soft and muffled chime, As we silently stood by his side;
But it stopp’d short – never to go again – When the old man died.
The public went crazy over the song. “My Grandfather’s Clock” went on to sell over a million copies in sheet music, which was fairly unprecedented for the day (Work had previously set that precedent selling over a million copies of the song Marching Through Georgia, which is still commonly played by marching bands today).
The previous term for “grandfather clock”, the rather un-catchy “longcase clock”, was dropped almost immediately by the public in favor of the new moniker for the clocks.
With the advent of digital technology and atomic clocks, some clock lovers worry that the old pendulum-swinging grandfather clocks may not be long for the current timekeeping world. However, despite its inanity, H.C. Work’s song lives on. It was recorded multiple times in the 20th century, and as recently as 2004 by the R & B act Boys II Men. It’s a song that, like grandfather clocks, keeps on ticking.
Bonus Facts:
- Henry Clay Work wrote and composed a total of 75 songs, most of which sold well. The most popular of them, besides My Grandfather’s Clock and Marching Through Georgia, were: Kingdom Coming; Come Home, Father; Wake Nicodemus; and Thy Ship That Never Returned.
- Besides composing music, Work also was an abolitionist, as was his father. Work’s family home was a popular stop on the Underground Railroad, helping runaway slaves get to Canada. For this, Work’s father was imprisoned for several years.
- Work was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
- Work’s cousin, Frances Work, was the great-grandmother of the late Princess Diana of Wales.
- The first grandfather clock was created around 1680 by British clockmaker William Clement. These tall style clocks were made possible thanks to the anchor escapement system, which allowed for much smaller motion in the pendulum than used to be necessary. Before this system, pendulums in clocks needed 80-100° of swing. After this mechanism was invented in the 1670s, a swing of just 4°-6° was all that was needed. The advantage of the longer pendulum and shallower swing is that less power, in the form of weights driving the clock, was needed, as well as slower beats and less wear on the moving parts. All this makes for better long term accuracy of the clock.
- Grandfather clocks classically were made in 8 day and 30 hour varieties (lasting this length of time when wound up). Eight day clocks used two weights, one for the striking mechanism to cause a chime at the appropriate moment, and one for driving the clock. This would then typically require two winding holes (where you’d stick the winding “key” to wind the weights back up).
- 30 hour clocks were cheaper, using the same weight to power the clock and chimes, thus only needed one winding hole, but needed winding every day. However, because people often wanted to make other people think they owned a more expensive 8 day clock, some 30 hour clocks featured two holes, one for the actual winding hole, the other a dummy winding hole to make guests think it was an 8 day clock.
- An alternative design to the “key hole” system was to use a chain or cable driven system, so instead of winding the weight back up, you pull the chain to raise the weights back up to the top to power the clock.
- The melody that the vast majority of grandfather clocks use for their chimes is Westminster Quarters. This little tune is thought to have been borrowed/inspired by Handel’s Messiah during the 5th and 6th measures of “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth”. As to the person who first put this little ditty in a clock, Dr. Joseph Jowett was hired to make the tune, possibly with the help of Professor of Music, Dr. John Randall and/or one of Jowett’s students, William Crotch. Whatever the case, the piece of music was written in 1793 for the St. Mary the Great clock at the University Church in Cambridge. It was later adopted for the “Big Ben” clock at the Palace of Westminster, which is what spawned its widespread popularity.
- The specific note sequence for the melody is in E major and is as follows (varies in length based on the time of the hour, but the full length is): g♯, f♯, e, b | e, g♯, f♯, b | e, f♯, g♯, e | g♯, e, f♯, b | b, f♯, g♯, e
Source….www.todayifoundout.com
Natarajan













