My ears ache after listening to line after negative line in the news, reading the political drama on Facebook, and reading my family’s and friends’ opinions.
These words are weighing me down with heavy, uneasy feelings about the future.
We’ve marched, signed petitions, and called our senators, and the news is not changing. People are tired. I am tired. Life doesn’t seem fair.
We need a pep talk – and I’ve found one.
Valerie Kaur‘s powerful and uplifting look at our world today is so refreshing in this chaotic climate.
As an award-winning filmmaker, civil rights lawyer, media commentator, Sikh activist and interfaith leader, Kaur’s work of storytelling inspires social change. This video from New Year’s Eve has the call for 2017. I needed this passionate and beautiful speech. Hers is a realistic voice asking me a valid question:
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion, and the basic Sikh belief is represented in the phrase Ik Onkar meaning “One God.”
Sikhism was founded in the Punjab region in India in the 15th century by Guru Nanak Dev. Sikhism broke from Hinduism due, in part, to its rejection of the caste system.
SIKH SYMBOL
It consists of three weapons and a circle: the khanda, two kirpans and the chakkar which is a circle.
It is the military emblem of the Sikhs.
It is also part of the design of the Nishan Sahib. A double edged khanda (sword) is placed at the top of a Nishan Sahib flag as an ornament or finial.
~~GRAPHICS SOURCE~~
Google Images
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No intention of taking credit.
If anyone knows the owner of any, please advise and it will be corrected immediately.
The photo of a Trump Tower billboard above sleeping homeless children is real
Posted by Joe Vesey-Byrne in news
A photograph of the slum children of Mumbai sleeping beneath a billboard for Trump Tower went viral in early December.
Initially denounced as a fake on Reddit and Snopes.com, the photographer Paul Needham has since come forward.
Since Trump’s elevation to the international stage as president-elect, the juxtaposition becomes even more powerful than simply a hotel magnate and people in poverty.
When the image initially went viral, some doubted its veracity.
Needham has since spoken to indy100, and verified the image.
I was in Mumbai to meet a social impact investor. I run a company called Simpa Networks, Simpa Energy here in India. We provide solar energy solutions to farmers and small shops in rural India.
Sergio George came out with the Salsa Giants new song “Bajo la Tormenta” which brings a positive and uplifting message along with very danceable Salsa music.
Super producer Sergio George and his collective of living legends, the Salsa Giants, have just released their new single “Bajo La Tormenta” which features Oscar D’Leon, Tito Nieves, Jose Alberto “El Canario,” India, Ismael Miranda, Andy Montañez, Cheo Feliciano and Willy Chirino.
About Sergio George
Over the course of his illustrious career eleven time Grammy® Award Winner Sergio George has established himself as a leading producer in the Latin music genre, with over 200 million album credits as either a producer, pianist or composer.
After having worked with and helped guide the careers of artists like Marc Anthony, Christina Aguilera, Tito Nieves, Victor Manuelle, Tito Puente, Orquesta de La Luz de Japón and Jennifer Lopez to name a few, George is now the CEO of Top Stop Music, a label nurturing the success of future superstars Prince Royce and Leslie Grace.
The main message of the new single “Bajo la Tormenta” is to keep a positive attitude under stormy unfavorable circumstances. I think this is very timely as many Latin American countries like Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and many others are going through some of the hardest economic times of recent memory.
Along with the positive attitude message of the song, Sergio George adds powerful Salsa music that incites to dance with its catchy swing and lyrics. The 8 Salsa Giants singers do the rest with great singing and “soneos” that reflect the happy and positive theme of this Salsa music hit.
Homosexuality has been a taboo subject in India for as long as one can recall. But slowly, that has been changing. Despite the legality of such a sexual orientation, people are feigning no qualms about portraying it in art.
This ad from Anouk Ethnic Apparel’s ‘Bold Is Beautiful‘ campaign shows a lesbian couple getting ready to meet the parents of one of them. It explores the idea of coming out of the closet and the simple emotion that is love.
The first Indian advertisement to feature a lesbian couple has gone viral, the Times of India reports, and its creators hope that it will have a positive influence on the way homosexuality is viewed a socially conservative country where it is still against the law.
The online video shows two women in a live-in relationship flirting and dressing up for the day, chatting about the expectations they face and their love for each other.
~~GALLERY~~
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The commercial, created for the clothing brand Anouk Ethnic apparel, is entitled The Visit and shows a lesbian couple preparing to meet their parents. It has already topped three million views across various forms of social media.
This ad, is definitely worth a watch.
The Taj Mahal from Persian and Arabic, “crown of palaces”, is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”.
Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“IOTD” is image of the day, a concept I came up with. I teach visual meditative therapy – or in easy terms – a mini mental holiday. For some people it is very difficult for them to get their image right. I post an image a day for people to use in their mini mental vacay. Some are serious, some are silly, and some are just beautiful!”
It was yesterday when I found this artist’s videos. As I listened to his version of “Let it Go”, I realized I had seen him before. He was featured in a YouTube video by The Piano Guys called “Paradise/Peponi”. It was an incredible surprise to find that Alex Boye is another sensation on YouTube reaching millions of viewers.
This is a video fit to end the day.
I normally don’t post topics related to god but this production gave me chills as I listened to it. It’s majestic, impressive, inspiring, motivational, very well done and a musical success.
Alex Boyé (born 1970) is a British-born Mormon singer and actor of Nigerian descent.
~~Early life~~
Boye was raised in a Tottenham council area that has been described as ‘tough’. He converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) at age 16.
~~Professional life~~
Boyé first performed in public while serving as a missionary for the LDS Church in Bristol, England. After completing his mission, he became a backing dancer. Among those who he performed with in this role was George Michael.
In 1995, he formed and became the lead singer of the European boy band “Awesome“. They performed at local dances and other small venues until 1996 when they won a vocal competition on Capital Radio, London’s largest radio station. Universal Records of Europe signed Awesome to a five-album recording contract. Awesome released three singles off their first album, Rumors, which made top-10 charts all across Europe.
~~Personal life~~
Boyé’s mother and father are Nigerian. While pregnant, Boyé’s mother went to London while his father remained in Nigeria. He was born in England and returned to Nigeria to live with his father for the first few years of his life. His mother remarried and worked for the London Underground, cleaning tracks at night. Boyé was raised in the Tottenham Court neighborhood. He spent much of his youth in foster homes with Caucasian parents. As a teenager, he listened to the music of Motown, including artists Stevie Wonder, Kool and the Gang, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Jackie Wilson and Otis Redding. When he was 16, Boyé was working in a McDonald’s in London when he was introduced to the LDS Church by a manager. He was baptised soon afterward, without his mother’s knowledge.
Boyé met his wife, Julie, in an LDS singles ward and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple. They have three children, Adanna, Zander and India. In 2009, Boye began raising money to buy a house for a local refugee family with sales of his single, “Crazy for You.”
On 22 February 2012, Boyé became a United States citizen in a ceremony at the Rose Wagner Theater in Salt Lake City. Boyé was surprised when he was invited by the judge conducting the ceremony to sing The Star-Spangled Banner.
~~I Will Rise (Emi Yo Leke) ft. Later Days Choir~~
~~Mormons are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints~~
~~Published on Apr 6, 2012~~
“On the morning of Friday 2nd of March, I was invited to perform for a group of students at the Institute of Religion at Utah Valley University in Orem Utah. It will be a day that will not easy be forgotten. Before I got up to give my presentation, a choir filed neatly into position behind me and began to sing. From the first note, all my senses were grabbed hold upon by a heavenly sound that left me breathless. I had to do a 360 turn to see who it was singing. I didn’t take my eyes off them until they had finished. By the end, I was overcome with tears. It’s lucky i don’t wear mascara.
During the musical presentation, I felt a strong witness of the spirit, telling me i needed to take this choir to the studio and record the song they sang with them.
Thanks to Utah valley University Institute of Religion for allowing me to hijack 70 choir members who all boarded the bus at 3.15 am and traveled over 150 miles to arrive in time to shoot at first light.”
A wonderful, heartwarming movie that has a little bit of everything, for every one.
There’s travel, culture, cuisine, competition, life experiences, desire to achieve, advancement, loss, success and returning home, good looking people, personal interactions, human touch.
The Hundred-Foot Journey is an American comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallström from a screenplay written by Steven Knight. It stars Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal and Charlotte Le Bon. The film is based on the novel The Hundred-Foot Journey, written by Richard C. Morais.
The Hundred-Foot Journey was produced by DreamWorks Pictures and released by Touchstone Pictures on August 8, 2014.
(There is a touch of Oprah in this movie too).
~~Plot~~
In Mumbai, India, a family restaurant run by Papa ends up being destroyed by a mob upset over an election dispute. Papa and his family successfully evacuate the guests; however, Papa’s wife is killed in the fire set at the restaurant. Seeking asylum in Europe, the family first settles in London, where their residence proves ill-suited for a restaurant. They depart for mainland Europe.
Shortly after crossing the border between Switzerland and France, the brakes on Papa’s vehicle fail, which results in the family being forced to stay a night in a nearby French village. Marguerite, a sous chef at an upscale French restaurant in town, feeds the family and helps it find an auto repair shop and a guest house. Papa is amazed at the quality of the food in the village and its availability. He learns of an abandoned restaurant building on the outskirts of town available for purchase. Seeing this as divine providence, Papa decides to open an Indian restaurant in the village.
Upon learning of Papa’s plan to open an Indian restaurant across the street, Madame Mallory, the widowed owner of the upscale French restaurant, attempts to discourage the Indians from proceeding with their plans. After sabotaging Papa’s family by purchasing all the locally available ingredients needed to cook their dishes on opening night, a cold war erupts between Papa and Madame Mallory. The war peaks on Bastille Day, when one of Madame Mallory’s cooks and two others vandalize the Indian restaurant by spray-painting the outer wall and setting fire to the restaurant’s interior with firebombs. Hassan Haji, Papa’s eldest son and premier chef, catches the would-be arsonists in the act and scares them off, but his hands end up burned.
The following morning, Madame Mallory convenes a meeting of her chefs and asks them if they know the words to La Marseillaise. After citing lines from the song concerning equality and justice, she dismisses the cook from her restaurant responsible for the vandalism and then voluntarily cleans up the graffiti. Hassan, having heard that Madame Mallory hires potential chefs by taste-testing an omelet they prepare for her, asks if he may cook an omelet for her. Citing his injured hands, he says Madame Mallory will have to help him with the process. After sampling his cooking, Madame Mallory concedes to his potential to be a great chef and invites him to cook for her against the wishes of Papa and his family.
Hassan’s cooking proves popular and unconventional enough to result in Madam Mallory’s restaurant receiving its second Michelin Star, an elite honor bestowed on only a handful of restaurants in Europe. The award draws national attention to Hassan’s cooking, and he is offered a job in Paris, France, which he accepts. Papa and Madam Mallory make amends and ultimately begin romancing each other.
Hassan’s cooking quickly receives critical acclaim, fueling speculation of a third Michelin Star for the Paris restaurant; however, Hassan’s restaurant work is increasingly bogged down by thoughts of his family and Marguerite, with whom he had an ongoing romance. Hassan decides to return home, where he and Marguerite reunite. Proposing a business venture together, Hassan declare that he will help Madam Mallory’s restaurant earn its third Michelin Star.
That evening, Hassan and Marguerite are allowed to cook dinner for Hassan’s family at Madam Mallory’s restaurant. As the two young chefs bring out the dishes for the meal, everyone looks forward to an evening of romance and fine dining.
~~Cast~~
Helen Mirren as Madame Mallory Om Puri as Papa Juhi Chawla as Mama Manish Dayal as Hassan Haji Charlotte Le Bon as Marguerite Amit Shah as Mansur Farzana Dua Elahe as Mahira Rohan Chand as Young Hassan Haji Dillon Mitra as Mukthar Michel Blanc as Mayor Shuna Lemoine as Mayor’s wife
~~A GALLERY~~
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~~The Hundred-Foot Journey Official Trailer~~
(2014)
~~Published on May 14, 2014~~
The Hundred-Foot Journey Official Trailer starring Helen Mirren, Charlotte Le Bon, Rohan Chand and directed by Lasse Hallström
Based on the novel The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais.
Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) is a culinary ingénue with the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch. Displaced from their native India, the Kadam family, led by Papa (Om Puri), settles in the quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. Filled with charm, it is both picturesque and elegant — the ideal place to settle down and open an Indian restaurant, the Maison Mumbai. That is, until the chilly chef proprietress of Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin starred, classical French restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren), gets wind of it. Her icy protests against the new Indian restaurant a hundred feet from her own, escalate to all out war between the two establishments — until Hassan’s passion for French haute cuisine and for Mme. Mallory’s enchanting sous chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), combine with his mysteriously delicious talent to weave magic between their two cultures and imbue Saint-Antonin with the flavors of life that even Mme. Mallory cannot ignore. At first Mme. Mallory’s culinary rival, she eventually recognizes Hassan’s gift as a chef and takes him under her wing.
~Release Date: 8 August 2014~
The Hundred-Foot Journey Interview – Oprah Winfrey
Taj Mahal, the iconic white marble mausoleum and one of the most photographed historical monuments in the world, is located in the city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, India. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan promised Mumtaz Mahal, his third wife and soul mate, that he would build a magnificent monument for her and Taj Mahal was the result, still bearing the mark of their true love.
The construction of Taj Mahal, literally meaning the “crown of palaces”, began around the year 1632 and completed in around 1653.
Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the renowned architect of the Mughal Empire is considered the principal designer while the whole project was handled by an architectural board, comprising of the likes of Abd ul-Karim Ma’mur Khan and Makramat Khanunder, under imperial supervision.
I have been a huge fan of Yanni’s work and music. I started following him since his first appearance with Linda Evans on the Oprah TV show. It was love at first sight.
I have followed his career since then and have been able to see him perform live several times.
I was looking for a video to use in the last post of the day and ran into Yanni performing at the Taj Mahal. I selected the video presented here mainly because of the introduction given by him.
~~ALBUM: TRIBUTE~~
Tribute pays musical homage to India on several songs; Greek-born composer and keyboardist Yanni describes the album as a tribute to the builders of the Taj and the Forbidden City, as well as to the people of India and China. Yanni’s ethereal keyboard work is backed by orchestra, vocalists, a choir, and various world instruments including didgeridoo, duduk, charango, and bamboo saxophone.
~~Some Interesting Facts About Yanni’s India Tour in 1997~~
Yanni performed live for three consecutive nights from 20 to 22 March 1997 at India’s iconic monument Taj Mahal located at the heart of the city of Agra (State -Uttar Pradesh). The spectacular concerts which were staged at the back-side of the monument Taj Mahal on the bank of the river Yamuna took almost two years of meticulous planning and painstaking efforts by Yanni and his team.
Yanni became the First Western Artist to be permitted to perform at the Taj Mahal. The event also marked the artificial illumination of the Taj Mahal during night for the first time in history.
Yanni’s team comprising of almost 300 members successfully accomplished the task of building a stage and seating arrangement in the middle of the river Yamuna on a sandbar that periodically became visible when the river dried up between November and late March.
Indian Army’s help was sought to build two pontoon bridges to get across the river and also for building the roads leading to the pontoon bridges. The bridges were built in record time.
Almost 130 tons of video and audio equipment were imported from United Kingdom brought in around 50 trucks and a plane.
Four towers were built with some of them over 60 feet high for housing the lighting equipment.
A stage was also built spanning 100 feet to 80 feet, 6 feet high and tiered to hold the orchestra and the band.
Seating was created for 7200 people.
Yanni also flew in the revolutionary V-DOSC sound system that cancelled the sound reflecting from the rear of the speaker cabinets completely. During the concerts the sound reaching the Taj Mahal was as low as two people talking.
Apart from adhering to strict sound emission and lighting norms, no motorized vehicles were brought in upto 500 meters of the monument.
Yanni wrote the songs “Deliverance” and “Love is All” specifically for the Taj Mahal.
Yanni says: “This album was conceived and recorded during a tumultuous and wonderful period in my life. It was inspired, in part, by the possibility that I might perform new works at Taj Mahal and the Forbidden City, two of the greatest man-made structures on earth. That this came to be, that I had the privilege of performing my music in India and China in the midst of national treasures, is a tribute to so many who believed in project that seemed always at the edge of reason.
For me, the Taj and the Forbidden City remain essential because they remind us all of our own potential for greatness. The spirit of their builders remains incredibly vibrant. For the members of my band and the orchestra, the nights spent in the shadows of these monuments provoked inspired work and often, tears. I hope, in a small way, we have been able to pay tribute to those many souls, many years ago, the nameless artisans, and laborers, who created these incredible structures.
This album is also meant to be a tribute to the dynamic, warm India and China, to the many, many people who embraced us with their kindness, smiles and applause. Finally, like all I’ve done since leaving, Kalamata, Greece, this is also a tribute to my parents, Sotiris and Felitsa, who taught their little boy a long time ago that …. love is all“
~~Love Is All~~
~~Uploaded on Sep 15, 2007~~
This a magnificent song especially written for the Taj Mahal by Yanni. This is in fact his very first song with lyrics. Solos are by Pedro Eustace on the ancient Armenian Duduk, Ramon Stagnaro on the guitar, and voice by Vann Johnson.
“As the population increases, the planet becomes smaller and smaller. We need to learn to accept and tolerate one another. I am a human being just like all. There is more than one way to live life. Socrates once said: The perfect human being is all human beings put together. As a collective, as a “we”. All of us together make perfection.
Sending a message to all the world of love and unity, acceptance and tolerance.
~~PARTIAL LYRICS~~
“Love will keep me believing Through the dark, can you hear me calling? Holding on when I’m dreaming Love is all, love is all, love is all
Like a tempest to the sea, I’m standin’ Love is all, love is all, love is all Love is all, love is all, love is all Like a tempest to the sea I’m standin’, I’m standin’ [Incomprehensible] Love, love, love , love is all
It Is What It Is 