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🚀 Forgot something? Blinkit now - A Quick Commerce Reality Check from Bangalore

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During my recent trip to Bangalore, India, I faced every modern traveler’s mini-crisis — I forgot my international power adapter. With both my phone and laptop gasping for charge, the thought of navigating Bangalore’s traffic to find an electronics store felt like a side quest I didn’t sign up for. But then I remembered all the hype around quick commerce—the promise of 10-minute deliveries that almost sounded too good to be true. So, I decided to test it. I opened Blinkit and searched for an international power adapter—and there it was—in stock. I hit ‘order’ and, out of sheer curiosity, started a stopwatch. The website said 11 minutes. Honestly, if it arrived within 30, I’d be thrilled — anything to avoid the chaos outside. But then, like clockwork... Ding dong. At exactly the 11-minute mark, the doorbell rang. My heart genuinely leapt a little. A Blinkit delivery executive stood there with a brown paper bag and a smile. “Sir, have a nice stay!” he said. Inside? The exact adapter I’d ...
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The Science of Awe: Unlocking the Power of Wonder on Us

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Awe is a powerful emotion that can boost our well-being by fostering connection, reducing stress, and increasing compassion. My recent road trip to Utah's national parks left me in awe, reminding me of the power of nature to cultivate this wonder. This interesting article is about Awe and how researchers are studying Awe as an expression and its impact on humans.  Awe is a complex emotion that can be difficult to measure. Researchers have developed a scale to measure awe. They are also studying how awe can be used to improve mental health.   Interesting times indeed...  https://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2023/winter/science-of-awe-psychedelics/
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Blueberry + Cacao - recipe inspired by Daily Harvest

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  Banana One large banana is rich in vitamin B6 and provides a good source of potassium, fiber and antioxidant vitamin C. Blueberry A cup of blueberries makes a good source of vitamins C and K plus dietary fiber. Spinach These leafy greens pack plenty of nutrient-dense punch with blood pressure-regulating potassium. Not to mention iron, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K. Almond One ounce of almonds is rich in antioxidant vitamin E and makes a good source of fiber. Cacao Cacao offers fiber, which supports digestion, iron, needed for oxygen transport, and magnesium, used in energy production. Maca Native to Peru and also called Peruvian ginseng, maca is a root that's commonly available in powdered form. Maca was long ago used by Peruvian warriors and thought to increase strength and endurance. Source: https://www.daily-harvest.com/browse/smoothies/chocolate-blueberry
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👉 "Will it make the boat go faster?"

  After languishing in the low ranks (or not even qualifying for the Olympics) for many years, the British rowing team took everyone by surprise in the 2000 Sydney Olympics by winning gold! How did they do it? The rowers would make every decision, big or small, by asking, "Will it make the boat go faster?" Should I choose this diet? "Will it make the boat go faster?" Should I work out today? "Will it make the boat go faster?" Should I choose this rowing method? "Will it make the boat go faster?" Months and years of this singular focus on 'making the boat go faster' compounded over time, every small action added up, and they ended up becoming champions. 👉  1) What's your "Will it make the boat go faster?" question? What is your organization's (or team's) single objective or purpose that trumps everything else and will create leverage for all other decisions? 👉 And then, 2) Choose that question as the decision criter...
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👉 "Strong opinions, loosely held."

You want to have a deep conviction about your craft (the stuff that you know a lot about), but that can make you stubborn and pedantic. On the other hand, you also don't want to be swayed by everyone's opinion all the time; that will make you a doormat. How to balance between confidence and flexibility? Between quick decision-making and curiosity? 1) Develop super strong opinions (mental frameworks, rather) in areas of your expertise, based on knowledge, expertise, observation, iteration, and even failure. 2) But hold them loosely, i.e. don't attach your ego or identity to those opinions. They are strongly held based on current best available data, but they should be easily adaptable when new and better data is available to prove them wrong. This change is not a reflection on you or your identity, it is a reflection of your curiosity. 👉  It is a reflection of a scientific mind that believes in experimentation and change. Source:  Harish Narayanan
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My love for Masala Dosa - the Bangalore style

My love for authentic South Indian Masala Dosa! My thought of Masala Dosa takes me to the fond memories of Namma Bengaluru and one of my favorite restaurants in South Bangalore called Vidyarthi Bhavan.  The taste, texture, crispiness, and Chutney that goes along, the Masala inside the Dosa, are unique and consistent for many decades.   And so, when I moved to California, I wanted to re-create the exact taste of Vidyarthi Bhavan Masala Dosa so that I can have the same dish of my convenience in the USA.   I learned the Vidyarthi Bhavan Dosa batter recipe after doing some research upgraded the culinary in the kitchen to get the best Dosa experience.  I purchased a large cast-iron Tawa (pan) that I imported from Columbia. In addition, I bought a heavy-duty gas burner suitable for outdoor and other accessories required to make the entire Dosa experience a treat for all.   Ask me all about Dosa, and I’ll tell you what I learned :)   Here is th...
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Like the nature, so I am....

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  Drink water from the spring where horse drink. The horse will never drink bad water. Lay your bed where the cat sleeps. Eat the fruit touched by a worm.boldly pick the mushrooms on which the insect sit.plant the tree where the mole digs. Build your house where the snakes sits to warm itself. Dig your fountain where the birds hide from heat. Goto sleep and wake up at the same time with the birds. - you will reap all of the golden days grains. Eat more green - you will have strong legs and strong resistance heart,like the beings of the forest. Swim often and you will feel on earth like fish in the water. Look at the sky as often as possible and your thoughts will become light and clear. Be quite a lot, speak little and the silence will come in your heart, and your spirit will be calm and full of peace ✌️. Saint Seraphim of Sarov Source: A LinkedIn post that I found interesting to share
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The Great Indian Kitchen - The mentality of Asian men towards women

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The Great Indian Kitchen reflects the mentality of an Asian man, his selfish expectations towards women in general (wife, mother, sister), and the contrast of how women feel being treated this way.   I just admired the directors of this movie to capture the subtle emotions and expressions of the women and take a bold and radical turn to convey the story.  It's a must-watch!    
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Foxtail Millet Veg Pulao Recipe | Veg Pulao with Foxtail Millet Rice

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  Source   Foxtail millet is deceptively simple to cook. Once you get the millet:water proportion right, you’re all set for a super healthy pulao! Foxtail Millet Vegetable Pulao is a dish with a rich history. Born in ancient India, pulāka in sanskrit means a ‘ball of rice’. Pulao was mentioned in the Mahabharatha, and taken to Europe by Alexander the Great. Interestingly, the first recipe for pulao was written by Avicenna, an ancient Persian physician! Foxtail millet is deceptively simple to cook. Once you get the millet:water proportion right, you’re all set for a super healthy pulao! 🙂 Pulao is usually served with raitha. If you prefer a thin raitha, you could use whole coconut milk thambulli as a base. If you enjoy a thick, creamy raitha, peanut mylk is a better idea. Plant based mylks give you all the yumminess of milk without any of the cruelty or disease that comes with dairy milk. Enjoy! Whole Food Plant Based Foxtail Millet Veg Pulao Recipe Course: Course 3 (Grain Dis...
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Mango Salad

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  Mango Salad   Sweet mango, savory tomatoes, and the crunch of radishes and cauliflower over leafy greens make this a truly delicious and satisfying salad.  Mangoes have a unique phytochemical compound that helps the liver’s immune system destroy the pockets of bacteria that create liver abscesses. They also help prevent the liver from aging and cells from dying while improving bile production. Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is a beloved nutrient that the liver admires: the liver uses it to shield itself from cell damage, plus lycopene helps the liver detox red blood cells safely, smoothly, and efficiently. The pungent, biting nature of radishes comes from a compilation of chemical compounds, many of them undiscovered, that act as disinfectants to the liver, stopping pathogen infection and boosting the liver’s personalized immune system by increasing its white blood cells’ ability to fight and destroy invaders. Mango Salad Ingredients: 2 to 3 medium-sized tomatoes, rou...
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Veggie omelet

 2 eggs - nicely beaten capsicum finely chopped kale finely chopped  onion finely chopped tomato finely chopped coriander chopped  chopped green chillies  salt + pepper to taste  mix all and pour omelets :) 
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Stir fry Tofu with veggies

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 Tofu stir fry  Recipe: 
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Pumpkin Soup

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1/2 onion finely chopped ginger & garlic 1 tablespoon  pumpkin cubes - 2 cups celery stick - 1 (optional)  1/4 spoon of red chili powder 500 ml of plain water and cook the pumpkin and cook for about 15 min  Grind:  grind the pumpkin in a mixer jar  Add:  coconut milk and heat it for 2 more min.   Garnish: add coriander leaves + black pepper  Serve! 
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YourStory.com > Magesh Kumar - Winner of YCE Award for Performing Arts - 2010 (Part 2)

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Magesh Kumar Gurumurthy of IndianStage continues his conversation with Venkatesh Krishnamoorthy, chief evangelist, YourStory . In the second and concluding part, he gives us a glimpse of what it takes to venture into a new area, find right people, and succeed. If you are an off-beat entrepreneur, everything is a challenge. People may not like to join a new startup where performing sector is supposedly cash-starved. But IndianStage has proved that all this is a myth and with right mindset and approach, you can make it work, just for the spirit of entrepreneurship .   When we first started with market research for the business and approach, we were pretty disappointed. We talked to veterans of the performing arts community about the business idea and they said – there is no money in performing arts!   Don’t waste your time….  But we were firm. We continued in our venture despite the discouragements and believed in our passion and hard work. We extensivel...
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MAGESH KUMAR GURUMURTHY, CO-FOUNDER, INDIANSTAGE - WINNER OF THE BRITISH COUNCIL YOUNG CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR AWARD FOR PERFORMING ARTS 2010

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It always takes a leap of faith and intense passion to quit a job to start something entirely new in a domain that is not known to you. Fear of failure keeps many away from starting such dream ventures. Magesh Kumar Gurumurthy, with his friends Baskar Ethirajan and Sajesh Nair , started IndianStage to inform art patrons about performing art events in the cities of India and also to connect ARTISTS with the FANS. Despite initial discouragement, the trio went on to prove that performing arts is a profitable sector and has huge potential for business opportunities. With more than 1000 shows behind it, IndianStage is surely rocking! The British Council has recognized this bold venture with Young Creative Entrepreneur Award for Performing Arts 2010.  In a chat with Venkatesh Krishnamoorthy, chief evangelist, YourStory, Magesh takes YourStory through his entrepreneurial journey and what was behind it.  Congratulations Magesh for winning the British Council Young Creative ...
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