Monday, December 31, 2018

Jinn: Could you imagine their powers and abilities?

atheist

agnostic

Satanic Cults: They voluntarily invoke / invite the demons to possess 'em.

27: 39 A powerful one from among the jinn said, "I will bring it to you before you rise from your place, and indeed, I am for this [task] strong and trustworthy.

27: 40 Said one who had knowledge from the Scripture, "I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you." And when [Solomon] saw it placed before him, he said, "This is from the favor of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful. And whoever is grateful - his gratitude is only for [the benefit of] himself. And whoever is ungrateful - then indeed, my Lord is Free of need and Generous."

Aarifeen and righteous amongst us

I believe that aarifeen must've psychic abilities -- I also believe that God must've blessed certain awliya (saints) with Karaamaat (miracles).

Aarifeen: (those who have proper knowledge of Him)

Telepathy

These skills are (covertly) handed down from generation to generation.

Telepathy: Is it real?

My understanding of Telepathy:

Let's say there's a Person A
And, there's a person B

The Qareen (Jinn companion) of person A talks with the Qareen (Jinn companion) of person B
And. vice versa.
And, there's a ritual (initiation rite) to make friends with your Qareen. Henceforth he starts helping you.

I'm not sure -- this is just a hypothesis.

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Robin Hood

A semi-legendary English medieval outlaw, reputed to have robbed the rich and helped the poor. Although he is generally associated with Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, it seems likely that the real Robin Hood operated in Yorkshire in the early 13th century.

1.1as noun a Robin Hood A person considered to be taking from the wealthy and giving to the poor.
‘a latter-day Robin Hood, he takes from the exchequers of the rich West to provide capital for the poor East’

Robin Hood effect

The Robin Hood effect is an economic occurrence where income is redistributed so that economic inequality is reduced. The effect is named after Robin Hood, said to have stolen from the rich to give to the poor.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hood_effect

Saturday, December 29, 2018

disturbance of the peace

Definition of disturbance of the peace
: behaving in a violent or noisy way in public
He was arrested for disturbance of the peace.

a malicious and willful intrusion on the peace and quiet of a community or neighbourhood

I don't understand

I don't understand:

Read this first please:

On May 20, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud signed a series of letters of intent for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to purchase arms from the United States totaling US$110 billion immediately,[1][2] and $350 billion over 10 years.[3][4] The intended purchases include tanks, combat ships, missile defense systems, as well as radar, communications and cybersecurity technology. The transfer was widely seen as a counterbalance against the influence of Iran in the region[5][6] and a "significant" and "historic" expansion of United States relations with Saudi Arabia.[7][8][9][3][10]

This is just one example I'm citing.

I don't mean to target just Saudi Arabia -- Many other countries as well including my own country -- spend literally zillions of American dollars for defense.

Read this one as well please:

In 2012 it was estimated that, using a poverty line of $1.25 a day, 1.2 billion people lived in poverty.[4] Given the current economic model, built on GDP, it would take 100 years to bring the world's poorest up to the poverty line of $1.25 a day.[5] UNICEF estimates half the world's children (or 1.1 billion) live in poverty.[6]

The World Bank forecasted in 2015 that 702.1 million people were living in extreme poverty, down from 1.75 billion in 1990.[7] Extreme poverty is observed in all parts of the world, including developed economies.[8][9] Of the 2015 population, about 347.1 million people (35.2%) lived in Sub-Saharan Africa and 231.3 million (13.5%) lived in South Asia. According to the World Bank, between 1990 and 2015, the percentage of the world's population living in extreme poverty fell from 37.1% to 9.6%, falling below 10% for the first time.[10] In public opinion around the world people surveyed tend to incorrectly think extreme poverty hasn't decreased.[11][12]

There is disagreement amongst expert as to what would be considered a realistic poverty rate with one considering it "an inaccurately measured and arbitrary cut off".[13] One estimate places the true scale of poverty much higher than the World Bank, with an estimated 4.3 billion people (59% of the world's population) living with less than $5 a day and unable to meet basic needs adequately.[14] It has been argued by some academics that the neoliberal policies promoted by global financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank are actually exacerbating both inequality and poverty.[15][16]

My point is if we'd route / channelize this sum of money to eradicate poverty -- Just -- let's say 25% of it -- We'd be alleviating dire poverty, pain and suffering. We'd be saving lives.

That's all I wanted to share with you people.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty

a big fish in a small pond

You can't hunt a whale with a fishing rod -- you need a harpoon -- and a bigger bait for whaling.

My comments: I didn't read this though

Kids Definition of biting
: causing intense discomfort
It was cold, bleak, biting weather …
— Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Friday, December 28, 2018

turn over a new leaf

“And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record”

[al-An’aam 6:59]

Whenever I see a leaf falling I utter this: not a leaf falls, but He knows it.

I collect leaves and keep 'em in my scrapbook.

Midas touch

Definition of Midas touch 
: an uncanny ability for making money in every venture

Midas touch

Did You Know?
Midas was a legendary king of Phrygia (in modern-day Turkey). In return for a good deed, he was granted one wish by the god Dionysus, and asked for the power to turn everything he touched into gold. When he discovered to his horror that his touch had turned his food and drink—and even his daughter—to gold, he begged Dionysus to take back the gift, and Dionysus agreed to do so. When "Midas touch" is used today, the moral of this tale of greed is usually ignored.

About PETA (India)

ANIMALS ARE NOT OURS
TO EXPERIMENT ON, EAT, WEAR, USE FOR
ENTERTAINMENT, OR ABUSE IN ANY OTHER WAY.

PETA India, based in Mumbai, was launched in January 2000. It operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way, while also educating policymakers and the public about animal abuse and promoting an understanding of the right of all animals to be treated with respect.

PETA India focuses primarily on the areas in which the greatest numbers of animals suffer the most: in laboratories, in the food industry, in the leather trade, and in the entertainment business. PETA India’s investigations, public education efforts, research, animal rescues, legislative work, special events, celebrity involvement, and national media coverage have resulted in countless improvements to the quality of life for animals and have saved countless animals’ lives.

https://www.petaindia.com/about-peta/

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 6.5 million members and supporters.

PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: in laboratories, in the food industry, in the clothing trade, and in the entertainment industry. We also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of rodents, birds, and other animals who are often considered “pests” as well as cruelty to domesticated animals.

PETA works through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns.

https://www.peta.org/about-peta

Holy cow

In the U.S., more than 29 million cows suffer and die in the meat and dairy industries every year. When still very young, many cows are branded (burned with hot irons), dehorned (their horns are gouged out or cut or burned off), and castrated (male cattle have their testicles ripped out of their scrotums)—all without painkillers.

https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/factory-farming/cows/

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Draft copy: Mac who sold his ferrari LOL No. No Not lorrry!

There's something in being vagabonds -- a sense of exhilarating liberty, freedom and all these synonyms put together -- Have a lot in common with their counterparts -- anywhere in the world -- monk, fakir, gypsy,sannyasi and dervish . It's quite arduous to live like that.

I'm not sure but I think begging is prohibited in Islam.

People look down on beggars.

Nevertheless: During my relapse (schizophrenia) I was living on the streets. Literally begging for food, tea, ciggies and everything.

To be continued . . .

I'm in distress and agony past 6 years or so -- Please help me

First question: Honorable sheikh: Praise Be To God. As salaam alai kum . My question is: Could anyone forcibly make a Jinn possess someone -- and control  the possessed person? That's make him do awful things? Is that  possible Sheikh? If yes, then how'd we protect ourselves from these sorcerers and demons?

Second question : My question is: Is telepathy real? Do they do this with the help of Jinn?

Third question: My question is: Male Qareen for Male person? and Female Qareen for Female person?

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Obama Addresses America’s Students

Following is a transcript of President Obama’s speech to America’s students, delivered on Tuesday at a Arlington, Va., high school, as released by the White House.

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/us/politics/08obama.text.html

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Wake up: Incredible India!

Domestic violence in India is endemic.[28] Around 70% of women in India are victims of domestic violence, according to Renuka Chowdhury, former Union minister for Women and Child Development.[29]

The National Crime Records Bureau reveal that a crime against a woman is committed every three minutes, a woman is raped every 29 minutes, a dowry death occurs every 77 minutes, and one case of cruelty committed by either the husband or relative of the husband occurs every nine minutes.[30] This occurs despite the fact that women in India are legally protected from domestic abuse under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.[30]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_India

Monday, December 24, 2018

From a poem by anti-Nazi theologian Pastor Martin Niemoller:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me

My comments: Did you notice: The number of views has dwindled.

Did you notice: The number of views has dwindled.

They're being ousted from their home.

They're old and helpless.

Even the Honorable Chief Minister of the State -- couldn't resolve this problem.

Now they've written to the Honorable Prime Minister.

I sincerely hope that the Prime Minister would intervene and help 'em out of this ordeal.

Saira Banu SLAMS Builder Samir Bhojwani For Threatening Dilip Kumar | LehrenTV 16,884 views

Veteran actress Saira Banu recently sought a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the issue of their old house. The actress now slammed the builder for threatening Dilip Kumar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FM2uOgFEJQ

Saira Banu Writes To PM Modi, Seeks Help | FULL INTERVIEW | ABP News

Veteran actress and Dilip Kumar’s wife Saira Banu, in an exclusive talk with ABP News, spoke about how she and her husband are living under the threat of builder Samir Bhojwani, who was arrested for usurping their Pali Hill bungalow in Mumbai. The ‘Junglee’ actress on Sunday had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet her during his visit to Mumbai.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdB3z899a0E

Sunday, December 23, 2018

lost soul noun

Definition of lost soul 
: a lonely and unhappy person

thanks a bunch/lot/million idiom

Definition of thanks a bunch/lot/million 
informal
: thank you very much
Wow, this is great! Thanks a million!
—often used in an ironic way to say that one is not pleased that someone has done or said something
"I'm boring? Thanks a lot!"
Thanks a million for leaving the door open. There are flies everywhere now.

This is my camouflage -- incognito? Yep -- impersonating? yeah -- Psst. Did you hear the story: a wolf in sheep's clothing?


false alarm


This story sounds fishy to me


conflict of interest


Saturday, December 22, 2018

My comments: Sanskrit

The movie: The Passion of the Christ (also known simply as The Passion) -- When it's released -- People started learning that ancient language -- So my point is we'd revive Sanskrit -- People say It's dead, archaic and ancient. But my point of view is we'd revive it -- school level and all that.  

My comments: We're pioneers of social engineering and lots of other things -- but we never get credit -- We must revive Sanskrit -- We'd learn so much -- Vedas etc. It's for all of us -- not just Hindus -- A trove of wisdom.


My comments: ingenuity


My comments: perception


Friday, December 21, 2018

reality check

something that clarifies or serves as a reminder of reality often by correcting a misconception

take five

used to tell someone to stop working and relax for a short period of time

laissez-faire

​unwillingness to get involved in or influence other people's activities:

The problems began long before he became CEO, but they worsened with his laissez-faire approach/attitude.

feeler

a suggestion or question to find out the thoughts or opinions of other people

Spook lingo: Drop

: a place or central depository to which something (such as mail, money, or stolen property) is brought for distribution or transmission
left the package at the drop
also : the act of depositing something at such a place
made the drop

Here's a brainteaser for you guys: Simile vs. Metaphor

Many people have trouble distinguishing between simile and metaphor. A glance at their Latin and Greek roots offers a simple way of telling these two closely-related figures of speech apart. Simile comes from the Latin word similis (meaning “similar, like”), which seems fitting, since the comparison indicated by a simile will typically contain the words as or like. Metaphor, on the other hand, comes from the Greek word metapherein (“to transfer”), which is also fitting, since a metaphor is used in place of something. “My love is like a red, red rose” is a simile, and “love is a rose” is a metaphor.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Hundredth monkey effect / phenomenon

The hundredth monkey effect is a hypothetical phenomenon in which a new behaviour or idea is claimed to spread rapidly by unexplained means from one group to all related groups once a critical number of members of one group exhibit the new behaviour or acknowledge the new idea

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundredth_monkey_effect

monkey business


Next time: Come with your scuba gear!


My comments: Indian black money -- If we'd get this money we'd easily eradicate poverty.

In India, black money is funds earned on the black market, on which income and other taxes have not been paid. Also, the unaccounted money that is concealed from the tax administrator is called black money. The black money is accumulated by the criminals, smugglers, hoarders, tax-evaders and other anti-social elements of the society. Around 22000 crores of rupees are supposed[citation needed] to have been accumulated by the criminals for vested interests, though writ petitions in the supreme court estimate this to be even larger, at ₹90 lakh crores.[1]

The total amount of black money deposited in foreign banks by Indians is unknown. Some reports claim a total of US$1.06 - $1.4 trillions is held illegally in Switzerland.[2] Other reports, including those reported by the Swiss Bankers Association and the Government of Switzerland, claim these reports are false and fabricated, and the total amount held in all Swiss bank accounts by citizens of India is about US$2 billion.[3][4] In February 2012, the director of India's Central Bureau of Investigation said that Indians have US$500 billion of illegal funds in foreign tax havens, more than any other country.[5][6] In March 2012, the government of India clarified in its parliament that the CBI director's statement on $500 billion of illegal money was an estimate based on a statement made to India's Supreme Court in July 2011.[7]

In March 2018, it was revealed that the amount of Indian black money currently present in Swiss and other offshore banks is estimated to be ₹90 lakh crores or US$1500 billion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_black_money

Vikram: Isn't this a Sisyphean ordeal? You never give up. Your're so bullheaded!


Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Does refuting the Darwinian theory of evolution imply refuting animal and plant evolution?

Source: Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allah

Firstly: 

It has become clear to many rational people that the theory of the atheist Darwin has been consigned to the trash can of history, because it was refuted by the disbelieving scientists of the West before Muslim scientists, as it is contrary to common sense and the teachings of various religions. 

In al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Muyassarah fi’l-Adyaan wa’l-Madhaahib wa’l-Ahzaab al-Mu‘aasirah (2/940-941), after a discussion of this theory, it says: 

From the above it is clear that Darwin’s theory may now be shelved, after the discovery of Mendel’s laws of genetics and the discovery of genes which are the secret code of creation, and the discovery that chromosomes carry the complete physical attributes of humans and preserve the similarity in attributes of a particular species. 

Hence fair-minded scientists think that the similarities between living beings offer clear evidence against the theory of evolution, because they testify that the Creator is one but they do not indicate that the starting point is one. However, the Holy Qur’an confirms that the initial substance of creation for all living beings is water:

“Allah has created every moving (living) creature from water”

[an-Noor 24:45]

“And We have made from water every living thing”

[al-Anbiya’ 21:30]. 

Empirical science has proven the falseness of this theory, on the basis of definitive evidence, and that it is not a scientific theory at all. 

Islam and all divinely revealed religions believe in the existence of Allah, the Creator, Originator, Controller and Fashioner Who has made all things well. He originally created man from an extract of clay, then He created him from a sperm drop lodged in a safe lodging (the womb), and man remains human in his form, attributes and reason; he does not evolve or change. “And also in your own selves [there are signs]. Will you not then see?” [adh-Dhaariyaat 51:21].

End quote. 

Secondly: 

The basis for the refutation of this theory is no different with regard to animals and plants. Specialists have refuted the idea of evolution in animals and plants, in ways that make this theory unfit for continued examination, let alone believing in it. 

This evidence – that has to do with animals and plants, as mentioned in the question – includes the following: 

-1-

What we see around us of the reality of things is contrary to what Darwin called the survival of the fittest. The earth, as it has gone through different stages in its long life, has been filled with the fittest and the unfit, of various kinds of animals. If Darwin’s theory was correct, then the simple, clear results of his law suggest that there should not still be living creatures that are still at the starting point, no matter how slow we may assume the progress of evolution to be. But we see that the starting point is still crowded with various weak creatures that are still living their lives, with their own characteristics, just as their ancestors also lived their lives in exactly the same manner. Conversely, we see that some highly evolved animals, such as the dinosaurs, have become extinct whilst insects such as flies and fleas still survive, as do others that are even weaker than them. The French professor Etienne Rebaud says in his book Will the Fit or the Unfit Survive? (p. 40): There is no such thing as natural selection in the course of fighting for survival, so that the strong survive and the weak diminish. For example, the garden lizard can run fast, because it has four long legs, but at the same type there are other types of lizards that have legs so short that they virtually crawl, dragging themselves along the ground with difficulty.… These types have the same physical makeup, even with regard to their legs; they eat the same food and live in the same environment. If these animals had adapted to their environment, there would not be such differences in their faculties and physical makeup. 

Contrary to the concept of natural selection, all these types of animals have survived and are still living and multiplying. For example, there are mountain rats that have short front legs and only move by jumping in a very awkward manner. Many insects cannot fly, even though they have big wings. So their physical makeup did not come about as a result of living beings trying to adapt to their circumstances. Rather, on the contrary, the way they live is shaped by their physical makeup and the way their different faculties function. 

-2-

If evolution is always moving towards the fittest, then why do we not find the power of reasoning in many animals that are more developed and more highly evolved than others, if evolution is for the benefit of all creatures? Why did the higher primates not attain the power of reasoning as man did, for example? Donkeys, from the time when they were first known until the present, are still donkeys. 

Darwin referred to this problem in his book, but he did not answer it. Rather he commented on it in the Origin of Species (p. 412) by saying: 

No one should expect to find a specific answer to this question, especially since we know that we are unable to answer a question that is less complex than this. 

-3-

It has been proven through research that many of the plants and animals of Egypt have not changed from the way they were many centuries ago. It is clear from some of domesticated animals that are engraved on ancient Egyptian relics, or that have been preserved by means of embalming, that they are very similar to those that exist now; in fact there are hardly any differences at all. 

And there are many examples that come under this heading. 

-4-

This theory cannot be proven through experimentation or observation. No human has ever observed even the slightest degree of evolution.

At no time throughout history has humanity ever observed any living being transformed into another being through evolution, especially when there are specialised scientists who are watching for the slightest change in outward appearance or inward structure of those beings. See the book by the Australian Michael Denton. 

End quote from an article entitled Naqd Nazariyaat at-Tatawwur (Criticism of the Theory of Evolution) by Dr Muhammad Barbaab

http://www.55a.net/firas/arabic/print_details.php?page=show_det&id=1366

The article contains more information and a criticism of Neo-Darwinism. It also mentions discoveries from excavations that have thrown Neo-Darwinism into what is called the crisis of Neo-Darwinism, especially since this new theory insists that all kinds of plants and animals are subject to evolution, without exception.

And Allah knows best.

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/126913/does-refuting-the-darwinian-theory-of-evolution-imply-refuting-animal-and-plant-evolution

Charles Darwin: Evolution and the story of our species

The man who struggled with his own ideas

Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection made us rethink our place in the world. The idea that humans shared a common ancestor with apes was a challenge to the foundations of western civilisation.

Darwin kept silent for 20 years before going public and was only half joking when he described writing his book 'On the Origin of Species' as 'like confessing a murder'. This is the story of one man’s struggle with the most radical idea of all time.

https://www.bbc.com/timelines/zq8gcdm

Our Darling Darwin

It ain't necessarily so ...

Darwin was no atheist, he didn't say humans came from monkeys, and 'survival of the fittest' - that was someone else's idea. John van Wyhe clears up some myths

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/feb/09/darwin.myths

Ape and essence of scientific theory

Indeed, the HRD mantri, who charged Indian proponents of Darwinism with literally aping the West, is not the only one to put Darwin in the dock. A number of schools in the US teach the doctrine of ‘Creationism’ — the belief in the Biblical origin of the world and of humankind — and dismiss Darwin’s theory as ‘Evilutionism’. 

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/ape-and-essence-of-scientific-theory/articleshow/63260519.cms

Darwin theory wrong; no one has seen ape turning into man, says MoS Satyapal Singh

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/darwin-theory-wrong-no-one-has-seen-ape-turning-into-man-says-mos-satyapal-singh/article22481927.ece

What Darwin actually said about man and apes


https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/what-darwin-actually-said-about-man-and-apes/article22485570.ece

Shilpa Shetty: Racism controversy

During her stay on Celebrity Big Brother 5, Shetty was alleged to be the target of racism and bullying by some other housemates, chiefly Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd.[36] After correcting Goody's mother, who mispronounced Shetty's name as 'Shiwpa', Shetty was mocked for her Indian accent and was branded "The Indian" and was referred to as a "dog" by Lloyd. Referring to Shetty, O'Meara generalised that all Indians were thin because they were "sick all the time" as a result of undercooking their food, following their belief that Shetty had undercooked a chicken,[37] which had given O'Meara diarrhoea.[38] Lloyd also mentioned that she disliked Shetty touching her food because she did not "know where her hands have been".

After Shetty had attempted to dispose of the left-over chicken soup down the toilet and had caused a blockage, housemate Jack Tweed suggested that she should pick the bones out with her teeth[38] and allegedly referred to her as a "fucking Paki",[40] although show producers denied this and stated that the word used was "cunt".[41][42] During a fierce argument, Goody told Shetty that she needed to "spend a day in the slums", although the media falsely reported this as "go back to the slums".[43] Claiming that she did not know Shilpa's surname, Goody referred to her as "Shilpa Fuckawallah", "Shilpa Daroopa", and "Shilpa Poppadom", later claiming that they were non-racist references to Indian food.[44][45] Lloyd had opined that Shetty's English-speaking skills were lacking and said she should "fuck off home".[46]

Shetty had been reduced to tears on several occasions, confiding to fellow housemate Ian Watkins: "I feel like I'm losing my dignity."[38] After the show, Goody stated that she understood her comments appeared as racist and apologized for any offence caused.[47] On 14 February 2007, Shetty said "Jade and Danielle did apologise. And I've forgiven them. Anyone, who knows me, knows I forgive and forget easily." On 17 February 2007, Shetty said that she wanted to forgive Jo O'Meara, but she and other Celebrity Big Brother contestants had difficulty contacting her.[48] After Goody apologised to Shetty for her behaviour, Tweed stated that he was very disappointed with Goody for apologizing, and called Shetty a "dick" after previously describing her as a "wanker". Shetty speculated that she might be a victim of racism,[49] but later retracted it by claiming: "People say things in anger."[44]  In May 2007, Lloyd attended the premiere of Shetty's film Life in a... Metro in London, in which the two were photographed together.

The screening of the racial comments on UK television resulted in national and international media coverage, responses from the UK and Indian governments,[50] and the show's suspension during the 2008 season.[51] Many agencies and corporations cancelled their contracts with the housemates accused of racism, citing the allegations as the reason for the terminations. Also, many sponsors of the Big Brother series cancelled[52] or suspended[53] their sponsorship of the show. After conducting an investigation, Ofcom ruled that Channel 4 had breached the Ofcom code of conduct, and statutory sanctions were placed on the network.[54]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shilpa_Shetty
Dismissing a complaint that Richard Gere had acted obscenely by kissing Shilpa Shetty in public,[3] the Supreme Court of India had observed that in this issue 'no case was made out'.

Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code

Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code lays down the punishment for obscene acts or words in public. The other sections of Indian Penal code which deal with obscenity are 292 and 293. The law does not clearly define what would constitute an obscene act, but it would enter the domain of the state only when it takes place in a public place to the annoyance of others. Temple art or nakedness of sadhus are traditionally outside the purview of this section.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_294_of_the_Indian_Penal_Code

Public displays of affection (PDA)

Public display of affection is regarded as unacceptable in India. Kissing and hugging are taboo. However, same sex physical contact is allowed. Under section 294 of the Indian Penal Code, causing annoyance to others through "obscene acts" is a criminal offence with a punishment of imprisonment up to 3 months or a fine, or both.[49] Because this law does not give explicit definitions of "obscene acts", it is blatantly misused by police and lower courts to harass couples. For example, in 2007, when actor Richard Gere kissed Shilpa Shetty in an AIDS awareness event in New Delhi, a warrant for his arrest was issued by an Indian court. People burnt effigies of Gere and Shetty for publicly embracing in a "sexually provocative" way.[50] These cases of harassment of dating couples are generally bitterly criticized by a growing number of young Indians, who feel the need for a change in the perception on dating and public displays of affection. In the past, attacks by vigilante groups also were a danger for those celebrating Valentine's Day. However the number of couples celebrating Valentine's Day has grown so much that these attacks have become ineffective in deterring couples.[51] However, relaxation of previous generations' social norms has made public displays of affection more common among India's younger demographic. In the state of Kerala, a public hugging and kissing campaign (named Kiss Of Love) was launched in November 2014 in protest against moral policing.[52]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_display_of_affection

Definition of dope story

a background story presenting explanatory, interpretative, and evaluative material designed to make more understandable some news event

Definition of think piece

a piece of writing meant to be thought-provoking and speculative that consists chiefly of background material and personal opinion and analysis


Yep I'm your bugbear! Stop playing dead! Let me give you a great, big, bone-crushing bearhug!


Ali Baba: Keep the Open Sesame treasures. Just give us Marjaneh! ;-)


So you're a barnstormer eh? -- Oh it's your vocation -- I've Acrophobia!


Nirvana eh? yeah, right/sure!



Gotcha birdies! Team effort huh? yeah, right/sure


Tuesday, December 18, 2018

What's the difference between friends and acquaintances?

People often distinguish between an acquaintance and a friend, holding that the former should be used primarily to refer to someone with whom one is not especially close. Many of the earliest uses of acquaintance were in fact in reference to a person with whom one was very close, but the word is now generally reserved for those who are known only slightly.

Acquaintance is often found paired with nodding. Although nodding acquaintance sounds like it describes a person who is known just enough to nod at, it tends to be used instead to refer to a thing or field with which one has a small amount of knowledge or familiarity (and this is the meaning that the phrase has had since its introduction to the language in the early 19th century).

Monday, December 17, 2018

after-action report

Definition of after-action report 
: a detailed critical summary or analysis of a past event (such as a military action) made for the purposes of re-assessing decisions and considering possible alternatives for future reference
Prior to leaving Saigon for Honolulu, Harkins had requested and received from Vann a special after-action report on the July 20 engagement.
— Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
—called also after-action review

after-acquired evidence

Definition of after-acquired evidence 
employment law
: evidence of an employee's wrongdoing that is discovered by an employer after the employee's termination but that could have been the basis for termination
An employer can rely on after-acquired evidence of resume fraud as a complete defense only if it can prove that the employee's concealment undermined the very basis on which he or she was hired.
— National Law Journal, 30 June 1997

Bill Gates: $90 Billion

With his wife Melinda, Bill Gates chairs the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable foundation.
The foundation works to save lives and improve global health, and is working with Rotary International to eliminate polio.
Gates has sold or given away much of his stake in Microsoft -- he owns just over 1% of shares --and invested in a mix of stocks and other assets.
He remains a board member of Microsoft, the software firm he founded with Paul Allen in 1975.
In late 2016, Gates announced the launch of a $1 billion Breakthrough Energy investment fund with about 20 other people.
To date, Gates has donated $35.8 billion worth of Microsoft stock to the Gates Foundation.

https://www.forbes.com/profile/bill-gates/?list=billionaires#1eda916f689f

hunch

a strong intuitive feeling concerning especially a future event or result
had a hunch I would find you here

a belief or idea about something (especially a future event) that is not based on facts or evidence

Sunday, December 16, 2018

My comments: I wish someone urges him to reconsider this decision. I feel so dreadful for 'em.

Bill Gates says his children are 'proud' of his pledge to leave his $70 billion fortune to charity

https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-children-are-proud-of-his-pledge-to-leave-his-money-to-charity-2016-10?IR=T

My comments: I don't get this! :(

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/06/billionaires-who-wont-leave-their-fortunes-to-their-kids.html

7 billionaires who won’t leave their fortunes to their kids 

My comments: I didn't get this. My opinion: This is his only first and last bad decision! :(

Bill Gates' kids may not inherit his fortune, but he is setting them up for success in other ways

Microsoft co-founder encouraging his children to achieve independently

Golshifteh Farahani


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTeY6H581pg&t=12s

Golshifteh Farahani


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tezz15pLGi8

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation : And, us.

Gates Foundation’s India AIDS Initiative Announces the Release of its First Grants Worth $67.5 Million

Foundation also doubles its commitment to HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in India to $200 million.

So what's wrong with you eh? Did I get the demographics wrong? tsk-tsk Maths - My bugbear! ;-)

I've schizophrenia -- mental illness -- quite severe and debilitating -- okay? But what's wrong with you people and your mental faculties?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-secular-life/201510/how-many-atheists-are-there

But let’s look at the number of non-theists (atheists and agnostics) specifically.

Various selected countries, according to the Oxford Handbook, with the highest percentages of non-believers, include:

Czech Republic – 55% atheist/agnostic (actual number: 4,649,620)

France – 41% (19,965,630)

Sweden – 39% (2,800,152)

Germany – 36% (24,564,226)

Netherlands – 34% (4,303,110)

Belgium – 34% (2,857,053)

Denmark – 32% (1,369,512)

Norway – 32% (1.146,464)

United Kingdom – 30% (14,579,992)

South Korea – 28% (10,419,885)

New Zealand – 28% (866,000)

Finland – 28% (1,172,404)

Japan – 28% (29,766,356)

Hungary – 27% (2,254,556)

Australia – 26% (5,058,772)

Spain – 21% (7,633,561)

China – 17.9% (234,595,000)

Atheists and agnostics

According to sociologist Phil Zuckerman, broad estimates of those who have an absence of belief in a deity range from 500 to 750 million people worldwide.

Other estimates state that there are 200 million to 240 million self-identified atheists worldwide, with China and Russia being major contributors to those figures.[3] According to sociologists Ariela Keysar and Juhem Navarro-Rivera's review of numerous global studies on atheism, there are 450 to 500 million positive atheists and agnostics worldwide (7% of the world's population), with China having the most atheists in the world (200 million convinced atheists).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_atheism

For the nosiest amongst us. :-)

People often ask me: What's wrong with you?
I tell 'em that I've schizophrenia!

What's that?
Then I explain 'em -- patiently and at length.

So here are some URLs / Links about schizophrenia:
http://schizophrenia.com
https://www.bbrfoundation.org/faq/frequently-asked-questions-about-schizophrenia

metonymy

a figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated (such as "crown" in "lands belonging to the crown")

Friday, December 14, 2018

Shamanism

Shamanism, religious phenomenon centred on the shaman, a person believed to achieve various powers through trance or ecstatic religious experience. Although shamans’ repertoires vary from one culture to the next, they are typically thought to have the ability to heal the sick, to communicate with the otherworld, and often to escort the souls of the dead to that otherworld.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/shamanism

My Comments

Book: Pulling Your Own Strings by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Dynamic techniques for dealing with other people and living your life as you choose.

My Comments: 

This is possible only if you're financially independent / secure, able-bodied and moderate IQ.

My big bro said to me that I'm the victim of the book itself.

And a friend of my big bro said this is for American etc. milieu.

Vocab break: Synecdoche

Definition of synecdoche 
: a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (such as fifty sail for fifty ships), the whole for a part (such as society for high society), the species for the genus (such as cutthroat for assassin), the genus for the species (such as a creature for a man), or the name of the material for the thing made (such as boards for stage)

Do you speak English eh? Vocab break: Synecdoche and Metonymy

The terms metonymy and synecdoche refer to two similar figures of speech used as rhetorical devices. (They're easy to confuse, so feel free to read this as many times as you need.)

what-is-synecdoche-vs-metonymy
'Synecdoche' is when a part of something is used to refer to the whole. 'Metonymy' is when something is used to represent something related to it.

Synecdoche refers to the practice of using a part of something to stand in for the whole thing. Two common examples from slang are the use of wheels to refer to an automobile (“she showed off her new wheels”) or threads to refer to clothing.

A classic example of synecdoche is the use of the term hands to mean “workers” (as in “all hands on deck”), or the noun sails to mean “ships.” Synecdoche is also sometimes used in the names of sports teams (the White Sox, the Blue Jackets).

Metonymy refers to the use of the name of one thing to represent something related to it, such as crown to represent “king or queen” or White House or Oval Office to represent “President.” When you say “a bunch of suits were in the elevator” when you are talking about businesspeople, that is an example of metonymy, because you're using the common wardrobe of executives as shorthand for people in that occupation.

It’s metonymy when you use a person’s name to refer to the works by that person, as when you say “I had to read Hemingway for a class” when you really mean “I had to read a work by Hemingway for a class.” Another straightforward example is when you use a city’s name to refer to its team, as when you say “Houston was ahead by six points.”

Some examples are so common as to become a regular part of the lexicon. For example, the use of press to mean “journalists” dates to the 17th century and occurs in the First Amendment (“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…”). This use, of course, attributes journalists with the name of the device used for printing newspapers and other circulations.

In similar classic examples of metonymy, an occupation is identified by the tools used to carry it out. A sportswriter might say that a team’s bats went into a slump, when the writer really means that the hitters in the lineup went into the slump. Sometimes metonymy is used to make a name catchier than the item it replaces, like when surf and turf, using two rhyming terms that allude to the sea and land, is used for to a dish combining seafood and beef.

Like many terms used in rhetoric, both synecdoche and metonymy derive from Greek. The syn- in synecdoche means "with, along with" (much like as in synonym) and ekdochē means "sense, interpretation." Metonymy meanwhile, combines the Greek meta (“among, with, after,” the same root found in metaphor) with onyma, meaning “name” or “word.”

Now that you've got these two figured out, we hope you enjoy reading the rest of Merriam-Webster.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

megalomania

a condition or mental illness that causes people to think that they have great or unlimited power or importance

Messiah complex

A delusional mental condition in which a person believes that he or she is the true Messiah; (more generally) a belief held by any person that he or she is supremely powerful and capable of anything; compare earlier Messianic complex.

Do you speak English eh? Vocab break: double entendre

1 linguistics : a word or expression capable of two interpretations with one usually risqué
flirty talk full of double entendres
2 literature : ambiguity of meaning arising from language that lends itself to more than one interpretation

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

My comments: 657,829 sex workers -- Wake up Incredible India!

Source: Forbes India Magazine

India Rich List

My comments: If even a tiny fraction of their money -- If contributed -- I mean if these people get together and help 'em out -- Approx. 657,829 prostitutes in India  -- could be rehabilitated / reformed -- Just a wee bit.

India Rich List 2016


http://www.forbesindia.com/lists/india-rich-list-2016/1557/1

India Rich List 2017

http://www.forbesindia.com/lists/india-rich-list-2017/1655/all


Bacha bazi: The stolen childhood of boys turned into dancers, sex slaves in Afghanistan

For some boys, the only escape is to forge a secret deal with the Taliban, which has successfully recruited boy sex slaves hungry for revenge to kill their abusers within police ranks.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/bacha-bazi-the-stolen-childhood-of-boys-turned-into-dancers-sex-slaves-in-afghanistan/story-5FrGrKI2PzrSRynHSfzh2N.html

The sexually abused dancing boys of Afghanistan By Rustam Qobil BBC World Service 8 September 2010

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11217772

The secret shame of Afghanistan's bacha bazi 'dancing boys' who are made to dress like little girls, then abused by paedophiles

Bacha bazi, meaning 'boy play', is a tradition found across Afghanistan, where boys dress as women and perform
But these boys, some as young as 10, are also sexually abused by the men - passed around after the parties
The stigma of having been a 'bacha bereesh' sees the victims shunned by their families and society
However, 'owning' more than one boy is seen as a display of both power and wealth among some Afghan war lords

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3384027/Women-children-boys-pleasure-secret-shame-Afghanistan-s-bacha-bazi-dancing-boys-dress-like-little-girls-make-skirts-abused-paedophiles.html

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Michael Rayner Thwaites AUSTRALIAN POET AND INTELLIGENCE AGENT

Michael Rayner Thwaites, Australian poet and intelligence agent (born May 30, 1915, Brisbane, Queen., Australia—died Nov. 1, 2005, Canberra, Australia), served 21 years (1950–71) with the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and was instrumental in supervising the defection (1954) of Soviet spies Vladimir and Yevdokiya Petrov. During the 18-month period that Thwaites lived with the couple in a safe house, he served as a ghostwriter for their book The Empire of Fear (1956). He recounted his own version of the experience in Truth Will Out: ASIO and the Petrovs (1980). He penned several other important works, including the epic war poems “The Prophetic Hour” (1940) and “The Jervis Bay” (1942), the memoir Atlantic Odyssey (1999), and Unfinished Journey (2004), a volume of poems written between 1932 and 2004. Thwaites was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2002.

Ten surprising expressions in Indian English By Steven Baker

https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/ten-surprising-expressions-indian-english

bed-tea: indian english

tea that is served to you in bed early in the morning

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bed-tea

Monday, December 10, 2018

Child Soldiers: From Recruitment to Reintegration

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Child-Soldiers-From-Recruitment-to-Reintegration-1575121

Srebrenica massacre BOSNIAN HISTORY [1995]

Srebrenica massacre, slaying of more than 7,000 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) boys and men, perpetrated by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica, a town in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in July 1995. 

https://www.britannica.com/event/Srebrenica-massacre

War crime INTERNATIONAL LAW

https://www.britannica.com/topic/war-crime

Crime against humanity INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW

https://www.britannica.com/topic/crime-against-humanity

Kargil SECTOR, LADAKH REGION, INDIA

 Several hundred combatants were killed on each side during the conflict.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Kargil

Persian Gulf War, also called Gulf War, (1990–91)

estimates of Iraqi military deaths range from 8,000 to 100,000. The allies, by contrast, lost about 300 troops in the conflict.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Persian-Gulf-War

Tamil Tigers REVOLUTIONARY ORGANIZATION, SRI LANKA

The number of civil-war-related deaths in Sri Lanka since the early 1980s was estimated at between 70,000 and 80,000, with many tens of thousands more displaced by the fighting.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tamil-Tigers

Bosnian conflict

It was originally estimated that at least 200,000 people were killed and more than 2,000,000 displaced during the 1992–95 war. Subsequent studies, however, concluded that the death toll was actually about 100,000

https://www.britannica.com/event/Bosnian-conflict

Iran-Iraq War

The number of casualties was enormous but equally uncertain. Estimates of total casualties range from 1,000,000 to twice that number. The number killed on both sides was perhaps 500,000, with Iran suffering the greatest losses. It is estimated that between 50,000 and 100,000 Kurds were killed by Iraqi forces during the series of campaigns code-named Anfāl (Arabic: “Spoils”) that took place in 1988 

https://www.britannica.com/event/Iran-Iraq-War

Sir Richard Burton BRITISH SCHOLAR AND EXPLORER

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Burton-British-scholar-and-explorer

Woman sentenced to death by stoning in Sudan

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/05/2012531182332694820.html

Woman stoned to death in Afghanistan over accusation of adultery

https://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/04/asia/afghanistan-taliban-woman-stoning/index.html

My comments: There are many parallels between the three heinous crimes --

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35408623

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6217773/Husband-chopped-wifes-hands-axe-revenge-cheating-him.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/08/04/afghanistan.mutilated.girl.update/index.html

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Bibi Aisha, a young Afghan wife whose ears and nose were cut off by her husband, is heading to the United States on Wednesday for reconstructive surgery.

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Bibi Aisha, a young Afghan wife whose ears and nose were cut off by her husband, is heading to the United States on Wednesday for reconstructive surgery

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/08/04/afghanistan.mutilated.girl.update/index.html

Reza Gul: The Afghan woman whose husband cut off her nose

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35408623

My comments: I dunno it's satanic / demonic -- This person should be hanged

Husband who chopped off his wife's hands with an axe 'in revenge for cheating on him' faces a decade in jail after court declares him sane

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6217773/Husband-chopped-wifes-hands-axe-revenge-cheating-him.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-46217055/my-husband-cut-off-my-hands-with-an-axe

Husband who chopped off his wife's hands with an axe 'in revenge for cheating on him' faces a decade in jail after court declares him sane

Dmitry Grachyov has had his parental rights revoked after five hearings 
Russian court heard how he drove his wife to a forest and tied her up
Her hacked at both wrists with an axe. His wife's left hand was sewn back on by surgeons, and she now has a 'robot' right arm which she is learning to use
Margarita has been hailed as an 'inspiration' for overcoming the torture 

The brutal Russian husband who chopped off his wife's hands with an axe faces up to ten years in jail after being declared mentally sane and fit to stand trial.

Dmitry Grachyov, 27, feared his wife Margarita was cheating on him and wanted revenge, he told a court.

Margarita today expressed relief that a court, after five hearings finally deprived Grachyov of his parental rights - which means he will never see his two young children again or play any role in their upbringing. 

In December last year, he forced the 26-year-old mother-of-two into his car and drove her to a forest where he tied her up, forced her to kneel, and then severed her wrists with an axe.

Since then the woman has been hailed as an 'inspiration' in Russia after seeking to overcome her husband's appalling medieval torture.

Read on:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6217773/Husband-chopped-wifes-hands-axe-revenge-cheating-him.html

Schizophrenia: Key facts

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder affecting more than 21 million people worldwide.
Schizophrenia is characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self and behaviour. Common experiences include hallucinations - hearing voices or seeing things that are not there and delusions – fixed, false beliefs.
Worldwide, schizophrenia is associated with considerable disability and may affect educational and occupational performance.
People with schizophrenia are 2-3 times more likely to die early than the general population. This is often due to preventable physical diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease and infections.
Stigma, discrimination and violation of human rights of people with schizophrenia is common.
Schizophrenia is treatable. Treatment with medicines and psychosocial support is effective.
Facilitation of assisted living, supported housing and supported employment are effective management strategies for people with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia: Magnitude and impact

Schizophrenia affects more than 23 million people worldwide but is not as common as many other mental disorders. It is more common among males (12 million), than females (9 million). Schizophrenia also commonly starts earlier among men.

Schizophrenia is associated with considerable disability and may affect educational and occupational performance.

People with schizophrenia are 2-3 times more likely to die early than the general population. This is often due to physical illnesses, such as cardiovascular, metabolic and infectious diseases.

Stigma, discrimination and violation of human rights of people with schizophrenia is common.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schizophrenia

Excerpt from Prof. Kev Nair's Fluency Development Course

http://www.fluentzy.com

'Speech' comes first, and 'writing', only next

You know, the first thing you should understand about a language is this: A language has two sides, like a coin. Yes, two sides. A 'spoken' side and a 'written' side.

Listen. Doesn't a child learn to speak long before it sees writing? Hadn't people been speaking, long before writing came? So isn't one thing clear -- that the 'spoken' stage of a language before the 'written' stage? Isn't this also clear -- that 'speech' and 'writing' are different things, and aren't to be looked at or learnt in the same way?

This is true about any language. It's true about English, too

Don't you get one thing now? Don't you see why most non-native speakers of English find it hard to speak fluent English?

Non-native speakers learn English the 'wrong' way

By 'non-native speakers of English', I mean people for whom English is not their first language or mother-tongue, but a second language -- or just a foreign language. You see, for people in India, English is a foreign language -- but it's also a second language. For people in several other countries, English is simply a foreign language, and not even a second language.

Most non-native speakers of English find it hard to speak English fluently, because they can't learn English the way they learn their first language. You see they're born and brought up in a country where English is not spoken as the first language. And so they can only learn English in the wrong way: In a way that is just the reverse of the natural process of language acquisition. Haven't we seen just now what the natural way is? Haven't we seen that the natural way is to learn to speak first, and then only to learn to write? But most non-native speakers of English don't have the opportunity of learning English in that way.

So you see, as a non-native speaker of English, you've been learning English in the 'non-natural' way -- in a way that's opposite to the natural way of language acquisition. You've been learning to write English first, rather than to speak it. That's what you've been doing at school and college, You've been learning to produce written English. And the methods you had to follow never fully made you understand this: The 'soken' style is quite different from the 'written' style.

You see, the spoken word is the basis for the written word, and not the other way round. And so spoken English is more fundamental than written English. But the non-natural way in which you had to kearn English planted the wrong notion in your mind: A wrong notion that things are the other way round -- that written English is more fundamental than spoken English.

So the result is this: You're now steeped in written English. And your written English orientation has been preventing you all along from understanding on thing. It has bee preventing you from understanding that spontaneous speech has to be composed differently -- that is, in a way quite different from the way writing is produced. Result? You always try to speak the way you write. And you do this by trying hard to follow principles of grammar and usage as applied to writing, and not as applied to speech itself.

Is there any wonder fluency has eluded you so far?

So I want you to understand on thing here and now: When they speak spontaneously, fluent speakers apply principles of grammar and usage in a way that is different from the way they apply those principles when they write. And the spoken style has a number of devices and conventions are not derived from the written style.

Sunday, December 9, 2018

English: An enigma

I'd like to zero in on something -- Indian students are as bright as their counterparts in any country -- but the problem they face is that -- their syllabuses are in English -- That's why they can't understand that -- And, catch-22 is -- if they study in a regional language medium of instruction school -- They'd have problem with getting employed and other things -- In Germany -- it's German -- in France it's French -- and so on -- Other thing is Lower KG to Intermediate -- Fourteen years of fundamental learning -- I didn't get that -- I was just like any other student -- We're poor and we didn't have access to good education -- I studied in proverbial blackboard jungle -- At my school they didn't follow the Education board's syllabi -- I studied in so-called English medium schools -- but they never spoke English -- at least in the begginng of my education -- I used to speak in written English -- like the classic example of Prof Kev Nair's -- instead of saying put out your cigarette -- I'd say exintiguish your cigarette -- one more thing is: Unlearninng is impossible -- you'd get it right the first time itself -- I became a laughingstock -- My peers taunted me -- Something else: We study in British English -- And, if we switch to American -- you'd be pronouncing some words in British English -- and some words in American English -- Writing also ditto -- 

To be continued . . . 

My Comments: Just one question: Save a child from starvation or ogle at nude paintings? It's your money -- It's your choice.

Do you need Arthur T. Benjamin to calculate this? My question is we're buying explicit porn for zillions of dollars, aren't we? And, there're zillions of people dying because of starvation etcetera. So you still think I'm a moron, retard and crazy? A despicable pariah? This defies logic.

Go to this United Nations site for Global Issues -- we're facing today.

http://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/global-issues-overview/

Yemen food survey finds majority in 'dire' crisis, famine a danger
Yemen’s war and the ensuing economic collapse has left 15.9 million people, 53 percent of the population, facing “severe acute food insecurity” and famine was a danger if immediate action was not taken, a survey said on Saturday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-hunger/yemen-food-survey-finds-majority-in-dire-crisis-famine-a-danger-idUSKBN1O70DP

Some 85,000 children may have already died here in Yemen, and 12 million more people may be on the brink of starvation, casualties in part of the three-year-old American-backed Saudi war in Yemen. United Nations officials and aid experts warn that this could become the worst famine the world has seen in a generation.

“The risk of a major catastrophe is very high,” Mark Lowcock, the United Nations humanitarian chief, told me. “In the worst case, what we have in Yemen now has the potential to be worse than anything any professional in this field has seen during their working lives.”

A nude painting just sold in New York for a record-breaking $157 million - here are the 15 most expensive paintings ever sold

15. Amedeo Modigliani's "Nu couché (sur le côté gauche)" — $157.2 million

14. Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" — $135 million

13. Pablo Picasso's "Le Rêve" — $155 million

12. Willem de Kooning's "Woman III" — $137.5 million

11. Jackson Pollock's "No. 5, 1948" — $140 million

10. Roy Lichtenstein's "Masterpiece" — $165 million

9. Amedeo Modigliani's "Nu Couché" — $170.4 million

8. Picasso's "Les Femmes d'Alger ("Version O")" — $179.4 million

7. Rembrandt's "Pendant portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit" — $180 million

6. Mark Rothko's "No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red)" — $186 million

5. Pollock's "Number 17A" — ~$200 million

4. Paul Gauguin's "Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?)" — $210 million

3. Paul Cézanne's "The Card Players" — $250 million

2. Willem de Kooning's "Interchange" — ~$300 million

1. Painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, "Salvator Mundi" — $450.3 million

https://www.businessinsider.in/A-nude-painting-just-sold-in-New-York-for-a-record-breaking-157-million-here-are-the-15-most-expensive-paintings-ever-sold/articleshow/64194028.cms