North Kolkata Calling !!

Alexa and Siri are developed by different companies. Amazon gets the credit of Alexa while Apple's credit is Siri. What can they do for you? Well like assistant they can set up reminders, answer questions, play music etc. Alexa's skill in other field is also remarkable. Siri, on the other hand, can send text messages, make phone calls etc. Both are using applications poered by Artificial Intelligence.                    

He lost his father and was defeated in the panchayat poll. He was terribly grief stricken but never lost hope. He took his spade and started digging digging and digging. Finally he finished his two storied mud house underground. His grief was his only inspiration. He began at the age of 27 and when he finished he was already 40. A tailor by profession he is Irfan Ahmed who lives in Hardoi's Bibwikhera. He began by building staircases and these led to corners. Then came the arched doors with cornices.Next the rooms and a hall and a balcony and a place to offer his daily prayer. The materials only consisted of mud,straw and twigs. He has done this all alone!! It has become a local attraction.  

Plans are being formed to beautify Howrah Bridge and surrounding area. Kolkata Port has taken responsibility to clean up the stretch of road from Howrah Bridge to Vidyasagar Setu. To improve visual experience interractive and static lightning will be set up. Open invitations has been issued to various design firms, architects and visionaries. Also students of architectural schools in India and abroad are invited said Samrat Rahi, the deputy chairman SMP.                

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CISR) has developed a tobacco with low nicotine. To control health of smokers the nicotine content is reduced to 40-50 %. PM Narendra Modi's concern on the health of the people was shared with CSIR director N Kalaiselvi. She said that a study show nicotine content in the plant is 40 to 50% lower. At present the lab is working to lower it further by 60 to70%. Happy news for smokers indeed .                 

At least seventeen Authors including John Grishm, George RR Martin and Jodi Picoult have decided to sue Open  AI. Their point is that their copyrighted works are being used without prior permission. They filed papers in the Federal Court in New York. They further alleged that ChatGPT is responsible  for  'massive commercial enterprise ' and it relies upon 'systametic theft on a mass scale'. They further must know how generative AI plans to use their works.                  

I was around 7/8 years old when I had the opportunity to witness a program of the famous dancer Uday Shankar. The event took place in Minerva Theater and it was organized by Anath Nath Deb Trust Estate.  I went along with my mother. I don't remember much but ... Yes I faintly remember a part where the audiences were overwhelmed and clapped their hands for a long time. It was an emotional performance where Uday Shankar, like a sea began to wave his entire body!  Wee waves,which began from tips of his fingers, spread throughout his body to become huge waves, that finally hit the sea beach with tremendous force! Yes I still remember.. though faintly!                                         Uday Shankar                                  

An old man in our locality is often seen reading Newspapers. He is the only man who never refuses Kagajwalla (who buys old newspapers). As far as we know he,  along with his wife, lives in an old dilapidated house. It is a big house but in a very bad shape. They are unable to keep a helping hand as they are very poor.  To return to the fact they seldom refused a Kagajwalla. We were surprised to find Kwallas often coming out of their house. Finally we came to know the truth. They had few very old things, almost antiques, which they showed the Kwallas. Before bargaining the old man, however, somehow convinces the buyers to do some household chores.  Finally the bargain fails and the Kwallas leaves the house depressed.                  

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican candidate for becoming The President of America, is a Hindu. He is also a vegetarian and a businessman and believes in these 10 Truths.  1. God is real.  2. There are two genders.  3. Human flourishing requires fossil fuels.  4. Reverse racism is racism.  5. An open border is no border.  6. Parents determine the education of their children.  7. The nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to mankind.  8. Capitalism lifts people up from poverty.  9. There are three branches of government not four.  10. The US Constitution is the strongest guarantor of freedoms in the history.                  

Have heard a lot from friends & relatives about Aurobindo Ashram. In fact one of my friends was so impressed that he decided to spend his entire life there. His only son was around 6/7 years old & he decided to send him too. Whenever I came along the name Pondicherry I thought of Rishi Aurobindo's enlightened Life.  On entering the Ashram the very first thing that pulled me towards it-was the Samadhisthal of The Mother and Rishi Aurobindo. They were laid side by side, according to their will. When I put my two hands on it I felt like an electric shock! There were others too who touched their heads and hands. They were in deep meditation with eyes closed. Peacefulness prevailed and Silence added to their meditation. Something inside me too seemed to experience the calmness. The serenity of the place itself was  enough to transform my thoughts into a world of fearlessness and purity. Was this my second Realization, the one which I felt long ago?  Another thing that impressed