Hara Hachi Bu - A Japanese Phrase for Mindful Eating

 While reading some articles online, I came across this wonderful Japanese Phrase "Hara Hachi Bu".

This phrase translates to "Belly 80% Full" - a practice of consuming food until your stomach is 80% full. It is a technique that promotes mindful eating. Here are significant tips for consciously enjoying your meals.

• Eat slowly so that your brain can receive signals from your stomach as to the fullness of your belly.
• Eat smaller portions or morsels of food for a better chewing experience.
• Recognize the flavors and tastes while eating.
• Try to estimate the quantum and levels of your hunger.
• Refrain from distractions while eating. Do not watch TV or use phones.
• Stop eating as soon as you feel enough or satisfied.

O Laugh, Laughers

I was reading an article on Medium that discussed how to digest Modern Literary Works and grasp their context and theme.

While reading that article, I came across this strange, humorous poem by a Russian Poet, Velimir Khlebnikov, which kept me laughing at each line. 

"Incantation By Laughter" _

O, laugh, laughers!
O, laugh out, laughers!
You who laugh with laughs, you who laugh it up laughishly
O, laugh out laugheringly
O, belaughable laughterhood — the laughter of laughering laughers!
O, unlaugh it outlaughingly, belaughering laughists!
Laughily, laughily,
Uplaugh, enlaugh, laughlings, laughlings
Laughlets, laughlets.
O, laugh, laughers!
O, laugh out, laughers!

If you are interested in the above-mentioned Medium article, here is the link to it.

A Song on Spotify - "Danger Zone"

I was reading a post by a Spotify listener who listened to the song "Danger Zone" some 17,000 times during the year 2024 and shared his Spotify Wrapup for the year.

I wanted to know what was the speciality about this song as I haven't listened to it till today. So, I browsed online and found this post which provided the lyrics of it. 

The song is about the process of piloting an aircraft into the skies, as high as possible. I loved the message that it provides. "Until you do not put your best efforts into something, you can't achieve your progress. Unless you try, you will remain grounded."

For all music lovers, here is a link to the verses of the song.

When Art Becomes A Victim, Rotten Banana Becomes Viral

This is a shocking reality. What?

A decomposing Banana sold for 6.2 million Dollars in the name of Art!

You hear it right. It happened in Italy recently. The Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan taped a banana to a wall and sold it as a masterpiece of Art in an auction at Sotheby's, New York on 20/11/2024. And, it was bought by the Crypto Currency founder Justin Sun who later ate it during a press conference in Hong Kong on 29/11/2024.

What could be more disgraceful than this? A real artist spends his whole life drawing and painting artistry and could hardly earn some thousand dollars during his lifespan. Is this not a blow on their backs?

I am very sorry.

Here is the link to the article that reveals this shocking news. (It was a shocking news for me, a true son of an artist. May be not for others.)

Do Not Ignore Mother Tongues

I was reading an article today on HubPages that enumerated Hindi Names for 20 professional occupations. He provided the English Names with their corresponding Hindi Names. I was amusing myself while going through it. He had some more articles that dealt with Flower Names, Fruits, Metals, etc.

Do you know that a postman is called "daakiya" in Hindi. I think that most people might have forgot their touch with mother tongues. It is the same case with Telugu and other languages also. Indians are turning western as more and more people put their children in English medium schools that do not teach Indian languages.

Here is the link to the above-mentioned article.

Indian Constitution Day

Hi, Friends. It is Constitution Day today. 

The Constitution of India is a fundamental law that was adopted by the constituent assembly on 26 November 1949. It came into effect on 26 January 1950 when India became a Republic.

This Constitution establishes the fundamental rights and responsibilities of the citizens and is the basic foundation on which all other laws of government are based. It defines the powers, duties, and structure of the government.

B.R. Ambedkar was "The Father of the Constitution" of India.

The constitution was drafted by 389 members of the Constituent Assembly (partly elected and partly nominated by erstwhile princely states) who worked for 141 days to bring out the draft report.

So, let us value our Constitution and celebrate this occasion with pride.

For a piece of comprehensive information, you may like to read this article on Wikipedia at this link

 

Unpotty Training

I came across this new phrase while browsing/reading an article.

There was a sentence: "She Un-Potty trained my daughter while I was away". So, I browsed for the meaning of it and found that it was the toilet training imparted to babies.

I was fascinated by the answer that I received from AI.

Here is the answer I received for my question: 

"The average age to start toilet training is between 2 and 3 years old, and most children are fully trained by age 4. Some developmental readiness signs for potty training include:

• Being able to get to the toilet on their own
• Being able to sit down on the toilet
• Being able to pull their pants up and down
• Being able to communicate when they need to go"

Do you Feel Lost? Do Consider These Tips

Sometimes, in the journey of life, we get stuck and confused, feeling lost in our tracks. In such circumstances, we need to take a break and re-energize our minds.

To get into action again, you may need the spirit of confidence. So, in order to reclaim your self-confidence, try to do some small things. Indulge in an ordinary task and perform it with interest. Thereby, you will get your confidence back. Further, you may socialize yourself with some friends and draw inspiration from them.

Here is a link to a post that enumerates 5 simple tips on how to get back into your lost track and emerge successful in life.

The 5 tips mentioned by the author are as follows:

1) Reclaim your Power by doing small tasks

2) The answer is found in the action. So keep acting/doing the work

3) Start trusting in the Trend, not the Position

4) Create Value for everyone you come across and build trust among your circles

5)Find your Challenge Seekers. By involving yourself with those people, you will become one among them and thereby reach your goal.

US Presidential Election 2024 State-Wise Results

According to the latest results of the US Elections 2024, Donald Trump will be the 47th president of the United States of America. He won over Kamala Harris by more than 90 electoral votes.

Trump will be sworn in as President on January 20, 2025. Till then, he will be treated as President-Elect.

Here are the lists of the states that Trump and Harris have won until now.

Source: Money Control website at this link

States won by Trump

1. Georgia by securing 16 electoral votes
2. Florida by securing 30 electoral votes
3. Iowa by adding 6 electoral votes
4. Arkansas by fetching 6 electoral votes
5. Kansas by securing 6 electoral votes
6. Alabama by fetching 9 electoral votes
7. Indiana by fetching 11 electoral seats
8. Idaho by adding 4 electoral votes
9. Montana by 4 electoral votes
10. Louisiana by fetching 8 electoral votes
11. Ohio by adding 16 electoral votes
12. Oklahoma by 7 electoral votes
13. North Dakota by 3 electoral votes
14. North Carolina by 16 electoral votes
15. Texas by securing 40 electoral votes
16. South Dakota by 3 electoral votes
17. Tennessee  by 11 electoral votes
18. Pennsylvania  by 19 electoral votes
19. South Carolina by 9 electoral votes
20. Nebraska by 4 electoral votes
21. Mississippi by 6 electoral votes
22. Missouri by 10 electoral votes
23. Kentucky by adding 8 electoral votes
24. Utah by 6 electoral votes
25. Wyoming by 3 electoral votes
26. Wisconsin  by 10 electoral votes
27. West Virginia  by 4 electoral votes
28. Michigan by securing 15 electoral votes
29. Alaska by securing 3 electoral votes
30. Arizona by securing 11 electoral votes
31. Nevada by 6 electoral votes

States Won by Kamala Harris

1. California by securing 54 electoral votes
2. Washington by 12 electoral votes
3. Newyork by 28 electoral votes
4. Virginia by 13 electoral votes
5. Colorado  by 10 electoral votes
6. Connecticut  by 7 electoral votes
7. Illinois by 19 electoral votes
8. Hawaii by 4 electoral votes
9. Delaware  by 3 electoral votes
10. Minnesota by 10 electoral votes
11. Maryland by 10 electoral votes
12. Massachusets by 11 electoral votes
13. New Mexico by 5 electoral votes
14. New Jersey by 14 electoral votes
15. Oregon  by 8 electoral votes
16. New Hampshire by 4 electoral votes
17. Vermont  by 3 electoral votes
18. Rhode Island by 4 electoral votes 
19. Maine by 3 electoral votes

Overall, Donald Trump secured 312 electoral votes whereas Kamala Harris got 222 electoral votes as per the above figures.

Some Harsh Truths About Success

Most of us think that success is achievable through a planned program, consistent execution, and reaping the fruits. But it is only a glossy picture.

Success comes from many sessions of hindrances, failures, loneliness, hard work, willpower, etc. 

First of all, you have to decide what your definition of success is. It depends upon your ambitions. So, set your ambitions and define your success before working for it. While pursuing your goal, you will pass through many stages of annoying, painful moments. You have to face them bravely to reach the goal. 

Some of those hardships and challenging situations will be like these:

• Periods of loneliness (working alone as your colleagues alienate you, long working periods, no support from people as they feel you have changed)
• Sessions of Anxiety and Depression (due to work pressure and loneliness)
• You have to adhere to a strict disciplined life that includes doing boring repetitive work. You can't skip work to have some rest.
• Imposter syndrome and self-doubt (you may feel you are not fit for the task and unnecessarily pretend to pursue the goal) 
• You should always be adaptable to circumstances whether favorable or unfavorable, to proceed further.

I read one article regarding the above topic and it appealed to me. So, I am linking that article here

The Secret Behind Becoming Likable by People

Do you know? Asking questions is a good quality of "becoming likable" by people. If you can ask some truly caring questions while interacting with people, you will be admired and loved by them according to a Harvard Study.

When you try to show some genuine interest in the person with whom you are interacting by asking questions, that person will feel that he is attracting interest from people and thereby try to like you and become a fan of you. This way, your popularity can grow among people and become likable.

Here is the article that highlights this point. The Secret to Being Likable. 

American Engaged in Deep Fake News Targeting US Elections

Elections and Democracy at stake!

An American (an ex-US Marines official) named John Mark Dougan has been revealed as involved in creating deep fake news in association with the Russian military intelligence service for the last few years. His fakes are now targeting the President Nominee Kamala Harris as per an article from The Washington Post. He was provided with funds to generate the fake news with the aid of Artificial Intelligence as per their report.

It is a very lengthy article published at this link providing full details of his involvement and the assistance provided by Russian agencies.

If it is true, it is a great threat to Democracy.

Donald Trump Sells Bibles Printed in China?

Recent revelations by the Associated Press and other media reports accuse the Late President Donald Trump of getting the "God Bless the USA" Bibles printed in China's eastern city of Hangzhou and shipped to the US through a large ship bound for Los Angeles during February and March 2024.

The Bible books were printed for $3, and he sells them for $59.99. This is a dual and very conflicting approach to his foreign policies.

God save the US now!

Here is the link to an article in the Economic Times

Elon Musk's SpaceX Scripted History

An amazing achievement by Elon Musk's SpaceX happened during today's early hours. 

The Super Booster of their rocket launcher was caught back intact after it fired into space a second-stage rocket of the Starship.  

The Super Booster was as tall as a 20-storey building. It was returning back to the launch pad after sending the rocket into space. It was safely caught by the arms of their launching tower.

This instills faith in the capabilities of rocket technology and artificial intelligence in achieving their futuristic goals of sending humans into space safely and, then, return back to pick up the next batch of travelers.

For full news, here is the link to an article in Business Today.

A Cab Driver's Six Rules for Passengers- Don't Call me Bhiya

 This rule of the cab driver is very peculiar.

Hindustan Times published an article showcasing a printed tabloid of the cab driver defining six rules for passengers traveling in his cab. A passenger shared the cab driver's tabloid of rules on reddit.com, which went viral and attracted comments both positively and negatively from the community. It attracted the attention of the HT reporter.

The driver's rules are quite reasonable, except the one that asks passengers not to address him as Bhaiya.

"Bhaiya" is a respectable word that translates to "elder brother". So, it is a bit awkward why he does not want to be addressed like that.

Perhaps he might be suspicious that his passengers may misuse the "Bhaiya" treat by indulging in uncomfortable acts during their journey, like smoking, littering, talking in loud voices, etc. This is my impression.

You can read all the six rules of the cab driver in this post in Hindustan Times. 

Paperclipping and Similar Terms to Describe On-Line Dating Trends

 I was reading an article dealing with Paperclipping. 

I searched for its meaning and learned that it is a tendency to engage in online dating nowadays. An old date reappears suddenly from nowhere to show up before you. But, he may not be really interested in forming a relationship. So, you are left confused and tense.

On reading that article, I googled for more tendencies and came across this article in The Times of India that describes 10 dangerous practices trending nowadays on social media and dating apps. I hope you may like to read this article.

Your Dream Job vs Your Dream Day

Instead of waiting or pursuing your Dream Job, pursue your Dream Day. 

Your dream day is the one that you want to live on daily. It is the result of a combination of multiple factors and choices. It can ultimately lead to your dream job.

For example, you can consider some essential aspects of your workplace, and nature of your job, and your expectations of salary, outcomes, etc.  Which job do you want to do daily, and where do want to perform your job (home, office, cafe, or any other particular place). You may perhaps want your workplace to be aesthetic, peaceful, and handy. You may prefer the company of your colleagues and sessions of group discussions. All these things contribute to your dream day.

So, first of all, you set upon your Dream Day. Your dream job will follow automatically.

Here is the link to a detailed narrative of this question.

Happy Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri Birthday

 October 2 is the day to remember to great personalities of India. One is the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. The other one is the Late Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Most of us know about Mahatma Gandhi being the Leader of the Non-Cooperation Movement and India's Independence Struggle. But, before that, he was a warrior against discrimination and ill-treatment during his stay in London and his longest stay in South Africa. He stayed in South Africa for 21 years working as a Barrister on completion of his Law Degree in London. He succeeded in achieving equal rights for the oppressed and ill-treated people in South Africa due to their skin color race, etc.

So, he was empowered with that experience and achievement to become the spearheader for our country's freedom struggle. The most enlightening fact of it is that his weapons of waging the war against the mightiest British Empire were simply Non-Violence and Non-Cooperation. With these two weapons, he grabbed the freedom from the clutches of British Rulers.

Now, coming to Lal Bahadur Shastri, he was a great admirer and follower of Gandhi's principles of non-violence and peace. He was the Prime Minister after Jawahar Lal Nehru when he visited Tashkent in Russia to negotiate a peace agreement with Pakistan after a month-long battle between their armies. With the help of Russian involvement, Pakistan agreed to stop the war and establish peace talks between the two governments. The Tashkent Agreement was signed on January 10, 1966. But, the very next day, we heard about the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri while still in Tashkent due to a heart attack.

A monument, a street, and one school in Tashkent city were named after Lal Bahadur Shastri by the Russian Government to honor his contributions. 

For a detailed story of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri, you can visit these links at Wikipedia.

Mahatma Gandhi's Life History

Lal Bahadur Shastri

Solar Ecclipse - Ring of Fire on 2nd October 2024

 A "Ring of Fire" annular solar eclipse will occur on October 2, 2024, from IST 9:12 pm to IST 3:17 am 3rd October 2024. It would be a great sight to witness this celestial event. However, people are forbidden to sight eclipses without taking complete precautions.

This is the 2nd solar eclipse this year. The first one was on 8th April, 2024. Due to night-time events, India is not affected by these solar eclipses. The sun will be invisible to India and hence no sighting.

On 2nd October (ie. today), the eclipse will be sighted in North America, Canada, and Pacific Region.

The astrologers suggest that there can be influences of the eclipse even though we are not in its path. So, they recommend people to keep inside their homes and not step out during this period.

You may like to visit this article on Jagran Josh News Website for full details.

Mithun Chakravarthy Gets Dadasaheb Phalke Award

 The "Disco Dancer" fame Mithun Chakraborty is awarded the Highest Indian Cinema Award of Dadasaheb Phalke Award. It is announced today by the Government of India as per news reports.

"I am a Disco Dancer" used to be my favorite song when I was in my late twenties and thirties. I used to hear it daily. I loved his dance steps and his roles in most movies. Now, I am happy that he got his due honor by getting this prestigious award.

Here is the link to the news of his award announcement. The award will be presented on October 8, 2024.

Tesla Car Bursts into Flames in Pinellas County, Florida Garage

 A Tesla car parked in the garage of a Pinellas County home caught fire due to Hurricane Helene's flooded water entering it. A terrifying video shared by the County's Government shows this deadly incident.

The County Government has issued advisories to its citizens and the general public after this deadly incident. They advised people not to store Electric Vehicles in their homes or garages. They should be parked outside, 50 feet away from your house.

You can view the news and their guidelines in this article in Hindustan Times.

Hurricane Helen caused unrepairable losses and damages to the people in Florida, USA with its repeated attacks. Many people were killed and millions of properties were damaged.

Mohammed Siraj's Amazing Catch at Kanpur Stadium - India vs Bangladesh Test Match

Kudos, Mohammed Siraj! 

What a stunning catch by Mohammed Siraj! See this mind-blowing feat of his on the 4th Day of the 2nd Test against Bangladesh today (30th September 2024). The victim batsman is Shakib Al Hasan, playing his last but one match before he retires from Test Cricket.

Nobody ever expected that he would succeed in holding the catch as the ball was flying high away from him while he was backstepping to hold the catch. He had to perform aerobic/athletic movements of his entire body and limbs while trying to hold the ball. He stretched his entire body and hands backward and finally succeeded in holding the catch. His back must have been aching in doing so. But he was happy in performing this miraculous feat. 

Here is the link to the news on this stunning feat.

The Valley of Stagnation and Tips to Come Out

I was reading a post from Sahilbloom's Curiosity Chronicle discussing the factors undermining your growth. He uses a term known as "the Valley of Stagnation" which is a great discouraging factor that tries to cripple you mentally and physically.

You land in a situation where you feel that your life has reached a standstill point. How much effort you may put in you find no growth. You become worried that you can't achieve your goals. It is this stage which is being referred to as the "Valley of Stagnation".

At this point, the author tells you to remember three important facts of life to get yourself motivated.

1. Nothing bad will happen if you are diligent and focused. So be diligent, focused, and determined. You will keep learning something and ultimately succeed.
2. Your Belief matters. If you begin to feel that you are worthless or incompetent, then you turn out to be thus. So always tell yourself that you are capable and worthy of your goal.
3. There is a cycle of events. Just like birth, growth, and death in human life, believe that there are cycles of plain path, valley, climb, and summit. 

Hate Speech and Opinions of Hatred

 I can't understand why people are filled with so much hatred against Congress and other opposition parties. 

I regularly come across statements like this one.

"... It is stupid Hindus who are still in deep sleep. Hindus shamelessly go and Vote for Congress and all opposition Jokers. Most Hindus are unaware of the grave dangers ahead.  God save India and the Hindus."

The above is only one sample of the many things I find from my circles and social media platforms.

We can find fault with a particular person or a group of persons, but not with the whole lot.

If one votes for Congress, he is not a fool. He can have his own reasons. We should inculcate the habit of respecting all opinions, faiths, religions, cultures, etc. 

Don't hate other religions or cultures. Discard the hate speeches and work together for the good of all. 

The Seven Taxes of Life for Your Growth

 I was reading an article from a newsletter from Sahilbloom that deals with Life Events.

In the article, the author enumerates the 7 Taxes of Life that everybody needs to pay to achieve growth and success. By tax, he refers to the discomfort, tension, and pain that should be undergone to succeed.

The Seven Taxes are as follows:

1. Loneliness Times in  Life
2. Stress and Anxiety
3. Boredom of Routine life
4. Harsh and Rough Conversations in Relationships
5. Periods of Imposter Syndrome that tend to discourage you
6. Misunderstandings
7. Pain of Loss

The author says that we need to face all the above-mentioned pains (taxes) of life to emerge successful. You shouldn't try to avoid them. If you avoid these pains, you will not gain the strength to be a successful person. You will remain afraid of facing the life-challenges and may never succeed. So, be brave and go through those moments with determination and self-confidence.

Here is the link to the entire article on Medium: The Taxes of Life

Atishi Marlena Took Charge as 8th Chief Minister of Delhi

Aam Admi Party leader  Atishi was sworn in as the 8th Chief Minister of Delhi on 21/09/2024 after Arvind Kejriwal submitted his resignation early last week.

Kejriwal stepped down as a matter of honor amidst allegations of corruption and consequential jail terms. Later, the party leaders elected Atishi as their leader and CM candidate. The Central Government accepted her proposal, and she was sworn in as the Chief Minister by Lt. Governor Saxena on 21st September.

Here is a link to the news announcing her swearing-in ceremony.

How to Deal With Your Day-To-Day Jobs

 I was just now reading an article on Medium.com that can be related to this topic. In it, the author classifies all tasks into four categories. They are as follows:

1. Urgent and Important. Do it immediately.
2. Important but not Urgent. Schedule it.
3. Urgent but not important. Delegate it.
4. Neither Important nor Urgent. Discard/eliminate it.
This is a wonderful approach to executing our tasks.
This approach was perhaps inspired by former President Eisenhower's method of dealing with meetings and work.

Some simple rules to follow are like this:

Break large and complex tasks into small parts, so that you can execute one-by-one through delegation and self-accomplishment.

Keep the work environment neat and clean so that it boosts your mood.

Take a 2-minute break to refresh your energy and concentration.

You can visit this link for detailed information and tips on this topic. But bear in mind that it is a lengthy article with diagrams and tables.

Cristiano Ronaldo's New World Record

Cristiano Ronaldo, a Portuguese football player and one of the best players in the world, has recently set a new world record. 

This one is not on the field but on social media platforms. He made history by becoming the first person to be followed by One Billion Followers.

The Numbers are here:

Instagram - 638 million followers

Facebook - 170 million followers 

X / Twitter - 113 million followers

Youtube - 60 million followers

He wrote on Instagram, thanking his fans, as follows:

“We’ve made history — 1 BILLION followers!” 

“This is more than just a number — it's a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond. From the streets of Madeira to the biggest stages in the world, I've always played for my family and for you, and now 1 billion of us stand together.” 

Here is a link to the article published in Hindustan Times.

The Parody of A Caged Parrot vs Caesar's Wife

In the Supreme Court's judgment on the bail plea of Arvind Kejriwal, we came across a reference to the CBI being termed as "A Caged Parrot" and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan's remark asking the CBI to take steps to remove the perception of being a caged parrot. He said that "like Caesar's wife it should be above suspicion while conducting an investigation.

I wanted to know what was Caesar's wife's suspicious act. Why the term "Caesar's Wife" became a parable? I googled and found this article on Wikipedia which clarified my doubts.

When Caesar was elected to be the Chief Priest of the Roman State Religion, one of his wives, Pompeia hosted a festival of Good Goddess " Bona Dea in 62 BC. It was a festival for ladies and no men were allowed. But a male managed to enter there disguised as a woman and got caught. It was a disgrace and Caesar divorced Pompeia saying that his wife should be above suspicion.

This incident gave rise to the proverb "Caesar's wife should be above suspicion".

Here is the link to the story.

Arvind Kejriwal Gets Bail

After spending seven months in Jail, Arvind Kejriwal was granted bail by the Supreme Court on 13th September 2024 (Friday). He was sentenced in a Liquor Scam case and served jail terms from the Enforcement Directorate and CBI. The case is still pending.

Arvind Kejriwal has served as Asstt. Income Tax officer for more than 10 years from 1995- 2006 before resigning from the post. He is a political activist who campaigned against corruption and got the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2006 for his Parivartan movement.

As a Chief Minister, he implemented many good schemes and gained much popularity throughout the world for his abilities. He is the 7th CM of Delhi serving from February 2015 till date.  

Now, on bail, he is prohibited from attending his office or the Secretariat and signing files.

Here is the link to an article on NDTV giving full details of his release from jail, published on 13/09/2024.

Sitaram Yechuri, a Great Politician of India

 Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechuri passed away on 12/09/2024 at the age of 72 years and one month. He was one of the notable politicians of our country. He was always humble and polite with his opponents, respecting their feelings.

Here is a wonderful tribute to him from the Times Top 10 Newsletter that I received today. I admired the content and wanted to share it with you all. So, copy-pasting the text.

"Homage

• Sitaram Yechury, who died on September 12, was politically a committed communist but in political praxis — to use a term much favoured by Marxist pundits — he preferred pragmatism over dogma.
• Like many pragmatic politicians of his generation, he was courteous and amiable, qualities that didn’t depend on which side of the aisle his interlocutor belonged to.

Stands out

• He was among the few CPM leaders who didn’t ideologically over-analyse whether the party should ally with Congress to take on BJP when the latter became a governing party under Vajpayee’s leadership.
• During the 2024 campaign, he insisted Modi-led BJP should be taken on in state-by-state contests, via alliances. An analysis partly borne out by results.

Man of all times

• That Yechury, as a student politician, had forced Indira Gandhi to step down as JNU chancellor made his later pragmatism all the more noticeable.
• That he stayed away from Naxalites in the 1970s, because that offshoot of Marxist politics declared loyalty to China’s communists, was another indication of his practical political sense.
• As he said in 2014, when Modi took office for the first time: “Conditions have changed, so our analysis and alignment accordingly will change”.
• Engaging in debates was his style, and witty one-liners were his rhetorical signature.

Who he was

• Telugu was his mother tongue. In the party forum and in meetings, he preferred English because he felt that political formulation came more easily to him in that language. But he gave public speeches in Hindi.
• During his two-term stint in the Rajya Sabha from Bengal, he tried to speak in Bengali during his conversations with Bengali journalists..."

I am providing one more link to an article in the Times of India dated 12/09/2024 here

Politics and Lies

 I was browsing through the internet and read some discussions going on regarding the Trump-Harris debates and the resultant consequences of persistent lies by politicians.

Doing so, I came across a quote by Hannah Arendt, an influential political philosopher. I checked that quote from the Hannah Arendt Center website and found this quote which matches it. It is from an interview by political philosopher & writer, Roger Errera in 1974, who made the documentary "Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt".

This quote appealed to my mind. It portrays the present scary atmosphere of politics throughout the governments of the entire world. So, I am sharing this quote.

"The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it possible for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship to rule is that people are not informed; how can you have an opinion if you are not informed? If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer. This is because lies, by their very nature, have to be changed, and a lying government has constantly to rewrite its own history. On the receiving end, you get not only one lie—a lie which you could go on for the rest of your days—but you get a great number of lies, depending on how the political wind blows. And a people that no longer can believe anything cannot make up its mind. It is deprived not only of its capacity to act but also of its capacity to think and to judge. And with such a people you can then do what you please."

You can visit this link to look into the fact-checks of the quote.

TBA vs TBC vs TBD

 I was looking at the Agenda for SEMICON India 2024 which is being held from today, 11th September to 13th September 2024. While going through the details, I came across the abbreviations TBA, TBC, and TBD in the columns of Time and Venue, etc.

So, I had to google it out to find their meanings.

TBA stands for To be Announced (I was aware of this abbreviation already).

TBC stands for To be Confirmed and TBD stands for To be Decided or Determined.

Here is the link for the Semicon India Exhibition agenda

Regarding more information for TBA, TBC, and TBD, and other related details, here is the post from Wikipedia.

Paris Paralympics 2024 Medal Winners for India

Our Paralympic sports participants in Paris have grabbed as many as 29 medals this year. It is a great fete and a proud moment to celebrate.

Congratulations to the Winners and all Participants from India and abroad.

We bettered our 2019 Tokyo record of 19 medals by capturing 10 more medals.

In all, during this 2024 Paralympic Tournament, India got 29 medals with 7 Gold, 9 Silver, and 13 Bronze Medals.

The Gold Medal winners are as follows:

Avani Lekhara (Shooting)

Nitish Kumar (Badminton)

Sumit Antil (Javelin Throw F-64)

Harvinder Singh (Archery)

Dharambir (Club Throw)

Praveen Kumar (High Jump)

Navdeep Singh (Javelin F-41)

 

Here is the link to the full details of medal winners from Times Of India

Center-State Conflicts and Role of Governors

 This article from the Times of India discusses the importance of rethinking the process of the Appointment of Governors and settlement of disputes between Center-State governing agents.

In recent years, we have witnessed many conflicts between the Governors and the CMs of states like Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, etc. The state governments complain that their Governors are partial and non-cooperative. Many Bills get struck at the Rajbhavans as per their allegations.

So, it is time that the system gets changed by allowing the political parties (both ruling and opposition) of the state governments a say in appointing the Governors and other activities.

You can view the TOI's article at this link.

English is Strange and Confusing

 I was reading this article on the Medium platform and it kept me smiling throughout my read.

This author calls English a Cat's Pyjama". Though his mother tongue is English.

As per his article, it is illogically ridiculous, nonsensical, confusing, etc.. He provides too many examples to support and authenticate his arguments.

He illustrates the spelling and pronunciation maladies, and the confusing meanings of words and phrases. 

Here is the link to the article. Read and enjoy his perceptions.

Reliance Jio's Free Cloud Storage Offer

 I think this is a good news for Jio Subscribers.

Reliance Jio is going to offer 100 GB of Free Cloud Storage to its customers from Deepavali, this year.

If this happens, you can store all your media and files on the Cloud Storage. It is a welcome news for all of us who don't have enough storage facilities on our mobile phones.

People like me may be able to buy premium storage Microsoft Office Family packages. Now, this Jio offer will be a Messiah for the Common Man.

Here is an article from the Times of India which published this good news.

Vesuvius Day Commemoration - 24th August

While browsing the internet, I learned about a special day celebrated by Romans as Vesuvius Day. It is celebrated every year on 24th August in remembrance of the deadly eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.

The eruption destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, Torre Annunziata, and other nearby communities. The eruption was so powerful that it released 100,000 times the thermal energy of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Here is a link to the details of the eruption and the damage faced by Italy at that time.

Vesuvius Day.

The Right to Disconnect Law in Australia

 A new law has been passed by Australia empowering its working population with a "Right to Disconnect" from official disturbances from their Employers.

It is a unique freedom granted to the working staff to be free from their office atmosphere during out-of-office hours. They can disconnect calls from the office and ignore messages from their bosses.

I appreciate and welcome this move. Particularly because I had to work day and night during my service on many occasions which developed tensions in my family life.

But, there are some ifs and buts in this freedom granted. When it is an emergency, your boss can call you and you are obligated to attend to his calls and instructions.

Here is a link to the detailed version of the law as per this TOI article.

India Should Focus on Population Control- Infosys Co-Founder Narayana Murthy

Infosys Co-Founder NR Narayana Murthy mentioned that Indians did not pay attention to population control since the Emergency period.

He made this remark while addressing a Convocation ceremony of the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology in Prayagraj as the Chief Guest on Sunday, 18th August 2024.

He is worried that uncontrolled population growth is a great hindrance to India's growth. This will lead to insufficient per capita availability of land and healthcare facilities.

I think that the late Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, was a great visionary regarding population issues and other developmental programs. She tried to saddle the unchecked population growth by implementing Birth Control programs. But, people didn't heed her advice and tagged her as a dictator.

Here is the link to a report on Narayan Murthy's address at the convocation ceremony.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/infosys-co-founder-narayana-murthy-india-population-control-emergency-2584686-2024-08-19 

Is "Ketamine Queen" Jasveen Sangha Connected to the Death of "Friends" Actor Mathew Perry

 A recent report published in The Times of India dated 17th August states that the US Justice Department has conducted raids on Celebrity Drug Dealer Jasveen Sangha's high-end residence and seized 80 ketamine vials and thousands of drug pills. 

She has been accused of supplying the drugs that led to Mathew Perry's mysterious death in a bathtub on October 28, 2023. She has been evading law enforcement while continuing her luxurious lifestyle of traveling to exotic destinations like Italy, Dubai, and Mexico, indulging in parties and shopping, etc.

The report published by TOI is at this link:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/ketamine-queen-jasveen-sanghas-luxe-life-exposed-from-celebrity-dealer-to-alleged-matthews-perry-killer/articleshow/112580364.cms

Definitions of Poetry That I Came Across While Reading Some Articles on Websites

I came across some wonderful definitions of Poetry while reading an article on HubPages. I enjoyed reading them and thought of sharing some of those quotes with you. I am including one of my definitions also as pointed out by that author.

"Poetry is a gentle river flowing through a rocky and mountainous landscape of prose."

—Jodah aka John Hansen

"Poetry is movement; words shifting around within the writer's soul, coming together in harmonious messages, which move into the reader's soul." —Janshares

"Poetry can tell us what human beings are. It can tell us why we stumble and fall and how, miraculously, we can stand up." —Maya Angelou

"Poetry is the universal language the heart holds with nature and itself." ---William Hazlitt

"Poetry is indeed something divine." —Percy Bysshe Shelley

"Poetry is the mind, body, and soul coming together to say what the heart feels." —JThomp42

"Poetry... is the flow of innate feelings through some tuned syllables." —Venkatachari M

"If you listen, the Universe sings with majesty to its own rhapsodies." —Manatita44

"Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility." —William Wordsworth

70th National Film Awards Winners

 The 70th National Film Awards were out on Friday as per a Times of India newspaper article.

Feature & non-feature films certified by the National Film Board during the calendar year 2022 were taken into account.

Malayalee feature film "Aattam" bagged the Best Film award. It also bagged the Best Editing and Best Screenplay awards.

The Best Actor award was given to Rishab Shetty for his performance in Kannada Folk Thriller "Kantara".

The Best Actress award was shared between Nitya Menen (Thiruchitrambalam, Tamil movie) and Manasi Parekh (Gujarati Film, Kutch Express).

Regional Film Awards:

Best Telugu Film: Kartikeya- 2

Best Tamil Film: Ponniyin Selvan- 1

Best Punjabi Film: Baaghi Di Dhee

Best Malayalam Film: Saudi Velakka 

Best Kannada Film: KGF Chapter 2

Best Hindi Film: Gulmohar

For a complete list, I am sharing this link (an article from Hindu).

https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/70th-national-film-awards-full-list-of-winners/article68531760.ece

Paris Olympics 2024 Medals Tally and Incentives

I shared the Paris Olympics 2024 Final Medals Tally on the website hubpages.com and it attracted many interesting comments/replies from many fellow writers (both the US and Australian writers). 

As the comments are both intelligent and informative, I thought of sharing some of their comments here.

"Gold is the norm...if you are Chinese.
If American, the total number of medals is what really counts.
If Australia, they have about 2 medals per million people, while America has only about 1 per 3 million. Medals per capita is how to choose the best country." - By Wilderness

"Countries usually use the stats that best suit their achievements. Mostly they are ranked in the number of gold achieved, but the USA often chooses total medal count, and Australia both the number of gold and total medals per capita." - By John Hansen

 Yes, the US uses total tallies.  The US does have more people and athletes, but also a strong sports culture, and four seasons across a broad geography that support training – especially, in summer.  Yet ironically, per capita, we also have the least amount of people who could ever qualify for the Olympics. I’ve always preferred the Winter Games (figure skating/ice dancing are my favs), and I have to say it was a pleasure to see the US figure skating team members in Paris last week finally receive the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Gold Medals in exchange for the Silver after waiting for more than two years.

- By Genna East

Facts and Figures on Mental Health Issues at Medical Colleges

 National Medical Commission conducted a survey of Medicos and reported many alarming factors regarding the mental health of Medical students. This survey is conducted to find the causes of multiple suicidal attempts by medical students in the recent past.

The survey states that 28% of UG students and 15% of PG students are facing mental disorders like anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. It found that 16% of UG students and 31% of PG students thought about suicide, being unable to face their mental problems.

Here is the link to a news report of the Survey:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mental-health-issues-in-28-of-ug-medicos/

I advocate for similar surveys conducted at all educational institutions and the establishment of mental guidance centers at all high schools and colleges.

A Comment on My Article "Bhagavad Gita - The Celestial Book"

I published a summary of the Bhagavad Gita highlighting the main points from each one of the 18 Chapters on the website HubPages.Com  some months back.

One of my American friends, Brenda Arledge, appreciated my work and provided this detailed feedback on the article, in the comments thread. I was touched by her interest in the post, and taking so much time to provide such a detailed discussion over the topic.

I am sharing this discussion with you all so that you can appreciate their interest in our Hindu scriptures.

The entire feedback from Brenda Arledge is provided below: 

Venkatachari,

Your article,
"Bhagavad Gita - The Celestial Book" is something I've never heard about before, but it seems to be a story about God and how to attain our place beside him.

I find it interesting that this was originally a discussion that took place on a battlefield.

At least Prince Arjuna had compassion & didn't want friends and family fighting one another.
He asked & received guidance from Krishna. (an incarnation of the divine).

This book consists of 18 chapters which deal with both ethical and moral standards.  It gives others the guidance they need during their journey through life.

The entire composition is in the form of dialogue between Arjuna & Krishna.

This book explains that the battle is not against people but between good and bad and we should fight for righteousness.

I must say, I commend your efforts to explain the chapters included in this book which represents the divine.

I didn't realize that Yoga was so spiritual.  I simply thought it was a form of exercise.

There are so many different things in this piece of work.  Meditation is something I am trying to learn, but according to this book, it is one thing we should all do.

It seems like there are answers to help us be one with the divine and enter his kingdom when our soul departs.

This is explained as the body passes through different stages ~ childhood, youth, old age, and death.

I'm not sure how you could improve on this one article, but my suggestion is to break down this book into sections.

For instance, one complete article that only covers one chapter at a time, or maybe a couple at a time.

After telling the story of that chapter...then break it down with easy-to-understand words.  Show us exactly what the chapter means in our everyday life today.

You could even make this a series. 
Posting a chapter each week.

Then perhaps, you could let people ask questions & answer them in your next post.

But for now, I've already posted a link in the word prompt article.

Great job. It seems like this is another great book, like the Bible.

P.S.If you are interested, you can view the article and the comments from readers at this link:

 

https://hubpages.com/literature/forum/360837/bhagavad-gita--the-celestial-book-by-venkatachari-m

Paris Olympics 2024 Final Medal Tally

The Summer Olympics 2024 concluded and the Closing Ceremony will start in a few hours on today, 11th August 2024 at 12:30 AM IST (12th August).

China is number one with 39 gold medals and, overall, 90 medals. The US is number two with 38 gold medals, and overall, 123.

One Silver medal is won by Neeraj Chopra for India in the Javelin throw. Overall, India got 1 silver and 5 bronze medals.

Here is a link to the total medal tally as of 11/08/2024 at the Paris Olympics 2024.

https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/medals

False and Hate-Filled Propaganda by Russian Media of Paris Olympics 2024

 As Russians were banned from participating in the 2024 Olympic Events, their media resorted to tarnishing the image of the Paris Olympic Organization and the International Olympic Committee.

Russian country was banned from participation due to its indulgence in war with Ukraine despite repeated appeals by Western Countries and the UNO. So, their media tried to cool their hearts by indulging in these heinous acts of false propaganda by showing small issues as mountains.

When you are organizing a major event, there could be many issues and lapses that need to be fixed through mutual understanding and cooperation between the participating nations.

See how their media has ousted poison from their heads at this below-linked report of CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/07/what-does-russia-think-about-the-2024-olympic-games.html#:~:text=After%20Russia's%20invasion%20of%20Ukraine,Games%20in%20France%20this%20year.