PayPal
For all my myLot friends - I would like to share some advice that some of my friends on myLot told me about. I thought I'd share it with you, since it can really multiply your earnings on myLot. I have been informed that, when you post/reply to discussions, if you write at least six lines, you will be paid a higher amount for that, than if you were to just write one or two lines. If you can keep your sentences short, then six lines is not a lot ! So friends, try to keep this advice in mind for your future discussions and the money start to add up quicker than it was before.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
E-Books Vs Real Books. Which Ones o You Prefer?
In today's time, many publishing houses are
opting for the digital format over the printed version. The physical copy of a
book has a solid feel to it and at times is visually appealing than the digital
format. One can walk down a book isle, see what is on display, pick one up,
flip through the pages and see if it is worth purchasing. The digital store
provides the convenience of browsing through pages of books on sale where you
can read the description, see if it appeals to you and the customer can order
whichever book appeals to them.
A certain number of books as decided by the
store outlet need to be maintained at all times since a customer can walk in at
anytime to browse through the choices to see what catches his/her eye. The
digital version is easier to sell as it can be purchased and downloaded through
most electronic devices and one does not need to maintain a physical stock
thereby reducing the operating costs and boosting profits as there won't be any
unsold stock left if the books/magazines loses favour with the customers.
.
I have always loved the feel of a real book
in my hands and it's a real pleasure taking ones times reading the contents,
pausing for a bit and coming back to restart ones reading. The feel of real
paper between ones finger and thumb as the page is flipped or when a finger
runs down the page. Neither batteries nor a power plug required. The smell of a
freshly printed book is something. Or discovering a long forgotten
book/magazine, opening it gingerly so that the pages don't tear, spine doesn't
break, mesmerized by the combination of rush of old memories, yellowing paper,
smell and rediscovering a long forgotten yet cherished book.
E-Readers are fine and they are appropriate
when one is travelling or when is constraint for space, yet they do not have
the same charm as a real book. There seems to be an infinite choice of books to
read and it seems folks who have such devices will never run out of material to
read. One can pack a large collection of electronic books inside a slim device
and read the contents at ones leisure and at any location.
As a young child, I remember going to the
library or book store to see if something new was available either in reprint
or something which I had missed earlier and was now available on the book shelf
and I could and could spend hours upon hours there without getting bored as
long as they had a large selection of books to browse through. I just love reading
and I guess this hobby has formed the bedrock of my writing which I really
enjoy quite a bit. I have noticed that kids these days at times have lost this
precious habit. They want everything done quick, are always in a hurry to
complete something and have no patience to pick up a book and actually read it
for many long hours.
Today's kids who are born in the digital
era do not know the joys of a real book nor the joys of getting lost between
the covers of an interesting book or spending time in a library. Casual reading
will soon become a lost art, as folks will rely on the internet to discover
facts, read books and even do the copy/paste homework submission without
actually learning anything. I really dread what the future holds for these
digital kids when they finally join the society on their own. A future without
books and a society with no patience, imagination, reading nor writing skills.
A very dull society which is intoxicated by the short term, bite sized
pleasures provided by the television or computers for people who have very
short term attention span.
The older generation seems to had the best
of both worlds as we grew up in an era where we had real libraries, real books
and one could get lost within the covers of a book. The bygone era when one could
walk into either a library, a well stocked bookstore or even a cosy second hand
bookstore and 'get lost' within the covers of a book only to be brought back to
the present when the owner threatens to lock you inside the store for the night
if you don't go home. Folks would not
mind making excursions to these much-loved spots as their imagination
flourished and satisfaction was usually guaranteed upon exit. As they
discovered a long lost world, are submerged in a battle, slay dragons, raid
ships and discover long lost pirates' treasure.
I really do hope the younger generation is able to disconnect itself
from the dependence called the internet to rediscover the joys of taking ones
time in reading a real paperback book before they totally disappear and become
such a rarity that one will only find them in museums or in some long lost
corner of the basement/ attic.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Deewali - The Festival Of Lights And The Colorful Vendors
Diwali. This word means a line or a row
of lamps/earthen lamps. It's also called the festival of lights and it's an
annual festival. Cities light up like and homes look as pretty as a newly
married decked up bride. The date of this festival varies every year. It
represents the triumph of good over evil.
In the North, Diwali celebrates the
return of Lord Rama, King of Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman
from a 14-year exile and a war in which he vanquished the demon king
Ravana. In South India, Diwali festival often commemorates the conquering
of the Asura Naraka, a powerful king of Assam, who imprisoned tens of thousands
of inhabitants. It was Krishna who finally subdued Naraka and freed the
prisoners. It is celebrated in the Tamil month of Aipasi (Thula month) ‘Naraka Chaturdasi'
thithi, preceding amavasai.
Some of the photos shown below were
taken last year while the rest were taken this year. Street vendors start
selling decorative items to customers. It can be decorative household items,
colored earthen lamps either for decorative purpose or using it as a decorative
earthen oil filled lamp. Rice puff type of stuff and candies made of sugar are
sold while folks decorate their homes with electric lights or oil filled
diyas/candles. Fireworks are set off in the evening and folks have tons of fun
enjoying themselves.
A vendor selling Poha (Flattened Rice) and toys made out of sugar.
Circular gift box containing nuts
Another gift box for gifts.
Vendors selling rice puffs and Poha (flattened rice)
Vendor selling earthen clay lamp
Brightly colored clay pots and earthen clay lamps.
Two guys selling bamboo flutes.
Brightly colored fruits and vegetables made out of clay.
Brightly colored figures made out of clay.
Clay decoration.
Street vendor selling decorative vases and figures.
Cashews and Almonds as gift items.
Decorative items made out of clay.
Clay figures playing instruments.
Vendor selling candles and incense sticks.
Friday, July 18, 2014
The Bus Ride
Seconds turn into minutes. The clock ticks lazily and time seems to drag. Looking upwards, I see the fan spinning lazily. A stray fly or two buzz past. Noticing my gaze, they turn around and start murmuring sweet nothing in my ears. Not feeling up to a group orgy, I swat them with the rolled up paper. Seeing the bloody mess, I stuff it in handbag of the guy sitting next to me. He'll probably won't notice anything till he gets home. Lifting his head gently, I put a hand on his shoulder and get up gently so that I don't wake him up.
The bus conductor inquires about the ticket. "How many? That old man is with you?" He asks. "No" I said. Ruffling through the old man pant pocket, I find an overflowing wallet. Taking out a few bucks, I give it to the conductor who gives a ticket back. I stare hard at him only to see him blink and walk away. Pocketing the money, I throw the wallet out the window. Throwing the old man out of the moving bus window proved to be more difficult. I hollered out to the fellow passanger to lend a hand.
"Hey pretty thing. Here's the seat you were asking for." I hollered to the two headed blue colored being from Xion. I heard the being slither across the floor leaving behind a trail of mucus. I fingered the pouch of salt in my trench coat in case things got rough. Feeling a tentacle poke into one ear and emerge from the other I finally knew that my head was empty.
Read more...
The bus conductor inquires about the ticket. "How many? That old man is with you?" He asks. "No" I said. Ruffling through the old man pant pocket, I find an overflowing wallet. Taking out a few bucks, I give it to the conductor who gives a ticket back. I stare hard at him only to see him blink and walk away. Pocketing the money, I throw the wallet out the window. Throwing the old man out of the moving bus window proved to be more difficult. I hollered out to the fellow passanger to lend a hand.
"Hey pretty thing. Here's the seat you were asking for." I hollered to the two headed blue colored being from Xion. I heard the being slither across the floor leaving behind a trail of mucus. I fingered the pouch of salt in my trench coat in case things got rough. Feeling a tentacle poke into one ear and emerge from the other I finally knew that my head was empty.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Looking Out The Window June 06, 2014
Sunday, June 22, 2014
View From The window
Looking at my own reflection, I wondered what I had really achieved. Time passes by and after what seems like another lifetime, I find myself walking up back to the closet to get my coat. The stormy clouds starts to break, the rain come to a stop and I see the sun break through. As I headed out the door, I looked at my image in the receding mirror with tinge of sadness as past memories flooded his mind. I realized the world was getting smaller and darker with each passing year as I faded into the darkness of the trash strewn apartment hallway. Read more...
Monday, February 17, 2014
Walking around in circles
Roving
around the city, I have noticed something odd. Folks wander here and there
aimlessly like zombies. Ask them something and they just stare at you blankly.
With great difficulty, some manage to utter words which are hard to understand.
At random times, they suddenly become active, start running towards a fast
approaching bus or taxi in vain hope that it will shallow them up and vomit
them at some new destination. At times they just spin around in circles while
making odd noises while some gather in bunches and run around some object as
they sing some song which I can't place. Have you noticed anything similar or have
you participated in such activities?
Read more...
The interplanetary excursion Fiction In A Flash # 20
One fine day, we boarded an innocuous
looking wormy interplanetary ship and headed to Uranus where the Blue Backwoods
tribe allowed jewels and meerschaum to be harvested using hazardous Peroxide
without wearing any clothes in remembrance of the miners who had gone before us
and give us the money to keep our home fires burning.
Where The Wild Things Are Fiction In A Flash # 21
(This picture was taken from the Internet)
Read more...
Curses that
would turn a sailors cheeks red filled my ears as I saw a figure yelling into a
phone. She kept cursing as it barreled
towards the water. The startled woman ran down the bridge when I kept staring
at her. "I must be drunk." I mumbled as I took another gulp of
whiskey.
The Abandoned House Fiction In A Flash # 22
(This picture was taken from the Internet)
A strong earthy smell wafted over me and
the sound of crunching leaves seemed ominous. Startled, I looked up and the
forbidding sky seemed as dark and forbidding as the thoughts I was in. Turning
around, I gestured to my companion and we sat under the shadows of the derelict
house to empty the whisky bottle.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)