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.