%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |   As the first blog entry got exhausted. My second book |
| Evolution of Love Part 2 |
| They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive you were “piss poor.” But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn’t even afford to buy a pot; they “didn’t have a pot to piss in” & were the lowest of the low. The next time you are washing your hands & complain because the water temperature isn’t just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s. Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. Since they were starting to smell, however, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married. Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women, and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it … hence the saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the Bath water!” Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof, resulting in the idiom, “It’s raining cats and dogs.” There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed, therefore, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That’s how canopy beds came into existence. The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, leading folks to coin the phrase “dirt poor.” The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way, subsequently creating a “thresh hold.” In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while, and thus the rhyme, “Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.” Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, “bring home the bacon.” They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and “chew the fat.” Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the “upper crust.” Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up, creating the custom of holding a wake. England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive, so they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a dead ringer. And that’s the truth. (Copied from the net. Also told by a relative who along with other English teachers and writers were sent to London for a training trip by British Council) |
| Usain Bolt the Jamaican former sprinter is considered the greatest sprinter of all time. He won 9 gold medals in 3 olympics and had run less than 2 minutes on the track. He made $119 million in the 3 olympics. That is more than $1million for each second he ran. For those 2 minutes he ran, he had trained for years. Success is indeed a process and it eludes most people because many are too preoccupied with the events while disregarding the process. Many don't care about what they are becoming in the process as long as they get the money hence end up doing the wrong things. Enjoy the process and focus on the step right in front of you and not the whole staircase. Many have asked me how I came to this level. Well being disciplined and consistent are some of the things that have helped me. You have to do what you need to do even when you don't feel like doing it. Imagine if Usain Bolt only trained on days when he felt like training, we probably wouldn't have known him. Jim John said "Success is a few simple disciplines practiced daily". Darren Hardy in his book "The Compound Effect" talks about how the small seemingly insignificant habits compound to either build us or break us. Those small things you do may look insignificant today, you may not seem like you are progressing but trust me they are compounding and one day they will pay off. Like I always say "Progress is progress even when it is only visible to you alone so don't be ashamed to take that small step An African proverb says "If you want to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by removing stones today." Yes Rome was not built in a day, but everyday, a brick was laid. Keep laying those bricks. Its saddening how people try to avoid the process and rush for quick success not knowing that the process is actually more important than the actual results. Pit Bull said "We are here for a marathon not a sprint. It's short steps, long vision". When you focus on the process or the steps, you will be amazed at how far you would have moved when you look back. As long as you are patient and persistent, it will be hard for success to elude you. Lack of patience is the worst enemy of ambition. One good thing about starting and focusing on the process is that it opens up many other opportunities. Like Lao Tzu said "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." Many of us have missed Opportunities that would have changed our lives because we think the process is long and hence have ended up being scammed by the get rich schemes. Understand that everything great needs to be built and that free cheese is only found in a mouse trap. Stop waiting for someone to walk for through the process of success for you while you just get the reward. There is no wisdom or personal growth gained in a journey that someone does for you. The journey is yours so start that process.Napoleon Hill said "Success is good at any age but the earlier you have it, the longer you will enjoy it". |
A man who had gone out of town returned and was shocked to find that his house was on fire. It was one of the most beautiful houses in town, and the man loved his house with all his heart. Many people had offered to buy it and had even been willing to pay twice the price for the house, but he had never agreed to sell it for any price. Now it was burning before his eyes and was worthless. Hundreds of people had gathered, but nothing could be done. The fire had spread so far that even if put out, nothing would be saved. The man was overcome with sadness. Just then his son came running and whispered something in his ear, "Don't be worried father. I sold our house yesterday and at a very good price ― three times. The offer was so good I could not wait for you. Please forgive me." The man said, "Thank God, it is not ours now!" Then he suddenly relaxed and became a silent witness, just like the hundreds of others present. Just a moment ago he was not a witness, he was attached. It was the same house... the same fire.... everything was the same... but now he was no longer concerned. Just then his second son came there, and he said to his father, "What are you doing? You seem relaxed ― our house is on fire!" The man said, "Don't you know, your brother has sold it." His son responded, "But we have taken only a small advance amount, not settled fully yet. I doubt now that the man is going to purchase it now." Tears which had disappeared, reappeared in the man's eyes, his smile vanished, his heart began beating faster. The witness had disappeared. He was attached once again. Then his third son came, and he said, "Father, we are fortunate for that man is a man of his word. I have just come from him. He said, 'It doesn't matter whether the house is burnt or not, it is mine. And I am going to pay the price that I have settled for. Neither you, nor I knew that the house would catch fire. So I will honor my commitment.'" Again the joy came back and family returned to being quiet witnesses of the experience! The attachment to the house wasn't there any more. Outwardly nothing had changed. The house had been burning all along. Just the thought "I am the owner! I am not the owner of the house!" kept changing and had made the whole difference. This story of the burning house illustrates that stress and suffering are never caused by the events of our life alone, they are caused by our thoughts and perceptions about the events of our life. What the thinker thinks, the prover proves. Many times each day ask the powerful question "Who would I be without all my stories?" This enables us to find peace and balance in the midst of our life. It allows us to remain witnesses and to respond with clarity and without strong emotional charge in the diverse situations of our life. May you silently witness all changes. May life witness itself, without barriers.(Shared) |
| ✍ Once a man got lost in a desert. The water in his flask had run out two days ago, and he was on his last legs. He knew that if he didn't get some water soon, he would surely die. The man saw a small hut ahead of him. He thought it would be a mirage or maybe a hallucination, but having no other option, he moved toward it. As he got closer, he realized it was quite real. So he dragged his tired body to the door with the last of his strength. The hut was not occupied and seemed like it had been abandoned for quite some time. The man entered into it, hoping against hope that he might find water inside. His heart skipped a beat when he saw what was in the hut - a water hand pump...... It had a pipe going down through the floor, perhaps tapping a source of water deep under-ground. He began working the hand pump, but no water came out. He kept at it and still nothing happened. Finally he gave up from exhaustion and frustration. He threw up his hands in despair. It looked as if he was going to die after all. Then the man noticed a bottle in one corner of the hut. It was filled with water and corked up to prevent evaporation. He uncorked the bottle and was about to gulp down the sweet life-giving water, when he noticed a piece of paper attached to it. Handwriting on the paper read : "Use this water to start the pump. Don't forget to fill the bottle when you're done." He had a dilemma. He could follow the instruction and pour the water into the pump, or he could ignore it and just drink the water. What to do? If he let the water go into the pump, what assurance did he have that it would work? What if the pump malfunctioned? What if the pipe had a leak? What if the underground reservoir had long dried up? But then... maybe the instruction was correct. Should he risk it? If it turned out to be false, he would be throwing away the last water he would ever see. Hands trembling, he poured the water into the pump. Then he closed his eyes, said a prayer, and started working the pump. He heard a gurgling sound, and then water came gushing out, more than he could possibly use. He luxuriated in the cool and refreshing stream. He was going to live! After drinking his fill and feeling much better, he looked around the hut. He found a pencil and a map of the region. The map showed that he was still far away from civilization, but at least now he knew where he was and which direction to go. He filled his flask for the journey ahead. He also filled the bottle and put the cork back in. Before leaving the hut, he added his own writing below the instruction: "Believe me, it works!" This story is all about life. It teaches us that We must GIVE before We can RECEIVE Abundantly. More importantly, it also teaches that FAITH plays an important role in GIVING. The man did not know if his action would be rewarded, but he proceeded regardless. Without knowing what to expect, he made a Leap of Faith. Water in this story represents the Good things in Life Give life some Water to Work with, and it will RETURN far more than you put in........!!! |
How did the widow of the creator of the Singer sewing machines give her face to the Statue of Liberty? Isabella Boyer's life is like a thrilling novel. She was born in Paris, in the family of an African pastry chef father and an English mother. At 20, she married sewing machine maker Isaac Singer, 50, and after his death became the richest woman in the country. After becoming a widow, Isabella began traveling the world, seeking new knowledge and exciting challenges, far too young to be buried under mourning clothes. She remarried Dutch violinist Victor Robstett, a world celebrity and an earl, so Isabella now became a countess. Soon, she was the star of high society in America and Europe, and was invited to world events. At one of them, she met the famous French sculptor Frederick Bartoldi. At the time, Bartoldi was strongly impressed by his trip to the United States, by the size of the country, by its natural resources, by the population there, and had already accepted a proposal to create a statue symbolizing the independence of the United States. The sculpture was supposed to be a gift from France in honor of the 100th anniversary of the country's independence. Thus, the idea of a giant statue depicting a woman holding a torch in one hand was born. Bartoldi was so impressed by Isabella's face that he decided to use it as a model for his sculpture. Therefore, on Bedlow Island in the Gulf of New York, the Statue of Liberty was erected with the figure of an ancient goddess, but with the face of Isabella Boyer. Isabella married, for the third time, at the age of 50, Paul Sohege, a famous collector of art. She died in Paris in 1904 at age 62. She is buried in Passy Cemetery. But the statue with her face continues to rise over Bedlow Island, symbolizing America's first pride, freedom. Courtesy: Jumana Dee |
| Daniel Kahneman passed away recently. He was a Nobel prize winner for economics. He changed the world of behavioral finance Here are 10 human behavioral patterns he highlighted in his book Thinking Fast and Slow. 1️⃣ Our brain uses two systems: System 1 and System 2 System 1 is fast, intuitive and automatic. It is prone to biases and errors such as overconfidence. System 2 is slow, analytical, and deliberate. It is necessary for complex tasks requiring focused attention. 2️⃣ Irrationality Humans are not rational. We all make a lot of irrational mistakes. 90% of Americans think they can drive better than average and 70% think they are smarter than average. 3️⃣ Prospect theory The prospect theory suggests that people feel losses twice as hard as gains. Many people don't want to play a Heads or Tails game where they can win $100 but risk losing $50. You should take this bet every single day. 4️⃣ The Halo Effect The halo effect is a cognitive bias where your overall impression of a person influences your perception of their individual traits or qualities. If you like someone, you'll overestimate their capabilities and vice versa. 5️⃣ Availability heuristic The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias where you judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily it comes to mind. A good example is 9/11 which made people afraid of flying. 6️⃣ Sunk cost fallacy The sunk cost fallacy appears when you keep investing in something even if it's not worth it, simply because you've already invested resources in it. Think about choosing to finish a boring movie because you already paid for the ticket. 7️⃣ Confirmation bias People tend to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts it. As an investor, always talk with people who have opposing views. It will be very insightful. 8️⃣ Hindsight bias The tendency, after an event has occurred, to believe that one would have predicted or expected the outcome. A good example is that after attending a baseball game, you might insist that you knew that the winning team was going to win beforehand. 9️⃣ Framing effect When the way information is presented influences your decisions and perceptions, we call it a framing effect. For example: studies have shown that 75% lean meat is usually preferred over 25% fat meat, even though it's the same thing. 🔟 Anchoring effect The anchoring effect is a bias where you rely too heavily on the first piece of information you receive when making a decision. If you first see a car that costs $100k and then see a second one that costs $70k, you tend to see the second car as cheap. |
Life has changed so much. Social media has taken over like never before and given rise to a new breed of 'fluencers' who seem to multiply quicker than rabbits. Till now, you had the generic one - Influencer. They know every trick in the trade and are able to modify their style to push anything. Going forward, these are some of the specialisation I see happening : Fitfluencer - fitness Travfluencer - travel Beaufluencer - beauty Cuisefluencer - food Clofluencer - clothes Medfluencer - medical This list can go on. So if your kid wants to specialize in Science, Arts, Finance etc....no no - choose one of the above. That's the future. #just #suggesting 🤪😝 |
| The Creator of the universe has designed life in such a way that despite all achievements and successes, the picture of life remains incomplete somewhere. Somewhere in it, the presence of flaws and imperfections reminds us of our humility. In the beginning of March, the world's most expensive wedding ceremonies in India caused a sensation worldwide. It also sparked discussions on Pakistan's social media. Mukesh Ambani, one of Asia's richest businessmen and the eleventh richest person in the world, is the founder and chairman of Reliance Group. The ceremony served the guests with 12,000 dishes for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and midnight snacks. All the superstars of the film industry were seen dancing at the event. Despite the presence of famous glamorous personalities from around the world, the focus of the event was on the groom, Anant Ambani. Anant Ambani's presence in the event also raised concerns as he is suffering from a severe form of disease which cannot be treated with conventional medicines. He has been continuously given steroids for treatment. One type of steroids, corticosteroids, is known to cause weight gain. This leads to uncontrollable hunger, causing individuals to consume food excessively. Despite having billions of dollars in assets, Mukesh Ambani's beloved and youngest son is suffering from a disease for which there seems to be no solution other than the side effects of steroids. When his son was affected by the disease, resembling elephants, Mukesh Ambani converted acres of land into a safari park filled with facilities for the elephants' treatment, recreation, spa, and massage. Hundreds of tons of dry fruits are fed to the elephants daily in this safari park. This is just a glimpse of Mukesh Ambani's personal struggle with his sick son. He couldn't buy a single day of complete health for his son despite all his wealth. Mukesh Ambani, addressing thousands of guests at the ceremony, said that his life has not been a bed of roses but rather a journey filled with thorns. While Mukesh Ambani was speaking these words, the camera zoomed in on Asia's richest person's face, submerged in deep sorrow and tears streaming from his eyes. The pain and helplessness in those tears, that despite billions of dollars in assets, he couldn't buy a single day of complete health for his son. The Creator has created the world in such a way that the picture remains incomplete. In this incompleteness, it shows us the essence of a being that is complete! So instead of envying Mukesh Ambani's wealth, let's be thankful to our Creator for our incomplete picture of life. *Let's rejoice as we are, and express gratitude to the Creator...* 🙏🏼🌹🙏 |
| *Kiss in the tunnel* A Commanding Officer (CO), a Lieutenant (Lt), an old woman and her young daughter are traveling in a train and during the course of time get themselves introduced to each other and become temporary friends. The train goes through a tunnel and it gets completely dark. Suddenly there is a kissing sound and then a slap. The train comes out of the tunnel. The women and the Lt are sitting there looking perplexed. The CO is bending over holding his face, which is red from an apparent slap. All of them remain diplomatic and nobody says anything. The Old woman is thinking : “These aging Colonels are all crazy after girls. He must have kissed my daughter in the tunnel. Very proper that she slapped him.” The Young girl is thinking : “The CO must have tried to kiss me but kissed my mother instead and got slapped.” The CO is thinking : “Damn it. My Lt must have kissed the young girl. She might have thought it was me and slapped me.” Now guess what the Lt is thinking. Now hold your breath and read what the Lt is thinking……….. *"If this train goes through another tunnel I will make another kissing sound and slap my CO again. The Boss keeps harassing me all the time".* |
| Reasons why the US (South Korea, Japan) Yellow Sea exercise suddenly came to an end: This is a "feat" that not even the former Soviet Union has accomplished. China's "super" task force is approaching the United States, shocking the world! The United States' so-called largest-scale naval exercise in history was held as scheduled on China's doorstep. The United States' move is to deter China by threatening China's important political and economic centers! It’s only 24 nautical miles away, so dangerous! This also made many Chinese people smell the "smell" of war, which indeed caused concern among the Chinese people! Just when the Americans thought that China would mobilize all its forces to defend the capital, they did not expect that China would not fall into the trap at all! China insists on “you hit yours, I’ll hit mine!” On the eve of the US-Yellow Navy exercise, China actually assembled the largest and most powerful task force in history in the Western Pacific, including the Shandong aircraft carrier, 20 advanced warships, and 4 nuclear submarines! The total tonnage exceeds 200,000 tons! It can be said that China's "super" fleet is unprecedentedly powerful, and some military fans say it is definitely a "nation-destroying" fleet! What is surprising is that the Chinese fleet did not return to defend the Yellow Sea. Instead, after gathering in the Western Pacific, it suddenly broke through the first island chain and headed for the west coast of the United States! This is the rudeness of not reciprocating. Since the United States is blocking the door of China's home, then we should also go to the United States to visit! This move by China has greatly touched the United States. This may be the first time in history that a fleet of this size has approached the U.S. mainland. This also "shatters" the Americans' argument that their homeland is absolutely safe! It really has a huge impact! The current strategy of the United States is actually to copy the World War II model, stay away from the war at home and make a lot of war fortune on the rear! You see, during World War II, the whole world was bombed to pieces, but because the United States was far away from the battlefield, it became the center of world reconstruction. The United States used this to solve the serious economic crisis and surpassed the United Kingdom to become the world's hegemon! As for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States is still copying this model. Europe has been brought to collapse, but the United States has no impact at all. It has made a lot of money from the war and made a lot of money! Therefore, the bottom line for the United States to trigger a war is that the U.S. mainland is not attacked, otherwise it would be meaningless! The Chinese Shandong aircraft carrier formation leads a "super" fleet composed of more than 20 advanced fleets + 4 nuclear submarines to advance towards the west coast of the United States! It is to tell Americans that if a war breaks out, the United States will not be "safe". China has the ability and strength to cause a blow to the United States! China's move will definitely put tremendous pressure on the US military, and it will also make the world soberly aware that China really has the strength to maintain world peace! This is the reason why the US "Yellow Sea" military exercise suddenly ceased, because China really did it |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
