Thanks for visiting my website and reading my blog.  I hope you found something interesting.

 

Life is fun, with demands on time in so many directions.

 

Thursday I went to the Community Centre in Cricklewood.  Every Full Moon, they do prayers to Satnarayan Swami and Mata Laxmi.  It is a tradition we Sindhis have followed for generations, to pray to God and Goddess to give us peace in the household, and prosperity in our business affairs.

 

Later I visited the Southbank Centre, attracted there by the exhibition of her Picasso like painting by

Sangeeta Roshni Babani (she is an inspired painter from Mumbai, and she's Sindhi too, so I thought I'll

pay there a visit).

 

Sangeeta hadn't obtained her visa, and therefore could not be there.  Other artists from India exhibited

their creations alongside a few of Sangeeta's paintings. 

 

Particularly I liked a table whose top opens in segments like a fan, and this is adorned by mirrors.

This is by Yamin Mohiuddin from Hyderabad.  I can see such a piece adorning some young one's bedroom or even a hairdressing salon.  It would look good in a media company's foyer. 

 

If you like genuine teak furniture, like a chair crafted like black petals, or a palm made of teak, and don't mind paying about £800 for such items, Firdos Furnishers of Nagpur have several pieces on display.

 

An English idea that seemed to catch everyone's eye was Gerrad the Second.  This is a folding dog that looks like an inspired work of origami, with 188 sections to unfold and paste together very very carefully with Uhu glue.  The small ones sell for £20, and are limited editions of 500.  Fair enough.  They have decorative prints of dollar notes, piping, mascots, newspaper cuttings and so on, like industry or sector or indeed national mascots.The large ones, including one made of black wool decorated with harlequin squares, well, those will become collector's items, starting in an auction in 2014 at £1,000.  Absolutely grand.  Made by Liam from Liverpool.

 

 #####################################sangeeta############################################

 

Today I missed going to the Millionaire Mentors Bootcamp at the Hilton, London Bridge.  There is a free general entrace, generously hosted by Raymond Aaron, the bestselling author.  Problem is, it starts at 9 am on Saturday and Sunday.  Just a bit too early to travel up there for me;  otherwise it seems an event worth attending.  Finishes at 6pm both days.  Bootcamp to give you quick fire ideas how to boot up your ideas and send them skyrocketing.

 

 

I am sure someone can suggest ideas to make my website and blog into a money minting machine.  Well, hold my hand and show me the way. 

 

Kind regards,

Duru-darshan.

Recently I wrote about the Mormon church, about their production of a spiritual musical called Truth shall prevail, being staged at the Chorley, Preston temple in Lancashire.  My blog had over 1600 reads, mainly from Hongzhou in China.  Thank you, dear readers.

 

At the moment the most alarming news is from Zimbabwe, where President Mugabe has been re-elected, amidst complaints that the election has been rigged.  His comeback has been with the announcements of implementing policies of nationalisation of mining and natural resources companies.  Mr Mugabe obviously does not believe in free-market economics, nor does the devout Catholic believe in forgiveness, which he and inter-alia his nation received after he took over the white peoples' farms and handed them out to his cronies and their clans.  A nation that was once the bread basket of Africa has reduced itself to a state of constant shortages of food in the supermarkets, due to neglect of a farming sector that has lost its efficiency;  and loss of credibility overseas which have hampered imports.  Just like Zimbabwe produced the Billion Dollar notes and failed to appreciate that their currency cannot have the status of a world reserve currency, so now President Mugabe... but wait, this devout Catholic and clever student and man of the world will surely not fail to realize that nationalising assets belonging to international companies will lose international goodwill towards his nation.  And while it may be very profitable in the short term, in the long term it would be like taking a slow poison.

I pray President Mugabe's  good sense will prevail and he will not decide on such a brutal policy. I hope this man who likes to be portrayed on his country's postage stamps in the manner of a sovereign, follows policies which will leave his country a legacy where they can trade and interact with the rest of the world as a free market economy, for years to come.   Let there not be a time when the nation once again degenerates into a period of stupor and complacency, like recently when so many years were lost due to loss of goodwill abroad and lack of scientific know-how in the country. 

 

The kind gift of globalisation has been the awareness of the spirit that only with co-operation and fairness in dealings can all the nations prosper, by developing their natural resources and exchanging them with others on a fair basis.  To punish the intermediaries of such development, the international companies who operate within the boundaries and jurisdiction of every nation, would not be a welcome gesture.

 

Mr Mugabe's pronouncements have caused market jitters in the short term.  Hopefully he will heed the wise counsel of his Ministers and allow the development of his nation's enterprises continue with international know-how, expertise and capital. 

 

I have many friends from Zimbabwe at the church, and I wish them and their President well.  I hope Mr Mugabe reads my words, and heeds the advise I offer.

 

Kind regards,

Duru-darshan.

 

This marks the 200th Anniversary of the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from Lancashire, where the oldest stake is at Chorley.  The Temple there in Chorley is the venue where the British Pageant is being staged. 

 

It is a potted history of the spread of the Book of Mormon, which is another account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

The Bridge in Liverpool is the theatrical backdrop to this musical extravaganza, with nearly 200 actors, enacting various episodes from personalities connected with the spread and growth of this Church, known as the true church.  "For any man who lacks wisdom, let him ask of God"  and God thus inspired the wondrous 14 year old farmer's son called Joseph Smith junior to go to an open field in Wayne County, New York, in 1820, where he kneeled down to ask God for wisdom and was blessed with the visitation by two beams of light which bore the personages of God and His Son. 

 

Thus the period known as the Apostasy  (meaning the absence of God's Light from Earth after the death of the original twelve apostles of Christ) ended and the Light was restored to Earth, through the 14 year old who subsequently was entrusted with the Golden Plates which he translated and published and distributed, known as The Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ. 

 

Subsequently Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred at Carthage Jail, and their Mother, the blessed Lucy Smith, held steadfast in the face of massive opposition and held the integrity of this inspired book, The Book of Mormon.  Is this book true, did it save a continent from the venom of intolerance and bring peace and understanding to what was then the Wild West?  I understand so.

The steadfast holding of these words of wisdom for which that enlightened family paid so great a price was not without its blessing.  Rightly so is Joseph Smith today known as our blessed Prophet, and the spreading of this Church with temples being built in more and more cities around the world testify to the growing love people have for his wisdom and Light. 

 

Do we wait for the second coming of Christ?  Or did he come in the night, restoring the Gospel of Christ and so graciously leaving this bright burning Light who some call the Church of Mormon?

 

Kind regards,

Duru-darshan

(Melchizedek Priest at the

Ilford Ward).

 

The Chapter 9 Bankruptcy of Detroit last Friday is a stark reminder of what happens to an economy when trust breaks down between communities and disrupts the social fabric, leading to decline and decay and a sad breakdown of an economy.

 

I understand from cursory reading of books on Detroit that the 1967 riots sparked off a distrust between the communities, and may have been the turning point for the breakdown of the economy which has now resulted to this sad, sad decline.

 

No two children of the same family will be totally understanding or obedient to their parent(s), but if family members work in harmony and common objectives, they tend to be more successful.  That rule of harmony holds true for organisations as well as for communities, there is no reason why it should not hold true for cities or even nations, hence last week I referred to Cario and Oakland but of course I should also have mentioned Miami.

 

Just imagine Detroit in the 1950s, which now appears to have been its heyday, full of harmony and enterprise, inspiring dreams, the American dream, contributing to its status as a city of great reputation worldwide, with its ballrooms, museums, theatres, skyscrapers....The industry and enterprise was there to give a livelihood to the 465,000 residents there, who soon grew to over a million and to nearly two million towards the peak.  The infrastructure was added to as it served the citizens and visitors, and the town grew to a city. 

 

The decline has seen people leave, mainly white people leaving the city to suburbs, leaving a ghetto at its core, the deserted buildings falling apart, now ready for demolition or refurbishment. 

 

The population has fallen, leaving the municipality with an income of about $1 billion a year, when it probably needs at least a billion-and-a-half just to service the interest on the bonds. 

 

A solution may be repopulation, with some company and a group of New Economy companies able to generate a lot of jobs and sustain the livelihoods of the citizens.  Obviously there is a lot of talent and raw energy, that can be purposefully employed and will create wealth and sustain the people and regenerate the city.  All that is now needed is for a few men and women of vision to locate their wealth generating companies there, and give a boost to the regeneration of the housing and public buildings.

The talent is there, you cannot stand and see a great city die.  Hopefully, the government can make a special provision for a funding programme to regenerate this great iconic city with its beautiful landmarks. 

 

As harmony exists between people, so will Recovery and Prosperity bloom in their midst. Today, I pray for restoration of faith in Detroit. 

 

Kind regards,

Duru-darshan.

 

There is something about the chemistry, about the language and communication of the mind and soul, which brings people together or drives them apart.  It is this chemistry between people that I would blame for.....or, rather, a change in the chemistry between people that I would blame for separation and divorce. 

 

I am surprised that Napoleon Hill was not given the Noble Prize, but then again there is no category in the Noble Prizes into which his work fits.  Perhaps, on that point, I would suggest there should be another category created by the Trustees of the Noble Foundation.  The Increasing of Human Understanding.

 

Napoleon Hill interviewed 500 of the most successful people in America in the 1920s, and from those interviews he wrote many articles, published in his Hill's Success Magazine.  But a few people made a huge impression on him, viz Andrew Carnegie, Firestone, Henry Ford, Dr.Alexander Graham Bell, and Dr. Thomas Alva Edison.  And yes, Mr Edwin Barnes, who said it could not be done, that is to say, the writing of a blueprint for success based on the interviews with successful people.

 

Napoleon Hill turned that into a questions: Who said it could not be done? and went on to publish his Think and Grow Rich, a book that sells well throughout the world, in many languages, in number just after the sales of the Bible, Koran and Bhagavad-Gita and other religious masterpieces.

 

In his research, Napoleon Hill says that the first three years of a marriage often have petty squabbles and friction, but the love that exists between the two will carry it through.  The next fifteen years are those in which the lucky couple start to look alike in their eye movements and thinking, influencing their value judgements and expressions, meaning the happy couple have achieved understanding of one another, and a state of harmony exists between them that we attribute to the magic of chemistry.

A state of harmony, an instinctive understanding, an automatic understanding of mutual goals. It is like both have the same road-map, or at least complementing road maps.

 

Those for whom a partnership does not work, it seems are rather like a horse-drawn carriage where the horses want to pull in differing directions.  Where it is not possible to bring harmony of direction, abandonment of the journey becomes the alternative.  Such is what happens in business partnerships as well, and in politics as well.

 

A question that may help bring harmony back is : What was the road map that brought the partners together in the first place?  Can it be modified and restored?  If the answer is Yes, then hope still remains for reunion and success.

 

Kind regards,

Duru-darshan.

 

 

 

Dismal unemployment figures for the Eurozone, at 11.7 percent. 

 

Not so good for Spain either, with 26.8 percent unemployed.

 

India the growth figure has slowed to 5.4 percent.

 

What is to become of the world?

 

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton observes, in the context of what has obviously worked in America, that Europe could do with growth instead of austerity.

 

Mme Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund has been suggesting just as much.

 

Growth instead of austerity seems the right recipe, so that all people the world over can return to working and growing and producing and trading and getting the whole circus of life moving at a more purposeful pace. 

 

Easy enough to say, but difficult to implement.  Nevertheless, the recipes seem pretty clear :-

    - The Eurozone governments to slow down the budget cutsnot make them so steep or so fast;

     - Spain to seek the bailout and pump it into their economy, to create growth instead of the        miserable state it is in; it is obviously an economy with great promise of growth;

      - India with all the hard-working people obviously needs to reduce the Reserve Bank rate from eight percent downwards, perhaps to six percent or so.  The lesson of the 2008 G.E.S. should not be lost.

 

In a world full of consumers, normal growth and international trade needs to be encouraged.  People have to stop worrying about future generations, and instead do what people need today and now.

Common sense suggests that the worldwide economic Recovery has every chance of continuing if the government policies are tweaked in line with the realities.

 

Kind regards,

Duru-darshan.

 

 

 

    

Today at the Church, it was the telecast of the 182nd Semi Annual Conference from Utah.

 

It was inspiring and uplifting, and I tried to make copious notes of the various speakers words.

 

The lightest, easily understood message was from President Thomas S. Monson : "We should try to be of good cheer as we go about our lives".  Easy to remember, and hopefully easy to apply in our lives.

 

This warmly inspiring guidance President Monson gave and closed in the name of our Saviour and Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Amen.

 

(written by

Duru-darshan

Melchizedek Priest at the

Church of Latter-Day Saints,

Ilford, Essex)

After announcing the QE3, Fed Chief Ben Bernanke is hoping that the DOW Jones will keep going from strength to strength (suggesting that some of the $40 billion per month going into mortgage-backed securities will go into Wall Street) and the investing public can then take some money off there and spend it, creating a consumer boom.  It seems a good formula, and if put into practice by the public, it will see a continuing Recovery.

 

Meanwhile, the small pause yesterday was being attributed to Spain not asking for a bailout straight away.  It is a weighty decision for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who is seeming to employ a winning formula, announcing budget cuts and putting new money into the banking system.  After a little bit of pain for people getting smaller salaries, there will be a period of growth as more jobs are created as the new money goes into the system.  If the capital in the banks is replenished, then of course there will be jobs created, for mortgage advisors and bank clerks, estate agents, solicitors to do the conveyancing and so on.

 

One fact gives me hope.  In a part of Malaga, where houses and flats are cheap, the bus service is just about every two hours.  Just imagine that.  If they put on more buses there, more people would surely move into that area?  A huge potential for growth into normality is there. 

 

As they take out the maraccas and put on the Flamenco dancing, and croon a viva la Spania, very soon we can all drink the red wine and say Ole!

 

Kind regards,

Duru-darshan.

 

 

 

I have received 88 visitors today, who have read 217 pages.  A lot of the visitors have been from Kieseldv.  My friends, I am so pleased for you and your kind hospitality during the Football Cup.  All visitors had a great time, in the midst of a civilized crowd.  In the world's estimation, Ukraine is a regal state, as the name suggests.  I know your nation is preparing to join the Euro, although I don't know why.  The Mother Currency of 17 Eurozone nations is going through teething problems at the moment, and it my belief that it will mature in due time with even more nations under her wings. 

 

In the currency markets, the Euro is referred to as the Vatican Euro, suggesting that it has the blessing of the Vatican, which reassures everyone even more.  Currently the Euro-Dollar is 1.30 or so, having climbed from 1.20 hardly a few weeks ago, after the ECB President Mario Draghi confirmed his intention to authorize the buying of 2 and 3 year bonds.  The U.S. too is in tune, with Fed Chief Ben Bernanke announcing record low rates till about 2015, coupled with a programme of the Fed buying U.S. mortgage-backed securities to the value of $40 Billion every month.  This has reassured the markets, and as you have noticed, the stockmarkets have gone up, and the currencies have been a favourable play for investors and speculators alike. 

 

Whilst I write this, I remember your former Premier Julia Tymoshenko.  How is she?  She is in hospital, I understand, and I am sure she will be treated in a civilised manner, that is to be expected from the authorities of Ukraine.  If she is actually granted a pardon, I hope the noble heart will help bring more admiration for your people and nation.  Maybe she informally overstepped her authority in opening the gas supply to Europe on that bitterly cold Saturday when my hands were turning to ice and people were dying of hypothermia, but in the hearts of many in Europe who realise what a noble deed this was, Julia Tymoshenko will always be regarded as a heroine, and she brings pride to your nation.  Tell her she is remembered here with great appreciation.

 

Kind regards,

Duru-darshan.

 

The Internet has created so many millionaires and billionaires, and left so many people un or underemployed. 

 

The Internet has brought rapid progress.  I don't have to visit the library, I can read so much online.  Saves on time and bus-fare. 

 

By the same token, it has reduced the High Street to empty shops. 

 

When the Internet first started to pick up, it was a novel experience.  Around the same time, they brought in the 7 day a week shopping experience, with shops being open on Sundays as well.  But my observation is that after about 8 or 9 months, some shops started to close, people started to lose their jobs. 

 

Let's make it cheaper, deliver it faster, has become the way of doing business successfully in the Internet age.  Now, if someone has an item that everybody would buy, all they have to do is set up a shop, an online presence, and customers come flooding in.  Cheaper books online mean bookshops are facing closure, so many free books on a £79 Kindle means people won't buy books nor go to libraries.

Can you just imagine how many jobs will be lost?  The whole human experience of going to shops may disappear in some sectors, sad to imagine. 

 

The successful online shops will make their proprietors millionaires, but so many people will be left without jobs. 

 

The new technology is an empowering technology, freeing people from the drudgery of repetitive tasks, so they can have more free time or rather not-too-busy time but still earning a living.  The new tech is a gift from God for the progress of mankind.  The Internet millionaires and billionaires perhaps will one day pay heed to the idea that being so empowered, they have the gift to gift it to other people, just like Tim Berners-Lee did with his world wide web.  Let everybody have a job, and be eating, drinking, reading books, watching movies, listening to more music, enjoying life, but still earning their living. 

That would be mankind's dream come true, the age we have all been praying for, on a nice sunny day to put the sporting shoes and sports shirt, and go for a stroll, secure that the world is a good place, and God has given the world the bounty to share and let everybody enjoy.

 

Kind regards,

Duru-darshan.