HOW DOES THE STOCK MARKET WORK?

By Moksha Grover

Are you scared of investing in the stock market too? Have you heard of people losing all their money by investing in the stock market? If it is so, then you are not alone. There are many individuals with limited experience who are scared to invest in stocks after hearing the horror stories of investors losing 50% of their portfolio value[1]. The reality is that investing in the stock market carries some amount of risk. But it is one of the best methods to increase one’s net worth if carried out in a disciplined manner. Today, most rich and affluent people have the majority of their wealth from investment in stocks.

WHAT IS THE STOCK MARKET?

The stock market is where investors connect to buy and sell investments — most commonly, stocks, which are shares of ownership in a public company. ` When you purchase a public company’s stock you get entitled to the stock ownership of that particular company that is you become a shareholder. Stock ownership implies that the shareholder owns a slice of the company equal to the number of shares held as a proportion of the company’s total outstanding shares. For instance, an individual or entity that owns 100,000 shares of a company with one million outstanding shares would have a 10% ownership stake in it.[2] Most companies have outstanding shares that run into the millions or billions[3]. Anyone with a brokerage account can easily buy stocks online through the stock market. Most of the stock trades take place between investors. If we buy shares of a company, we are not buying these shares from the company itself. We are buying shares of another investor who has decided to sell his shares.

TYPES OF STOCKS

There are mainly two types of stocks that are common stocks and preferred stocks.

COMMON STOCKS

Common stock is a security that represents ownership in a corporation. Holders of the common stock vote on corporate policies and elect the board of directors. Common stock is further classified on the basis of voting rights. The basic proposition of common shares is that they should have equal rights –one vote per share system. But some companies have multiple classes of stocks, wherein each class of stock has different voting rights. In such a dual-class structure, Class A shares, for example, may have 10 votes per share, while the Class B “subordinate voting” shares may only have one vote per share. Dual- or multiple-class share structures are designed to enable the founders of a company to control its fortunes, strategic direction and ability to innovate[4].

PREFERRED STOCKS

Preferred stocks are a class of stocks that are granted rights different from common stocks. They usually have higher claims over dividends and asset distribution. Preferred stocks have limited or no voting rights in corporate governance. Preferred stocks have more priority to investors than common stocks as they possess characteristics of both bonds and common stocks.

HOW THE STOCK MARKET WORKS?

The stock market works in a very simple and easy way. In a stock market, buyers and sellers negotiate the prices of stocks and make trades. This process is carried out with the help of a network of exchange. When companies list shares of their stock on an exchange then this process is called Initial Public Offering or IPO. Investors buy and sell stocks among themselves. The supply and demand of stocks are determined by exchange networks like the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq. Supply-demand helps to determine the price of the security. Price is determined by the investors and traders willing to buy or sell. Bidding by the buyer for the highest amount is done. The amount that the buyer is willing to pay is often lower than the amount sellers ask for. The difference in the amounts is called the bid-ask spread. The bid-ask concept is not much of a concern for beginner and long-term investors as the amount differs by pennies.

The working of the stock market is a fascinating example of the law of supply and demand, in real-time. If there are more buyers than sellers, then the price of stocks trends up. If there are more sellers than buyers, then the price falls down. The stock market serves two very important purposes both for the companies and the investors. For the companies, the stock market helps to raise funds from the public and helps in their funding operations. It also helps in the development and growth of the company and further expands its projects and business. As the companies grow and expand their business, shares bought by investors become more valuable, thus helping them to gain more capital. In addition to this, investors also receive dividends from the company as their profits. Public companies selling their shares need to disclose all the material information required and also give a say in how their business works to the investors.

All these processes that help in the working of the stock market seem to be complicated, but in reality, these have become relatively easy with the help of computer algorithms that help in price-setting calculations. Bid, ask and bid-ask all are available on the broker’s website with the required information. Today, the stock market is considered to be one of the most reliable ways of making money.

WHAT IS THE STOCK MARKET DOING TODAY?

Anyone can look at the performance of the stock market with the help of market indexes like the S&P 500 or the DJIA. Previously, when the covid-19 cases in India were at a hike, the stock market fell drastically. But now, in the current scenario around 3.2 per cent of the 1,216 listed companies on the National Stock Exchange that have reported their June quarter earnings have managed to defy the odds by expanding their operating margins on a sequential basis for four consecutive quarters[5]. In India, currently, there are 40 stocks that are defying a widespread trend[6].

HOW TO INVEST IN THE STOCK MARKET?

Decide the kind of account which you want to open: –

The first step to investing in the stock market is to decide the kind of account you want to open. Investment accounts can be opened for anything ranging from short-term goals to long, retirement savings to college savings etc.

Open a brokerage account: –

After deciding the kind of account you want to open, you have to open an account at a provider called a brokerage. When you choose a company, do look at their fees and available investment opportunities.

Depositing Money: –

To further continue with the investing process, you have to make an initial deposit. You can also set up recurring deposits to automate your investments going forward.

Choose your investments: –

Once you are done with the above-mentioned steps. You can buy and sell securities. You can take up mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual stocks and bonds etc. These include hundreds of individual securities. It is recommended to have a diversified fund-based approach as it reduces the risk of losses and bad investments.

Purchasing chosen investments: –

After choosing what you want to buy simply enter the ticker symbol in the buy field and indicate how many shares you want to buy.

STOCK MARKET VS STOCK EXCHANGE

The stock market and stock exchange are two very different things but they are often interchanged with each other. The stock market is a wider term than the stock exchange. In fact, the stock exchange is a part of the stock market. The stock market includes many stock exchanges such as the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in the U.S and NSE – National Stock Exchange in India.

We might have heard people talking about the performance of the stock market. When they talk about performance they mean thousands of public companies listed on multiple stock exchanges. In general, too stock market is a very broad term which comprises all the terms like mutual funds, ETFs, bonds and other securities beyond just stocks.

[1] Adam Hayes, ‘How Does the Stock Market Work?’, Investopedia (1^st June 2021) < https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/082614/how-stock-market-works.asp> accessed 1st September 2022

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Chiranjivi Chakraborty, ’40 Stocks that are Defying a Widespread Trend in India Inc right now, The Economic Times (1st September 2021) <https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/40-stocks-that-are-defying-a-widespread-trend-in-india-inc-right-now/articleshow/85822852.cms > accessed 1st September 2021

[6] Ibid.

Trying to make sense of virat’s lacklustre form.

Virat Kohli has found life to be tough over the last 3 years or so. His form has dipped massively. He’s clearly not the same batter right now as we know him to be. There is nothing wrong with his technique in particular. There are some areas for improvement but that is a natural progression for any batsmen. He recently gave up captaincy of all formats. He also gave up his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore’s captaincy. There has been a lot going on around him. I’ll try to breakdown his game plan in each format of the game.

Virat’s problem in T20 cricket has been his low striking ability against spin. We’ve often seen him struggling against spin in the middle overs failing to find boundaries and sometimes even struggling to rotate strike which has been his biggest strength for a long time. He tries to compensate for his limitations with spin bowling by being extra aggressive against pace. He has a strike rate of 145 inside the powerplay. Although, it dropped down to 90 in the middle overs during IPL 2021. This year’s IPL was Virat’s most forgettable season of all time. He averaged an abysmal 22.5 per innings with a strike rate of 115. This is very unlike Kohli. He just looked overcooked and completely out of his fluent touch this season.

He hasn’t played a lot of ODI cricket in the last few years and I believe this is the format that will help him get back into form. India plays England today at the oval. There are reports that he might not play today due to a groin strain. But, I hope that he plays today because he should use every opportunity that he has to get back to form. In ODI cricket, there is no added pressure to increase the run rate and the ball also doesn’t do much in the middle overs. Thus, this format is his best chance to get back to form. He can rotate the strike in the middle overs and extend his innings till the death overs to attack as he has done so many times.

Virat Kohli is a true ambassador of test cricket. He is the most successful test captain of India in so many ways. He made India successful in overseas conditions. India developed their best pace attacks in ages during his reign. His test form recently has been a disappointment. I believe, his main problem in test cricket has been a lack of scoring areas. If you look at some of the centuries that have been scored by Indians in test cricket have been attacking innings. They had to take the attacking option at some point in the game. While Virat has shown immense discipline and exemplary technique in the last few years. He played an exceptional innings of 79 runs against South Africa in the last test of the series. His problem has been a lack of scoring phases in his innings. He has to find more scoring options in test cricket. Because with the kind of quality test sides have in their bowling, you can’t just play the waiting game. You have to attack at some point.

Virat Kohli is already a legend. He has achieved everything that he can possibly dream of. Although, for him to get back to form now. He has to play one-day internationals. We all hope to see the best batsmen we’ve possibly ever witnessed get back to form.

Genderfluidity

There is no gender behind the expressions of gender, identity is performatively constituted by the very ‘expressions’ that are said to be its results.
Judith Butler

Gender fluidity describes a person’s changing gender expression, gender identification, or both throughout time. That alteration might affect identification but no representation or identification but just not expression. Or perhaps both form and identification change simultaneously.

Gender fluidity may be a means for some young people to experiment with their gender before settling on a much more permanent gender presentation or identity. Some may tend to endure gender in a fluid way for the rest of their lives.Some individuals identify as “gender-fluid.” It usually falls within the transgender and nonbinary category of identities, which includes persons whose gender identification does not correspond towards the sex allocated to them on their birth record.

The distinguish between transgender and gender-fluid.

While some people form their gender identity early on in life, others may identify with one gender initially before switching to another later. A person who was given the gender “female” on their birth certificate, for instance, could identify as a girl up until puberty and then as a guy for the remainder of their life. Even if they are not necessarily gender-fluid, this individual would be seen as transgender. Person with this developmental pattern would only identify as a male until their 20s, at which point they might come to identify as nonbinary before changing their identity back to boy later in life. Due to a shift or changes in their gender identity or sexual identity, this individual may be termed gender-fluid.Yet,it should be known that they may not use the term gender fluid as a form of an identity

The gender-fluid phrase is used to describe someone whose internal sense of self, sexual identity, or gender identification, fluctuates regularly. However, gender fluidity might appear differently to many individuals.

The Night Economy

Do you like going to films or clubs with your loved ones at night too? Events or concerts are usually after 5 pm or the nightlife to be precise and that is what the ideas of the night economy are. Huge cities with upbeat nightlife usually have more profit than any daytime industry.

The foundation of a night time economy that benefits everyone is cooperation. It involves bringing together all interested parties, including city planners, designers, builders, managers, investors, community organizations, governmental agencies, private industries, and tourism organizations. The nocturnal economy can then encourage inclusiveness and social harmony. Develop the creative and artistic sectors.Bolster regional economies with money.Expand the cultural and tourist offerings.
Give nighttime employees access to transportation and vital services.

Some of the daytime demand will move to the night if the industry starts to operate on a night shift; for example, if you opt to go grocery shopping at 1am on a weekday rather than on Saturday. This is a substitute that does not increase productivity overall, but it is beneficial since it will relieve daytime traffic congestion in a country like India. New economic activity, such as companies that add another additional shift, as well as the development of new firms and business models will result in increased production.

Reasons why Indian startups are failing.

Think big, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are no one’s monopoly.
Reliance

Layoffs in celebrated startups such as Meesho, Byjus, and Unacademy are one of the most controversial news in coming times. Despite Indian start-up being bagged with $36 billion funds in 2021 and within a year of India’s startup ecosystem, $41.4 billion was invested, and 42 new unicorns emerged.

The foremost probable reason could be the product-market fit. It is a known fact that the labor costs in India are very low. Thus, the grocery store or medical store will deliver it to the doorstep free of cost unlike dunzo who may charge a good amount of rupees, and practically it is not feasible to use it for daily ration goods unless it’s a known company like amazon.

The second one is squandering companies in the sense of taking all of the money from investors like spending on IPL advertisements when the cost is a lot more than the company’s revenue. Prey to regulations could be another reason behind the downfall and those who are too ahead of their time can bring out problems in the resources which are yet not available in the market.

The Dead Sea Turned Red.

Salt lake in Yuncheng is frequently referred to as China’s “Dead Sea” for an odd cause. The rich magenta, green, and yellow hues of its waters are a result of algae blooms and insects that are reproducing quickly.

The uncommon occurrence is brought on by the algae Dunaliella salina, which, according to NASA, is normally green in marine habitats but may become red when exposed to high salt and intense light because of “the development of defensive carotenoids in the cells.” Plant compounds called carotenoids are what give the lake its vivid colours.

The tests revealed that the contaminated waters had high quantities of ammonia, nitrogen, and permanganate, a substance used in metal cleaning, tanning, and bleaching. The Hubei authorities claimed that the pollutants appeared to have come from the Han River without going into further detail. To lessen the pollution, water was being diverted from the neighboring Lake Chang.Industrial, agricultural, and domestic pollution have badly contaminated the majority of China’s canals, rivers, and lakes.

Parrot: A Talking Bird.

Have you ever thought how nice it would be to talk to your pet or animal worldwide? Surprisingly, some species of birds and parrots come into existence here. But can they acknowledge a real conversation?

Probably, yes. The majority of words are definitely barely understood by parrots, according to researchers. However, they are conscious of the situation in which words are spoken and can associate those terms. Suppose a parrot might say “How are you?” when you just enter the room because though they aren’t likely asking for well-being but it has heard you saying that several times. Thus, your pet bird now associates your entrance into the room with that word.

The repeating sounds which you might have observed in parrots are called Mimicry. They mimic a wide variety of sounds, including spoken phrases, groaning gates, and howling animals. The majority of parrots just imitate their owners. They’re not truly stating what they mean. However, some properly taught parrots have developed the ability to comprehend human speech.

However, it is a fact that parrots don’t have vocal cord-like humans. They don’t push air through the vocal cord to create sound. Instead, they guide air over the trachea with the help of their throat muscles (windpipe). They alter the trachea’s thickness and structure to produce various sounds.

The fun part is parrots are not the only birds who can imitate budgies, cockatiels, and even crows can imitate sounds.

Wish I Could Tell You:Book Review

It is unimaginable to predict one’s personal life. What one has been facing or their past? This book begins with the people in the organization called WeDonate.com a fundraiser that sells stories to create a fundraiser for one in need. However, who knew one could find their love while performing duty.

The story focuses on anusha as she discovers herself in the little world of WeDonate.com, feeling betrayed and saddened. She grudgingly looks for a deserving cause to help as she struggles to deal with her sentiments and the responsibility of earning money for charity. Ananth, who has been on the opposing side, believes that no life is less valuable than another and that no cause is unworthy of support. However, book revolves around two main characters. Ananth is a really decent guy who has a positive state of mind. The man is upbeat and finds beauty in everything and everyone. His general optimism motivates him to sign up with WeDonate.com, a charitable organisation. This group raises money for individuals who are in need as part of its charitable mission. There is a distinctive girl in his life who goes by the name of Mohini and has many hardships and difficulties in life. She thinks and perceives individuals in their most repulsive light. She has been encouraged to write before and has been seeking for the right narrative, but it kind of confounds her. She finally joins the group where two individuals get together in search of a character. Although your mind could lead you to believe otherwise, this book uses illusions to create a reality that is both real and unreal, virtual and tangible. Finally, it might be claimed that both of them are trapped by these WeDonate.com edge.

Moreover,there exists a team behind them dedicate their entire lives to going above and beyond the call of duty to save lives. In front of them lies the digital world of social media, where people watch, participate, judge, make decisions, and occasionally save lives. Staying closer is the only option since their lives—both virtual and real—are so intertwined with the lives of their families. They can’t keep apart from one another.

The past story of the two characters unfolds part by part and their growing out from the past is fascinating. It is not a typical romantic love story that can be expected but something that can not be explained in words. However, some questions that a reader might expect to be answered at the end of the story are incomplete. But the presentation of each theme and plot is commendable and for a teen is a must try!

Exciting films and shows to come out this year

2022 like any other year has a lot of interesting projects that have my attention and I am eagerly waiting for a few films. The 1st film that I’ll be talking about is THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE. This film is a musical journey of a man who sees himself through the devil. It is directed by Andrew Dominik. Nick cave and warren Williams make music which is influenced by the devil. In the trailer, there is a dialogue which goes like “you have discovered that the veil that separates your ordered life from disarray is very thin”. The trailer has some gritty visuals that immediately make you immersed in nick caves’ world. I am very excited about this project. It is slated to release this July in India.

THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE TRAILER

The second film that I am looking forward to is NOPE by Jordan Peele. Jordan Peele has delivered some excellent films in the past in the form of US(2021) & GET OUT(2017). US is my personal favourite. It is about a family who finds out that there is an exact clone version of themselves who is trying to kill them. The reason they despise the real family is that they’ve been living in the dark for their whole life while they get to live a happy and normal life. The thing that makes them envy the other family so much is that they have their bodies and they have their traits but their souls differ. This is the thing that separates them. It was a very interesting watch and that is why I am looking forward to this film which will come out later this year.

NOPE TRAILER

The third project is not a film but it’s an HBO series called succession. Succession is probably the best HBO show ever. It’s about a media conglomerate which is owned by the Roy family. It sheds light on the family politics that go behind the scenes and how a media conglomerate works. We get to see how every member of the Roy family has some personal motive and no one can be trusted. Everyone wants to be at the top and they can go to any margin for it. The show also tells its audience how the Roy family handles their public image by constantly changing the narrative for their own good. It’s a kind of show that always moves in tandem with what is happening and has happened in the past. The story is so well connected that you can understand the character development of all the actors in the show. The first 3 seasons are already out so watch it if you haven’t already. Season 4 will most likely be out by this year’s end or the start of 2024.

“Extra fly”

Ye belongs from Chicago. He was born in 1977, on 8th June. He used to produce beats for other artists before he transformed into a rapper himself. People around him who gave him work thought more of him as a producer rather than a rapper. He used to cook beats for ROCK-A-FELLA RECORDS. People from the Record label accept it today that they did not see Kanye west becoming the rapper he became today. One of the Artists from the record label said “ I knew he was a rapper but I was like stick to the beats kid”. Nobody saw YE coming. When he rapped one of his verses to Pharell Williams, He was quite shocked. Kanye had been trying to get in touch with Pharell for a while but he couldn’t. Pharell was touched by the piece that Kanye did for him. Birth of a jeen-yuhs was taking place.

Kanye has been involved in some questionable moments all his life. But the life he breathes to his music is above all the white noise that he surrounds himself with. Some people can call Kanye’s energy narcissistic and maybe rightly so. But, I believe this is the energy that makes his music alive. His songs are so Kanye that when you listen to them you know it’s Kanye. This energy has given him a different identity that is unique to him and makes him arguably the biggest rapper of his time. His mother’s presence in his life is a big reason for what kanye has achieved today. Donda West died in 2007. He released an album dedicated to his mother in 2021. This shows you how much his mother meant to him. There’s a clip in his documentary where his mother is trying to tell him by how he can come off as rude to people sometimes. I expected Kanye to burst out and say something stupid at that moment but he didn’t. He actually accepted it in a way and you could see in his eyes that there was an actual realisation of his action. Donda had her way with Kanye.

Ye’s biggest downfall in his career was when he started having problems with his mental health in 2016. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In his documentary, he said to one of his team members “ man I took pill yesterday just so I can talk to you normally right now”. This can give you some insight into his state. His decision about running for president didn’t help his public image either. People took it as a big joke and questioned his sanity. You could see by the public appearances he made post-2016 that he was indeed troubled. Nobody exactly knows the reason behind it. But there were a lot of things that happened to him in the last 5 years. Fallout with kid Cudi, divorce, the album pushed back and his mental misery. Ye’s life is so layered and grey. No one can deny that he’s a musical genius but at the same time, some of his acts in the public make him look like a foolish man who is still not over his teenage. There are so many tags you can associate him with. That’s what makes him so interesting.

Ye has done a lot of things which he won’t be proud off but one thing that he did absolutely right was his music. He is such a inspirational artist to so many aspiring rappers. He gave Hip-Hop a much needed new life by his presence.

“’Cause now I see women as somethin’ to nurture, Not somethin’ to conquer”

⁃ Violent crimes by kanye west.

WARREN BUFFET- A MODEL FOR HIS BILLIONAIRE PEERS

By Moksha Grover

Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1930, Buffet is 91 years old. He is one of the most successful investors of all time and a model for his ultra-rich peers. Buffet also runs Berkshire Hathaway, which owns above 60 companies, including insurer Geico, battery maker Duracell and restaurant chain Dairy Queen. He has a net worth of over $104.4 billion as of August 2021, making him the world’s ninth-wealthiest person[1]. “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die” is a famous quote said by Warren Edward Buffet.

EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

Warren Buffet displayed his interest in business and investing at a very young age. At age seven, he was inspired for investing in the book “One Thousand Ways to make $1000”. Much of buffets childhood was filled with business ventures. He sold chewing gum, Coca-Cola bottles, and weekly magazines door to door. When in high school, he made money delivering newspapers, selling golf balls and stamps etc. As a sophomore, with one of his friends, he established a large paper route and invested in pinball machines. They are stationed in barber shops and split their profits with the shop owners. They started their business with just $25 and sold their business later for $1200. Buffet also bought 40 acres of Nebraska farmland, by age 15 with the proceeds from earlier business ventures[2].

After completing his graduate degree from Columbia University, Buffett worked for the investment legend Benjamin Graham, in New York City. He considered Benjamin Graham as his mentor and was inspired by him a lot. After Graham retired from his business, buffett went back to his hometown and started running a series of successful hedge funds, known as the Buffett Partnerships.

In late1960s, Buffet closed down his original investment business and took over Berkshire Hathaway, a struggling textile maker. He decided to close his business when he saw the stock market being overvalued and made Berkshire Hathaway his primary business activity. Over the decades, with the help of buffet, Berkshire Hathaway turned into a conglomerate with annual sales of $245 billion[3]. It has a market capitalization of $654 billion and employs roughly 360,000 people through its many subsidiaries[4]. With the rise in the value of Berkshire’s stock, many people became rich. Buffet declared employee Greg Abel as his successor, keeping in mind his age-related health risks and long-term, interests. Although buffet has not retired or declared his intention to retire from Berkshire Hathaway. Its shares gained about 25% in the first eight months of 2021[5].

LIVING LIFE ON HIS OWN TERMS

Buffet got much of his philosophy from his father, Howard Buffet, who was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He describes this philosophy as trying to “keep up with the Joneses.”. This means that he enjoys living up his life on his own terms and doesn’t care about what others think of him.

Talking about buffet’s personal life, Although, Buffet is a Democrat, he has still voted and donated to both democrats and republicans. He has also described himself as an ‘agnostic ‘person. His late wife and the foundation named after her that he has funded, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, were and are substantial supporters of reproductive rights organisations that favour access to legal abortions. Warren Buffet married Susan in 1952, who spent her later years in San Francisco. He spent more than 20 years considering himself to be happily married to Susan. After his first wife’s 2004 death, Buffett married another woman named Astrid Menks, who lived in Omaha, at the same time in a small and informal ceremony.

WARREN BUFFET’S CHARITY

Warren Buffet became the founder of ‘The Giving Pledge along with Bill and Melinda French Gates. The Giving Pledge is a campaign to encourage extremely wealthy people to contribute a majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. Buffet also pledged that more than 99% of his wealth will go to philanthropy, either during his lifetime or at his death[6]. He could have started his own charitable foundation but has contributed his money to five foundations run by others. Until 2021, he served Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a trustee and poured most of his charitable money into the foundation.

Buffet says that he has given very little money to his three children Howard Graham Buffett, Peter Buffett and Susan Alice Buffett, who themselves are millionaires and own hundreds of millions of dollars for the foundations they each run. For example, he’s one of corporate America’s strongest proponents of women in business. He mentored Tracy Britt Cool for more than a decade as she rose from a financial assistant to CEO of Pampered Chef, a Berkshire subsidiary. Later, she started her own private equity firm, modelled after Berkshire, with Buffett’s support.

Buffet also shared his knowledge of the financial markets and the economy in 1977 and conducted annual shareholder meetings.[7] His annual shareholder meetings, known as “Woodstock for capitalists” is akin to a Disney vacation for thousands of families each year. Buffett also voluntarily met with scores of college students for decades about eight times a year for a Q&A session and tour of his businesses[8]. Buffet has given more than $4.1 billion to charity[9].

BUFFET’S RULE

Buffet recently admitted that he pays tax less than his secretary. The reason behind this, he told is a system from which he has benefitted a lot. This system lets billionaires pay very low tax bills, partly because it taxes income instead of wealth. For years he advocated for the so-called “Buffett Rule,” a minimum 30% tax on those making more than $1 million a year to remedy the problem[10]. Rich pay less tax when they deduct it from what they have donated to charities is a fact, also recognized by the buffet.

For his rules on business, Buffet is a very sensible investor. He only invests in those companies which he has thoroughly researched and understands. Buffett personally lost about $23 billion in the financial crisis of 2008, and his company, Berkshire Hathaway, lost its revered AAA rating[11]. The most important quality, as defined by buffet for an investor is temperament, not intellect. For a successful investor, being with or against the crowd is not the centre of attraction.

Buffet was inspired a lot by the book “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham as it inspired and convinced him to invest in stocks. With the help of this book, he got to know that investing in stocks is equal to owning a piece of the business. So, when Buffet searches for stock to invest in, he always prefers the business that exhibits favourable long-term prospects. Buffet never buys anything unless he can write a particular reason to pay a particular price for that shares of the company and advises all the investors to do the same.

“Leave the children enough so that they can do anything but not enough that they can do nothing” is a famous quote said by buffet to wealthy families for charitable purposes.

[1] John M.Longo, ‘Why Warren Buffett Is a Model for His Billionaire Peers’, The Wire (August 30,2021) < https://thewire.in/business/why-warren-buffett-is-a-model-for-his-billionaire-peers> accessed 30^th August 2021.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Stephanie Loiacono,’ Rules That Warren Buffett Lives By’, Investopedia (Jan 12,2021) < https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0210/rules-that-warren-buffett-lives-by.aspx> accessed 30^th August,2021.

Evolution of indian cinema

Dadasaheb Phalke’s ‘Raja Harishchandra’ revolutionised an art form which would become a huge influence in almost everyone’s life. Films form public opinion and evoke different emotions. The way of expression in films is very unique. A book has a way of its own and every art form is unique. But a film can exactly deliver the desired message because it is visual and there are a lot of human elements involved.

The evolution of Indian cinema is divided into different phases. The silent era was the first one. Silent films were produced during the 1890s-1920s. The wrestlers (1899) by H.S bhatavdekar is considered the first Indian film ever by an Indian. It was a film documentary. It was about a wrestling match which was held at the hanging gardens in Bombay. Due to the enthusiasm from a lot of different filmmakers, the Indian film industry rose rapidly. Tickets were affordable to the normal audience. Filmmakers started to incorporate daily Indian social life to make the film more interesting and relatable to the audience.

Alam ara highlights the talkies era. Alam ara was released in 1931. It was the first Indian film which had sound. Joymoti by Jyoti Prasad Agrawala was released in 1935. Jyoti Prasad also went to Berlin to learn more about films. The popular culture of music in films began during this era. Studios started to emerge in main cities like Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. Kisna Kanhiya, the first colour film produced in India came out during this era. A film called wrath was banned by the British raj because it depicted Indian freedom fighters as leaders. A film named Sant Tukaram went to the Venice film festival for its depiction of a saint and a poet. A deadly combination indeed. It was judged as one of the three best films of the year. The seeds of Indian masala film were sown during this era. An Indian masala film has everything. Dance, Music, Drama and Action. This type of film brings out huge crowds into theatre today and is one of the spectacles of India in a way. Although, due to the partition a lot of studios moved to Pakistan. Partition became a hot topic to make films.

The golden era is dedicated to the genius of Satyajit ray. In the third part of the Apu trilogy, there’s a scene where apu and his friend are just walking beside a railway track. They are chatting about their lives. The talks of APU’s marriage come up among other things. The scene captures the vibe of Calcutta so nonchalantly. It’s just two friends talking to each other. The flow of the scene feels so natural. Satyajit ray’s films teleport you into the Calcutta of the 60s. Satyajit Ray was the master of social realism. Another film is boot polish directed by Prakash Arora. There’s a scene in the film in which Bhola(brother) is telling belt(sister) not to beg for a living. She’s starving and the only way she can feed herself is by begging. But because it goes against his brother’s philosophical ideology, she chooses to resist the temptation. But the poor girl can’t resist her hunger for long and picks up a coin and right after that her brother slaps her. She says while crying “bhook Lagi hai Bhai”. Now his brother has to choose between his honour and duties. He can choose to not pick up the coin and maintain his moral high ground or he can feed her sister. The scene captures this conflict so perfectly. The camera captures the whole environment of the room. This type of film was made during this era. Films based on social realism. Masala films also became very popular during this time. Art films and commercial films started to co-exist.

The FFC’s art film orientation came under criticism for not pushing enough commercial films. The duo of Salim-Javed revitalised commercial cinema. They always came up with gritty action thrillers like zanjeer and deewar. They are considered the greatest screenwriters of all time. Crime action films became very popular during this era. The peak of masala films. Although, this made the audiences used to a very predictable plot. Anyone would be able to anticipate what will happen next because it became so predictable. All-time blockbusters like Sholay came out in 1975. The term Bollywood was also coined during this era.

In the late 1980s, everyone was tired of watching the same old action thrillers. The footfalls became less and less until disco dancers. Disco dancers introduced the concept of disco in India. Disco dancer was the biggest hit of the year even in Russia. It introduced Bappi Lahiri as a music director. Mithun and Bappi Lahiri have given countless hits together. Then came the era of romance. Yash raj Chopra’s DDLJ sums up the decade of the 90s. Shah rukh khan became a sensation through his charming acting in romantic films like Kuch Kuch Hota hai , Dil to Pagal hai etc. He gained massive popularity worldwide. Sadly though, as the concept of Bollywood evolved. It became more about money rather than the art as in any other industry. The moment anything becomes an industry. It loses its beautiful touch. That’s what happened with Bollywood. Filmmakers in Europe or France can dare to think about anything today and make something about it. The problem with us is that we cannot even afford to think anything outside the box. Our bandwidth as an audience is very low. We only like to watch films of certain kinds.

The regional cinema has also grown immensely and in some ways is doing better than the Hindi film industry. The film chain in India today is very strong. Thank you to the Dadasahebs, Satyajit’s and anands of India.

Assassination of Shinzo Abe: My request to the Union Government to place a Statue of Abe in New Delhi

Shinzo Abe was Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister, held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020 when he was forced to step down due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis. And unfortunately, on 8 July 2022, he was killed by one person from Japan Tetsuya Yamagami who was previously in the Japanese navy, known as the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF). As a senior citizen, I am surprised about the security system of Japan and its intelligent department. I personally feel both failed because a former Prime Minister was not protected and publicly he was killed. (wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinzo_Abe).

Shinzo Abe was born on 21 September 1954 in Tokyo to a renowned political family with good economic influence throughout pre-war, wartime, and post-war Japan. His family was originally from Yamaguchi Prefecture.

His paternal grandfather Kan Abe was a Yamaguchi landowner who served in the House of Representatives during World War II, while his father Shintaro Abe served in the House of Representatives from 1958 to 1991, with stints as Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minister for International Trade, and Industry, and Minister for Foreign Affairs During World War II.

Abe completed his public administration and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Seikei University in 1977, Japan. He, later on, moved to the United States and studied public policy at the University of Southern California’s School of Policy, Planning, and Development (presently the USC Price School of Public Policy) for three semesters. In April 1979, Abe started working for Kobe Steel. He left the company in 1982 and pursued a number of government positions including executive assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, private secretary to the chairperson of the LDP General Council, and private secretary to the LDP secretary-general (wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinzo_Abe). Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day in 2014. At an Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) lecture in September 2011, Abe said: “a strong India is in the best interest of Japan, and a strong Japan is in the best interest of India.”

India’s expression of friendship was its gratitude for the Japanese help to the Indian National Army (INA). Japan had released Indian prisoners of war at the request of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to help build the INA which fought alongside the Japanese in Singapore, Burma, and northeast India. The war cemetery in Imphal where Indian and Japanese soldiers were buried together is a testimony to that (mea.gov.in/in-focus-article.htm?22762).

India declares a day of state mourning for Shinzo Abe’s death. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated, “As a mark of our deepest respect for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, a one-day national mourning shall be observed on 9 July 2022”. The national flag will be at half-mast on all buildings across India for the day of mourning across India, and there will be no official entertainment.

Vice president M Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister Hardeep Puri have also expressed anguish at the death of Abe and recalled his role to develop a good relationship with India. Our former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Shinzo Abe. Thus, it is evident that political leaders of India irrespective of political parties have liked Abe.

Although Shinzo Abe was assassinated, Indians will remember him generation after generation.

I request our Union Government to place a statue of Shinzo Abe in an important place in New Delhi.

Decoding Kenya’s police brutality and the core reasons behind it.

In February 2021, there was a brutal police attack in one of the informal settlements of Kenya called Mathara. A cop shot one of the teenagers, Dominic Kulema, leaving him severely injured. He ran inside a youth centre to save himself. He pleaded to the police for his life with his hands raised. But, the Police forced him out of the building and killed him. This story hardly made it to any news whatsoever. This is part of a normalised pattern that exists in the informal settlements of Kenya. Police kill a lot of young people without any criminal background because they think it is “morally right”.

In 2020, A total number of 167 people were killed or misplaced according to missing voices Kenya (Human rights organisation that tracks extrajudicial killings). Despite well-funded police reforms launched by the government, this brutal practise has not stopped. Some anthropologists are trying to find the grassroots reasons for these activities and it dates back to colonialism. It is also a moral conflict country like Kenya. Police kill young people because they think it is morally right to do.

The foundations of the social division and brutal police system were laid in the first few decades of its existence. In 1899, Great Britain established the settlement as a rail depot between the port of Mombasa and the Nile River. Nairobi was named the capital of Britain’s east Africa protectorate. The European settlers started to capture the better lands of the settlement and left the unhygienic and disease-prone areas for the African workers and localities. They never developed the basic infrastructure that was needed in this settlement.

In 1920, Kenya was declared an official colony, the British also established the Kenyan police force in the same year. African men were required to wear a box around their neck with their name, tribe and employer written on it. These police forces monitored their movement within the city. Administrators had the power to evict or expel African workers which basically means they had the power to kill them.

In the 1950s, The Kenya Land and Freedom Army, comprised of landless Africans gathered and fought for their lost lands, terrorising white settlers. Seeing this, the Administration enlisted a Home Guard, comprised of native Africans working for the colonial government and were fully given the authority to enforce the law and they did that very brutality. It was later formalised as administration police (AP).

A group of African people hired by the colonial government.

This dual system existed even after independence in 1963. In 2019, the AP was absorbed by the Kenya police force. While AP conducted raids, the police force was focused on more day-to-day policing of the affluent areas in Kenya.

Kenya is not the only country that deals with dual law practising. In the united states of America, some people are treated democratically while some minorities are treated harshly.

The day Kulema died, his friend collins witnessed everything and immediately approached the Mathare social justice centre (MSJC), a ray of hope in the doomed land of Kenya. It was co-founded by anthropologist Kimari. MSJC has been trying to track this kind of story for years. They rely upon local community sources like collins. They released their first report of epidemic killings in Nairobi in 2017. Kinnari calls this “ A systematic annihilation of young people “. In February 2021, MSJC reported 14 killings of young people. These brutal police forces also target the families of young people.

They perform female genital mutilation which is just beyond being inhuman.

Organisations like MSJC have made people in Mathara realise their need for basic human rights. It has made people come together and fight for each other. A supporter of MSJC said and I quote “their power vanishes the moment we stop fearing “. Due to the active voice raised by this organisation, the killings have decreased and women are safer now. There is a visible fear in the police’s minds about killing more people. While this is a huge fight, we can already see small changes in place due to the efforts of organisations like these.

Reference – https://www.sapiens.org › cultureWhat Kenya’s Killer Cops Reveal About Police Culture – Sapiens.org

End of the Revolutionary Morgan Era and The future of England team

Eoin Morgan after scoring a century against Afghanistan in the 2019 world cup

Eoin Morgan has announced his retirement from international cricket. His last appearance in International Cricket was against the Netherlands on June 19th,2022. Morgan was handed over the England captaincy just before the 2015 World Cup. Eoin Morgan changed the way England approached white-ball cricket forever. Under Morgan’s captaincy, England took an all-out aggressive approach on the field. Almost everyone in England’s playing 11 can bat at present. The aggressive longevity in their batting is Morgan’s biggest gift to England.

He led England to a World Cup win in the dramatic final of 2019. He Led England twice in the T20 World Cup. They were the finalists in 2016 and semi-finalists in 2021. Morgan took KKR to the final of IPL from a situation where no one expected them to even qualify for the play-offs. Morgan believed in a more tactical approach towards the game and worked in tandem with Nathan Leamon. This strategy has helped him achieve a lot of accolades. Morgan took his National Side from a position of disarray to ecstasy. We should remember his legacy for the time to come. It’d be interesting to see where Jos Buttler takes England from now.

Jos Buttler after scoring a century for England in one day internationals

Jos Buttler, in his interview with sky sports, explained how the pressure on him is more than ever because of the legacy that Morgan is leaving behind. England has almost won all the bilateral series at home in the last few years. Under Morgan’s captaincy, England won 76 one-day internationals out of 126 matches. And in T20 internationals, they won 42 out of 72 matches with 27 of them being Losses, 2 ties and 1 no result. This is a fantastic record for any captain. Jos Buttler also talked about how some players will be unavailable for white-ball games due to their red ball duty in the coming time.

However, Morgan will continue to play domestic cricket and will skipper his THE100 side London Spirit. We might also see him in next year’s IPL if he finds his lost form back. With all that said, The future of England’s white-ball cricket is in the hands of the Buttler-Mott pair. Their Next assignment is against the Indians which begins with the 1st T20 internationals on the 7th of July. This will be a mouth-watering series as both the sides are top quality and have some of the best players in the world.

England’s red-ball team is also flying high under the leadership of ben stokes. They recently thrashed New Zealand 3-0 on their home soil and won the test against India to level the series. The ‘bazball’ formula has worked wonders for the red ball side as they have chased scores of 250+ 4 consecutive times in the second innings. This is a quite remarkable landmark. Although, it’d be interesting to see if they can sustain this formula going forward on tough pitches. Australia’s best Test Batsman Steve Smith said “ it’s been exciting. I’m just intrigued to see how long it lasts if it’s sustainable, “ Smith told the reporters ahead of the 2nd test between Australia and Sri Lanka. He believes that this formula may not work on a grassy pitches with the likes of Josh Hazlewood , Pat Cummins and Mitchell starc storming in to bowl. Let’s see what destiny holds for these new England Sides.

Ben stokes after the iconic Headingly win in 2019.

ORGANIZATION LEADS TO HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Image credit : Ebuyer. Com https://images.app.goo.gl/BeK2ghi9m82o18kA9

Life organisation frequently resembles a delicate balancing act. As soon as you switch to grab one goal line, such as money, family obligations, or having fun with family and friends, the next one is rushing at you rapidly. Sadly, some pieces are destined to fall: weeks where rest was not prioritised, eating fast food rather than preparing meals, and slacking with limited chores rather than concentrating on substantial work.

Instead of tossing life’s responsibilities in the hopes that you’ll survive to grasp em all, stick to a plan to keep everything in its position.

1. Discipline – Organise your day and make a to do list of tasks and punctually do everything on its set time. You’ll feel content at the end of the day and not guilty when you’re chilling watching your favorite movie and having that slice of pizza because you know you’ve worked for it.
2. Awareness – Presence of mind increases with managing your time because it ultimately helps you manage your life and when that happens your mind is free of stress which allows you to focus more on the details that one otherwise is ignorant about.

3.Clear Vision – For ones particularly ,confused about their purpose or goal, managing a note of things that you enjoy from the one’s that you enjoy less will allow you to decide with more clarity on the areas that you should focus.

4.Unwavering Focus – When you lead a life of discipline your skill to concentrate enhances hugely and allows you to work with stability. You start to work more minutely on things and your end product is always the best

5.productivity – Enhances the quality of your work and you start to enjoy the work you do, all this because you’ve got time to do thing through your organisational skills.

6.Maintaining a list – keeping track of your daily activities ,writing down things and analysing your thoughts helps to understand your life better. Writing down things for each day and accomplishing them will give you clear headstart to your goals and life in general.

7.Prioritise – Allowing some things to fall into place consciously can help make navigating all of life’s obligations efficient. Get used to saying “no” so that you can spend more time for the things that are essential to you. A crucial technique in your suite for organising your life is prioritisation. The only way to get anything done is to prioritise what is most important. You can direct your intense focus on what matters by eliminating what doesn’t advance your best expectations.

8. value your time –
Time is not something you can control. Time is more valuable than money regardless of the lack of tangible value. Like money, time may be wasted or saved. Time is something you can’t earn back,like money. Choose accordingly to expend it and don’t use it all in one space. If you value time you don’t waste it. Instead use it to your advantage.

Source credit : How to organize your life by Fadeke Adegbuyi https://blog.doist.com/organize-your-life/

Effective Journaling

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The Delhi Assembly has passed a measure to increase MLA salaries.

The Delhi administration, led by the Aam Aadmi Party, approved a bill on Monday to raise the wages of MLAs, ministers, the Speaker, and the Leader of the Opposition (Lops) in the Delhi Assembly.

An MLA in Delhi now receives Rs 54,000 per month in pay and allowances, which is expected to rise to Rs 90,000 after the raise.

The Delhi Assembly has approved a measure that would raise the pay of MLAs, ministers, the speaker, and members of the Lok Sabha. Previously, MLAs received a salary of Rs 12,000; this has been increased to Rs 30,000, making the total income for MLAs Rs 90,000. sisodia told reporters after today’s assembly session.

Sisodia said that although the centre had raised few concerns seven years prior, the Delhi government had already enacted the measure.

Added he, “In the past seven years, there have been several talks on this subject. Seven years ago, the central government had a few concerns; after taking their ideas into account, the Delhi Assembly once more enacted this measure in the hopes that the centre would do the same.”

Ram Niwas Goel, the speaker of the Delhi assembly, said that the pay was raised in 2011, therefore the administration suggested a raise in 2015 but the proposal was rejected.

He had asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to compare his pay with that of other state legislators, claiming that many states, including Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, pay their MLAs about Rs 2 lakh in total.

Today marked the start of the Delhi Assembly’s two-day monsoon session. The MLAs would be obliged to wear face masks mandatory due to the ongoing Covid-19 cases.

A trip to cherish!

When my Nani and I were drinking chai and chatting about random topics a few days ago at her home in Surat, she began talking about her early years spent in Ahmedabad. She told me about her family, the people there, the delectable food, the holidays she celebrated with them, and the spots where she used to hang out with her friends. Her descriptions piqued my enthusiasm for travelling to Ahmedabad and exploring the city.

So, the following morning, I was prepared with my bag and a train ticket in hand and departed for the station after bidding my family farewell. I travelled with one of my cousins because she had visited Ahmedabad previously and was familiar with the area’s landmarks. We left Surat station at eight in the morning and arrived at Ahmedabad station around noon after a four-hour journey. Later on arriving at my cousin’s home, we relaxed there for a while before starting our city tour. I still can remember how I couldn’t contain my excitement to explore the places.

We started our trip at Jama Masjid.

We learned that the mosque was constructed by Ahmad Shah in 1424. The mosque’s architecture was such that it gleamed beautifully in the sunlight.

The tombs of the male and female members of Ahmad Shah’s royal family, Badshah no Hajiro and Rani no Hajiro, respectively, were the next stop on our tour. Since women couldn’t enter Badshah no Hajiro, we snapped some photos of the monument from the outside.

On arriving at the female tomb, we discovered that the street leading there had changed to serve as a neighbourhood women’s market. I was surprised to find an antique jewellery piece at the market that I could afford to buy for my Nani as a souvenir, given that antiques are typically pricey.

After a few hours of exploring these monuments, we went to Manek chowk’s hustling and bustling market. It was late in the evening so it was pretty crowded with people. The aroma of the delicious street food hit us and we decided to dive in. We tried some of the popular food items of the chowk which includes Ghugra sandwich, Gotala Dosa, Fafda Jalebi, Dhokla and Methi Gota. I can still remember how delicious they tasted. We wound up exploring for the day.

On the second day of the tour, we started with having breakfast at a well-known neighbourhood eatery and later travelled to the Sabarmati Ashram. We learnt about its history and spoke with the women who worked there, who gave us information about the Ashram and the city’s rich culture. The ashram was exquisitely constructed.

The Sabarmati Riverfront was our next stop, followed by the lakeside flower garden. From the riverfront, there was a breathtaking vista.

The third and final day of my journey to Ahmedabad, I made the decision to wrap it up by going to the Utkantheshwar Temple in Sarkhej. It made me feel divine and grateful for my decision to travel to Ahmedabad. This city is truly, incredibly extraordinary.

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HOW TO WIN AN ARGUMENT

Arguments, whether they are interpersonal or professional, are essential. Be it a constructive or non-beneficial disagreement, we engage in it more frequently than we plan to in our regular lifestyle.

Nobody can win an argument against you unless you give the opportunity to.

Even if this isn’t your strongest suit, there are a few straightforward strategies you may use to quickly and easily win. To assist you, here are a few of them:

Image credit : pixaby.com https://images.app.goo.gl/dv31TkrJaxJ7cZRm9

1. Do your research – In a professional setting when you know you’re likely to have to get into an argument, prepare yourself beforehand with all the information and facts so that you have an upper hand in the discussion

2. When it’s unlikely – Sometimes you could encounter yourself in a heated argument in an unusual situation, caught off guard and unsure of what to say. It’s typically best to try to reason with the other person so that you can depart the argument quickly.

3. Calm down – The most important thing to remember when in an argument is to keep your composure and maintain decorum, especially if your parents are on the other side. However, this is true for practically all contentious discussions.

4. Don’t raise your voice – Being ear-splittingly loud won’t help you win, instead strengthen your case. Maintaining your mental fortitude will help you make your point to the opposing side as effectively as you can.

5. Decapitate them delicately – Be gentle and kind! Talk calm and pleasant until your generosity and encouraging words cause the opposition’s rage to subside. In between disputes, you must remind the other person of the good in you in case they have forgotten. This works!

6. Be reasonable – Avoid making assumptions just to justify your assertions. Provide evidence to back up your claims so the opposite side won’t have a chance to refute the information.

7. Choose your next word carefully- Remember in an argument the point is not just winning but also successfully winning at it. So communicating the issue that you’re debating about is also vital because that is the reason it happened in the first place. In doing so, be careful how you choose your words.

8. Don’t rush— Time may not always be to your advantage, so consider whether it is the appropriate time to protest before you start the conversation. Better to steer clear of it for a while if not. Additionally, it will offer both parties a chance to think things through.

9. Listen!- If you aren’t willing to listen and consider the opposing viewpoint, how can you expect others to? It’s crucial to hear what the opposing side has to say because a one-sided discussion is not an argument.

10. Make believe – when you really want to win and your case isn’t solid enough, make the opposition believe that your perspective is stronger and their claim needs to be reevaluated. Even if you’re wrong, trick them into thinking otherwise.

You’ll master the art of argumentation in no time, just follow these simple methods and the win is yours.

HUSTLE CULTURE A TREND OR TRENDING PROBLEM FOR THE YOUTH?

PCOS

PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. You might heard people saying it. It has become common among women these days. For every 5 women 1 woman is a PCOS fighter.

Causes

PCOS is a lifestyle disorder thus happens when your body is abused by your own self. Some of the ways are:

•weight gain

•stress

•disturbed sleep cycle

•not taking food on time

• unhealthy food intake

Treatment

Although Doctors give the medications and pills to reset your periodic cycle,it is still advisable to not be solely dependent on chemicals as they tend to have lifelong effects on your body.

Instead go for the long and tough route that is do exercise regularly, have enough sleep and maintain the cycle, eat healthy and eat whole meal foods , have cow ghee everyday a a bit .

If done properly and if the body is taken good care of without medications you will have your periodic cycle regulated .

The wait is over! The second season of Masaba Masaba will premiere on July 29.

‘Masaba Masaba,’ one of the most loved Indian programmes on Netflix, is here! It will be exactly one month from today on July 29 before the second season of “Masaba Masaba” arrives on the OTT platform. In August 2020, the first season of “Masaba Masaba” was released.

Masaba herself posted the first preview for the programme on Instagram.

Neena Gupta and Masaba, a mother-daughter team, appear young and hopeful in the teaser as they tackle new professional routes, new and old love interests, loss, emotions, and rivalry. Season 2 follows the lives of these two women as they go over challenging terrain and difficult sections.

Season 2 will also have Neil Bhoopalam, Rytasha Rathore, Kusha Kapila, Kareema Berry, Barkha Singh, Ram Kapoor, and Armaan Khera in addition to being directed by sonam Nair and produced by Vinyard Films. Influencer Kusha Kapila is performing for the second time; her first was in Karan Johar’s Ghost Stories.

Director Sonam Nair expressed her excitement about the teaser’s release by saying, “When Masaba Masaba was first shown to me by Ashvini Yardi, it was an idea that I instantly fell in love with, and I knew it would bring a lot of positive emotions with it. I have the opportunity to explore and collaborate with excellent services like Netflix season 2 is moving into other territories but with the same level of love and I can’t wait for people to watch it “.

Idea of Pop culture

Based on who is defining it but the context in which it is used, the phrase “popular culture” has several connotations. It is commonly accepted that a society’s dominant culture at a given moment is the colloquial or people’s culture. In Persuasive Aspects of Popular Culture, it refers to the facets of social life that the general public participates in most actively. As the “cultural heritage,” popular culture is shaped by how people interact with each other in daily life. Examples of popular culture include clothing trends, slang usage, salutation customs, and cuisine preferences. The mass media also influences popular culture.

Popular culture is composed of a number of commonly acknowledged components. For instance, popular culture includes the components of our life that are most present-day and current. Particularly in today’s highly technology society where media is everywhere, these features are frequently vulnerable to quick change. Pop culture reflects certain norms and widely held opinions. Pop culture is prevalent, and as a result, it both reflects and has an impact on people’s daily lives . Additionally, businesses can become well-known cultural icons. Iconic brands may flourish and fall, much like other facets of pop culture.

Thus, pop culture might well be described as the creations and modes of identification and expression that are typical of a certain civilization at a particular moment, often experienced, or popularly accepted.

Large varied groups of individuals can connect socially due to popular culture. As it unites the majority behind principles of proper behavior, it plays an inclusive function in society. Consuming pop culture products frequently raises a person’s status among their peers in addition to helping them feel a sense of belonging that ties them to larger society. Furthermore, popular culture offers people the possibility to challenge the dominant beliefs and behavioral standards, in contrast to folk or high culture. People are drawn to popular culture because it offers opportunity for both personal fulfillment and social connection.

Origin of Bonsai Plant: Ancient Japan

Most of us at least once in a while have come across a bonsai plant during a visit to friends’ houses or close ones. It is treated as the best gift for the occasion. Many believe it helps in purifying air, helps to release stress, and makes one physically active. But what could be the story behind this plant?

In the Japanese art form of bonsai, tiny trees that resemble the size and shape of real trees are grown in pots using cultivation methods. The traditional Bonsai art represents wisdom and elegance. Japanese bonsai trees often reached heights of one to two feet and required years of specialized maintenance. The twisted look of the branches, trunks, and roots was achieved by retaining the proper form while the tree developed using bamboo and wire.

Additionally, painters frequently grafted new branches onto old ones to obtain a specific form. While some plants sprouted leaves and flowers, others even produced fruit. Bonsai trees were recognized as a highly revered form of art by the 14th century.

The coveted plants quickly found their way from the monks to the palaces. The trees developed into prestige and honor symbols, just like in China. Early in the 1600s, Japanese bonsai underwent another evolution. The adept artisans started trimming the plants, removing everything save what was absolutely necessary. Because of this, a minimalist appearance was produced, which symbolizes Japanese philosophy and the idea that “less is more.” All socioeconomic groups were able to purchase bonsai plants throughout the Middle Ages (1185 to 1603). More individuals had to learn the technique of bonsai due to the rising demand, and soon small trees could be found in practically every Japanese home.

The idea of Sologamy

The practice of sologamy, or marrying oneself to oneself, is unusual but not unknown . Sologamy, also known as autogamy, is the union of one person with oneself. The practice’s proponents contend that it makes people happy and confirms their own worth. Sologamy is also known as self-marriage; however, this phrase may also refer to a self-uniting wedding, which is a union that takes place without the need for a facilitator.

It was Linda Baker, the first person to marry herself in 1993, who was the originator of sologamy. The NBA player Dennis Rodman married himself in 1996, which was the following wedding.

But is it legal in India?

Many nations, including India, do not permit “sologamy.” According to experts, Indian law prohibits self-marriage. Marriage requires two people to be present. It’s illegal to be single.” “The phrase “any of the spouse” is used in the Hindu Marriage Act, which just indicates that two people are required to consummate a marriage.

However, to benefit from serious reflection, live by your values, honor yourself, and dedicate yourself to self-love to receive benefits in your romantic life and far beyond, a self-marriage ceremony is advantageous.

India and Cyberbully.

Cyberbullying is a crime when it is carried out with the purpose of harassing or abusing somebody persistently. Cyberbullying typically targets individuals that are unable to effectively protect themself. Cyberbullying may take many different forms, such as posting someone else’s private information or images online, sending them lewd or sexual messages, stalking them, or even stealing their accounts. Cyberbullying may happen on a variety of platforms, including social media , text messages, e-mail, and instant messaging applications.

India is ranked third for cyberbullying offenses, and that’s no longer startling given the growing user base, the majority of which are bogus accounts. These are just a few of the primary forms of cyberbullying that Indians experience, and of those, half of the victims choose to not report or register a complaint because they believe the accused would harass them even more if they do. Additionally, cyberbullying may become nasty and become someone’s worst nightmare.

Furthermore, there are several acts and laws which are established against cyber bully in India

Extinction of Newspapers

In before times it wasn’t unusual to go to a coffee shop or restaurant not too distant past and see customers engrossed in a newspaper story while enjoying their coffee or food. These days, it’s more common seeing the same customers glued to a smartphone, tablet, or other media device. The conventional newspaper has suffered as a result of the proliferation of digital gadgets with wi-fi capabilities and the overall rise in accessibility to computers. It is just a question of time until newspapers as we once knew them go extinct. With each successive year, the causes of this extinction become more and more clear.

The younger generations were raised in an age where they could use computers as well as other digital content tools. Almost every one of their knowledge and much of their enjoyment is now accessible to them at the press of a button or display. Younger generations have evolved to anticipate immediate news, which traditional newspapers do not provide.

Not just members of the younger age choose internet news sources for their news. As the majority of adults have greater access to devices with internet capabilities, they rapidly learn how convenient it is to read news stories as it occurs. By the time the regular newspaper arrives from the front door the following morning, several digital media sites have already reported the headlines online. Newspapers must go online if they want to contend with this pace.

Newspapers printed will probably go extinct and switch to digital format in the coming years. Publications can only make money by shifting their focus from news articles to authoritative essays and distinctive opinion pieces written in a magazine-style, barring unforeseeable changes in audience behaviour. Even then, more effort would be required to persuade the public that reading inkjet printing is still useful. Reviving a print newspaper would be a difficult endeavour given the competition, where known and reputable voices are now online bed partners with young, creative perspectives.

Furthermore, physical newspapers will inevitably last a long time, but they will never again be as prevalent as they used to be.

The scientific significance of Indian Jewelry.

Every piece of jewelry tells a story.
Gem Hunt

India has a rich culture with a variety of food, costumes, and not to miss the jewelry. For decades in most of the country, it symbolizes power, wealth, and status. Jewelry has such a prominent role especially on big occasions like weddings though it is seen just as an art as well. Yet the majority of the population just looks at it as something which is supposed to be shown off. But there is more into this beautiful carved gold. Let’s dive in.

Starting with toe rings often composed of silver metal, they are worn in pairs in the second toes of both feet. According to Ayurveda, the woman’s uterus is clearly linked to the nerve on her second toe. Therefore, it is known that a little pressure can control the menstrual cycle. According to Ayurveda, the woman’s uterus is directly related to the nerve on her second toe. Therefore, it is known that a little pressure can control the menstrual cycle.

The old phrases Bangri or Bangali, which in Sanskrit indicate “the jewelry that adorns the arm,” have given rise to the word bangle. There is historical proof that Indian ladies have been bangle-accessorizing their wrists since antiquity. As a result of regular friction between the wrists and the bracelets, the blood circulation level increases.Our energy levels are also maintained and recharged by bangles. The ring-shaped bangles cause the energy that escapes through the skin to return to our own body. Because bangles are round in design, there are no ends where the energy may be sent outside, causing it to be returned to the body.According to a study done on women wearing glass bracelets vs those made of other synthetic materials, glass bracelets vibrate, function as pacifiers, and moderate powerful emotions.

Ring is the accessory that both men and women wear the most frequently. Our bodies’ nerves are interconnected, and metal is thought to be healthy. A nerve in the ring finger runs from the brain to the heart. The nerves that link to the brain and then travel to the learning capacitor neurons are represented by the index finger. The nerves cross over the brain’s divider line when you wear the ring on your middle finger. Ring finger causes metallic fiction that was produced here is beneficial to health. The nerves and the heart are allegedly linked directly. Smallest finger’s ring regulates the brain, and if there is any fiction present, it can affect how one thinks.

Earring enables the nerves to connect to your eyes and reproductive systems are located in your ears, which also enhance the beauty of your face. The friction created by wearing gold earrings helps to enhance vision. Additionally, the body is affected by acupuncture when wearing earrings. Because of this, it is advised that both ladies and girls wear earrings. Menstrual issues can also be helped by pierced ears. The “Hunger Point” is also claimed to exist in the ears. By addressing these hunger areas, wearing earrings makes sure that both your weight and your food desires are under control.

Most of us have experienced wearing silver tinkle anklets in our childhood.One can re-vibrate their own body’s energy by wearing anklets. Anklets made of silver can help with leg discomfort and numbness. This explains why many grandmas who upheld Indian custom are still active today. It has been learned from several sources that wearing silver anklets would ease pain from painful cracked heels and swollen heels. They also assist in regulating blood circulation in the body.

Since ancient times, nose jewelry has played a crucial role in Indian women’s fashion. From place to region, nose rings have different meanings. Hindu traditions dictate that the bride wears the nose stud, or “nath,” on the day of her wedding. In the Hindu practice of nose piercing, nose rings are worn on either the left or right or both, sides of the nostril.Nose pins are associated with emotionally stable women. It has been proven that women wearing nose pins are challenging to mesmerize or cast spells on. Women who wear Hindu jewelry do so primarily to absorb positive energy and lessen the suffering caused by bad energies.

Bengal and Food: A Better Love Story Than Twilight

West Bengal and food are a match made in heaven. Delicacies that form the image of this land can be found in the smallest of dhabas and on the menus of the most prestigious restaurants. Food is the wave that flows throughout the state; the song that unites every Bengali; the light that brightens up the City of Joy; and the love that never ends.

But what’s so special about the food of West Bengal? What is it that separates this state from the rest of the world? Is it the spice or the sweet? Is it the simplicity or the richness of the dishes?

Let’s take a look at some unique dishes:

Jhaal Muri – The quintessential

Jhaal Muri is the ultimate snack in a Bengali household. Its versatility is unmatchable as it can be eaten at any time of the day and can be combined with so many different food products. From the local trains to the Ganga ghats, from the streets to the shopping malls, from the snowy hills of Darjeeling to the beaches of Digha, the Jhaal Muri is present everywhere and, in a way, represents what a Bengali is-Jhaal (spicy) – fierce, competitive, revolutionary; on the other hand, friendly, simple, and humble, signified by ‘muri’.

Hilsa—A Bengali’s Beloved

Bengalis’ love for Hilsa dates back many centuries. Irrespective of any sort of boundary and border, every Bengali’s heart holds the same amount of unadulterated love for the national fish of Bangladesh and the state fish of West Bengal. Hilsa and the monsoons have better chemistry than Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in “Titanic.” Through time, it has become a comprehensive part of Bengali culture, tradition, and lifestyle.

On Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year), it is customary to relish a meal of Ilish (Hilsa) Maach with your loved ones. Despite it being very costly, sales never drop as it reaches its peak during the rainy season. Ilish bhaaja (fried Hilsa) along with Khichuri (fermented rice with vegetables) can fill the stomach as well as the heart of a Bengali on any given day.

Love for Hilsha has been reciprocated through art, literature, songs, movies, and eminent personalities of Bengal like Swami Vivekananda, Satyajit Ray, and Sunil Gangopadhyay, who have been vocal about it through their works. There are many multiferous varieties of Hilsa dishes like the Ilish Jhuro, Tetul Ilish, and newer innovations in the modern era like Anarosh Ilish, Ilish risotto, and baked illish. Recently, Bengal has conducted entire festivals dedicated to Hilsa, organised by hotels and the West Bengal State Tourism Department, such as the Ilish Utsav 2019, the 6^th Sundarban Hilsa Festival 2019 and the Gongabokhe Ilish Utsab.

Pithe – The Sweet Beauty

The winter is witness to food items that balance out what the summer has to offer. Sweet vs. Spice. Pithe is a palm-sized winter-special sweet treat. It is a combination of fresh palm, date jaggery, scented rice flour, milk, and coconut. Mostly made indoors, a household isn’t Bengali if it doesn’t prepare pithe during the winter. It’s almost a tradition at this point as even guests are offered loads of pithe on their visit to a Bengali household. On the occasion of Poush Sankranti, the elder women of the house make pithe, which is enjoyed along with Rabindra Sangeet, poetry, and folklore.

Mishti Dhoi – A Sweet Tooth’s Paradise

It is impossible to talk about Bengal and not bring in Mishti Doi. It can be considered as the staple dessert of Bengal. The original brilliance of Mishti Doi can be found in the bhars (earthen pots) of the pandals during the Durga Puja. It is a wonderful dessert and is also very simple to make. Mishti Dhoi’s brilliance resonates all around the world. Bulgaria was the first European nation to introduce curd in Europe. The age-old, traditional techniques to make Mishti Doi never faded away, and hence, its originality was never compromised.

The Evolution of Feminism

If there is one thing I’ve learned in life, it is the power of using your voice.
Michelle Obama

Feminism is not a new term it is the most controversial topic when you can get across to. Many believe this label has been a while for now but the fact is it has been there for years. Isn’t that fascinating?
There have been distinguished waves that served different purposes each time. It starts with the first wave which begins from 1848 to 1920. First-wave feminism is not the term used to describe the earliest feminist thinkers in history. It alludes to the suffragettes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who led the first long-lasting political campaign in the West to bring about political justice for women. The first-wavers campaigned tenaciously for the right to vote for over 70 years, marching, lecturing, protesting, and being arrested, mocked, and subjected to violence. The Seneca Falls conference in 1848 serves as the primary starting point for the first wave. Nearly 200 women gathered at a went to the new church at that time to talk about “the social, civil, and religious position and privileges of women.” Following extensive discussion, the audience approved 12 resolutions advocating for particular equal rights, such as the opportunity to vote. The 19th Amendment was the first wave’s most significant piece of legislation. The movement as a whole started to fragment, despite specific groups continuing to struggle for abortion rights, equality in education and employment, and the right to vote for black women. It lost its unifying purpose and strong cultural impetus, and it wouldn’t find one again until the second wave started to gain speed in the 1960s.
The second wave from 1963 to 1980 started with Betty Friedan’s 1963 publication The Feminine Mystique. However, The Feminine Mystique was a trend. There were notable feminist theorists before Friedan who would later be linked to the second wave, most notably Simone de Beauvoir, whose Second Sex was published in France in 1949 and the US in 1953. In three years, 3 million copies were sold. The second wave aimed to provide women the ability to apply for mortgages and use their names to carry credit cards. It was successful in making marital rape illegal, raising awareness of domestic abuse, and constructing shelters for women escaping both rape and domestic violence. The legal efforts to define and prohibit workplace sexual harassment were successful.
The third wave has been existing since 1991 Third-wave feminism was completely different from second-wave feminism in terms of how it spoke and thought, but it also lacked the second-impressive wave’s cultural power. Since the third wave was a widespread movement without a clear objective, it lacks a single law or significant societal change comparable to the 19th wave.
The fourth wave is existing in the current period The third wave, unlike the 19th wave, did not result in single legislation or a fundamental shift in society since it was a broad movement without a specific goal. While most of the media’s coverage of #MeToo portrays it as a third-wave feminism-dominated movement, it appears to be based on a movement that lacks the third-wave’s distinctive dissemination. It has a distinct vibe. Even though the majority of media coverage of #MeToo portrays it as a third-wave feminism-dominated movement, it seems to be founded on a movement without the third-characteristic wave’s dispersion. It exudes a certain atmosphere. The most influential males in our culture are now being held responsible for their actions by the fourth wave. It has started a critical criticism of the power structures that enable predators to prey on women without consequence.

HUSTLE CULTURE A TREND OR TRENDING PROBLEM FOR THE YOUTH?

Image courtesy : thesolmag.com
http://thesolmag.com

The youth are more affected by this culture & it’s making their life miserable and the most important thing is they just don’t know how to stop worrying enough about it.

The Orthodox or popular opinion of becoming successful and achieving it all very fast ; the ultimate respect status that comes with being the all achiever is Hustle culture, driven by the desire for more.

We are compelled to believe that time is running out and that we must do more, achieve more in less time. The most essential goal in your life should be to prioritise achievement over anything else. It shouldn’t be a big deal to sacrifice your mental and physical health for your life satisfaction. As a consequence, the youth begins to believe. We are constantly seeking more from ourselves, others, and our life. Hustle culture arose from this constant desire for more. It’s also on the upswing.

Now wanting more isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when it becomes excessive, it’s time to act.

Signs that you are a hustler :

1. You never stop overthinking –
Overanalyzing your life and ambitions lead you to constantly put self-limiting beliefs on yourself. Resulting in dread of the judgement, and assumption of the consequences which makes it worse.

2. You want to accomplish everything in one day – Being impatient with your goals and believing that completing more tasks more quickly than others will give you greater recognition and popularity.

3.You want to attain long-term goals in the short term- You focus on making the big leap instead of comprehending that it takes time, patience, and efforts to accomplish anything. Trying to skip the intermediate phases but fail and are left feeling unmotivated.

4. Trying to do all and more at once – You multitask all the time and put your work and aspirations before your needs for rest, sleep, and self-care.

5. Validation is what matters most to you – when people appreciate your achievements and proficiencies, your desire is stoked, but when it doesn’t, you spiral into self-doubt.

6.You are a materialistic life seeker – Quality of life and ideas don’t interest you & latest trends do. You are leading a typical life because you don’t know how to live otherwise

7.You feel guilty for not being productive enough– Often you feel terrible for putting comfort before your goals. Exhausting yourself completely is part of the process towards success.

8. Being ignorant about you mental health– As you pursue a career-oriented lifestyle, believing that this is the only way to gain respect and prestige, you start comparing yourself to others who are ahead of you and the seeds of self-doubt begin to grown in you.

9.You don’t put your health first – Your health is your most valuable asset and should always be prioritised above all else. Unfortunately, people frequently disregard this and endanger it in pursuit of mediocre accomplishments.

If you think you’re hustler, it’s time to take a moment and reflect. Hope you found this helpful.

Legalizing Abortion: A human right?

There has been a buzz going around all over the international news and social media since the Supreme Court of the USA ended the right to abortion.
By a decision of seven to two in the famous Roe v. Wade case of 1973, the Supreme Court determined that a woman has the right to end her pregnancy was guaranteed by the US constitution.
In the first three months of pregnancy (referred to as the “trimester”), the decision guaranteed American women the absolute right to an abortion; but, it also permitted limits in the second trimester and prohibitions in the third. However, throughout the years, access has been steadily reduced in more than a dozen states as a result of anti-abortion laws. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a lawsuit challenging Mississippi’s restriction on abortion beyond 15 weeks, was being considered by the High Court during its current term. The conservative-majority court effectively put an end to the legal right to an abortion by deciding in the government’s favor. It is believed that this has the power to transform life for women in America. Half of the country’s states will come under the effect of this law.
Furthermore, there have been mixed reactions against this law as some review it as abortion as murder because they believe life is sacred and a culture where life is expendable is promoted through legalized abortion but the majority of them have argued that women should have a right to her body and not be forced to keep the child.
Whatever the case maybe it only depends on the citizens and its voter if the majority is contented with the decision or not at the end of the day.

Henna and its medicinal benefits.

The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the dieseases .

In East Asia countries henna has a prominent role in any celebration or occasion. It shows the richness of an east Asian culture with beautiful designs on hand. It’s scientifically termed Lawsonia Inermis.
Its earliest known usage was in Egypt around 1200 BC, when pharaohs’ hair and nails were dyed, as well as when they were being mummified. It was even rumored that Cleopatra personally decorated her body with henna.
The natural cooling action of henna, which gives skin a pleasant tingling feeling, maybe its most well-known feature (similar to chewing spearmint gum and drinking cold water). When this virtue was found, desert dwellers began using henna to keep their bodies cool. They created an air-conditioning effect by creating a henna paste and applying it to oneself. For as long as the henna stain lingers on the skin, the feeling is felt all over the body. The henna streaks were quickly transformed into works of art by the desert inhabitants. As a result, the tradition of henna emerged.
Coming to its benefits it has long been used medicinally, including as a poultice to treat burns and dermatitis and as a coagulant for open wounds. Ringworm and other microbial or fungal skin problems can be treated topically using fresh herbs. Henna’s benefits for heart health are among the least recognized. You can experience a hypotensive impact from henna water or seeds, which reduces stress on the cardiovascular system and significantly decreases blood pressure. Limiting the accumulation of plaque and platelets in the artery and cardiovascular can help prevent heart disease.
Moreover, henna has long been associated with bringing affection, wealth, and protection from wealth. It is true when one says the best medicine is usually what nature provides.

The Life Of Tribal In India

There is a different life existing, distinct from urban cities and villages mostly in the dense forests and hilly areas usually termed as a tribal community. Have you ever wondered what would their life look like? Let’s find out
In today’s culture, the term “tribal” is often used to describe a region’s indigenous population. Tribal people are the native inhabitants of the area and go by a variety of names on every continent. A fun fact is there are more than 550 Indian tribes present in this region that have lived there for a very long period. Every community is unique in some way that sets it apart from the other tribes. One thing unites all of these communities: they are cut off around the world.
Their major occupations are agriculture, food gathering, and hunting. They practice shift cultivation, clearing patches of forest and burning them to cultivate their crops like paddy, corn, etc.; though they cook their food and eat, as they are not accustomed to using species or oil in their cooking. Their diet also contains forest fruits, vegetables, roots, and tubers. These people have a distinctive dancing style, music, and theater in addition to a rich cultural legacy. Everyone in this culture is required to receive a tattoo on some region of their body at a specific age or a special event. Furthermore, they have separate traditions, cultures, lifestyles, beliefs, foods, dialects, customs, and a whole distinct outlook on life. They are both immensely dynamic and culturally rich. They illustrate the cultural diversity of Indian ancestry.

The History Behind Laughing Buddha.

Many believe that keeping a statue of Buddha at work or home will radiate positive energy and bring out good luck. Yet has anyone wondered why it is given so much significance in individual life and what is the reason behind all of this? Let’s get into this.

Laughing Buddha was one of the many disciples of Gautam Buddha. The name of this supreme disciple of Gautam Buddha living in Japan was Hotei. Hotei started laughing as soon as he attained enlightenment. He laughed like this for the rest of his life.

Hotei used to go from village to village and keep making people laugh. The villagers enjoyed being with him. Although sometimes, they were also surprised to see his laughter which made people wonder if he was always laughing. What would be the reason behind this?

The biggest feature of Hotei was that he would start laughing anywhere. He used to laugh out loud even while standing in the middle of the market. People named him ‘Laughing Buddha’. Hotei never gave any sermons or discourses, but there was such a magnetic attraction in his personality that wherever he went, everyone surrounded him. Seeing Laughing Buddha, people also used to laugh and everyone laughed openly without any hesitation. Seeing the curiosity of the people behind his laughter, Hotei once said that, he has nothing to say now. He told the people “that you often cry unnecessarily. To make people laugh to the fullest, one needs a fool that everyone can laugh at.”

His only message is that a person’s crying or making noise is his personal problem. The world that God has created is laughing. Moon, stars, flowers, plants, and birds are all laughing and we are sitting and crying. Hotei just wanted to tell the world that, people wake up from this illusion and be a happy smile.

Hotei spent his life as a hermit. There was a time when he made everyone laugh by roaming around different regions of Japan. People started feeling peace in his company. So this was the real history of Laughing Buddha. Because of this, people keep their idols or pictures in their homes even today to attract positivity.

The Association Between Hinduism and Space.

There are suns in all directions, the night sky being full of them.
Rig Veda

Hindu Cosmology is simply a suggestion that Hindus have of the universe and how it operates. There is a formed opinion that the mystic and material world are distinguished from each other.

The text called “Rig Veda” consists of all those assumptions that Hindus have about the Universe. There is a mindset that there are innumerable universes moving around the space yet there are several opinions about how the world was established. However, the ideology they hold is especially about the time that it goes around in a cycle which is repetitively vanished and recreated and every cycle is named as yuga. It comprises of four yugas which sustains with a specific time period such as gold, silver, copper and iron, with its length of years . Presently, Hindus are in iron age and soon gold age would start. Another important belief that Hindus hold is that the world is formed with spirits and matter. Spirits are held at priority as matters get destroyed but spirits can’t. Tri-guna comprises of the ideology that matter will go through discrete stages with the opinion that each thing is created, has existence, and then vanishes.

This brings out the existence of the Lord in nature and the term Trimurti where Lords like Bramha is considered the creator, Vishnu is the preserver and Shiva is the destroyer. Hinduism developed as a result of the findings made by those who believed they had discovered the nature of reality via ascetic practices and prolonged meditation. Methodology science involves objective validation of quantitative hypotheses. However, both have put forth analogous hypotheses for the universe’s origin;Hindu cosmology as well as a look at Creation, Maya, the churning of the milky ocean, Shiva’s Cosmic Dance, and the Serpent of Infinity.

Furthermore, Hindu cosmology aligns with our current knowledge of the universe as one of the main justifications offered for that claim. The principal evidence used to support that claim is the Vishnu Purana’s figure of the age of the Earth as 4.32 billion years, which is quite close to the current estimate of 4.5 billion years. To mention the only way to fully assess if it is a more effective method to the nature of the cosmological explanation fundamentals than that of current science is by engaging in those activities on the basis of which the evidenced who push it and believe it to be so.

Our fellow living beings – Animals

Yes , Animals whom we don’t think as equals. Humans think they are the owners of this planet but they should know that are not the only one living here . Thousands of other creatures also live with us and they deserve a decent living space too. They are not below us , they just don’t talk our language or you can say we don’t talk their language.

Every now and then we see cruelly beaten animals, starving dogs, cut cows, burnt pigs and stil no one seem to be bothered because that didn’t happen to a human .

This kind of discrimination and behaviour needs to be eliminated. Every living being deserve a life and we humans don’t have any right to snatch it from them. They also have families. Eating their sons and daughters will not add to your health but will surely cause mental stress to that parent.

Its time that we all raise our voice and stand united for the welfare of animals and protect them . When the we talk of welfare for all it should not only include humans but other animals too.

Fear of Future

Fear of future is a negative word let’s call ourselves Forward Thinkers . Yes, forward thinkers are the ones who are always worried about what will happen in future.

If you are in school , you must be wondering what will I study in college, which career will make me more money , what if I don’t clear entrance, etc. If you are in college and you didn’t get into your dream college you are already dreading about your life by thinking of all the self sabotaging thoughts.

Well these thinkings if asked to an experienced person who has already lived his life will say that – ” Having worries and sleepless nights over future worries is a good sign that you are in a right path ” . It means you know that the life that you crave for will not come merely from attending college. You know that wasting time and money with friends who won’t contribute you in anyway is serious damage to your future. You are very much aware and that itself stands you out of the crowd.

A person who worries is more prone to take steps rather than the one who doesn’t. You are already more mature than your peers. You are already embracing the struggle in you and fighting to remove the worry. So keep that fire of worry in you alive and take that action today because the life that you crave for won’t come in a day it will come after many years of sleepless and ruthless nights.

Gods and Faith

If we talk about Indian society, we are a strong believer of Gods. We believe everything that is happening or will happen is because God wants to.

If we are happy or having good time it’s because God is showering hid blessings on us . If we are having hard time or life is full of obstacles it’s also because God wants us to go through this because he wants us to learn a lesson .

If everything I said above resonates with you or you believe it’s true ….it’s because you have strong faith. You have seen the miracle of God . And if you don’t agree with above said things you might consider it just a mere coincidence or luck .

Well both the believers and non believers are right in their own minds . We can’t say wrong to one and right to other just because we think differently. Having faith in something is very personal. A person not believe in God can have reasons that’s why he arrived at the conclusion that there’s no God .

But this is life we all need hope . We all want to find something to blame or say thanks to. We all want a bigger , Godly or heavenly thing to whom we all can look upto so that we don’t feel alone or helpless.

After parents die it’s God whom they look upto for protection and guidance. A non believer look upto universe or mother earth or whatever he has built his faith onto. There is nothing wrong about and no religion should see it with judge eyes .

Will my life become useless if I don’t clear entrance exam?

source : pinterest

“Entrance Exam” – almost all of us must have given atleast 1 entrance exam in our life . Basically it is a screening test to filter out the best students on the basis of marks, after that the filtered students get into their desired universities and colleges.

In India , science students face the entrance exams the earliest in their life as compared to other stream students . You ask any science student and they must be preparing for either JEE or NEET . Some maybe into KVPY or NDA as well. Generally the syllabus of these exams include the chapters of 11 and 12 . But you will be shocked to know that some parents enrol their children into institutions or coachings from 5 or 6 class for the preparation of these entrance exams.

A child whose age is to explore new things, hobbies and passion is made to take part in the rat race at such an early age that when the desired outcome is not achieved,the child gets heartbroken , demotivated and depressed. He/ She starts asking his/ her own worth just because they weren’t able to clear an exam. Every year we hear students committing suicide because they weren’t able to stand at their own expectations.

I would like to tell all the students who are preparing for any entrance exam that you are not defined by any question paper. You are not defined by any percentage or CGPA. You are more than that. Your life is full of possibilities and surprises. Even if that entrance didn’t clear, you still have a lot to do in this world and contribute for yourself and for others welfare.

Not getting into your dream college or course doesn’t mean you didn’t deserved it. It means you are destined for something else. Something that you can’t even imagine. So don’t ever measure your worth if your entrance didn’t cleared, it was just an exam not your life.

Tradition is not an obstacle to progress.

Tradition basically means undocumented beliefs and customs that have been passed on from generation to generation, which we all adhere to in our daily lives either knowingly or unknowingly. It is upto the decision of an individual where to follow traditional values and take them as a lesson or not. Since tradition is unwritten, it gets modified with time to suit the need of the time, but it is a chapter that provides lessons of right and wrong. Adhering to these values doesn’t make us orthodox, it rather makes us more aware of the past, and thus help make right decision. Along with binding us to our forefathers, it makes our character distinct. In fact tradition are a testimony to our culture and society. While we have modern lifestyle today, one should remember, traditions values are not meant to be erased.

Such is the significance of tradition in our lives, that it can never become an obstacle in progress. It teaches us ways to utilize our time more effectively.The tragedy lies in the fact that usually elders tend to look down upon the younger generation if they don’t adhere to the religious and cultural traits of their parents. This decision should left up to the individual. Moreover, traditional Indian habits like touching the feet of our elders to show respect or visiting the temple with the family on an auspicious occasion are signs of a refined sense of culture, not of backwardness. Tradition cannot be an obstacle.

Is Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFV) worth it ?

A flex-fuel vehicle is a modified version of vehicle that could run both on gasoline and doped petrol with different levels of ethanol blends,which can include upto 100% ethanol. When FFV is integrated with strong hybrid electric technology, it is called Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFV-SHEV). FFV-SHEV are the hybrid vehicles having capability to run solely on either electric or petrol modes. The central government has released an expert committee report on the roadmap for ethanol blending in India by 2025. The roadmap proposes a gradual rollout of ethanol-blended fuel to achieve E10 fuel supply by 2022 and phased rollout of E20 fuel supply by 2025. Currently, 9.45% of ethanol is blended with petrol in India. A 10% blending of petrol does not require major changes to engines but a 20% blend could require some changes and may even drive up the prices of vehicles.

Ethanol is a renewable biofuel as made from biomass. It is a clear ,colorless alcohol made from a variety of biomass materials called feedstocks such as sugarcane. It is naturally produced by the fermentation of sugar by yeast or via petrochemical process such as ethylene hydration. In India, it is primarily produced from sugarcane-based raw materials or certain types of heavy molasses, surplus rice available with the Food Corporation of India and maize.

Benefits of FFV :
• Reduces pressure on oil import bill : It is expected to reduce the demands for petroleum products. India presently imports more than 80% of its petroleum requirement from gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE etc. which is one of the biggest outflow of money from the country. This policy is likely to reduce the petroleum imports and the country can save upto ₹ 30,000 crores per year .
• Benefiting Farmers : It will create alternative sources of income for farmers and will encourage them to produce water-saving crop like maize to produce ethanol. If the crops are damaged by any means, it can also be used in producing ethanol.
• Boost to Atma Nirbhar Bharat : It is in line with Prime Minister’s vision ofAtma Nirbhar Bharat and government’s policy on promoting ethanol as a transport fuel. It will reduce our dependency on foreign countries over energy sources I.e., costly petroleum for automobiles and will be large step towards creating Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
• Reducing Greenhouse Gas & Tackling Climate Change: By using biofuel ( ethanol), the greenhouse gas emissions like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide , etc. on the daily basis will reduce drastically thus reducing the pollution and providing better air quality.

Possible challenges during implementation of the program :

• High cost of the flex fuel engine.
• Lower fuel efficiency as compared to fossil fuels like petroleum, coal and natural gas.
• Running cost will be higher due to lower fuel efficiency.
• Till now, most of the Indians are not ready to accept flex fuel vehicles due to higher cost and low efficiency reasons.
• Ethanol act as solvent and could wipe out the protective oil film of the engine thus leading to wear and tear and further causing more expenses.
• A greater percentage of blending could also mean more land being diverted for water-intensive crops such as sugar cane, which the government currently subsidises.
• The increased allocation of land also puts into question the actual reduction in emissions that blending ethanol with petrol brings about.
• Because flex fuel isn’t as economical as gasoline, gas stations are less likely to carry it. Only a small percentage of gas stations nationwide supply ethanol.

The debates surrounding the pros and cons of flex fuel vehicles aren’t going away anytime soon. However, there does seem to be a move toward using ethanol as an environmentally friendly and economical fuel source.More ethanol refining plants are opening up and it’s possible for more people to switch to FFV. Technology is always changing, so there’s no way to predict whether flex-fuel vehicles would emerge over the next few years.

Sources : The Hindu and Dristi IAS

Era of Small Business

Small business, a word which before lockdown meant just a business that is done on small scale. However with the onset of lockdown the number of Small Businesses exponentially went up . Soon it became a trend specially among the gen z to have their own small business page and website.

Small businesses that are now in countless number on Instagram, Facebook, etc sells a variety of goods from food materials to fabrics , from accessories to home decor . Everything and anything was available on your screens and are ready to be delivered at your doorsteps.

Small businesses do seem lucrative as it not only gives you financial independence but you also get a sense of being a businessman/ businesswoman of your own homemade brand …..as they say boss bitch! It not only helps the young business owners make money on their own but also train them to run a business at larger scale in future.

Since lockdown is almost over and now everything is opening up these small business owners are also actively moving out of screens and setting up shops and stalls. You can easily spot small businesses setting up exhibitions in any event you attend . Not to mention the amount of crowd gathered around these stalls. Although it’s all a trick to stick that customer with sweet talk. But nothing is wrong in it since we all are doing something to earn our living.

Since small businesses know the value of personal touch to the customers they have taken advantage of it very efficiently. From handwritten lovely messages with the parcel to providing free goodies , they show that businesses are not about money but about love. And that’s the beauty of it.

_{Source : Pinterest}

Do dreams come true ?

As a child we all imagine ourselves to be somewhere in a much better place. Our childhood dreams include from being a superhero to a pilot, from being crazy rich to getting the Cinderella fairytale.

But then that child grows , reality hits and the child realises that he will have to work really really really hard for that dream and may even still not be able to achieve. Then the child gets demotivated and upset and then either settle for whatever the life has to offer or restart the hustle once again.

Well , life is complicated and chasing the dreams do take complicated turns and sometimes dreams do change . But you know what that doesn’t mean that you are a failure or that you are incapable. It just didn’t worked out , just like the relationship that you thought will forever last and that’s okay . You are still worthy of love .

It’s just one life with limited time . Give your everything, for that dream, for that passion, for that money, for that love , for that power . Human beings are full of possibilities and surprises. Even if you fail , it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you didn’t gave up. You stood up and either nailed your aim or changed your aim, either ways you are winning.

And yes life isn’t always fair we do don’t get everything that we want but we definitely get unexpected surprises and blessings and that’s the beauty of the whole journey. At the end when everything is over and you’ll be in your bed lying closing your eyes , you will realise that you have come a long, long way to a completely different, wonderful and unexpectedly wonderful place and that will be a much better place than the dream that the child saw .

Shreya Biswas

Agnipath Scheme

The government unveiled its new Agnipath scheme for recruiting soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the three services of the armed forces on 14th June, 2022.Under the new scheme, around 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually and most will leave the service in just four years. Of the total annual recruits, only 25 per cent will be allowed to continue for another 15 years under permanent commission.

Format of the Scheme :

Aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years and 21 years will be eligible to apply. The scheme is only applicable to personnel below officer ranks. Recruitment will be done twice a year through rallies.The recruitment will be done on “all India, all class” recruitment to the services (from any caste, region, class or religious background). Currently, recruitment is based on ‘regiment system’ based on region and caste bases. There will be a training period of 6 months and deployment for three and a half years. Recruits will get starting salary of Rs 30,000, along with additional benefits which will go up to Rs 40,000 by the end of the four-year service.During this period, 30 per cent of their salary will be set aside under a Seva Nidhi programme, and the government will contribute an equal amount every month, and it will also accrue interest. At the end of the four-year period, each soldier will get Rs 11.71 lakh as a lump sum amount, which will be tax-free. For 25% of soldiers, who are re-selected, the initial four-year period will not be considered for retirement benefits.

Benefits :

• Make the armed forces much leaner and younger: For India’s over 13-lakh strong armed forces, the current average age profile is 32 years. It is envisaged it will come down by about 4-5 years by implementation of this scheme
• Reduce the defence pension bill: The government has either allocated or paid more than Rs. 3.3 lakh crore in defence pension since 2020.As per Army calculations, the savings for the government in this ‘Tour of Duty model’ of recruitment from just one sepoy would be around 11.5 cr (the army initially proposed a 3-year service model).
• Create “future-ready” soldiers: A youthful armed forces will allow them to be easily trained for new technologies.
• Increased employment opportunities and higher skilled workforce: Apart from job opportunities in the army, recruits because of the skills and experience acquired during the four-year service such soldiers will get employment in various fields.The central government will likely give preference to Agniveers in regular employment after their four years stint.

Concerns regarding the scheme:

• Present benefits and security of jobs will be lost: Recruits will not get permanent jobs or promised pension and health benefits even after retirement.
• Doubt about training: 6 months of short training may not be enough to trust them with the same kind of tasks that current troops can be trusted with.
• Erosion of loyalty: “All India, all class” recruitment to the services may lead to the erosion of the loyalty that a soldier has for his regiment.

The Agnipath Scheme will be the only route for recruitment into the military. Personnel recruited under this system are to be called Agniveers , which will be a new military rank. The introduction of the scheme has been criticised for lack of consultation and public debate. The Communist Party of India stated that it strongly disapproved the ‘Agnipath’ scheme that does disservice to India’s national interests. Professional armed forces cannot be raised by recruiting ‘soldiers on contract’ for a period of four years. This scheme, to save pension money, severely compromises the quality and efficiency of our professional armed forces. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav called the scheme, “negligent” and potentially “fatal” for the country’s future. Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) chief said that the people returning after four years of service would cause gang wars in the country. The scheme is scheduled to be implemented from September 2022.This scheme will bypass many things including long tenures, pension and other benefits which were there in old system. Opposition parties in India have criticized and expressed concerns about the consequences of the new scheme. They have asked the scheme to be put on hold and that the scheme be discussed in the Parliament.On 16 June 2022, violent protests erupted in several states in India where the army aspirants angry with the new scheme called for its rollback and damaged public property. By 17 June, 12 trains were set on fire, and the movement of 300 trains were affected. 214 trains were cancelled, 11 trains were diverted and 90 were terminated short of their destination. On 18 June, protesters in Bihar called a strike against the scheme. They clashed with the police and set fire on several vehicles since morning in Bihar. Train services were stopped in Bihar till 8 PM, on 18 June. They will be stopped again from 4AM onwards on 19 June. More than 350 trains were cancelled across India as the violence continued in several states. In Kerala a large protest march was held in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, against the scheme. The protesters said their strikes would continue till the Centre rolls back its decision and ensured justice.

Sources: The Indian Express and Wikipedia

Bad Bank

A bad bank is a financial entity set up to buy non performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, from banks. It is not involved in lending and taking deposits, but helps commercial banks clean up their balance sheets and resolve bad loans.It buys bad debtors of a bank at a mutually agreed value and attempts to recover the debts or associated securities by itself.

The aim of setting up a bad bank is to help ease the burden on banks by taking bad loans off their balance sheets and get them to lend again to customers without constraints. After the purchase of a bad loan from a bank, the bad bank may later try to restructure and sell the NPA to investors who might be interested in purchasing it. A bad bank makes a profit in its operations if it manages to sell the loan at a price higher than what it paid to acquire the loan from a commercial bank. A supposed advantage in setting up a bad bank is that it can help consolidate all bad loans of banks under a single exclusive entity. The one time transfer of assets out of the balance sheets will relieve banks of their assets out of bank’s balance sheets will relieve banks of their stressed assets and allow them to focus on their core business of lending. Banks with clean balance sheets can mobilize fresh capital from the market and improve their credit growth, which is crucial for spurring investments. Bad banks would also give an impetus to India’s economic growth , which has been affected by heightened risk aversion arising from the unbridled growth in NPAs . And the bad bank will unlock trapped capital, which will be a net positive for the economy in the long term. The idea of a bad bank has been tried out in countries such as the U.S.,Germany, Japan and others in the past. Some experts believe that by taking bad loans off banks, a bad bank can free capital of over ₹ 5 lakh crore that is locked in by banks as provisions against these bad loans. This will give banks the freedom to use the freed customers.

It is argued that creating a bad bank is just shifting the problem from one place to another.Without fundamental reforms to solve the NPA problem, the bad bank is likely to become a warehouse for bad loans without any recovery taking place. An important concern is regarding mobilizing capital for the bad bank. In an economy hit by the pandemic, it is hard to find buyers for distressed assets and the Government is also in a tight fiscal position. There is no clear procedure to determine at what price and which loans should be transferred to the bad banks.

Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan was cautious about the idea of a bad bank in which banks held a majority stake. In his book ‘I Do What I Do,’ the celebrated economist and banker had pointed out that if a bad bank was in the public sector, the reluctance to act would merely be shifted to the bad bank.

Sources : The Hindu, Drishti IAS , Wikipedia

History behind ‘Emma Chamberlains Necklace’ worn during Met 2022

The erstwhile Maharajas of India were never wary of displaying their wealth in public. Their fondness for diamonds and gems was seen in their every day dressing as they used to be all decked up head-to-toe in these rarest of the rare gems and most opulent diamonds one could ever find. One such Maharaja, who was was fond of diamonds and necklaces was Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. He bought the seventh largest diamond in the world, the De Beers diamond in 1889, when it was exhibited at the Paris Universal exhibition. This diamond was mined in South Africa in 1888. And that’s how the famous story of the lost Patiala Necklace begins.

The Maharaja was 34 when he decided to turn the De Beers diamond into an heirloom piece and commissioned Cartier to make a ceremonial necklace with the De Beers diamond being its centerpiece. The necklace was finally made in 1928 and it came to be known as the Patiala Necklace. It has five rows of platinum chains embellished with 2930 diamonds and some Burmese rubies. This was the most expensive piece of necklace ever made in the history and it would have costed some 30 million dollars today in its original form.

It was in the year 1948, that the diamond necklace sparked controversy after it went missing from the Patiala royal treasury. For 32 years, there was no sign of this necklace, when suddenly the De Beers diamond reappeared at Sotheby’s auction in 1982. It was just the diamond without the necklace. A part of a necklace was then seen in an antique shop in London. Cartier later bought the necklace and replaced the missing stones with replicas.

Review on ‘All of us are Dead’

Honestly this is really the best Zombie series I ever watched. It has different effects from the people who got bitten. And they are so fast that you will feel so nervous about how to survive. And I felt so amazed of how they did it was so awesome, when they are overwhelming because of the zombies each character seems so much passionate and ready to fight no matter what and tried everything they can. And this drama has many different messages and deep thoughts about how we interact or how we should do something like we really need to think deeply and not because of feelings we will act so rashly. If we think of all possibilities what can happen, we actually can be saved somehow. I loved their friendship it makes me amazed how they love each other so much and the trust they have for each other. The love from their parents/children are really so special bond for each other, that no matter what happens the love they have for each other won't be gone. As same as friendship relationship, of course the love teams we have. Nam-ra and Su-hyeok I never saw like their love for each other, like no matter what they are willing to sacrifice just to make that person feel safe. And saved no matter how hard is the situations, they always have each other's back and never abandoned and even without saying they knew what will they do.
On-jo and Cheong-San are different kind of love too, for me I mean they are together since they were kids so they knew each other very well. And Cheong-San will always protect and sacrifice himself for the one he loves and always make sure that On-jo is safe and not being hurt. But literally all of them have a big impact on the series I never thought that All of us are dead would make such a big part of my life. How I see things how should I handle big problems, and to show me how lucky that were still have our chance to live our lives and the relationships between parents, friends etc.
So I am really really grateful for their hard work, and everything they did to make the series heartfelt and full of lessons ♥ and of course unforgettable the character of Gwi-Nam is the first ever Zombie/Hambie that I never expected to see. He was so passionate and really cool he really aced his role 💜💖❤💙 He added so much suspense and thrill. Nam-ra did her very best not to harm her friends and endure the pain and thirst in blood. And she's so cool when fighting to protect her friends and of course for Su-hyeok 💖
I can't stop watching it I watched it for 3x and soon will watch it over and over again. The way each characters I can see their hearts the way they act towards one another, their feelings and to be considerate towards one another. And be still kind even though their situations are in chaos and make sure that their friends and families are still safe and will do everything they can to keep them alive. ❤💜💖

Does language affect thought?

What is language? Linguists, psycholinguists, neurologists, evolutionary biologists, and philosophers have all tried to answer this question. ‘Language’ is often used interchangeably with ‘communication’, but they are not the same. Animals can communicate with each other, but they can’t be said to have language. Language, especially human language is unique and radically different from other types of tools of communication because of its immense vocabulary, ordered structure, use of metaphor and analogy, and syntactic flexibility. Human language can, thus, be broadly defined as an amalgam of lexicon, syntax, and semantics. Our identity is influenced by the language we speak. Identity can be broadly classified into ‘personal’ and ‘collective’ identity. Personal identity is, basically, a definition of yourself, and collective identity is how you define yourself in relation to others. Our identity is defined by myriad factors such as our beliefs, cognition, perception, culture, and tradition. The language we speak influences these factors and thus influences and cultivates our personal and collective identity.

Language affects the way we think. There is a hypothesis in linguistics known as linguistic relativity, also known as the Sapir-Whorf or the Whorf hypothesis. It concerns the relationship between language and thought. According to the Whorfian hypothesis, the language one speaks influences one’s cognition and perception of the world and thus people’s perception is relative to their spoken language. Nuances and idiosyncrasies in our language affect the way we communicate with and perceive the world, thus influencing our perception and cognition. There is empirical evidence available that establishes a link between language and thought, for example, the study of Chinese bilinguals and dialectical thinking. Eastern cultures and languages are proven to promote dialectical thinking. A group of researchers conducted a study in 2013 to see if Chinese bilinguals displayed different levels of dialectical thinking when communicating in different languages. The study concluded that the Chinese bilinguals displayed higher levels of dialectical thinking when primed by the Chinese language than with the English language (Chen et al., 2013).

The study regarding the gender of words and their effect on the speaker’s perception and cognition also helps establish a link between language and thought. The study conducted in 2003 asked German and Spanish speakers to describe objects that have opposite gender assignments in those 2 languages. When the speakers were asked to describe a “key” which is masculine in German and feminine in Spanish, German speakers used words like “hard”, “jagged”, “heavy” whereas Spanish speakers used words like “delicate”, “intricate”, and “lovely”. When asked to describe a “bridge”, feminine in German and masculine in Spanish, German speakers used words like “elegant” and “fragile” whereas Spanish speakers used “strong” and “sturdy” (Boroditsky 6).

These studies, to some extent, prove the Whorfian hypothesis. We think in our primary language, and we alter our thinking to fit our language. We can think without language, but we need language to know that we are thinking. Language thus influences our cognition and thought processes.

Language affects the way we perceive the world. Perception is subjective. The same objects evoke different meanings for different people and thus the way we experience the environment around us also differs from person to person due to different individual values, beliefs, culture, and language. Lera Boroditsky’s work with the Pormpuraaw community shows how language can influence a person’s perception of the world. The pormpuraaw community of aboriginal Australia think about time and space very differently. Their language does not use relative spatial terms like ‘left’ and ‘right’ but instead uses absolute directional terms like ‘north’, ‘south’, ‘south-east’. When asked to arrange cards that depicted temporal progression in the correct order, the Pormpuraawans sometimes arranged the cards from right to left and sometimes left to right. Their decision was not random but was instead dependent on their spatial orientation. If they were facing south the cards would be arranged from left to right and when facing east the cards would come towards the body and so on, thus always arranging the cards from east to west. The Pormpuraawans superior knowledge of spatial orientation stems from their immense vocabulary dedicated to describing time and space (Boroditsky and Gaby, 2010).

Another study was conducted in 2007 that establishes a link between language and perception. The study tested Russian speakers and English speakers on their ability to discriminate between different shades of blue. The result of the 2007 study indicated that the Russian speakers were faster to discriminate between the 2 shades of blue than the English speakers because the Russian language describes a clear distinction between light blue and dark blue unlike the English language (Winawer et al., 2007).

Thus, a person’s language can immensely influence how he views objects, colours, and even fundamental concepts like time and space.

Language is a carrier of culture and tradition. You communicate through language and when you communicate you pass and receive information that reflects your upbringing, your culture, history, and tradition. In a community, the history and culture of that community are passed down generation after generation through a shared language. This fact makes the task of preserving and saving language even more cardinal. When a language dies, it’s not just mere words that go out of existence. The history, heritage, tradition, and culture attached to that language also cease to exist. The Mahabharata and Ramayana were oral stories before they were written, same with the Iliad and Odyssey. The accumulated body of knowledge of a community dies when its language dies. If you lose your language, you also lose a sense of your personal and collective identity because “language carries culture, and culture carries the entire body of values by which we come to perceive ourselves and our place in the world” (Thiong’O, 118).

Humans are social creatures. We have an innate need to communicate with others and it is through communication that we come to define ourselves, our personal identity, and our place in the world, our collective identity. Language is located at the epicentre of our identity as it is through language we communicate with others. Our attachment to language thus cultivates our identities. Our personality, our individuality, our ego, and our existence are defined by the mere words we utter.

Works cited

Chen, Sylvia Xiaohua, et al. “Does Language Affect Personality Perception? A Functional Approach to Testing the Whorfian Hypothesis.” Journal of Personality, vol. 82, no. 2, 2013, pp. 130–43. Crossref, doi:10.1111/jopy.12040.

Boroditsky, Lera. “HOW DOES OUR LANGUAGE SHAPE THE WAY WE THINK? | Edge.Org.” Edge, 09–11-06, http://www.edge.org/conversation/lera_boroditsky-how-does-our-language-shape-the-way-we-think.

Boroditsky, Lera & Gaby, Alice. (2010). Remembrances of Times East. Psychological science. 21. 1635-9. 10.1177/0956797610386621.

Winawer, J., et al. “Russian Blues Reveal Effects of Language on Color Discrimination.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 104, no. 19, 2007, pp. 7780–85. Crossref, doi:10.1073/pnas.0701644104.

Thiong’O, Wa Ngugi. “The Language of African Literature.” Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature, James Currey Ltd / Heinemann, 2011, pp. 109–27.

Monkeypox: Gained knowledge by completing the WHO course

As a senior citizen in recent years, I am coming across new diseases and one such disease recently I have come to know is monkeypox. Taking an interest to know about the disease I have completed recently a certificate course on monkeypox titled, “Monkeypox: Introductory course for African outbreak contexts” under World Health Organisation (WHO). Based on my learning and information collected from the website (www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox) I am presenting a few facts about monkeypox so that readers can get an idea in this regard. That is the article is based on secondary sources.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is an orthopoxvirus that causes human monkeypox (MPX), a viral disease with symptoms in humans similar to smallpox, including fever and rash. Although in the world smallpox was eradicated in 1980, monkeypox emerged as the most significant orthodox virus disease in humans. It has been observed that cases that occur sporadically are from rural areas of Central and West African countries, close to tropical rainforests, and has been increasingly appearing in urban areas. In regions, there is frequent human contact with infected animals. Humans can also acquire the disease through direct contact with cases of monkeypox but there is no evidence to date that person-to-person transmission alone can sustain a monkeypox outbreak in the human population. It is reported that monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting from two to four weeks. Severe cases can occur. In recent times, the case fatality ratio is between 3 and 6 percent. Monkeypox typically presents clinically with fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications. Various animal species have been identified as susceptible to the monkeypox virus. This includes rope squirrels, tree squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice, non-human primates, and other species. Uncertainty remains on the natural history of the monkeypox virus and further studies are needed to identify the exact reservoir(s) and how virus circulation is maintained in nature. It is pertinent to mention that human monkeypox was first identified in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a 9-month-old boy in a region where smallpox had been eliminated in 1968. Since then, most cases have been reported from rural, rainforest regions of the Congo Basin, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and human cases have increasingly been reported from across central and West Africa. Since 1970, human cases of monkeypox have been reported in 11 African countries: Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. In 2003, the first monkeypox outbreak outside of Africa was in the United States of America and was linked to contact with infected pet prairie dogs. These pets had been housed with Gambian pouched rats and dormice that had been imported into the country from Ghana. This outbreak led to over 70 cases of monkeypox in the U.S. Monkeypox has also been reported in travelers from Nigeria to Israel in September 2018, to the United Kingdom in September 2018, December 2019, May 2021, and May 2022, to Singapore in May 2019, and to the United States of America in July and November 2021. In May 2022, multiple cases of monkeypox were identified in several non-endemic countries. Studies are currently underway to further understand the epidemiology, sources of infection, and transmission patterns.
It is heartening to mention that vaccines used during the smallpox eradication programme also provided protection against monkeypox. It may be mentioned here that vaccination against smallpox was demonstrated through several observational studies to be about 85 percent effective in preventing monkeypox.

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BIMSTEC

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a multilateral regional organisation established with the aim of accelerating shared growth and cooperation between littoral and adjacent countries in the Bay of Bengal region. It is interregional organisation connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia. It has 7 member countries in total – Five are from South Asia, namely India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Srilanka and 2 are from Southeast Asia , namely Myanmar and Thailand.

It was founded on 6th June 1997 as BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri-Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation) with the adoption of Bangkok declaration. It became BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation) with the entry of Myanmar on 22nd December 1997. Nepal entered as Observer country in December, 1998. And later on , it was named in its current form when Nepal and Bhutan became members in 2004. BIMSTEC headquarters is located in Dhaka , Bangladesh. Its principle is to maintain sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, no interference in internal affairs , peaceful coexistence and mutual beliefs. It is an addition not substitute to any existing bilateral , multilateral or regional ties.

It is a sector driven organization. Each member-countries serve as a lead for a sector : trade,investment and development (Bangladesh ); Environment and climate change (Bhutan); Security,including counter terrorism,tourism,transport and communication (India); agriculture and food Security (Myanmar); people-to-people contacts (Nepal); science,technology and innovation (SriLanka) ; and connectivity (Thailand).

In terms of connectivity, Bimstec has three major projects that could transform the movement of goods and vehicles through the countries in the grouping.
1. Kaladan Multimodal Project – It seeks to link India and Myanmar. The project envisages connecting Kolkata to Sittwe port in Myanmar, and then Mizoram by river and road. India and Myanmar had signed a framework agreement in 2008 for the implementation of this project. It’s yet to be finished.
2. Asian Trilateral Highway – It will connect India and Thailand through Myanmar. The highway will run from Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar. It is expected to be completed by 2023.
3. Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement – the agreement was signed on 15th June 2015 for seamless movement of goods and vehicles.The BBIN project suffered a setback in 2017 when Bhutan temporarily opted out of it after being unable to get parliamentary approval for the

There are some issues hampering the progressive development of BIMSTEC :
1. Lack of cordial bilateral relations between its member states. Eg., India-Nepal, India-Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh-Myanmar ties are not good, due to political, economic, and social reasons.
2. Uncertainties over SAARC impact the development of BIMSTEC. Eg., BIMSTEC members Nepal and Sri Lanka want a revival of the SAARC summit.
3. Thegrowing influence of China in South Asia. Eg., popular Bangladeshi scholar supported admitting China as a partner in BIMSTEC. However, India will not welcome this idea.
4. Apathy towards holding regular annual summits. Eg., while most of the regional organisation (SCO, ASEAN, G20) were able to meet at a high political level even during the Pandemic, BIMSTEC leaders failed to meet.

the 5th BIMSTEC summit was hosted by Srilanka in hybrid mode on 30th March,2022. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a contribution of $1 million towards BIMSTEC’s operational costs and another $3 million to revive the organization’s center for weather and forecast at Noida, India. He stressed the need to give priority to regional security.

In the 25 years of its existence BIMSTEC hasn’t achieved much. That could be changing now with India’s heightened interest in the grouping, as a vehicle for the achievement of its strategic interests.

Source : The Hindu , The Diplomat

‘Better call Saul’ Review

Breaking Bad is one of the best Television Shows ever aired. So, many people including me were sceptical about a spin-off/prequel of such a great show. And boy, were we absolutely insane to question it. Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, and every other writer of the show have made us see, that a spin-off/prequel of a show can be great or dare I say, even better.

For me, Season 5 of BCS [& season finale hasn’t even aired till now] took it beyond its predecessor. It was always a great drama and a perfectly crafted character study, but now that it has added the Breaking Bad intensity to it, it might be the best Television Show or at least amongst the best Television Shows. I know Better Call Saul benefits a lot from the brilliant running of Breaking Bad, and we all love to see all those characters, places & things (hector’s bell) pop up here, but the fact remains that BCS is entirely a show of its own with some perfectly added BB callbacks.

The characters development in this show is incomprehensible. Also, Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler, is my favorite female character put to T.V. The dynamic between her and Saul (or Jimmy) is so so so good, I just can’t appreciate the writing enough. With all that amazing cinematic techniques & use of country music, like in BB, this is a masterclass in cinema. The split screen trick, time lapse shots, character zooms, and so much more, this is creativity at its very best.

If you watch T.V. Shows, you must have watched Breaking Bad, and so I implore you to see this. You’ll not be disappointed. There’s not a single flaw I can find in this gem. On a technical level, this is at par with Breaking Bad. And I don’t think I need to tell you about acting. Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Michael Mckean, Giancarlo Esposito, Rhea Seehorn, its like Olympics of Olympic winners. But even after all these great stuff, its the writing that makes it a masterpiece of a show. I mean even though you know what’s gonna happen to all these characters (not everyone), it still manages to grip you in thinking what’ll happen next. That is great writing.

At the moment, Better Call Saul is a very underrated show, but I know its gonna end up right next to its brother in the long run.

Review on ‘The Breaking Bad’

‘Breaking Bad’ is one of the most popular rated shows on IMDb, is one of those rarities where every season has either been very positively received or near-universally acclaimed critically and where all of my friends have said nothing but great things about.

Very few shows in recent memory had me so hooked from the very start that before the week was over the whole show had been watched, especially when for a lot of shows now airing watching one episode all the way through can be an endeavour. ‘Breaking Bad’ had that effect on me, and its reputation as one of the best, consistently brilliant and most addictive shows in many years (maybe even ever) is more than deserved in my eyes. Its weakest season is perhaps the first season, understandable as any show’s first season is the one where things are still settling.

Actually everything is established remarkably from the very start, but once the writing and characterisation becomes even meatier the show reaches even higher levels.

Visually, ‘Breaking Bad’ is one of those shows that is both stylish and beautiful, with photography and editing that are cinematic quality and put a lot of films today to shame, where there are a lot of visually beautiful ones but also some painfully amateurish looking ones. The music always has the appropriate mood, never too intrusive, never too muted.

The writing for ‘Breaking Bad’ is a fine example to all shows of how to have a lot of style but also to have a lot of substance. The dialogue throughout is thought-provoking and tense, while also have a darkly wicked sense of humour and heart-tugging pathos. The stories are texturally rich, intimate, tense and layered, with the pace of them consistently deliberate but taut. The direction couldn’t be better.

Can’t say anything bad about the acting. Bryan Cranston is phenomenal as one of the most fascinating anti-heroes, or even of any kind of character, in either film or television. Aaron Paul has never been better and Anna Gunn is affecting. The characters are compelling in their realism.

The Anthropocene

The Earth is divided into geological time scales, each denoting events that occurred in Earth’s geological history, by scientists. The scale begins with the formation of the Earth about 4.5 billion years ago, known as “Hadean”. The current geological epoch is known as the “Holocene”, which began approximately 11,700 years ago. The Holocene epoch is characterized by the rapid proliferation and spread of the human species on Earth. The “Anthropocene” is a proposed epoch that follows the Holocene and marks the period when human activity has started to have a significant impact on the planet’s ecosystem. The term “Anthropocene” was first proposed by the Dutch chemist Paul J. Crutzen and American biologist Eugene F. Stoermer (Crutzen & Stoermer 2000) to denote the current period in Earth’s geological history wherein, instead of the environment shaping humans it is the humans who are shaping and drastically altering the environment.

The Anthropocene, according to Steffen et al. is divided into three periods (616). It begins with the industrial revolution, wherein man first harnessed the energy of fossil fuels, coal, and oil and gas. The extensive use of the newfound wealth of energy in the form of fossil fuels stamped a significant imprint on Earth’s environment, evident in the increase in deforestation and rise in the concentration of methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide in Earth’s atmosphere (616). The second period, from 1945-to 2015, is known as the “great acceleration”. This period is characterized by an exponential increase in the impact of humans on the Earth system. An increase in the population of humans and an increase in industrialization resulted in a substantial increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere (618). The third period, from 2015 onwards, is known as “stewards of Earth’s system”. This period is marked by the recognition of Anthropogenic influences on the Earth system and the subsequent filtration of this growing awareness on decision-making processes (618).

The major problem represented by the Anthropocene is the radical shifts in Earth’s temperature and biodiversity. These shift include global warming, extinction of species, habitat loss, and changes in the chemical composition of oceans and soils. Other probelms inlclude sustenance of human vices like greed, indifference, and intemperance.

There are, according to Steffen et al., three philosophical approaches to dealing with these problems. Firstly, is the business-as-usual philosophy (619), which employs a laissez-faire mindset when dealing with the changing global environment. The second is mitigation which is “based on the recognition that the threat of further global change is serious enough that it must be dealt with proactively” (619). And the third option is geoengineering (619), which attempts to solve the problem of climate change with technology.

Works cited

Crutzen, Paul J. and Eugene F. Stoermer 2000. The “Anthropocene.” Global Change Newsletter (41): 17–18.

Steffen, Will, et al. “The Anthropocene: Conceptual and Historical Perspectives.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, vol. 369, no. 1938, 2011, 842–67. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0327.

Steffen, Will, Paul J. Crutzen, et al. “The Anthropocene: Are Humans Now Overwhelming the Great Forces of Nature.” AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, vol. 36, no. 8, 2007, 614–21. Crossref. https://doi.org/10.1579/0044-7447(2007)36[614:taahno]2.0.co;2

The Breakfast Club Review

As crazy as this sounds, it’s only been less than a couple years since I legitimately watched this quintessential 80’s teen comedy for the first time. Once I finished with my first viewing, I knew that I had to come back for another go, which eventually turned out to be countless times throughout that time span. The main reasons that I kept coming back to this aren’t just because of this film’s killer soundtrack front to back, but also showcasing the different cliques and how each of them have something going for them.

My favorite of the bunch is Mr. John Bender (Judd Nelson), who despite having conflicts with his own abusive father and even the school’s strict principal (Paul Gleason), is a fearless leader who’s willing to stop at nothing until things are settled just the way he imagined them. The same can also be said for the Brain (Anthony Michael Hall), the Athlete (Eilio Estevez), the Princess (Molly Ringwald), and the Basket Case (Allison Reynolds), who also had their fair share of interesting personalities and special abilities.

Most of this however isn’t revealed until much later on, and when they settled their differences and became the best of friends, that’s when I discovered how much of an impact this movie had when it was first released back 35 years ago. If there was one word to describe how the comedy and drama matches together perfectly.

Review on ‘Steins Gate’

First off, I will say that the comments the series starts off slow are misleading. True, it takes awhile to get to the main point, but “Steins ;Gate” never fails to engage on any level, and in fact engages on all levels beautifully. Humor? Gut busting. Intensity? Oh yes. Drama? Undoubtedly. Starting out as the misadventures of a self proclaimed mad scientist who may have stumbled upon a means of time travel, this series can shift gears in the blink of an eye, without any sense of whiplash, because it can do every tone so strongly. It’s rare to see such a mishmash of genres pull off all of it’s genres. You have a sic-fi thriller with elements of Haruhi Suzumiya esque club based slice of life dramedy, with elements of political thriller to boot. I don’t want to say any more. This one should simply be experienced with as little foreknowledge as possible.

This is an amazing anime no doubt. Outstanding story and unbelievably unique characters that will stay with you forever. Unbelievably strong character development and plot structure. This is one of those anime’s that you could easily re-watch the early episodes and every time you do you will end up connecting more dots – “oh, so that’s why that happened! I get it now!”, you will think to yourself.

The first 11 episodes are slow paced but for a reason. Don’t give up watching because the early episodes are necessary to set the context for the outstanding story that follows. If you stick with this anime past the midpoint, you will not regret it. Episode 12 is where the action starts and from there the action doesn’t stop until the end.

Okarin, the main character, is amazing in the English Dub. You will laugh with him, cry with him, and feel with him throughout his journey. Some characters seem annoying at first, but they grow on you too, so be patient. Honestly, everything about this anime is unique; the characters are unique, the plot is unique, the writing is unique; it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and that is what makes it so wonderful.

One of the best anime’s I have ever seen.

If you are looking for a compelling story and strong character development, look no further.

Review on Naruto

I’ve seen a lot of anime throughout the years. I’ve seen what people call the ‘good stuff’, I’ve seen the ‘bad stuff’. In time, I realized and accepted that not everyone is going to like something, or dislike it. No matter what the anime (or movie, or book, or game, etc.) it boils down to personal preference. So, how do you know if you’d like something you’ve never seen but heard so much about? When I first started Naruto, I saw the potential in it. From the first episode, they presented a distinct setting with distinct characters. Sure, archetypes were being followed (the boy dreaming of becoming big, the old grandfatherly figure, the teacher, the rival). The first episode showed emotion and depth to its main character and what he will struggle with, along with the dynamics of his interaction with other characters and their quirks.

Cut about ten episodes later, the plot arc currently being followed felt to me like it was not going to matter much to the main story. Some episodes had drawn out battles, and I got that feeling that the anime would be the type where they would go from different area to different area, developing their skills and learning moral lessons and such, but there would be no grand plot, no B story, that tied the series together. I also worried it would fall into mediocrity. Without giving anything away, by the end of that arc (about 19 episodes in), my mind was changed.

Having seen all of the series up to the current episodes, I can say at least for myself that at its best Naruto is a deeper anime than some give credit to, and can be quite addicting. A strong focus is on its characters as they develop throughout the series and there are moments of real emotion, tragedy, intensity and even just amusement. It’s not perfect, as there are slow times in the series (and the cartoon suffers from tricks to get as many episodes out of the original story as they can), and I won’t say everyone will end up liking it but I can say it had unexpectedly become one of my favorite anime.

Review on ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’

JoJo is one of the weirdest and most entertaining anime’s out there, and yet there’s an emotional core to it. When people always talk about JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure they always just talk about the memes or the great openings or the “Enemy stando!”, but there’s so much more to why people (including myself) love JoJo. Yes the memes and ridiculousness of JoJo is a ton of fun and certainly gives it the personality it’s now become infamous for, but there is some truly incredible writing and characters in here.

Plus because of the way the parts are laid out each one is unique and different, so if you didn’t like the previous part then you’ll probably like the next, then again literally every part is good except maybe the first. And the animation and music by David production is all fantastic.

This show is one of the most influential series to come out of japan next to dragonball and fist of the north star. It is the reason we have games like persona or great fighting game characters like guile or juri. Jojo’s bizarre adventure has influenced popular anime like One piece, Hunter x Hunter, Yu Yu hakusho, and Shaman king. One of the most unique things about it is its a different story with a different protagonist each time while still having a lore and continuity. This makes it impossible to judge based on a single or even multiple seasons the best parts are 7,8,2, and 4. one of the coolest things about JoJo is everyone who’s a fan likes different parts one person could love part 5 and hate part 6 while another person could have the opposite opinion everybody loves part 7 though. all in all there’s no other anime like this one it actually tends to appeal more to non anime fans due to its western feel.

Written before Araki was on a roll, and it shows. The script falls below even the pitiable anime average in terms of quality. Weak villain — raised as protagonist’s brother but utterly irredeemable. Any sense of pathos or moral complexity is lost. Dialogue holds the middle between blissful seriousness and total camp. Clumsy intersections of exposition have no dramatic or comedic value.

Review on ‘Banana Fish’

The story is very realistic. The plot is very connected and always bring you surprise. Every episode is very heavy, but mixed with some comedy and it make me love even more.

Not like other anime, where everything happens slowly (a fight take for 1 or 2 episodes) or the pacing is very slow or the character reading their thought (it always drives me nuts), everything in Banana Fish is incredibly well-organized. The pacing is very accurate, give you enough time to feel and understand the situation (with beautiful music in the background) and not taking anything for a nonsense long time. Every dialogue is really connected to the story and also contain a profound meaning.

The animation is magnificent. The first anime that every scene has a good human proportion with both face and body. People interaction looks very realistic, and people in the background are not just standing like a mannequin, they always doing something like a real person. It makes the anime looks more realistic. The background: New York city with many gorgeous graffiti on wall and a splendid liberty statue; china town which always crowded with people, restaurants and lanterns; the Cape Cod’s nostalgic view in a windy field with beautiful dawn (it’s a very sad scene); and especially the gorgeous Los Angeles city filled with night lights from the mountain’s view. Many camera angle choices are very unique and clever, the animation crew did an awesome jobs on this anime.

Soundtrack: its awesome, just listen and enjoy. My favorite is the ending song Prayer X by King Gnu, it gives me a nostalgic feeling mix of happiness and sadness (T.T). The opening clip is very beautiful with a fit music too.

Review on ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’

The start of the show is really good, it picks it up straight away while explaining the complications very well so you don’t fall behind. Some episodes I did feel jumped ahead a bit randomly but nothing bad. The characters are really good. They are quite likeable and each have there own back stories…besides Itadori, the main character, whose life before really wasn’t explored. The other two…em…dark dog boy and hammer girl stole the show for me as they had interesting character arcs with great redemptions throughout the show. The villains were pretty standard, nothing all that negative to say…they are powerful, challenging and cool to look at, but again with lack of character arcs. The plot of the show is pretty good aswell, it has a really strong start and mid section but fades out towards the end with some major pacing issues. The ending was kind of bland in my opinion, I don’t really want to watch more, it was pretty random. But the action was cool…all the action in the show is, probably the biggest selling point really. It’s fast, fluid and filled with unique spins and ideas of how to fight. The wacky cast of curses also allows an even wider range of moves to can be used by both heroes and villains. To conclude the show is excellent and it does deserve the praise it is getting. I have my opinions as I’m sure everybody else does and I give it a 7/10 gud job!

Edit: (second time watching) previously (the first paragraph) was my first review of this which I gave 7/10 but after re watching it in Japanese( which might have made a difference) I can say that I enjoyed it a lot more. Maybe I wasn’t focusing the first time, but the story had so much more meaning…it flows extremely well and has a consistently fast pace which is perfect for this type of show. The show also never runs out of ideas, every villain, every character is unique and has different powers which allows for so,e incredible action scenes. I also found the comedy much funnier this time around, I have no clue why but it was just far better this time! And that’s why I movie it form 7/10 to 9/10! Far better the second time!

Queen’s Gambit Review

The Queens Gambit is a true masterpiece, and that’s not a title I give lightly. “The Queen’s Gambit” is the most electrifying viewing experience for me! The series is crafted in a way that even viewers who have never played chess feel every beat in the games.

Such rich character development and a storyline that stays with you long after each episode. I can’t say enough about the quality of the acting. expert acting from all characters, especially from the lead, Anya Joy-Taylor, is magnificent. She is the freshest, most interesting actress to come along in many years and is destined for stardom. Joy-Taylor’s greatest strength is her ability to portray both vulnerability and strength simultaneously. She exposit the contents of their minds without the need for dialogue during games in the series.The supporting actors-most of them “unknowns” deserve praise as well. To a person, they play memorable characters, even with the smaller parts. You must see “The Queen’s Gambit.” You won’t be disappointed! By the way, you don’t need to know anything about chess to appreciate this marvelous production. (However, you may find yourself at the mall looking for a nice chess set.)

Ultimately in the end, the main takeaway is about the nature of chess, and its capability to be played as a competivive sport for fame and glory, or as a social game with the power to knit lifelong friendships seamlessly.

The narrative is engageing from start to end, but the relevance of the mother subplot seemed questionable at times.

This series was a delight to watch and for me this series are a marvelous piece of art.

WHAT IS THE STOCK MARKET?

TYPES OF STOCKS

HOW THE STOCK MARKET WORKS?

WHAT IS THE STOCK MARKET DOING TODAY?

HOW TO INVEST IN THE STOCK MARKET?

STOCK MARKET VS STOCK EXCHANGE

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EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

LIVING LIFE ON HIS OWN TERMS

WARREN BUFFET’S CHARITY

BUFFET’S RULE

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Works cited

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