To Lie Or Not To Lie

Our parents always taught us not to lie. Then they started to lie to us about anything and everything. We then learnt sometimes lying is acceptable. Sometimes it is not acceptable.

Lying is a good thing. But lawyers and politicians gave lying a bad name because they are professional liars (Except of course our Neha and Sanand).

Thirukural says: Telling a lie is not good but one can do so if it is going to be beneficial for the good of all.

It is acceptable to lie when someone asks you “How are you doing?”. You lie and say “I am alright or fine”. You don’t want to say what things have gone wrong for you. And, the person who asked you in the first place is not interested in any of these details.

Lying is recommended when someone asks you if he/she looks old or looks fat. It is highly recommended when someone asks you if someone can see his bald spot. It will make them happy.

Lying is a MUST if someone’s wife or girl friend asks “How do I look in this dress”. Go ahead. Lie. She is an important person in your life. Make her happy.

Exaggeration is also a form of lying. If you tell someone something for 5 times and then say I told you a thousand time, it is a lie. Another form of lying is withholding information. You might tell a loved one that you were out meeting a friend, but in reality, after meeting the friend, you went to a bar.

But perjury is a crime. Perjury is lying under oath.

Adolf Hitler’s Minister for Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels believed if you tell the same lie for a thousand times it automatically becomes a fact.

However, it is easy to find out if someone is lying. When they lie, they don’t look you in the eye. They smile or have a strange laugh if you ask them whether they are lying.

But we should never lie to a doctor. I can tell you two real incidents that happened to people known to us.

A friend of ours went to see a doctor. The doctor asked how is his blood sugar level. He said it is under control. The doctor then asked what is his fasting blood sugar level. My friend did not know. So he wanted to lie. He got confused with the numbers of cholesterol and blood sugar level. So he said his fasting blood sugar level is 180. The doctor was stunned. Fasting blood sugar level should be below 120. If it is more than that, you are diabetic. (It is good if your cholesterol level is below 200.)

Another friend of ours went to see a doctor. The doctor asked “have you ever had a colonoscopy”. He had no idea what the doctor was asking. Therefore, my friend said “yes I have had”. The doctor asked when he had colonoscopy. My friend said “I do not remember”. The doctor immediately knew my friend was lying. The doctor told him “if you ever had a colonoscopy, it is an experience you will never forget that easily in your lifetime”.

Therefore, my friends, it is OK to lie in certain places and to certain people. But please lie in moderation.

Want to Save Money?

Because of bad economic time, people are trying to spend less and save money. We all try very hard at this. But some people have no clue how to save money.

As usual, since my job is to advice others, here are some suggestions:

When you go out with friends, forget your wallet every time so your friends have to pay for everything.

All your family members should stuff their pockets with free ketchup, salt, and other condiment packets every time they are in a fast food restaurant.

Want an umbrella? Go to the lost and found department of a store or library. Tell them you lost a large black umbrella. There have several of them. Pick one and take it home.

Want to make a long distance call? Call them when they are not home. Leave a message. They have to call back. (This is something similar to “missed call”).

Train your dog to beg for food from others. You don’t have to buy the dog food.

Turn off the TV and all the lights to save electricity.

Learn speed-reading and read books for free while in the aisle at the book store.

Push your car to work. You will save on gas (petrol). Plus, you will get a good exercise.

Marry and stay married to a frugal spouse. (Personal note: Unfortunately, neither I nor my wife is frugal.)

Marry a man who can fix things. It can save thousands each year.

Look for and pick up every coin you see on the street. You will become rich very quickly.

Instead of buying toilet paper, use yesterday’s newspaper.

Don’t buy anything. It is the best money saving tip.

And, finally, read my blog instead of buying newspapers and magazines.

If you know of some funny money saving ideas, please let us know. And, we will learn from that.

Women in Non-Traditional Jobs

Many women are taking non-traditional jobs usually associated with men only. A non-traditional occupation for women is one in which women comprise 25 percent or less of total employment. But again this could change from country to country. For example it is common to have women bus drivers in USA. In India, women bus drivers are very rare. In USA, it is very rare to find a male secretary whereas in India it is not that rare. I do not know the current situation in India.

Some examples of non-traditional jobs for women are: detectives, architects, chefs, barbers, clergy, computer and office machine repairers, construction and building inspectors, railway engine driver, machinists, truck drivers, fire fighters, airline pilots, construction occupations, and small engine mechanics.

Existing expectations that women are more verbal, more eager to please, and easier to talk to than men…..make them prime candidates for jobs that combine technical expertise with sales.

Some of the benefits are higher salary, advancement opportunity, more job availability, and job satisfaction.

They have to face some disadvantages also. There are work place harassment, lack of family support, and problems in taking care of children.

Here are some of the women who were “first” to take non-traditional jobs.

Lt.Col. Sharon Preszler of the United States became the first woman fighter pilot in 1993.

In July 2008, Capt. Jammie Jamieson became the first female operational and combat-ready pilot of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft, the F-22 A Raptor.

In a male dominated world of global shipping, Capt. Karin Stahre Janson of Sweden became the first in charge of a cruise ship. She has taken command of Royal Caribbean’s 2,400 passenger ship Monarch of the Seas in May 2007. We were in her ship and met her last year when we took a cruise from Los Angeles to Mexico.

Capt. Emily Howell Warner became the first female commercial airline pilot when Frontier Airlines hired her in 1973. (Note: Many other names are also floating as the first female commercial airline pilot.)

Carly Fiorina became the first female CEO of a large corporation. In 1999, she became President and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Company.

In 1997, Violet Palmer became the first female referee in the NBA (National Basketball Association).

Women continue to progress in taking many “non-traditional” jobs. As more women take jobs that were once dominated by men, many jobs that were considered non-traditional will no longer be in that category. Let us hope, some day, there is no job that would come under non-traditional category.