The Indian Panorama

Month: December 2020

  • Ring out the Old; Ring in the New

    As the year 2020 comes to a close , we bring to readers of The Indian Panorama a history capsule of the year. We, at The Indian Panorama, diligently scanned momentous events  which have had tremendous impact on our lives. Some changed even the course of history, and destinies of individuals and nations.  We have taken from various sources, who we must acknowledge and express our gratitude to, for best and most informative and educative articles ever published, which we are publishing for the readers of The Indian Panorama in this special edition.

    We lay no claim to have covered every single event or every  geographical region or every area of human activity, but we have essayed to capsule the history of 2020. We do want , though, to cover more ground next year. Take out a few minutes and send in your comments to us at editor@theindianpanorama.com. Your input will be very helpful in coming up with a better publication in 2022.

    ENJOY THE RICH FARE HERE.

    Happy New Year!

  • Indian American Bharat Ramamurti named to Biden-Harris economic team

    Indian American Bharat Ramamurti named to Biden-Harris economic team

    WASHINGTON (TIP): President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have added another Indian American to their economic team to “lift all Americans out of the current economic crisis” caused by covid-19 pandemic. Bharat Ramamurti, a former top economic adviser to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign, will serve as deputy director for Financial Reform and Consumer Protection, on the National Economic Council (NEC). David Kamin, a law professor at New York University School of Law, was also named deputy director of NEC, while Joelle Gamble, was named Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy earlier in December, Biden named Brian Deese, who helped lead Obama’s efforts to bail out the automotive industry and negotiate the Paris climate agreement, to lead the council, which coordinates the country’s economic policymaking.

    Indian American Neera Tanden, named to lead Director of the Office of Management and Budget, is another key member of Biden-Harris economic team.

     “These qualified and talented individuals represent the incoming administration’s commitment to having a team of diverse experts ready to build our economy back better,” Biden-Harris transition team said Ramamurti, Managing Director of the Corporate Power program at the Roosevelt Institute, also served as counsel for banking and economic policy in Warren’s Senate office.

    He was also appointed in April to serve on the Congressional Oversight Commission for the CARES Act by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Born in Massachusetts, Ramamurti is a graduate of Harvard College and Yale Law School. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and two daughters.

    On being named as NEC member, Ramamurti tweeted, “I’m honored to be joining the Biden-Harris Administration as Deputy Director of the National Economic Council.

    “We have much to do to get through this crisis and create a stronger and fairer economy — and I’m excited to get to work alongside this great team.”

    The council will help Biden and Harris “lift all Americans out of the current economic crisis — and build a strong, inclusive, and more resilient economy for the future,” the transition stated.

    “Working families are struggling through the deepest, most inequitable economic and jobs crisis in modern history,” said Biden. “This is no time to build back the way things were before — this is the moment to build a new American economy that works for all.” “Today’s appointees have broad viewpoints on how to build a stronger and more inclusive middle class,” he said. “With their robust experience and qualifications, they will provide the needed voices to guide my administration in overcoming our nation’s unprecedented economic challenges.”

    “In the face of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, this team is ready to hit the ground running on day one to rebuild an economy that works for working people and all those looking to work,” said Harris.

    “These seasoned public servants have the knowledge and experience to act quickly and decisively to address this economic crisis, responsibly open our economy, and put people back to work.”

    “And I look forward to working with them to create jobs and opportunity for all Americans,” added the Indian American leader. “President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris share a bold agenda to build our nation back better than before for working families,” said incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain.

    “These individuals join an impressive group of White House staff and advisors focused on making sure every American has a fair shot to pursue and achieve the American dream.”

  • Indian – Origin , UAE Based 12-Year-Old Sets World Record for Identifying Most Airplane Tails in Record Time

    Indian – Origin , UAE Based 12-Year-Old Sets World Record for Identifying Most Airplane Tails in Record Time

    DUBAI  (TIP): A 12-year-old Indian boy in the UAE has entered into the Guinness Book of World Records by identifying the most aero plane tails in a minute, media reports said on Thursday.

    Siddhant Gumber, an Abu Dhabi-based homeschooled boy who identified 39 aeroplane tails in 60 seconds, is also the youngest Indian to identify top 100 tallest buildings, Gulf News reported.

    Gumber, who hails from Haryana, was earlier recognized by the “India Book of World Records”. He achieved the Guinness world record last month, the report said.

    His name also features in the “India Book” for being the youngest to identify the top 100 tallest buildings of the world with their respective heights and locations, it said.

    “I have been a Lego buff since I was a toddler, and my father and I spent a lot of time creating a variety of models – rockets, airplanes, buildings and vehicles. I was able to recognize a lot of the airplane tails, and my mother helped me compile them in PowerPoint slides so I could identify them (very quickly),” Siddhant Gumber told Gulf News.

    His mother Monisha said that her son has always been interested in signs, symbols and logos. “He has an exceptional picture memory and usually never forgets an image once he has seen it. He does have a variety of interests and likes to know about things into detail, just like airplanes. Although he loves country flags, we focused on aero plane tails for the Guinness record because they too are unique,” she said.

    He took about 1.5 seconds per airline tail, she added

  • 10 Indian Americans in Houston honored for their services to community, promoting Hindu culture

    10 Indian Americans in Houston honored for their services to community, promoting Hindu culture

    HOUSTON (TIP): Ten Indian American youths here have been honored for their services to the community and promoting Hindu culture. According to the Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH), a non-profit organization, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the winners and called the awards an opportunity for the Indian diaspora, particularly the youths, to further strengthen the connection with their roots.

    “The winners will surely help propagate the richness of our magnificent identity, particularly among the young generations,” Modi said in a letter to the HGH, which honored the youths at its 10th annual awards event on December 19. “The Indian diaspora settled in different parts of the world have been the ambassadors of our glorious culture and tradition. With the noble philosophy of love, harmony and compassion, Sanatan Dharma is a guiding light to humanity. Its universal appeal has always attracted and influenced the people across the world. Our rich cultural heritage is marked by a continuity spanning thousands of years, transcending physical and geographical boundaries,” the prime minister said.

    The awardees were nominated by various Hindu faith-based organizations.

    Consul General of India in Houston, Aseem Mahajan, presented the awards and lauded the youths for displaying leadership and participation in the community.

    The awardees were Anish Nayak (Sewa International), Anusha Sathyanarayan (Eternal Gandhi Museum of Houston), Nithya Ramankulangara (Sri Meenakshi Temple Society), Sandeep Prabhakar (Global Organisation of Divinity), Kruthi Patel (BAPS), Vipaschit Nanda (Arya Samaj), Abhimanyu Aggarwal (Hindu Heritage Youth Camp) and Rajit Shah (Vallabh Vidya Mandir).

    Two special awards were presented to Namita Pallod of Sanatan Hindu Dharma and Komal Luthra of Young Hindus of Greater Houston. Dr Madan Luthra, a 73-year-old retired scientist, was awarded the 2020 Akhil Chopra Unsung Heroes award for his selfless service during the pandemic. He and his team stepped in during the pandemic to help community members coping with emergencies, accidents, medical issues, death and bereavement and family disputes. One of his biggest contributions was to start a plasma donor registry for COVID-19 patients with Sewa volunteer Kavita Tewary. In his keynote address, actor Nitish Bharadwaj of the popular television serial, Mahabharat, fame, congratulated the youths for bringing accolades to India and raising the country’s image in the world. “Hindus have proved to the world that they assimilate wherever they go. They not only introduce other cultures to India’s richness, but also imbibe the positive qualities of the country they live in. NRI’s are India’s peace ambassadors,” he said. The event was hosted by Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj, Houston. 

    (Source: PTI)

  • Indian American Vedant Patel  is  named by Biden as White House Assistant Press Secretary

    Indian American Vedant Patel  is  named by Biden as White House Assistant Press Secretary

    He is currently a senior spokesperson for the Biden-Harris presidential Inaugural Committee.

    WASHINGTON (TIP): U.S. President Elect Joe Biden announced December 25, additional members of the White House communications and press team,  including India-born Vedant Patel, who was appointed to the role of Assistant Press Secretary. Mr. Patel was a key member of the Biden-Harris campaign and is currently a senior spokesperson for the Biden-Harris presidential Inaugural Committee. Prior to this he was on the Biden team during the Democratic primaries, leading communications for Nevada and other Western states. He has also worked as Communications Director for Indian American congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a progressive lawmaker from Washington state. Mr. Patel was born in India and raised in California as per a bio released by the Biden-Harris transition team. Mr. Patel will work on the team of White House Press Secretary designate Jen Psaki.

  • 8 Indian AmericansHonored at ASEI Awards

    8 Indian AmericansHonored at ASEI Awards

    CHICAGO (TIP): American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI) has recognized four engineering achievers and four service excellence and contributors to ASEI with Lifetime Achievement award going to Naveen Jain. Amit Kumar, Consul General India in Chicago, at ASEI’s 33rd Annual National Convention focusing on Global Engineering & Technologies (GET-2020), held virtually on Dec 5 and 6 presented the awards.

    Kumar emphasized the importance of Indian American engineers and scientists pooling their talents to help India at the finale session anchored by ASEI Board Member Dr Thomas Abraham, Chair Awards Committee, according to a media release.

    The ASEI awardees are:

    ASEI Lifetime Achievement – Naveen Jain

    ASEI Entrepreneur of The Year – Jyoti Bansal

    ASEI Engineer of The Year (Mech/Solar) – Dr Yogi Goswami

    ASEI Engineer of The Year (Industrial Operations and Product Management) – Deval Desai

    ASEI Service Excellence Award – Rakesh Patel

    Hari Bindal ASEI Founders Award – Vatsala Upadhyay

    Leadership and Contribution to ASEI – Rakesh Guliani and Sunita Dublish

    Dr Neeraj Bindal, son of ASEI Founder the Late Dr. Hari Bindal paid a moving tribute to his father as he presented the Founder’s award to Vatsala.

    Lifetime Achievemen awardee Jain, a former Microsoft executive now based in Bellevue, WA, is the Founder & CEO of Viome, a wellness company. He is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of Moon Express, which is developing a robotic lunar lander to explore and mine the moon.

    Jain’s first entrepreneurial venture was InfoSpace, which he founded in 1996, after leaving Microsoft. He rode the dot-com bubble’s rise through the next several years, becoming a billionaire in 2000 when stock prices hit their highest mark, with his personal wealth alone totaling around $2.2 billion.

    The ASEI convention started with a welcome by the organization’s President Jwalant Lakhia.

    In the first session emceed by Anu Gopalakrishnan, keynote speaker Deval Desai, VP Magna Int. spoke about Contributions of Indian Technologists weaving the storyline from mythology to history to modern era.

    In the first technical session on Quantum computing by Dancing with Qubits, keynote speaker Dr Robert Sutor, VP Quantum, IBM Research, said Quantum promises to tackle classically challenging problems across a variety of industries. Prof. Solomon Darwin, known as the “Father of Smart Village Movement”, spoke about agricultural innovations that have the potential to make villages smarter with minimal resources.

    In the session on User Experience Design (UXD), Urmila Kashyap, Senior User Experience Designer with VMware, talked about UX design systems for enterprise products based on her 10+ years of UXD experience working with large companies like Moody’s & VMware.

    Surbhi Kaul, GM and Head of Product at Juniper Networks, sharing from her own experience of building and launching products over two decades at Netflix, Cisco, YouTube, Google and Juniper Networks discussed why UXD is critical to a product’s success.

    In the session on Artificial Intelligence in the Enterprise, Jeff Hannah, Director, NA SBD Automotive and Akshay Desai, Associate Partner, McKinsey tried to separate fact from fiction about autonomous cars.

    Desai focused on the future for autonomous vehicle adoption and the changing AV mobility market. Convention Co-Chair Bhavesh Joshi moderated the session. Nidhi Mathihali, Jyoti Rani and Isha Jagadish were declared the three top winners of the Youth Technology Exposition (YTE) conceived and coordinated by the Conference Content Chair and President of ASEI-Silicon Valley Piyush Malik.

    In a keynote on Leadership in turbulent times, Dr. Satyam Priyadarshy, Chief Data Scientist & Technology Fellow, Haliburton, applied ancient Indian wisdom from Hanuman Chalisa to talk about a framework to face disruption in tumultuous times.

    In the session on Career Management in a Disrupted Economy, Dilip Saraf, an IIT alumnus who has reinvented himself five times to be a Career and Life Coach, spoke about better career management by developing resilient options.

    Piyush Malik, SVP SpringML, and Naveen Jain, CEO Viome & Founder/Chairman – Moon Express discussed Exponential Technologies for Humanity’s Grand Challenges.

    Solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges lie at the intersection of these exponential technologies ranging from artificial intelligence (AI)to computing systems, robotics, and autonomous vehicles, they said.

    In the session on Cybersecurity: Opportunity of Threat? Anand Oswal, SVP and GM at PaloAlto Networks, talked about the three concurrent mega transitions in enterprise IT that are impacting network security viz. Rise of a mobile workforce, Shift to hybrid cloud and Direct to app architectures.

    He was joined in conversation with popular cybersecurity strategist and influencer Matthew Rosenquist who is currently the Chief Information Security Officer at Eclipz.

    In the session on Innovation in the Enterprise, Manoj Prasad, VP & Global CTO, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Prakash Kota, CIO Autodesk discussed issues like how  this pandemic will change the pace of innovation in enterprise technology.

    Speaking on Robotics and Space, Space scientist Dr Sreeja Nag who also happened to be a Robotist at Nuro, shared her experiences on autonomous robots that work on earth as well as in the space.

  • ‘Being Sheela’: Life and times of an Indian American powerhouse attorney, entrepreneur and philanthropist

    ‘Being Sheela’: Life and times of an Indian American powerhouse attorney, entrepreneur and philanthropist

    NEW YORK (TIP): Being Sheela quickly corrals the reader into caring and rooting for the accomplished attorney who is foremost “instinctively and unselfconsciously kind to others.” Author Adithi Rao injects us with very little preamble straight into the heart of the action, adroitly blending real case studies with significant moments from Sheela Murthy’s life to reveal her values and her motivations. With lines such as “her clarity and energy proved infectious” and “she was incapable of doing things in half measure and that included eating Samosas! “We are firmly hooked by the personal and human rendering of this larger than life persona. This is an affectionate and admiring memoir written also with the reporter’s instinct to cover varied perspectives.

    We hear the stories of clients who “were often troubled, tired, sad or desperate and at time all those things at once.” We read that Sheela’s instincts to do the right thing and the fair thing were honed by navigating childhood between an adoring father and a strict mother. We learn that at age 10, after surviving a major illness, Sheela vowed to “overcome insurmountable obstacles by simply never letting anything get her down.”

    From her 2nd year law professor, we hear that he had never before had a student with Sheela’s “tireless determination, enthusiasm or the commitment to win” an all-India Moot Court competition. The 10-year-old went from being inspired to fight injustice as an attorney after reading To Kill a Mockingbird to placing second as a 24-year-old in International Moot Court competition in only her second attempt. We meet and are captivated by the “happy-hearted girl who said what she thought and almost always had something meaningful to say” and who had the smarts and the drive to graduate with a Masters in Law from Harvard.

    Beyond inspiration from reading of her “courage and a fierce ability to love beyond her own limitations that set her apart from every other child,” Sheela’s life journey and the book also offer practical lessons written with a light touch and universal appeal. From Sheela’s humble beginnings in India sharing a rag doll with her two sisters to powerhouse attorney and heavyweight philanthropist in the US, author Rao uses Sheela’s own experiences and hard-earned knowledge to illustrate best practices easily applicable to entrepreneurs, to leaders and managers, to women in abusive situations, to those ensnared in partisan politics, to those wrestling with ethics versus quick results and to immigrants caught between “the reality of being an immigrant in the US and the common perspective that people have of them.” I encourage everyone to enjoy this warm, satisfying and fortifying memoir, perhaps with a steaming cup of fragrant tea in hand, a connection to the many cups of tea dispensed in the book along with the memorable and inspirational stories!

    Copies of the book can be obtained from https://murthynayak.org/book-being-sheela

  • GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR & CHURCHILL ARE NEEDED IN 2021

    GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR & CHURCHILL ARE NEEDED IN 2021

    By Ravi Batra

    The world has not seen a weapon that without a bomb launched or a bullet fired could devastate economies of all nations on earth in one fell swoop, and render their citizenry dead or fearing for life itself.

    2020, to paraphrase FDR, is a year that will live in infamy, and it is also the year when Neville Chamberlain reigned supreme. Indeed, no less than President Trump – who has stood taller than any before him, including, Richard M. Nixon, when he was a Communism-buster up until prior to his 1967 abdication in Foreign Affairs’ pages with a quid pro quo op-ed entitled “Asia After Viet Nam” – called the Virus the “China Virus,” yet, then incredulously declared: that we are fighting “an invisible enemy.” No, we are not Mr. President.

    The Virus isn’t our enemy, just as on December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombs and bullets weren’t the enemy; Imperial Japan was, by attacking us at Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii. Then, FDR, after sentencing that day “to live in infamy,” unleashed the indominatable General Douglas MacArthur. The same General, who when first expelled from Philippines, left written messages for the people of Philippines:  “I shall return.” And, return he did. Promise made; promise kept. Indeed, a short few years later on September 2, 1945 there was a Surrender Ceremony. A visit to the USS Missouri website proudly shows that the infamous history started at Peral Harbor was in-fact stopped, and a new history of American Freedoms, for all, was made to wit:

    “On the teak decks of USS Missouri, WWII finally came to an end on 2 September 1945. The Surrender Ceremony, which formally brought an end to the bloodiest conflict in human history, lasted a mere 23 minutes. It began at 0902 with a brief opening speech by General Douglas MacArthur. In his speech, the General called for justice, tolerance, and rebuilding. After MacArthur’s speech, Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu, representing the Emperor of Japan, signed the Instrument of Surrender. He was followed by the Chief of the Army General Staff, General Yoshijirō Umezu, who signed for the Japanese Army. After this, General MacArthur signed the Instrument of Surrender as the Supreme Allied Commander with 6 pens. Of these pens, he gave two to former POWs Lt. General Jonathan Wainwright and Lt. General Lt. General Arthur E. Percival. Following MacArthur, other allied representatives followed in this order:

    Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed for the United States; General Xu Yongchang for the Republic of China; Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser for the United Kingdom; Lt. General Kuzma Derevyanko for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR); General Sir Thomas A. Blamey for the Commonwealth of Australia; Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave for the Dominion of Canada; General Philippe Le Clerc for the Provisional Government of the French Republic; Lt. Admiral Conrad E. L. Helfrich for the Kingdom of the Netherlands;Air Vice Marshal Leonard M. Isitt for the Dominion of New Zealand.

    5-Star General MacArthur’s Remarks – that day – on the deck of the USS Missouri are illuminating, and hence, worthy of reproduction so we may escape, even belatedly, History’s “curse of repetition” upon those who forget the past, while cuddling up to happy-amnesia:

    “We are gathered here, representatives of the major warring powers, to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace may be restored.

    The issues involving divergent ideals and ideologies have been determined on the battlefields of the world, and hence are not for our discussion or debate. Nor is it for us here to meet, representing as we do a majority of the peoples of the earth, in a spirit of distrust, malice, or hatred. But rather it is for us, both victors and vanquished, to rise to that higher dignity which alone befits the sacred purposes we are about to serve, committing all of our peoples unreservedly to faithful compliance with the undertakings they are here formally to assume.

    It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past — a world founded upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance, and justice. The terms and conditions upon which surrender of the Japanese Imperial Forces is here to be given and accepted are contained in the Instrument of Surrender now before you.

    As Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, I announce it my firm purpose, in the tradition of the countries I represent, to proceed in the discharge of my responsibilities with justice and tolerance, while taking all necessary dispositions to insure that the terms of surrender are fully, promptly, and faithfully complied with. I now invite the representatives of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters to sign the Instrument of Surrender at the places indicated.”

    [After the Instrument of Surrender was executed by all, he concluded with:]

    “Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world, and that God will preserve it always.

    These proceedings are closed.” (Emphasis added)

    InWWII – we were united with USSR and China (not today’s Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) People Republic of China (PRC)), but the Republic of China (ROC) – today, known as Taiwan, when General Chiang Kai-shek was head of ROC. I cite the above snippet of history to document the gross geopolitical malpractice of leaders, here at home and abroad, since 1945. Indeed, CCP’s brilliant Chairman Mao, who had originally joined under the leadership of General Chiang, revolted, caused a civil war, and finally expelled him in 1949 from Mainland China to a mere island, Formosa, aka Taiwan.

    CCP’s China is a new world order – different from feudalism, communism, socialism, corporate-capitalism and our cherished Bill of Rights embedded in our Separated Powers regime – as it is an amalgam of all. Indeed, there are 99 million members of CCP – think corporate governance and the now-disappeared “Avon Lady.” Everybody in China is directly and intimately known by a CCP Member.

    From Chiang Kai-shek, to Harry Truman, to Pandit Nehru, and above all others, to Richard Nixon who rolled out the red carpet for CCP’s China and gifted the critical multi-polar Permanent Seat on the United Nations Security Council – after unilaterally amending History and taking it away from ROC – the world could not, and sadly did not, see the slowly moving tortoise of CCP-China as a threat greater than the fast-moving Adolf Hitler.

    We are at the Third Act of CCP’s “rejuvenation” of the Ming Dynasty’s Tribute System. Indeed, President Xi has honestly stated his China Policy to be “rejuvenation” – almost with as much delight as Edgar Allen Poe had in writing the Purloined Letter.  What former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster warned about in The Atlantic on May 19, 2020 – “What China Wants” – but left off at, I have continued – as I must warn as Paul Revere did – that our “Emperor wears no clothes,” to metaphorically assert without doubt, that our China Policy – created and effectuated by our Deep State and Executive and Legislative Leaders – is both a misdiagnosis, and a mistreatment that embraces de facto, if not de jure, impotent Chamberlain while rejecting the necessary Churchill, who to them is truly “invisible,” let alone “necessary.” Giving us governmental malpractice that is both decrypt, as it is impotent.

    The world has not seen a weapon that without a bomb launched or a bullet fired could devastate economies of all nations on earth in one fell swoop, and render their citizenry dead or fearing for life itself. Coronavirus, with its transplanted from Bats’ “Spike Glycoprotein (S)” – which I wrote about in my Open Letter to President Trump on April 14, 2020, and the next day United States opened its then-Preliminary Investigation of China – is now the very piece of protein that Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA-based vaccines now – in error – implant in every patient, and after the initial 2-shots, require a booster shot every 3 months, for life. Result: the enemy get refreshed, while our body’s “T cell” get exhausted or run out. Indeed, Merck’s CEO Kenneth C. Fraizer has correctly said: we don’t even understand the Virus yet, let alone treat it. How right he is. This vaccine frenzy is nothing short of a global clinical trial – worse than if you signed up for one – for now, as a patient, you don’t get paid, and if you suffer a severe reaction, you can’t sue as they have a liability shield, courtesy of Operation Warp Speed that didn’t have to do 10 years of public health studies to identify its efficacy, but its side effects. Risks vs Benefits. A patient with a migraine headache would never accept decapitation as a solution; yet, now, we are to accept this vaccine with a public health study over 10-years of time. Yes, we need a vaccine; but, we need the raw truth about the creation of SARS-CoV2, its escape from the Wuhan lab, its variations, etc., before we can figure out the correct cure.

     

    Kompromat – is a term used to suggest Russia’s ability to control another person or nation through some act or knowledge that the target would not like exposed. Blackmail. In our social media-connected world, with data that documents one’s hallucinations as if “fact,” our exceptional separated powers regime is sadly checkmated.

    As 2021 is the Year of Hope, like never before, I end with a wish that just as the Ming Dynasty voluntarily gave up its Tribute system, so does President Xi Jinping; and, instead, he joins in transparent disarming of SARS-CoV2 and dismantles his Jaws of War (which I have previously described). Otherwise, let Churchill be re-born as an American – worthy of everyday hardworking Americans who toil to achieve the American Dream, as merit alone can – and uphold our Flag high and free, as those who died doing so in 1814 at Fort McHenry and caused lawyer-poet Francis Scott Keys to be so moved by their undying courage and national pride to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

    (Ravi Batrais a senior attorney and  advisor to many governments. Twitter @RaviBatra)

  • Will Biden exempt India from CAATSA?

    Will Biden exempt India from CAATSA?

    By Prabhu Dayal
    • The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act provides for sanctions for transactions with the Russian defense sector
    • For sanctions to be triggered, a defense deal has to meet the threshold of being a ‘significant transaction’
    • The US had designated India as a major defense partner in 2016

     The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States, which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 will be watched across the globe as the US President wields such huge authority and influence. Not surprisingly, speculation already abounds in most countries regarding the policies which the Biden Administration will adopt in regard to important issues.

    There are undoubtedly some new challenges which the Indian government will face in regard to its relations with the US. There are already some existing problems that still need to be overcome, such as those relating to bilateral trade and restrictions on H1B visas which adversely impact Indian professionals and Indian software companies.

    Biden may not immediately reverse some the Trump administration’s policies which led to these problems, but we should give Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s team some time for achieving their objectives. In any case, we have better prospects now than we had with Trump who had himself formulated these policies which were causing damage to our interests. Biden has shown that he takes a broader view on issues such as foreign trade as compared to Trump with his ‘America First’ policy.

    Views have also been expressed by sections of India’s intelligentsia that that the Biden Administration will not be too favorably disposed towards the present Indian government because of the close Trump-Modi personal bonding as witnessed during the Howdy Modi (September 2019) and Namaste Trump (February 2020) events held in Houston and Ahmedabad respectively.

    They feel that this factor has negatively impacted Biden’s perception of Modi, and this in turn will have adverse consequences for Indo-US relations. Modi’s critics also think that Biden will take up a tough position in regard to issues such as Jammu and Kashmir, human rights and minority-related issues in India.

    The growth trajectory of Indo-US relations in recent years shows that such fears might be ill-founded. Human rights issues could come up during bilateral discussions, but more likely as they do among friends. Public criticism of the Indian government is not likely. This is because the level of Indo-US bilateral engagement has reached unprecedented levels, with China’s territorial and economic expansionism serving as a catalyst in this regard.

    This is evident from recent meetings like those of the Quad and the 2+2 strategic dialogue held in October 2020. The Indo-US relationship is now inextricably linked in the political as well as economic spheres, and both countries view each other as strategic partners.

    Significantly, the US had also designated India as a major defense partner in 2016. It may be noted that the US has signed four defense agreements with India, namely the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMA), Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA). They pave the way for any defense purchases which India needs to make from the US, as well as for transfer of defense-related technology.

    Indo-US joint military exercises have also become a significant factor in advancing the strategic relationship. The Malabar Naval Exercise has been held annually since 1992; the Americans suspended the exercises in 1998 following the Pokharan nuclear test by India, but they were resumed again in 2002.

    Japan and Australia also participated in the Malabar Exercise held in November 2020, which thus became an extension of the Quad and sent across a clear message to China. In addition, Tiger Triumph, a bilateral tri-service amphibious military exercise involving the armed forces of India and the United States was also held in 2019.

    It was the first tri-service military exercise between the two countries. These are just some of the developments which demonstrate how the defense and strategic partnership between India and the US has been growing; given the global challenges, this partnership is the need of the hour.

    Therefore, the really important question is whether the strategic partnership will continue smoothly, or could it hit some roadblocks?

     

    It is not improbable that a problem could arise on account of CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) which provides for sanctions for transactions with the Russian defense sector. In September 2018, CAATSA sanctions were imposed on China for purchasing the S-400 missile defense system. Recently, the United States invoked CAATSA against Turkey’s for its purchase of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia.

     

    Earlier, in September 2018, CAATSA sanctions were imposed on China for the very same reason. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Ford said recently on December 14, “We hope that other countries around the world will also take note that the United States will fully implement CAATSA Section 231 sanctions and that they should avoid further acquisitions of Russian equipment, especially those that could trigger sanctions.”

     

    Naturally, this has raised concerns in India about the possibility of sanctions. After CAATSA was passed in August 2017, India had placed a $5.3 billion-order for five units of the S-400 missile defense system in 2018 and also paid the first instalment of $800 million in 2019.

     

    The United States had offered Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot Advance Capability (PAC-3) missile defense systems to India in as an alternative to Russian S-400s. However, Indian defense experts felt that it is the S-400 system that meets the operational requirements of India.

     

    The acquisition of the S-400 could jeopardize the possibility of India acquiring certain advanced defense technologies from the US, an opportunity that opened up after the latter designated India as a Major Defense Partner in 2016. It would also severely jolt the bilateral strategic relationship.

     

     

    Thus, a really serious challenge for India would be to get Biden to give India an exemption from CAATSA for its purchase of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia. The US decides on a case-by-case basis whether to implement sanctions or grant a waiver. For sanctions to be triggered, a defense deal has to meet the threshold of being a ‘significant transaction’ with specifically listed entities of Russian defense or intelligence sectors.

     

    The determination is based on factors like “significance of the transaction to US national security and foreign policy interests, the nature and magnitude of the transaction, and the relation and significance of the transaction to the defense or intelligence sector of the Russian government.”

     

    There is no denying the fact that a S-400 deal is a ‘significant transaction’ and that is why the US has sanctioned Turkey, which is a NATO ally of the US. Naturally, there will be calls, even from within the Biden administration to sanction India also. What can work in India’s favor is that with an ever-expansionist and aggressive China, Biden may need India in his camp.

     

    Moreover, with India being the world’s second largest arms importer, sanctioning India will affect future defense purchases from US manufacturers–something that Biden himself will surely not want.

     

    All said and done, the coming period will be watched with interest by anyone who has followed the upward trajectory of Indo-US relations in recent years. Given the global scenario, it is to be hoped that the Biden Administration will keep the bigger picture in mind and preserve the bilateral strategic relationship and not subject India to CAATSA.

    (The author is a retired diplomat. He can be reached at prabhu_dayal70@hotmail.com)

    (Courtesy OPOYI)

  • Invisible enemy – Visible threat

    Invisible enemy – Visible threat

    What is COVID-19 19. It is not just a name. Is it an invisible enemy? Is it a Chinese Virus? How did it come? When will it go?

    How it spreads? Why can’t we see our own family members in the hospital? What is the remedy? When will theairlines open again? When will the restaurants open again? When will we able to meet our friends? No Broadway,no films, no parties, working from home for months. Oh man! What kind of prison walls have become our own home?

    Well, it took a long time for the effects of COVID-19 19 to sink in us and Indian American Community members were asscared as other members. The month of Jan 2020 was a little bit normal, the panic button was not pressed, but later. on, three press conferences with statistics became daily dose. Listen to Mayor New York, Governor of New York andPresident of USA with health experts. While Governor sounded very methodical and interspersed his address withinspiring or thoughtful quotes. Mayor gave basic information and addressed direct concerns. The major policy decisionsand the national approach towards handling Corona Virus and questions by journalists, initially informative, soon becametiresome. People started trying to figure out, how to make the most of the time and energy available at hand. Many internet- basededucational courses emerged. Many universities offered free courses. Zoom became the in thing, students were confined  to home and parents must have found it challenging to take care of their own mind as well as needs of kids.

    Some community organizations started Antakshari, Yoga, Pranayam classes. Many members of our community caught up withreading habits and some started their own Youtube Channel. Indian Consulate in New York also engaged community memberson social media. Indian Govt started flight ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, an escape route of sorts for those who were stuck here. This year 2020 has created millions of stories. It disrupted us in many ways. Many of us have lost family members and friends. The major lesson brought at our doorsteps is asking us to take a fresh look at our priorities. Our wonderful clothes didn’t help. The joy of living needed to be discovered with innovative ways. Technology still rules our lives but we became moreaware about the importance of being able to breathe. What we will do in 2021 won’t be much different; we will still be complainingand pointing fingers at each other. Old habits die hard yet this fresh reminder about incorporating corrective measures toour lifestyle may make some difference. Namaskar became the norm and zoom meeting, virtual celebrations as well as fundraisingbecame the need of the hour. No hugs! This social distancing has taken its emotional toll leading many people to depression and a few suicides too,  but experience should teach us. It does, if we are willing to learn. In this scene, while our survival dependson our ability to learn and adopt, we need to transform our approach at a faster pace. Happy New Year.

    (Ashok Vyas is a poet, priest and Program Director, ITVGold. He can be reached at punditvyas@yahoo.com)

  • Indian Americans Gautam Raghavan and Vinay Reddy named in Biden team

    Indian Americans Gautam Raghavan and Vinay Reddy named in Biden team

    NEW YORK (TIP): US president-elect Joe Biden has named two more Indian Americans to plum appointments in the post-Trump world: Gautam Raghavan is coming in as Deputy Director in the Office of Presidential Personnel and Vinay Reddy will be the Director of Speechwriting, according to a statement on Tuesday, December 28,  from the transition team. Already, at least eight Indian-Americans have snagged headline grabbing appointments in the incoming government: Vivek Murthy is US Surgeon General nominee, Atul Gawande and Celine Gounder are on the coronavirus task force, Neera Tanden is nominated for Office of Management and Budget lead, Vedant Patel will be White House assistant press secretary and Mala Adiga has been chosen as policy director for First Lady Jill Biden.

    Below is the full text of the introductory notes on the two new appointees from the Biden-Harris team:  Gautam Raghavan, Deputy Director, Office of Presidential Personnel: Raghavan serves as Deputy Head of Presidential Appointments on the Biden-Harris Transition. Prior to joining the transition, Raghavan served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Previously, Raghavan served as an Advisor to the Biden Foundation, and as Vice President of Policy for the Gill Foundation, one of the oldest and largest private foundations dedicated to the cause of LGBTQ equality. During the Obama-Biden Administration, Raghavan served in the White House as the liaison to the LGBTQ community as well as the Asian American & Pacific Islander community, and in the White House Liaison Office for the U.S. Department of Defense and as Outreach Lead for the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Working Group. A first-generation immigrant, Gautam was born in India, raised in Seattle, and graduated from Stanford University. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his husband and their daughter. Vinay Reddy, Director of Speechwriting: Vinay Reddy serves as a speechwriter on the Biden-Harris Transition and served as Senior Advisor and Speechwriter for the Biden-Harris Campaign. He previously served as chief speechwriter to Vice President Biden in the second term of the Obama-Biden White House, after which, he worked as Vice President of Strategic Communications at the National Basketball Association. During the Obama-Biden Administration, he also served as senior speechwriter at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services, deputy speechwriter for the Obama-Biden reelection campaign, and speechwriter for his home state Senator, Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Reddy grew up in Dayton, Ohio, the middle of three sons in an immigrant family and is a product of Ohio public schools from kindergarten to Miami University to The Ohio State University College of Law. He currently lives in New York with his wife and their two daughters.

    (Source: IANS)

  • Indian-Origin Aisha Shah named to Biden-Harris digital strategy team

    Indian-Origin Aisha Shah named to Biden-Harris digital strategy team

    WASHINGTON (TIP): President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have named yet another Indian American to their team as a member of the White House Office of Digital Strategy. Born in Kashmir and raised in Louisiana, Aisha Shah, was named as Partnerships Manager in a 12-member digital team headed by Rob Flaherty, Director of Digital Strategy. She will join at least ten other persons of Indian descent named to senior posts in the incoming Biden-Harris administration, including Neera Tanden as Director of Office of Management and Budget and Vivek Murthy as US Surgeon General nominee. Shah, who served as a Digital Partnerships Manager on the Biden-Harris Campaign, currently serves as an Advancement Specialist for the Smithsonian Institution.

    “A reflection of the critical role digital strategy plays in reaching the American people, the Biden-Harris White House will feature a robust digital team,” the transition announced Monday.

    “In addition to amplifying and engaging users online through traditional measures, the White House Office of Digital Strategy will develop partnerships that are focused on extending the president-elect’s reach beyond his own social platforms,” it said. Shah earlier worked as an Assistant Manager on the Corporate Fund of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, supporting the first-ever expansion of a presidential memorial.

    Shah also served as a Strategic Communications Specialist at Buoy, an integrated marketing firm that specializes in social impact communications, as well as Spitfire Strategies, where she enabled nonprofits to use pop culture as a tool for social change. Shah is a graduate of Davidson College.

    “Communicating transparently and honestly with the American people is one of the most important responsibilities of a President,” said Biden. “This team of diverse experts has a wide range of experience in digital strategy and will help connect the White House to the American people in new and innovative ways.”

    “They bring a shared commitment to building our nation back better, and I am thrilled to have them on our team,” he added. “Digital communities and online spaces have taken on even more importance in the wake of the pandemic,” said Harris. “We’re building a team to speak to the lived experiences of all Americans.”

    “With much of our lives online, it is critical for this administration’s digital efforts to be inclusive and extensive,” she said. “Digital outreach will be a key pillar of the Biden-Harris Administration’s engagement with the public,” said incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain. “By bringing a talented team of digital strategists to the White House, we will ensure a robust dialogue with the American people, wherever they are,” he said. These diverse, accomplished, and talented individuals demonstrate that the president and vice president-elect are building an administration that looks like America and is ready to deliver results on day one, the transition announcement said.

  • Indian- Origin  Man Run Over by Train in New Jersey

    Indian- Origin  Man Run Over by Train in New Jersey

    NEW JERSEY (TIP): The incident took place when Praveen Desini, a pharma sector employee, was on his way to work in New York. It was not immediately clear as to how he got on the railway track.

    A 38-year-old man from Telangana was run over by a train in New Jersey’s Edison on Wednesday, December 23.

    The incident took place when Praveen Desini, a pharma sector employee, was on his way to work in New York. It was not immediately clear as to how he got on the railway track. An MBA graduate, Praveen Desini was working in the US for the last five years. His wife Navatha and 3-year-old son were living in the US with him. His body has been kept at the Middlesex Regional Medical Examiner in New Jersey. Praveen Desini’s family in Telangana’s Warangal was informed about his death on Wednesday. According to Gofundme.com page, created to provide financial assistance to Praveen Desini’s family, he was the youngest among three brothers and his father is a retired Panchayati Raj department employee. The note further describes Praveen Desini as an “easy going, jovial personality”.

  • Indian American Suyash Mehta named full- time NBA’s referee

    Indian American Suyash Mehta named full- time NBA’s referee

    NEW YORK (TIP): Indian Americans have been making their mark in the National Basketball Association (NBA) scene lately. Now Suyash Mehta has become the first Indian American official to be named a full-time NBA referee. Mehta, whose parents are from India, had been named to the league’s officiating staff for the first time for the 2019-20 season, according to NBA.com. He was promoted with two other referees, Simone Jelks and Andy Nagy. “We are pleased to welcome Simone [Jelks], Suyash and Andy [Nagy] to our full-time staff,” said Monty McCutchen, NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Referee Development and Training. “They have demonstrated through the growth and the quality of their performance, they warrant working NBA games on a regular basis,” he added. In the previous campaign, Mehta was inducted to the NBA’s officiating staff for the first time. He officiated in 13 games and was one of six to be named under the title of ‘non-staff officials’. He has also officiated five seasons in the NBA G League. Mehta’s parents moved to the US in the 1980s from India. The Baltimore resident also has coaching experience at various collegiate levels including the Atlantic 10, Big South, Colonial Athletic Association, Conference USA, NCAA Division III. But Mehta is not the first person of Indian origin to be in a prominent role in the NBA. Satnam Singh Bhamara was picked by the Dallas Mavericks in 2015, which made him the first Indian-born to be offered a contract by an NBA outfit. Boston’s Sonia Raman became the first Indian American woman coach when she was hired by the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA.

    Vivek Ranadive, another Indian American, holds a majority stake in the Sacramento Kings. In 2013, Mumbai-born Ranadive, along with Ronald Burkle and Mark Mastrov, reached an agreement with the Maloof family to purchase 65 per cent stakes in the Kings for approximately $348 million. Before that, he had to sell his stake in Golden State Warriors which he acquired in 2010.

    NBA’s academy in India has also produced several stars recently who have received offers from USA, including Riyanshu Negi, Jagshaanbir Singh, Pranav Prince, Amaan Sandhu and Princepal Singh, according to NBA.com.

  • Indian American physicians publicly take COVID-19 vaccine, encourage others to get it

    Indian American physicians publicly take COVID-19 vaccine, encourage others to get it

    NEW YORK : (TIP) Several Indian-American physicians, in the frontline of the fight against the pandemic, are publicly taking the coronavirus vaccine and encouraging others to get the shots, emphasizing that the vaccine is the “only saving grace” and a “scientific blessing” that will help the world win the battle against COVID-19.
    The US began administering vaccines a week ago and has approved jabs developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. “We all should take the vaccine. It is very effective and we are seeing good results. The vaccine is the only saving grace we have right now and we have to take it,” former President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) Dr. Suresh Reddy told. Reddy recently received the Pfizer NSE -0.79 % vaccine shot and said he did not have any reactions.”I’m very excited about the (vaccine). I think whoever is given an option they should take the vaccine. There is no need to hesitate. There is nothing to be shy about in taking the vaccine. It’s very safe,” he said, adding that the vaccines will help the world move forward.
    With several global pharma giants developing the COVID-19 vaccines in record time, Reddy said technology and medical expertise have helped speed up the process of developing a vaccine and getting it ready for mass usage.

    The COVID-19 pandemic “is a war-like situation and we don’t have that kind of luxury to do our routine exercises. I’m very confident that this vaccine is very effective and it is a lifesaver,” he said.

    The global COVID-19 tally stands at I77,343,652 cases with 1,702,293 deaths. The US has the world’s highest absolute number of cases as well as the most deaths related to the virus. The country surpassed 18 million reported COVID-19 cases on Monday, figures from Johns Hopkins University showed.

    Dr Jayesh Shah, wound care and hyperbaric physician based in Texas, also received the Pfizer vaccine publicly. He said a majority of people need to take the vaccine as that is the only way to beat COVID-19. He added that if about 70 per cent of the population takes the vaccine, that will help create herd immunity. “The vaccine is indeed a scientific blessing,” Shah, member of Board of Trustees of Texas Medical Association and President of South Texas Wound Associates, said. Addressing the skepticism people may have about the vaccine, which has been developed in a record time compared to previous vaccines that have taken years, Shah said, “It was all hands-on deck. Everybody was working on the vaccines full time,” and added that the time (to develop the vaccine) may have been short, but the amount of hours and resources that have been put into developing the coronavirus vaccines has been tremendous and almost at par with previous vaccines developed over longer periods of time.

    “So many people are working non-stop with unlimited funding, which made it possible to get the vaccine. Vaccines have been there forever; it is not a new science. There should not be any skepticism about any vaccine,” he said adding that if people are able to get access to the coronavirus vaccine that has been approved by the government and by the right agencies, “people should trust it and take it.” Both Shah and Reddy stressed that getting vaccines to the general population will take time and people should not get complacent but continue to follow the necessary guidelines to help control the spread of the virus. “Science says we can beat the disease by using face masks, maintaining social distancing and regular hand-washing. These are the three basic principles that everybody needs to follow whether you get the vaccine or not. This needs to continue till we get the herd immunity,” Shah, past president of AAPI, said. Reddy also stressed the need for people to continue to be cautious and practice social distancing, using face masks and washing hands. Reddy said he is hopeful about the COVID19 vaccines and that companies will soon be able to scale up production of the COVID19 shots enabling a majority of the world population to get vaccinated over the course of the next few months. Cardiologist Dr Avinash Gupta and President of Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America also publicly received the COVID-19 vaccine. Former President of Federation of Indian Association Alok Kumar tweeted a picture of Gupta receiving the vaccine and expressed gratitude to him for “taking the leadership role” in publicly taking the immunization shot. Pfizer’s and BioNTech’s combined manufacturing network has the potential to supply globally up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021. Moderna said approximately 20 million doses will be delivered to the US government by the end of December 2020. The company expects to have between 100 million and 125 million doses available globally in the first quarter of 2021, with 85-100 million of those available in the US, Moderna said.

  • Indian American led researchers offer new view of origin of life

    Indian American led researchers offer new view of origin of life

    NEW YORK (TIP): Chemists at Scripps Research led by an Indian American professor, Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy, have made a discovery that addresses the age-old question of how life on Earth first arose.

    In a study published in the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie, they demonstrated that a simple compound called diamidophosphate (DAP), which was plausibly present on Earth before life arose, could have chemically knitted together tiny DNA building blocks called deoxynucleosides into strands of primordial DNA.

    The finding is the latest in a series of discoveries, over the past several years, pointing to the possibility that DNA and its close chemical cousin RNA arose together as products of similar chemical reactions, and that the first self-replicating molecules—the first life forms on Earth—were mixes of the two. The discovery may also lead to new practical applications in chemistry and biology, but its main significance is that it addresses the age-old question of how life on Earth first arose, the California based institution said. In particular, it paves the way for more extensive studies of how self-replicating DNA-RNA mixes could have evolved and spread on the primordial Earth and ultimately seeded the more mature biology of modern organisms. “This finding is an important step toward the development of a detailed chemical model of how the first life forms originated on Earth,” says study senior author Krishnamurthy, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at Scripps Research.

    The finding also nudges the field of origin-of-life chemistry away from the hypothesis that has dominated it in recent decades. The “RNA World” hypothesis posits that the first replicators were RNA-based, and that DNA arose only later as a product of RNA life forms.

    Krishnamurthy and others have doubted the RNA World hypothesis in part because RNA molecules may simply have been too “sticky” to serve as the first self-replicators, Scripps Research said.

    A strand of RNA can attract other individual RNA building blocks, which stick to it to form a sort of mirror-image strand—each building block in the new strand binding to its complementary building block on the original, “template” strand. If the new strand can detach from the template strand, and, by the same process, start templating other new strands, then it has achieved the feat of self-replication that underlies life. But while RNA strands may be good at templating complementary strands, they are not so good at separating from these strands.

    Modern organisms make enzymes that can force twinned strands of RNA—or DNA—to go their separate ways, thus enabling replication, but it is unclear how this could have been done in a world where enzymes didn’t yet exist. Krishnamurthy and colleagues have shown in recent studies that “chimeric” molecular strands that are part DNA and part RNA may have been able to get around this problem, because they can template complementary strands in a less-sticky way that permits them to separate relatively easily. The chemists also have shown in widely cited papers in the past few years that the simple ribonucleoside and deoxynucleoside building blocks, of RNA and DNA respectively, could have arisen under very similar chemical conditions on the early Earth.

    Earlier, in 2017 they reported that the organic compound DAP could have played the crucial role of modifying ribonucleosides and stringing them together into the first RNA strands. The new study shows that DAP under similar conditions could have done the same for DNA.

    “We found, to our surprise, that using DAP to react with deoxynucleosides works better when the deoxynucleosides are not all the same but are instead mixes of different DNA ‘letters’ such as A and T, or G and C, like real DNA,” says first author Eddy Jiménez, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate in the Krishnamurthy lab.

    “Now that we understand better how a primordial chemistry could have made the first RNAs and DNAs, we can start using it on mixes of ribonucleoside and deoxynucleoside building blocks to see what chimeric molecules are formed—and whether they can self-replicate and evolve,” Krishnamurthy says. He notes that the work may also have broad practical applications. The artificial synthesis of DNA and RNA—for example in the “PCR” technique that underlies COVID-19 tests—amounts to a vast global business, but depends on enzymes that are relatively fragile and thus have many limitations. Robust, enzyme-free chemical methods for making DNA and RNA may end up being more attractive in many contexts, Krishnamurthy says.

  • Indian American chief economist SP Kothari to leave SEC

    Indian American chief economist SP Kothari to leave SEC

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian-American SP Kothari, who played a key role in raising the profile of Securities and Exchange Commission as its chief economist and director of the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA), would leave SEC by the end of January. “As Chief Economist, S P has raised the profile of the SEC, both domestically and internationally, on a range of topics affecting investors and our markets, including within the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, the Financial Stability Oversight Council, and the Financial Stability Board,” said SEC Chairman Jay Clayton. “SP achieved this by providing that rare combination of sophisticated macroeconomic analysis and market pragmatism as well as a knack for making complicated economic and market commentary accessible to everyone,” he said. Kothari chaired the internal COVID-19 Market Monitoring Group, which was formed to assist the Commission and its various divisions and offices in developing Commission and staff analyses and actions related to the effects of COVID-19 on markets, issuers and investors.

    It was also to assist in particular long-term Main Street investors, and responding to requests for information, analyses, and assistance from fellow regulators and other public sector partners on market matters arising from the effects of COVID-19. Clayton said that Kothari’s invaluable skills were on full display during the COVID-19 related market stress of March and April 2020, in his subsequent work leading Interconnectedness Initiative, and through his and the Division’s many accomplishments. Since joining the SEC in March 2019, Kothari led the Division’s cadre of economists, data scientists, and other professionals in advancing the Commission’s mission of protecting investors; maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets; and facilitating capital formation through sound economic analysis and rigorous data analytics, SEC said. Under his leadership, DERA engaged across the entire range of the agency’s mission areas, including rulemaking, examination, and enforcement. Its multi-disciplinary analyses helped the Commission identify, analyze, and respond to economic and market issues, including those related to new financial products, investment and trading strategies, systemic risk, and fraud, SEC said. “I have been honored to lead the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis over the last two years,” said Kothari. “I am thankful for the Division’s talented staff and the support of the Chairman and others at the Commission. Working with everyone here has been a great privilege and tremendously rewarding,” he said.

  • Readers Comment  on  How  COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected the World

    Readers Comment  on  How  COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected the World

    The present-day world is passing through a very challenging period when a raging pandemic during the past 10 months or so has snuffed out 1.79 million lives and infected close to 82 million the world over. The terrible virus’s effect on human body  and the world will take time to be assessed. Right now, the world is busy fighting this virus, scrambling for a lifesaving vaccine,  and  living in fear of other variants of the virus, which have been found in some countries, notably in UK where a total lock down has been imposed. Nations the world over have restricted into their territory  of travelers from UK for fear that they may bring the new variant of virus supposedly more deadly than COVID-19 and add to their seemingly unsurmountable problems.

    So, we thought of asking our wide awake and well-informed readers of their view.

    The Question: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the world? What is the future scenario? What do we need to do to combat this Virus, and any other, in future? Your personal experience, if any , will be welcome.

    We are grateful to the readers who took time to send us their comment which we are pleased to publish here.

    We wish them all a Happy New Year.

    Anu Jain

     Our lives before the virus will not be back anytime soon

    COVID-19 has cost us a lot, the lives of our near and dear ones, small businesses shut down, yet it has brought attention to many other aspects of life. For example, HYGIENE; many of us had forgotten the importance of washing our hands after using public transport, before eating food, or even as simple as shaking hands with someone. Another example is MENTAL WELLBEING; people are starting to feel more lonely and many may also be suffering from depression. We all have become much more conscious and aware of these simple yet ignored matters. I am sure we will never forget what COVID-19 has taken from us, but I am sure we will also not be able to turn a blind eye to what it has given us. Some of the positive outcomes from this pandemic is self-improvement and building new skills. Reaching out to and rekindling with people we may not have in a very long time. We have also learned to appreciate what we have in our lives currently. Although, we have to maintain a 6 feet distance but we are fighting this battle together.

     In this pandemic, we all have stood together as one big family. I still remember the surge of doctors we had from all over the nation flying into New York, when it was declared an epicenter/hot-zone for COVID-19. During those times, many people, independently and via organizations were empowered to help each other out. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to get involved and coordinate with many organizations to help out via food donations for many frontline heroes across the New York and New Jersey.

    Future may be very uncertain with the many new revelations of the virus such as the new variant discovered in UK, recently. Our lives before the virus will not be back anytime soon, as the effects of this pandemic are here to stay. The format of events and gatherings will be changed forever as well. For example, greetings have already started to change from hugging to a more of a ‘Namaste’ approach. The limit of attendees at gatherings have also been implemented strictly.

    Prevention is better than cure, and thus that would be the first step in combating the virus. Hand hygiene, maintaining a 6-ft distance, masks, are all some of the many preventative measures that all of us are already taking. Finally, there is also the vaccine for this virus, it is important to take the vaccine once available and continue to stay updated and informed by following the CDC.gov. We must also reach out to our loved ones and keep on adding new memories to our treasure chest.

    (Anu Jain is one of the leading Real Estate Salespersons in Long Island, NY)

    Ashok Ojha

    2020: A Year of Grief

    The year 2020 is coming to an end. When I look back months back I see a long spell of darkness, silence, pain, and grief, all of which generated by the horror of Corona also called Covid-19.

    I made a short trip to India in early March. Prior to my departure I decided not to take chances and carry a tiny stock of disinfecting sanitizers and masks. I visited local pharmacies and grocery stores to buy it but found none.  These were clear signs that general public were fully aware what was to happen soon. At that time authorities were cautioning against the virus but they were not advising to wear masks until plane loads of   the stuff arrived from China.

    The news of Corona infection was slowly crossing the borders of America. As I landed in Delhi I learned that a tourist had celebrated his birthday party in a local five-star hotel, travelled to Jaipur and Jodhpur leaving behind a trail of infections. Hospitals in all these cities were scrambling to deal with cases. It was evident that the virus had attacked India. It was a matter of time when it would travel quickly around the world as no restrictions were enforced at airports except for usual security protocols. Soon international flights were being curtailed.

    I decided to fly back to the safety of my home in New Jersey. On my way back I found  passengers and the crew were totally unaware of using sanitizers, forget wearing masks. On arrival in USA I saw no precautions were taken at the airports. No questions were being asked by officials. Everything was being done to welcome the virus. It was horrifying to hear US officials advising the public not to wear masks since PPE materials were in short supply. This was unforgivable. Didn’t we know enough or were just being complacent?

    The entry of the virus into the United States was hastened many other ways. United States flew its citizens from a cruise ship anchored in Japan and was found heavily infected. Infected people as well those not infected shared the same aircraft way home from Japan. Horrified I could watch the scenario unfolding-schools opting for remote learning, crowds of US citizens returning home from Europe jostling at Chicago and other airports, elder care centers unsure of how to handle Corona infected patients. I felt I was writing  script of a drama that was unfolding before my eyes. News of infections originating from supermarkets soon found space in newspapers. Few airlines were still flying, as if in defiance.

    US is the most advanced nation in the world. Taking precautions  or not taking it became a political matter. How can you dictate an American against his will? And he was against doing childish things like covering his face with mask!

    Searching for vaccines was a matter that government needed to take. US had the re-sources. The search hurriedly began. The White House took a stand-downplay the threat!

    Meanwhile, in May 2020, a black man called Floyd was suffocated to death by a policeman in Minneapolis. The incident unleashed nationwide protests and street demonstrations. “I can’t breathe…” symbolized the agony of the suppressed and ‘Black Lives Matter’ was the new progressive mantra. Protests and demonstrations, violent or not, turned into vehicles for the virus.

    Days and months passed by. News and videos of hospitals overwhelmed by Corona infected patients were a common sight on television screen. Infected elderly citizens who lived in Elder Care Homes around the country were dying in droves. Nurses and doctors looking after patients, hospital workers, grocery store employees, meat packing plant workers, teachers and students-were among the vulnerable groups. In New Jersey, government departments were shut down. Most people were working from home. Courts were meeting virtually.

    USA conducted the Presidential elections and American elected Democratic candidates Joe Biden as the next President and Kamala Harris as Vice President. But America was yet to see a smooth transition of power. The year is coming to an end and I find no words to explain the actions of sitting President Trump. He has pardoned his associates who were convicted for serious crimes. Trump sacked numerous officials during his tenure. America just watched in awe. His actions were twisting and turning the US Constitution but none could do anything. I realized the enormous power and legal immunity of the American President firsthand.The year 2020  presented a number of grim realities about America. That everything is not perfect in the USA. We must accept certain things as they are: Protection against dis-crimination, equality and justice are not to be taken for granted. One must not depend upon the government for help, even during the emergencies. US laws and the government can’t  support the poor, the homeless and the unemployed, even during the emergencies. While the US can’t provide food for everyone the system allows the rich getting richer even when majority of people suffer from pandemic.

    COVID-19 has posed so many questions for all Americans-our options for survival are limited. The vaccines are not the final solutions. We are part of a system that doesn’t work as it should all the times.

    Let us hope for the better in 2021.

    (Ashok Ojha is a senior journalist and a passionate promoter of Hindi abroad)

    Dr. V.K. Raju

    COVID- 19 and New Year Wishes for 2021

    A pandemic is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across the world. Throughout human history there have been a number of pandemics of disease, such as smallpox and tuberculosis, and the most fatal pandemic in recorded history was the black death, also known as the plague. The plague killed over 75 million people in the 14th century. History has the nasty habit of repeating itself. Our longevity in the present century is mainly due to the successes of public health. The most scientific and technological advances have added only 6 to 8 years to our life. Such is the paramount importance of public health, that even in the era of exponential scientific and bioengineering advancements, the impact of basic health protections from the 1900s cannot be underestimated.  Let us recollect Charles Edward Winslow’s quote from 1842, “The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental health and efficiency through organized community efforts for the sanitation of the environment, the control of community infections, the education of the individual in principles of personal hygiene… will ensure to every individual in the community a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of health.” Obviously, we missed many of these fundamentals during our present epidemic.

    Concern for future pandemics includes antibiotic resistant microorganisms called “super bugs” and may contribute to the reemergence of diseases that were thought to be under control.  A tuberculosis pandemic ???

    One of my very religious Indian patients asked me recently, “Dr. Raju, so many people died so sadly, is it their karma?” I said instantaneously “Some others failed their Dharma, and these people suffered their karma”.

    (Dr. V.K. Raju is an internally acclaimed Ophthalmologist. He is committed to his vision of a world without childhood blindness. Through the  Eye Foundation of America which he founded almost four decades ago, and  Goutami Eye Institute in Andhra Pradesh, he is working tirelessly to prevent avoidable childhood blindness in rural areas of India and elsewhere in the world)

    George Abraham

    2020: A year to forget

    As I recollect, I was in Kerala in January reading about a virus that was sweeping the City of Wuhan, China. Like in the past, I thought it was one of those hyped-up pandemics like bird-flu, and the epidemiologists would go on an overdrive to herald its impact. When I was working for the United Nations, the Bird-flu scare was so intense; the organization went about putting together a disaster recovery plan that included working remotely and replicating the essential applications and data to Geneva’s offices.  However, the doomsday predictions were proved to be wrong, and there was no significant impact of Bird-flu on the public, especially on the work environment.

    But COVID-19 is not like any other virus in recent memory, it is so ruinous to human life and its well-being, and we are still in the battle to survive. Almost every country in the world has experienced its fierce assault on our way of life. It is an incredible thing to watch as this invisible virus drove the most powerful economies to the ground, forced stores and businesses to shut or close permanently, with most of its streets deserted and senior citizens fighting for their lives alone in their respective nursing homes while leaving millions of people in a state of anxiety and fear.

    The pandemic once again revealed that life is so fleeting, and a virus can even isolate one from his/her loved ones and familiar surroundings. We have seen instances where bodies were forklifted to freezer trucks directly from the hospitals and buried without any friends or relatives’ presence. It is indeed a humbling moment; with all the technologies and know-how the humans possess today, there is a limit to what can be done.

    As 2020 comes to an end, people are still trying to make sense out of what has hit us and how it has transformed the world forever. As the number of people who have lost their lives creeping towards a two million mark, I hope and pray that human ingenuity would once again be unleashed towards finding a solution. It would also be wise to recognize a divine power that holds sway over our lives and how vulnerable are us even to an invisible virus!

    Let us hope and pray for a better year, 2021!

    (George Abraham, Former Chief Technology Officer, United Nations)

    Mike Ghouse

    Happy New Year – the year of optimism

    We wish you, your family, and your friends the very best in 2021. Each New Year is a milestone in one’s life. Indeed, it is as much a day of reckoning as it is of celebrations. Reckoning involves reflecting on why you did not get what you had wanted in 2020 and celebrating what you got for your effort and how you made it to where you are today.

    Let’s go forward; if I were to ask you on 12/31/2021, how was your 2020? Would you respond, “as planned?” Did you plan it? I am pleased to share the easy way to plan your 2021.

    First of all, let’s clean our slates:

    If you (and I) have said something nasty to your siblings, spouse, parents, children, friends, clients, or customers – make the effort to call them to apologize. You will not believe the relief it brings. Try with one, if it feels good try with another one. If they are nasty to you, turn the other cheek, that is don’t aggravate it further, say thank you to them, and move on. You did your best to clean the slate. Enjoy being a conflict mitigator and goodwill nurturer.

    If others have harmed you, hurt you, and have said nasty things to you, make an effort to call them and say, “look with this Covid, over 325,000 people have gone, don’t know who will be next, I just wanted to clean my slate and seek forgiveness and forgive and go in peace if it were my turn.  It is good to free ourselves and live-in peace instead of brooding. Thank you very much.” Please avoid arguments, it will further aggravate the situation.

    If none of them are alive, take solid 5 minutes, sit quietly and do it in your heart, the effect will be the same – relief, and freedom from the tension whenever you think about them.

    You have everything to gain by cleaning your slate, try it, it is worth it.

    Nothing happens by itself; things happen because someone causes them or drives them to happen. Did you let others drive your life, or was it your plan? You cannot go on vacation unless your dream about it, think about it, and plan on it. You cannot buy anything unless you start it with a want. Unlike the planets, stars, and many other things in the universe which are programmed to function precisely, humans were given the free will to chart their course.

    God does not do anything; he cannot do good things for you and not for others. Indeed, He has laid everything out for you to pursue your happiness and peace; it is up to you to get it.

    Here is a simple way of getting what you want! Plan, plan, and plan. The first thing is to know what you want; you should know where you are driving when you turn the ignition.

    Buy a dozen 5×3 Cards or fold three regular blank white papers and cut them into pieces. Write the following item on top of each piece and place them in your pocket or purse; Family, job, health, income, vacation, home, retirement, self-improvement, a new image, spirituality, and volunteerism.

     As you start driving, making coffee, watching TV, or whatever you are doing, take one piece at a time, start thinking about that item, pull the car over, or go to a coffee shop, and sit down and write your thoughts in bullets on each piece of paper.  I am sure you have a few ideas about your family, job, and the other items, whatever comes to your mind, write it down.

    One evening you can sit down for a few hours and put it all together. It would become your guideline and your plan for 2021. The more you stare at it, the more it becomes a part of you. Please do it for fun; you will be amazed at what it will do for you.

    Spiritual freedom is indeed the greatest achievement in one’s life and it permanently clings to you till eternity. Those of us, who can free ourselves from tension, pain, anxiety, apprehension, hostility, malice, pressure, tension, stress, strain, and conflicts, are showered with blessings of peace and joy. It is good to be free, “indeed blessed are the peacemakers (Jesus).”

    ( Dr. Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, author, community consultant, pluralist, activist, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. Mike is deeply committed to Free speech, Human Rights, and Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace.)

     

    Gobind Bathija 

    A turning point for world economy and humanitarian issues

    The pandemic Corona virus has been the turning point for  world economy and humanitarian issues; it has changed our prospects towards life. It made us learn how to live without ultra luxury items in our life.

    It also thought us the opportunity to go back to the basic understanding of family togetherness.

    Now that the vaccine fever is in, it might give us some kind of relief and we may go back to normal; it may never be the same.

    It was the biggest shock since world war II. Closing of the borders led us to stay home and realize the value of travel freedom.

    The recent Covid-19 pandemic has had significant psychological and social effects on the communities

    (Gobind Bathija is a businessman and community leader)

    Tirlok Malik

    I have been distressed  to see suffering of people

    How Covid-19 affected the world , we all know but the lessons we learnt  are individual takes.

    My personal experience of losing some friends and the sadness I felt for their

    family will forever be etched in my memory. I have seen people suffer endlessly.

    The other personal experience has been  the ugly part of world

    politics in the face  of a deadly virus in the world that shook my faith in the basic goodness of politicians.

    However, one would like to forget Covid 19 and 2020 as a bad dream.

    (Tirlok Malik is an Emmy nominated  film maker, actor, director of many well-known films in English and Punjabi languages. He is a promoter of Ayurveda and Yoga)

     

    Prakash Waghmare

    Needed a Volunteering ‘youth corps’

    As of now, Covid-19 pandemic has brought the life as we knew it to a screeching halt. There is going to be ‘New World Order’ because of it. It has made us ‘isolationist’ on every level. It has taught us that we need not be physically in close proximity with each other to sustain ourselves or to sustain all the chores of life. Technology and Science are going to rule our world as never before, eliminating some of the functional responsibilities. Millions have lost their jobs and 1 in 5 are facing food crisis in USA. This will also require retraining ourselves to face this new world order. For the first time in probably decades the employers in every sector had the breathing time in Yr. 2020 to evaluate how much manpower they truly need, especially when Robotics & Artificial Intelligence is aggressively advancing towards them. In addition to safety precautions, it is very essential that at least 75% population gets vaccinated for any country to be safe from a pandemic. As there are almost 40% people against it, we need to create some enticement for the vaccine at government level as well as at private-sector level (certification connected to discounts, etc.). Like ‘common ‘Flu’, this corona virus is likely to be with us for years to come, so we need more research and permanent solution to eliminate it completely as we had done previously with ‘Polio’ or ‘Smallpox’. President Kennedy had floated ‘Peace Corps’ of youths to go out in the world to assist everyday folks. As America is aging, Biden-Harris team should create similar volunteering ‘youth corps’ for domestic issue – let it be any pandemic, hunger or caretaking of old folks etc.

    ( Prakash Waghmare is a social activist and a prolific writer) 

     

    Indu Jaiswal

    Year 2020 is also known as Life Changing Year. Since March COVID 19 Pandemic changed our lives and lifestyles. We are following strict infection Control Rules and regulations so that COVID 19 Virus spread can be contained. . During this Pandemic , we have lost members of our family and friends.

    There has been an enormous  loss of  human lives. The  Pandemic paused progress of people, changed working environments, forced people to cancel celebrations, vacations, Holiday gatherings and Community oriented functions. Weddings and functions on ZOOM started making  a change. Everyone started working from Home and even schools online became challenging for students, teachers and parents.. As a Health Care professional we are going to work  to the line of duty and taking care of our patients.   As we approach the end  of the year we are greeted with a cheering news  on COVID 19 Vaccine , which is giving hope to all so that in the coming year 2021, we will be able to fight this invisible Virus. As Mahatma Gandhi said “The Future Depends upon what steps you take today. Strength does not come from Winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships, and decide not to surrender, that is strength”..

    We will continue to be strong and goal oriented, Welcome 2021 of  Health, Peace and Joy. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and Executive Members of IAF, I wish you a Very Happy Holiday Season and aHappy New Year 2021

    (Indu Jaiswal RDN is a community and social activist, and currently chair of IAF)

     

  • Weekly Predictions (January 4 – January 10, 2020 )

    Weekly Predictions (January 4 – January 10, 2020 )

    Shree Ganeshaya Namah

    Aries

    Ganesha says, your week will be full of experiences as you will meet new people and make new bonds. Although most of them will bring you closer to your success, some of them will try to drag you down. Don’t let anyone decide for you and don’t welcome opinions. Try to take your own decisions and make sure you stick to the. The first half of the week will be a little bit challenging as you will have to make swift movement work and home. Second half of the week will be easy and smooth. You will welcome some technical advancement at your work place this week. In the end of the week, your consciousness will be open to higher vibrations, perhaps resulting in greater self-awareness or even psychic perception.

    The second half of the week will be accented on your health and wellness. You do not need to worry as you will be totally alright but your mental wellness will need some attention. Try not to make any hasty decisions and keep calm while working. You don’t owe answers to anyone but only yourself.

    Taurus

    This will be week of waiting for you. you will have to wait more for the results you were expecting this week Also, task you complete this week will show results late. The financial arrangements you make will take some time.Your relationships with your family will improve this week. You will get lot of support to enhance your financial and personal growth. Students will be able to see visible progress this week. People involved in jobs will be able to gain attention of their superiors. This week You can exposeaenigmas through study and research, or through analysing and questioning others. Profound detections are possible. You may realize something very significant about yourself, from deep within your soul.

    On romantic fronts, you will be able to impress your partner by giving them gift and making them feel special. This week is the right time to talk about marriage and kids. People dealing with legal matters will have to be extra careful this week. As you will make your moves in terms of business, make sure you only negotiate with people you already know.

    Gemini

    Gemini you have always been Jack of all trades but master of none. You try to explore everything and leave it in the middle and end up jumping to another. This week, Lord Shiva will bring you focus and persistency. Also, Moon is in your favour so you will be able to stay on one thing and take it forward. Your legal battle will get ugly if you don’t decide to lay low. You are the person of value but manipulation by someone will make you cross the thin line between right and wrong. This week you will be able to bring people closer to you who were driven away by your aggressive nature.

    The starting of week may be difficult for you to deal with as your children or spouse will head you to hospital over minor injuries. You will be able to build your much thought financial backup and by the end of the week your blueprint will be in on paper works. Whatever you do, don’t forget Lord Ganesha as he will drive you to your destination. As we look upon the middle of the week, your partner will help you think rationally and make wise decisions about your career. Be grateful and make the best out of these seven days.

    Cancer

    For you, starting of the week will be all about being alert, being warned as your competitors and your enemies will keep their eyes upon your loss and loopholes. Try to cover your tracks if you implement your masterplans. For people indulged in artistic field, you will be able to catch eyes of some influential people this weekend. For people indulged in regular jobs, you may have complaints about your monotony but you will also see your name on promotional and appraisal list real soon.

    Talking about your health, well you will find it hard to get indulge in physical workout and meditation regularly as work pressure will mount you down but at least try to eat healthy as this week, your Rahu will be weak. Your romantic fronts look complicated as you will not be able to clear the misunderstanding between you and your partner. Try to find ways to please them and you will be fine.

    Leo

    Make sure you make the best out of this week as your planetary positions and stars are in very favourable position this week. You can expect nothing but good news from people around you. On professional fronts, first two days will go smooth but next three days will create issues of adaptability as some changes might appear regarding your work. On romantic fronts, the answer you have waiting for will arrive and fortunately, positive. Married couple will find time to k now each other better and will enhance physical connection. On legal fronts you can expect the good news from a lawyer and if you were looking for a right time to get indulge in any legal matter well, now is the time as Mercury is sending positive energy.

    This week will be overwhelming for you as you will advance on many fronts you will not be able to count your happiness on fingertips. Make sure you learn so many things when you are blessed with creative insight this week. You should think about buying that dream property this week as your loan is likely to get approved. Make sure you don’t hurt anyone’s sentiments and keep your feet grounded.

    Virgo

    Your week will start with surprises as unexpected guests will visit you. Things will not go wrong but may not go the way you expect it to. In the second half of the week, you will make many mistakes so be careful. Jupiter will not only bless you with opportunities but will also bring good fortune to purchase real assets and property. On professional fronts, people involved in business related to clothing and manufacturing will earn more profits. People involved in I.T will have a hard time. These seven days will best for you making a proposal and spending time with your soulmate. Your health concerns will be on back seat as you will feel fine. Don’t delay your diet plan. Start it from this week itself.

    Virgo, your spiritual faith is wavering a lot and you have stopped trusting God’s planning and you want to be the one who holds all the control. You are God’s special child and his plans may not come faster in action but will be better and healthier for you. This week he will show you how your patience and his planning can do wonders in your life.

    Libra

    You have been holding yourself back because you are too afraid to move forward into a new situation. This week, Mercury will bless you with energy to fight your fears. Stick to reality and don’t get pulled away by illusions this week. If you were going to ask for favours from anyone, Thursday would be the right day. Someone will suggest you new approaches to boost sales and you must listen to opinions carefully. You will be able to negotiate good deals in the starting to the week. People involved in monotony job, this week will be hectic for you as you won’t be able to cope with time and work. Your confidence and promotional methods will bring you appreciations.

    In the second half of the week, you will be able to bring positivity to your relationship. Your relationship will be fine in general but some efforts will make your partner feel more attracted towards you. You will be able to have a nice time with your family this week. Don’t let your children get involved in any arguments this week.  Your health will be alright but you will need to take your respiration issues seriously.

    Scorpio  

    You will be receiving the results of past investments this week and they will be promising indeed. You will stay active towards securing funds. You will be able to gain attention of people at your workplace and also you can expect support from your family. You will flourish your creative insight this week. Your consciousness will regain the enlightenment it supposedly lost in last few days as you will meet someone influential. It’s a good time to preach lessons of values to your children. Your health is likely to get weaker in the second half of the week as you will feel uneasy and pain in joints and back will bother you. Your expenses will also decrease in the second half of the week. Doing charity at the weekend will bring you good fortune. Take out the last day of the week to plan new business ventures with people you keep your trust in. This week, your spiritual faith will put to test. Don’t lose your temper and make sure you keep your beliefs intact.

    Sagittarius

    You will have to deal with confrontations this week. You are not good at it, but this is the only way you can get rid of what is burdening you. Lord Ganesha will bless with courage to face things. you are likely to visit far places for work as your planetary positions suggests. The first phase of the week is filled with expenditures but the second half will be filled with profits. The weekend will be good time to make financial investments. You will have to deal with dominating people and you will get into power struggle with someone at your workplace. in the mid of the week, you are likely to get caught up in some negative energies which will make you do things against your ethics.

    On romantic fronts you will be able to take significant turns. Despite efforts you will not be able to strengthen the bond. It is advisable to let some time go and let your partner perceive things going on in their life. Your health will not be matter of concern as you will feel alright physically and mentally. You may feel melancholic at the end of the week but practising meditation will help you.

    Capricorn

    Capricorns are ambitious, warm and big dreamers. This week will bring you potential to take step forward to accomplish those dreams. You will be able to the larger picture and will oversee the issues rather than getting into details which will save your time. You will also incline towards spirituality this week. You will sign contracts in the first half of the week. Things will change in your existing romantic relationship and it will have greater impact for longer time. Happiness will knock the doors of your married life as you will get over long time issues and love will once again bloom.

    Expecting too much will bring you disappointments this week. Your children will feel confused and will be taken aback from what they are on to, try to support them in whatever they do. Your health will be needed to look upon as you will have complaints regarding your vision and eye issues. Make sure you don’t get late in consulting your doctor.

    Aquarius

    Aquarius, this is the week of disclosure and acknowledgement for you. You will be able to express yourself so well this week that you will attract people who will offer opportunities you have been waiting for. You will be pushed to take new routes to reach your planned destinations this week, this route may not be as easy as you expected but don’t worry as Venus is in your support. You will leave your soft land and walk an extra mile of experience.

    Second half of the week will bring you good news regarding your relationship. Your partner will come up with the solutions of the problems you were worried about. It’s a good time to build physical connection. You will also bring luxury home in the second half of the week. Your health will be alright and you need not to worry about anything serious this week. About minor hurdles at your workplace, you will be blessed with coping capacity.

    Pisces

    This week is bringing you abundance of peace and advancement. You will feel more confident and valiant this week. You are likely to plan a short trip in the first part of the week. You are likely to establish amiable relationship with your family members. Planetary movements are pointing fingers to few challenges regarding work in the later part of the work but you will be able to take bold steps towards expansion. You are likely to medical health care regarding one of your family members but don’t worry there won’t be anything serious. Your children will be able to make peace with what they have lost lately. Taking some risks this week will be okay and there’s nothing to worry about.

    You can rely on your intuitions and inner voice this week.  You will be able to find answers to the occult which bothered you earlier. You will not only be able to gain clear perceptions but also your creative insight will come to your rescue. The end of the week will bring cooperative attitude in the market which will help you win easily. Let your courage drive you this week and enjoy the ride. God has his plans, better than yours.

  • Birthday Horoscope (January 4 – 10, 2021)

    Shri GaneshayaNamah

    Jan 4: Ganesha says while there may be more emotional hills to climb than your reserved analytical nature prefers, then comes in a stream of logic, precision perspective, fair thinking, and good decision-making.

    Jan 5: You may need a little rest-and-relax time by yourself or to take care of private things. Perhaps you want to express your artistic or musical side; or need to recharge energies, meditate, or sleep.

    Jan 6: There might be a sudden money decision needed or money is spent in an impulsive, risky way. Make sure you’re getting value and what you want. Watch for the day’s little personal challenges.

    Jan 7: Today’s stability should be reassuring, if for no other reason than it’s nice to have a day that goes smoothly, predictably. People and words are reliable. Life seems reasonable, just, fair.

    Jan 8: If by any chance yesterday’s peace and equanimity lulled you into complacency, some jarring incident could snap you out of it, and soon. It’s a test of your ability to improvise.

    Jan 9: News or a message opens the door wide to fresh, expansive possibilities, either concerning or emanating from your home or family. Outlooks turn optimistic.

    Jan 10: The Moon can make day-to-day life anything but routine, which may become a mix of exciting change and unsettling unpredictability. New people and experiences await.

  • Yearly Horoscope for 2021

    Shri Ganeshaya Namah!

    Aries

    Ganesh says, the New Year will flourish love and health in the sign of Aries. The entry of Mars in your zodiac just in the starting of the year will activate your lagna bringing you fortune. Luck will prevail on the side of children this year and September will be the best month to appear for competitive exams. Family will see a very good time from April to September. You will see yourself involving in spiritual rituals and charity. Elderly people may feel a little unhealthy this year due to transition of Saturn in the tenth house but it will gradually improve by the end of the year.

    Arians may experience financial instability in the first quarter of the 2021. Last two months will be fortunate to make long term investments. Saturn will remain in combusted state in your zodiac. People looking for a job may find it difficult to find it in the first quarter which will be balanced gradually by Saturn and Uranus. Businessman can expect increased inflow of money also from the other source. 2021 will surely take Arians to heights in terms of career.

    There are high chances of lovebirds getting married this year as New Moon enters the Aries. This year you may find yourself struggling for peace but you will be blessed with strength. Disputes and uneasiness will weigh you down in June but October will provide you with self-development.

    Jupiter will bless you with luck all throughout the year. It is advisable to leave the habit of being negligent this year.

    You are protected from any Sade Saati this year.

    Strongest love match for Arians will be Sagittarius.

     

    Taurus

    You are going to have a considerable year ahead and will continue your process of altering. Saturn may burden you with heavy roles but Jupiter will bring little appreciations and recognition.

    You have been waiting to get support from your family and this year will surely bring you that. You will follow a regulated routine and controlled lifestyle this year.

    Venus is in your support when it comes to married life. By the middle of the year, you may fall into a trap of misunderstandings but beware of using mean words, things will gradually improve within a month. 3rd and 4th month will bring unmarried couple closer but being stubborn can harm your relationship.

    Taurus natives will face quite difficulty having a calm and composed next year. The mental health is likely to affect but you will be blessed with positive energy soon. Also, take counselling and prefer regular health check-up as Saturn is likely to bring you down. Though there will be little monetary strain in the first five months, you will have financial gains this year but it won’t be a good year to spend on luxury. It would be a very good year to invest in fixed deposits. In terms of career, Taurus natives will be burdened with work this year leading to frustration but there are chances of appraisal in the month fourth month.

    If you are student planning on giving entrance exams for abroad Universities, well this is your year. First half will bring you positive approaches for education.

    October will be the best month for you but you need to stay warned in July. Overall, you are blessed by Ganesha.

    Gemini

    2021 will be an amazing and opportunistic year in terms of career as it will be supported by Jupiter’s presence in Gemini. It is advisable to be warned while trading with government officials. Try to control your temper while working with superiors. You will find ways to earn from sources other than your business.

    Other half of the year will bring you prosperity and wealth. Financial stability will waver but the past deals carried out in the previous year will come to your rescue.

    You will grow healthier both mentally and physically, but it is advisable to beware of unexpected injuries around June and July. Ketu will enter the sixth house during this period and hence students will benefit from achievements and selections in the sports field.

    Marriage is not on your list yet, but Geminis will surely make some significant relationships. This is the period where Geminis will find friends for life. People who are already married will have a romantic year. This period will surely bring you closer to your acquaintances and the wounds of family will be healed slowly.

    2021 has a lot in its basket for Geminis as you will surely lead a good and balanced lifestyle.

    Cancer

    Ganesha says you will be nudged in the right direction this year and the generosity you have extended to people will be returned this year.

    April to September will be little bit stressful for your family. You may solve your relationship issues with egoistic approach leading to heated arguments but by the end of the year, things will calm down. First three months will be best to develop new relationships and tie knots but avoid getting married in June and July. Overall, this year has mixed results for love affairs.Finances will be on your side in the starting of the year but you may struggle a little bit later. Avoid lending money during this period. You will surely stick to the budget you made. The year has a jackpot as you will gain property or receive monetary gains by legacy.

    You will sail in pink pot of health according to your zodiac. Mars in your zodiac will protect you from communicative diseases and bless you with energy still it is advisable that you don’t push yourself too hard.

    Education can be said the matter of concern in this period as you may have very good insights but the luck will be little hard for students. Neptune will make you creative butterfly this year and Uranus will bless you with connections you can call peers. By the time December comes, you would have witnessed the best version of yourself. Taurus will stand as most compatible for your zodiac. Make the best out of what’s coming.

    Leo

    Ganesha says the upcoming year will be a little bit rough as an effect of Rahu and Ketu’s transition in the Taurus and Scorpio but at the end it will all be worth it.

    Till April, your family and relatives will give you some hard times. Your relationship with your brother and spouse may need little more attention. It is advisable to stay away from unnecessary squabbles.  Some positive changes will surely come after the fifth month.

    This is very auspicious period for the people thriving for knowledge. The last third month will bring in great results. August would be to best time to go abroad for higher studied.

    In the aspect of health, take care about your torso and joint pains. You may experience dizziness and normal sickness during the middle of the year but will cure soon.

    In the terms of finance, you will see instability. You may have more travel expenses on list than the income in the second quarter of the period. Due to some unfriendly transitions of planet it is advisable to stay warned from illegal tunnels to bring in money.

    Love is surely going to restore in the lives of Leo natives. Jupiter is in your support pouring some real connections in your life and eliminating shallow bonds.

    October will be the best time for you as it will give you fruitful much-awaited results. Overall, you will be required to stay patient and project yourself with hopes in the coming year.

     

    Virgo

    Ganesha says the beginning will be very exquisite but you might feel a bit pressurised in February but don’t fear March and April will be a fresh start for you.

    You might have been careful in the months of May and June cause that will be quite dangerous.

    July month again will be stressful and exhausting but you might not lose your confidence because the next months will be flushed with a lot of opportunities.

    In this you will be stuffed with enormous amount of self-confidence and simultaneously you will have to work very hard.

    Planet Uranus will help you to construct relationship with such people you will be entirely opposite from you. You will make contacts with strangers when you will be travelling. You might soon see the sign is real love in the months of July and August.

    As said earlier that many opportunities will touch your feet but you should not neglect your other plans because even that are very vital.

    Overall, this year will be nice for you.

    Libra

    Lord Vishnu is blessing Libra this year. This year will bring you satisfaction you have always wanted in your career. Beginning of the year may not be as good as you thought but the other half will bring you desired results and push you closer to your goals that you have made in the last year.

    There can be a little bit of disharmony in your life. But as the fourth month will set, situations will take positive turns which will heal your wounds.

    Libra, you are luckiest in terms of love in 2021. April to August will is the time you may meet your soulmate. Finances are paving their way toward you this year. You still need to take care about the unnecessary expenditures. The investments you have been thinking to make since long time will be made with great deals.

    You may feel a little restless due to the period of Saturn called KantakShani but praying Vishnu will protect you from other adverse effects.

    Uranus and Taurus will give you creative insight about your undone task.

    Libra natives will also experience what they have been wanting since long. This New Year, your ascendant will have a very significant impact on your life.

    Scorpio

    Ganesha says this year will be very powerful. You will see that there is a lot of load on you in the months of January but when you will enter February things will start setting around.

    In July you will feel switching jobs and you will start getting offers in the middle is the May and at the ending of July.

    August and September will be tremendous and will be very joyful.

    The upcoming months will be the time when you can find the love of your life and your family might be very happy this year.

    Upcoming year you will be bold, persuasive and away from all kind of traps.

    You might get some though opponents and if you want to beat them up you will have to work hard. You also will have to safeguard your achievements.

    A part of you will be bound to your friends. However, your connections will be strengthened with your entire family and especially with brothers and sisters.

    You will also experience a unique bond with your children and friends.

    You will have to try to sort out your issues with stable and cool mind that will help you to move forward in your life and even assist you at your workplace.

    Your pockets will be filled this year and you will have love and money touching your feet together.

    This year you can definitely buy a house or make some huge investments.

    The planets are placed at correct positions and you will be very determined and brave the upcoming year. After the half year is completed you will have good vibes.

    So, I can say that upcoming year will pass with joy and lot of love.

    Sagittarius

    Saturn and Jupiter are bringing glory to this zodiac. 2021 is definitely your year Sagittarians.

    In the terms of career, you are surely going to attract attentions of your subordinates and partners. Your much-awaited appraisal is next in the line. Due to Jupiter’s transition in your zodiac, do not investment much of your wealth in one project but on the other side of your coin, all your competitors have been pushed down which will bring you upwards.

    Coming to the finance, this is the auspicious year to bring luxurious items to your home. Your business is expecting expansion and your dealings with the new marketers will bring you loyalty and money both still it is advisable to stay away from legal matters.

    Education is showing progress in this zodiac house.

    There will be little bit of changes in the daily routine and communication of family but you don’t worry about it as it is for the better. Saturn will make more organised and responsible.

    Capricorn

    Lord Hanuman is bringing you intellectual to fight the disputes you have been worried since long.

    Rahu is in support of students as their obstacles will be solved. The starting of the month will provide you resources to feel relaxed and charming. There are chances of mental instability and stress. Pay attention while handing sharp things in August and September.

    Financial situation will be in upward graphs during the year but you must avoid lending during the month of August. You can buy luxuries but also focus on savings. Love life is scoring good marks in 2021. The unresolved issues on marriage will be solved under the counsel of the family. Upcoming year will be promising to plan a child.

    In terms of work, atmosphere may look tensed and not turn out to be as expected but middle of the year may be of somewhat relief. Be careful while getting involved with higher authorities. The changes this year will bring you will the betterment. This period will also make you spiritual and religious. You have to be careful about making big decisions but overall, your life is expecting motivation and growth.

    July will be the best month, but overall, this year is bringing you glory and guidance.

     

    Aquarius

    Jupiter is blessing you with abundance amount of opportunities all throughout the year. The things causing inconveniences will be crossed out of your life this year. During this period, stay relaxed and oriented as much as possible. This year is bringing you strength, spirit and lessons.

    Glad to say that this year will pass nicely for you. Huge amount of exuberance will fill this year for you but at the same time any work you do will demand a lot amount of hard work but eventually your work will be completed.

    Your business life and your martial life will be usual. But your bond with your children and your life partner will be good in this year. As said, that man is his own true friend and so that you should follow the same thing.

    In 2021 you there are possibility is that you might visit many different cities because of your work and you will also have many trips and in this trip, you will have to take care of yourself. Before the festival of Holi, you might get affected with some diseases so you will have to take serious care.

    There will be benefit for the people who are working but it will be usual for those people who are finding a job.

    Pisces

    Ganesha says the results will be mixed for Pisces which include love, marriage, family, business, job, finance and much more.

    2021 will be very good with career. You will have work smartly and to do hard work.

    Your family life will be enhanced. Apart from that you can make smart investments in property and can buy a house.

    Your spouse will get sweeten more in this upcoming year. Your martial life will be really nice particularly in the months of January and in the ending months. There might be some disagreements but you can resolve it with communications.

    You can also marry between the time of January and April due to aspect of Jupiter.

    Health in year 2021 will be good but that doesn’t mean that you will become completely careless because if you don’t be concern about your health life you might face some problems like obesity.

    Your career life is really nice but you need to maintain good relation with your higher authorities at your workplace.

    The Saturn will create hardships in terms of education. In the starting moths you will face a lot of issue but gradually everything will settle-down and at the end of the year students are likely to get sufficient results but hard work will be very necessary. Your siblings’ attitude towards you will also improve this year.

    This year will be nice but you should take some extra care.

  • Monthly Prediction for January 2021

    Shri Ganeshaya Namah!

    By Astro Friend Chirag – Blessed Son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla

    • Aries (March 21 to April 19)

    Ganesha says this monthly will end your chase for money as you will receive sufficient finance, especially from old sources. Outstanding invoices, refunds, outstanding salary will knock doors this month. Relationships will be a little complicated for you this month when it comes to family and workplace but in prospect of love, there will be too many meetings and conversations you will cherish. Aries must stay diplomatic, accepting, friendly but do not make big promises on any fronts this month. You can plan to commit wholly and fortunately, with deep future prospects in the last week. Do look beneath surfaces, seek intimacy, solutions and find other hidden gems as they exist. Love, insight, travel, higher education and cultural affairs will improve as the month will unwind. Let Ganesha control few things and he will make you cross the oceans in no time!

    • Taurus (April 20 to May 20)

    Ganesha says the first month of the new decade will be smooth but will be filled with paperwork, details, travel and errands. You will be satisfied with affection people around you will shower upon you but this affection will distract you on monetary prospect and you are more likely to do expenditure this month. Try to accumulate wealth this month but keep your fist closed after that. You will have to be very careful around middle of the month as large investment is likely to push you in the pit of debts. Wisdom, gentle love, intellectual and cultural affairs will not be problem this month. You can expect good news from the legal fronts and also, you are likely to travel to distant places in the end of the month. Don’t turn your back on your ambitions.

    • Gemini (May 21 to June 20)

    Ganesha says few things will change regarding your assets and real estate. The accent for this month falls on retirement, kids, security and domestic relationships. Don’t worry things will not bother you and will end up positively. Anything which will wrong north will dissolve in the last week. A great opportunity might reappear from the past: e.g., another chance to buy or sell the house or office, or a long-lost family member will reappear, etc. This is a good time to discuss ending old things and new beginnings with family members. The days will be romantic, creative and pleasurable. Be ambitious all month long.

    • Cancer (June 21 to July 22)

    Ganesha says you will face some sudden changes in career but overall, this month will be smooth and easy. Idealistic, imaginative, academic, sporting, and liking interests will ride a wave of happiness. The days will be gentle and wise but not much will be accomplished. Retreat, respite and anticipate.  You will make great progress in building administrative, formal, spiritual, and beneficial contacts and these might give you a boost in family, security or property matters as the month moves on.

    • Leo (July 23 – August 22)

    Ganesha says your hopes will rise this month. Romance, friends and entertainment will keep you relaxed. Fresh new possibilities will arrive. You are likely to find love at your workplace. Don’t make long term plans this month as Venus is not going to be in favourable conditions. Delay in work and health zones will be faced mid-month so start all the new projects in the later part of the month. A former love interest will try to meet you again. Achievements from government agencies, NGO’s and charities are going to knock your door this month. You will make some viable contacts by the end of the month. Saturn may affect your peace of mind a little but don’t worry as overall you will have a great time.

    • Virgo (August 23 to September 22)

    Ganesha says your luck, timing, charisma and grace will push you towards a step of advancement, you won’t be able to rely on your instincts and inner energy. Your co-workers will give you hard time this month. Avoid disagreements and quarrelsome situations with your partner. After the 12th you’ll intensely re-examine your values – materially, intellectually and spiritually. After the 20nd, finances and individual values need to be addressed. Are they serving your needs or are you serving theirs? By months’ end, you enhance your appearance or completely change it.

    • Libra (September 23 to October 22)

    Ganeshsa says you will attract material possessions and finances this month with the blessings of Venus. Business opportunities will arise. You are also likely to overspend a little this month. Second week will be best for Libras to start new venture. In the last, you may realize the need to heighten your awareness and sensitivity to your physical self, or perhaps fellow employees may not clearly understand your actions. Starting of the month may not support your love life but after 15th you’ll pursue communications which will make bring you closer to the person you love, and you can also make a commitment for lifetime.

    • Scorpio (October 23 to November 21)

    Ganesha says the first week will bring awareness to issues concerning career or projecting the public image you desire. A mellow mood will waft you through days of this month. Your thoughts will take you to the past, to former travels or past lovers, past status positions to determine how you lost something, or how you got where you are but along with this, you will also remember the lessons you learned. It’s going to be easy and smooth month ahead for you, but don’t buy major possessions or argue about money these days. Do not gamble and invest huge funds in the first three weeks of the month. Love will bring you peace in the midst of chaos.

    • Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21)

    Ganesha says concentrate on former projects this month and complete them. This month will burry you under work. This month, some people will turn their back towards you. Your domestic fronts will have some issues but by the end of the month things will settle down. You will be able to use your inborn creativity and express yourself and be appreciated by others in your everyday environment. Your plans for the future are becoming larger and more expansive. The speed at which you are moving ahead will increase. After 15th you can expect a proposal or a new morning in terms of romance. By the end of the month, you will develop more inclination for spirituality.

    • Capricorn (December 22 to January 19)

    Ganesha says your health is likely to disappoint you this month. There are going to be some visits to hospital this month but after the second week, you will be able to begin a project involving family and your security and foundation will be strengthened. You will feel overwhelmed emotionally in the last week. You will be drawn to things that makes you curious and you will find answers to the question hovering on your mind since long. Last few days of the months will bring you enlightenment to personal goals, dreams and to some group activities you are involved in.

    • Aquarius (January 20 to February 18)

    Ganesha says this month, you will consider new health regimes. Your interest to connect with higher consciousness and spiritual truths will be stimulated in the starting of the month. You will find solutions to your emotional and mental health issues by the mid-month. It’s a good time to start new ventures. Communication issues with employers and employees will be solved. Your playful, social and optimistic mood will stay consistent throughout the month. Your economic landscape may face some downhill trends but there would be nothing to worry about.

     

    • Pisces (February 19 to March 20)

    Ganesha says you have been hard on yourself since long time and hence this month, Venus has bought you relaxation and peace. This month, you are advised to lie low and conserve energy. Everything will fall into better perspective by the end of the month. You will need to be aware of the enemies this month. Romantic and creative pursuits get a loving enhancement but by months’ end, the accent shifts to augmented cooperation from co-workers and superiors. Partnership will knock your doors and it will be the chance worth taking. You will walk illuminated in the new year and leave certain things to God!

  • FILMS OF NOTE

    FILMS OF NOTE

    By Mabel Pais

    BITTU

    DIR: Karishma Dev Dube l USA / India l 2020 l Doc l 17m

    WINNER: Student Academy Award

    Film based on an infamous school poisoning in India

     “BITTU” is a film about the close friendship between two girls which is eclipsed by an accidental poisoning at school.

    In 2013, at least 23 students died, and dozens more fell ill at a primary school in India after eating lunch contaminated with pesticide. The incident was a moment of mundane carelessness that resulted in horrific consequences. Karishma Dev Dube’s “BITTU” was shot in the foothills of the Himalayas and is based on this tragic event. This important film recently won a Student Academy Award.

    BITTU has also been screened at The Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (Canada).

    ————-

    MAKING THE CASE

    DIR: Jennifer Callhan l USA l 2020 l Doc Short l 10m

    Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for whom legal arguments are daily currency, examines her handbags, revealing a corner of a mind that has argued and won historic cases.

    EDDY’S WORLD

    DIR: Lyn Goldfarb l USA l 2020 l Doc Short l 18m

    Eddy Goldfarb with his creations (Photo / Courtesy Museum of Tolerance)

    “Eddy World,” is a portrait of a 98-year-old working toy inventor, Eddy Goldfarb. Best known for the iconic “chattering teeth” and 800 classic toys, he shares his passion for creativity and his philosophies of life and aging. Eddy lives in a retirement community. He works on new models in his garage, writes short stories, creates lithophane portraits with his 3D printer, and exercises. Eddy began designing toys on the Batfish Submarine during World War II. He is an endearing storyteller who believes that optimism and new ideas keep him young.

    ——————–

    FEATURE

    ONCE UPON A TIME IN VENEZUELA

    DIR: Anabel Rodríguez Ríos l Venezuela l 2020 l Spanish w / Eng subs l 1h 39m

    OFFICIAL OSCAR SUBMISSION

    RELEASING BY ‘TOPIC’ STREAMING SERVICE

    U.S. AND CANADA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31

    scene from “Once Upon A Time In Venezuela”
       Photo / Spiraleye Productions, et. al

    “Once Upon A Time In Venezuela”is a film about Venezuela’s deteriorating economic situation. With the world’s largest crude reserves at Lake Maracaibo not far from Congo Mirador, Venezuela was one of Latin America’s richest countries through the 1990s. The lake’s namesake city was even referred to as “Venezuela’s Saudi Arabia.”

    But inequality was high, and the boom time wasn’t to last.

    In 1999, Hugo Chavez took power and launched the Bolivarian Revolution, centralizing power to the state, redistributing wealth and nationalizing industries including oil and banking. His socialist political reforms put him at odds with the United States, and a hostile relationship lasted until his death in 2013.

    His successor, Nicolas Maduro, continued Chavez’s legacy, but by 2016, oil prices had fallen by more than 70 percent, plunging the country into a humanitarian crisis.

    In addition, the Trump administration put sanctions on Venezuela and refused to recognize Maduro’s presidency after highly disputed elections in 2018. Suffering from hyperinflation, environmental degradation, and shortage of food and basic necessities, over 4 million Venezuelans left the country in the past few years, and many millions more are expected to continue to flee in what will be the world’s worst refugee crisis of modern times…

    To learn more, visit www.onceuponatimeinvenezuela.com

    ———————–

    TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2021

    20TH ANNIVERSARY

     June 9-20

    SUBMISSIONS OPEN

      NEW PODCAST SECTION FOR 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

    New Juried Awards Granted for Fiction and Nonfiction Audio Storytelling

    The Tribeca Film Festival (tribecafilm.com), introduces Tribeca Podcasts, a new vertical dedicated to audio storytelling timed to its 20th anniversary. This is the latest Tribeca initiative to connect storytellers from different mediums with audiences, industry, and fellow creators. The 2021 Tribeca Film Festival will take place June 9-20.

    The new section will include world premieres and sneak peeks of highly anticipated podcasts, talks with renowned audio creators, and live recordings in front of audiences during the Festival. Details will be announced at a later date.

    For the first time, submissions will open for Official Selection consideration in fiction and narrative nonfiction audio stories and podcasts. Selections will be available on Tribeca’s website and in-person listening stations at select venues, pending COVID-19 safety protocols. For the first time, juried awards will be granted to one fiction project and one narrative nonfiction project.

    Tribeca has a history of supporting audio storytelling. The six-episode science fiction podcast “Earth Break: A Few Suggestions For Survival, With Additional Hints and Tips About How to Make Yourself More Comfortable During the Alien Apocalypse,” featuring a voice performance by Jenny Slate, made its world premiere at the 2019 Festival. Tribeca also hosted a panel for ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcasts in 2017, and launched the “Tribeca Talks” podcast series this summer, which includes intimate conversations with actors and filmmakers recorded live at previous editions of the Festival.

    Submissions for fiction and narrative nonfiction audio stories and podcasts are open with an initial deadline of January 13th, and a final deadline of January 29th.

    Submissions are now open for all categories: feature and short films, episodic storytelling, immersive, branded entertainment, and a newly added section dedicated to online premieres. For the first time this year, submissions are open for the Tribeca Games section. The late deadline for these sections is January 13th.

     Submission Details for Tribeca Podcasts

    Deadline: January 13th

    Final Deadline: January 29th

    Submission rules, regulations, and information on eligibility for the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival will be available at tribecafilm.com/festival/submissions. For any questions, contact entries@tribecafilm.com

    Twitter:      @Tribeca

    Instagram:  @tribeca

    Facebook:   facebook.com/Tribeca

    Hashtag:     #Tribeca2021

     About the Tribeca Film Festival

    The Tribeca Film Festival brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

    The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca celebrates its 20th year: June 9 – 20, 2021.  tribecafilm.com/festival

    (Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness)

  • RING IN THE NEW YEAR!

    RING IN THE NEW YEAR!

    NORM LEWIS – NJPAC In Your Living Room (Thursday, Dec 31 at 12 a.m.)

    By Mabel Pais

    Norm Lewis (Photo / Courtesy NJPAC)

    Norm Lewis and his holiday shows at ‘Feinstein’s/54 Below’ have become a New York City tradition over the past five years and this year will be no different as Broadway’s charming and acclaimed leading man returns to perform a very special concert this year—online!

    Each December, Norm’s festive sold-out shows help ring in the season and audiences travel from across the globe to join in the hottest party in town. This year, NJPAC brings Norm and his holiday cheer directly from Broadway’s Living Room into your home. Norm will be joined by his swingin’ band: Musical Director Joseph Joubert on keyboards, George Farmer on Upright & Electric Bass and Perry Cavari on Drums & Percussion. He and the “boys” will perform material from past shows, songs from ‘The NORM LEWIS Christmas Album’ and some new songs he’s excited to debut for you as he reflects on 2020.

    For more information, visit events@broadwayworld.com

    ——————————

    HIP-HOP CINDERELLA – MUSICAL

      “We are thrilled with the positive response. Virtual Theater, Rap, Hip Hop, TikTok, Pop, combined with Musical Theatre are exciting new voices for female empowerment and diversity.” – Linda Chichester: Co-Founder, HipHopMusicals.com

    “HIP HOP CINDERELLA – A NEW MUSICAL”

    A FAMILY-FRIENDLY VIRTUAL THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE

    FEATURING ALUMNI STUDENTS OFTHE ROSETTA LENOIRE MUSICAL THEATRE ACADEMY

    NOW STREAMING THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2021

    Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) in association with HipHopMusicals.com (Linda Chichester and David Coffman, Co-Founders) announce that they are extending “Hip Hop Cinderella – A New Musical,” a family-friendly intergalactic romp with a cool, hip hop vibe, laughs, adventure and unforgettable songs. This virtual theatrical experience had its online launch on December 10 and will now be available on demand until January 31, 2021.

    In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, teenage Cinderella and her rapping robot companion Runka live on planet Zolla. They toil under the thumb of Cinderella’s stepmom, Lady Zurka, and her two social media obsessed stepsisters, Zig and Zag. The galaxy has lost its groove, and the Prince is throwing a Hip Hop Ball and Rap Competition to turn the beat around. Traveling via a quantum time warp, Cinderella transforms into “Ella C” and fights to win the competition. Upon returning to planet Zolla, Ella C is forced into a royal rap battle against Lady Zurka

    Directed by Christopher Scott, Amas Artistic Associate, with musical direction by Evan Alparone, the cast features alumni students of the Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy. They are: Alexis Aguiar, Cassandra Barckett, Jamiel Tako L. Burkhart, Brian Criado, Emily Lang and Lexy Piton. The stage manager is Benjamin A. Vigil and Nikki Wen is assistant stage manager. Video Editor is Matt Gurren.

    Tickets

    For more information about Amas Musical Theatre, and Ticket price-levels, visit amasmusical.org

    To learn more about Hip Hop Musicals, visit HipHopMusicals.com

    —————————

    FOOD FOR THOUGHT PRODUCTIONS (FFTP)

    Celebrates 20th Anniversary

    Presents in Collaboration withNational Action Network (NAN)

    A Special Taped Presentation In Atlanta

    On The Day Of Georgia’s Senate Run-Off Election

    January 5th, 2021 At The Atlanta Chapter Of NAN

    When Truth Is Not Enough

    by Susan Charlotte

    Directed By Antony Marsellis

    Excerpts from Oscar® Nominee Liz Garbus’ film

    “All In: The Fight For Democracy” with Stacey Abrams

    and “Rigged” – part of the program

     

    Followed By An Audience March To TheEbenezer Baptist Church, And Voting!

    The award-winning theatre company, “Food For Thought Productions,” and the National Action Network, a not-for-profit civil rights organization founded by the Reverend Al Sharpton are presenting “WHEN TRUTH IS NOT ENOUGH,” a compelling play about voter suppression. FFTP and NAN will present a filmed version of the play with Sean Dougherty, Ebony Jo-Ann, Angela Pierce and Dominique Sharpton, directed by Antony Marsellis at the NAN chapter in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 5, 2021 (Election day for the Senate run-offs). Excerpts from Oscar® Nominee Liz Garbus’ film “All In: The Fight For Democracy” with Stacey Abrams and “Rigged” will also be part of the program.

    A Q & A will follow with Dominque Sharpton, Director Antony Marsellis, and Susan Charlotte. The audience which will consist of approximately 15 people who have not voted, will leave NAN headquarters and go to the Ebenezer Baptist Church (Martin Luther King was its most famous member). Rev. Raphael Warnock has been the senior pastor of the Church since 2005 and is running for the Senate. Rev. Sailor, the Southeast Regional Director for the National Action Network, will speak for a few minutes at this site which is considered the spiritual home of Dr. Martin Luther King. This will be followed by audience members going  to the different polling sites to vote. Rev. Sailor, Dominque Sharpton, Antony Marsellis and Susan Charlotte will then go to Rev. Sailor’s polling site where Rev. Sailor will vote.

     “When Truth Is Not Enough” takes place on Election Day in an old rural town in the South. An elderly black woman, Margaret, has come to vote. She has been voting all her life. But today is different. Today she must show a picture ID. As she says, “I don’t have no passport.  But that doesn’t mean I can’t vote. And they lost my birth certificate. But that don’t mean I wasn’t born!”

    Originally produced in 2012 by Susan Charlotte’s Cause Celebre, a not-for-profit theatre company that connects theatre and film with causes, this play was part of a Project called the “Rosa’s Registration Ride” in honor of Rosa Parks.  The RRR, which first presented the play, offers audience members a chance to vote on site, has travelled throughout the country — from Macon, Georgia to Washington D.C. to New York City. Students registered over 100 people in the field after it was presented at the Democracy Prep HS in Harlem. FFTP recently presented the play in New York City in October just before the November 2020 election.

    Tickets for the January 5th presentation are FREE, but extremely limited, by calling +1.678.732.0405 and speaking with Edith. The National Action Network’s Atlanta Chapter is based at 632 Peoples Street, Atlanta GA 30310. The event starts at 2:00pm and will run through, 4:00pm followed by the March to the Ebenezer Baptist Church (101 Jackson St NE, Atlanta, GA 30312), and then to Reverend Sailor’s Polling site at 4:45pm.

    To learn more about NAN, visit www.nationalactionnetwork.net

    To learn more about FFTP, visit www.foodforthoughtproductions.com

    Atlanta Contact for FFTP & NAN’s presentation, march & voting event on January 5th, 2020: Dwain Smith, TDS Communications, 1.770.354.7678, tdwain@tdscommunications.net

    ( Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness)

    Norm Lewis (Photo / Courtesy NJPAC)
  • Microsoft building new password manager for Edge, Chrome

    Microsoft building new password manager for Edge, Chrome

    Microsoft is building a new passcode manager that will work across a slew of products like Edge, Chrome and mobile devices – Android and iOS. According to a report in The Verge, the tech giant is in the process of creating a full password manager for its Microsoft 365 consumer service.
    The new password manager will sync credentials across its Edge browser, Google Chrome, and mobile iOS or Android devices.
    “A preview version of the password manager is now built into Microsoft Authenticator, a free mobile app that’s used for multi-factor authentication,” the report mentioned.
    Autofill only works with consumer Microsoft Accounts and is disabled for enterprise users who are using the app for phone sign-in or multi-factor authentication.
    “Passwords are synced from the Microsoft Edge browser, and can be shared across multiple devices using a Microsoft Account. You can also sync these passwords to Google Chrome, using a new Microsoft Autofill extension,” the report mentioned.
    Japan space agency confirms asteroid soil inside capsule
    Japan’s space agency said Monday it has confirmed the presence of black soil samples inside a capsule that the spacecraft Hayabusa2 brought back from a distant asteroid last week. The pan-shaped capsule, 40 cm in diameter, was dropped by Hayabusa2 from space onto a spot in a sparsely populated Australian desert on December 6. It arrived in Japan last Tuesday for research that will hopefully provide insights into the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said its scientists opened the capsule and found an unspecified amount of sandy black particles.
    Samsung to release 4 folding smartphones in 2021: Report
    Samsung is reportedly planning to launch four folding smartphone devices in 2021 with 5G support.
    According to the South Korean news outlet ETNews, the smartphone manufacturer Samsung will release two variants of Galaxy Z Fold 3 and two variants of Galaxy Z Flip 2 and both these models will have support for 5G.
    The report also stated that all four foldable phones are only planned to be launched in the second half of 2021. Therefore, do not expect these devices to be unveiled with the Galaxy S21 series.

    Apple TV app is coming to new Chromecast with Google TV
    Google has announced a sweet surprise for Chromecast users. The company announced the availability of the Apple TV app on Chromecast. The announcement follows the availability of Apple Music on Google’s Nest smart speakers.
    Up until now, the Apple TV app could only be accessed only on Apple devices. That is about to change as now new Chromecast with Google TV users will be able to access the Apple TV on their devices.
    On the Apple TV app, users can access their entire library of movie and TV show purchases from Apple. They can also enjoy personalised and curated recommendations on Apple TV channels. Additionally, users will also be able to save their favourite shows and movies on their Watchlist. Google says that through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share subscriptions to Apple TV channels using the new Chromecast with Google TV.
    With Google TV, you’ll be able to see Apple Originals in your personalized recommendations and search results, making it even easier to find your favorite shows and movies. And, you’ll be able to save them to your Watchlist to catch up on later.
    In addition to this, Google announced that Chromecast with Google TV users will also be able to access Apple TV+ on the connected devices. Of course, users will have to first download the app and get a paid subscription to use the service on the supported devices.
    The catch, however, is that this feature will be rolled out to Chromecast with Google TV early next year. Other devices powered by Android TV OS will get this update in the future.