2174 ~THE ART OF DEALING! 😀

715//2017
😀 !!!JUST IN JEST!!! 😀
*The Art of dealing ....*

A retired old couple returned to a Mercedes dealership where the salesman promised to hold a car for them.

But they found the car was just sold to a beautiful, leggy, busty blonde in a mini skirt and a halter top.

The old man was visibly upset. He spoke to the salesman sharply-
"Young man, you said you hold that car till we raised the $95,000 asking price, yet you closed the deal for $75,000 to the young lady there. And if I remember right, you had insisted there was no discount for this model !"

The salesman took a deep breath, cleared his throat and reached for a large glass of water.

"Well, what can I tell you? She had the cash ready, didn't need any financing help, and, Sir, just look at her, how could I resist?", replied the grinning salesman sheepishly.

Just then that young woman walked over to the senior couple and gave the car keys to the old man.

"There you go," she said. "I told you I could get him to lower the price. See you later Dad, Happy Father's day."
😛😛😛😛😛

2154~ ENGLISH ENGLISH

701/2017
*ENGLISH! ENGLISH!!*

When we write about emotions, many times we feel that another word would have given a better expression. English teacher Kaitlin Robbs has created a vocabulary wheel which is very useful in finding the right word when writing 'emotional matter'. The wheel is posted below...  Zoom it and see ... Quite interesting !!

2125~ 'Put a shark in your tank'

- An old story for the New Year!
-------------------------------------------------
The Japanese have always loved fresh fish🐠 🐟🐠🐟
But the water close to Japan has not held many fish🐠🐟 for decades.
So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.

The further the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring the fish🐠🐟🐠🐟

If the return trip took more time, the fish 🐠🐟🐠🐟 were not fresh.

To solve this problem, fish 🐠🐟 companies installed freezers on their boats.

They would catch the fish 🐠🐟 and freeze them at sea.

Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer.

However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish🐠🐟 and they did not like the taste of frozen fish 🐠🐟

The frozen fish🐠🐟 brought a lower price.

So, fishing companies installed fish tanks.

They would catch the fish 🐠🐟 and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin.

After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste.

The fishing industry faced an impending crisis!

But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan.

How did they manage...?

To keep the fish🐠🐟🐠 tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish🐠🐟🐠 in the tanks but with a small shark🐋🐋

The fish🐠🐟🐠are challenged and hence are constantly on the move.

The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired and dull....?

Basically in our lives, sharks 🐋🐋 are new challenges to keep us active.

If you are steadily conquering challenges, you are happy.

Your challenges keep you energized.

Don’t create Success and revel in it in a state of inertia.

You have the resources, skills and abilities to make a difference.

Put a shark 🐋🐋 in your tank this year and see how far you can really go....

Wishing u an awesome year ahead 👍✌

1957- A spoonful of coconut oil to reduce calories in rice

1686- What an idea , Sirji!

1619 Precaution when submitting self attested documents

Very Important aspect of self certification on PAN CARDS/other imp docs
Dear All,
Wanted to highlight one very important aspect. In ordinary course we keep issuing and submitting our KYC documents (identity and residential proofs..such as PAN card, electricity bill etc.) to various people. For housing or car or other loans, bank accounts,or even for buying new sim card we submit these documents. At almost all these places they ask for self certification on these documents. We immediately sign those documents and hand over. Just imagine your self certified copies are freely available in the hands of such persons & those documents can be used by him for EVERYTHING! Its really serious and its been seen that in most of the terrorist activities, KYC documents are sourced from the SIM card sellers.
Hence, please inculcate a habit of writing the date,the purpose and to whom you are submitting the self certified KYC Documents so that those documents cannot be used again.
____________________________

1403- Financial Management

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1351- YOLO people! Yodo people!

That’s the acronym for "You Only Live Once". A contender for the 2012 Oxford American Dictionary’s ‘word of the year’, the YOLO philosophy is gaining momentum and has become more popular than ever.Times Life finds out why…

Do you believe in "Carpe Diem"?
Live every day as if it were your last! Charter into unknown territory even if it’s fraught with risks so that you get to learn something new! Then you are in a state of YOLO, the acronym for ‘You Only Live Once’. Over the past couple of years, this word has gained momentum in the daily rhetoric of teens, young adults and social media junkies. But today, it has earned a place in pop-culture lexicons and our daily lives.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
A research by University of Missouri, US, revealed when people realise that life is scarce, they focus more on positive things and appreciate everything around them. More importantly, they challenge their fears.

MAKE YOLO A RECOGNISED RELIGION:
Last year, during census time in New Zealand, many citizens started a campaign to make this philosophy a religion, by filling out YOLO under the ‘religion’ section in their forms!

ITS HISTORY:
Though YOLO has been used casually for years, the word became popular after Canadian music artiste Drake featured it in his hip hop single The Motto (2011). After that, Hollywood heartthrob Zac Efron got a tattoo with the acronym. Since then, several web enthusiasts have taken to using meme generator tools to create and share images that promote the YOLO trend. Twitter users commonly use the hashtag YOLO to tweet about their once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

CAUTION:
Sociologist Shiv Visvanathan comments, “YOLO is like bungee jumping. It only gives you a temporary high. Unlike other risks that you take in life, decisions taken under this philosophy are not calculated risks; it’s more like let’s party all night, because you live only once! This cultural epidemic may help you gratify your short-term goals but won’t benefit you in the long run.”
One needs to remember that while life is short, in the quest to enjoy it to the fullest, one shouldn’t hurt oneself or others, physically, emotionally and mentally.

THE ANTITHESIS
To keep YOLO in check, a counter-philosophy called YODO (You Only Die Once) is also making its presence felt. It means just like you live once, you also die once, so stop living precariously.

(Times LIFE, TOI, 23:02:2014)

_______________________________

1347- Marconi Prize Winner- Arogyaswami Paulraj

1313- How to determine the height of a skyscraper with a barometer?

_____________________________________________
The following concerns a question in a physics degree exam at the University of Copenhagen:

"Describe how to determine the height of a skyscraper with a barometer."

One student replied:

"You tie a long piece of string to the neck of the barometer, then lower the barometer from the roof of the skyscraper to the ground. The length of the string plus the length of the barometer will equal the height of the building."

This highly original answer so incensed the examiner that the student was failed immediately. The student appealed on the grounds that his answer was indisputably correct, and the university appointed an independent arbiter to decide the case.

The arbiter judged that the answer was indeed correct, but did not display any noticeable knowledge of physics. To resolve the problem it was decided to call the student in and allow him six minutes in which to provide a verbal answer that showed at least a minimal familiarity with the basic principles of physics.

For five minutes the student sat in silence, forehead creased in thought. The arbiter reminded him that time was running out, to which the student replied that he had several extremely relevant answers, but couldn't make up his mind which to use. On being advised to hurry up the student replied as follows:

"(1) Firstly, you could take the barometer up to the roof of the skyscraper, drop it over the edge, and measure the time it takes to reach the ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the formula H = 0.5g x t squared. But bad luck on the barometer."

"Or(2) if the sun is shining you could measure the height of the barometer, then set it on end and measure the length of its shadow. Then you measure the length of the skyscraper's shadow, and thereafter it is a simple matter of proportional arithmetic to work out the height of the skyscraper."

"(3) But if you wanted to be highly scientific about it, you could tie a short piece of string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum, first at ground level and then on the roof of the skyscraper. The height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring force T =2 pi sqr root (l /g)."

"Or(4) if the skyscraper has an outside emergency staircase, it would be easier to walk up it and mark off the height of the skyscraper in barometer lengths, then add them up."

"(5) If you merely wanted to be boring and orthodox about it, of course, you could use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof of the skyscraper and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars into feet to give the height of the building."

"(6) But since we are constantly being exhorted to exercise independence of mind and apply scientific methods, undoubtedly the best way would be to knock on the janitor's door and say to him 'If you would like a nice new barometer, I will give you this one if you tell me the height of this skyscraper'."

The student was Niels Bohr, the only Dane to win the Nobel Prize for physics.
____________________________________
(Read more at http://www.snopes.com/collegeexam/barometer.asp#Y78xEiejPZeUecEK.99)
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1266- 50 HOUSEHOLD TIPS !

SAVE MONEY AND MAKE ENDS MEET

Here are easy uses for common household items to make your life TOXIC-free AND SAVE YOU MONEY!

1. 
   

   1) Toothpaste: Buff a CD/DVD
   Apply toothpaste to a cotton ball and wipe the disc. Wash with water afterwards and you’ve got a brand new disc!
   
   2) Cornstarch: Untangle Knots
   Sprinkling cornstarch into tough knots, such as shoe laces helps loosen them.
   
   3) Walnut: Buff Dings out of Wood Furniture
   Get rid of unsightly scratches and dings on wood furniture by rubbing a walnut on the areas. The blemishes will vanish quickly and your furniture and pocket book will be saved.
     
   4) Club Soda: Make Your Breads Fluffier
   When baking, where recipes call for water, add club soda instead to make pancakes, waffles and any other breads fluffier.
   
   5) Salt: Keep Windows Frost Free
   Pour a cup of salt into a liter of water. Sponge the liquid onto the inside of window to prevent frost from forming during the winter months.
   
   6) Rubbing Alcohol: Remove Permanent Marker
   Dab the surface that has the permanent marker on it with a cloth or cotton ball covered in rubbing alcohol to make it disappear quickly.
   
   7) Chap stick: Stops Bleeding When Nicked Shaving
   Cut yourself shaving? Just swipe some chap stick over the cut to stop that constant bleeding. No more tissue squares!
   
   Apple Juice: Removes Dandruff
   Don’t ask how it works, but it does! Instead of buying a special shampoo, just wash your hair in apple juice to rid your scalp of pesky dandruff.
   
   9) Aspirin: Get Rid of Armpit Stains on T-Shirts
   Grind up an aspirin tablet or two, then make a paste out of it using water, lemon or vinegar. Spread the paste on the stained area and let sit for an hour before washing.
   
   10) Olive Oil: Make Pets’ Coat Shinier
   Add a bit of olive oil to your pet’s food to give them a healthier, shinier coat of fur.
   
   11) Newspapers: Clean Windows and Mirrors
   Instead of using a spray and a streaky cloth, use only newspaper to clean off your mirrors and windows for a streak-free finish.
   
   12) Baking Soda: Remove Bugs from Windshield
   Mix baking soda with warm water to make a paste. Spread the paste over your windshield for fifteen minutes. Then wipe or spray off with a hose.
   
   13) Bleach: Extend Life of Flowers in Vase
   Add a few drops of bleach to vase water to prevent the build-up of the slime caused by bacteria. It works just like chlorine in a swimming pool.
   
   14) Kitchen Dish Soap: Flea-Killing Dog Shampoo
   Kitchen dish soap (not dish detergent) can double as dog shampoo for its flea killing abilities.
   
   15) Coke: Remove Blood Stains from Clothing
   Soak the stain in coke until the stain is dissolved, then wash the clothing as usual. Wash before the coke dries, though.
   
   16) Honey: Remove Blemish Overnight
   Have a blemish you need to get rid of by tomorrow? Put a dab of honey on the blemish and cover it up (it’s best to use a Band-Aid) and the honey’s natural antibacterial properties will clean out the bacteria by the morning.
   
   17) Wax Paper: Clean Can Opener Gears
   Run a few small strips of wax paper through the can opener to clean out of the bits and pieces that have built up in the gears throughout the year. The wax will also rub off on the gears to protect for future use as well.
   
   18) WD-40: Remove Crayons from Walls
   Use the lubricant and a cloth to remove stubborn crayon marks from the walls just by spraying the wall and wiping with a cloth.
   
   19) Chalk: Keep Ants and Slugs Out of the House
   Ants and Slugs Won’t Touch Chalk. So, simply draw a line in front of your doorway where you are having problems with these pesky critters and they won’t cross it, meaning they won’t be able to get into your house.
   
   20) Vinegar: Kills Weeds and Helps Flowers Grow
   Vinegar is a magic wonder when it comes to gardening. It not only kills weeds but they help flowers grow as well. Douse vinegar all around your garden to prevent weeds from popping up and to help your flowers to grow healthy and strong.
   
   21) Mayonnaise: Remove Bumper Sticker
   Spread mayonnaise on the bumper sticker and let sit for at least thirty minutes. Then, rub the sticker off with a towel, leaving a clean bumper!
   
   22) Tin Foil Ball: Replace Dryer Sheets Permanently
   Instead of using a dryer sheet ball up one or a few sheets of tin foil and toss it in the dryer. It removes the static electricity from your clothes and one can last up to a year.
   
   23) Banana Peel: Polish Leather Shoes
   Use the inside of a banana peel to give shoes a professional and natural shine that will last for quite some time.
   
   24) Mouthwash: Cure Athlete’s Foot
   Pour mouthwash on cotton balls and then swab your feet. The alcohol will disinfect the bacteria completely if you continue this for a week or so.
   
   25) Baking Soda: Clean BBQ Grill
   Mix a cup of baking soda with half a cup water to make a paste. Dip your brush into the paste and scrub the grill. The caked on pieces and black residue will come off much quicker and using baking soda is much safer and cheaper than using cleaning
   chemicals.
   
   26) Coffee Grounds: Fertilizer
   Coffee is full of nutrients and vitamins that are very beneficial to soil. That’s why some people include it in compost piles. If you want to get the most out of your coffee, pour the grounds on areas where you want more grass or flowers.
   
   27) Olive Oil: Shaving Cream
   The smoothness of the oil can replace the need for shaving cream, and it also provides great moisture.
   
   28) Dryer Sheets: Gets Rid of Static Electricity
   Use dryer sheets to remove static electricity from things such as clothing, TV screens or your own hair. Tame fly away strands by running a dryer sheet over them.
   
   29) Freezer: Freeze Candles to Make Them Last Longer
   Put candles in the freezer for at least 2 hours before using. Once you burn them, the wax will melt at a much slower pace, making them last much longer!
   
   30) Two glasses of water: Cure Headache
   Water is the cure to most common headaches. To make the headache go away quickly, drink two cups of water very quickly.
   
   31) Lemons: Deodorize Garbage Disposal
   Toss whole slices of lemon into the garbage disposal then run it. The acidity of the lemon will rid your sink of all odors and leave a fresh scent that usually lasts for a few months.
   
   32) Alka Seltzer: Remove Burnt-On Grease and Food Stains
   When letting your pots and pans soak, throw in one or two Alka Seltzer tablets and the caked on residue from cooking will come off easily when you scrub/wash.
   
   33) Apple Cider Vinegar: Relieve Diarrhea
   Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into eight ounces of water to soothe your stomach. The taste may not be the greatest, but the antibacterial properties of the vinegar will end the unpleasantness of the bowel problems.
   
   34) Toothpaste: Remove Scratches from Glass
   Apply toothpaste to scratch, then rub with a cloth until the scratch is gone. Make sure the glass is clean beforehand.
   
   35) Cheerios: Relieve Pain from Poison Ivy, Chickenpox and Sunburns Pound one to four cups of Cheerios into a powder and add to your bath to soothe your skin while you soak. You may not feel relief while in the tub, but you will soon after.
   
   36) Buttons: Sort Earrings
   Organize your earrings and prevent them from becoming entangled by using spare buttons as holders for each pair.
   
   37) Corn Oil: Prevent Hairballs for Pets
   Add a few drops of corn oil to your pets’ food to prevent hairballs from forming. The thick oil helps the fur pass through the animal’s system much quicker and easily.
   
   38) Whipped Cream: Remove Gum from Hair
   There are many remedies for removing gum from hair, but this is a lesser known one. Give it a try rather than peanut butter the next time you’re in need.
   
   39) Coke: Remove Oil Stains from the Driveway
   Oil stains are very difficult to remove pavement, but one method guaranteed to work is Coke. The highly acidic drink will eat away at the oil until clean.
   
   40) Brown Sugar: Facial Scrub
   A scrub is good to do about once a month to remove dead skin and bacteria built up in pores and remove excess oil from the skin. Brown sugar does just as well as expensive products and will definitely result in a clearer and smoother complexion.
   
   41) Dryer Sheet: Lint Brush
   You already know that dryer sheets remove lint in the dryer. Well, it can do the same thing out of the dryer, too. When you’re in a fix, use a dryer sheet. It works just as well as a lint brush, and if you like the scent, it’s an added bonus.
   
   42) Newspaper: Deodorize food containers and Food Drawers in the Refrigerator For that stinky Tupperware or smelly refrigerator drawer that is too much to deal with, toss in a sheet of newspaper overnight before you deal with it. The paper will absorb the smell greatly reducing it or eliminating it completely.
   
   43) Olive Oil: Unstick a Zipper
   The oil will help the zipper slide more easily, fixing the problem!
   
   44) Salt: Cool Something Quickly
   You know that feeling when you’re having a BBQ and someone asks for a drink and you realize that no one has put them in the cooler? There’s nothing worse than a warm drink on a hot day. Chill a drink quickly, by adding salt and water to your ice. The drinks will be cold in a matter of minutes; saving your party and making you look smart all at once.
   
   45) Scotch Tape: Prevent Wall from Chipping When Nailing
   The wall can leave unsightly chips when hammering in a nail. Prevent this by simply placing a piece of scotch tape over the area you’re going to nail. The wall will be held tighter, preventing chips from occurring.
   
   46) Alka Seltzer: Soothe Insect Bites
   Dissolve two tablets into a glass of water. Then use a cloth or cotton ball to apply it to the affected area. The red will go down and most importantly, the itchiness will vanish usually in fifteen minutes.
   
   47) Lemon: Whitens Whites
   Add about half a cup of lemon juice to your load of whites to makes them extra white. You can use lemon juice with bleach or detergent, so don’t worry about mixing chemicals with the acidic lemon.
   
   48) Banana Peel: Whiten Teeth
   This may sound a little odd, but rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth twice a day for two weeks and you will receive the same effect from a teeth-whitening kit. Plus, you’ll save yourself money and the hassle of using chemicals.
   
   49) Hair Dryer: Free Photos Stuck on Pages
   If you have a photo stuck on a page that you can’t get free, try using a blow dryer on the back of the page. It will loosen the photo from the page and the adhesive holding it there.
   
   50) Banana Peel: Heal Most Skin Problems
   Bananas are the magical fruit, because they heal many common problems on the skin. By rubbing the peel on your skin, you can heal bruises and cuts and eliminate rashes, itching and warts. Basically if you have a common skin problem, it can be cured by this fruit.
   
   I hope you can put some or all of these to good use to save money and make your home a safer environment. make sure to share the info with your family and friends.

   (via Facebook/ Useful Info)

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1248-निकाह और जनाज़ा The difference between a Wedding and a Funeral !

(FARQ SIRF ITNA SA THA)
फर्क सिर्फ इतना सा था

Teri doli uthi,
तेरी डोली उठी
Meri mayyat uthi,
मेरी मय्यत उठी
Phool tujh par bhi barse,
फूल तुझ पर भी बरसे
Phool mujh par bhi barse,
फूल मुझ पर भी बरसे
FARQ SIRF ITNA SA THA
फर्क सिर्फ इतना सा था
Tu saj gayi,
तू सज गयी
Mujhe sajaya gaya.
मुझे सजाया गया

Tu bhi ghar ko chali,
तू भी घर को चली
Main bi ghar ko chala,
मैं भी घर को चला
FARQ SIRF ITNA SA THA
फर्क सिर्फ इतना सा था
Tu uth ke gayi,
तू उठ के गयी
Mujhe uthaya gaya.
मुझे उठाया गया .

Mehfil wahan bhi thi,
महफ़िल वहाँ भी थी
Log yahan bhi the,
लोग यहाँ भी थे
FARQ SIRF ITNA SA THA
फर्क सिर्फ इतना सा था
Unka hasna wahan,
उनका हसना वहाँ
Inka rona yahan.
इनका रोना यहाँ

Qazi udhar bhi tha, Moulvi idhar bhi tha,
क़ाज़ी उधर भी था , मौलवी इधर भी था ,
Do bol tere padhe, Do bol mere padhe,
दो बोल तेरे पढ़े , दो बोल मेरे पढ़े ,
Tera NIKKAH padha, Mera JANAAZA padha,
तेरा निकाह पढ़ा , मेरा जनाज़ा पढ़ा ,
FARQ SIRF ITNA SA THA
फर्क सिर्फ इतना सा था ,
Tujhe APNAYA gaya,
तुझे अपनाया गया ,
Mujhe DAFNAYA gaya
मुझे दफ़नाया गया .

(via Facebook/ Amitab Bachchan)
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1236-Do you really feel qualified to discuss God...

An atheist was seated next to a little girl on an airplane and he turned to her and said, "Do you want to talk? Flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."

The little girl, who had just started to read her book, replied to the total stranger, "What would you want to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the atheist. "How about why there is no God, or no Heaven or Hell, or no life after death?" as he smiled smugly.

"Okay," she said. "Those could be interesting topics but let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, but a horse produces clumps. Why do you suppose that is?"

The atheist, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence,
thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea." To which
the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss
God, Heaven and Hell, or life after death, when you don't know shit?"

And then she went back to reading her book.

(via Facebook/ General knowledge )
_____________________________________

1223 - Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa known as Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is currently the tallest man-made structure in the world, at 829.84 m (2,723 ft). construction began on 21 September 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009.

via Facebook/ General Knowledge 
_____________________________________________________________ 

1222 - The pool on the 57th floor

Pool on the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands Casino In Singapore

via Facebook/ General Knowledge 
__________________________________________________ 

1219 - Get more with less

[The Hindu, METROPLUS, Chennai, 25:06:2013]

Minimalists Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus speak to Sriya Narayanan about the virtues of simple living

“The quickest way to give yourself a pay raise?” asks the title of one of their blog posts. “Spend less money,” reads the entry. This and some of the other nuggets of wisdom on www.theminimalists.com have propelled Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus to cult status amongst over two million readers, all looking to shift their focus away from a materialistic lifestyle. 

The bloggers, both based in Ohio and in their early 30s, walk the talk. They walked away from their high-powered, six-figure-pay jobs in corporate America (Joshua quit, Ryan was laid off), systematically got rid of around 90 per cent of their material belongings and preached the power of the bare minimum. Their books on simple living have consistently topped Amazon bestseller lists, and they host meet-up tours to spread their message: that we’re trapped in a culture that encourages us to live beyond our means; one that keeps us in perpetual pursuit of the next shiny goal.

Increasing returns

“Goals are for the unmotivated,” blogs Joshua who frequently speaks of how his earlier material goals landed him in deep debt, and took a toll on his health and relationships. Today, the writer, who’s also a bestselling novelist, has co-authored their posts on the 21-day journey into reducing the number of things they owned. This means not just donating or selling things they didn’t truly need, but also throwing out objects that have sentimental value. Has he ever regretted discarding something that had emotional significance? “No. I’ve never missed anything I’ve gotten rid of.”

As for Ryan, he believes that being fired from his job freed him from the insecurity that came with a fixed income. “Being laid off from my job was both exciting and terrifying,” he says, adding it was a much-needed catalyst that helped him understand that money and things weren’t a guarantee of happiness or fulfilment. Recently, for his 31st birthday, Ryan asked friends and readers to donate $ 31 to Charity Water (a non-profit that provides clean drinking water to Third World countries) instead of buying him yet another gift he didn’t need. “I was able to raise more than $ 5,500, which helped bring clean water to 276 people in a village in Ethiopia,” he says. The duo believes that the final element of minimalism is organ donation, and that giving the gift of life during death is one of the best decisions one could make.

While they state they are not anti-corporation as such, they find that slick marketing campaigns often create feelings of inadequacy, and contribute to the vicious cycle of consumption. They steer clear of the strategies they dislike, including ‘psychological pricing’, which is why they’d never price a book at $ 6.99 instead of $ 7. During their journey into a life of less, their friend circles changed too. “Over time, my friends and relationships changed into people who share similar beliefs. Now my relationships are predicated on my values rather than proximity,” says Joshua.

Though their context is that of a highly consumerist society, they believe that the issue is relevant everywhere. Joshua elaborates, “In both the U.S. and India, we face many of the same problems. Namely, most of us want to own more material things without knowing why we actually want them. I think that in both places, we look toward the American Dream as if it will make us happy. But it won’t.”

A life of freedom

Asked if his lifestyle is sustainable in the long haul, Joshua responds that he doesn’t think of himself as a radical. “Minimalism is not a radical lifestyle. It’s a tool I use to get rid of unnecessary stuff and live a meaningful life — a life filled with freedom and conscious awareness.”

___________________________

Just In Case...

People often hold on to things just in case they need them. They don’t let go because they might need something in the future. And they pack too much stuff for trips and vacations just in case they might need it.

But we needn’t hold on to these things. The truth is, we rarely use ‘just in case’ items, and thus they sit there, take up space, get in the way, and weigh us down. Most of the time they aren’t items we need at all. Getting rid of them clears one’s mind, frees up their space, and takes the weight off their shoulders.

(Source: www.theminimalists.com)

________________________________________

1198- Re-Use Plastic Bottles For Food Storage

 shared DIY Home Decorating's photo.

1185- One pager on financial planning

This is a cheat sheet on what you need to know about personal financial planning. I cannot blame you if you are already feeling overwhelmed about the kind of financial stuff being thrown at you! Let us get the basics right:

1. Personal financial planning is SIMPLE. This does not mean it gets done, but it means it can be done.
2. Statement 1 leads to statement 2: You can and must do it yourself.
3. There is just too much of writing on personal finance.

You just need the following 10 steps:

1. Earn well, and for heaven’s sake spend less than you earn. Sounds simple? you will be surprised by the number of people who cannot do it!
2. Insure against known ‘should not happen, but can happen’ events. Term insurance(approx.10times annual income), medical insurance are a MUST.
3. Do start a SIP – in a good ELSS fund and in PPF.
4. Pay off all your credit card dues on time.
5. Do not be proud of a big balance in the savings bank account – your banker is also celebrating that.
6. Build an emergency fund (equivalent to 6times monthly expenditure) , quickly. Keep it in a liquid fund instead of keeping it in a bank account.
7. Understand your gross salary, net, taxation – get smart and act smart.
8. Learn to save and invest for GOALS instead of borrowing…
9. Be aware of why you are earning, spending, and Investing. This will help you select right products and avoid toxic products
10. This was just a ploy to get you here…each line is a chapter, this is an index, not the full book!!

(http://www.subramoney.com)
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1180- Manners BEFORE knowledge!

In Japanese schools, the students don't get ANY exams until they reach grade four (the age of 10)! 

Why?
Because the goal for the first 3 years of schools is NOT to judge the child's knowledge or learning,but to establish good manners and to develop their character!

Yes, that's what our scholars taught us: Manners BEFORE knowledge!

Should this method be implemented all over the world?

 

 

via Facebook/ General Knowledge

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1172- Sand Sculpture

via Facebook/ General Knowledge
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