Over 1000 people passed by a violinist on a subway, Washington DC. About seven or eight stopped to listen to him. One recognized him.
He played for 45 minutes and collected about $32 in tips from 27 passersby. Including $20 from the one who recognized him.
The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world.
He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written on a violin, worth 3.5 million dollars.
Just days before he was on the subway, Joshua Bell sold out a Boston theater. The seats averaged about $100 each.
What does this experiment prove?
Talent is so often overlooked and undervalued.
There are talented people everywhere who aren’t receiving the recognition and reward they deserve. Once they remove themselves from a nonproductive environment, they thrive and grow.
Value addition is more important for one’s survival.
Listen to the gut feeling that says where you belong to. Go where your worth is appreciated and valued.
You know this is a big ocean. There is plenty to explore. You wake up every day, visit the shore, pick up the best instruments, ride against the monstrous waves, reach a lone rock at a distance, sit quiet, throw the bait into the calm waters and wait. Wait for hours. From dawn to dusk.
And come home empty. No fish. Every day.
No one notices you fishing nor do the blogs you write get likes or replies. Doesn’t that bore you?
You have $100, and the goal is to turn that into as much money as possible in the shortest time possible, without doing anything illegal. I will do anything you say.
16 March 2023.
That was the question Jackson Fall put to ChatGPT and posted it on X (formerly Twitter).
Can AI help invest money in a business and help build an online empire is the move behind the exercise.
This tweet set the internet on fire and there were 23 million views and over two thousand replies.
The AI social media enthusiasts have sat through hours following updates in a thread.
ChatGPT, to start with, asked Fall to create a website. He created a blog site by the name GreenGadgetGuru.com.
The plan was to set up an affiliate marketing and try positioning eco-friendly content. The AI suggested positioning sustainable living products on the site.
Many on SM were thrilled by this experiment, and Fall said this exercise quickly brought over 7,700 dollars worth of donations.
All for a cause. Can AI run a business that generates profit?
A month was gone. The update showed it did generate revenue. $130 was there for all to see.
But Fall said that it looked fishy as there was no advertising done nor were there proofs of sale. How did it show the figure?
Eight months have gone. No reply from Fall. No updates.
Some questioned if that was the case of a stunt.
Some asked; what if they gave ChatGPT $100K?
Some found fault with the design of the blog site, complaining it wasn’t mobile-friendly.
The wait for those who invested in this experiment isn’t over yet.
Buzz on this blog if you heard anything from Fall.
Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.
Nagamalai is a hamlet located about 10 KM north-west of Madurai, Temple City.
The year was 1985, and I was in school studying 12th.
About 15 thousand live in the village and there were two schools. Most of the parents here were either teachers or government employees.
My dad worked for the government. We all lived in a joint-family. My mom, dad, two brothers, a sister and my grandma shared a three-bed house.
The school I studied was so strict, and we had fun only when we had our physical education classes.
Come April-May, my school conducts an annual sports day. We all looked forward to the day. It was fun.
I was an athlete. I ran in those events as a sprinter. But the competition was too stiff.
On hearing about my talent for sports, my uncle who lived in Singapore sent me a runner’s shoe. It was a gift. An Adidas with spikes.
I just loved the pair. My favorite.
When I practiced in those shoes, I felt I was just flying. But no prize for guessing why I couldn’t win a sprint event at school yet.
That was when Pongal Day came. It was a harvesting day for people in Tamilnadu. 14th of January every year is a day for celebration. My village conducts sports day as part of a celebration. It usually lasts for a week.
My best bet would be running in the event. Win prizes. With my shoes on.
Many in my village had no such expensive sprinter’s shoes. I should naturally win.
Prayed to god.
The day came. Many were in attendance. My family were also there in the audience. Great atmosphere. Full of hope.
The organizers called us to gather on the tracks. It was a 200-meter sprint.
Seven runners stood up. I opened my kit and took out those shining white shoes. Wore them on and did a quick warm-up on the sides.
Many in the audience looked at me and cheered. My family looked so proud already.
Shock came when the referee called me out and said: no shoes, please. Nobody is running in shoes, and what if those spikes hurt the other runners?
Oh, god! Not again! I cursed my luck.
My family looked aghast. The audience continued to jeer me. Some had supported the referee’s decision.
I was angry. How would I show the world that I won a sports event with my favorite shoes?
We were on the mark. My mind was still on the referee’s call. What on Earth did he do?
On your mark. Set. A brief pause.
And as soon as I heard the gun-shot I sprang into action. Shot in the lead from the word GO!
I ran barefoot. Picked up the pace. All the way. Up front by 50th meter.
75 meters up, I saw one closing in. He ran real quick. Took the lead. And another just got past me. 90 meters was up.
We chased each other for 120 meters.
My mind raced back to my shoes. What if I had those pairs on? How would I be leading them by miles!
I heard my sister egging me on from the audience. Bro, run fast.
Now my mom. You’re doing well so far, beta. Imagine you still have those favorite shoes on, beta.
That was when I felt a sudden rush of adrenaline in my body.
150 meters up. I picked up speed. My legs began to hurt me so badly.
Come on! Don’t give up.
I sprang into a fierce pace. Ran like there’s no tomorrow. Closed in on the two now.
190 meters up. I lead now. A hop, step and jump, I touched the final line. Kissed the ribbons. Tripped, fell, rolled on the turf.
I won the sprint by milliseconds.
Whistles went up. The audience roared. My heart stopped. Couldn’t believe it. It was dark all around me.
I could feel the other runners patting me on the back and my family gathered.
Everyone was cheering and congratulated me.
The referee came to me and said, Congrats! Sorry about the quick change of rules on shoes.
I still thanked my shoes. For the pair was on my mind all through the 200-meter sprint.
How would I thank god for giving me a win? Without my shoes on!
Sita can’t live together with Akbar. ‘Save Sita’ is what VHP, the RW Hindu nationalists issued an alert in court.
They raised a complaint at the Kolkata court asking to restrain Sita, a 5-year-old lioness, from joining her old mate Akbar, who’s 7 now.
They were friends in Tripura Zoological park. And they are now shifted to Siluguri Safari Park in West Bengal for a purpose as noble as a project called ‘Lion Breeding in India’.
What’s the issue? Why shouldn’t the pair mate?
Sita, the name, is so popular among Hindus as she was the wife of Lord Rama according to Hindu mythology.
Akbar, as you know, was a Mogul emperor and ruled India in the 16th century. A ruthless ruler.
As the Hindus and Muslims continue to lock horns since Pakistan had separated from India post-Independence in 1948, this union is seen as a greater travesty.
People mostly belonging to the Hindu faith and belief are awaiting what the court is going to pronounce in the verdict.
Should the pair go ahead and procreate as the jungle law proposed, or should Sita not live in the midst of an Akbar who was once considered an anti-Hindu?
The King of the jungle stays single, till then. Poor chap!
‘Survival of the loneliest’ should have been the refrain of Darwinism, in India.
Budgeting for me revolves mostly around how to cut costs.
I usually place orders through Swiggy, a food delivery chain in India. The delivery most of the time takes time.
If I find the delivery is going to take more than 25 minutes and the restaurant I choose is located close by, I will cancel placing the order and go myself to pick it up. That helps save money on costs.
I ride to work by scooter, as a two-wheeler is easy to drive through busy traffic and a huge saving on gas.
I drive only during weekends. Less traffic, faster roads.
I’ve recently decided to furnish my kitchen with a state-of-art chimney as smoke stays in and that cause embarrassment when guests visit my home.
I called a couple of agencies and asked how much that would cost me. Many said quotes that sounded too unrealistic. The budget ran into two lakh (₹225K) rupees.
I quickly hired an electrician, took him to a store close by, bought a wall-mounted fan costing about ₹1400 and asked him to fix it in the kitchen.
It’s a breeze. Fan on oscillation. No smoke. Positioned in such a vantage place, the flame on the stove is not disturbed at all.
Saving costs, therefore, is budgeting for me.
How to keep the hospital bills down? Eat healthy. Every day.
"சென்றிடுவீர் எட்டுத் திக்கும்" 