A look at the origins and evolution of our favorite camp stove…

This post was going to be a few words about the Primus stoves we all love and some images I’ve collected from around the web.  As usual, I found myself rambling all over the topic without a clear direction but here is a bit of an overview of liquid fuel stoves and how they have evolved over the past 150 years.  Clicking the image will link to a larger version in most cases.

Primus advertisement 1899. Image found on the Classic Camp Stove Forum.

Outdoor cooking has become something of a lost art for those of us raised in the industrial world, but not too long ago, what we think of as camp cooking was just plain cooking.   Several major advances made in the 19th and early 20th centuries resonate in our lives without a second thought from most of us.  Most of our grandparents or great-grandparents cooked with solid fuel (mostly wood, peat, manure, or charcoal) and their grandparents may have felt fortunate to even be able to cook indoors in bad weather. Much of the world still cooks this way and it is an eye-opener for those raised in the more industrialized countries if and when they travel abroad.

In the 19th century, the Caravan Craze, global expansionism, and long-distance campaign warfare sent massive numbers of otherwise “civilized” people back to the outdoors; often with high expectations about the board-of-fare.  Although we, as a species, have cooked over campfires for many thousands of years, this is not always convenient or desirable; whether for speed, lack of fuel, or need for a low profile in the hedgerows.  An early response to this need was the brazier or hibachi-type grill reinvented on numerous occasions in various parts of the world.  These  stoves can use small wood or charcoal but are heavy, smoky, and need large volumes of solid fuel for sustained use.  Not a good option for the traveller (sic).  When coal oil and kerosene became common, liquid fuel appeared to be the answer.

Tea at the Caravan with the Classic Svea Stove.

Although common now, liquid fuel stoves have not always been a good or safe choice for cooking on the road or in camp.  Early portable stoves used a wick and some variety of coal oil for the fuel.  The flame created with a wick is relatively low-temperature, causing incomplete combustion.

In fact, the early instructions for safe stove use are nearly the same as that of fireworks. 

“LAY ON GROUND. LIGHT FUSE. GET AWAY! – USE OUTDOORS ONLY – UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION.”

Another feature of the earliest wick stoves, due to their relatively low burning temperature, is that they exude fumes and soot, like a low-quality oil lamp. This sooting and smoke make them unpleasant at best, especially in confined spaces.  Though not a terrible option for the 1850s, they are nothing as good as what would come in the next generation.

Soyer stove.

The advancements of Alexis Soyer – The contraption above is one of the many inventions given to us by Alexis Soyer, celebrity chef and cooking guru of mid-19th century Britain.  Many of his cookbooks are still referenced and can be found for free on the web.  He was, by the way, born a Frenchman but we can forgive him this oversight for his many wonderful contributions to the world of food.

Not only did Mssr. Soyer invent several useful contraptions for cooking, but he is credited with organizing the first Soup Kitchen to help the starving Irish during the Famine.

As a further claim to fame, the large unit stove he developed for the British army during the Crimean War was such and excellent design it was still regular issue 120 years later.  But I digress from our theme.

Seen in use above, this little stove was revolutionary for the time but still left much to be desired, especially if one wanted to cook with it indoors.  I don’t believe you’d catch a sane cook using something of this sort on an actual tablecloth unless it was made from asbestos but it seemed like a good idea for the advertisement.  In the 19th century, both camp and home cookery were beginning to change drastically; up to this time the two were not very different.  Along with improvements in stoves, better cooking pots, and roasting pans, other kitchen gadgets were being developed to help make cooking better and easier.  A humble and often overlooked kitchen appliance was invented in this period…

The wind-up cooking timer –

Soyer’s Alarum.

This little beauty is something that all modern cooks take for granted.  It seems obvious now, but Soyer realized that mothers, chefs, and camp cooks have many things to attend to at once.  He wisely decided that a dinging countdown timer timer could take some of the strain away from cooking and make for better prepared meals.

The coming of the pressurized stove – The Crimean war, the Raj in India, and other colonial ventures undertaken during Queen Victoria’s reign spurred on great advances in campaign living and long-term camping.  The East India Company and the regular military encouraged officers to bring the comforts of home as whole careers were spent thousands of miles from home creating and running an empire.  From this period, the Brits gave us great folding furniture, camp bedding, portable furnishings, and the Gypsy caravan but it took a Swede to take us to the next level, and camp technology has never looked back.

The pressurized kerosene stove –

Image 1914.

From the Wikipedia Entry as of October 2014:

The Primus stove, the first pressurized-burner kerosene (paraffin) stove, was developed in 1892 by Frans Wilhelm Lindqvist, a factory mechanic in Stockholm, Sweden. The stove was based on the design of the hand-held blowtorch;

The origins of the camp stove!

Lindqvist’s patent covered the burner, which was turned upward on the stove instead of outward as on the blowtorch.

Improvements and variations came quickly after their introduction.

…The Primus No. 1 stove, made of brass, consists of a fuel tank at the base, above which is a “rising tube” and the burner assembly. A steel top ring on which to set a pot is held above the burner by three support legs. Other Primus-style stoves may be larger or smaller, but have the same basic design. The No. 1 stove weighs about 2½ pounds, and measures about 8½ inches high with an overall diameter of just under 7 inches. The tank, about 3½ inches high, holds a little over two pints of kerosene and will burn for about four hours on a full tank.

We think of this type stove as a camp stove but they were marketed far and wide for household use as well.

…Prior to the introduction of the Primus, kerosene stoves were constructed in the same manner as oil lamps, which use a wick to draw fuel from the tank to the burner and which produce a great deal of soot due to incomplete combustion.

The Primus stove’s design, which uses pressure and heat to vapourize the kerosene before ignition, results in a hotter, more efficient stove that does not soot.  Because it did not use a wick and did not produce soot, the Primus stove was advertised as the first “sootless” and “wickless” stove.

These stoves are still celebrated worldwide and are in use on every corner of the planet.  They are a labor-saving device that frees their owners from fuel collection and actually lower airborne pollutants in the immediate area.  They are also credited with limiting the natural deforestation that accompanies humans living in concentrated communities.

The ads give a hint as to how far and wide the Primus stove reached around the globe.

This Radius ad is interesting as it shows the kinship or reapplication of technology from blow torch to stove with only a little modification by the engineers.  Below, this advertisement for an aftermarket pressure cap shows the need for improvement as stoves could easily become clogged and explode as a pressurized bomb.  I narrowly escaped this hazard myself when my stove nozzle became clogged on an outing.  A chemical fire-extinguisher is never a bad Idea to have handy living on the road.

The designers continually improved this simple device with, among other features, a safety cap that intentionally failed at a lower pressure than that which would have caused the stove to turn into a brass grenade.  Although safety features were invented to reduce the number of serious accidents, I suspect these little contraptions are responsible for a fair number of burns and the loss of more than a few homes, autos, and RVs.

As with any successful product, there were and are many imitators of this relatively simple design and many still on the market models come from former Soviet Union, China, and India.

Judging by the marketing, they bring nothing but bliss and happiness to the laboring mother… but seriously, these devices were probably a huge boon to the housewife no longer in need of wood or dung for cooking fuel.

The switch to gasoline –

Although introduced in the early 20th Century, the Second World War and subsequent decade saw widespread popularity of the gasoline stove for military use.  Unlike kerosene, gasoline (or purified “white gas”) is truly explosive, not just flammable.  Placed under high pressure, these are potentially bombs.  However, gasoline or derivatives can now be found almost anywhere on earth with the spread of the internal combustion engine, making this a fuel of choice for international travelers.  As per usual with us humans, we chose practicality and convenience over safety.

The iconic early stove of this design is the Svea 123 as it it is a beautiful combination of design features including simplicity of construction, easy field repair, and heating power.

Classic Svea 123 and a close cousin.

Here’s a link to lighting the Svea 123 (and a little info about why they are so cool):  “DEMYSTIFYING THE SVEA 123“

n.b. The original link was dead when I last checked but I have saved an archive copy here with credit to the author.

Variations on the theme are endless, from the Svea 123 (gasoline) to the Ultra-Primus double burner home range (kerosene).  The various designs proved themselves in kitchens, on river trips, mountain tops, and in virtually every modern backpacker’s gear in one form or another.  For much of the world, this style stove is still the centerpiece of kitchen cooking.

A different spin on the basic Svea design. The main feature of the 71 is it’s convenient packaging for the traveller.

Summitting  Everest, a pretty great endorsement.

As a side note to history, the design was so successful that many other companies copied the essential design.  Here are just a few ads for the Optimus line of stoves and lamps, another spin-off, from their own website showing a wide range of related products over the last century.

The modern era of the camp stove –

In my lifetime, liquid fuel backpacking stoves have undergone some serious refinements but overall, the system for liquid fuel stoves is essentially the same.  Safety has been a big issue, of course, but size (decrease) and fuel capacity (increase) are probably the biggest changes.  Many stoves use canister fuel (butane or propane), alcohol, or solid fuel pellets; but I won’t get into those as they are beyond our scope and interest here.

A new era; the MSR XGK multi-fuel stove.

The final round of changes came from Mountain Safety Research and its later competitors.  The big innovation was to separate the fuel tank from the burner assembly and add a pressurizing system to the tank.  Small but efficient details were added like the self-lighting sparker, self-cleaning tube, and the inclusion of a lightweight wind screen.  I have used one of these for used with pretty good success but I still find myself choosing the Svea 123 for many journeys.

Links and Further Information –

This post is woefully inadequate in so many ways but it is meant as a quick overview of the pressurized liquid fuel stove we all love so much.  Here are some links to some great information on the web.

And my all time favorite, the Svea 123. We have been friends for many years.

If you don’t already own a 123, click the images to find out more.

With aluminum cup.

The Base Camp is a specialist equipment internet retailer based in Littlehampton, Southern England since 1986.  They stock classic stoves and have an excellent selection of obsolete parts.

A H Packstoves Supplies and Parts – is an online seller with a wide variety.  He always has good stuff and some hard to find parts.

The Fettle Box is a good source for pieces and parts for your classic stove. I have had good luck with them.

Finally, the Classic Camp Stoves Forum.  Several images above were found here.  Information about virtually every kind of stove available.  History, art, repairs, tutorials, and reprints are all available on the Forum.

Click here for the mother load of information about Classic Stoves.

More stove ramblings to come…

Classic Liquid Fuel Stoves A look at the origins and evolution of our favorite camp stove... This post was going to be a few words about the Primus stoves we all love and some images I've collected from around the web. 

translation of English sentences into Urdu: 300 most important one

Translation Of English Sentences Into Urdu

The best way to learn English is to know English sentences, not individual words. Therefore, the English learning students must focus on the most common daily use sentences. For this purpose, a translation of 300 crucial English to Urdu sentences is given below.

Translation Of English Sentences Into Urdu from 01 to 100 S NoTranslation Of English Sentences In Urdu   1Are you Feeling Dizzy? کیا آپ چکر محسوس کر رہے ہو؟ 2Some people prefer Quack over doctor. کچھ لوگ حکیم کو ڈاکٹر پر ترجیح دیتے ہیں۔ 3A Skint man has nothing to lose. کنگلے آدمی کے پاس کھونے کے لیے کچھ نہیں ہوتا۔ 4Imran khan is an Outspoken man. عمران خان ایک صاف گو شحض ہے۔ 5Aqib is no 1 Easy-going man. عاقب ایک نمبر کام چور آدمی ہے۔ 6Nafeesa lives in a world of Fantasy. نفیسہ خیالی دنیا میں رہتی ہے۔ 7Ishtiaq is Zany. . اشتیاق بیوقوف ہے۔ 8Ali is celebrating the Gala of his success . علی اپنی کامیابی کا جشن منا رہا ہے۔ 9Salman Pledges that he won't repeat this. سلمان پکا وعدہ کرتا ہے کہ وہ دوبارہ ایسا نہیں کرے گا۔ 10Corruption prevailed in the country. بدعنوانی ملک میں چھائی ہوئی ہے۔ 11Rightful should be given his right. خقدار کو اسکا خق ملنا چاہیے۔ 12White papers were Scatterd on the table . سفید کاغذ میز پر بکھرے پڑے تھے۔ 13This Riddle is challenging to solve . پہیلی حل کرنا انتہائی مشکل ہے۔ 14Never Miss apply your power. اپنے اختیارات کا ناجائز استعمال مت کرو۔ 15We used to Sneak from school in childhood. ہم بچپن میں سکول سے بھاگ جایا کرتے تھے۔ 16Ali hustled me, and I fell. علی نے مجھے دکھا دیا اور میں گر گیا۔ 17Zahid is Humpback. زاہد کبڑا (کمر جھکی ہوئی) ہے۔ 18Ayesha Pesters me. عائشہ مجھے تنگ کرتی ہے۔ 19Gloomy face doesn't suit you. افسردہ چہرہ آپ پہ نہیں ججتا۔ 20Ahmed will also Plead my opinion. احمد بھی میری رائے کی تائید کرے گا۔ 21After Panama, the Dignity of Imran Khan has increased tremendously. پانامہ کے بعد عمران خان کی عزت میں خیرت انگیز اضافہ ہوا ہے۔ 22His new business proved Gainful for him. اسکا نیا کاروبار اسکے لئے سود مند ثابت ہوا۔ 23Intended to be the best in my chosen field. میں نے ارادہ کیا تھا کہ میں اپنے منتخب کردہ میدان میں سب سے بہتر ہونگا۔ 24You should get your Dicky car washed. آپ کو اپنی گندی کار دھونی چاہیے۔ 25Someone Choked Ali's wife's throat last night. کسی نے کل رات علی کی بیوی کا گلہ دبایا۔ 26The offender was Lashed in front of all. مجرم پرسب کے سامنے کوڑے برسائے گئے۔ 27Your abusive words have begun to Erode our friendship. آپکی گالم گلوج والی زبان نے ہماری دوستی میں دراڑ ڈال دی ہے۔ 28Engineers Erected mobile towers safely . انجینئرز نے موبائل انٹینا باحفاظت کھڑا کر دیا۔ 29Uzair is an Errant boy. عزیر ایک آوارہ گرد لڑکا ہے۔ 30The thieves deprived her of gold ring. چوروں نے اسے سونے کی انگوٹی سے محروم کر دیا۔ 31Male child is unique Bounty of Allah. نرینہ اولاد خدا کی خاص نعمت ہے۔ 32Hassan is Chatterbox. حسن بہت باتونی ہے۔ 33He is characterless and Bilks everyone. ۔وہ بدکردار ہے اور لوگوں کو گمراہ کرتا ہے 34Becalm yourself. اپنے آپ کو پرسکون رکھو۔ 35Abscess on my foot is bleeding. میرے پاؤں کے چھالے سے خون بہہ رہا ہے۔ 36The lovers Absconded in the dark of night. پریمی جوڑا رات کی تاریکی می�� فرار ہو گیا۔ 37The accused was Absolved due to insufficient proof. ملزم کو عدم ثبوت کی بناء پر بری کر دیا گیا۔ 38My son doesn't Abstain from mischief. میرا بچہ شرارت سے باز نہیں آتا۔ 39Keep this case Abstract from other issues. یہ والا کیس باقی کیسوں سے علیحدہ رکھو۔ 40He uses Absurd language. وہ بیہودہ باتیں کرتا ہے۔ 41Excessive rainfall caused Abyss in the road. ذیادہ بارش کی وجہ سے سڑک میں کھڈا پڑ گیا۔ 42I like American Accent. مجھے امریکی لہجہ پسند ہے۔ 43I have no access to the principal room. میری رسائی پرنسپل آفس تک نہیں ہے۔ 44We should Abide by our parents. ہمیں اپنے والدین کی بات ماننی چاہیے۔ 45Hajatmin is an Abject man. حاجت مین ایک ذلیل آدمی ہے۔ 46Ali Abraded the old paint from the walls. علی نے پرانا پینٹ دیوار سے کھرچ ڈالا۔ 47They were all in accord with one another. انکا آپس میں باہمی اتفاق رائے تھا۔ 48Sawara Accosted me politely. سویرا نے مجھے نرمی سے مخاطب کیا۔ 49I have Accomplishedmy homework. میں نے اپنا ہوم ورک مکمل کر لیا ہے۔ 50Naeema Accredited to me on her behalf. نعیمہ نے اپنی جگہ پر مجھے اختیار دیا۔ 51Ali Accumulated enough money to buy a car . علی نے کار خریدنے کیلئے کافی پیسے جمع کیے تھے۔ 52Accursed man gets abjection everywhere. لعنتی شحض ہر جگہ ذلیل وخوار ہوتا ہے۔ 53The Accused was released on bail. ملزم کو ضمانت پر رہا کر دیا گیا۔ 54I have Abandoned my job . میں نے اپنی نوکری چھوڑ دی ہے۔ 55Ali Abashed him for his misconduct. علی نے اسکی بد اخلاقی پر اس کو شرمسار کر دیا۔ 56Terrorists Abducted two Chinese engineers. دہشت گردوں نے دو چینی انجینئرز کو اغوا کر لیا۔ 57He did half of his work and Abated his burden. اس نے آدھا کام کرلیا اور اپنا بوجھ ہلکا کر دیا۔ 58I Abhor all those who tell a lie. آپ کا اندازہ اس پراجیکٹ کے بارے میں بالکل صحیح تھا۔ 59Shakir is going Abroad for higher studies. شاکر اعلی تعلیم کےلیے  باہر جا رہا ہے۔ 60Your estimate was entirely accurate about this project. اس پراجیکٹ کے بارے میں اپکا  اندازا بلکل درست تھا۔  61The accused is Acquitted respectfully . ملزم کو باعزت بری کر دیا گیا۔ 62The taste of bitter gourd is very Acrid. کریلے کا ذائقہ بہت کڑوا ہے۔ 63The pilot showed tremendous Acrobat in the air. پائلٹ نے  بہایت اعلیٰ قلا بازی پیش کی۔ 64He can't do so; he must be Actuated. وہ ایسا نہیں کر سکتا،اس لیے اسکو ترغیب دینا پڑی گی۔ 65I use fair & lovely to avoid Acne. میں کیل مہاسے دور کرنے کے لیے فیئر اینڈ لولی لگاتا ہوں۔ 66Rabia Acquaints me personally. رابعہ ذاتی طور پر مجھے جانتی ہے۔ 67I will Acquire my task within time. میں نے اپنا ٹاسک وقت پر حاصل کر لونگا۔ 68He must be praised for his Acuity. اسکی چستی کی تعریف کرنی چاہیے۔ 69Rustam is an Adamant boy. رستم ایک ضدی لڑکا ہے۔ 70Kareem is Irfan's adopted son. کریم ارفان کا لے پالک بیٹا ہے۔ 71Adjust your rifle and fire again. اپنی بندوق کو ترتیب دو اور گولی چلاؤ۔ 72Hard work is the only way to achieve success. سخت محنت ہی کامیابی کا واحد ذریعہ ہے۔ 73She feels Acidity in her stomach. وہ اپنے سینے میں جلن محسوس کرتی ہے۔ 74Ayyub is an Adroit worker. ایوب پھرتیلاورکر ہے۔ 75Raj Ali always Adulates his seniors. راج علی اپنے بڑوں کی چاپلوسی کرتا ہے۔ 76With the advent of the internet, our lifestyle changed. انٹرنیٹ کی ایجاد سے ہماری زندگی بدل گٰی ہے۔ 77Advert of different things on TV is the top trend nowadays ٓاج کل ٹی وی پرمختلف چیزوں کی مشہوری عروج پر ہے۔ 78True leader is required to Aegis the country. صحیح رہنما کو ملک کی قیادت کرنی چاہیے۔ 79Sanam baloch is Affable women. صنم بلوچ ایک ملنسار خاتون ہے۔ 80After Benazir's death, Ado started all over the country. بے نظیر کی موت کے بعد ملک میں افراتفری پھیل گئی۔ 81Adapt yourself according to the circumstances. اپنے آپ کو حالات کے مطابق ڈھالو۔ 82Rukhsana Adores her son. رخسانہ اپنے بچے کو بہت عزیز رکھتی ہے۔ 83The new bride was Adorned thoroughly. نئی دلہن کو زیورات سے سجایا گیا 84Don't poke your nose in my personal Affairs. 👃 میرے ذاتی معاملات میں اپنی ناک مت گھسیڑو۔ 85Wrongdoing will Affect your personality. غلط کام آپکی شخصیت پر اثر انداز ہوگی۔ 86Today, I Affirm that Nawaz is a thief. آج میں اعلان کرتا ہوں کہ نواز ایک چور ہے۔ 87younger should be given Affection. چھوٹوں پر شفقت کرنی چاہیے۔ 88Hard work is the Effective way to success. سخت مخنت  کامیابی کا ایک پراثر رستہ ہے۔ 89Saleem is seriously Ail. سلیم سخت بیمار ہے۔ 90Teacher Admired me for my great job. استاد نے میرے اچھے کام کی وجہ سے مری تعریف کی۔ 91Akram Admitted my efforts. اکرم نے میری کاوشوں کو تسلیم کیا۔ 92We Admix some fruits to make a fruit chart. ہم چاٹ بنانے کیلئے پھلوں کو آپس میں ملاتے ہیں۔ 93Boss Admonished her for unfinished work. باس نے اسکی کام مکمل نہ کرنے کی وجہ سے سرزنش کی۔ 94The Alias of Shaikh Rashid is Sheeda Talli. شیخ رشید کا تخلص شیدا ٹلی ہے۔ 95Who is that Alien? وہ خلائی مخلوق کون ہے۔؟ 96She Alighted from his BMW. وہ اسکی بی ایم ڈبلیو سے اتری۔ 97Some brothers have a similar shape. کچھ بھائیوں کی شکل ایک جیسی ہوتی ہے۔ 98Alas! he is dead. افسوس! وہ مرگیا ہے۔ 99Alleviate some load from the truck ٹرک سے کچھ وزن خالی کرو۔ 100This Alley is closed at the end. یہ گلی آگے سے بند ہے۔ Translation Of English Sentences Into Urdu From 101 To 200 S NoTranslation Of English Sentences In Urdu   101Bear this in mind. اس بات کو ذہن میں رکھو۔ 102Don't make a noise. شورمت کر۔ 103What is going on? کیا چل رہا ہے؟ 104Damn it. لعنت ہے۔ 105Leave me alone, please. برائے مہربانی مجھے اکیلا چھوڑ دو۔ 106Please stay away from me. برائے مہربانی مجھ سے دور رہو۔ 107I am fond of playing football ⚽. میں فٹبال کھیلنے کا شوقین ہوں۔ 108You deserve it. تم اسکے مستحق ہو۔ 109Please don't argue with me. برائے مہربانی میرے ساتھ بحث مت کرو۔ 110I don't mean it. میرا یہ مطلب نہیں ہے۔ 111Are you crazy? کیا تم پاگل ہو؟ 112What is the problem with you? اپ کیساتھ مسئلہ کیا ہے؟ 113I felt hurt. مجھے دکھ ہوا۔ 114Pass me the salt 🧂. ذرا نمک نزدیک کرنا۔ 115Are you bored 😴? کیا تم تنگ ہو؟ 116Make yourself at home. اپنا ہی گھر سمجھو۔ 117Please don't tease me. برائے مہربانی مجھے تنگ نہ کرو۔ 118Are you finished? کیا تم نے کام ختم کر لیا ہے؟ 119She is so mean. وہ بہت مطلبی ہے۔ 120Beware of pickpockets. چوروں سے ہوشیار رہیں۔ 121They are my colleagues. وہ میرے ساتھی ہیں۔ 122She is my fiancée. وہ میری منگیتر ہے۔ 123It doesn't matter. اس سے کوئی فرق نہیں پڑتا۔ 124She is so talkative. وہ بہت باتونی ہے۔ 125Give me a hand, please. برائے مہربانی میری مدد کریں۔ 126Don't 😢 cry, please. برائے مہربانی مت روئیں۔ 127I will be right 🔙 back. میں واپس آؤنگا۔ 128Are you kidding me? کیا تم میرے ساتھ مذاق کر رہے ہو۔؟ 129Was it my fault? کیا یہ میری غلطی تھی؟ 130You are mistaken. تمہیں غلط فہمی ہوئی ہے۔ 131Please don't take me wrong. برائے مہربانی مجھے غلط مت سمجھیں۔ 132What else do you need? تمہیں اور کیا چاہیے؟ 133What do you prefer? آپ کس چیز پر ترجیح دیتے ہو۔ 134She is a liar. وہ جھوٹی ہے۔ 135For God's sake, trust me. خدا کیلئے مجھ پر بھروسہ رکھیں۔ 136He is very greedy. وہ بہت لالچی ہے۔ 137I am not interested. مجھے اس میں کوئی دلچسپی نہیں ہے۔ 138What brought you here? آپ کو کیا چیز یہاں لے آئی؟ 139Don't you remember? کیا تمہیں یاد نہیں؟ 140I was not expecting this from you. میں آپ سے یہ توقع نہیں کر رہا تھا۔ 141Behave yourself. تمیز سے بات کرو۔    142It was nice meeting with you. آپ سے ملاقات خوشگوار رہی۔ 143We had a great time. ہم نے اچھا وقت گزارا۔ 144Remind me later. مجھے بعد میں یاد دلانا۔ 145You are stubborn. تم ضدی ہو۔ 146The teacher scolded him. استاد نے اس سے ڈانٹا۔ 147It was not a surprise for me. یہ میرے لیے خیرانگی کی بات نہیں تھی۔ 148Let me know when you are 🆓free. جب آپ کا کوئی کام نہ ہو تو مجھے بتا دینا۔ 149I am getting used to it. میں اسکا عادی ہو رہا ہوں۔ 150You are very generous. تم بہت سخی ہو۔ 151You made my day. تم نے میرا دن خوشگوار بنایا۔ 152You won my heart 💜. تم نے میرا دل 💓 جیتا۔ 153I will pay the 💵 bill. بل میں ادا کروں گا۔ 154Party 🎉 is on me. پارٹی میرے اوپر ہے۔ 155Shall we start? کیا ہم شروع کریں؟ 156Don't mention it. اسکا  تزکرہ  مت کرو۔ 157Fuck off. بھاڑ میں جاؤ۔ 158Turn the light off. بلب بند کرو۔ 159I watered the plants. میں نے پودوں کو پانی دیا۔ 160I am drowned in debts. میں قرض میں ڈوبا ہوا ہوں۔ 161I don't know what to say. مجھے نہیں پتہ کہ کیا کہوں۔ 162I am speechless 😶. میں بات کرنے کے قابل نہیں ہوں۔ 163Are you angry 😡 with me? کیا تم مجھ سے ناراض ہو؟ 164Don't be silly, please. برائے مہربانی بیوقوف مت بنو۔ 165Let's talk about something else. چلو کسی اور چیز کے بارے میں بات کریں۔ 166You made my mood off. آپ نے میرا مزاج خراب کر دیا۔ 167I was stuck in the traffic 🚦. میں ٹریفک میں پھنسا ہوا تھا۔ 168I had flat Tyre. میری گاڑی کا ٹائر پھٹ گیا تھا۔ 169She got an accident. اسکا ایکسیڈنٹ ہوا۔ 170What time does the bus 🚌 leave? بس کس وقت جاتی ہے؟ 171I want an aisle 💺 seat. مجھے کھڑکی والی سیٹ چاہیے۔ 172Have you known him? کیا تم اس سے جانتے ہو؟ 173It is an honor for me. یہ میرے لیے عزت کی بات ہے۔ 174He is a hypocrite. وہ منافق ہے۔ 175She is a backbiter. وہ چغل خور ہے۔ 176Salma is disloyal. سلمہ بے وفا ہے۔ 177Stop staring at me. مجھے گھورنا بند کرو۔ 178Go to hell. جہنم میں جاؤ۔ 179How dare you talk to me like that? تمہاری ہمت کیسے ہوئی میرے ساتھ اس طرح بات کرنے کی۔ 180Show him out. اس سے باہر کا راستہ دکھاؤ۔ 181How much I pay for this? میں اسکے لئے کتنا ادا کروں؟ 182Are you mad? کیا تم پاگل ہو؟ 183How do I make you understand? میں آپ کو کس طرح سمجھاؤں؟ 184Shame on you. شرم کرو۔ 185What the hell is this? یہ کیا مصیبت ہے؟ 186You can't hide. تم چھپ نہیں سکتے۔ 187Don't pluck the flower 🌹. پھول مت توڑو۔ 188Please, make my 🛏️ bed. برائے مہربانی میرے لیے بستر لگاؤ۔ 189What enmity do you have with me? آپ کو میرے ساتھ کیا دشمنی ہے؟ 190Are you jealous of me? کیا آپ کو میرے ساتھ حسد ہے؟ 191Hide your face from here. دفع ہو جاؤ ادھر سے۔ 192You could have said this to me politely. تم یہ بات آرام سے بھی کہہ سکتے تھے ۔ 193This is Insanity. یہ پاگل پن ہے۔ 194The boss fired him. مالک نے اس سے نوکری سے نکال دیا۔ 195Get out of my class. میری کلاس سے باہر نکلو۔ 196Get your haircut. اپنے بال بنوائیں۔ 197It is your turn now. اب تمہاری باری ہے۔ 198Who knocked at the door? کس نے دروازے پر دستک دی؟ 199It is cloudy today. آج بادل ☁️ ہے۔ 200It is scorching today. آج بہت سخت گرمی ہے۔ Translation Of English Sentences Into Urdu From 201 To 300 S NoTranslation Of English Sentences In Urdu   201It is windy 🌬️ outside. باہر تیز ہوا چل رہی ہے۔ 202It is raining cats and dogs. موسلادھار بارش ہو رہی ہے۔ 203It is drizzling. بوندا باندی ہو رہی ہے۔ 204Pour some tea ☕ into my cup, please. برائے مہربانی تھوڑی اور چائے میرے کپ میں ڈال دو۔ 205You are very naughty. تم شرارتی ہو۔ 206He is bald. وہ گنجا ہے۔ 207There is no accounting for the taste. شوق کا کوئی مول نہیں۔ 208My mom cooks a delicious meal. میری ماں نے مزیدار کھانا بنایا۔ 209What is wrong with it. اس میں کیا خرابی ہے؟ 210This house is to let. یہ مکان کرائے کیلئے خالی ہے۔ 211I beseeched him. میں نے اسکی منت سماجت کی۔ 212Ahmed is very lean. احمد بہت لاغر ہے۔ 213I saw him off. میں نے اس سے الوداع کیا۔214 Could you drop me off at the airport? کیا آپ مجھے ایئرپورٹ چھوڑ سکتے ہو؟ 215Make a single line. ایک قطار بنائیں۔ 216I was waiting in a queue. میں قطار میں انتظار کر رہا تھا۔ 217Don't be impatient. بے صبرے مت بنو۔ 218She is the hurdle of the way. 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Jessica Lal murder case: The epitome of judicial and media activism in India

This article is written by Gaurav Prakash and Raj Tomar, practising advocates in Delhi.

Introduction

While I was growing up in Delhi, there was this case, which always intrigued me. As a child, I still wonder how a person can shoot someone just because someone refused to give him a drink of his choice. Back then, I was just a school kid with no aim and ambition of being an advocate, but this case was always and will remain close to my heart. Justice in high-profile cases like this makes us believe our judiciary system does not discriminate between powerful and ordinary people, and there will always be a triumph of good over evil. As we all know, Delhi is full of rich and powerful families who have immense wealth and power and who have ever crossed their lines against the law. This case is also critical concerning the amount of involvement of mass media and social media in shaping the Justice to those who are not rich and powerful. This was the beginning of a media trial in this country, little that we know that this media trial will soon become bizarre.

Today it is sad to see that media houses to chase TRPs can go to any extent of insensitivity and callousness. Recently they have sensationalized the death of a famous Bollywood actor. I had seen the time when Media activism was crucial in Jessica Lal Murder’s case. The media shifted to showing paranormal and superficial incidents on prime time, and now the media has become an insensitive TRP hungry entertainment channel. News channels are not keen on showing news but are interested in making opinions and sometimes making fabricated news. Let’s cherish the old, ideal days of journalism and their effect on the Judicial system of our country. Let’s walk down to those lanes where the judiciary was indeed the fourth pillar of the country. 

The timeline of Jessica Lal murder case

It was the starry night of April 29,1999; Miss Bina Ramani, one of Delhi’s famous socialites and a fashion designer, was throwing a lavish farewell party to her husband George Manihot, who was going to Canada for a world tour. Lt Miss Jessica Lal was also a model bar-maid at that party. After midnight, Manu Sharma walked in with three friends and demanded to be served liquor, offering ₹ 1000. Lal refused, and Sharma then fired a 22 calibre pistol at the ceiling as an intimidating act. Lal refused again, Sharma fired back and the second bullet hit Lal in the head, killing her. Mr Manu Sharma, a young educated guy who was in his early 20s, was carrying a gun and he shot dead a woman who was a decade elder to him, just because she refused to serve him a drink. This is the classic example of when one belongs to a rich and powerful family, and one is not in a habit to listen NO to their instruction. Their ego is more significant than someone’s life. 

What happened after that was more bizarre, the shooting took place in the presence of more than 80 people in that party, but most of them in their statement to Police have stated they have left the party before midnight. When influential people like Big Businessmen, big bureaucrats, fashion designers, and people from the fashion industry were part of this party, it is sad. Still, very few dared to give a clear statement about what happened at the party. Only ten people came forward and testified that Ms Jessica Lal was hit by a bullet that was shot by a person who was at the same party. Shayn Munshi, who was there with Jessica Lal at the bar when she was shot, filed an FIR against Manu Sharma and his friends. The Police arrested Manu Sharma and his friendsMr. Vikas Yadav and Mr Amrinder Gill, aka Tony Gill, on his statement. On August 3, 1999 Charge sheet was filed against accused of killing Jessica under various sections of IPC. On 23.11.2000, the Additional Sessions Judge of Delhi trial court framed charges against the appellant/Manu Sharma under Sections 302, 201 read with 120-B IPC and Section 27 of the Arms Act, accused Amardeep Singh Gill was charged under Section 120 read with Section 201 IPC, accused Vikas Yadav was charged under Section 120 read with 201 IPC as also Section 201 read with 34 IPC, accused Harvinder Chopra, Vikas Gill, Yograj Singh and Raja Chopra under Section 212 IPC and accused Alok Khanna, Shyam Sunder Sharma, and Amit Jhingan were discharged of all the offences. Three ballistic experts declared in their testimony that both the bullets were shooting from two different pistols. Then slowly, most witnesses turned hostile, which eventually led to the acquittal of all the nine accused in this case. The Delhi Police failed to sustain the grounds that they have made the case as the Delhi Police was unable to find the murder weapon. 

This led to the widespread public outcry, and the brave and gutsy media came to the picture. News Magazine, like Tehelka, seized this opportunity to expose the loopholes of the trial. Many witnesses were secretly filmed, and they have confessed in the sting operation that they were bribed to turn hostile during the trial proceeding, and those who could not be bribed were given threats of dire consequences. The audio recording of the main accused he gave in the policy custody was also leaked in the media. In that audio, he confessed that on April 29, 1999, he was there at the party and demanded alcohol from Jessica Lal. Since his demands were not obliged with, he felt humiliated and in a rage to shoot Jessica Murder dead. Due to these sting operations, SMS campaigns for Justice for Miss Jessica Lal, and public pressure, the Police went to the High court, and an appeal was filed against this case.

The long road to justice

Due to a public campaign against the judgment of the trial court, the prosecution filed an appeal before the Delhi High Court being Cr No.193 of 2006. On 03.10.2006, Delhi High Court started hearing on this matter every day for the next 25 days. The host of the party and the owner of “Qutub Colonnade” Miss Bina Ramani, her husband Mr George, deposed against Manu Sharma. On 18.12.2006, Delhi High Court, in its judgment, considered Manu Sharma, Vikas Yadav and Amrinder Gill main accused in this case.

The High Court reversed the decision of the trial court and awarded life imprisonment to Manu Sharma and slapped a fine of Rs 50,000, while it awarded four years’ prison term with Rs 3,000 fine each for co-convicts Amardeep Singh Gill and Vikas Yadav. Every story has a hero, but in this story, we have two heroes: the unbiased, gutsy media, which played an essential role in waking the nation’s conscience, and the other is Miss Sabrina Lal. Sabrina Lal is the sibling of Miss Jessica Lal. During this fight against injustice, she lost her sister, then she lost her mother in the year 2000, and later her father, Mr Ajit Kumar Lal, died in 2006. It is not easy to fight against those who are rich and powerful and associated with a political party in power. In Feb 2006, Manu Sharma filed an appeal against this decision in the Supreme Court of India. 

Trivia- Vikas Yadav, one of the co-accused, in this case, was imprisoned for four years. While he was out on bail in this case, Vikas Yadav committed Murder of Nitish Katara for which he got punished with 25 years of imprisonment.

Supreme Court judgment

 On April 19, 2010, the Supreme Court of India approved the sentences in the Jessica Lal murder case. It said that the evidence regarding the actual incident, the testimonies of witnesses, the evidence connecting the vehicles and cartridges to the accused Manu Sharma, and his conduct after the incident prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The High Court has analyzed all the evidence and arrived at the correct conclusion. The Supreme Court accepted that there had been an element of “trial by media” but believed that it had not affected the decision of the Hon’ble Court. 

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Parole and road to redemption

During his imprisonment, Mr Manu Sharma was subject to a lot of parole. On September 24, 2009, the Delhi state government granted parole Manu Sharma for 30 days to attend his ailing mother and look after his family business. Manu Sharma appealed for extension in the parole period, and the court further extended his parole by 30 days. During his probation, Manu Sharma was seen partying in a night-club, and during one of his outings at a Delhi Nightclub, he was involved in a brawl with the son of a high ranked police officer. In November 2009, because of this brawl and media activism and on November 10, 2009, Sharma returned to Tihar Jail after the violation of his parole was confirmed.

Manu Sharma was granted limited parole from December 28, 2013, to January 5, 2014. This was done to allow him to sit for a Master’s degree in examinations in Delhi. During this time, he was also successful in pursuing a Law degree and a degree in Human Rights. In the year 2015, he even got married to a Maharashtra based woman. From November 2017, considering his exemplary conduct during the jail time, Mr Manu Sharma was moved to an open jail, and he was allowed to leave prison every day for work at 8 am and return at 6 pm. He also started an eponymous non-profit for the rehabilitation of prisoners. During his imprisonment, Manu Sharma involved in many social works, and he established the Siddhartha Vashishta Charitable Trust, which is managed by his mother and brother. The trust is intended to assist causes such as child education, cancer awareness and rehabilitation of prisoners, etc. 

Release from jail

In a news interview, Sabrina Lal, who was the only fighter for Jessica Lal, said she has forgiven her sister Jessica Lal’s killer Manu Sharma and wouldn’t object to his release from Tihar jail. She said that her faith in Christianity made her forgive him after seeing the changes in Manu Sharma and his social work for a society he was doing with his mother and brother. 

During COVID-19, a lot of prison inmates were getting released from Tihar Jail. On 11.05.2020, the Delhi Sentence Review Board (SRB) under the chairmanship of Delhi Home Minister, Mr Satyendra Jain, recommended a premature release of Manu Sharma. This was the sixth time when Manu Sharma’s plea for early release was placed before the Sentence Review Board (SRB). After getting approval of Lieutenant Governor of Delhi on the recommendation of SRB and after getting no objection from Sabrina Lal, Mr Manu Sharma was finally released from Tihar after serving 16 years in jail on 02.06.2020. However, he was supposed to be released after 23 years of imprisonment in jail. After coming out of prison, he gave an interview where he stated that he is now a changed person, and he will be grateful to Sabrina Lal for forgiving him.

Conclusion

In India, there are many incidents when media and public outrage play a vital role in giving justice to the victim who cannot withstand the power of the wealthy and affluent. In this case, though Manu Sharma has changed as a person and has accepted his guilt, there are many Manu Sharmas in jail who have altered and reconciled as a human being. Still, because they are not wealthy and affluent enough to start an NGO, they cannot prove their redemption. They are still waiting for their release; they are still waiting to get accepted in the society, by the community. Many activists and people related to women’s rights have objected to the premature release of Manu Sharma and has instead asked for capital punishment. The question arises what is right: in one place, our law talks about the reconciliation of the accused and the old age tradition of forgiving wrongdoing. In one place, society talks about the sturdy and non-lenient stand of legislation to set an example to the community that no one is above the law. Another matter of grave concern, in this case, was that of evidence and witness tampering prevalent in these cases and the role of the court to provide security to witnesses to prevent them from turning hostile. A lot has to go right for witness tampering to be a publicly acknowledged problem.

Moreover, we have shown that active legal institutions do not eliminate witness tampering and may even exacerbate it. A major open question remains the following: what determines the willingness of the media to expose witness tampering and the willingness of ordinary people to testify in the face of threats, specific or amorphous? Public outrage is seldom entirely spontaneous; it is often intentionally provoked. This may be done by media outlets to increase circulation or ratings or politicians for electoral advantage. Understanding this process, and therefore understanding how the contentiousness of Indian politics gives rise to such cases is an essential missing piece of our analysis. The central message of this article is that legal institutions alone are not enough to produce Justice, effective judicial systems require a balance of exit and voice. Open competition in politics and the media facilitates and amplifies voice expression, keeping blatant miscarriages of Justice occasionally in check. 

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Vimshotri Dasha- Vedic Astrology an article series by Ajay Kapoor.

Vimshotri Dasha- Vedic Astrology “Pilot-taking us towards, Pre-Determined Destiny” ( A series in five parts ) By Ajay Kapoor,Jyotish Acharya ,BVB,New Delhi (Ideas expresses are solely of the author) Part-I Introduction and basic rules of Vimshotri Dasha Our sage, Maharishi Parashar in his Brihat Parashar Hora Shastra, the most comprehensive extant on Vedic Natal Astrology, has mentioned about various Dashas. However, Vimshotri Dasha is adopted by maximum Vedic Astrologers as this gives us most perfect results to evaluate horoscope of any native regarding events in his/her life. Vimshotri Dasha is total of 120 years, each planet having three Nakshatra is allotted a fix number of years. Vimshotri Dasha gives accurate timing of events. Dasha literally means circumstances. It means good, bad and ordinary Dasha results may accrue to the native. The nature of the result depends on good or bad houses / position of the planets, whose main period and sub-period are running. Dasha balance is calculated by a prescribed method based on the Moon longitude or in Nakshatra in which moon is posited which determines the Dasha native will be enjoying at the time of birth. It is also called the Dasha balance at birth or ruling period. The Dasha periods are fixed for all the planets: - . It is always followed by the planet in a prescribed order. Sign occupied by Moon is as important as ascendant from which natives’ horoscope is evaluated and it is taken as Janam Rashi, Nakshatra occupied by Moon is called Janam Nakshatra.

When planets acquire good or bad positions (houses or rashis) in his/ her horoscope at the time of birth, according to these planets will be decided affect and result of Dasha according to their good or bad positions. When planets are strong by virtue of being in exaltation, in its Mooltrikona sign or in own sign, or by their placement in Kendra or 11th house, they give auspicious results which further enhance if they form Raj yoga, Dhan Yoga or Shubhkatri yogas. Dasha of Lagna lord, 10Th lord and exalted planets have been the most comforting Dashas.

A planet is considered weak if it is debilitated, in enemy sign, is combust, is aspected by Malefics, is in 6/8/12 houses or aspected by their lords, are conjunct with Rahu/Ketu or in Papkatri yoga. Planet also gives bad results if it is inimical to Lagna Lord. The birth chart is the map of the zodiac at the time of birth in which all the planets are shown in different signs according to their presence and Dasha system is the sequence of events as well as starting point. Transit stand alone can’t give any results unless those are promised by Mahadasha / Antardasha lords. Apart from different results based on the position of the planets in different houses with reference to Lagna falling in various signs as mentioned in classical books, few are mentioned here to make our judgments correct in reference to MD (Mahadasha) and AD (Antardasha).

Planets lordship/placement in the Kendra are stronger and the strength is proportionately reduced from Trikona, Panaparas and the weakest is Apoklimas, if a natural Benefic owns a Kendra and is placed in Kendra it becomes Malefic and gives Malefic results (kendradhipati dosh). Malefic planets are considered good in Kendra houses. Houses 3,6,8,12 are considered bad houses, 6,8,12 are considered evil houses, lords of evil houses give good results if they are placed in evil houses (Dusthanas).

Continuation to this article to follow soon. You can reach out to the astrologer on [email protected]. Read the full article

ES Spectre 2.0 Chapter 21

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declining Maharashtra governor's offer to form government in the state owing to its relations with its ally, the baton is now in Shiv Sena's hand. The Sena, which has 56 MLAs in the 288-member House, has time till 7:30 pm today to stake the claim. Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant resigned from the Union cabinet after his party walked away from NDA over the power-sharing agreement in Maharashtra. "It would not have been morally right for me to continue in the Centre as a new government is about to form in Maharashtra. So I have submitted my resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is waiting for its ally Congress to take a call on supporting a Shiv Sena. Speaking to reporters after the party's core group meeting, NCP leader Nawab Malik said there was a need for the NCP and Congress to arrive at a consensus on "certain big issues", but any decision taken would be a joint one. The Congress party, on the other hand, has called its MLAs from Maharashtra for a meeting to take a final call on the matter.

In the recently held Maharashtra elections, the BJP bagged 105 seats, Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and the Congress party managed to bag 44 seats in the 288-member Assembly. CATCH ALL THE LIVE UPDATES Auto Refresh 09:00 PM Nawab Malik, Nationalist Congress Party: We will get the letter today and make a final decision by tomorrow after holding discussions with our ally Congress

09:00 PM

ANI ✔ @ANI Mumbai: Ajit Pawar, Dhananjay Munde other Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders arrive at Raj Bhavan to meet Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter 368 8:59 PM - Nov 11, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 51 people are talking about this 08:59 PM Guv calls NCP to for govt We have been called by the Governor, a delegation of our party is meeting him now. We've been called to form the govt. As per the letter given by the Governor we'll hold discussions with Congress & see how a stable govt can be provided to the state.

08:46 PM NCP leaders to meet Guv Ajit Pawar, NCP: At 8:30 pm the Governor called us and asked me to come to meet him. Along with Chhagan Bhujbal, Jayant Patil and others, I am going to meet him. We have no idea as to why did he call us. Governor is an important person so we are going to meet him

08:43 PM Had in-principle support but Guv refused more time to Sena: Aaditya The Shiv Sena on Monday night suffered a setback in its efforts to cobble up a non-BJP government in Maharashtra with the Congress at the last moment announcing its decision to hold more talks with ally NCP on supporting the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said "two parties" (read the Congress and the NCP) have agreed "in-principle" to support the party-led government, but the governor refused additional time sought by his party to muster numbers. Putting up a brave front, Aaditya said the Sena's claim on formation of a government still stands. "We have initiated talks with two parties. Both the parties have expressed their in-principle support to the Sena," he said without taking names of the Congress and the NCP. "We informed the governor about our willingness to stake a claim for government formation. Shiv Sena MLAs have already issued their support in written," Aaditya added. He said the two parties need a few more days to complete their procedures, "hence we sought time from the governor but he refused to grant it." 08:26 PM

ANI ✔ @ANI Manikrao Thackeray, Congress: Neither ours nor NCP's letter has gone to #Maharashtra Governor yet. It has been decided that two leaders will be sent for discussions with Pawar sa'ab (Sharad Pawar), state leaders will also be there. The next step will be taken after the discussion

View image on Twitter 375 8:07 PM - Nov 11, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 108 people are talking about this 08:16 PM Guv refused more time to Sena to form government: Aaditya The Shiv Sena suffered a setback in its efforts to cobble up a non-BJP government in Maharashtra with the Congress at the last moment announcing its decision for holding more talks with the NCP on supporting the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. Putting up a brave front, Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray told reporters outside Raj Bhavan here on Monday night that his party's claim on formation of a government still stands, as the two parties have agreed "in-principle" to support the Sena-led government. He didn't take names of the Congress and the NCP. Aaditya claimed that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari refused to grant more time to the Sena to muster numbers. "We have initiated talks with two parties. Both the parties have expressed their support in-principle to the Sena," he said. "We informed the Maharashtra governor about our willingness to stake a claim for government formation. Shiv Sena MLAs have already issued their support in written," he said. He said the two parties (read NCP and Congress) need few more days to complete their procedures. "Hence we sought time from the governor but he refused to grant it," he added. 08:08 PM

ANI ✔ @ANI Aaditya Thackeray: Both parties (Congress-NCP) have been speaking to us, MLAs have been speaking to us. As talks are on, as 2nd largest party it was our right to come here. We've expressed our willingness to form govt, we've asked for extension of 48 hrs to fulfill our procedure.

View image on Twitter 405 7:46 PM - Nov 11, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 118 people are talking about this 08:08 PM

ANI ✔ @ANI Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress: We've already issued a press note & we've mentioned that we've already discussed with working committee members and our PCC leaders. Our AICC President has spoken to Sharad Pawar ji. Further discussion will take place in Mumbai tomorrow. #Maharashtra

View image on TwitterView image on Twitter 254 7:51 PM - Nov 11, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 72 people are talking about this 07:50 PM Cong to hold further talks with ally NCP The Congress on Monday decided to hold further talks with ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on whether to support the Shiv Sena to form a government in Maharashtra. "The Congress President has spoken to Sharad Pawarji. The party will have further discussions with the NCP," a statement issued by party general secretary K C Venugopal said. After two crucial meetings, the top leaders of the party preferred to have detailed discussions with the NCP on the current political impasse in the state. "The Congress Working Committee met this morning and held a detailed discussion on the situation in Maharashtra after which a consultation was held with Maharashtra Congress leaders," the statement said. 07:42 PM We have shown willingness to the governor to stake a claim. The governor has rejected the 48-hour extension we asked, however, our willingness claim still stands: Aaditya Thackeray

07:38 PM Shiv Sena seeks extension from Governor 07:34 PM

07:17 PM

ANI ✔ @ANI Aaditya Thackeray, Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena leaders meet Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. #Maharashtra

View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter 435 7:05 PM - Nov 11, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 124 people are talking about this 06:41 PM Sena leaders on way to Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form govt Shiv Sena leaders Eknath Shinde and Aaditya Thackeray are on way to Raj Bhavan where they are expected to stake claim to form government in Maharashtra after meeting Governor B S Koshyari on Monday evening. Sources in the Sena said, "As per the governor's invitation to express our willingness and ability to form the government issued to us yesterday, we are responding to it positively." "We will seek time from the governor to prove majority in the house," said a Sena leader. Shinde has been elected as the leader of the Sena's legislative wing. Aaditya Thackeray, son of Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, was elected from Worli in Central Mumbai in the last month's assembly polls. 06:37 PM

ANI ✔ @ANI Maharashtra: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray and other leaders of the party reach Raj Bhavan, in Mumbai.

View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter 410 6:35 PM - Nov 11, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 120 people are talking about this 06:24 PM Congress to give out-side support to Shiv Sena: Sources Congress will not be a part of the government: Sources

06:06 PM BJP keeps close watch as Sena races against time to form govt A day after it declined to form a government in Maharashtra for want of numbers, the BJP is keenly following Monday's political developments which saw its estranged ally Shiv Sena racing against time to enlist support of the NCP and the Congress. The clock is ticking for the Uddhav Thackeray-led party which has time till 7:30 pm to "indicate the willingness and ability" of the party to form government, as directed by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. As the Sena has limited options, the BJP held a couple of rounds of meetings on its political strategy which would be largely dependent upon the outcome of the meeting of Sena leaders with the governor. Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said the party would comment on the political developments, if required, only after 7:30 pm, the deadline given by the governor to the Sena. 05:50 PM Congress holds second meeting on supporting Shiv Sena Top Congress leaders, former Maharashtra chief ministers Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde as well as state unit chief Balasaheb Thorat met party president Sonia Gandhi on Monday evening to decide on whether or not to support the Shiv Sena in forming a government in the state. Earlier in the morning, all senior members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) met at Gandhi's residence. However, the meeting was inconclusive and the party leadership decided to meet again at 4 pm, amid indications that the legislators were not in favour of fresh elections in the state. Senior leaders A K Antony, Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge, K C Venugopal also attended the meeting in the evening. The Sena is the second largest party in the 288-member House with 56 MLAs after the BJP (105). Given the stalemate between the two alliance partners, the role of the Congress with its 44 legislators and the Nationalist Congress Party with 54 MLAs is crucial. The Shiv Sena has time till 7.30 pm on Monday to stake claim. 05:35 PM Shiv Sena quits from NDA 05:22 PM

ANI ✔ @ANI Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi and Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray had a brief telephonic conversation a short while back

View image on Twitter 465 5:16 PM - Nov 11, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 175 people are talking about this 05:17 PM Backing Shiv Sena not an easy decision for Congress Aligning with the Shiv Sena to form an alternative government in Maharashtra is not likely to be an easy decision for the Congress as the two parties are "not like-minded" or "ideologically aligned". Sources said the Congress in the past has been reluctant to have any truck with the Shiv Sena but a change in circumstances, in which BJP has refused to form government in Maharashtra, may evoke a change of stance from the party. Shiv Sena Minister Arvind Sawant has resigned from the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a section of Congress MLAs are keen to be a part of the non-BJP alternative in Maharashtra. For years, Shiv Sena has been the BJP's oldest ally and also one of its vocal critics. The party had been taking potshots at the Central government during its previous tenure and had even boycotted the no-confidence motion against the government in July last year. 05:05 PM

ANI ✔ @ANI #WATCH Sunil Raut,brother of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut: Since last 15 days Sanjay Sahab has been suffering from chest pain. But it's not serious.He has been admitted for routine check up.I think today evening his angiography will be performed&he'll be released in a day or two.

Embedded video 354 5:02 PM - Nov 11, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 109 people are talking about this 04:49 PM Jaipur resorts hosting new Maha Cong MLA creates buzz among locals A resort in the Rajasthan capital has become one of the centres of power play amid efforts to form the government in Maharashtra. Since Friday evening, the new Congress MLAs are holed up at the resort on Delhi Road near here while party leaders discuss whether to support the Shiv Sena claim to power in Maharashtra. With the MLAs staying in the resort at Pili Ki Talai area in Amer near Jaipur, many senior Congress leaders from Rajasthan, including Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, have been frequently visiting the resort to gauge the MLA's mood. 04:20 PM Sanjay Raut complains of chest pain, hospitalised Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut was on Monday admitted to Lilavati Hospital here after he complained of chest pain, an official at the hospital said. Raut, who has been speaking to the media daily on his party's stand on the current political situation in Maharashtra, came to the hospital around 3.30 pm. "Raut visited the Lilavati Hospital after he complained for slight chest pain. He is being treated by Dr Jaleel Parkar," the official said. "Raut came to the hospital two days back also for a routine check-up. An ECG (electrocardiogram test) was then done followed by some check-ups. Based on the ECG report, doctors advised him to come to the hospital today for further tests," he said. 04:20 PM Nawab Malik Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik interacts with media persons after party's core committee meeting, in Mumbai. Photo: PTI 04:09 PM Arvind Sawat Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister and Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant displays his resignation from the cabinet during a press conference, in New Delhi. Photo: PTI 03:58 PM Arvind Sawant on situation in Maharashtra "Mahayuti government could not be formed. There are talks about Shiv Sena forming government with other parties. It would not be right to continue as Union Minister so I resigned. There should be a government which will work for people of Maharashtra. Farmers are going through a lot of problems due to rains. The new government should be formed as soon as possible," he told ANI.

03:55 PM Aaditya Thackeray has potential, is visionary leader: Arvind Sawant Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant, who resigned from Modi government on Monday after his party started efforts to form a non-BJP alternative in Maharashtra, has said that party's young face Aaditya Thackeray has "potential" and "is a visionary leader" but did not speak about his role in the emerging political combination in the state. "Aaditya Thackeray has potential. Go to YouTube and check by yourself. What a potential that young boy is having. There is true leadership. He is a visionary leader of the country," Sawant told ANI when asked about the current political situation in the state. 03:52 PM Shiv Sena, the second largest party in the 288-member House with 56 MLAs after the BJP's 105 members, has time till 7.30 pm to stake claim on government formation.

UPSC All Exams List 2019 NDA CDS IAS IPS Notification Info Eligibility

UPSC All Exams List 2019 List of UPSC Exams UPSC Exam Important Dates 2019 Eligibility Criteria Syllabus 2019 Exam Pattern UPSC 2019 IAS IPS IFS ESE Combined Medical Services 2019 CDS NDA 2019 Naval Academy Special Class Railway Apprentice UPSC All Exams List 2019 Indian Forest Service Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service 2019 Combined Geoscientist and Geologist UPSC 2019 Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandant) 2019 UPSC All Exams List UPSC All Exams List 2019

About UPSC The Union Public Service Commission – UPSC, is India’s premier central recruiting agency. It is responsible for examinations for All India services and Group A & Group B services. It is also required to be consulted by the Government in matters relating to the appointment, transfer, promotion and disciplinary matters.Every young aspirant want to become an Officer and the path to be one, is here. UPSC All Exams List: – Civil Services ExaminationEngineering Services ExaminationCombined Medical Services ExaminationCombined Defence Services ExaminationNational Defence Academy ExaminationNaval Academy ExaminationSpecial Class Railway ApprenticeIndian Forest Service ExaminationIndian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service ExaminationCombined Geoscientist and Geologist ExaminationCentral Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandant) Examination UPSC Exam Calendar :- 20192020 Civil Services Examination About CSE Examinations :- The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a nationwide competitive examination in India conducted by the UPSC 2019 for recruitment to various Civil Services of the Government of India, UPSC All Exams List : – All India Services Indian Administrative Service (IAS)Indian Foreign Service (IFS)Indian Police Service (IPS) Group ‘A’ Services Indian Foreign Service (IFS)Indian P & T Accounts & Finance ServiceIndian Audit and Accounts ServiceIndian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise)Indian Defence Accounts ServiceIndian Revenue Service (I.T.)Indian Ordnance Factories Service (Assistant Works Manager, Administration)Indian Postal ServiceIndian Civil Accounts ServiceIndian Railway Traffic ServiceIndian Railway Accounts ServiceIndian Railway Personnel ServicePost of Assistant Security Commissioner in Railway Protection ForceIndian Defence Estates ServiceIndian Information Service (Junior Grade)Indian Trade ServiceIndian Corporate Law ServiceIndian Revenue Service (CBEC) Group ‘B’ Services Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service (Section Officer’s Grade)Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil ServicePondicherry Civil ServicePondicherry Police Service Registration process :- Go to official website of UPSC and the fill the registration the formPay the examination FeeUR/GEN/OBC will be Rs. 100/-SC/ST/PH No Fee Age limit :- 21-32 years (as on 01 August of examination year) Age relaxation is according to the category of the applicant No. of attempts varies for applicants according to their categories Important Dates :- Registration beginsFebruary 2019Closing of registrationMarch 2019Admit Card DownloadMay/June 2019CSE Prelims- ExamJune 2019CSE Mains examDecember 2019ResultFebruary 2020Personality Test/InterviewApril/May/June 2020 Eligibility criteria :- Passed Graduate/Post Graduate in any disciplines from well-recognized University/Institute is required to apply. Conducted in three stages :- Preliminary examination: – 2 objective-type papersMain examination: – 9 conventional/subjective typePersonality test (interview) Preliminary Examination Pattern :- The CSE preliminary examination comprises of two papers for 200 marks each General Studies Paper IGeneral Studies Paper II or CSAT Paper Mains Examination Pattern :- The CSE Mains Exam is a written examination which consists of the 9 papers: Paper A (Indian Language) = 300 Marks (qualifying)Paper B (English) = 300 Marks (qualifying)Essay PaperGeneral Studies Paper IGeneral Studies Paper IIGeneral Studies Paper IIIGeneral Studies Paper IVOptional Paper IOptional Paper II Any one subject to be selected for optional subjects and will have two papers (Paper I and Paper II). Interview for Personality :- After qualifying mains exam candidates will be called for the interview  round, which is of 275 marks. Making the grand total of 2025. Syllabus for examination :- Syllabus for GS Paper (Prelims Paper I)Current events of national and international importance.History of India and Indian National Movement.Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate ChangeSyllabus for CSAT Paper (Prelims Paper II)ComprehensionInterpersonal skills including communication skillsLogical reasoning and analytical abilityDecision-making and problem solvingGeneral mental abilityBasic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. – Class X level)Syllabus for Mains Paper (1750 Marks) PaperSubjectMarksPaper – IEssay (can be written in the medium of the candidate’s choice)250Paper – IIGeneral Studies – I (Indian Heritage & Culture, History & Geography of the World & Society)250Paper – IIIGeneral Studies – II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & International Relations)250Paper – IVGeneral Studies – III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Security & Disaster Management)250Paper – VGeneral Studies – IV (Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude)250Paper – VIOptional Subject – Paper I250Paper – VIIOptional Subject – Paper II250 UPSC Mains syllabus gives a list of 48 Optional Subjects which include Literature of different languages. {All India Rank (General) for IAS under 100 & under 250 for IPS } For further more details Click Here for the Notification. Engineering Service Exam About ESE :- Engineering Services Examination is conducted annually for selection of officers for the engineering services that meet the technical and managerial functions in various fields of Engineering of the Government of India. Like in most countries, the Government of India recruits its civil servants and officials on the basis of merit, and middle management positions in the bureaucracy are filled through competitive exams. Many candidates take these exams, competing for limited posts. Engineering Service officers are selected by the union government on the recommendations made by the Union Public Service Commission – UPSC 2019. Conducted in three stages :- Preliminary examination consisting of two objective-type papers (general studies and aptitude test, Engineering discipline specific paper)Main examination consisting of two papers of Engineering discipline specific typePersonality test (interview) Age limit :- 21-32 years (as on 01 August of examination year) Age relaxation is according to the category of the applicant No. of attempts varies for applicants according to their categories Eligibility criteria :- Passed Graduate/Post Graduate in relevant disciplines from well-recognized University/Institute according to post is required to apply.Registration process :- Go to official website of ESE and the fill the registration the form (candidates should have their own valid mobile number and active Email ID).Examination Fee (varies with posts and category) Recruitment process :- Stage 1 (Pre) consist of two objective papers: – Paper-1 for General Science carrying 200 marks in 120 minutes duration.Paper-2 for Engineering Aptitude and Engineering carrying 300 marks in 180 minutes duration. Stage 2 (Mains) consist of two subjective papers: – Both Paper-1 & Paper-2 for Engineering discipline specific paper of 300 marks in 180 minutes duration each. Stage 3 Personality Test This test is of 300 marksAfter the clearing all stages, the selected candidate will receive call letter for joining details and other instructions. Important Dates :- Registration beginsSeptember 2019Closing of registrationOctober 2019Admit Card DownloadDecember 2019CSE Prelims- ExamJanuary 2020CSE Mains examMay 2020Mains ResultAugust 2020Personality Test/InterviewNovember 2020 Exam Pattern :- Stage IESE Pre (Objective)MarksDurationPaper -1 (common for all candidate)General Studies and Engineering Aptitude Paper2002 hoursPaper – 2Engineering discipline specific paper3003 hoursStage I Sub-Total marks500 Only those candidates qualifying at this Stage to be allowed to take the Stage-2 examination Stage IIESE Mains (Subjective)MarksDurationPaper -1Engineering discipline specific paper 13003 hoursPaper – 2Engineering discipline specific paper 23003 hoursStage-I + Stage-II Sub-Total marks1100 Candidates who qualify in Stage-I and Stage-II are allowed to appear for Stage-III examination Stage IIIESE Personality Test/Interview ExaminationMarksDurationCommon for all candidatePersonality Test300NAGrand Total1400 Syllabus for engineering subject according to their respective stream :- CivilMechanicalElectricalSr. No.Topic for Paper-1Sr. No.Topic for Paper-1Sr. No.Topic for Paper-11Building Materials1Fluid Mechanics1Engineering Mathematics2Solid Mechanics2Thermodynamics and Heat transfer2 Electrical Materials3Structural Analysis3IC Engines, Refrigeration and Air conditioning3 Electric Circuits and Fields4Design of Steel Structures4Turbo Machinery4Electrical and Electronic Measurements5Design of Concrete and Masonry structures5Power Plant Engineering5Computer Fundamentals6Construction Practice, Planning and Management6Renewable Sources of Energy6Basic Electronics EngineeringSr. No.Topic for Paper-2Sr. No.Topic for Paper-2Sr. No.Topic for Paper-27Flow of Fluids, Hydraulic Machines and Hydro Power7Engineering Mechanics7Analog and Digital Electronics8 Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering8Engineering Materials8Systems and Signal Processing9Environmental Engineering9Mechanisms and Machines9Control Systems10Geo-technical Engineering and Foundation Engineering10Design of Machine Elements10 Electrical Machines11Surveying and Geology11Manufacturing ,Industrial and Maintenance Engineering11Power Systems12Transportation Engineering12Mechatronics and Robotics12Power Electronics and Drives For further more details Click Here for the Notification. Combined Medical Services Examination About CMS :- The “Combined Medical Services” Examination or the CMS Exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment as Medical Officer in various organizations such as the Indian Ordnance Factories, Indian Railways,municipal corporation of Delhi ,New Delhi municipal corporation functioning under the Government of India (UPSC 2019). Eligibility criteria: – Graduate in MBBS from well-recognized University/Institute according to post is required to apply. Age limit :- 21-32 years (as on 01 August of examination year) Age relaxation is according to the category of the applicant No. of attempts varies for applicants according to their categories Registration process :- Go to official website of CMS Examination and the fill the registration form (candidates should have their own valid mobile number and active Email ID).Examination Fee (varies with posts and category) Important Dates :- Registration beginsFebruary 2019Closing of registrationMarch 2019Admit Card DownloadMay 2019CSE Prelims- ExamMay/June 2019CSE Mains examMay/June 2019ResultJuly 2019Personality Test/InterviewAugust-December 2019 Recruitment process :- Stage 1 (Pre)Stage 2 (Mains)Stage 3 Personality TestAfter the clearing all stages, the selected candidate will receive call letter for joining details and other instructions. Exam Pattern :- Stage ICMS PreQuestionsMarksPaper -1General Medicine including Cardiology, Neurology, Dermatology and Psychiatry60%250 Surgery including ENT, Ophthalmology, Traumatology and Orthopedics40% Stage IICMS MainsQuestionsMarksPaper -2Pediatrics20%250 Gynaecology & Obstetrics40%Preventive & Social Medicine40% Followed by: – Personality Test Topics for exam: – CardiologyNeurologyDermatologyPsychiatryENTOphthalmologyTraumatologyOrthopedicsPediatricsGynaecology & ObstetricsPreventive & Social Medicine For further more details Click Here for the Notification. Combined Defence Services About CDS :- The “Combined Defence Services” (CDS) Examination is conducted twice a year by the Union Public Service Commission for UPSC 2019 recruitment into the Indian Military Academy, Officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Indian Air Force Academy. For the recruitment of candidates into Indian Air Force AcademyIndian Naval AcademyIndian Military AcademyOfficers Training Qualification Eligibility criteria :- Passed Graduate/Post Graduate in relevant disciplines from well-recognized University/Institute according to post is required to apply. Physical eligibility:- The minimum acceptable height for male candidates is 157.5 cm for Army, 157 cm for Navy and 162.5 cm for Air Force.The minimum height of women candidates should be 152 cm. Age limit :- 19-24 years (Age relaxation is according to the category of the applicant) Important Dates :- Registration beginsNovember 2019Closing of registrationDecember 2019Admit Card DownloadJanuary 2020CDS – I ExamFebruary 2020CDS – II ExamOctober 2020ResultDecember 2020Personality Test/InterviewJanuary 2021 Registration process :- Go to official website of CDS and the fill the registration the form (candidates should have their own valid mobile number and active Email ID).Examination Fee (varies with posts and category) Recruitment process :- CDS ICDS IIInterviewAfter the clearing all stages, the selected candidate will receive call letter for joining details and other instructions. Exam Pattern :- All the papers are of objective type from UPSC CDS syllabus SubjectMarksEnglish100General Knowledge100Elementary Mathematics100Total300 CDS Exam (I) Syllabus :- English Syllabus FillersRC PassagesSynonyms/ Antonyms/ PhrasesSentence Rearrangement (Jumbled sentences)Spotting ErrorSentence Improvement General Knowledge Syllabus Current AffairsNews of important international and national events, awards, sports news, books & authorsIndian constitution, fundamental rights and directive principles, powers of the president and prime minister, constitutional bodies, Indian judiciary etc.History of Ancient, Medieval and Modern IndiaSome of the important facts of Indian as well as world geographyEconomy of IndiaPhysics topics like optics, motion, force, units, heat, electricity, temperature etc.Chemistry topics of organic, inorganic, physical and general chemistryBiology topics like important diseases and human & plant biologyQuestions from defence like Army Day, Navy Day, recent developments etc.International Organisations like IMF, WHO, World Bank, UN, BRICS, and SAARC etc. Elementary Mathematics Syllabus Arithmetic Number System—Natural numbers, Integers, Rational and Real numbersFundamental operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Square roots, Decimal fractionsUnitary method, time and distance, time and work, percentages, applications to simple and compound interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, variationElementary Number Theory—Division algorithmPrime and composite numbersTests of divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 11Multiples and factorsFactorisation TheoremC.F. and L.C.M.Euclidean algorithmLogarithms to base 10, laws of logarithms, use of logarithmic tables Algebra Basic Operations, simple factors, Remainder Theorem, H.C.F., L.C.M.Theory of polynomials, solutions of quadratic equations, relation between its roots and coefficients (Only real roots to be considered)Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns—analytical and graphical solutions Simultaneous linear in equations in two variables and their solutionsPractical problems leading to two simultaneous linear equations or in equations in two variables or quadratic equations in one variable & their solutionsSet language and set notation, rational expressions and conditional identities, Laws of indices Trigonometry Simple trigonometric identitiesUse of trigonometric tablesSimple cases of heights and distances Geometry Lines and anglesPlane and plane figures,Theorems on: – Properties of angles at a point,Parallel lines, Sides and angles of a triangle, Congruency of triangles,Similar triangles,Concurrence of medians and altitudes, Properties of angles, sides and diagonals of a parallelogram, rectangle and square,Circles and its properties including tangents and normal Mensuration Areas of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, triangle and circleAreas of figures which can be split up into these figures (Field Book)Surface area and volume of cuboids, lateral surface and volume of right circular cones and cylinders, surface area and volume of spheres Statistics Collection and tabulation of statistical dataGraphical representation frequency polygons, histograms, bar charts, pie charts etc.Measures of central tendency For further more details Click Here for the Notification. National Defence Academy / Naval Academy Examination About NDA/NA :- The National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy (NA) is the Joint Services academy of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the three services, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force train together before they go on to respective service academies for further pre-commissioning training. The NDA is located in Khadakwasla, Pune, Maharashtra. It is the first tri-service academy in the world.Conduct under UPSC 2019. Age Limits, Sex and Marital Status :- For NDA & NA (I): Age Limit: Only unmarried male candidates born not earlier than July 2, 2000, and not later than July 1, 2003, are eligible. For NDA & NA (II): Age Limit: Only unmarried male candidates born not earlier than January 2, 2000, and not later than January 1, 2003, are eligible. Educational Qualifications :-  (i) For Army Wing of National Defence Academy: 12th Class pass of the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent examination conducted by a State Education Board or a University (ii) For Air Force and Naval Wings of National Defence Academy and for the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at the Indian Naval Academy: 12th Class pass of the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent with Physics and Mathematics conducted by a State Education Board or a University Registration process :- Go to official website of UPSC and the fill the registration the formPay the examination FeeUR/GEN/OBC will be Rs. 100/-SC/ST/PH No Fee Important Dates :- EventNDA INDA IIRegistration begins09 January 201907 August 2019Closing of registration04 February 201903 September 2019Admit Card Download27 March 20191 or 2 weeks before examExam21 April 201917 November 2019ResultJune 2019December 2019 Exam Pattern :- NDAMathematicsGeneral Ability TestExam Duration150 minutes150 minutesNo. of Section12 (English and G.K.)No. of objective Questions120150Total marks300600(English 200 & GK 400)Marking Scheme2.5 for correct-0.83 for incorrect4 for correct-1.3 for incorrectMediumEnglish and HindiEnglish and Hindi for GK Syllabus For NDA/NA :- The general knowledge section consists of the following topics: Physics (100 marks)Chemistry (60 marks)General Science (40 marks)History and Freedom Movement (80 marks)Geography (80 marks)Current Events/Affairs (40 marks) Elementary Mathematics Syllabus (up to 10th standard level) For further more details Click Here for the Notification. Special Class Railway Apprentice About SCRA :- Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA) was a programme by which candidates are selected by the Union Public Service Commission – UPSC 2019 India, to train in the undergraduate program in mechanical engineering at the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jamalpur. This programme started in 1927 and is one of the oldest in India. Qualification required :- Candidates should have passed the intermediate examination from any recognized board with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.Candidates should have scored at least 45% in the intermediate examinationThose, who have passed the first year of graduation (3 year degree course) with the second division, are also eligible for this exam.Candidates, who have cleared Pre-Engineering with at least II division, can also appear at SCRA 2019 examination. Age Limit :- 17 to 21 years of age as calculated on 1st January of the examination year.There is a relaxation of 5 years for SC and ST category candidates.For OBC candidates, there will be a relaxation of 3 years.There will be a relaxation of 5 years for ex-servicemen and military personnel Exam Pattern :- PaperSubjectMarksDurationPart 1Paper IGeneral Ability Test (English, General Knowledge and Psychological Test)2002 hoursPaper IIPhysical Sciences (Physics and Chemistry2002 hoursPaper IIIMathematics2002 hoursTotal marks600Part 2Personality Test carrying a maximum of 200 marks in respect of only those candidates who are declared qualified on the results of written examination.NA Note: – Officially not declared yet. Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service Examination About Indian Economic Service :- The Indian Economic Service (भारतीय आर्थिक सेवा) (abbreviated as IES, I.E.S.) is the administrative inter-ministerial and inter-departmental civil service under Group A of the Central Civil Services of the executive branch of the Government of India. The unique aspect of the service is that the cadre posts are spread across various departments and ministries of central government numbering more than 55. It is a highly specialised and professional service within the government of India catering to economic analysis and policy advice. About Indian Statistical Service :- The ISS along with Indian Economic Service (IES) was constituted as a Group-A Central Service on 1 November 1961 by a Gazette notification. All statistical posts of different ministries and departments were pooled together in the initial constitution of service.The objective of creation of the service was institutionalizing a core professional capacity within the Government to consolidate and disseminate the statistics at national and international level and render crucial statistical needs of planning, policy formulation and decision making. Education Qualification :- Post-graduate degree in Economics/Applied Economics/Business Economics/Econometric for IESBachelor’s degree in Statistics/Mathematical Statistics/Applied Statistics for ISS Age Limit :- 21-32 years (Age relaxation is according to the category of the applicant) Registration process :- Go to official website of UPSC and the fill the registration the form (candidates should have their own valid mobile number and active Email ID).Pay the examination FeeUR/GEN/OBC will be Rs. 200/-SC/ST/PH No Fee Important Dates :- Registration begins20/03/2019Closing of registration16/04/2019ResultJune/July 2019Personality Test/InterviewNot declared Exam Pattern :- Indian Economic ServiceSr. No.SubjectMarksDuration1General English1003 hours2General Studies1003 hours3General Economics-I2003 hours4General Economics-II2003 hours5General Economics-III2003 hours6Indian Economics2003 hours Indian Statistical ServiceSr. No.SubjectMarksDuration1General English1003 hours2General Studies1003 hours3Statistics-I (Objective)2002 hours4Statistics-II (Objective)2002 hours5Statistics-III (Subjective)2003 hours6Statistics-IV (Subjective)2003 hours For further more details Click Here for the Notification. Combined Geoscientist and Geologist Examination About Combined Geoscientist and Geologist :- The Officers of Central Geological Service (CGS) are recruited by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and posted to the Geological Survey of India (GSI). It is an esteemed geological organization officially formed in 1851 by British East India Company. It is a central government organisation in India working as an Attached Office to the Ministry of Mines, Government of India to carry out geological surveys, mineral exploration and allied studies. Age Limit : –  21-32 years on 1st January of the year of examination. Educational Qualification :- (i) Master’s degree in Geology/Applied Geology or Marine Geology from a recognized university (ii) Diploma of Associate ship in Applied Geology of Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (iii) Master’s degree in Mineral exploration from a recognized university (for posts in GSI) (iv) Master’s degree in Hydrogeology from a recognized university (for posts in CGWB) Registration process :- Go to official website of UPSC and the fill the registration the form (candidates should have their own valid mobile number and active Email ID).Pay the examination FeeUR/GEN/OBC will be Rs. 200/-SC/ST/PH No Fee Important Dates : – Registration beginsMarch 2020Closing of registrationApril 2020ExamJune 2020 (3 days)ResultAugust/September 2020Personality Test/InterviewNot declared Exam Pattern : – PaperStreamSubjectMarksDuration1Common for allGeneral Studies1002 hours2Geologist & Hydro-geologistGeology/Hydrogeology3002 hoursGeophysicistGeophysics3002 hoursChemistChemistry3002 hoursTotal400 Main Exam : – Main exam has three papers for each stream. All Papers are of descriptive type. Marks secured in this examination are counted for deciding the final merit. Recruitment process :- Preliminary Exam (Objective Type)Main Exam (Conventional Type, Written Exam)Viva-Voice (Personality Test) For further more details see the Notification. Central Armed Police Forces About CAPF :- The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) refers to uniform nomenclature of seven security forces in India under the authority of Ministry of Home Affairs. They are the Assam Rifles (AR), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Security Guard (NSG), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Conducted by UPSC 2019. Age limit : – 20-25 years (age relaxation as per category) Qualification Eligibility criteria : – Graduate Degree in relevant disciplines (B.Com / B.A. / B.Sc / B.Tech / BBA etc) from well-recognized University/Institute according to post is required to apply. Important Dates : – Registration begins24 April 2019Closing of registration20 May 2019UPSC CAPF Exam18 August 2019 Written Exam ResultAugust/September 2019 Registration process :- Go to official website of UPSC and the fill the registration the form (candidates should have their own valid mobile number and active Email ID).Pay the examination FeeUR/GEN/OBC will be Rs. 200/-SC/ST/PH No Fee Exam Pattern : – Held in 4 phase SubjectMarksDurationWritten Exam (Paper 1 & Paper 2)450Paper-1  2 hoursPaper-2  3 hoursInterview/ Physical Test150NA UPSC CAPF Syllabus :- UPSC CAPF 2019 – Paper I: (Total questions – 200; Total Marks – 250; Duration – 2 hours) General Ability and Intelligence: General Mental AbilityGeneral ScienceCurrent Events of National and International ImportanceIndian Polity and EconomyHistory of IndiaIndian and World Geography UPSC CAPF 2019 – Paper II: (Total questions – 7; Total Marks – 200; Duration – 3 Hours) General Studies, Essay and Comprehension Part-A – Essay questions which are to be answered in long narrative form either in Hindi or English totaling 80 Marks. The indicative topics are related to Indian Politics and Economy, modern Indian history especially of the freedom struggle, geography, social security and human rights issues and analytical ability.Part-B – Comprehension, precis writing, other communications / language skills – to be attempted in English only (Marks 120) – The topics are Comprehension passages, precis writing, developing arguments, basic grammar and vocabulary. For further more details see the Notification. How to prepare for the UPSC Exams Union Public Service Commission Exams comprises of both objective and subjective type questions. Theory, conceptual knowledge and problem-solving techniques are equally important.This requires a slightly more focus on the theoretical base. Complete knowledge of the subjects, strong basics, and clear concepts helps in better understanding of the subjects and prove in getting good scores.Good writing skills, excellent presentation, subjective theory, derivations, diagrams and explanations well supported with diagrams helps to fetch good marks in conventional or subjective paper.Student should prefer reference books for derivations & equations.Do not neglect General Ability part as this section plays an important role in scoring high in the pre.Use previous year question papers for practice and practice more as possible because more you practice more you have the chance of clearing the exam.Try to solve the papers in given time to obtain an idea that how many questions you are able to solve in given time.Use tricks for solving questions instead of lengthy approach.Make short notes with all the important points.Keep yourself up to date on current affairs for the general knowledge test. Develop a habit of reading newspapers and magazines.For Personal Interview: – Sound technical knowledge, Positive attitude, Body language, Good communication skills, knowledge about current affairs plays an important role to clear personal interviews. IMPORTANT LINK AREA Name of ExamNotification detailsCivil Services Preliminary ExaminationClick HereEngineering Service ExaminationClick HereCombined Medical Service ExaminationClick HereCDS ExaminationClick HereNDA/NA ExaminationClick HereUPSC Exam CalendarUPSC 2020 Exam CalendarOfficial Websitewww.upsc.gov.in Read the full article

Leh Ladakh, India. [Image Source]

In this article, we give you a list of romantic places to discover in India during monsoon season, places where you can share an insane amount of romantic bliss with your significant other.

​Don’t you love the idea of romancing in the rain with your sweetheart? How about romancing at an exotic honeymoon destination in India where raindrops fall and create magic for couples? Redefining romance in the monsoon season in India, is one of those elements that seem incredibly romantic, thanks to Yash Raj Movies that awaken the lust of spellbinding romance amidst the snowy Alps and lush green hills. We don’t know whether you would agree or not, but if you found the statement relatable, tell us your remarks at the end of this article. Here we go!

1. Coorg (​Kodagu)

Crowned as the Scotland Of India, this quaint hill station is tucked away in the Western Ghats and has an insane amount of greenery as far as your eyes can view. Coorg, also known as Kogagu, is amazing to visit in August, as it’s the time when Coorg is blanketed with pristine downpours. If you are residing of planning a trip near Bangalore and Karnataka, then Coorg is the place to go to this monsoon and watch the rain sprinkled in the lush green tea and coffee plantations. 

What To Do

From admiring the beauty of the gorgeous hills to hopping around the pristine waterfalls, to embarking on a thrilling wildlife safari tour at Nagarhole National Park, you won’t fall short of romantic elements in Coorg. However, river rafting is yet another activity in Coorg for adventurous couples. 

How to Get There

Since Coorg don’t have its own airport, but you can manage to fly to the Bangalore, Mysore, and Mangalore airport from the major cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. It would be convenient for you if you land at Mysore airport, which is only around 145 km away from Coorg!

Abbey Waterfall, Coorg, India. [Image Source]

2. Munnar

Get to romance in the pride of Kerala, Munnar. The most romantic town, Munnar is tucked in Kerala, and is famous for its equisite tea gardens hills. Stroll the splended hills of Munnar with your sweetheart, and get lost in the lush greenery, since Munnar bloom like a wedding bride in the monsoon season. 

WHAT TO DO

Opt for a two wheller ride on the tranquil slopes of Munnar, take a day trip to TATA museum. Go for the Shikara ride in Kundala Lake, and you can do camping too!

HOW TO GET THERE

With good flight connectivity from the metropolitan cites of India, one can easily fly to Coachin International Airport. Afterward, take a taxi service to reach the mainland Munnar, which is over 120 km. 

Tea Plantation, Munnar, India. [Image Source]

3. Ladakh

​Frankly, there is no best time to visit Ladakh, such is the charm of Ladakh that you can visit this destination throughout the year. Ladakh is the home to the whitewashed snow mountains, intriguing monasteries, and sparkling lakes. 

WHAT TO DO

With a small amount of downpouring, Ladakh is suitable to take bike trips and enjoy the pristine valley views in the month of monsoon. Howeve, if you want to make your Ladakh honeymoon more pleasant, savor the local Ladakh food, and get to talk with the local monks. 

HOW TO GET THERE

With well flight connectivity from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore, one can land at the Leh Airport, and continue their sightseeing. 

Tso Kiagar Lake, Ladakh, India. [Image Source]

4. Gangtok

Make sure to explore Gangtok, the capital town of Sikkim on your north east honeymoon expedition. This is the place to witness the glorious sunsets and sunrise, with a reflection of sun rays reflecting from the Kanchenjunga peak mountain ranges. 

WHAT TO DO

Make sure to make divine prayers at the intrguing monasteries like Rumtek and Pemayangste. Ride the ropeway ride, and wwatch the panoramic view of the Gangtok city. 

HOW TO GET THERE

​The proximate airport near Gangtok is Bagdogra airport, which is over 124 km far away! Flights are directly available from the metropolitan cities. 

Chair lift over Gangtok, India. [Image Source]

5. Udaipur

Udaipur is the royal and romantic city in Rajasthan and is crowned as the Venice Of India since it has the best boating spots where watching the sunset is way more romantic than watching the romantic movie. In the monsoon season, the city of Udaipur gets super green. Udaipur has some of the exotic hotels for couples.

WHAT TO Do

From exploring the sophisticated forts to vibrant bazaars to watching the cobalt blue clouds at Monsoon Palace, the lakes in Udaipur are pretty much famous for taking a boating ride with your spouse. 

HOW TO GET THERE

​With its own airport, bus stand and a railway station, Delhizens can reach Udaipur via road, flight or rail. 

Udaipur, India. [Image Source]

​So, where would you go for a romantic monsoon vacation? We advise you to book your India honeymoon packages from reputed honeymoon operator, to enjoy your vacations with full liberty and freedom. 

Families go hungry due to UK welfare cuts, report says

(CNN)The UK government is violating its obligations to ensure families have enough food to live on, according to a damning new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW).

“The UK is the fifth largest economy in the world. It really beggars belief that in this country increasing numbers, year on year, of families are going hungry,” Kartik Raj, HRW’s Western Europe researcher and author of the report, told CNN.

“The government has really shirked its responsibility in terms of protecting the rights of people to food,” Raj continued. “The government has a responsibility to make sure that every single one of its residents enjoys the right to food, that they have an adequate standard of living.”

The report delved into food insecurity in Hull, Cambridgeshire and Oxford, three areas of England with high deprivation levels.

HRW visited the areas to document how welfare changes and cuts to government funding have impacted Britons, conducting 126 interviews with families, volunteers and staff at food banks. The group also examined official government data and statistics.

Dependence on charitable aid has surged in the last 10 years with a 5,146% increase in emergency food packages distributed, the report said, citing statistics from the Trussell Trust, the UK’s largest national food bank charity.

One 23-year-old mother from Hull revealed she has skipped meals so her four-year-old daughter can eat, according to a statement from HRW.

“When you’re a single mum there are very few jobs you can do that let you drop your child to school in the morning, then go to work and be back at 2.30 to pick them up. I skip meals, so my daughter can eat,” said the mother who relies on a low-cost community pantry that redistributes surplus food from supermarkets.

HRW outlined three key reasons hunger has skyrocketed in Britain. The group analyzed public spending data and found successive governments since 2010 have cut public welfare funding by 44%, “outstripping cuts in many other areas of government expenditure.”

The report also condemned the overhaul of the welfare system known as Universal Credit — a government program for people on low incomes that replaces many previous benefits and tax credits, combining them into a single payment.

Thirdly, the report slammed the UK government’s apparent snub of “growing evidence of a stark deterioration in the standard of living for the country’s poorest residents, including skyrocketing food bank use, and multiple reports from school officials that many more children are arriving at school hungry and unable to concentrate.”

A government spokesperson rejected the report’s findings as “misleading,” in a statement to CNN.

“It’s misleading to present these findings as representative of England as a whole,” the spokesperson for the UK Department for Work and Pensions said. “We’re helping parents to move into work to give families the best opportunity to move out of poverty. And it’s working — employment is at a record high and children growing up in working households are five times less likely to be in relative poverty.

“We spend £95 billion ($120 billion) a year on working-age benefits and we’re supporting over 1 million of the country’s most disadvantaged children through free school meals. Meanwhile we’ve confirmed that the benefit freeze will end next year.”

UK named Europe’s worst offender

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has repeatedly attacked the government for neglecting the country’s poorest citizens. In November, he wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May slamming her government’s response to a recently published UN Special Rapporteur’s report into poverty in the UK.

“The UN report should be a wake-up call about the rising levels of poverty and destitution that exist in Britain today — this is a national emergency,” Corbyn wrote, adding that the “government shames our nation by being condemned for its neglect of its poorest citizens.”

“Austerity was a political choice and the UN Special Rapporteur has laid out the consequences of your Government’s policies. These policies have hit disabled people, women and BAME communities particularly hard,” Corbyn continued, using a British term for Black, Asian and minority ethnic people.

In January, the British Medical Journal put out a report that said food insecurity in UK was among the worst in Europe, particularly for children.

Billy McGranaghan, founder of Dad’s House, an organization assisting single fathers, told CNN of his distress at seeing so many families on the breadline.

“Poverty is everywhere, it’s universal,” McGranaghan said on Friday shortly after dropping off a food parcel to a property in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, one of capital’s most affluent areas.

“No one understands the poverty in Kensington and Chelsea, especially south of the borough, where it’s all stucco buildings and beautiful houses. But around the corner there’s a housing estate where families are on Universal Credit and they don’t have anything.”

His voice broke as he recalled going into homes and talking to parents who are struggling to get by.

“When you see the poverty with the children, they haven’t (got) enough, it gets to you,” he said with tears in his eyes.

HRW acknowledged that some steps had been taken by the government to alleviate the impact of its welfare policy changes but said more needed to be done.

It suggested fully revoking the two-child limit on some welfare payments, preventing delays in accessing Universal Credit payments, ensuring that payments keep up with inflation rates and incorporating the rising cost of food.

It also called on the government to come up with a strategy for combating the hunger crisis, “including a legal requirement to measure food insecurity and to report the results to parliament.”

Raj said: “This rise in hunger has the UK government’s fingerprints all over it.

“Standing aside and relying on charities to pick up the pieces of its cruel and harmful policies is unacceptable. The UK government needs to take urgent and concerted action to ensure that its poorest residents aren’t forced to go hungry.”

Original Article : HERE ; This post was curated & posted using : RealSpecific

Families go hungry due to UK welfare cuts, report says was originally posted by MetNews

@demetriusa said:

huh. you're such an optimistic person! my take's been that all of this points to Aline going down the same path as the other females characters. And, in this case, it would hurt even more. I'm not sure the messy narrative needs her,and if she's been brought on only bc she's lesbian, and they couldn't not have her...why not work first on all the problems with the characters we have already on the show, though? there's no time to do them all justice, really.

This is why I’m optimistic:

1. Shadowhunters is both bringing new characters in, and shedding old ones. 

2. They are developing the main characters (other than Clary, coming back to that) out of the two dimensions they had in the source material. So Isabelle is warm and nurturing and smart as hell instead of just Girl For Clary To Jealous At, Jace’s cockiness grows out of hurt and vulnerability and growing up in an environment of neglect and abuse, instead of him just being a beautiful blond spouting one liners, and Alec is not just Tall Gay, he’s had several episode spanning story arcs, and he’s one of the best fleshed out characters on the show. 

3. The new intro I hate so much makes a point of introducing all the main characters. 

Which Means!

They are looking for the right mix for an ensemble. 

The Dearly Departed

Raj, Lydia, Jocelyn,  Victor Aldertree and Camille are gone because they stopped serving a function. Robert is gone because he’s a redundancy on Maryse, and Maryse is 200% more compelling. Gretel got cut because she was just Maia 1.0, and thus a redundancy.  

Guest Starring

Maia has interacted with all the main characters, been in most of the episodes since she was introduced, and made it into one of 2B’s main storylines-- the clave as oppressors. She’s a win. 

Imogene was the villain for a couple of episodes, but isn’t the type of character the show was able to support constant interaction with. 

Dot’s role was rewritten from “like a big sister to Clary” and self sacrificing whilst being evil-ed on a boat, to Magnus’s world weary, moderately sassy friend. They are trying to find something to do to keep her around. 

Meliorn has been completely rewritten too, from Isabelle’s conveniently connected lover, to important representative of the Seelie Court. 

Sebastian is driving a whole new plot, which, if they writers have any talent or mercy will give us a fantastic new direction to go in for season three. Valentine is a terrible villain, and even the books only stayed shackled to him for half the story. The show is looking to upgrade it’s big bad. 

Raphael has suffered from Simon’s character growth, because he is now pointless as Simon’s antagonist. Simon’s storyline supports itself without him, so Raphael got tossed into Isabelle's story line, which also didn’t work, so they just ended that relationship in the last episode. Maybe he goes somewhere from here, maybe he doesn't. It’s too soon to tell, but he could easily be the next person shuffled off.

B Plot Extraordinaires!

Luke is being given his own circle to bounce off of with Maia and Ollie. Ollie, it has to be said, currently has more plot and character development than Clary after two scenes. She’s new in a job, wants to do well, and has discovered a secret. She’s been on screen for less than 120 total seconds and is better written than Clary. 

Simon has absolutely gotten the most character development, from nerdy friend, to fledgling vampire, to fledging vampire trying to be human, to acceptance of vampire-dom while finally dating the girl he’s always wanted, to being a daylighter, to ditching Clary and embracing his full downworlder reality. 

Magnus is currently in the middle of a storyline that is developing him out of “Main Character by Proxy” and into a fully fleshed out pillar of the plot. His storyline revolved entirely around Alec up until the moment he and Valentine swapped bodies, and now the plot is focusing on his past and internal struggles. A lot of his plot is still about love, but the building blocks for giving him his own stories entirely independent of the Institute A Plot are already laid out, the basement is nearly finished, they are going to start building the main floor any day now. 

The A Plot Ensemble (and, unfortunately, Clary)

So with Luke and Simon supporting their own storylines away from the main Institute drama, and Magnus gearing up to do the same, our leads are Jace, Alec, Isabelle and unfortunately, Clary. 

I bet we start to see this coalesce tonight. Isabelle talks to Clary about her relationship struggles with Simon, and also talks to Jace about it. Aline comes in, creating some sort of Sebastian drama that from the previews, I’m guessing explodes in 2x17. Maybe Isabelle’s recovery comes up, this leaves most of our Institute characters involved in a plot together. 

Alec is probably going to to be off in a side plot with Magnus, but it’s going to be a net growth for those two characters. 

And Aline is coming into the A plot, to talk to all of the main core. Essentially, this is a chemistry audition. Does she work or not? Can her character arc compliment this group? Is there a storyline with can give her in B-Plot land? 

So yeah... I agree that things are sort of a mess, and they are not using all of their characters to their advantage, but I also feel like it’s still early enough for them to be figuring this out, and especially with the hints, about the season 2 finale completely changing the show, I bet that by that point they lock into a workable ensemble, figure out the relationships once and for all (probably kill 2-5 characters) and haul ass forward from there. 

The Iowa Town Where Marianne Williamson Is Already President

Photos by KC McGinnis for Politico Magazine

Adam Wren is a contributing editor at Politico Publication and Indianapolis Regular Monthly

FAIRFIELD, Iowa– Inside the Raj, a picturesque French country-style day spa and resort nestled among cornfields in southeastern Iowa, I requested the gemstone light therapy, which promised to deluge me with inner peace, broaden my consciousness and increase my energy.

But they informed me I wasn’t prepared.

I had actually traveled to Fairfield and nearby Maharishi Vedic City to try to comprehend the appeal of Marianne Williamson, a spiritual master running for president.

On Thursday, less than a month before the Iowa caucuses, Williamson laid off her whole staff but didn’t suspend her project. “The point of my candidacy has actually been to inform the heart’s truth and that does not cost money,” she composed. There are a couple of places in the nation where her heart’s fact resonates more than others. If you look at the greatest densities of Williamson donors around the U.S.– as illustrated in an August analysis by the New York City Times— most fall in the locations you might anticipate: Northern California, Hawaii and candidates’ capitals like Sedona, Arizona. However one is right in the heartland– in truth within a brief drive of the gabled white farmhouse made popular in American Gothic

In these surrounding southeast Iowa burgs of Vedic City and Fairfield– farming communities, dotted by a Household Video, a Pizza King and a Tractor Supply store– Williamson might as well already be president.

Head northwest of the Fairfield town square a couple of blocks, past Everybody’s Whole Foods store, equipped with the finest foods from America’s first all-organic city, and you’ll begin to find out why this location has actually seen a lot Williamson. This is the home of Maharishi International University, a school established in 1974 by the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a famous neo-Hindu professional and master to the Beach Boys and the Beatles. On the edge of campus, the Maharishi Tower of Invincibility towers above the horizon. I would later on learn it’s a sign of “best inner coherence and combination,” making the space around it “impenetrable to disorderly outdoors impacts,” according to MaharishiTower.org.

The tower guards two giant domes that hover above the flat Midwestern earth like golden, grounded flying saucers. Inside these 2 domes, two times a day, nearly 1,000 residents collect– women in one, men in the other– to participate in transcendental meditation, an essential part of Maharishi’s mentors, and yogic flying, a kind of cross-legged hopping that practitioners state can mimic flying. It’s a practice they believe makes the world a more serene location. Adherents say that if they can get the square root of 1 percent of the U.S. population– about 1,900 people– here practicing meditation all at once, their brain waves can materially enhance the world and elevate humankind’s collective consciousness, fending off wars, economic downturns and, according to a current argumentation released by a doctoral prospect at the university, car accidents.

” When people will practice meditation together in a big enough group, it has an impact of soothing the environment for an extended range,” Ed Malloy, Fairfield’s nine-term Democratic mayor, informed me on a current visit.

” It’s very real,” said Fred Travis, a professor and chairman of the Department of Maharishi Vedic Science.

Of the nearly dozen residents I consulted with on my trip– from Malloy to a regional café owner– all seemed to understand Williamson and support her candidacy (though Sen. Bernie Sanders and, provided her peacenik platform, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard drew some support, too). And, as remote as these fans of the late Maharishi may seem from in-the-know politics, they are also more pertinent than you might think: Individuals of Jefferson County are timeless Obama-Trump voters– Obama won the county by 16 points in 2012, but it turned for Trump by half a point in 2016.

In September, on the International Day of Peace, Williamson spoke to a crowd collected here at a regional events. “How ridiculous is it that we have one day that we commit to peace?” She asked the audience. “International Day of Peace. One day. Much we could say that 364 days of the year appear quite much dedicated to war.”

For the next hour or so, she described her vision for the nation, before leading the audience in a 10- minute directed meditation.

The crowd beinged in silence.

If you construct it, they will Om. That was more or less the sentiment that led Rogers and Candace Badgett in the early 1990 s to construct– in the middle of cornfields– a $7 million, 36,000- square-foot medspa referred to as the Raj, a health retreat devoted to Ayurvedic, an Indian school of alternative medicine advanced by the Maharishi. (” People don’t utilize om” in transcendental meditation,” Candace would later inform me, when I ventured the contrast between Field of Dreams and the Raj. “It’s a various type of meditation.”)

The Raj is in Maharishi Vedic City, a few miles north of Fairfield and the university.

As I pulled up to the hotel in the middle of relatively nowhere, I found a half-dozen luxury vehicles parked out front.

Inside, as I waited for Rogers and Candace, I perused a menu of health spa treatments. My eyes settled upon something called Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems. For $120, I could get the Routine Beamer ($250 for the Big Beamer), a treatment which promised “higher states of consciousness.” After a very long time on the project path, it sounded great, whatever it was. (I would later on find out the treatment basically sends light beams into your body through gems. Practitioners think the stone’s crystalline molecular structure gives the light a corrective effect. The Huge Beamer, by the way, “makes use of 12 times the number of gemstones for a more enhanced and restorative effect.”)

Rogers, born in Western Kentucky, made his cash in coal and oil financial investments and assisted his family obtain the Boston Red Sox in the 1980 s before moving here in the 1990 s to deepen his transcendental meditation practice and be close to the university. Everyone in Fairfield and Vedic City seems to come from someplace else, drawn by the towns’ tranquil values: There are individuals from all 50 states here, and some 80 different countries.

Rogers and Candace took me into the parlor, the very same room where they’ve entertained Williamson throughout her stays. After her 2014 stopped working California congressional campaign, Williamson accepted an invitation from Candace to decompress here.

Over the next hour, the Badgetts sang the praises of Williamson. “I think they misunderstand her luster and her functionality because she speaks about love, and love appears extremely kind of abstract,” Candace stated. “Marianne’s understanding of love is much more profound than what individuals take it to be, since she’s simply speaking about an underlying field of intelligence in reality, and you come back to physics … that there is an underlying field of intelligence that generates matter. … She understands the entire concept of collective consciousness, and that you need to raise collective awareness to resolve concerns.”

I kept the discussion more or less on politics and asked about Williamson’s lack of experience in many policy areas. “The greatest problem is that individuals probably think it’s a cult or probably New Agey,” Candace told me.

Later, in the all-organic, non-GMO vegetarian dining room downstairs, I consulted with Travis, the Maharishi University teacher and director of its Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition. He wanted me to understand that what I had simply spoken with the Badgetts wasn’t bunk. He pointed out that one doctoral candidate at the college just recently analyzed the number of vehicle accidents surrounding Fairfield and discovered that accidents increased the further you went from the city. “Individuals here are aware that we do not reside in a classical world,” Travis informed me over a meal of vegetarian lasagna, broccoli and turnips. “We reside in a quantum world.”

The claim to be able to promote peace and security through meditation is one of Williamson and Fairfield’s less controversial beliefs. Williamson has actually questioned compulsory vaccines. She has composed that “illness is an impression and does not exist” and that “ cancer and HELP and other physical diseases are physical symptoms of a psychic scream.” None of this is “evidence-based” or backed by science.

Those pseudoscientific beliefs seem to be shared, in part, by residents of Fairfield.

There is likewise no reliable scientific proof that sending light through gemstones can cure the body.

In my discussion with the Badgetts at the Raj, I asked what would occur to me if I acquired the gem treatment.

” Different individuals have various reactions,” Rogers informed me.

Should I provide it a try right now? I asked Candace.

” I do not think so,” she said. It required to be done with a bigger program, she told me. I wasn’t prepared. Instead, I got the tongue checkup.

I also went through an Ayurveda Pulse Assessment, which, according to the Raj site, is a diagnostic exam in which an “specialist can feel the level of imbalance in the body, even before specific signs of imbalance end up being manifest.”

” That’s your unique music,” Mark Toomey, an Australian with a doctorate in physiology from Maharishi University, told me after pressing on my radial artery and instructing me to close my eyes. I passed both diagnostics, however Toomey stated he might tell I needed to get more rest. “Your pulse feels a bit tired to me, a bit rundown. Are you tired?” The project trail didn’t seem to be using well on me, he said.

Back at Everybody’s, in Fairfield, Mayor Malloy told me he goes to the Raj for three to 5 days a year as a matter of preventative health.

” We’ve had conversations about [mass meditation] as a technology,” Malloy said.

Malloy didn’t strike me as a charm charm kind of person. This time around, he informed me, Williamson’s ideas weren’t getting the kind of fair media protection he thinks they should have.

” All of her political concepts are well-formulated,” Malloy stated.

We talked about the town’s economic surge. “When people are devoted to establishing their own growth and capacity, there’s a lot of creative dynamism that comes out of that,” Malloy told me.

I discussed the traffic accident research study Travis had actually informed me about. That was nothing compared to the other thing that happened, Malloy said.

” Did he tell you about what occurred in the Washington, D.C., study?”

In the summer of 1993, 4,000 practitioners of transcendental meditation descended on Washington with what seemed like a far-fetched aim: lower the district’s criminal offense rate. They set up their two-month experiment in places such as a conference room at the Washington Hilton and at Gallaudet University. They had actually tried this with a smaller group for a period of 10 years, but it didn’t work. Until 1991, the nationwide office of transcendental meditation had been in Washington, however the Maharishi had grown inflamed with the capital’s seeming intransigence to the powers of transcendental meditation; it had worked in war zones, why could not it work in the District of Columbia?

” I would not encourage anyone to stay in the pool of mud,” the Maharishi stated in defeat.

Go west, the Maharishi informed his disciples. And so the national TM head office decamped from Washington to Fairfield.

But in 1993, a group of adherents attempted to save the country’s capital once again. “It would almost be careless if we didn’t bring this knowledge to the leaders of Washington,” Kamal Sunev, a spokesperson for the People for a Crime-Free D.C., a TM nonprofit, told the Washington Post at the time.

Malloy was there, and so were the Badgetts. They practiced meditation for up to 4 hours a day. “We were going to lower criminal offense,” Rogers stated. “In the summer. In Washington, D.C.”

The city’ spolice chief at the time, Fred Thomas, said the only thing that would stem criminal offense in the summer was a blizzard.

Under the instructions of John Hagelin of Maharishi International University, they invested $4.2 million on the program. “This might be the most far-out job we have actually backed, but it might be the most crucial,” Haeglin informed the New York Times

4 weeks in, violent criminal offense dropped by 23.3 percent. One Washington detective raised an eyebrow at the findings, though: “There has been impressive work by the officers and leaders of the patrol districts,” Winston Robinson, a leader of the 7th District, told the Post

A 1999 peer-reviewed paper in the journal Social Indicators Research checked out the phenomenon, showing that the drop couldn’t be attributed to authorities staffing. TM adherents and specialists chalk it as much as something called “super glow,” in which the positive vibes from those meditating altered the neighboring field of awareness. As a perk, researchers of transcendental meditation say, then-President Bill Clinton’s approval rating increased, while medical facility injury cases and unintentional deaths decreased– all thanks to the meditating, they argue However one of the paper’s authors compared crimes that occurred to crimes that might have taken place based upon a time-series analysis, a suspect method.

” You raise the whole consciousness, the consciousness is going through the galaxy, every word coming through your mouth is traveling through the galaxy,” Mila Urana, a housewife from Fort Salonga, New York, who did a two-week TM shift, told the Times “Whatever is favorable.”

There was a moment, previously in the campaign, when America– or at least a few of America– seemed prepared to take a Williamson campaign seriously, visualizing her as a kind of spiritual Trump slayer who could marshal our better angels and point us towards a “politics of love.” Her project introduced crystal memes and made its share of buffooning coverage. America is an intricate place, not least since a town like Fairfield– with its attractive white gazebo, town square and nine-term Democratic mayors– can exist together with even the most outré beliefs and candidates.

The last person I satisfied in Fairfield was Betsy Howland, the owner of Revelations, the coffee bar and New-Agey book shop where Williamson’s books are prominently shown simply off the town square.

Whenever Williamson remains in Fairfield, she makes a stop at Discoveries. A couple of years ago, Williamson had a secret to share with Howland: “I believe I’m going to run for president,” she whispered across the register.

Howland’s three daughters have actually taken Williamson’s course in wonders offered online. A Methodist, Howland moved here in 1998, leaving her partner, who had the “old beliefs” and didn’t meditate. Before the move, she had run a department store in Sidney, New York City, an old Montgomery Ward that, thanks in part to her meditation she said, set sales records. One day, she asked herself: What’s the most essential thing I could do for the world? She chose it was to sell whatever and transfer to Fairfield to add to the group coherence and meditation program. Now, in between shifts at the shop, she meditates at 5 p.m. and 6 a.m.

” I see her vision,” she told me of Williamson. “I believe they ‘d make an excellent team” in 2020, she informed me.

” A lot of the anger and hate and partisanship originates from stresses in the system. And if nothing more, meditation, in my case TM, it assists relieve those tensions.”

After we talked for a while, I informed her I had simply another concern. Did she think Williamson was unfairly criticized in September when she recommended people could use the power of their minds to turn away Typhoon Dorian? “The Bahamas, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas … might all be in our prayers now,” Williamson tweeted on September 4. “Countless us seeing Dorian turn away from land is not a crazy concept; it is an innovative usage of the power of the mind. 2 minutes of prayer, visualization, meditation for those in the way of the storm.”

Minutes later on the account erased the tweet. Her team later on said “it was a metaphor.”

In the pregnant time out in between my concern and her answer, Howland shot me a stern however quizzical look.

” You don’t believe you can?”

The post The Iowa Town Where Marianne Williamson Is Already President appeared first on Actu Trends.

The Iowa Town Where Marianne Williamson Is Already President

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/the-iowa-town-where-marianne-williamson-is-already-president/

The Iowa Town Where Marianne Williamson Is Already President

Photos by KC McGinnis for Politico Magazine

Adam Wren is a contributing editor atPolitico MagazineandIndianapolis Monthly.

FAIRFIELD, Iowa—Inside the Raj, an idyllic French country-style spa and resort nestled among cornfields in southeastern Iowa, I asked for the gemstone light therapy, which promised to deluge me with inner peace, expand my consciousness and increase my energy.

But they told me I wasn’t ready. So I had to settle for the tongue reading and pulse assessment. Several minutes into having a bald and shoeless Australian stranger peering at my papillae, I wondered what I had gotten myself into.

I had traveled to Fairfield and nearby Maharishi Vedic City to try to understand the appeal of Marianne Williamson, a spiritual guru running for president. She’s been an object of fascination with the political pundit class, often as the butt of their snarky tweets, but also because her appearances attract hundreds on the campaign trail and thousands on the lecture circuit. She’s been a best-selling author for more than 20years and—not unlike the current president—has a powerful grassroots appeal in precincts far from the knowing zip codes of Washington and New York.

On Thursday, less than a month before the Iowa caucuses, Williamson laid off her entire staff but didn’t suspend her campaign. “The point of my candidacy has been to tell the heart’s truth and that does not cost money,” she wrote. There are a few places in the country where her heart’s truth resonates more than others. If you look at the highest densities of Williamson donors around the U.S.—as depicted in an August analysis by theNew York Times—most fall in the places you might expect: Northern California, Hawaii and seekers’ capitals like Sedona, Arizona. But one is right in the heartland—in fact within a short drive of the gabled white farmhouse made famous inAmerican Gothic.

In these neighboring southeast Iowa burgs of Vedic City and Fairfield—farming communities, dotted by a Family Video, a Pizza King and a Tractor Supply store—Williamson might as well already be president. Long before she declared her 2020 candidacy for the Democratic nomination, Williamson had been cultivating this part of Iowa, holding a number of events for herself-help business—drawing visitors to local haunts such as Revelations, a quirky cafe that prominently sells her books, and staying at the Raj, the resort owned by Williamson’s friends and donors Rogers and Candace Badgett. She campaigned here seven times in 2019—nearly a quarter of the town’s 29 presidential campaign stops, according to theDes Moines Registercandidate tracker.

Head northwest of the Fairfield town square a few blocks, past Everybody’s Whole Foods store, stocked with the finest foods from America’s first all-organic city, and you’ll begin to find out why this place has seen so much Williamson. This is the home of Maharishi International University, a school founded in 1974 by the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a famous neo-Hindu practitioner and guru to the Beach Boys and the Beatles. On the edge of campus, the Maharishi Tower of Invincibility towers above the horizon. I would later learn it’s a sign of “perfect inner coherence and integration,” making the space around it “impermeable to disorderly outside influences,” according to MaharishiTower.org.

The tower guards two giant domes that hover above the flat Midwestern earth like golden, grounded flying saucers. Inside these two domes, twice a day, nearly 1,000 locals gather—women in one, men in the other—to take part in transcendental meditation, a key part of Maharishi’s teachings, and yogic flying, a kind of cross-legged hopping that practitioners say can mimic flying. It’s a practice they believe makes the world a more peaceful place. Adherents say that if they can get the square root of 1 percent of the U.S. population—about 1,900 people—here meditating simultaneously, their brain waves can materially improve the world and elevate humankind’s collective consciousness, staving off wars, recessions and, according to a recent dissertation published by a doctoral candidate at the university, car accidents.

“When people will practice meditation together in a large enough group, it has an effect of calming the atmosphere for an extended distance,” Ed Malloy, Fairfield’s nine-term Democratic mayor, told me on a recent visit.

“It’s very real,” said Fred Travis, a professor and chairman of the Department of Maharishi Vedic Science.

Of the nearly dozen residents I spoke with on my trip—from Malloy to a local café owner��all seemed to know Williamson and support her candidacy (though Sen. Bernie Sanders and, given her peacenik platform, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard drew some support, too). And, as remote as these followers of the late Maharishi might seem from in-the-know politics, they are also more relevant than you might think: The people of Jefferson County are classic Obama-Trump voters—Obama won the county by 16 points in 2012, but it flipped for Trump by half a point in 2016.

In September, on the International Day of Peace, Williamson spoke to a crowd gathered here at a local events center. “How insane is it that we have one day that we dedicate to peace?” She asked the audience. “International Day of Peace. One day. So much we could say that 364 days of the year seem pretty much dedicated to war.”

For the next hour or so, she outlined her vision for the country, before leading the audience in a 10-minute guided meditation. “As each of us, in our own hearts, in our own way, look to the creative force from whence peace comes, now we gather in that deeper place, in that perfect place, that place within the human heart, deep within the human psyche, we enter there. We enter there. We enter there.”

The crowd sat in silence.

***

If you build it, they willOm.That was more or less the sentiment that led Rogers and Candace Badgett in the early 1990s to build—in the middle of cornfields—a $7 million, 36,000-square-foot spa known as the Raj, a health retreatdedicated to Ayurvedic, an Indian school of alternative medicine advanced by the Maharishi. (“People don’t useom”in transcendental meditation,” Candace would later tell me, when I ventured the comparison betweenField of Dreamsand the Raj. “It’s a different type of meditation.”)

The Raj is in Maharishi Vedic City, a few miles north of Fairfield and the university. Vedic City, which Oprah Winfrey once called “America’s most unusual town,” follows “natural law”: It’s illegal there to sell nonorganic food and all the buildings face east—in accordance with a spiritual school of architecture believed to promote health and prosperity—and are topped by a golden architectural flourish called a kalash, better connecting residents to heaven. Incorporated as a city on July 25, 2001, Vedic City—named for the Sanskrit word “veda,” meaning life—is more or less the Raj and a collection of houses. Badgett is the town’s mayor.

As I pulled up to the hotel in the middle of seemingly nowhere, I found a half-dozen luxury cars parked out front. As I would later discover, the resort only accepts 15 guests at a time; the enhanced day spa experience is $595 a day, for up to 21 days. It is almost always full.

Inside, as I waited for Rogers and Candace, I perused a menu of spa treatments. My eyes settled upon something called Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems. For $120, I could get the Regular Beamer ($250 for the Big Beamer), a treatment which promised “higher states of consciousness.” After a long time on the campaign trail, it sounded nice, whatever it was. (I would later learn the treatment essentially sends light beams into your body through gems. Practitioners believe the stone’s crystalline molecular structure gives the light a restorative effect. The Big Beamer, by the way, “utilizes 12 times the number of gemstones for a more amplified and therapeutic effect.”)

Rogers, born in Western Kentucky, made his money in coal and oil investments and helped his family acquire the Boston Red Sox in the 1980s before moving here in the 1990s to deepen his transcendental meditation practice and be close to the university. In Iowa, he met Candace, a TM practitioner who grew up in Cleveland. (Their experience is not uncommon, I would learn. Everyone in Fairfield and Vedic City seems to come from somewhere else, drawn by the towns’ peaceful ethos: There are people from all 50 states here, and some 80 different countries. Filmmaker David Lynch, a TM devotee, is a town fixture, having established a master’s in film program at the university.)

Rogers and Candace took me into the parlor, the same room where they’ve entertained Williamson during her stays. The couple befriended Williamson years ago. The place has become something of a home away from home for the candidate, the Badgetts said. After her 2014 failed California congressional campaign, Williamson accepted an invitation from Candace to decompress here. Which treatments did Williamson prefer? We don’t have to go there,” Candace replied. “That’s kind of her private life.”

Over the next hour, the Badgetts sang the praises of Williamson. “I think they misunderstand her brilliance and her practicality because she talks about love, and love seems very kind of abstract,” Candace said. “Marianne’s understanding of love is much more profound than what people take it to be, because she’s just talking about an underlying field of intelligence in reality, and you come back to physics … that there is an underlying field of intelligence that gives rise to matter. … She understands the whole concept of collective consciousness, and that you need to raise collective consciousness to address issues.”

I kept the conversation more or less on politics and asked about Williamson’s lack of experience in most policy areas. The Badgetts informed me that transcendental meditation is more of a policy tool than you’d think:It has lessened conflict in war zones. From 1988 to 1990, 8,000 people known as the TM-Sidhas practiced meditation in the Middle East. Believers say this group was responsible for achieving a cease-fire in the Iran-Iraq War, the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan, the end of the Cold War and, in Mozambique alone, a “12.4% economic growth rate, inflation reducing from 70% to 2% and a liquidation of the national debt,” according to WorldPeaceGroup.org. “The biggest problem is that people probably think it’s a cult or probably New Agey,” Candace told me. “I don’t think people generally appreciate the way it’s evidence-based.”

Later, in the all-organic, non-GMO vegetarian dining room downstairs, I met with Travis, the Maharishi University professor and director of its Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition. He wanted me to know that what I had just heard from the Badgetts wasn’t bunk. He mentioned that one doctoral candidate at the college recently examined the number of car accidents surrounding Fairfield and found that accidents increased the farther you went from the city. “People here are aware that we don’t live in a classical world,” Travis told me over a meal of vegetarian lasagna, broccoli and turnips. “We live in a quantum world.”

The claim to be able to promulgate peace and safety through meditation is one of Williamson and Fairfield’s less controversial beliefs. Williamson has questioned mandatory vaccines. She has written that “sickness is an illusion and does not exist” and that “cancer and AIDS and other physical illnesses are physical manifestations of a psychic scream.” None of this is “evidence-based” or backed by science.

Those pseudoscientific beliefs seem to be shared, in part, by residents of Fairfield. Immunization data from the Iowa Department of Public Health from 2013-2014 found that Maharishi School, the town’s K-12 school, had state’s the lowest vaccination rate, with only 47 percent of the school’s 178 students being vaccinated. Jefferson County had the state’s second-highest rate of vaccination exemptions that year, according to theDes Moines Register.

There is also no credible scientific evidence that sending light through gemstones can cure the body.

In my conversation with the Badgetts at the Raj, I asked what would happen to me if I purchased the gem therapy.

“Different people have different reactions,” Rogers told me.

Should I give it a try right now? I asked Candace.

“I don’t think so,” she said. It needed to be done with a larger program, she told me. I wasn’t ready. Instead, I got the tongue checkup.

I also underwent an Ayurveda Pulse Assessment, which, according to the Raj website, is a diagnostic exam in which an “expert can feel the level of imbalance in the body, even before specific symptoms of imbalance become manifest.”

“That’s your unique music,” Mark Toomey, an Australian with a doctorate in physiology from Maharishi University, told me after pressing on my radial artery and instructing me to close my eyes. I passed both diagnostics, but Toomey said he could tell I needed to get more rest. “Your pulse feels a bit tired to me, a bit rundown. Are you tired?” The campaign trail didn’t seem to be wearing well on me, he said.

Back at Everybody’s, in Fairfield, Mayor Malloy told me he goes to the Raj for three to five days a year as a matter of preventative health. He wears a ruby ring. (“It’s kind of related to more planetary influences,” he tells me.) He told me Williamson’s policies, including her plan fora new federal Department of Peace, are all built on these Vedic beliefs.

“We’ve had conversations about [mass meditation] as a technology,” Malloy said. He remembers talking with Williamson about the Department of Peace a decade ago. According to her website, Williamson’s new Cabinet agency would “dramatically ramp up the use of proven powers of peace-building, including dialogue, mediation, conflict resolution, economic and social development, restorative justice, public health approaches to violence prevention, trauma-informed systems of care, social and emotional learning in schools, and many others.”

Malloy didn’t strike me as awoo wookind of guy. He moved here from Long Island, New York, 18 years ago. He’s the CEO of fuel brokerage company that has operations in 10 Midwestern states. In 2016, he supported Hillary Clinton. This time around, he told me, Williamson’s ideas weren’t getting the kind of fair media coverage he thinks they deserve.

“All of her political ideas are well-formulated,” Malloy said. “These are things that Marianne has thought through for years. And I understand that mainstream folks listen to them and find them a little bit off-center, outside what they would normally think or say, but there is no debating, and she has thought about these things. They’re not whimsical ideas.”

We talked about the town’s economic surge. Fairfield saw a 4 percent population spike between 2010 and 2015, according to a 2016Des Moines Registerreport, and gained some 700 new jobs in that same time period, even as other rural parts of the state were hollowed out. I asked him whether he thought the meditation and the city’s way of life were responsible for its relative economic success. “When people are dedicated to developing their own growth and potential, there’s a lot of creative dynamism that comes out of that,” Malloy told me. “And the partnerships that are made in that essential relationship of creative dynamism gives rise to the entrepreneurship that you’ve seen here, to the expressions of art. That has the effect whether you’re practicing meditation or not.”

I mentioned the traffic accident study Travis had told me about. That was nothing compared to the other thing that happened, Malloy said.

“Did he tell you about what happened in the Washington, D.C., study?”

***

In the summer of 1993,4,000 practitioners of transcendental meditation descended on Washington with what seemed like a far-fetched aim: lower the district’s crime rate. They set up their two-month experiment in places such as a conference room at the Washington Hilton and at Gallaudet University. They had tried this with a smaller group for a period of 10 years, but it didn’t work. In fact, until 1991, the national office of transcendental meditation had been in Washington, but the Maharishi had grown irritated with the capital’s seeming intransigence to the powers of transcendental meditation; it had worked in war zones, why couldn’t it work in the District of Columbia?

“I would not advise anyone to stay in the pool of mud,” the Maharishi said in defeat.

Go west, the Maharishi told his disciples. And so the national TM headquarters decamped from Washington to Fairfield.

But in 1993, a group of adherents tried to rescue the nation’s capital again. “It would almost be irresponsible if we didn’t bring this knowledge to the leaders of Washington,” Kamal Sunev, a spokesman for the Citizens for a Crime-Free D.C., a TM nonprofit, told theWashington Postat the time.

Malloy was there, and so were the Badgetts. They meditated for up to four hours a day. “We were going to lower crime,” Rogers said. “In the summer. In Washington, D.C.”

The city’spolice chief at the time, Fred Thomas, said the only thing that would stem crime in the summer was a blizzard. But the adherents, undeterred, believed. And so they meditated.

Under the direction of John Hagelin of Maharishi International University, they spent $4.2 million on the program. “This may be the most far-out project we have endorsed, but it may be the most important,” Haeglin told theNew York Times.

Four weeks in, violent crime dropped by 23.3 percent. In news accounts from the time, the Police Department wouldn’t comment on the statistical drop. One Washington investigator raised an eyebrow at the findings, though: “There has been outstanding work by the officers and leaders of the patrol districts,” Winston Robinson, a commander of the 7th District, told the Post. “I’m not kicking meditation. Tell them to keep on meditating. Crime doesn’t stop.”

A 1999 peer-reviewed paper in the journal Social Indicators Research explored the phenomenon, showing that the drop couldn’t be attributed to police staffing. TM adherents and experts chalk it up to something called “super radiance,” in which the positive vibes from those meditating altered the nearby field of consciousness. As a bonus, researchers of transcendental meditation say, then-President Bill Clinton’s approval rating increased, while hospital trauma cases and accidental deaths decreased—all thanks to the meditating, they argue. But one of the paper’s authors compared crimes that occurred to crimes that might have occurred based on a time-series analysis, a suspect methodology.

“You raise the whole consciousness, the consciousness is going through the galaxy, every word coming through your mouth is traveling through the galaxy,” Mila Urana, a homemaker from Fort Salonga, New York, who did a two-week TM shift, told theTimes. “Everything is positive.”

There was a moment, earlier in the campaign, when America—or at least some of America—seemed readyto take a Williamson campaign seriously, envisioning her as a kind of spiritual Trump slayer who could marshal our better angels and point us toward a “politics of love.” Her campaign launched crystal memes and earned its share of mocking coverage. America is a complex place, not least because a town like Fairfield—with its picturesque white gazebo, town square and nine-term Democratic mayors—can coexist with even the most outré beliefs and candidates.

***

The last person I met in Fairfieldwas Betsy Howland, the owner of Revelations, the coffee shop and New-Agey bookstore where Williamson’s books are prominently displayed just off the town square.

Whenever Williamson is in Fairfield, she makes a stop at Revelations. A couple of years ago, Williamson had a secret to share with Howland: “I think I’m going to run for president,” she whispered across the register.

Howland’s three daughters have taken Williamson’s course in miracles offered online. A Methodist, Howland moved here in 1998, leaving her husband, who had the “old beliefs” and didn’t meditate. Before the move,she had run a department store in Sidney, New York, an old Montgomery Ward that, thanks in part to her meditation she said, set sales records. But one day, she asked herself:What’s the most important thing I could do for the world?She decided it was to sell everything and move to Fairfield to contribute to the group coherence and meditation program. Now, between shifts at the store, she meditates at 5 p.m. and 6 a.m.

“I see her vision,” she told me of Williamson. “That’s what we need.” She’s given somewhere around $1,000 to the candidate. “Every time she asks, I send some.” She caucused for Bernie Sanders in 2016. “I think they’d make a good team” in 2020, she told me.

“A lot of the anger and hate and partisanship comes from stresses in the system. And if nothing more, meditation, in my case TM, it helps relieve those stresses.”

After we talked for a while, I told her I had just one more question. Did she think Williamson was unfairly criticized in September when she suggested individuals could use the power of their minds to turn away Hurricane Dorian? “The Bahamas, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas … may all be in our prayers now,” Williamson tweeted on September 4. “Millions of us seeing Dorian turn away from land is not a wacky idea; it is a creative use of the power of the mind. Two minutes of prayer, visualization, meditation for those in the way of the storm.”

Minutes later the account deleted the tweet. Her team later said “it was a metaphor.”

In the pregnant pause between my question and her answer, Howland shot me a stern but quizzical look.

“You don’t think you can?”

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Rani Mukerji’s comeback film post motherhood, the super-hit and internationally acclaimed Hichki, has now earned 200 crores worldwide! The heart-warming and inspiring film has a progressive message of beating stereotypes. It features Rani as a determined school teacher, who changes the lives of innocent students from economically backward strata, while dealing with her own nervous system disorder – Tourette Syndrome.Hichki had first collected INR 77.7 crore GBO worldwide when it released on 23rd March. Its universal story ensured that the film was not limited by language barriers. The film rode on outstanding reviews and extraordinary word of mouth in every new country that it opened to. Hichki recently opened in China on October 12. It has become a blockbuster thereby earning INR 127.8 crore GBO so far. By doing so, Hichki recorded an incredible feat as it raced past Aamir Khan’s PK that had collected RMB 120 Mn. Hichki is now the 5th highest grossing Indian film in China by collecting RMB 121 Mn! The total collections of Hichki now stand at INR 205.5 crore worldwide GBO! The film is now all set to release in Taiwan and Hong Kong.”The success of a film should always be measured by the number of people it has touched and moved. A good film appeals to everyone, devoid of its language and I’m proud that Hichki is that film from India which is making us all proud. I feel the universal messaging of Hichki has touched the hearts of the audience across the world. It is immensely gratifying to see our gem of a film, with its strong positive message, has appealed to so many people across the globe who have given it so much love. I would like to congratulate the entire team of Hichki and Yash Raj Films for giving me a film that I will cherish forever” says Rani.The Mid.day.com : 30th. Oct,18

RANI MUKERJI’s FILM ‘HICHKI’ CROSSED 200 CRORE WORLDWIDE : Rani Mukerji's comeback film post motherhood, the super-hit and internationally acclaimed Hichki, has now earned 200 crores worldwide!

2018 has been a rather eventful year for Bollywood so far. One thing that we learnt in this year is that Indian audiences are looking for good content in movies. Gone are the days when having an A-list star in your film was good enough to attract people in numbers. Times have changed and Bollywood is adapting to the change as well. Movies like Raazi and PadMan might not have performed at the box office the same way had they released a few years back. So, with first half of 2018 gone by, we list some of Bollywood’s best offerings so far.

Padmaavat Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Release Date: 25 January, 2018

Padmaavat was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film is loosely based on the poem Padmaavat which was written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi. The movie stars Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in leading roles. Aditi Rao Hydari, Jim Sarbh, Raza Murad, and Anupriya Goenka featured in supporting roles. With a budget of approximately INR 190 crore, Padmaavat is regarded as one of the most expensive films to be made in India. Initially, Padmaavat was scheduled for a release on 1 December 2017. However, due to Karni Sena protests the release got delayed and the makers had to face an uphill battle for its release. The Karni Sena requested the government for a nation-wide ban on the film and even went far as putting a bounty on Deepika Padukone. Eventually, when the film did release there was no stopping it from setting the box-office on fire. Padmaavat was a story about Rani Padmavati, who felt sacrificing her life was better than surrendering to the enemy. In the movie, Sultan Allauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh) tries everything he can to get Rani Padmavati who was married to Maharawal Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor) at the time. Khilji was an extremely powerful ruler who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Bhansali made use of technology to recreate the era. Real-life sets were used as well and the result was a never-seen-before opulence. The film made clever use of IMAX technology and 3D, which gave it depth and added to its grandness. Ranveer’s portrayal of Allauddin Khilji was something Bollywood had never witnessed before. The character of Khilji was so dark and intense that even playing the character on screen took a toll on Ranveer Singh. When asked about the same Ranveer said.”It was a huge risk. I was very apprehensive about taking the risk but Bhansali was very persistent in his pursuit of me and he is the one who convinced me that I would be able to pull it off. I went with his conviction. I can never say no to Bhansali, given the amount he has contributed to my career and to me as an artiste.”

Padmaavat broke many box-office records and made it to the 300 crepe club too.

Pad Man Release Date: 9 February, 2018 Director: R Balki

Through PadMan, Akshay was trying to convey the story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, who invented a low-cost sanitary pad making machine and helped spread awareness about menstrual hygiene in rural India. Akshay Kumar’s main purpose in doing the movie is to break the taboo around this biological fact, more so in the rural areas of India. The makers of Pad Man made it with a vision of spreading awareness not the commercial aspect. In India, it is not a surprise that movies are watched by everyone and everywhere. So, Akshay tried to utilise this median to give out the message he wanted. Apart from this, the makers felt that this will even give an impetus to politicians to take matters like these more seriously. Akshay also stated in an interview with a leading daily, that his biggest victory of Pad Man was the fact that people are able to talk about sanitary pads openly. The film release date was scheduled for 13 April 2018, however it was later changed to 26 January 2018. But, on 19 January it was announced that Pad Man has postponed its release to 9 February 2018 to avoid a clash with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat. The main reason for the delay in the release of Pad Man was known when Akshay Kumar revealed that Sanjay Leela Bhansali had requested him to postpone the release of his film in order to avoid a clash. In an interaction with the media, AKshay Kumar said, “He (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) has gone through a lot. It is essential for them to release the film at this time, their stakes are higher than mine,”. The film received an amazing response from the audience and went on to do business worth INR 120 crores globally.

Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety Release Date: 23 February, 2018 DIrector: Luv Ranjan

Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety was a comedy drama which was directed by Luv Ranjan. The movie starred Kartik Aaryan, Nushrat Barucha and Sunny Singh in leading roles. The combination of Kartik and Luv has already delivered hits like Pyaar Ka Punchnama and Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2. Although the movie received mixed reviews from the critics, it was a hit with the audience. The movie revolves around two friends, Sonu (Kartik Aaryan) and Titu (Sunny Singh). The two are shown to be the best of friends, but things change when Sweety (Nushrat Barucha) comes into their lives. Sonu is fed up with dating girls and believes that getting married will solve his problems of dealing with heartbreak. His family arranges a meeting for him with Sweety and they instantly hit off. Sweety is shown to be the “perfect bride”. But, Sonu finds this too good to be true and starts getting doubts about her. Eventually, Sonu finds out from Sweety herself that she is a schemer and plans to do the same with Titu. Despite several attempts of breaking the marriage, Sonu couldn’t succeed. At the night of the wedding, Sonu gives Titu an ultimatum saying that “It is either her or me.” Titu valued his friendship more than anything else in the world so he sacrificed his love for Sonu as well. Eventually, he finds out that Sonu was not just speculating but there was actual truth in what he was saying. Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety became the sleeper hit of the year. The collaboration of Luv Ranjan and Kartik Aaryan has already worked wonders at the box office with the Pyar Ka Punchnama series but with Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety the took it a notch higher.

Raid Release Date: 16 March 2018 Director : Raj Kumar Gupta

Raid was a crime thriller directed by Rajkumar Gupta and written by Ritesh Shah. The movie featured Ajay Devgn, Illeana D’cruz and Saurabh Shukla. The film was inspired by real life IT raids that were conducted by officers of the Indian Revenue Service during the 1980s. The film was a story about IRS Officer Amey Patnaik (Ajay Devgn), who is the Deputy Commissioner of the Income Tax Department. He once receives an anonymous tip about black money being hoarded by MLA Rameshwar Singh. The movie is about Amey’s chase of the cash, while ensuring his officers and his family are safe. Ajay Devgn’s performance in the film received a lot of praise from the critics and the audience. Ajay played his character of the IRS officer with dedication which made it look very authentic. Saurabh Shukla’s performance as Rameshwar Singh too won hearts of many people. His quirky lines mad his character the most interesting part of the film. The film entered the 100 Crowe club too.

Raazi Date: 11 May 2018 Director : Meghna Gulzar

Alia Bhatt has perhaps mastered the art of balancing commercial cinema with socially relevant cinema. In fact, she started her career in this way as well. After making her debut with Student of The Year, which was a commercial film, she went ahead and did a film like Highway. We have seen her in films like 2 States and Badrinath Ki Dulhania but to offset these commercial entertainers she also is seen in films like Udta Punjab and Dear Zindagi. Alia Bhatt’s last release Raazi was a film based on the book Calling Sehmat by Harinder Sikka. A novel which was inspired by the almost-unbelievable real-life story of the woman who Sikka named Sehmat, to protect her identity. Harinder Sikka had gone to cover the Kargil war and write about the many intelligence failures of the Indian army. However, during his stint there, an army officer pointed out that there had been people who were risking everything to provide the army with top secret information. Turns out, Sehmat was that army officer’s mother, a Kashmiri Muslim, who married a Pakistani officer to spy and provide classified information to Indian intelligence during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Harinder was so fascinated by the courage and patriotism of this woman that he tracked her down. He met her in Malerkotla in Punab, where she was living at the time and got her to open up about her life’s story. Credit must go to the director Meghna Gulzar for the way she portrayed Sehmat’s story. Raazi as a film didn’t take any sides. It didn’t portray Pakistan in a bad light nor India in a good one. It showed that humanity and ruthlessness exist on both sides. This is a significant departure from the patriotic films of yesteryear – we are habituated to seeing a good vs evil theme, and having Pakistanis depicted as soulless warmongers. However, it did give us a good glimpse of how many people are sacrificing their lives for our country, something for which they don’t ever get credit for. You’ll feel proud of such unsung heroes of your country after this one! Raazi also went on to be Alia Bhatt’s biggest hit as the litfitime collections of the film amounted to Rs 123.47 crores approx.

Parmanu Release Date : 25 May 2018 Director : Abhishek Sharma

Parmanu was a recreation of the events that occurred back in 1998 when India tricked the American intelligence while carrying out the successful nuclear testing in Pokhran. John’s character Ashwath is the architect of the plan. He initially formulated the plan in 1995 but was refused when he wanted to bring it in action by his superiors. The government approach him three years later in 1998 and how he executes it with the help of his chosen team forms the crux of the film. That very event changed the world’s perspective towards our nation and it was indeed a proud moment for us all. Parmanu is a tightly scripted film which will give you ample of thrills and drama to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the film. There are no commercial compromises, and the director has mixed all the elements perfectly to give you a touching patriotic story which proves that unsung heroes can be remembered and honoured on any day. A special mention must go to John Abraham who risked producing a movie on a topic which many would consider tricly. Apart from being a courageous producer of this film, he carried it well on his shoulders as the main lead. He was ably supported by talented actors like Boman Irani, Vikas Kumar and Yogendra Tiku. Diana Penty and Anuja Sathe did justice to their limited characters. The film managed to collect a total of Rs. 65.36 crore during its run at the box office.

Veere Di Wedding Release Date: 1 June 2018 Director: Shashanka Gosh

Veere Di Wedding starred Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania in leading roles. The movie is designed to push the idea that girls too have fun just like boys. And the performance by the four leads in the film sure do make you believe that. With Veere Di Wedding, Kareena Kapoor Khan made her return to Bollywood after almost two years with her last release being Ki and Ka in 2016 in which she was seen opposite Arjun Kapoor. Kareena plays the role of Kalindi Puri, a commitment phobic girl who is enjoying her relationship with Rishabh Malhotra (Sumeet Vyas) until he proposes. Despite hesitating earlier, Kalindi decides to take the plunge. What follows is a series of hilarious situations that we see in a typical Punjabi wedding. Director Shashanka Gosh ticks all the boxes and does a great job in developing great chemistry amongst the leading ladies which form the crux of the film. The film strongly gives out the message that each one of comes with their own set of flaws and that is okay to not be perfect. The film was more of a wake up call for the society to come on term with today’s times. Girls do drink, smoke and swear and that it is absolutely fine if they do so. Sonam spoke about the same in an interview with a leading daily. She said, “I don’t think this question would be posed to men that you are drinking, smoking and abusing or sexually active, does this make you less of a man? Just because people saw four girls who are in a certain urban setting being realistic to what young urban working women, what their lifestyle is… a lot of us who come from this background, we do curse, we do drink.. And we are sexually active. We are not sitting waiting till we get married. Just because we are showing that on screen why is that becoming an issue? When we allow our male characters to be as close to reality as possible, why can’t we let our women have that?” Veere Di Wedding proved that a film with female characters as leads too can mint money at the box office as the film went on to earn a total of INR 81.13 crores.

Sanju Director : Rajkumar Hirani Release Date : 29 June 2018

We have been watching him on the big screen since decades now, so watching Sanjay Dutt’s chequered story unfold on screen has naturally got all of us excited and how. Ranbir Kapoor has undergone an amazing body transformation which makes him look and feel like Sanjay Dutt. It’s just not the looks, Ranbir has also managed to imbibe all the mannerisms of Sanjay Dutt. The little things like the tone of his voice and his body language are replicated extremely well by Ranbir on-screen.

The film has a host of other talented actors like Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Manisha Koirala, Dia Mirza, Paresh Rawal, Vicky Kaushal and Jim Sarbh in the sway as well. The performances by Paresh Rawal and Vicky Kaushal too have received a lot of praise along with Ranbir, since they are playing key characters in the movie as well.

It seems like director Rajkumar Hirani has cracked the formula of what works at the box office and his track record more than justifies that. Sanju has already broken several record’s in a very short time at the box office. The film got the biggest opening for a Bollywood movie in 2018, a title which was held by Salman Khan’s Race 3. The collections of Sanju on 1st July 2018 were the highest for any Hindi film until now. Sanju (INR 46.71 crores) beat the record set by Baahubali 2 (Hindi) (INR 46.50 crores). It has not even been a week since the release of Sanju and the collections already are inching towards the INR 150 crore mark as on the fourth day they stand at INR 145.41 crores.

Red Pill 101: Foreign Policy

all kinds of cool jewelry and no shipping or getting mobbed t the mall

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Personal tragedy is inevitable even in victorious wars. Only a special sort of incompetence gets 21st century America all tragedy and no victory against the same enemies the British Empire fought 120 years ago.

by Gaius Marcius

                                                                                                               November 21st, 1898

London

Dearest Husband,

I hope this letter finds you well whenever it does find you; the post has been so slow and irregular that I only received your letter about the beginning of the Tirah Expedition yesterday. You may perhaps return from the Hindu Kush before you ever read this. I will not be satisfied until you are safely home in England, for I cannot say that I think you safe even in the Raj no matter how many years of peace have gone by since the Mutiny. The Afghans you are fighting now were paid by Her Majesty’s government for years, and yet they rebelled just as the troops who betrayed your father 40 years ago. Who can say when or where the next Holy War will begin? I still have terrible nightmares that you will be caught in some treacherous plot before we can see each other again. Forgive me for burdening you with my fears and dark forebodings, but I cannot speak of them to anyone here at home.

Your sister Elizabeth has been visiting since Sunday last. She is ordinarily a great comfort to me during this separation as she is always cheerful and hopeful. I think she finds me rather timid, for the last time I spoke of my nightmares she tried to drown my fears in a great many well meaning but comfortless words:

“How can you be so cruel to the memory of Charles’s poor father? How can you doubt the success of Charles’s great mission in the East? The savages in those mountains have never heard of a parliament or a doctor or a chapel, but they are certain to want such Christian peace and freedom as we enjoy just as soon as they see it. Once the Army makes such places safe, we have teachers, missionaries, and provincial governors ready to civilize their tribes. Look at the success we have had in Egypt and South Africa. Why, in a few years traveling to Hindustan will be as safe as a trip to Dover! We will hardly know we have left home, but for the color of the people in the streets.”

Elizabeth is also very sanguine at the prospect of fighting battles to spread our glorious empire; not having a husband on the deadly frontiers no doubt aids her in this. She would be very cross to hear me say so, but I would trade a great deal of India just to have you home again on our tiny patch of land so that little George could know his father before he becomes quite a young man. Elizabeth would think me unpatriotic for placing family above country, but you, Charles, know that I could not be more proud of your honorable work and your sacrifices. I just pray that all of this will not be for naught.

Oh, do tell me in your next letter if I am worrying like a foolish, selfish wife and mother. I can hardly bear this separation. If you see any indication of that bright future that your sister so fervently believes is coming, tell me so I can banish these cares from my mind. Despite Elizabeth’s cheerful words I have my doubts, and those have only been strengthened by present circumstances.

I mentioned in my previous letter that my father had returned injured from the Sudan Campaign for a long convalescence. I suppose the strain of caring for him has embittered my heart and quenched forever the thoughts of a soldier’s glory that were so important in my foolish, youthful daydreams. I am seeing the end of war in my own home, and I pray that you will avoid such a fate. I should be thankful to have Father here at all; many of his friends never returned from the Mahdi’s War. How many times have we paid, proselytized, educated, or defeated this heathen enemy only to see it return the moment our attention flags? The Mahdi swore to conquer the world with his Moslem army and even demanded that Queen Victoria surrender her crown to him. Thank God he cannot send his soldiers into England!

Father made such a sad picture when he arrived; blind in one eye and bedridden. I do not know how I endured the first weeks. He would wail in the night like a little child and hardly believed he was in England when we managed to wake him. He almost struck Dr. Strong during these fits. Father’s leg has healed enough that he can hobble with a crutch or very slowly with a cane, but it was a great disappointment to find that the doctor believed he would never ride or hunt as he used to do. Father became more sullen and silent after that visit. There were interminable evenings sitting by in silence, the room stifling with the coal fire to keep him warm. Not three words passed between us in all those long hours besides calls for the whisky bottle or moans for his opium.

I kept the house silent and undisturbed as long as possible, and was driven nearly to distraction doing so. One day I came into the house after a few minutes in the garden and found George standing in the middle of the sitting room that I had worked so hard to keep him away from. George climbed right up on Father’s lap, as if he had lived here always, and has now become Father’s regular companion and quite a little blessing as well. You know, I think little George is the only person who can move Father to smile or speak, though the latter is still rare enough.

I did catch Father having perhaps the first true conversation since his return. Father did not know that I was in the passage or I am sure he never would have said so much, but George would keep tugging at his army jacket and asking when he could have one just like it. Father laughed a bitter laugh and took George up on his knee:

“My boy, when I see a fine lad like you wanting such a thing, not knowing what it means and what it costs, my one old eye does not seem so tired, and my aching leg is less painful for a moment. I am sorry that all those best traits of youth give way at last to sadness and regret. But I will tell you true, though you may cry all day to hear it, I would have given both legs and both eyes to know that you would never have to wear a coat like this.”

“Why,” cried George, “aren’t I good enough to wear a uniform like you and Father?”

“It is not you that is unworthy. I would gladly see you fight for this nation if the uniform were good enough for you; if the generals and the ministers deserved such a soldier as you. But now my boy, I’ll make you a promise. If you will grow up good and honest, on your 18th birthday I’ll make a present of this coat to you.”

“But that will be years and years, Grandfather!”

“It won’t be near so long as you think. Let’s see now, you should be of age in, well, 1910? Your father and his men will have every sort of villain put to rights by then, and Lord willing there won’t be any need for such coats but to keep warm of a winter’s evening, or to bring to mind the bad old days when men died wearing them in the far away, lonely deserts and mountains.”

I have never told Father what I heard him say, but I hope for your sake and for George’s that he is right.

Your loving wife,

Emma

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WhatsApp beta for iOS points to new Group Info UI in coming update

WhatsApp has been pushing out masses of updates to its iOS app, but with most of them being protection patches and malicious program fixes, a true update that adds new functions to the messenger is rare indeed. With that stated, there’s a new update coming and whilst it is nothing enormous, it does convey something new to the Group Info web page.

According to @WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has spruced up its vintage and boring

Institution Information page to make it appealing and consumer-pleasant. The new Group Information page brings a remodeled person interface (UI) that consists of new icons like its did with an older replace to the Settings web page in the iOS app.

The brand new update brings colorful new icons that need to make it easier to locate alternatives and capabilities in the Institution Data web page. The icons deliver a subject matter this is much like the one located inside the Settings tab, which turned into these days made over.

It bids good-bye to the spartan interface which has ruled the segment for years (thinking about how common WhatsApp UI updates on iOS are). Still, then, something is better than nothing and Group Admins would be extra than happy to look the change the UI.

A latest WhatsApp beta replaces in March additionally hinted at the guide for iOS’ rich notifications that allow you to react to a notification (with pics and greater) without the need to get into the main app. With a bit of luck, these two will come bundled in the approaching replace as well.

Communication Made Easy With WhatsApp Group

This text is in part devoted to WhatsApp, that is a cross-platform immediate messaging provider founded in 2009 by two People.

I am the one out of the whopping four hundred million energetic users who use this service each month. It unites and makes pals. It plans and executes. It makes us move on an instant holiday.

Our ‘Special 26’ organization was the maximum active on January 24 while 9 folks determined to spend a night time at Mahabaleshwar. A friend volunteered to e-book a guest house.

All fingers had been in action mode. This messenger worked like our inbuilt DNA gadget. It made no bones to ping and inform all. It labored almost 18 hours that day. Finally, the program firmed up and the countdown started out. . .

Because the date drew close, others wanted to join the fray.

The event now grew to a bigger image.

We had to work on a bigger canvas. Digital meetings, real conferences, and meetings over informal dinners ensued.

For those residing in Mumbai and Pune, this hill-station is like a 2nd domestic. Any day, any season, each time without purpose – you hop on swarming this township. It is located within the Western Ghats range of Maharashtra, India, almost 120 km from Pune.

After been there for extra than twenty instances, I didn’t understand that Mahabir is some other name for Mahableshwar and that it served Because of the summer season capital of Bombay province all through British Raj.

I latterly got here to know that during old statistics it was called Malcolm Peth. Not that it matters but I simply concept I would proportion as a passing reference.

At eight am we hung a padlock at our primary door and headed for an exquisite a laugh.

Our domestic for the following 24 hours become a beautiful venue. It becomes placed subsequent to the wooded area overlooking the hills.

There was no habitation inside the place, so we may want to afford to be at our loudest exceptional without worrying everyone! With enough time for paparazzi, candid photography, and buying our lungs had the most engulfing cool breeze.

The visit to this area doesn’t get whole without the taste of strawberries. Sweet Charlie and Cama Rosa are the common sorts. The former is sweeter however perishable.

Whether or not one visits an ancient Shiva temple or Now not, or another point, one cannot leave this town without enjoying delicacies at Mapro Garden, that’s famous for Pizzas, sandwiches, and ‘Strawberry with cream. ‘

One additionally finds umpteen numbers of neighborhood syrups, as also cutlets from homegrown corn.

Bear in mind to move between April and October.

It rains closely from June to September. most of the shops stay closed and tourism is skinny.

There may additionally or won’t be snowfall from October to February however Sun is vivid from March to may additionally.

Lay your luggage accordingly and enjoy a groovy and first-rate haven 4500 toes above the sea stage. We pass frequently. See you there!

Apple’s New iOS 10 Provides More Enhancements, Better Functionality

The beta version of Apple’s iOS 10 operating system has been made to be had to programmers and app developers. Focused for public launch this fall the gadget is touted as Apple’s biggest overhaul for the reason that launch of iOS 7.

Though some accept as true with its miles greater of slight improve than a first-rate remodels, it offers customers many upgrades and full-size upgrades in functionality.

On first glance iOS 10 gives a few visual adjustments.

First the smartphone “wakes up” whilst you carry it, something similar to the Apple Watch. All notifications may be seen proper away without going beyond them with Touch Identity. There are a brand new lock screen and extra emphasis at the iMessage at the side of a few different widgets which function new larger and bolder visual language.

Apple has replaced the “slide to free up” message with “press domestic to free up”. In case you swipe to the left you could see a widget view. Swipe to the proper and you can release the digital camera.

The lock screen widgets are a nice Touch. In a quick glance, you could see the climate, news, upcoming calendar activities and extra based on your choices. you can edit and expand them. It appears they may be extra beneficial than widgets of past versions.

Apple has spruced up the lock screen notifications into rounded gray bins. The 3-D touching brings a pleasing short reply option.

Need to send a message? you can write them to your very own handwriting or regulate the way the message bubbles look. IOS 10 lets in you to ship brief “Tap back” responses or even upload animation.

“domestic” allows you to navigate your thermostat and power from the HomeKit application. This app has been streamlined with plenty of capability. you could flip off the heat, switch on the lighting fixtures, and manage a connected plug socket all from one app.

Apple Song packages have been cleaned up too. it’s miles quicker, cleaner and less complicated to look the songs you’ve got downloaded, and quicker to locate playlists in line with your tastes.

AI capability could be coming to a few photo packages

This consists of new facial and area detection abilities, extra effective seek, and a brand new tab called “Recollections” that turns pictures into highlight-fashion reels based round area and people.

Many in a commercial enterprise will appreciate that the Siri private assistant has also been updated. Apple has launched it to the developer network. Third party apps can now communicate to her. Those will encompass Uber, Slack, Skype, WhatsApp and greater. When complete you may be capable of order a taxi or have food delivered etc.

Charity Auction Procurement Idea – Update a Traditional Photography Donation to a Family Photo Party

Pictures donations are a protracted-strolling staple in lots of charity auctions. Like different enterprise offerings, they’re fine provided within the silent auction (not stay public sale). Normally the auction donation is a unfastened sitting with one print for a family, a pair, or a character.

Most of those donated Images services show nicely. Photographers frequently offer super pictures in their work to function a prop. But notwithstanding the visual enchantment, those items hardly ever sell for pinnacle dollar, if at all. in lots of instances, the object receives no bids.

As opposed to supplying this bundle 12 months after 12 months, do not forget making a thoughtful change to it. Occasionally those applications can sell, However, they Usually need to be tweaked.

Right here’s a proposal to adjust the donation for more bids.

In preference to presenting a sitting for a single family, ask the photographer if there is room for version. A greater famous object is a own family picture party.

The gist of this donation is to have numerous families experience the day together. Usually, one circle of relatives with a massive domestic and yard has the same opinion to host the occasion. It is probably a summer BBQ or play date — it is genuinely an excuse to get humans together.

Up to ten households may attend (visit with the photographer approximately what is affordable), socializing at a person’s domestic. The photographer takes candid photographs and extra informal family photographs for anybody in attendance.

In someday, all families are photographed, However, they haven’t posed shots in a studio.

Here’s the $64,000 question: If a sitting is mostly a three-hour to the four-hour system within the studio, is a photographer inclined to go to a home for perhaps a longer day, However, have the possibility to shoot several families in a more candid manner?

The advantage of capturing in a studio is that the photographer can manipulate lighting and the climate will become beside the point. He might have access to greater Pictures gadget in his studio, too. capturing outside or in someone’s (large) home is extra difficult. But at the flip facet, if the photographer is willing to shoot on the place, the upside for him is the sale of the greater way of life prints to extra families.

Believe an adorable photo of your daughters swinging at the swingset, or your children gambling kickball. Those life-style pictures are frequently more difficult for a discern to capture so that they’d be inclined to pay for a cute photograph from the photographer.