How to Make French Fries at Home? – French fries are warmly embraced by everyone; irrespective of age, caste, race, vegetarian or non-vegetarian diets. There are several reasons why French fries has such great acceptance and popularity. One reason is obvious, the taste. Potatoes, the main (and the only😂) ingredient, has unique characteristics to blend in with any other ingredient. In fact, French fries are so “humble” that with every mouthwatering dish from the fast-food chains, you will get it as sides.
The other reason being the ease of preparation. French fries recipe are such a fail-proof and easy recipe that if you follow the right instructions. With 3 ingredients, 3 utensils, and lots of patience, you can successfully master the art of making crispy French fries recipe at home . But for starters, you can try the below recipe to make perfect French fries at home.
What is Trademark Erosion? How does a brand name become genericized?
One fine day, you run out of essentials goods at home and set out to the nearest supermarket to restock it. At the supermarket, you go from isle to isle, collecting the required kinds of stuff. In your pursuit for dettol, you arrive at the “Cleaning Products” isle. You end up being baffled at the choice of cleaning products available. Ultimately, you decide to search the internet for the right one (more commonly known as Google-ing😉). Has this ever happened to you before and wondered why? Well, the answer is yes. Knowingly or unknowingly, we all end up in similar situations with different products. This is called genericide.
A generic trademark, also known as a genericized trademark or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name that, because of its popularity or significance, has become the generic term for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, usually against the intentions of the trademark’s holder.
In short, genericized products are those which due to their extreme popularity, mistakenly get identified as the brand itself. If you think about it, almost half of the items we use are being referred in a similar way. Be it the cellotape for sticking, the photoshop for editing, powerpoints for presentations, all these terms are products of specific brands that got generalized.
Below are some examples of products that underwent trademark erosion and became a common name among the commoners and companies alike.
Google: Google Search Engine successfully overshadowed the popularity of other search engines like Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari within a short span of time. Despite its late entry to the market, the popularity of Google skyrocketed in such a way that the new “search” term changed to “google-ing”.
Xerox: Remember those endless xerox copies you took during your studies? But ever realized that it’s technically a photocopy and not xerox? Notably, the first to manufacture xerographic plain-paper copiers. Founded on April 18, 1906, a century-old presence has impacted the term “photocopy”.
Band-Aid: Do you know that band-aid is actually a brand of adhesive bandages introduced by Johnson & Johnson in 1920? They even had an interesting tagline for this product. “I am stuck on Band-Aid (brand) ’cause Band-Aid’s stuck on me!😁”
Tupperware: Introduced in 1948 by Earl Tupper, Tupperware is a home product line for preparation, storage, serving products for the kitchen, home, and beauty products. During the 2000s, “Tupperware” popularity resulted in a shift from Stainless Steel lunch boxes to Tupperware lunch boxes.
JCB: Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Ltd. was founded in 1945 by Joseph Cyril Bamford and continues to be owned by the Bamford family. In the UK, India, and Ireland, the word “JCB” is often used colloquially as a generic description for mechanical diggers and excavators and now appears in the Oxford English Dictionary, although it is still held as a trademark.
Escalator: When the Otis Elevator Company advertised that it offered “the latest in elevators and escalators design,” little did they know that “escalator” would become a generic trademark. This term has undergone genericization heavily such that now we are not sure of another term to describe moving stairs.
Frisbee, Fevicol, Jeep, Photoshop, Thermos, Ping-pong, Maggie, Pampers…the list goes on. We leave the option to you to “google” it for more details if interested.
As a result of heavy marketing, the generalized products lose their trademark, known as Trademark Erosion. This is in fact a proof that marketing in the right ways can patent each product in the user’s mind and not only in papers.
What are the products you think have undergone genericization? Do let us know in the comment section below.
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There is always a craze for SUVs in the Indian market. The Tata’s has always kept that compound in their formula. And it has worked pretty well for them so far starting with Sierra to Safari Storme. And now there are with their next SUV the Harrier to add their line-up. MG motors have also understood this very well which made them give a debut with their SUV, the Hector. The harrier vs hector is the talk of the town
Both the models share a 2 litre Diesel engine which produces similar output, with a max power of 168 bhp and torque of 350 Nm. While Harrier gives only an Automatic as a variant, MG serves plenty of options to buyers amounting to about 11 variants. Which includes 5-litre turbocharged petrol which produces 141 bhp and 250 Nm of torque and also a hybrid model.
Exterior
It is evident that both of these automakers have worked hard on the exteriors. Tata trying to prove their competency to develop distinctive futuristic models to differ from their conventional designs. On the other hand, MG trying to lure customers to their brand, Hector being their first model.
The Fight of the Bulls: TATA Harrier VS MG HectorThe Fight of the Bulls: TATA Harrier VS MG Hector
Interior
Just like the exteriors, the interiors are also spunky. The equipment list for these cars is quite long. To mention a few panoramic sunroofs, LED projector headlamp, powered front seats, leatherette upholstery. One Distinctive feature though in MG is the 10.4 inch vertically oriented touchscreen. The console is integrated with an E-sim which hosts an array of functions. On boot space, the Hector surpasses harrier’s 424 litres with its 587 litres.
The Fight of the Bulls: TATA Harrier VS MG HectorThe Fight of the Bulls: TATA Harrier VS MG Hector
Prices
Comparing the prices of mg hector vs tata harrier, Harrier starts at 13.69 Lakhs**, while Hector prices starting at 12.84 Lakhs**. However, the prices for Hector plus starts at 13.49 Lakhs** (** Prices ex-showroom Delhi).
Writer’s Opinion
Both of these cars are attractive, well-built, tough SUVs, with almost similar feature lists, providing a good value for money. However on account of handling and performance. And considering the level of options, it has to offer the Hector has a slight edge over the Harrier.
Initially, both of these were launch as a 5-seater model. However recently a 7-seater version of it is launched by MG motors known as the “Hector Plus”. Tata is also planning to launch its 7-seater version of the Gravitas by October this year.
Which SUV would you prefer? Please let us know in the comments below.
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SpaceX vs ISRO – What makes SpaceX and ISRO stand out? Space is vast and fascinating but space exploration is tedious and highly expensive. Nevertheless, it has become a proxy contest among countries to show their power. Future space exploration aims to fly farther from Earth than ever before. Agencies like NASA, RSA (aka Roscosmos), and ESA have been in the industry for a long time now. Despite having multi-dollar funding, these agencies have been trying hard for decades to make their stand steady. In comparison, the ISRO and SpaceX seem to be young, but their entries resulted in major breakthroughs in the Space Industry. Let’s take a deeper into these two.
SpaceX vs ISRO – What makes SpaceX and ISRO stand out FROM OTHER AGENCIES?
India’s ISRO
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the space agency of the Government of Indiaand has its headquarters in the city of Bengaluru. Its vision is to “harness space technology for national development while pursuing space science research & planetary exploration”. The committee Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was established by Jawaharlal Nehru under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in 1962. It all started with the urging of scientist Vikram Sarabhai recognising the need in space research. Later, in 1972, the Government of India had set up a Space Commission and the Department of Space (DOS). Now the ISRO is under the Department of Space, which directly reports to the Prime Minister of India. (source-Wikipedia)
Elon Musk’s SpaceX
In 2001, Musk came up with a concept called ‘Mars Oasis’. A project to bring the mars travel into reality and to grow plants on Mars soil. He, along with friends, travelled to Moscow, Russia to look for some launch vehicles which could take them to space. They were offered a deal for $8 – $10 million for a rocket, which Musk considered too expensive which he couldn’t afford at that time. While coming from Moscow, he thought of creating his own company to make affordable rockets and other pieces of equipment in order to reduce the overall cost of space exploration. And, thus, SpaceX became a reality.
ISRO – 1960 – 1980s were the times when all three prominent agencies (NASA, ROSCOSMOS, and ESA) were fighting to make their best foot in space exploration. And that’s when ISRO entered into the space game by successfully launching their first satellite, Aryabhata, by the Soviet Union on April 19, 1975. However, their failure on SLV in 1979 followed by the failure on ASLV in 1987 gave a slight downfall in their space mission. In the meantime, Glavkosmos a subsidiary of Roscosmos halted the transfer of the associated manufacturing and design technology to India. Until then, ISRO had not been affected by technology transfer restrictions. Learning from all the failures, ISRO decided to stand on their own. The cost-efficiency and the result-oriented approach paid off with huge success. ISRO’s successful launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 1994 and the Geostationary Space Launch Vehicle (GSLV) in 2004 -2010 considered as ISRO’s remarkable achievements.
SpaceX – Musk invested a lot of money which he got from the sale of PayPal into SpaceX. The much-awaited first SpaceX launch in 2006 failed in just 33 seconds after lift-off because of a rusty nut. The second one in 2007 also failed because of the engine, which shut down prematurely and the rocket failed to reach orbit. Later, they managed to get their first contract with NASA which also ended up in a failure. The satellite which was supposed to be placed in the orbit landed in the sea. However, the fourth launch in 2008 was a huge success, and as a result, SpaceX received another contract from NASA for $1.6 billion.
I messed up the first three launches, the first three launches failed. Fortunately the fourth launch – that was the last money that we had – the fourth launch worked, or that would have been it for SpaceX. But fate liked us that day
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX
Achievements
ISRO – With the success acquired from the Polar and Geostationary launch vehicles (PSLVs and GSLVs), India decided to take their space exploration to the next level. The first mission to the moon in 2008 – Chandrayaan 1, a small robotic spacecraft into lunar orbit mounted on a modified PSLV. It surveyed the surface of the moon to locate the resources in greater detail. In 2014, India’s first interplanetary mission to the planet Mars known as Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan was launched. On 24 September 2014, it reached the Mars orbit which made India the first country in the world to place a spacecraft into the Martian orbit in its very first attempt. In between all these successes, ISRO also faced some discrimination.
Do you remember New York Times mocking India?
SpaceX vs ISRO
In 2014, NYT mocked India’s Mangalyaan achievement by publishing a cartoon which showed a rural Indian with a cow, standing outside the cabin of “Elite Space Club” and knocking its door. However, NYT apologised for the cartoon after Indians trolled them so aggressively.
To hush exclamation, on 18 December 2014, India launched GSLV Mk-III, the first experimental flight of ISRO’s heaviest and upgraded rocket vehicle from Sriharikota. On 15 February 2017, ISRO successfully launched 104 satellites using a single rocket from Sriharikota Space Centre; which is still one of the mind-blowing launches in history. Later in 2019, Chandrayaan-2 was the most complex mission ever attempted. Even though this mission ended in failure where ISRO lost the contact when the spacecraft was at 2.1km (1.3 miles) from the lunar surface, the mission holds the record of reaching the farthest and darkest area in the moon’s surface.
SpaceX – In 2008, the Falcon 1 was the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket to reach Earth orbit. Moving on to next level, the SpaceX Dragon became the first private spacecraft in history to visit the space station. On December 21, 2015, the Falcon 9 rocket delivered 11 communications satellites to orbit. The first stage returned and landed at Landing Zone 1 making it the first-ever orbital class rocket landing. On April 8, 2016, the Falcon 9 rocket launched the Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, and the first stage returned and landed on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship. On March 30, 2017, SpaceX achieved the world’s first reflight of an orbital class rocket. Following delivery of the payload, the Falcon 9 first stage returned to Earth for the second time. On February 7, 2018, Falcon Heavy made its first launch to orbit, successfully landing 2 of its 3 boosters and launching its payload to space. On May 21, 2020, the SpaceX became the first private company to take humans to the International Space Station on the SpaceX Crew Dragon. Do read the below article for more info.
Like I’ve mentioned already, both agencies are very cautious about their expenses. The government of India has allocated an approx of $90.94 billion every year which is approximately 14 times lesser than the NASA’s annual budget. SpaceX, on the other hand, operated on roughly $1 billion of funding, of which about $200 million was private funding ($100 million from Elon and $100 million from other investors) and $400-500 million from NASA.
The Idea of Reusability and Cost-efficiency
With limited access to funds, SpaceX and ISRO have always taken care of being highly cost-effective. The outcome of this is clearly visible in their approach towards reusability and result-oriented. Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstration Program (RLV-TD) and Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) are two approaches by ISRO to attain cost-efficiency which was tested successfully in the year 2016. SpaceX has its Reusable launch system development program for an orbital launch system that may be reused many times in a manner similar to the reusability of aircraft. SpaceX being an 18-year-old company has completed 92 total launches out of which 37 rockets were reflown ones.
Launch Vehicles
SpaceX and ISRO are neck to neck, be it the technology or the looks of their launch vehicles. Another astonishing fact is that, both the space agencies have the capability and capacity to accommodate customer requirements in a very efficient way. This is evident in the images given below, where you can see variety of launch vehicles for both Polar and Geo levels.
SpaceX vs ISRO - What makes SpaceX and ISRO stand out?SpaceX vs ISRO - What makes SpaceX and ISRO stand out?
What is Inflation? How much does tea cost in India? Let’s say 10rs? If you have ever travelled to Vietnam, you would end up paying at least 2000 Vietnamese dongs for the same tea. Are these Vietnamese adding elixir in tea to make it that costlier? The answer is No. There is an invisible hand in every economy which controls the prices of every commodity. Yes, you guessed it right. It is INFLATION.
The currency which is in circulation in India is called Fiat currency. Fiat currencies are such currencies which do not have any value for themselves. They are deemed to be valuable just because the Government says they are valuable. The currencies which we use on a daily basis are backed by the RBI (governor of RBI signs on every note) and RBI assigns some value to each note called Purchasing power of that note. Every good or service in the economy will have a purchasing value of their own.
If we wish to buy any good or service, we need to match the purchasing value of that good with our purchasing power. That is how transactions take place in any economy.
What is Inflation? Is Inflation Good or Bad?
What is Inflation?
Inflation is defined as an increase in the price level of a group of commodities in comparison to the previous year. Let’s take the example of rice. Assume that you were able to buy a KG of rice for ₹50 in 2019. If you buy the same quantity of rice for ₹60 in 2020, then it is called price level rise. If this happens with many other commodities like wheat, dal etc.. then we consider it as Inflation (Rise in the price level of 2 or 3 items will not lead to inflation). In inflation, the currency that we hold will lose its purchasing power.
When it loses its purchasing power, you would need to spend more currency to obtain the same quantity of good/service for which you paid less value some days ago.
How does inflation fall/rise?
The fundamental laws of economics propose that when there is more demand for something, it will collect more price and vice versa. If there is more production of a particular good/service in any economy, there will be more availability of that good in markets and the price paid for that also will be less. Below are some of the factors for inflationary prices:
No.1 – Demand side factors
These are related to the consumption preferences of the public. When the public starts consuming certain products heavily, then automatically the demand will exceed the supply of that product. For example, people are demanding more oil and natural gas which is resulting in an exponential rise in price for them. If there is a substantial rise in the incomes of people, inflation also increases.
When people start earning more, they allocate more money for the consumption of goods and services rather than saving. When people start spending more, they demand more (a person may buy 10kgs of rice instead of 1 kg). This also leads to demand-supplymismatch and leads to inflation.
Sometimes, the opposite is also possible where people stay away from consuming certain products and demand is completely collapsed. In such cases where demand is virtually less or zero, deflation is expected. For example, if a study comes out saying that applying butter on bread causes cancer, people refrain from buying butter which leads to loss of demand for butter and thereby a reduction in price (deflation).
No.2 – Supply side factors
These are related to production preferences of companies. With the advancement of technology and machinery, factories are able to produce large quantities with less investment and in less time. When they produce large quantities of goods and services for less capital, the price of the goods in the market also will be less. For example, a car which cost more in the early 2000s is paid way lesser price today. Technological advancements will result in deflation.
Sometimes supply-side factors can lead to inflation too. When there are weak monsoon and meagre rainfall, the yield of crops will be reduced. The supply to market from farms will be less and it will not meet the demands of the ever-increasing population. Some unforeseen conditions like pandemic, wars, rebellions etc.. will cripple the supply chains in the economy and lead to a situation where supply is not up to the demand. Such scenarios will also lead to extreme inflation.
Is inflation bad?
Inflation is not always a bad phenomenon. A controlled rate of inflation always leads to economic growth and employment. If there is no inflation and prices stagnate at a particular number, then producers will not have any motivation to produce more and more.
Their profits will not rise above a particular figure and it makes them disappointed. An anticipated rate of inflation always gives confidence to producers to produce more and incentivize them with good profits.
This increased profits will lead to further investments and thereby increase in employment in the economy. However, uncontrollable inflation will lead to an economic crisis and chaos (example: Venezuela, Zimbabwe).
Now, coming to the question, why does tea cost more in Vietnam than in India? The answer is simple. The purchasing power of a single unit of Vietnamese currency is less than the purchasing power of a single unit of Indian currency. This is due to various demand and supply-side factors, sustainable usage of resources, the living standards of people etc.. Many developed countries managed to control their inflation rates so that purchasing power of their currencies would be intact.
India also fairly maintained its inflation rates until today. The Governments in India always wants to have controlled inflation as it is one of the stones used by oppositions to bleed ruling parties.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Author – Atreya A
I am Ek aam aadmi who likes normalcy. Teaching is my passion and being a teacher I experience a sparkle in my students’ eyes that only a teacher can see. My dream is that someday people study about me.
The Power of Self Destruction – Surely, there will be no one who might have not watched at least one film from the blockbuster film series Mission: Impossible. As the protagonist gets a message from his secret organization, soon after the content of the message is over “This tape will self-destruct in five seconds” ending the agent’s instruction. The idea conveyed by this scene was a fantasy during that time.
Is it necessary to have a self-destruct option? How does it affect the modus operandi? The entire idea of introducing self-destruct mode into the types of military machinery was to protect those from the enemy capture and its misuse. Moreover, it was used when there was no other way to keep it safe. The same scenario can be used to metaphorize in many fields of interests.
The Power of Self Destruction – In Homo sapiens
Do you believe that we humans are also having such a self-destruction facility? Let us examine. Have you ever felt depressed at some point where you felt like there is no way to make it right? And felt more depressed about it recurrently? Well, that might be the moment before the whole self-destruction process starts! It is rather doubtful that leaning on to such disparaging thoughts for more time can endanger you.
It is basic human nature to keep thinking about the joyful and sorrowful moments that you had. Moreover, our sad part/negativity will have more gravity over your thoughts, which may lead you to the ultimate depression. This hurts badly, can be life-threatening in severe cases. Since it will tear down our ability of precise decision making. It is quite natural to have sadness, misery, anguish, distress, or agony.
Most of the people feel such kind of emotions when they face any undesired conditions. Life is always intertwined with both good and bad, like the Yin-Yang. It should be balanced in both ways so that the equilibrium is maintained. Reminding ourselves about the catastrophic incidents can also deliver us potential willpower and strength to face greater problems. Seeing the “good” in “bad” is very desirable, that is what the Chinese symbol suggests. But holding on to the bad for a long time can be grim.
Man holding a glass of water in his stretched hands will feel his hand tiring after some time. His hand will begin to hurt if he continues. This is like the case of having sadness for a longer time, which will lead us to depression. Overthinking the same makes the situation much worse and aggravates this self-destructive behaviour. That ought to be the prominent reason behind the increasing trend of suicide attempts.
Life always comes with setbacks and that is normal. No one ever knows how to live a prosperous life throughout, as if there are no handbooks for life. It would have been easier to live if everyone were born with a ‘User Manual’ and ‘Instructions before use’. But what is the thrill in life if it is so? The unexpected twists and turns should be the one reason that makes us thrive to live further.
What makes a thriller movie more thrilling that it attracts the viewer? Have you ever wondered how a thriller movie would end up without suspense or twists in the plot? It would have been a cold movie without any kind of thrill to watch. Or we will not be categorizing such movies in the thriller genre. Similarly, lives are meant to have ups and downs, one must try to keep up with the pace.
There will be situations where it can be so annoying and drive one insane, then we should nerve ourselves for that. Instead, going deep into depression and anxiety can be self-maddening and people try to end their lives because of such short setbacks.
Living life with such depression would be just like swimming with a large millstone, hung around their neck. Thereby drowning him/herself into the depths of the sea. People having all the luxuries in life and seem to be successful whereas be so depressed that people around them won’t notice it. Then loneliness strikes them hard and people tend to end their life upon that. It is the final stage of depression with suicidal tendencies and the rest of them think like why are they doing such terrible things! Have you ever wondered what it feels to have such a condition? Gets frustrated!
Just The Mind Games
“You are of no use, no one ever values you, you have no future ahead!!” says the voice inside your head repeatedly. A disoriented behaviour resulted from an order-less flow of Dopamine and Serotonin. The ones with a keen intellect can also be a victim of this. The next step will be to find a way to end this mental torture and probably hurting themselves or leading to their loss of life. Yet the odd fact is that people leading an extravagant are more prone to this. Some people even complain about such behaviour as a publicity stunt.
They are complaining about why he is still being alive even though he was saved somehow. Moreover, there are people who search the internet to find innovative ways to end their life. They do not even care for being alive. Some of them are following “Use and Throw” culture too.
Depression and Suicidal tendencies go hand in hand. Having such depression is not rare nowadays. It adversely affects your hunger, mood, and sleep cycle thereby give the feeling of self-uselessness. The depression mostly affects people who are subjected to drug abuse, suicidal happenings within family and relations, unexpected death of loved ones, people suffering from cancer, AIDS-like malignant disease, and convicted people.
Most likely these are the kind of people who choose such abrupt and stubborn decisions. For people who committed suicidal attempts in the past, chances are high when compared to normal people they are likely to succeed in it later.
You must realize that you are just one among the crowd who wish to do this to themselves. Share those feelings to someone closer, who can help you. You may feel that it is unnecessary to share your thoughts to a second person, but they might feel the urge of saving a life, instead of losing it. Even a dead clock is right twice a day. The thought for it, ways, and situations to commit suicide are the three elements for the triangle.
Out of these three, it will be difficult for someone to persuade the thought or reason for doing it, but he/she can mitigate the chances of the other two elements. Also, they can provide a good company to the victim. Instead of being alone, trying to engage in activities and hobbies can deviate the thought process.
After all, if such thoughts are still haunting you then it is advisable to consult a psychologist for counselling. Realize that it is not your fault, just a chemical rush inside your brain causes this. Go for the second thoughts, remember the ones who will be broken-hearted because of your erred deed. Rise! Instead of “Why me?”, say “Try me!!” when you face it.
If you find your friend, colleague, relative or even a stranger, showing signs of such suicidal behaviour, please be kind enough to spend some quality time with them. Nevertheless, get into intimate conversations with them, that is the only productive way to deviate their errant thoughts. Being prejudiced, thinking it is a covert act to get publicity or recognition can worsen the situation. Try to avoid commenting and teasing them since their mind can be fragile if something bad happens because of your scornful attempt, you will have to live the rest of your life with that grief.
The WHO estimates as in every 40 seconds someone is ending their life. Imagine how bad the situation is. Most of the smiling faces are crying out loud in their minds. When we lose the inner vision to see them, we should be ashamed of ourselves. Doctors are not the only ones who can save lives. We, ourselves are the protector and saviours of life. Have an open mind.
A word with love and compassion can save many!! After all, these are mind games and who knows, you and I will be a part of it!
To all those beautiful souls who did not have anyone by their side at their worst times.
An unparalleled guy, who goes from quarks to quasars! starts thinking ‘Do ants sleep at night?’ and end up in ‘Could Einstein be wrong?’. I don’t do great things. I do small things in a great way.
Kickstart Your Inward Eye – The world is facing a crisis during this COVID-19 pandemic and the people seemingly lose their normal life and are gripped in fear. Many are pushed into depression, anxiety and loneliness and they don’t know how to come out of their abnormalcy. The intention is to throw light on some of the ways which help them to come out from the tangle and to face this situation with confidence.
Awareness Instilled
Living with COVID-19, sharing our thoughts with friends and relatives, listening to effective speeches of scholars, medicos, scientists and reading the articles by eminent persons have naturally and spontaneously instilled our awareness and have directed us to face the situation. Now the question is shall we stop with this passive, theoretical knowledge bestowed on us, thanks to the awareness created by mass media. Are we ready to face the situation by converting the passive, theoretical knowledge into an active and practicable one?
Inward Eye
Are we ready for the kickstart? Let us see what to kickstart and how to kickstart. Yes, it is high time to kickstart our inward eye namely motivation, attitude and self-confidence by means of boosting our motivation, developing a positive attitude and improving self-confidence.
Impossible Becomes Possible
Now you are at the point of kickstarting, it may seem rather a high goal and unreachable. The time-old practice to gain motivation, positive attitude and confidence are either to sing a song or listen to it. Music is to the soul what words are to the mind. In the words of Plato, music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. Indeed, music is magical and has the power to lift our motivation, to enhance our positive attitude and to promote our self-confidence.
Positive Impact of Music
Many studies have been carried out to show the positive impact of music on people in general and on elderly people in particular. Music has been therapy, a medicine of the mind promoting positive effects on senior people.
Silver Memories
Kickstart Your Inward Eye
Silver Memories is a non-profit 24 hr radio programme which was designed by Gary Thorpe to address specific social isolation and loneliness in elder people by broadcasting music, serials and other programmes relevant to the period when the elder people grew up-1920-1950 first aired in Brisbane, Australia.
Gary Thorpe conducted research on 74 elderly people living in sixteen aged care facilities in New South Wales and Queensland to study their mood and quality of life. In the beginning, they were not motivated, had a negative attitude and lacked self-confidence which resulted in their disengagement and uninterest in activities given to them.
Gary Thorpe made the subjects to tune into their favourite programme from 7 am to 1 pm live programme and for the rest of the day recorded programme from “Silver Memories”. The study was carried out for three months and the subjects were exposed to the music.
Impact of Silver Memories
Gradually, the subjects became motivated, interested and gained self-confidence. Their positive attitude made them speak freely and take part in the activities with zeal, interest and enthusiasm. Regular listening to music resulted in their improved quality of life, reduced depression, agitation and aggression. It was a long term impact of music which helped them settle into their environment. It is not an easy and reachable goal for the elderly to sing or to listen to music to be motivated, self-confident and positively oriented to their way of life.
Music a Tool for MIND, BODY, and SOUL
Kickstart Your Inward Eye
A study was carried out to show the impact of music on emotion. A 65 yr old man was admitted to a rehab centre with advanced respiratory failure with difficulty in breathing. Indian music as an adjuvant was used to motivate him. Significantly this improved his mind, body and breath. It also improved his muscle power and he got motivated enough to handle his functions independently. The study proves that music improves the wellness of mind, body and emotions. It is also clear that people who are depressed or suffer from neuro-psychiatric conditions show significant improvement by listening to music.
Music a Nutrient for MIND, BODY, and SOUL
Kickstart Your Inward Eye
Studies clearly show that music enhances physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual wellness of a person. The intellectual wellness is exhibited when music makes them keep their memories sharp and helps them remember important events. The spiritual wellness of a person means music helps them reach happiness effortlessly and easily. In the evergreen quote of George Eliot, life seems to go on without effort when a person is filled with music. Summing up, music is like a stimulus, or a bag of nutrients for our mind, body and soul.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Dr.P.A.Sarada has put in 44 years of service both in Government and private institutions. Her services include State level Teacher training Officer, Headmistress of Govt Higher Secondary School, Professor Emeritus and She is a recipient of State level Best Teacher Award.
Dark Series Review – Is Dark Series Worth Watching?
***** Spoiler Alert *****
[Note: The following review contains spoilers for the series]
You might have watched Christopher Nolan’s movies and wondered how one can complicate a story with time-traveling; like Inception, which was a class apart from the rest of his movies. But, in Netflix’s Dark, you won’t be wondering much because it will take you forever to understand what the hell is going on.
Dark Series Review – Is Dark Series Worth Watching?
It is a one-of-its-kind series where it turns into more of a logic puzzle; you will spend more trying to understand it than you would have ever spent on a trigonometry quadratic integral equation. If character A is played by B in timeline C, solve that type of thing for X.
In the first season, there were quite the twists and turns – how Mikkel turned out to be Michael. One of the best things about this series is how the twists turn out to be a void that fills the gap with a fabulous storyline.
By the second season, Dark had reached far above the straight-forward supernatural horror story. Something told me that it was only going to get more twisted. Co-creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese have constructed the story in a way that will only make sense at the end of the finale episode. We can never make any guesses as to how this character ever turned out to be here in the first place.
This was not the question of How but When.
In contrast to our regular perception of how the past can change the future, in Dark, the future influences the past mostly. And how it solves with the characters matching with the story that’s so satisfying and a little intertwisted. We are trapped by time as there is no such thing as free will and we follow as it dictates.
There’s a hidden bootstrap paradox in this time travel analogy. For instance, if you went back in time to 1858 when Brits took over India and went all American Psycho, you wouldn’t be where you are now. It is how it has been and how it should be, for you to exist in the present world. But in Dark, they connect all these paradoxes and time travels, cubes it with logic errors to give us a headache.
When it comes to the Third season, it was the perfect finishing touch to the Finale like how you’d squeeze lemon on top of Chilly Chicken. First 5 episodes, it was quite hard to keep track of the timelines, the characters, and their counterparts in the parallel world with all the mind-boggling reveals.
Dark Series Review - Is Dark Series Worth Watching?
I loved two things in this series – the part when Sic Mundus gathered together, and it gave me the chills when their entire purpose was revealed as a glimpse of the first two seasons. I went all “Go, Sic Mundus!!”
The concept of Quantum Entanglement dwindling with the two possible realities taking place at the same time.
Eva explained how the line that draws between the two worlds ties together at a point where time standstills. More than just a theory, it was something I believe, of course, if only time travel was possible. And the split-screen with different outcomes was perfectly matching with this theory and how it has always happened in the last three attempts.
Dark Series Review - Is Dark Series Worth Watching?Dark Series Review - Is Dark Series Worth Watching?
We can’t go about without mentioning the casting director, Simone Bar, for the impeccable work she has done in bringing the liveliness and the resemblance across the ages. An uncanny casting duo was brought in for characters like Ulrich Nielsen, Alexsander Tiedemann, Katharina, and most importantly Claudia and Regina Tiedemann and so many more. An interesting fact, how Younger Peter Doppler came to Winden in ’86 and met Charlotte, it was played by Stephen Kampwirth (Peter Doppler’s) actual son to look alike.
One of my most favorite things about the series was the background score. The intimidating music adds pure evil effects to the dark themed cinematography, silent air-succumbed atmosphere and even you would find it hard to grab a gasp.
The ending could not be more perfect with the puzzle pieces fitting in for the final reveal. The mastermind behind all this – Tanenhaus who had so much hope, worked, and thrived for this family to be brought back by the time machine he built for 12 years, was finally up and running on June 21, 1986. The Nuclear gas leakage accident happened on the same day. “Beginning is the end. And, the end is the beginning”.
Some of the Hidden details I picked out from the series:
Tanenhaus mentions about the third world in season 1. “Have you heard about Triquetra? Nothing exists without a third dimension. There is not just ups and downs, there’s a center too.”
I had a feeling of how it was strange; the 80s song that was playing on a TV in the bunker was Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann meaning “somehow, somewhere, sometime”. When looked up for the lyrics, it has another in-depth meaning of time traveler between the present and the future.
St. Christopher’s pendant was given to Helene by Hannah in 1954 when she visits the doctor for an abortion. Helene eventually passed it on to her daughter Katharina but the Adult Katharina travels back to 1986 to save Ulrich. Helene kills the Adult Katharina and drops the pendant there. Years later, Jonas gifts it to Martha – Helen’s Granddaughter and Hannah’s great-great-great-great-granddaughter.
And remember how Helene drags the body of Katharina into the lake and in 2019, Magnus and Bartosz scare Martha; spook her by telling a story how a woman was killed and drowned into the lake? Sadly, it was their own mother.
There could also be another reason how the two worlds were tied together. When Hannah was conceived in the second world by Ulrich, Older Egon comes and rescues her before the Apocalypse. She goes back to 1953 in the first one where she has an affair with Adult Egon and gets pregnant. It may not look straight-up legit but a probable explanation as to Eva’s “Egon, you must create your past to save the family tree” could be the reason behind that.
OTHER ENTERTAINMENT ARTICLES
Some Questions with No Answers
You wondered what happened to Gretchen, though it traveled from 1953 to 2019, in the end?
Though it may seem obvious from our perception that the two worlds did not exist if the accident had not taken place and how everyone fades away from existence, what about the two worlds? Did it just disappear into thin air? But, this seems like a plausible explanation why Hannah had a nightmare the previous night of Winden was being destroyed after a blackout and she stares at the yellow raincoat. This is open to interpretation – like how Jonas still exists in her sub-conscious mind.
Why did four of them travel back to 1888 and Jonas was working on creating the God Particle? Were they trying to create a portal on the same day as Apocalypse so that they could go back to 2054 or what was that?
What’s the original world like? Did it have all the main characters in it? We know how intertwined the two new worlds are, with Mikkel traveling back into time and becoming Michael. Does this mean no Jonas in the new world?
And, last but the most important question! Does this mean, H.G.Tannhaus may never invent a time-traveling device in the future?
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section below. Do read the other related articles in the entertainment section.
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Guest Author – Anirudh Srinivasan
A Petrolhead junkie who chills with a chai and been searching for my inner peace.
Home-made Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe – Want some tasty food to replenish your tastebuds but locked up in the lockdown? Fret not, for we are here! Try this home-made Garlic Butter Chicken recipe and satisfy your appetite. This Garlic Butter Chicken recipe doesn’t involve complex procedures, you will be able to prepare this with a few ingredients mentioned in this blog. Continue to dive in to know more.
Before we begin, feel free to read other interesting recipes in Just A Library as well.
Ingredients to make Home-made Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe
Heat 2 tbsp of oil and stir-fry the diced chicken.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and keep aside.
Melt 2 tbsp. butter, and 1 tbsp oil in the same pan and pop the mustard seeds in it. Add diced onions, and salt (to taste). Sauté the onions until golden.
Add 1 finely chopped garlic head (~10-15 cloves), followed by 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot, 1/2 cup finely diced bell pepper, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, and stir fry for 3 minutes.
Add 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp pepper powder, fried chicken (kept aside earlier) and mix well with the stir-fried vegetables for 1 minute.
Now add 150ml fresh milk, 25ml water, and 50g grated cheese to it. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes (or until the cheese melts).
Once the gravy starts boiling, add 3 tbsp corn flour slurry and keep mixing.
Remove from heat when the gravy thickens and garnish it with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. Alternatively, you could use Kasuri Methi to garnish as well.
Hurray! The utterly delicious homemade garlic butter chicken is ready to serve!! (Sorry guys! I didn’t have the patience to click proper images; the dish was too irresistible🤤🤤)
Tips
Add pepper powder and chili flakes (to taste) before garnishing, to spice up a bit.
Roast sliced mushrooms along with onions for extra taste.
Do not feel guilty for the generous amount of butter and cheese added; it tastes delicious😋.
Feel free to add other chopped vegetables of your choice to make it a healthier option.
A perfect dish for you cravings. Try this recipe at home and let us know your experience in the comment section below. Also, do not forget to share this with your friends and family.
Subscribe to Just A Library from more mouth-watering recipes!!
It’s official!! It’s been a while since this exciting news of the F.R.I.E.N.D.S reunion finally happening (that we’ve all been waiting for since forever!) came out. And, the fans are going gaga and can’t stop wondering what life would have been for these 6 friends after the show ended. Who’s dating who (Sorry, “whom”)? Who got divorced? Who made it big in Hollywood? Whose kids went to college and what not?
The Announcement made on Social Media by the cast of ‘Friends’
The cast of friends, in 2019!
The expectations of the reunion and fan theories are growing wilder with each day, and we are no exception! Here are 5 things we think might have happened in these 15 years. Now, before you think we’re a buzz-feed Rip-off, you think we didn’t hound their site for content to copy?🤷♀️ Sadly, we couldn’t find any.
The one where Joey moves from NY to LA
How can we not start with him? We’ve seen Joey’s career go up and down in the first 10 seasons (quite a few times) and the last job he took up was probably the movie during Chandler-Monica’s wedding. Even towards the end of the season, Joey remained the only single person in the group who was offered the basement of Chandler and Monica’s newly bought house where he could grow old (AWWW MAX).
Buuuut, we’re sure he snapped out of this phase, made it big in Hollywood, and eventually moved to LA where he gets himself a fancy expensive condo to bring the super-models he picks up and of course, forgets to call back. Some habits hardly change we say!
Joey Bagging an Award at the Golden Globe✨
The One where Nobody still knows Chandler’s job
That’s not even a word,Rachel!!
Chandler Bing, the sarcasm connoisseur, and a man whose job has no name (except Transponster, of course). We know he went on to becoming the oldest intern in history (barring Ben Whittaker) of advertising. With a decade and a half passing by, we’re sure he’s a huge success and finally doing something he’s happy and good at! And, surprise surprise! People still don’t know what he does!
We’re sure he’s amazing at his other full-time job as well: Being a dad to his children – Jack and Erica. Monica, on the other hand, would now have her own restaurant and blissfully continue to boss around people. They’re now a happy power couple with 2 adorable children, living in the suburbs and constantly reminiscing about the times they lived in the city with their Best Friends! And of course, this couple is still the glue to the group, as Monica still insists people visit and hang out at their place more often!
Chandler and Monica giving us Major Couple Goals❤
The one with Frank Jr. Jr. Jr.
Nope! We’re not talking about him! Keep Reading
We saw Phoebe and Mike planning on starting a family of their own in the finale – and they most definitely did that. They would have had a bunch of them by now! We all know Phoebe to be this loving and giving person. Do we need to remind u about the time she carried her brother’s babies? So, there’s no doubt she adopted a bunch of underprivileged kids and given them the weirdest and creative names possible. Yea, Crap bag and Princess Consuela Bananahammock we know what she’s capable of!
Here’s Proof how great Phoebe is with kids!
The one where they were ON A BREAK! AGAIN!
We’ve lost count now, Ross!
We know Ross and Rachel have more history than the Dinosaurs in the museum! Haven’t we all lost count of how many times they’ve been on and off their relationship? But the finale, made all this worth it when Rachel left her flight to Paris for Ross (Adorbs Maxx). They promised each other that they’re done being stupid. They get married and are really happy.
Emma, who just turned 18 this year (What a great year to turn 18!) must now have watched the Birthday video her aunts and uncles made her when she was one! And now, when we say Rachel “left her flight”, it also means she left her dream job and her dream city! Obviously, she’s going to be discontent and would constantly blame it on Ross. Not being able to take this bitterness, they probably get divorced (For the 2nd time). He isn’t named ‘Ross the Divorce Force’ for no reason! He truly is living up to the reputation of his title with 4 divorces!
Still blaming each other? Grow up, guys!
The one with Central Perk
Sorry Gunther, we still don’t know 🙈
Central Perk is now a very happening and a trippy Bar, again! Yep! For those who don’t remember, it was originally a bar, and got converted to a coffee house in a ‘flashback episode’. Old Gunther, with even lesser and greyer hair, is now a mixologist! Surprisingly, he’s really popular and a ‘chick magnet’ among the millennials (For some reason hard to understand, they find his hair really hot?) At the last scene of the reunion episode, the 6 friends drop-in, after a long time and just realise they’re the only old people in the club, at 6 PM.
A Scene from the ‘Flashback’ Episode shot in Central Perk the bar!
When they’re figuring how to sit comfortably in the bar stool, they hear “OH MY GAWWD”. Did you think there can be a reunion without her running into the group and hitting on Chandler? And, we’d like you to imagine her iconic laughter right now for better “feels”.
Run back to Yemen, Chandler!!
The reunion special was supposed to debut in May on HBO Max but has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The latest news is that they are hoping to be able to shoot in August if all is well and if there is no early second wave and if the studio is open. There are talks of naming this special – ‘The One Where They Get Back Together‘, and we can’t wait to watch the 6 of them back on screen!😍
What did you think of our theories? What are your theories? Let us know in the comments section.
Also, follow and visit Just A Library for more interesting news on various domains.
Once upon a time, in the middle of the bustling city, there lived a middle-class IT employee👨💻. His day starts with the call from the cab guy begging him to get ready (Sirrrr, at least inaki yathu seekiram ready agunga please😒). With an empty mind and an empty stomach, he begins his journey to the office even before the sunrise. Over the years of this robotic life, he has acquired the skill to sleep with all the traffic noise on the uncomfortable seats of the cab. Finally, after long hours of journey, he reaches the office exhausted. To rub salt in the wound, endless meeting schedules and escalation emails pop up the moment he logs in. This 9-5 exercise leaves him hungry, angry, and depressed. At the end of every day, he returns home thinking why life is so messed up?
One such evening, while lost in the thoughts of his frustrating life, to his surprise, THE BIG NEWS ARRIVED🤩.
Due to the COVID-19 PANDEMIC, the office will remain closed. All the employees are expected to WORK FROM HOME.
From the CEO’s desk
A shiver ran up his spine when he read this. That night, excited and contented, he retired to the bed with great expectations.
THE PRESENT
Few days into the lockdown and work from home mode, his routine has completely changed. It is as if his life took a U-turn. His room became the office, his bed as the cubical, and the boxers as the WFH attire.
His day starts with a hot cup of coffee from his mom. What a good way to start right? He then logs in and reads all the mails while sipping down the coffee. Then comes the morning stand-up meeting.
While the bed pulls him back to sleep on one side, the manager’s questions pinch him from the other end. Despite all this, he decides to wait for amma’s call for the first meal of the day. And Yes!! Here comes the breakfast, which feels quite new to him. After eating the idlis/dosa with a week old sambar/chutney, he then decides to take a break by watching some videos which leads him to the Netflix webpage🍿🎬. The snacks and juice which his mom brings add fun and comfort.
Lockdown Work From Home - The New Normal
When he hears amma’s second call for lunch, it dawns upon him that he has broken the promise he made to himself about the 1 EPISODE PER DAY☹️. AAAH..!! And that’s what you call a perfect lunch🤤. The yummy and love-infused lunch from his mom’s hand, which later paves the way to the noontime nap. But to his disappointment, there comes the unplanned meeting. With eyes full of sleep, half-heartedly he attends the call. However, this becomes more entertaining as the meeting consists of several people of different qualities.
Family guy – The one with toddlers, who always makes a special appearance in the calls.
Animal lover – The one with pets🐕🐈, which starts barking right from the moment the call starts.
The guy whose mom grinds chutney in every meeting.
Chatterbox – The one who always talks and never allows others to talk.
The one who never talks – The one who always says (Pointuu varatum🤐).
🔇 guy – The one who lipsyncs and never gets off mute.
Late responder – The one who says “Hi” at the end of the meeting.
“In a call” guy – whose status is always busy and joins all the unwanted meetings.
Late-comer – The one who always logs in late for the day and join last for the meeting.
In between all these quarrels and debates, our IT employee resumes his post-lunch nap since he is “The napper😴” in his team. Later, waking up to the post-storm calmness, he awkwardly realizes that he is the only person left in the conference call (which ended half an hour ago🙊). Nevertheless, hot chai and pakodas/bajjis smell from the kitchen seem irresistible. Hence, he logs off from the laptop, enjoys the evening with chai, and decides to spend the rest of the day with his family.
While comparing the current lockdown WFH with his regular schedule, he realised some good things happening in life. Now, with a happy heart and happy face, he goes to bed daily.
A proper sleep – Yes!! he is sleeping 8 hours a day.
No Dust, No Sweat – to be frank, he became fair.
He is eating healthy love-infused meals on time.
Saved money since he hasn’t gone out for movies or to dine out with friends
He is becoming fat. Thanks to his mom’s healthy and yummy meals again.
He is growing a beard now. Yes!! I’m serious.
He is learning cooking and has time for other hobbies.
He is now able to spend a good time with his family.
Writer’s opinion
Hope you were able to relate yourself to our character.
We all are caught up with our work and busy schedules. But when was the last time you spent some good time with your family. What is the point of earning money and getting rich without being happy/connected with your family?
At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, a parent.
Staying at home doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t stay alone in your room. Maybe this is the right chance to spend some quality time with your family.
With COVID-19 wrapping the entire globe with its tentacles, we hear so many talks about the world adapting accordingly; especially in terms of trade, economy, and lifestyle. Masks😷, 🚶social distancing🚶, sanitizing, and work from home is now considered as “the new normal”. But do you really think “work from home” is relatively a new concept? Certainly not!! The US Presidents, for example, have been working from home for ages efficiently and effectively. However, when we work from home, the efficiency and the effectivity of it will be “quite different” in the above funny way. Nevertheless, this may not be the same story for all IT employees. Many do extend their work hours and keep the business running. In return, companies should also acknowledge and appreciate their employees’ work in this situation and support them in all possible ways.
Stay tuned at JAL for more intesresting contents!!
Affordable Must Have Make Up Products – Make-up is something which is passed on for centuries!! From the times of Kings & Queens to the times when Cuticura powder was famous, its always been a part of our lifestyle. Make-up is not just about face creams and lipsticks, make-up is anything & everything which you do to make yourself glow, look confident and presentable. It can also be considered as a part of showering some self-love.
Every one of us does some kind of make-up. Some might prefer super glam look all time, some might stick with very subtle nude looks and some just finish it with a bindi and oiled hair. Every look matters!! So, stop confining make-up to a particular gender, a community of people, etc., Also stop passing on comments on one’s choice of makeup and start accepting people how they have accepted themselves.
Who should read this article?
This article is about the must-have, affordable, daily wear make-up products for girls/ladies. Since I’ve mentioned girls that don’t mean Men have to stop reading beyond this point. You men can save this article to buy your dear ones some worthy gift for their special days!! I’m quite sure they will be surprised by your choice of gift and feel more loved!! The brand, price, link to buy (with the best deals of course!!), everything is discussed in this article below
Choosing the product
Brand opinion differs from person to person. Not every brand is suitable for everyone. My personal advice would be to go for a well-established brand with positive feedback in the market. Do not go for unknown or untrustworthy brands and compromise on your skin in the process of making it better.
First-time buyers:
When you are purchasing any product for the first time, DO NOT BUT IT ONLINE. Best practice would be to try the product on you in a beauty store so that you can understand how the color/shade suits your skin tone, how the product reacts to your skin, etc. All the beauty stores and stalls encourage trying on their products and it’s free.
Always prefer “long-lasting products” when it comes to daily make-up. We girls drive, take public transport, cover our face with a scarf, we cry, we laugh, we do a lot in a single day!! So a long-lasting product will make sure there are no smudgy eyes, cakey face, or half-eaten lipstick.
Pro Tip:
Try the lipstick, face cream, compact, etc as soon as you enter a shopping mall from the beauty product store/stall. You will be able to see the results needed at the end of your shopping spree!
Always carry your own lipstick brush and compact-puff in your bag which can be used for makeup trials in beauty product stores/stalls.
Always choose your products based on your skin type.
How to get the best deals?
Once you find your best-suited product in-store buy it online. Always the price is cheaper in online stores.
Pre-plan and stock up your needs during the sale days either from store or online.
The exclusive brand stalls in mall corridors will usually give some small offers, coupons, freebies, etc., only when you start demanding for an offer!! Do not forget to ask for it!!
Products needed for a daily look
Moisturizer
Day cream/Compact/Powder
Kaajal/Eyeliner
Eyebrow palette/Pencil
Lipstick, lip balm
Make-up remover
Moisturizer
Honestly speaking I do not use a moisturizer every day. Some days our skin is soft and supple without any moisturizer applied. Only during winter days and times when we do not hydrate ourselves well, our face needs a moisturizer.
This is one of the main products to give your skin the glow and the even tone. It is the most critical part where choosing the wrong product/shade might spoil the whole make up. Any low-performance product will start giving a cakey look within a few hours. Choosing a wrong shade might end up looking very pale or over-make up look.
Best picks:
Lakme 9-5 cream mouse – I would recommend this to everyone personally! No one could ever find you are wearing a cream until you tell them. It gives you a transfer-proof, nude finish with very glowing skin! And of course, it stays for more than 10 to 11 hours.
Lakme 9-5 primer + matte compact – This is an amazing all-in-one kind of product. You can skip the foundation while using this one.
Kajaal/Eyeliner
I should say this product gives life to your whole make-up look. It makes the look very soulful! Since we are going to apply this to one of the very sensitive organs please be very careful about the brand you choose. I know everyone is looking for affordable, smudge-free, long-stay kajaal/eyeliner and I hope you will find one after reading this article!
This is the saviour for the girls who do not have naturally defined eyebrows! A major mistake done while doing the eyebrows is drawing a thick line instead of brushing it to give a natural finish. To learn how to fill your eyebrows, Click here.
Best picks:
Rs.10 eyetex kaajal – Trust me this can do miracles if used properly!!
I’m a very big fan of lipsticks/lip-balms! I love collecting them rather than actually using them. The most annoying things about lipstick are, it sticking to your teeth, transferring to the coffee mug, and having less than 10% of lipstick left on lips after having a meal. But when you choose the right lipstick you can save yourselves from the above troubles.
Lip-balms gives you a bubbly, cute lips on a day when you are not in mood for lipstick! Tinted lip-balms are the best and worth to mention its tastes yum 😛
Pro Tip: Choose nude shade lipstick for daily looks. So that it suits all your dress colours and gives you a no-makeup or minimal makeup look. Also do not forget the fact that nude shade varies for each skin tone, make sure to do a trial before purchase.
Make-up remover
Wiping out the makeup before washing our face is very important (Especially while using water-proof, long-stay types). Wiping out the makeup prevents acne/breakouts caused due to makeup. Washing the face alone doesn’t remove your makeup completely.
Pro tip: Cotton dipped in coconut oil (or any other oil) works best for removing long stay kaajal or any other makeup.
Cost factor:
Some of the products might be a little costly but I would say its worth spending. It is important to give the best to our skin.
Here is a comparison table explaining why its worth investing on these products:
Deciding factor
Lakme Kohl kaajal
Normal Kaajal
Cost
Rs.750 approx
Rs.150 to 200
Smudge free hours
13-14 hours
hardly 2-5 hours
Lasts for
6 – 7 months
1 – 1.5 month
comparison table
From the data in the above table, the lakme khol kaajal has a clear shot win! Likewise, most of the products mentioned above last for a minimum of 6 months. You get lots of deals, offers to reduce the cost further hence it becomes extremely budget-friendly.
Let’s finish our shopping
The whole article is about my personal experience with make-up products. I haven’t tried many products and brands yet. I stick with the ones I feel comfortable and have been using these for more than 3 years. Also worth mentioning I haven’t gone searching for cruelty-free, ayurvedic types of product. I just kept using the products which had no ill effects on my skin.
We all would love to know your best picks and suggestion for daily-wear makeup products. Comment your favorite product and do let us know if you found this article helpful.
Vazhaipoo Kola Urundai Recipe (Banana Blossom Balls) – This is yet another delicious recipe from the kitchens of Madurai to yours under the “Madurai Special Veg Series”. If you had missed out on our previous recipes or the love story between Madurai and Veg food, check it here.
Did you realize that almost all the parts of a Banana tree are used by us either to eat or to serve? Here is a healthy but tasty recipe with the Banana Blossom. The best part of this recipe is that you do not feel the sour taste of the Banana Blossom yet you get all the health benefits.
Vazhaipoo Kola UrundaiRecipe
Trivia:Mutton Kola Urundai (Mutton balls) is one of the very famous dishes in Madurai. This particular recipe carries the same flavour but made with Vazhaipoo (Banana Blossom).
Ingredients:
Vazhaipoo (Banana Blossom) – 1 No.
Onions – 1 medium-sized
Curry leaves – 1 teaspoon chopped
Garlic – 1 Big clove
Fennel seeds – 1 teaspoon
Roasted Channa Dhal (Pottu kadalai) – 100 gms
Chilly powder – 2 teaspoon
Curd – 1 teaspoon
Salt as required
Oil for frying
Preparation:
Clean the Vazhaipoo (banana blossom). In a pan boil the cleaned banana blossom florets in water with 1 teaspoon curd in it. The florets will be cooked in 5 minutes approximately.
Make a paste of the boiled florets and garlic cloves
Grind the Roasted Channa Dhal (Pottu kadalai) and Fennel seeds into a fine powder
In a mixing bowl, add the vazhaipoo (banana blossom) paste, the ground powder, chilly powder, finely chopped onions, finely chopped curry leaves, salt and mix well
Make small sized balls to deep fry
Vazhaipoo Kola Urundai Recipe - Best Banana Blossom Balls RecipeVazhaipoo Kola Urundai Recipe - Best Banana Blossom Balls RecipeMaking Kola Balls. Source: Just A Library
Deep fry the balls in medium heat (keep the flame in medium heat so that the balls are cooked well inside)
Healthy & Delicious Vazhaipoo Kola (Banana Blossom balls) is ready!! Serve it hot for better taste!!
Vazhaipoo Kola Urundai Recipe (Banana Blossom Balls)
Drain the water completely from the boiled florets else the florets paste will become very soggy. This will cause difficulty in making the kola balls
If the mixture to make the kola balls is watery then add extra roasted channa dhal powder or gram flour to bring the required consistency
Try this out at your home and let us know your feedback and queries in the comments section. Do not forget to share the pictures when you try our recipes. Do check other recipe articles – Click here.
History should be studied dispassionately. If you start living with history, you will ruin your present and destroy your future. The historical reminiscences will definitely shape a country’s domestic as well as foreign policy. China, today’s second-largest economy and dreaming of becoming the first, had a very disturbing past. The biggest enemy of China in the region was none other than arrogant and imperial Japan. There were numerous wars fought between them. China was not as strong as it is today and it lost most of the wars.
When the industrial revolution was in top gear in Japan, its mind was itching with the thought of Imperialism (a policy of a country to expand its power and influence through brute force). Japanese war behaviour was very despicable and reprehensible. One can easily quote the example of Rape of Nanjing aka Nanjing Massacre to truly portray the Japanese soldier’s inhumanity. Japanese spirits were brought down only after the nuclear bombing by the US.
The wars with Japan, opium wars, and other wars with western powers brought fundamental changes in thought of the Chinese. Internal inequalities and external humiliations led to a rise in nationalism and communist ideology. The leaders of China started to believe in Realism.
What is Realism?
How Panda became the DragonHow Panda became the Dragon
According to Realism, countries work only to increase their own power relative to that of other states. Realists claim that survival is the real goal. Chinese started to believe that Hegemony in the region is the only way to survive. This thought was carried by successive communist regimes.
Revolutionary stage of Panda
With help of a great civil war, the cult leader of China, Mao Tse Tung founded the People’s Republic of China (a communist country) by driving away Chiang Kai Shek to Taiwan (Republic of China) on 1st of October, 1949.
Mao was a cult figure in Chinese politics but he was not a visionary leader. He knew how to lead a revolution, but did not know how to run a country. He always tried to control people through a barrel of guns. Some of his policies like one furnace per house, cultural revolution, and so on frustrated the people. The economy of China was in a really bad situation.
Emergence of Dragon
In 1976, Mao passed away. This became a boon in disguise for the Chinese. A new leader, though not as a cult figure as Mao, surely visionary and thoughtful Deng Xiao Ping took charge as the President of PRC. Deng was very progressive and he did not believe in strict communism. He began liberalizing the economy of China.
He started SEZs on the east coast cities of China. Also, appealed to various MNCs to set up plants in China, bought cheap and skilled labour from rural areas of China to SEZs, and provided various tax exemptions. Deng always believed that people think of revolution only when they are hungry; if people are well fed there is no revolution. The economic foundations he laid in the ’80s is the reason for China’s swallowing money muscle today. The dependence of the world on China started during his days. The successors of Deng also continued to walk the same path as Deng did.
Diplomacy – Silent butterflies to Wolf Warriors
Diplomacy involves negotiations, bargainings, persuasions, threats, and compromises. China’s diplomats under the leadership of Zhou Enlai were very skilled and calm minded. They used to shake with one hand and hold a stone in the other and rarely offended others or boasted about China. In addition, they always hid their capacities, maintaining a low profile and seduced their opponents first and then made their threats. This led to an increase in the global goodwill about China. China was viewed as a real partner by every country (not to some). The best example of their capacity can be seen in the issue of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. When the US imposed sanctions on China, they were able to convince the US within a week to lift all those sanctions.
After Zhou Enlai, the face of diplomacy of China was completely turned upside down. With the confidence that their economy has given them, the modern diplomats of China wanted to occupy the center stage. Arrogance replaced humility. They started boasting of their strength and started threatening others. They started to see any constructive criticism of China as a humiliation of China. Chinese diplomats started aligning with CPC’s propaganda in the lure of occupying the higher cadres. This kind of diplomacy may satisfy certain aspirations but on the whole China’s diplomacy might be a sinking ship.
China’s Entry in WTO
Initially, China was not a member of the WTO. It was the US that persuaded China to join the WTO in the hope that China would open its economy furthermore and at some stage, Democracy would prevail in China. Instead, the opposite had happened. With all the incentives that are offered by WTO under the category of “Developing country”, made China much more powerful in terms of economy and trade. This is one of the important accusations of Donald Trump about China.
Way Forward
There was heavy criticism of J Nehru on offering a permanent seat to China in the UNSC. But as I mentioned earlier, we can not dwell in the past and judge someone on their action. We can only act in the present and plan for the future. Some of the above behavioral shifts of China are proving costly to some countries and maybe China would also bear the brunt of the world in the future, if not immediately.
The one obvious fact is India shares a 4000km border with China. India was and is being a victim of spits of fire from this Dragon. One should acknowledge that India is no small power when compared to China and is well in its capacity to give a bloody nose when required. We can change our friends but we can not change our neighbors. China should understand it.
What are your comments on this? Let us know in the comments section below.
I am Ek aam aadmi who likes normalcy. Teaching is my passion and being a teacher I experience a sparkle in my students’ eyes that only a teacher can see. My dream is that someday people study about me.
Tribute to Bentley Mulsanne – A Timeless model – Bentley Motors Limited is a British automobile company, which produces and markets luxury cars and SUVs. Bentley has been a true inspiration; an embodiment of sheer durability, performance, and luxury as to its fine detailing and craftsmanship. Founded in the year 1919 by W.O. Bentley, it became popular for its high powertrain engines which included the Bentley 3 Litre and the Bentley 4½ Litre. And, have also won 24 Hours of Le Mansfor several consecutive years.
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Tribute to Bentley Mulsanne – History of the Mulsanne
Bentley Mulsanne’s history dates back to the 1980s. Introduced as a sports luxury sedan in their T-series line up, Mulsanne was production for 12 years till 1992. The name “Mulsanne” was based on a 24 Hours of Le Mans race track section and called the “Mulsanne straight”; to pay homage to their motorsport history. The Rolls-Royce group also shared the 6.75-liter v8 engine at that time. But they wanted an identity back from the Rolls-Royce ownership. Hence, they introduced the Mulsanne Turbo which was 50% more than the regular outgoing model and the Mulsanne Turbo R. It produced a whopping 300 horsepower and 600 NM of torque and sold about 2000 models per year.
Old and the new Mulsanne ( Source – Internet )
The Mulsanne was relaunched, later in 2010, as an Arnage line alternative. While launching, it came with the same 6.75-liter V8 engine. But later on, it was re-engineered and re-introduced as the Mulsanne Speed, capable of producing 530 BHP and 1100 Nm of Torque. Despite weighing over two and a half-ton, it can sprint from 0 to 100 KM in just 4.5 seconds. Thus making it a perfect blend of sportiness and luxury.
Even though the Mulsanne was an iconic model of Bentley, it had to be discontinued for the following reasons:
The legendary 6.75 Litre V8 Engine (the longest continuously produced engine since 1959) could no longer be updated to meet the strict EU emission norms.
The growing interest towards SUVs has also been a reason for many sports and luxury brands to introduced bandwagons and Bentley is no exception.
A Proper Farewell
Bentley has decided to give their elegant flagship model a proper tribute before sending it into a good night. Hence, they launched the 6.75 limited edition. Styled, and configured by famous coach-builder Mulliner, only 30 units were produced under this specification.
The 6.75-litre limited edition will get a small oil cap-shaped knobs replacing the famous little “organ stop” knobs for ventilation control. Other additions include the cutaway-style drawings of the L-series engine to the Mulsanne’s gauge faces and to the dashboard clock, chrome badging, special stitching, and puddle lights integrated with badge logo.
Replacements
“I am immensely proud of the hundreds of designers, engineers and craftspeople that brought the Mulsanne to life over the last 10 years”
Adrian Hallmark, CEO, Bentley Motors
The Head of Sales and Marketing announced that they don’t have any models to replace the Mulsanne. He also said that,
“Redeploying all of our manufacturing colleagues who currently work on the Mulsanne to other areas of the business”
Chris Craft, M.O.B Bentley Motors
However, it is expected that the Flying Spur model will serve as a flagship four-door luxury sports sedan. And, the Bentayga is the latest addition to the company’s line up and also the first luxury SUV.
Tribute to Bentley Mulsanne – A Timeless Model
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