Category Archives: Art and Culture

Art and Culture, Social Studies

WHAT THE ELEPHANT CAN TEACH US ABOUT PROGRESS

If you were to stand at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and look up to its summit, wondering how on earth you are going to reach the top, the task may seem somewhat daunting – particularly if you are slightly unfit and haven’t done any exercise for a while!. Standing at 5895 metres, Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the tallest mountains in the world and requires time, strength and fitness to get to the top.

The act of going from the bottom to the top is a major leap. However, if you chunked the ascent down into manageable portions, the goal of reaching the summit suddenly seems that much more possible. Setting a target of 500-750 metres a day is achievable, even for the most unfit of people. Assuming time is not an issue, you can slightly increase the distance each day as you grow stronger. 

So within a couple of weeks, you’ll have reached the summit.

How do you eat an elephant?

It was Desmond Tutu who said: “There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.” Though this phrase has been taken and used in psychology circles the world over. It is however a perfect way of illustrating a more circumspect approach to working towards some major goals that you may have set yourself. 

You may have some major life goals that you have set out for yourself. Those goals may be around having a certain amount of money in the bank, owning your dream home, going on two exotic holidays every year, driving a Ferrari – the extent of the goals don’t matter – they are your goals and dreams to have. However, if you are currently sat in a bedsit living off an overdraft with maxed out credit cards, that dream of a Ferrari may seem beyond reach. Often it feels so far away, and so overwhelming, that you feel frozen – unable to even take the first step.

However, chunking down what you need to do on your way to achieving that dream will help you make the first step (which we all know is often the most difficult). 

Take advantage of the compound effect

Just take one credit card and make a pledge to pay that one off first and foremost. Once you have got the momentum going on that, look at putting a small amount away each month into a ‘Do Not Touch’ account. Remember the compound effect – if you get £5 into debt week on week, that soon builds up to a larger debt. Similarly, if you put £5 a week into a saving account, that £5 soon builds up into some more substantial savings.

Darren Hardy, author of The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success, wrote: “The Compound Effect is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices.”

He goes on to say: “It’s not the big things that add up in the end; it’s the hundreds, thousands, or millions of little things that separate the ordinary from the extraordinary.”

Dream BIG, but plan sensibly

An elephant typically weighs between 4000 and 6000 kgs – but can be bigger. That is a lot of bites to be consumed in one sitting. In all honesty – you would be ill at the end of it. Taking one bite at a time, you can make sure that you are making slow, but steady progress towards achieving one or more of your goals. Before you know it, you’ll be sat in the driving seat of that Ferrari and looking back in marvel at how you have progressed through life and achieved those dreams!

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Art and Culture

Curious Facts about Victorian-Era Photography

Photography has progressed significantly. On occasion, it’s difficult to accept that high-contrast photos were the main sort accessible a few decades prior. These days, we have countless choices. Furthermore, we should refrain from discussing contemporary photography’s prevailing fashions like the selfie.

Photography has progressed significantly. On occasion, it's difficult to accept that high-contrast photos were the main sort accessible a few decades prior. These days, we have countless choices. Furthermore, we should refrain from discussing contemporary photography's prevailing fashions like the selfie. Yet, we need a restraining infrastructure on photography crazes. Individuals who lived when the camera was created appear to have would be wise to — and more bizarre — photography crazes than we do. Check here and learn more about animation: https://create.vista.com/features/background-remover/. Below are curious facts about Victorian-Era photography. 1. Postmortem Photography Postmortem photography was an unusual kind that affected live individuals taking pictures of the body of a dead family member. It was customary in the nineteenth and mid-twentieth hundreds of years. Photos were costly at that point, and most didn't take pictures throughout their lives. The main open door was after their demises. It was many times the main image of the departed individual. Postmortem photography was conceivable because a great many people passed on at home. Most pictures were of kids since baby mortality was high at that point. Before the image was taken, the youngsters were spruced up — once in a while, encompassed by blossoms and toys. Their moms even conveyed the children at times. The photos frequently looked as though the dead youngsters were snoozing. More established kids and grown-ups were set up with belts, pulleys, and switches. Some even remained as though they were alive. The eyes were, in many cases, glaringly apparent clues, and photographic artists sometimes added glass eyes to cause it to seem like the dead individual was checking the camera out. Considering that transportation was untrustworthy and dead individuals turned out to be solid following a couple of hours (called meticulousness Mortis), family members frequently sent for the photographic artist before the individual passed on. The picture takers occasionally showed up after thoroughness Mortis had set in. In any case, that was usually not an issue since they were pros at controlling firm cadavers. Postmortem photography gradually vanished as advances in medication made individuals live longer. More individuals likewise passed on in medical clinics rather than their homes. Cameras and photos got less expensive after some time, and many people had different pictures of themselves and their relatives. 2. Hidden Mother Photography Early photography had long openness times. The subject was expected to stay still for 30 seconds before an image could be taken. It is challenging to have a grown-up stand by and gaze at a camera for 30 seconds. It isn't easy to have a kid in such a position. For this reason, moms sometimes concealed behind the scenes while holding their kids set up. This was called hidden mother photography. Most moms covered themselves with garments to mix in with the foundation. Others were veiled as seats, backgrounds, drapes, or anything that would conceal them from showing up in the photo. 3. Smileless Photos Individuals seldom grinned in early photographs, particularly those taken during the nineteenth and mid-twentieth hundreds of years. There were a few explanations behind this. Early photography was viewed as an expansion of painting, and artworks should look regular. This implies that grinning and something besides a level look were not permitted. There was likewise after-death photography. As we previously referenced, pictures taken during postmortem meetings were often the main picture a family had of their late family member. The photos were expected to worship a dead individual — a characteristic look was the most preferred. Another explanation was the long openness seasons of early cameras. As we previously referenced, subjects were expected to stay still. This implied that they were expected to keep a solitary look to try not to wind up with a foggy mouth. Most subjects picked to have a face with a level look since it was the simplest to keep up with. Another explanation was the way that Victorians didn't grin. There was the inescapable conviction that main simpletons smiled. No one needed to be viewed as a dolt since they smiled in a photograph 4. Hand-Colored Photos Some nineteenth and mid-twentieth-century pictures appear in variety even though colored photography was idealized during the twentieth hundred years. How could this be? By laying out over photographs. Johann Baptist Isenring began the hand-hued photo craze when he covered up a high-contrast photograph with color and gum Arabic. A few different picture takers before long joined the prevailing fashion. A famous picture taker was Yokohama Matsusaburo, who served as a painter and lithographer. Matsusaburo made his previously hued photo during the 1860s and was eminent for his hand-colored pictures. Hand-colored photography arrived at its level toward the start of the twentieth 100 years yet passed on a quick demise when a stable variety of movies and variety prints opened up during the 1950s.

Yet, we need a restraining infrastructure on photography crazes. Individuals who lived when the camera was created appear to have would be wise to — and more bizarre — photography crazes than we do.

Below are curious facts about Victorian-Era photography. 

  1. Postmortem Photography

Postmortem photography was an unusual kind that affected live individuals taking pictures of the body of a dead family member. It was customary in the nineteenth and mid-twentieth hundreds of years.

Photos were costly at that point, and most didn’t take pictures throughout their lives. The main open door was after their demises. It was many times the main image of the departed individual.

Postmortem photography was conceivable because a great many people passed on at home. Most pictures were of kids since baby mortality was high at that point. 

Before the image was taken, the youngsters were spruced up — once in a while, encompassed by blossoms and toys. Their moms even conveyed the children at times. The photos frequently looked as though the dead youngsters were snoozing.

More established kids and grown-ups were set up with belts, pulleys, and switches. Some even remained as though they were alive. 

The eyes were, in many cases, glaringly apparent clues, and photographic artists sometimes added glass eyes to cause it to seem like the dead individual was checking the camera out.

Considering that transportation was untrustworthy and dead individuals turned out to be solid following a couple of hours (called meticulousness Mortis), family members frequently sent for the photographic artist before the individual passed on. 

The picture takers occasionally showed up after thoroughness Mortis had set in. In any case, that was usually not an issue since they were pros at controlling firm cadavers.

Postmortem photography gradually vanished as advances in medication made individuals live longer. 

More individuals likewise passed on in medical clinics rather than their homes. Cameras and photos got less expensive after some time, and many people had different pictures of themselves and their relatives.

  • Hidden Mother Photography

Early photography had long openness times. The subject was expected to stay still for 30 seconds before an image could be taken. It is challenging to have a grown-up stand by and gaze at a camera for 30 seconds. It isn’t easy to have a kid in such a position.

For this reason, moms sometimes concealed behind the scenes while holding their kids set up. This was called hidden mother photography. 

Most moms covered themselves with garments to mix in with the foundation. Others were veiled as seats, backgrounds, drapes, or anything that would conceal them from showing up in the photo.

  • Smileless Photos

Individuals seldom grinned in early photographs, particularly those taken during the nineteenth and mid-twentieth hundreds of years. There were a few explanations behind this. Early photography was viewed as an expansion of painting, and artworks should look regular. This implies that grinning and something besides a level look were not permitted.

There was likewise after-death photography. As we previously referenced, pictures taken during postmortem meetings were often the main picture a family had of their late family member. The photos were expected to worship a dead individual — a characteristic look was the most preferred.

Another explanation was the long openness seasons of early cameras. As we previously referenced, subjects were expected to stay still. This implied that they were expected to keep a solitary look to try not to wind up with a foggy mouth. 

Most subjects picked to have a face with a level look since it was the simplest to keep up with.

Another explanation was the way that Victorians didn’t grin. There was the inescapable conviction that main simpletons smiled. No one needed to be viewed as a dolt since they smiled in a photograph

  • Hand-Colored Photos

Some nineteenth and mid-twentieth-century pictures appear in variety even though colored photography was idealized during the twentieth hundred years. How could this be? By laying out over photographs.

Johann Baptist Isenring began the hand-hued photo craze when he covered up a high-contrast photograph with color and gum Arabic. 

A few different picture takers before long joined the prevailing fashion. A famous picture taker was Yokohama Matsusaburo, who served as a painter and lithographer.

Matsusaburo made his previously hued photo during the 1860s and was eminent for his hand-colored pictures. 

Hand-colored photography arrived at its level toward the start of the twentieth 100 years yet passed on a quick demise when a stable variety of movies and variety prints opened up during the 1950s.

Art and Culture, News

NIGHTINGALE OF INDIA LATA MANGESHKAR

Lata Mangeshkar whose voice defined not one or two decades but generations across South Asia, died in hospital in Mumbai at the age of 92. She worked with nearly all of INDIA’S famous music directors over a career that spanned more than 70 years.

HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

If we start taking about her accomplishments, the list goes on and on. She started out singing at religious gatherings with her father. She recorded her first song for Bollywood when she was just 13 years old. She won dozens of singing awards including Dadasaheb Phalke award in 1989, Maharashtra Bhusan award and she was also awarded the Bharat Ratna , India’s highest civilian honour , in 2003. The government of France conferred on her its highest civilian award, Officier de la Legion d’Honneur, in 2007.

“MY VOICE IS A GIFT FROM GOD,” she once told an interviewer. Her songs were always filled with emotions and made almost everyone fell in love with her voice . Condolences poured in from entire world on her demise. From Pakistan to Nepal everybody tweeted for her , as it was not just the end of an era but end of many eras. Prime minister Narendra Modi described her death as a ” void in our nation that cannot be filled”.

Mangeshkar never married . She is survived by her four siblings, all accomplished singers and musicians .