I am not sure if one can achieve a state of 100% Mindfulness. For me, to be in a position of maintaining a state of awareneness minute by minute when I have a full control of my feelings, thoughts, bodily sensations, feelings, and surrounding environment all the time is next to impossible. I think it takes a lot of practice, determination, and self discipline to achieve that.
They say there are 7 principles or attitudes of Mindfulness. First one is 'NON-JUDGING'. Most of the time I am judging my judging my own thoughts, deeds, and actions. Why? I don't know. Probably it's because of being partial to my actions and biased in witnessing my own experience. I have to learn how to become completely non judgemental for my own and for others.
Second principle is PATIENCE. Patience comes with wisdom and practice. Patience brings so many other benefits with it. Like, acceptance, harmony, happiness, and so on.
Third one is 'CHILD'S MIND'. A child is always open and receptive to anything new in life. It's perhaps curiosity that is always there in a child. As we grow, we stop being curious, receptive, and open. We tend to get more stereotypical and close minded.
Fourth principle of Mindfulness is TRUST. We start losing confidence in ourselves because we stop trusting ourselves. Mindfulness demands a consistent development of basic trust with self and own's feelings. Trust brings hope, stability, strength, and clarity in life.
Fifth one is 'NON STRIVING'. Live the moment. Don't waste energy in change. Focus on what is evolving. Stay with yourself.
Next is 'ACCEPTANCE'. Accept what's happening in life. This broadens your horizon. Look at life with a wide angle.
The seventh and last principle of Mindfulness is 'LETTING GO'. Pay full attention to inner experience. Let go unnecessary thoughts, feelings, and situations. Stick to your present moment. Let the sorrows of past and worries of future go away. Stay calm. Stay fresh.
Mindfulness is developing ability to be fully present in the current moment with full awareness of where I am and what I am doing without getting influenced by surrounding situations. It is about bringing awareness to what I am directly experiencing by means of my senses. My state of mind must sync well with my thoughts and emotions. That's how I can become mindful. It requires regular training to the brain to be mindful. The ultimate goal of Mindfulness is to reach to a state of mind where there is a complete awareness of mental, emotional, and physical conditions.
SPSSI stands for Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. The Clara Mayo Grants is in support of Masters' theses and Pre-Dissertation Research on Sexism, Racism, or Prejudice. The preference is given to the students who enroll in a terminal master's program. The students who can apply for the Clara Mayo Grants must be involved in the studies of the application of the theory of the design of interventions or treatments to address these problems. For eligibility of this grant, an individual must be a registered member of SPSSI. He/She must have matriculated in any of the graduate programs in psychology, applied social science, and related disciplines. A student can either apply for a Grants-In-Aids or the Clara Mayo award in the same award year. Any applicant can submit only one Clara Mayo Grant application in a calendar year. The grant is awarded twice a year. There are two rounds - Spring round and Fall round. The deadline for submitting application for the Spring round is May 15 and for the Fall round is October 15. The winners for the Spring round are declared by July 15. The winners for the Fall round are declared by December 15.
A maximum of six grants are awarded each cycle. The maximum amount of any grant is $1,000. Though preference is given to proposals that include a college or university agreement in order to match the amount requested, but proposals without matching funds are also considered for the Clara Mayo Grant. Late applications in both the rounds are held until the next deadline. The award money is sponsored by SPSSI Clara Mayo Memorial Fund which is made possible by contributions from the family and friends of Professor Clara Mayo and by SPSSI member donations. Applications for this award can be submitted online here.
Let's congratulate the Fall 2022 winners of the Clara Mayo Grants Program. Fall 2022 Clara Mayo Grants recipients are:
Sheba Aikawa (University of Colorado Boulder)
Untrustworthy ally: The unintended consequences of messages targeting Black women
Samuel Carr (Northeastern University)
Gender Inclusive Movement for Youth in K-12 Schools: An Exploratory Study
Elise Kaufman (University of Maryland, College Park)
Children’s Evaluations about Teacher and Peer Bias in the Classroom Context
Liora Morhayim (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
Buffering Effects of Negative Intergroup Contact through Complex Social Identities
Laura Pazos (University of Reno, Nevada)
Perceptions of Gender Nonconforming Child Bearers and Abortion in the Wake of Overturning Roe v. Wade
Yiwei Quan (University of Toronto)
Chinese international students and anti-Asian racism on campus in Canada: Advocacy, coping strategies, and social media discourse
The title Withering Leaves is quite poetical and philosophical. There are two sections in this book by Sam Cohen. The first section title is 'Leah' having 8 chapters. The second section is 'Rachel' having 17 chapters. There are three main characters in the book. Kobi falls in love with Rachel. Rachel is an English actress. One fine day, Rachel vanishes from the life of Kobi. All Kobi gets is a departing letter from Rachel. And then there are no traces of Rachel. Kobi is never able to forget Rachel despite passing of 20 years after this incidence. And then another woman comes in Kobi's life. This is Leah, his new neighbor who falls in love with him soon after meeting him. By now, Kobi is in his old age. He is 60 plus. A leg injury sticks him to a wheelchair. The life changes its meaning altogether.
Withering Leaves by Sam Kohen is an interesting love story that doesn't fade with the passage of time. Kobi's love for Rachel stays intact despite all his pessimism and cynicism. In fact, despite losing all hopes to find her again, he could never forget her. That was the intensity of his love for her. And when Leah expresses her love for him, they would just discuss Rachel during their long meetings. Even at night, Kobi would sleep very little. Otherwise, most of the time, he would be tossing in the bed, half asleep, half awake. But all the time, in any condition, he would be thinking about his past love, Rachel. Kobi's childhood was painful. His father was a construction worker and mother, a dressmaker. After marriage, his mother leaves her job and becomes a homemaker. But Kobi remembers that was nothing like the love between his parents.
There are very thoughtful discussions between Leah and Kobe in Withering Leaves by Sam Kohen. It is all about the Kobe's past relationships, his parent's love life, his perceptions, and expectations. There are deep insights about love and life in the book that you can't afford to miss. It is a different kind of a love story. In fact, it is more than a love story. Because it tries to touch the soft parts of love to distinguish between love, marriage, infatuation, and liking. And all this happens by means of a story. Overall, this is not merely a fiction but more than that to be recommended.
To say, there are only 117 pages in this book - The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. But the depth in these 117 pages is incomparable. This is one of the most fabulous books I have ever read. Good that I read this book in early youth days. It helped me in defining some rule sets of my life. This book Infact connects to life very easily. Every sentence, every page, and ultimately the whole book delivers one or the other basic elements of life that one keeps seeking throughout his life journey. It talks about truth, love, justice, wisdom, and a lot more in the most realistic manner and that's why I found it important to read. Not once, I read this book many times. It has been a part of my personal library all these years.
Story of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
The story goes like this. Almustafa visited Orphalese city 12 years back. He has stayed in this city all these years. Lelool is known as the month of reaping. On the 7th day of this month, his ship will be touching the shores of this city with a purpose to take him back to the place of his birth. Almustafa is a Prophet by heart. People in this city admire him as a holy spirit. When they come to know about this, they feel sad, some start weeping, and all started requesting him not to leave them and stay here forever. All of them gather around him and tell him - ''You have walked among us a spirit, and your shadow has been a light upon our faces.'' They beg him to show them the path of wisdom of life.
WHAT IS LOVE?
Almustafa gives them an opportunity to ask whatever they want to. When someone asks about love, he replies - "Love is speechless but when you cry it gets expressed''. He further adds - When love beckons you, follow him, Though his ways are hard and steep. Love may wound you through the sword hidden among his pinions. But when love speaks to you, believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams.''
"Love has such a power that it can crown you, and it can crucify you too. He is for your growth and for your pruning too. As he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, on the other hand he descends to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth. This all happens if you listen to your heart and know the secrets of your heart. When you achieve these heights in love, love assigns you to his sacred fire, and you become sacred bread for God's sacred feast. Love gives nothing but itself and takes nothing but itself. Love possesses not nor would it be possessed."
"Love needs to be without desires and need to direct as it has the power to direct your course if it finds you worthy. Sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise on your lips. But if you fear to reach to this extent and seek only love's peace and love's pleasure, you will live in a seasonless world where you will laugh but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears."
WHAT'S THE REAL MEANING OF MARRIAGE?
Someone asks him the real meaning of Marriage. He said, "You should be together in the silent memory of God, but let there be spaces in your togetherness. Let the winds of heaven dance between you. Love one another but not make a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other;s cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone. Give your heart's but not into each other's keeping. Stand together yet not too near together as the pillars of the temple stand apart."
CHILDREN AND PARENTING
somebody seeks guidance on Children and Parenting. Almustafa says, "You may give them your love but not your thoughts, as they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, as their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you as life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday."
Almustafa compared God as Archer, parents as bow and children as arrow and said - ''Let your bending in the Archer's hand be for gladness, as even as he loves the arrow that flies, similarly he loves the bow also that is stable."
WHAT'S GIVING?
While telling the true meaning of GIVING - "You give very little when you give of your possessions, it is when you give of yourself that you truly give. Who is bigger in giving - A rich giving little of his and a Poor giving whole of his? When you give, are you really a Giver or just a Spectator?"
MEANING AND PURPOSE OF WORK
"When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music. - All life is darkness unless there is urge - All urge is blind unless there is knowledge - All knowledge is vain unless there is work - All work is empty unless there is love 'Weave the cloth from the thread of your heart. Build a house with affection' Work is love made visible On Joy and Sorrow Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. They are inseperable. They come together, but when one is sitting with you the other is asleep at your bed.
MEANING AND PURPOSE OF PAIN
"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Your heart knows in silence the secrets of the days and the nights but your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge. you would know in words that which you have always known in thought. You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams. Self is a sea of knowledge boundless and measureless."
WHO'S A REAL TEACHER?
"The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among the followers, gives not of his wisdom, but rather of his faith and his loving."
WHO'S A FRIEND?
"Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. Without words in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared with joy that is un-acclaimed."
My Conclusion on The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
I would like to conclude my review of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran with following views on certain aspects of life -
- Love is ultimate. It doesn't need any further wish. It is the biggest wish fulfilled. In addition, love never binds. Instead, it lets you free.
- Never hurt anyone in life. Life is too short to give happiness and heal the wounds of heart.
- After marriage both the partners need to provide enough space to each other to live own's life and not forcing one to live as other wants.
- Being parent does not mean imposing one's thoughts on your children.
- When you give, don't give for fear or with pain, give for joy. If you really want to learn the art of giving, learn from life itself.
- Whatever kind of profession you are in and whatever kind of work you do - work for love and work with love. If you want to learn the real meaning of work, learn from earth that keep on moving non-stop. And learn from the Sun that selflessly provides light with an esteem level of discipline.
- Self is the biggest source of knowledge and greatest teacher. You are your best teacher. You are your best healer.
Overall, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran is a great book to read as many times as possible. It's a must read for everyone.
It's raining heavily. As usual. I never bothered about it ever. Right since my childhood. I used to dance in the rain. What'd be more magnificent, graceful, and royal than the sky shower is throwing the purest form of water on you. I used to love it. And that love continued. Even in my youth and adulthood, I never used to miss a chance to get under the sky and enjoy rain falling upon me. I never used to carry umbrella despite living in the city having most rainfall in the year. Carrying umbrella to me was like an insult to God's gift of rain. I wanted to cherish it, every time. But not all this is possible now for me.
I have grown old. It's too late now to enjoy it any more. Now carrying umbrella has become a necessity. But I have no umbrella at home. IT'S TOO LATE. THE SAME WAY IT'S TOO LATE TO THINK ABOUT CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY TO LET MY KIDS AND THEIR KIDS HAVE A BETTER AND HEALTHY LIFE.
I never thought seriously about climate change and sustainability as it used to appear merely to be a subject of discussion. Various global and national forums kept taking about CLIMATE CHANGE, SUSTAINABILITY, GLOBAL WARMING, etc. but without any considerable movement towards actions. It was just talks, talks and talks for years. It was more like passing time in blaming each other and cautioning others to do something about it. But what about me? I always thought my materialistic assets are more than enough to lead a better life for our next few generations. Earning money was fine but what about never bothering about environment, pollution, etc.?
Smoking, drinking, throwing plastic here and there, eating non vegetarian, using vehicle all the time, and no focus towards self health and health of the mother earth. There's a huge difference between living a carefree life responsibly and living a careless life mindlessly. We all are partners in this crime. We have all been doing and dying this way for years. It is to late though but still we have a chance to contribute our bit towards sustainability. Sustainability has become a big question but we have many answers to thatand most of them point in the right direction and are correct.
Every action will serve a purpose but the point is to ACT. Look at the faces of the children of the world and as an elder every one of us has a moral responsibility to ensure that we make this planet livable and sustainable for them and their next generation before we phase out.
What's the purpose of my life? Earn money, fulfill my needs, and die? And in that rush keep wasting or misusing natural resources? Water, food, earth, trees, forests, and so on. A lot of misuse and wastage is already done by all of us. This thought is making me sad and angry at the same time.
I would have never learned a different aspect of tackling issues in life if I had missed reading this fabulous book Fish by Stephen C Lundin. Once I read it, I read it again, and again, again. This book has become a single point of reference for me when I am not finding a solution to a problem. It helps actually in opening new doors and windows of my mind and thing in a very different perspective to solve a problem. It helps in handling situations when you are working in teams.
The story of Fish by Stephen C Lundin
Mary Jane join as a supervisor in a company called ''First Guarantee Financials'' one of the largest financial institute in Seattle. She was compelled to go for this job after some adverse situations arise in her happy life. After the sudden death of her husband Dane, and, thus, to take care of her kids, she had no other choice but to join this company to balance her financial needs for the family. In no time, Mary Jane emerges as a very successful supervisor.
Soon, she gets promoted as Manager and is rewarded with a good pay hike. The company appoints her as the new incharge of the third floor which is the most messed up unit of the company. All the transactions of the company were handled by this unit. That's why almost every other unit in the company had to deal with this floor. Willingly or unwillingly. Actually, mostly, unwillingly. Everyone used to be sure that there is no life on the 3rd Floor of this office. Everything used to stop on this floor. Business used to get slow. People used to get dull responses. There was no momentum, no system, and no flow on this floor.
There was no energy and enthusiasm in the staff working on third floor. Mary had an option to turn down the promotion and continuing with her current position that was going smooth and hassle-free. But being a little different from others and having a 'can-do' attitude, she readily accepts this challenge, though she didn't have a readymade solution to the problems she was jumping into. Pike Place is the world's largest fish market. It was quite close to her office. And luckily, she had to cross this market everyday while going out for lunch. She started observing the 'life' there.
Everyday was a new experience for her. Soon she learnt why that place was so successful in business. The basic fact was that despite the most hectic life, the persons working there were doing a lot of work tirelessly and efficiently. She learned certain facts happening practically there and in a perfect manner like - ''Change'', ''Play at work'' and so many other things. She decided to implement those worklife gems at her office. Implementing those tactics in a systematic manner without telling anybody starts changing the complete scenario of the third floor in no time. The lifeless 3rd floor becomes most lively floor in the complete office.
There is something very important on page 44 of Fish by Stephen C Lundin
"Faith - By David Whyte"
"I want to write about faith about the way the moon rises over cold snow, night after night faithful even as it fades from fullness slowly becoming that last curving and impossible silver of light before the final darkness but I have no faith myself I refuse to give it the smallest entry Let this then, my small poem like the new moon, slender and barely open be the first prayer that opens me to faith."
I loved reading Fish by Stephen C Lundin first time, and every time thereafter I read it again. It gives energy. It inspires and motivates. Every time read it, it brings some change within me. You will find Mary Jane is not an exceptional person but her certain traits like accepting the challenge, observing around, understanding the problem well, and initiating the change in a natural manner makes her exceptional and a winner. We all have problems at work place. That's why we are there. We all have one or the other 'Pike Place' around to observe and learn new lessons and relate with our situation at work place to make it better. Only a true leader can actually dare to accept a promotion like the one Mary Jane got that is full with challenges and no scope of success.
I always have a keen interest in historical events. I read somewhere history is only as real as presented by the presenter's De facto. This book, Hyderabad: Book 2 The Partition Trilogy By Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is quite different. It's different from other books I read on the consequences that happened in Hyderabad during India's independence and partition. The narration and consequences presented are plain, straight, and clear. Nothing being imposed on the reader. That made it more interesting. It's because the events are presented in a straightforward authentic and unbiased manner. This book Hyderabad: Book 2 of The Partition Trilogy By Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is the second part of the three part series on India's partition.
The first part of this Trilogy is on Lahore and the third part is on Kashmir. It's good that I read this book Hyderabad: Book 2 The Partition Trilogy By Manreet Sodhi Someshwar and got to know many facts pertaining to Hyderabad in a better way and that has changed my whole concept on this subject and characters involved in those events. The situation was very cumbersome and complex at that time of partition when a lot many things of high importance were happening or about to happen. It was a situation of chaos and dilemma. Different segments of society in Hyderabad were involved in it in different ways. Nobody was able to think straight at that time. Every incident or decision was either a part of another incident or decision, or was an outcome of political powers emerging out of this partition.
Indian history would have an entirely different story if some decisions were not taken, or taken in a better way. Many incidents were a result of some selfish motives of that time's influential political leaders. While the partition maps were in the process of finalization with no estimation of later consequences or the price being paid for that, the Nizam of Hyderabad was in a kind of dilemma. He was unsure whether agree to become a part of independent India or keep Hyderabad an independent separate state within India. His wish was to stay as a ruler of independent Hyderabad within independent India. But, his dynasty was carrying a curse that he would be the last Nizam of Hyderabad and that would be the end of Nizam dynasty. At the same time a last moment ditching by Jinnah to help seeked by Nizam changed the whole fate of Hyderabad.
In fact, Nehru and Sardar Patel played their cards very well to woo Nizam in taking a decision to allow Hyderabad to become a part of India. Nothing was in favor of Nizam as communists also went against him. The whole story becomes more interesting and intriguing when you understand the important roles of Uzma, a maid at palace and a confidante of princess Nilofer, Nizam’s daughter in law. There's something more intresting with the entry of two more characters in this whole turmoil, a peasant lady Jabili and Daniyal Khan, a journalist.
The book Hyderabad: Book 2 of The Partition Trilogy By Manreet Sodhi Someshwar presents a lot of insights on Hyderabad about its unfair social practices during that period, and the gravity with which this political turmoil impacted all segments of people of Hyderabad. The strength of this book lies in its very well crafted plot and its perfect sync with its beautifully curated characters. The story and its characters strengthen each other throughout. A good amount of research work has been done by the author to bring out the facts in the form of a fictional story.
This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program.
Before I review the book with a long title 'WHY THERE ARE NO NOYONTARA FLOWERS IN AGARGAON COLONY: STORIES' by SHAHIDUL ZAHIR and TRANSLATED FROM THE BENGALI BY V. RAMASWAMY; comprising of these beautiful ten stories, I have a small question for you all. I have an intimate friend from my childhood. From childhood till today, it is an unforgettable and awe-inspiring time to sit with him, whenever we get a chance to meet. This is the time when both of us completely forget about the time. No matter how much time we spend together, little remains. Do you have such a person in life? The same thing happened to me with this book. Every story appears like a new journey of life. These well written stories show a whole new color of art of writing and expression.
These simple-looking stories from the outside hit straight to the heart, and leave with a touching touch of love, giving a very interesting, gripping, deep, and serene feel in 'WHY THERE ARE NO NOYONTARA FLOWERS IN AGARGAON COLONY: STORIES' by SHAHIDUL ZAHIR. The title of the book, actually is the title of one of the stories of this book. The characters of every story seem familiar even though they are unfamiliar in reality. Each story appears like actually happening, and me being a part of it. Something like a hidden character witnessing everything that happens and experiencing every character in person. This is what it feels about such places and whatever is happening.
Whether it is the delicious dalpuri of Abdul Karim, the main character of 'Where's my heart wander' and his wooer Abdul Aziz byapari, or Abdul Karim's endless journey to find Shefali Begum's house. All this and so much happens in a single story. A lot is there in each of the stories on a very large frame. Each character of every story is main in itself. Similarly, every event that is happening in any of the stories, is the main event in itself. Great credit for this book 'WHY THERE ARE NO NOYONTARA FLOWERS IN AGARGAON COLONY: STORIES' by SHAHIDUL ZAHIR goes to its translator V. Ramaswamy, who translated it from its original Bengali language into English. The great thing is that there was absolutely no loss of interest in any story due to this translation. This is an incredible and commendable thing.
The book's cover and title are both as special as its stories. After reading many story books, I gave it to other people so that they too can enjoy those books. But this book is something special and I like to keep it with me, making it a part of my personal library. These stories are really worth re-reading. The story and style of writing is really awesome. Never even dreamed that selling watermelon in a residential area can bring so much change in the living and thinking of that area. 'The History Of Our Cottage Industry' is one such story in 'WHY THERE ARE NO NOYONTARA FLOWERS IN AGARGAON COLONY: STORIES' by SHAHIDUL ZAHIR. According to me, these ten stories are a compilation of ten short novels in themselves.
Stories become an integral part of the lives of all of us, right from our childhood. Not every story needs to have a happy ending. Many stories disappear by raising a question mark in our mind. Some end with a pleasant feeling. Whether the story is small or big, it doesn't matter. It matters how much and how deeply it affects us. A compilation of ten such intriguing and thought provoking stories I recently found in the book 'Humpty Dumpty's 10 Hats' written by Tomichan Matheikal. And the credit for that goes to Blogchatter, where you can download this book for free as of now. Every story in this book is special. Every story has its own flavour. There is a certain kind of sharpness in each of the stories.
There is a special kind of flow in 'Humpty Dumpty's 10 Hats' written by Tomichan Matheikal which holds the reader very firmly throughout. All the stories have a fresh plot. There is thrill in the stories, there is surprise, there is fear, there is hatred towards the sordid traditions of the society, there is anger, and in many places there is also a frustration. Tomichan Matheikal has a special style of writing, as I said earlier. He had been able to paint these stories on so many colors of emotions and thoughts. Many times it also happens that when a writer binds his style of writing with a particular style, then perhaps his flight of thinking and imagination becomes a little limited. It down not remain, then, so free and unlimited. And this probably happens to every writer, I believe.
Humpty Dumpty's 10 Hats by Tomichan Matheikal is an interesting book. Stories or should I say short stories, all in all, I loved it. Every story is bundled with a different element of entertainment till the end. These are the stories which are capable of removing your boredom 100%, but at the same time inspire to think something new. If this is an interesting journey of ten stories then each story is a beautiful milestone. The first three stories made me realize that ghosts are not always dirty, terrifying, and dangerous. But can also be nice, beautiful, and friendly. While the fourth story introduces us to the political bitterness and restrictions of our country, and around the world, the fifth story reveals a disgusting face of our society and the sheepishness of the people.
Humpty Dumpty's 10 Hats by Tomichan Matheikal is a tasteful and mindful platter of ten stories by a well-versed chef that you all must try.
Summer is very closely related to skin related problems. If I talk about myself, in summer my consumption of shampoo, body wash, face wash, etc. automatically increases. And for oils, body lotions, face cream etc decreases. Is it the same with you? The direct reason for this is sweat. If there is excessive sweating, then the skin will attract more dust due to it being sticky. The accumulation of more dust on the skin means more germs getting produced. And because of them, all the skin related diseases occur. Sometimes, if not attended to, well in time, it goes very serious. That is why it is important to take extra care of the skin in summer. And for that it is necessary to have the necessary knowledge. For this knowledge, it becomes necessary for everyone to read 'HOLA SUMMER Your go-to summer skincare guide by Sindhu Vinod Narayan'.
In this less than 30-page book, every page contains a lot of important information related to skin, skin care, and its health. It definitely has a lot of important information hidden in it. This is an e-book, by the way. Its author has done a lot of research to write this and added to it comes her invaluable experience that is bundled in this fabulous e-book. Despite its less number of pages, it will prove to be your inexhaustible helper every summer, I believe. Like, it is for me. It's good for a quick reference when in need of any skin related first hand information. Yes, you must be aware that in summer, or by the way, in every season, it becomes more important to keep the skin healthy and hydrated. If it done well so, the risk of skin related diseases goes very less.
'HOLA SUMMER Your go-to summer skincare guide by Sindhu Vinod Narayan' is indeed a beautiful gift for you from its author. I am giving you the link to download it at the end of this post. The good thing is that this book not only informs about the diseases and problems of the skin, but also explains the reason for the occurrence of each and every problem and disease and also tells the ways to avoid and recover from them. These troubles seem small in the beginning, but if any of them worsens, then it takes a terrible form, from which it becomes impossible to get rid of it. And many times, one has to make rounds and rounds of hospitals for years and years.
'HOLA SUMMER Your go-to summer skincare guide by Sindhu Vinod Narayan' explains almost all skin related ailments like acne, prickly heat, sunburn, dry skin, and body odour. They occur due to what reasons, how to avoid them, and what is their treatment, if you read this book, then everything will be known. In this book 'HOLA SUMMER Your go-to summer skincare by Sindhu Vinod Narayan', one also gets to know what to eat in summers, what to wear, and what all to do to protect yourself from heat stress and keep your skin away from every difficulty and problem. This fabulous guide by Sindhu Vinod Narayan is very important to read.
Pep Guardiola, 51, a Spanish football manager and former player, says he knew nothing about football before knowing Cyruff. So reading the autobiography My Turn by Johan Cruyff became quite important for me. If was only after reading this book that I came to know that I would not have known about this great player if I had not read this book. Johan Cruyff left this world on 24 March 2016. He wanted his funeral to be done in a very simple way. And the same happened, as per his wish. Only his close family members were there. But FC Barcelona did not approve of this. That is why his memorial was kept in the stadium with great respect. Johan was very dear to Ajax, Barcelona, and the Dutch National Team. Bobby Charlton believes that Johan Cruyff was a very great football player and added a new thrill to the game whenever the ball hit him on the field.
Eric Cantona says that Johan was such a great player that he had the ability to perform the best game at any position on the field. Similarly, Gary Lineker tells about Johan Cruyff, the author of this autobiography My Turn, that Cruyff had the ability to do everything that made this beautiful game even more beautiful, and this specialty was more than any player in the history of football. In My Turn, Cruyff is talking about his life, which consisted of nothing but football. As a child, Johan got signed by Ajax merely at the age of 10 while playing football in the streets of Amsterdam. Here he won 3 European cups. In 1973 he was signed by Barcelona at the world's highest price. Here a new journey of his started in which he took the initiative to set record after record. In 1974, Johan took the Dutch National team to the world cup final.
During his tenure, he won many awards and brought a lot of fame to his team. My Turn by Johan Cruyff is a powerful autobiography.
If you have a strong desire to know about the great inventions of this world and those who gave birth to those inventions, then this very thick 488 page book 'the INNOVATORS: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson' will prove to be a gold mine for you. This is my belief. This is the same author whose previous book 'STEVE JOBS', which is based on the biography of Steve Jobs, became famous all over the world. For the birth of digital revolution in the world, the credit goes to the world's famous hackers, talented people, and geeks. If all of them were not there and did not amaze the world with their astounding talent, then perhaps the world would have continued as it was. These are the people who accepted great challenges and laid the foundation for the creation of a new world with new discoveries and inventions. 'the INNOVATORS by Walter Isaacson' very beautifully traverses the history of inventions and makes their debut in the digital world with the new inventions of the world.
The biggest truth of the world is that some credit for every invention goes to the inventions made earlier. If every new invention provides facilities to the world on a large scale, then it also brings with it a lot of new challenges. And then these challenges act as a catalyst in giving birth to new inventions. 'the INNOVATORS by Walter Isaacson' is a very deeply written book. It will not only be able to thrill you, but will also make you think deeply. This book starts far back in the history of inventions. It takes us back to 1843, and gives us an intimate introduction to three great people of that era - Ada Byron (Countess of Lovelace), Lord Byron, and Charles Babbage. The specialty of this book is that every chapter of it is written in a very special way. If you read this, then only you will understand what I mean by special.
Then we move on to 1847 where we meet George Boole who first invented a great system of logical reasoning using algebra. Also, you will know its deep connection with the punch-card machines of Herman Hollerith. Similarly, invention after invention, and moving forward year after year, we get the knowledge of the world's great inventions and their superheroes.
'the INNOVATORS by Walter Isaacson' is a book that has become an integral part of my personal library. This book is like that. Not that just read once and throw it. There is a lot of invaluable knowledge in this. It gives you a new incentive in every page. And also inspires you to do something new in life. There is a lot of power in the writing of this author. There is a different kind of energy. There is a flutter. There is an edge. Definitely, there's an unending flow in 'the INNOVATORS by Walter Isaacson'.
If we still think all is well as far as CLIMATE CHANGE is concerned, then we are fooling ourselves. Look at the series of severe disasters across the globe. Then think twice to satisfy yourself that everything is okay and no initiative is required from each of the living soul in this planet. Let's go back a little, in 2021, mid, had seen disastrous Canadian heatwave in June end. Then, the forest fires in Oregon. Soon after, there were heavy floods in various parts of Europe, especially, Belgium, and Germany. After that, it was extremely heavy rainfall in Henan, China that caused heavy flooding there resulting in serious damages of human life and otherwise. Is this all normal? Of course, there used to be forest fires, floods, landslides, extreme rains, and droughts; but never to such an extent and not so widespread.
If damages are happening because of such disasters in those countries that are well developed and will advanced, like Europe, and northern parts of the globe, then it clearly indicates that despite those places having sufficient infrastructure to handle heavy rainfall, then it clearly means that these disasters are happening beyond their preparedness and expectations. We seriously need to learn from these indications of nature and step up to stop misusing and insulting nature and natural resources. It's really a shame on us humans. Of course, the flooding in Germany and Belgium in the first half of July, shook the whole world. These are clearly nature's damaging acts against our actions of damaging the planet beyond limits.
The flooding has happened even in those parts of the world, to its severest, where it was least expected. This is Mother Nature's anger. Though, there used to be disasters earlier too but CLIMATE CHANGE has made them worse and extremely damaging. Especially, since the beginning of 21st century we are facing dire consequences as a result of continuous exploitation of our planet's resources. NASA had declared 2020 as the hottest year ever. The more is the rise in temperature of our earth, the more severe consequences we have to face. If just a one-degree rise in temperature can result in upto 7% increase in the severity of rainfall, then what is going to happen if the average global land and ocean temperature rises above 1-degree.
Currently, earth's temperature is rising at a pace double than what it used to be a century ago. A recent research by Professor Hayley Fowler, School of Engineering, Newcastle University, the earth's poles temperature is rising at 2-3 times the rate of the equator. That is surely going to disturb the balance be weakening the jet stream of Europe because it lies over the middle of latitudes. This results in frequent storms over that part of the world. On one hand we are encountering floods and heavy rainfall due to CLIMATE CHANGE. On the other hand, it's intensifying heatwave in Canada and North America. A team of researchers told in the BBC news that such deadly heatwave was a kind of unimaginable incident in these places.
Even the scientists and researches taking place across the globe accept that such extreme incidents are becoming more common because of GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE resulting in world heating up at a faster pace. For the first time, village of Lytton in British Columbia recorded near to 50-degree that never went above 45 degree centigrade. Since the temperature is soaring, it's resulting in severe forest fires like the one in Oregon, Washington recently, or that happened in the west coast of the United States.
Amazon's quest to sell all things to all people has a catastrophic carryover -- over 75 dead and scores injured by unsafe trucking contractors. Truckers moving Amazon goods around the country were more thantwiceas likely to receive unsafe driving scores compared with similar outfits. The investigative article byThe Wall Street Journal'sChristopher Weaver analyzes Amazon's push for prompt deliveries and the ongoing fallout of injuries and deaths.
The WSJ identifies many shocking incidents, including a driver convicted of driving while high when a crack pipe was found after he ran into a ditch, and a fatal accident in Kansas when a driver lost control while braking -- two months after his employer ignored a police order to fix the truck’s brakes.
Trucking companies hauling freight for Amazon have been involved in crashes that killed more than 75 people since 2015, according to the Journal’s review, adding Amazon "offers condolences to families of people killed in crashes that involve its contractors."
The WSJ identified a group of 3,512 trucking firms that were inspected three or more times -- for both routine and law-enforcement reasons -- while working for Amazon between February 2020 and early August 2022. In the Amazon group, 39% of contractors scored above a level set by the DOT to trigger regulatory action in at least one month in the analysis. That compared with about 17% among a peer group of all other for-hire general freight companies with a similar number of inspections.
The data show companies that “frequently haul Amazon’s freight are systematically more likely to have poor driving safety scores,” said Jason Miller, a Michigan State University professor who studies transportation safety and validated the Journal’s methodology and findings. The result, he said, is that “American motorists are put at greater risk.”
The Journal found evidence in the government records that 48 companies with conditional ratings hauled Amazon trailers since early 2020, apparently violating Amazon's own rules. Government data reviewed by the Journal show that 375 companies hauled Amazon freight with scores worse than Amazon requires even after the company changed its rules. That includes more than 60 with worse-than-required scores in February that were still hauling Amazon trailers in June and July.
In its freight network, Amazon closely tracks on-time delivery performance, according to former executives and drivers who have worked for Amazon. Trucking contractors with strong on-time records get rewarded with priority access to book certain loads. Contractors that missed delivery deadlines and other performance measures were punished with quick suspensions, several truckers said.
In contrast, truck operators such as United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) keep such serious safety violations low. Since early 2020, state inspectors and police cited UPS for tractor-trailer drivers who kept false logs of driving hours in fewer than one in a thousand inspections. By contrast, they flagged Amazon contractors at a rate about 70 times higher. UPS drivers are employees who receive salaries rather than contractors who often are paid by the mile.
Everyone would have the aspiration to travel abroad, I think so. Whether that person has a hobby or not. I have met many people who are so enthusiast to have travel as a hobby. Hobbies and aspirations are two different things, as I think. Travelogue or better put travel memoir 'Chuckle Merry Spin' by Khyrunnisa A. is a very beautiful and interesting book. I was very fond of traveling in my childhood. I still am. If I see, my aspiration and passion for travel to various Countries and places never matched with my actual travel. The latter was always falling short of the former. There are many reasons for this. If I look at two main reasons, those would be family and financial. As a child, I remember, whenever I read about a place, the desire to go there and the curiosity to know more about that place used to increase multifold. It is the same today.
I feel, like reading about a place, then deciding to go there, then before going, doing more research about that place, going there, and coming back, and writing down beautiful memories of it in my diary, blog, or journal; all these are closely related to each other. Especially for me. If you want to read about a beautiful foreign travel experience, or are planning to visit America for the first time, or going on your first trip abroad, then before that this wonderfully written book 'Chuckle Merry Spin' by Khyrunnisa A will prove to be very interestingly handy and helpful. If you read it, it will give you a very good experience beforehand. And if you too have come back from your first foreign trip like this author, then when you read this book, you will feel a lot in it related to your own experience. This book is written in a very very interesting way. Once I started reading it, I was so lost in it that I didn't know when I reached the last page. In fact, it was, as if, I myself went on an interesting journey.
Along with tickling you, this book also makes you laugh and also gives knowledge of some new things. I have enjoyed this book 'Chuckle Merry Spin' by Khyrunnisa A. a lot. Hope you do too. Well, the story goes like this. Author lives with her husband in Thiruvananthpuram. Her son and his wife live in the Untied States. Author's daughter invites the couple for her graduation ceremony. This time the couple couldn't avoid the invitation and get all caught up to visit their son in the United States. Thus, begins the journey of passport, visa, medical fitness certificates, visa interview, and so on. Once this is over, the next cycle begins for the tickets, choice of flights, etc. And then the actual journey begins. Grab your copy of 'Chuckle Merry Spin' by Khyrunnisa A. and enjoy travelling a wonderful journey with the couple.
Seiko Epson Corporation has defined the Corporate Purpose of the Epson Group ("Epson"). The Corporate Purpose statement articulates the type of value Epson offers the world, the company’s unique reason for being, and its aspirations.
The efficient, compact, and precise innovation that Epson has pursued goes beyond technology. It encompasses a philosophy for eliminating waste, reducing dimensions, and increasing precision, an approach that can create even greater social value.
The corporate purpose cannot be realized by Epson employees alone. Our customers, partners, and society must empathize with and share our purpose. Epson seeks to contribute to environmental conservation and cultural development and to enrich lives and create a better world.
Epson global president Mr.Yasunori Ogawa said,
"We at Epson marked our 80th year in business in May of this year. We have always exercised creativity and challenged ourselves to deliver products and services that exceed the expectations of our customers by drawing on the efficient, compact, and precise technologies we have developed since the company was founded. We will continue to adhere to Epson's unique philosophy of efficient, compact, and precise innovation, take advantage of the tremendous value that those innovations yield to overcome global environmental problems and other societal issues, and work together to create a better planet and enrich people’s lives."
Epson intends to continue to collaborate with its customers and partners to solve societal issues and to enrich lives and create a better world.
Epson is a global technology leader whose philosophy of efficient, compact and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson will become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.
Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of more than JPY 1 trillion.
Epson India Pvt. Ltd. was incorporated in the year 2000. Epson products address the needs of homes, businesses and commercial enterprises as those of consumers with specialized needs in India. With a commitment to providing products and services that surpass people’s expectations, Epson India today has an enviable reputation for quality and value. Headquartered in Bangalore, the company markets and supports Epson Inkjet Printers, Inkjet All-in-Ones, Point of Sale Printers, 3LCD Projectors, Scanners, Large Format Printers, Robots and Dot-Matrix Printers. In all of these categories, Epson is either the No. 1 or No. 2 brand in India and growing fast.
Home Credit India (HCIN), a local arm of the international consumer finance provider, has completed 10-successful years in India this year. The brand is celebrating the momentous occasion with a campaign - #10SaalBemisal comprising of unveiling a 10-year showcasing how Home Credit has grown strength by strength. Home Credit’s efforts in facilitating credit penetration across the country has resulted in bringing borrower-centric services & products such as Safe Pay (payment holiday, no pre-payment penalty and insurance), Care 360 (a holistic healthcare service protection product), and Ujjwal EMI Card (the digital pre-set credit limit card).
With a focus on enabling credit penetration and financial Inclusion in India, since 2012, Home Credit India has fulfilled aspirations of 15Mn borrowers through 50K+ PoSes across country. Home Credit’s strong digital transformation journey has helped customers & retailers embrace online journey.
Home Credit India (HCIN), a local arm of the international consumer finance provider, has completed 10-successful years in India this year as a RBI regulated consumer NBFC. Being committed to India market and financial inclusion, Home Credit in its first decade has fulfilled over 15Mn aspirations through trusted & affordable financial products & services.
Upon reaching this feat, Home Credit India is celebrating the momentous occasion with a campaign - #10SaalBemisal comprising of unveiling a 10-year logo and a digital AV showcasing how Home Credit has grown strength by strength with various milestones achieved in its decadal journey.
Home Credit’s focus on financial inclusion by enabling credit penetration across the country, has resulted in bringing borrower-centric services & products such as Safe Pay (payment holiday, no pre-payment penalty and insurance), Care 360 (a holistic healthcare service protection product) and Ujjwal EMI Card (the digital pre-set credit limit card).
The PoS-led strategy in last decade has given Home Credit a strong foothold in India market, having a robust 50K+ retail network across 600+ cities. As Phygital model becomes the renewed approach, focus on digital-first strategy has enabled both Home Credit’s customers and retail partners to do self-onboarding via Home Credit app. Home Credit has boosted its digital ecosystem through B2B partnerships, enhancing scope of services and online onboarding. Half of HCIN customers now follow a complete online journey, and metrics show these numbers are growing each day.
Commenting on the 10-Year milestone, Mr. Ondrej Kubik, Chief Executive Officer, Home Credit India, said,
“Completing a decade of doing business in India and having served millions of borrowers is a testimony of Home Credit’s commitment to India. In 10 years, we have serviced over 50 million contracts which is a clear reflection of customer trustworthiness & reliability the brand enjoys. Maintaining the great momentum would have been difficult without engaged and supportive partners, employees and customers. In the fast-changing environment, our purpose remains the same - to empower people to live the life they want now. While we complete 10 years, we still have a long way to go and the zeal & momentum will now be even greater to redefine Home Credit brand connect with consumers in the endeavor to fulfill aspirations.”
Along with customers, as a responsible consumer lender, Home Credit promotes financial literacy to drive a responsible borrowing culture in wider society. Financial literacy initiatives have led to engagement with over 3 million people through Paise Ki Paathshala microsite, blogs and social media campaigns.
Home Credit recently launched its maiden Sustainability Country Card 2021, codifying ESG principles into the business. The document sets out key sustainability pillars as Financial Inclusion or inclusive lending, Financial Literacy, Digital Empowerment and Sustainable Communities.
Key highlights at a glance:
Borrowers Served: 15X Growth since 1MN in 2015 to 10 MN in 2019 and 15MN in 2022
Serving the underserved: 40% of Home Credit customers were first-time borrowers
Digital lending: Growth from 2% in 2018 to 30% in 2021 (% of personal loans through digital channels)
Zero interest: 45% of our consumer loans have 0% interest, thanks to partnerships with retailers and manufacturers
PoS touchpoints: 50,000+ point-of-sale touchpoints across 625 cities for customers
Financial literacy: 3Mn people benefited from HCIN financial literacy initiative (Paise ki Paathshala) and social media engagements in 2021.
Home Credit India Finance Pvt. Ltd. is a local arm of the international consumer finance provider with operations spanning Europe and Asia and committed to drive financial inclusion in India. The company is committed to drive credit penetration and financial inclusion by offering wide financial solutions that are simple, transparent, and accessible to all. Home Credit India has an employee base of approx 5000 and has been consistently expanding operations since its entry in 2012, with its operations spread over 625 cities across India. The company has a strong network of around 53,000 points-of-sale (PoS) and is growing with a customer base of 15 million customers, driven by Pan-India expansion across major markets, a range of diversified and innovative products backed by superior customer experience.
Climate Change, Flooding, Droughts, Indian Ocean Dipole, Monsoon depression are some of the clearly visible signs of Global Warming. Global warming in fact has become a serious global warning. The impact is getting significantly severe year by year. It's happening in every part of the world. A recent research shows that global warming is increasing the variations in the monsoon due to climate change. This, in turn, is resulting, on one hand in longer dry periods, and on the other hand, shorter spells of heavy rains. In fact, rains are happening at those places where no rains have happened in decades. Snowfall is taking place, astonishingly, in places where nobody could have ever imagined.
In the year 2022, we have witnessed the second maximum extreme incidents since 1902. Extremities of floods and droughts have taken place in different parts. Such alarming incidents are increasing substantially and are causing damages beyond control. If we look at climate change incidents in context of Indian Monsoon, there are plenty this year. There have been contrasting rainfall patterns thus resulting in high risk and uncontrolled damages. Monsoon system tracks are changing drastically. Such shifts have caused low pressure and depression moving southwards of their original position this resulting in flash floods and landslides.
What we mean by monsoon depression is something that results in a low-pressure condition that substantially impacts the North Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal thus disturbing the summer patterns completely. These disturbances impact larger vicinity, as big as covering the areas within 1000 km of its diameter. We have witnessed excessive rainfall in 2022 in many states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. On the other hand, at the same time, states like Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal did not have normal rains. In August 2022 Central Indian states faced multiple severe conditions resulting from depressions in the Bay of Bengal. In 2022 there have been huge variations in monsoon rainfall in many regions.
All these factors have resulted not only in heavy damages of human life but also of crops, kettle, and reserves.
'The Curse of Kuldhara' is a very interesting and entertaining fiction curated by Richa S. Mukherjee. It is so entertaining that a web series is going to be made on it soon, as the book cover reveals. When the style of writing the story is such that it binds the reader with the story in such a way that the reader is compelled to finish this 320-page novel in one, then the credit really goes to its author. Same happened with me. Once I started its first chapter, then I took my breath only after finishing its 64 chapters. So engrossing, entertaining, and binding the book is. Another great feature of this author is that the chapters of The Curse of Kuldhara have been kept very small. Each chapter is very crisp and specific. A lot is happening in this novel. From beginning to end.
The special thing is that its plot is not easy to guess. That is why perhaps it keeps a constant curiosity for its readers. I will not tell much about the story because I want everyone who reads it to enjoy it as much as I did. If the story is strong and its characters are well composed, then it is icing on the cake for a novel. Although I was not aware of KKPL (Kanpur Intelligence Pvt Ltd) before this novel but this story made me very well aware of the agency and its management. The main character of this story of The Curse of Kuldhara is Prachand Tripathi. This story begins with the joint Tripathi family and some everyday conflicts between its lively family members. Each character has its own style.
Prachand is the owner of his intelligence company KKPL, and his wife Vidya Tripathi is the CFO of his company i.e. the one who looks after the entire finance. Gwaltoli was not a very big place and Prachand could not get any exciting work here that could match his calibre and aspirations. In a way, he was getting bored because of not getting any exciting work. And then Paramveer Khattar came in their life with the proposal of a movie. He wanted to make this movie on Tripathi couple i.e. Prachand and Vidya. Prachand was not interested in this initially, though Vidya was very happy to hear about it. One small thing got Prachand very excited for this movie. That was the shooting location of this movie. Kuldhara ki Haveli (the haveli of a small village Kuldhara, in Rajasthan).
There was a huge mystery attached to this mansion. And Prachand now wanted to do this movie because he was eager to grab this challenge of solving the mystery of that mansion. This mystery had remained a mystery for so many years and Prachand was all excited visit that place to solve this mystery, although there could be a lot of risk in solving it. This movie was the best opportunity for that. Prachand was waiting for so many years for such kind of exciting work having so much risk and mystery. With Prachand I also went to that mansion and fought against all those risks to solve those mysteries. You too are welcome to know about it. For this you also have to pick up this book, The Curse of Kuldhara by Richa S. Mukherjee, to become Prachand' companion in this exciting, risky, and mysterious journey.
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