Well, actually, it’s both … the charm of hummingbirds is most certainly apropos and “a charm” of hummingbirds is actually factual! Yep, that’s right, the collective noun for these unique creatures – just like a gaggle of geese or a flock of birds, is a charm of hummingbirds. Since the definition of the noun ‘charm’ is “the power of giving delight or arousing admiration,” one doesn’t need to be a wordsmith to see how right that is. Hummingbirds are charming. And there are over 330 varieties of the species, Trochilidae, which is their biological family name and they’re found in the Western Hemisphere. When one sees a hummingbird, it’s a stunning, stop-in-your-tracks sight. Their brilliant throat color is actually a result of the iridescence in the arrangement of their feathers, not color pigment. Light level, moisture, angle of viewing and other factors all influence just how bright and colorful their throats may appear. Perhaps you’ve heard them, too – the name hummingbird comes from the buzzing sound of their fast-flapping wings.Hummers are migrant birds, so although many stay close to the Equator, lots of varieties travel this time of year, so there may be a ‘charm’ coming to your backyard soon. If you have the desire to see one up close or are curious about how to attract them to your yard, the folks at Cole’s Wild Bird Feed Co have got you covered. First, they figured out the engineering of an elegant, deceptively simple, easy-to-use (and easy-to-clean!) feeder. The patented Hummer High Rise has a clever design that offers a stress-free position for your charming guests to get their fill, a fantastic 360-degree vista, all the while keeping other unwanted creatures at bay.For example there’s an ant moat that stops the armies of industrious workers who’d love to get some sweet nectar, from beating a path to the liquid food. The genius is, it’s an actual moat, with nothing but H2O keeping the ants at bay, so while it does its job, it doesn’t do harm. Nice! A charm magnet. The second definition for the noun ‘charm’ is a small ornament worn on a necklace or bracelet. Hummingbirds weigh on average the same as a nickel, so while you’ll want to wear a replica from the jewelers, Hummers can be your own garden’s jewelry all season long.And in return for their arousing your admiration, they’ll feed on those annoying garden insects and pests. For their small size, hummers eat a lot. They are voracious eaters, feeding on mosquitos, gnats, spiders, aphids and other six-legged creepy crawlers. But, besides pests for protein, their primary ‘food group’ is nectar, which they get in by flitting from flower to flower and using their long beaks and equally long tongues to get their fill. All that flitting is exhausting!Since hummingbirds drink up to half their body weight a day of nectar you can help them out by keeping your High Rise fully stocked, for a one-stop fill of their favorite nectar treat.Let’s not leave out the definition of the verb, “charm,” which is to “delight greatly.” If you want these Disney-esque caricatures to delight you on a regular basis with their wonder – and bring their distinctive song to your yard – there is something you can buy: the creme-de la creme of what these charmers crave: Nature’s Garden from Cole’s.By identifying and harnessing the nutrients of the hummer’s favorite wildflowers, and tapping their vast store of wild bird knowhow, Cole’s has created the next-best-thing to actual flower nectar – a proprietary formula that’s far and away a cut above your ‘garden-variety’ sugar water. Nature’s Garden is a healthy, all-natural alternative to homemade syrup, no mixing and no boiling required. It comes in an eco-friendly soft pouch; just shake and pour. You’ll be delighted with how easy it is to keep your hummer feeder filled and overjoyed at seeing hummers frequent your yard. Your neighborhood hummingbirds will love it, so they’ll keep coming back.A brief postscript: a natural predator to the hummingbird is the praying mantis. Despite their equally small size and saintly appearance, they feed on our fascinating feathered friends and are a real threat (and a protected species), so if you find a mantis hanging around your High Rise, take care to evict it gently, to a lower piece of real estate and keep hummers safe.
Tag: School
The Flaws In Our Education System
Historically, the concept of education involved the sharing of knowledge and values between people. This form of education ensured that valuable knowledge was promulgated within a society, from one society to another, and from generation to generation. It focused on the importance of culture and taught skills needed to positively contribute to society through hands-on learning and observation. Children were given the freedom to explore on their own because this supported their natural ways of learning. Moreover, it bolstered unity as the teachers were always members of the same community that they were teaching. We would not be aware of countless facets of history, such as the Egyptian civilization, the Mesopotamian civilization, and the Hunter-gatherer culture if this form of education did not exist.
So how did it all go wrong?
The popularization of the standardized education system as we know it today, in which children are corralled into classes based on their age and study in institutions known as schools, can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution. Nowadays, it is suitably referred to as the “one shoe fits all approach to education” and the “factory model of education”. However, if we consider the prevailing socio-economic conditions of that time, creating a standardized education system was ineluctable and economically beneficial.
Schools were tasked with transforming their attendees from students to efficient workers who would eventually increase the quantity and quality of the labour force. The need to encourage unique skills and individuality did not exist as students would grow up to do monotonous and regulated work. As Alvin Toffler put it “the whole idea of assembling masses of students (raw material) to be processed by teachers (workers) in a centrally located school (factory) was a stroke of industrial genius”. At the time, it was thought that the best way to produce efficient workers was through the teaching of certain subjects that curricula makers deemed “crucial” using the same method and pace for all students. Students were compelled to utilize rote learning and take graded exams that decided their “intelligence” and potential in life.
The egregious problem arises when we notice that schools continue to espouse this myopic view on education even after over a hundred years. A hundred years ago, things like the radio, jet engines, helicopters, credit cards, car seat belts, personal computers, smartphones, and the internet did not exist. In a world that undergoes major transformations constantly, how can we be satisfied with this archaic and pernicious education system in the 21st century?
In today’s world of modernity, complexity, fastidiousness, globalization, and innovation, the flaws of our education system are more conspicuous than ever. No two students are the same. This monolithic and iniquitous system neglects the fact that students have different skill-sets, they learn at different paces, they come from different backgrounds, and wish to pursue different careers in their lives. Undoubtedly, there are numerous instances in which students benefit from and even thrive in the current education system. There are also countless children that long to go to school but don’t have the opportunities or resources to do so. However, there are too many instances in which students, despite arduous effort, struggle in and are lobotomized by this sclerotic education system. They are made to feel inadequate. They are made to believe that they are “slow” and will always flounder.
Students acquiescently regurgitate vast amounts of information on exams with minimal innovation. These exams, more often than not, test the memorization skills of students, rather than serve as a platform on which they can showcase their understanding of a concept. Students who do well in these exams have the hubristic belief that they are “winners” because society says so and those who don’t do well are humiliated and considered “losers” by society. While it is understood that learning requires the amassing and retention of information, any information that is not understood becomes an undigested burden. The misconception that good grades are the only path to success causes unnecessary pressure on students.
The strictures imposed by this education system curtails creativity and originality. Concurrently, it encourages conformity, rigidity, and conventionality. It assiduously ignores essential modern-day lessons, such as financial literacy, life skills, mental health, critical thinking, empathy, compassion, collaboration, and countless others. This results in students feeling disconcerted when they face the precarious reality of after-school life. It provides students with a series of conclusions, rather than a way of thinking.
To truly change this standardized educational system, we have to abandon the ostensible idea that it is still a product of logical necessity or scientific insight. The hunter-gatherers adapted their education system to their needs. The education system was modified to cater to the needs of the industrial revolution. Likewise, our education system must change too so that students can truly be prepared for the future. This will certainly alleviate any antipathy held by students towards education and will make education and learning synonymous again.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
Albert Einstein
Topics that Schools Should Include
People’s eyes are often clouded with judgement. They perceive everything with the same mindset, often not taking consideration of the personal experiences of others. The variation in between people, be it twins or strangers from opposite parts of the world, is astounding. We fail to realise the differences among people. This diversity should be taught in school and colleges. The perception of the world and people should be an important part of the curriculum. Let’s talk about a few differences among people:
Patient and full of wisdom, some people are firm and capable of making good decisions for themselves. They are always aware of all the consequences, pros and cons of their actions and choices. At times, they may focus more on the negative part of a situation. They take into account their compatibility with someone according to their preferences and personality whenever they start a relationship. Their love life is often serious, they want to be committed to someone who is looking for a future with them. They also often forget to live in the moment by worrying unnecessarily about their future.
The nature of some people tends to be unpredictable. For them, meditation is helpful as it keeps them focused and prepared for any mood changes or major decisions that they may take. Some are also quite creative and intelligent whereas, in school, we often associate creativity with extrovert behaviour. Some others may be generous and good conversation makers. Including these differences in the curriculum of schools can help students in leading a better life. They should also be taught to prioritise themselves. One’s experiences and personality is one’s own, it is only in one’s power to change them and subsequently, their life. This teaches them to be independent and in charge of their life.
On the other hand, some people are highly emotional and sensitive. Sometimes, their emotions can be overwhelming and difficult to handle. Yoga, which should be mandatory in schools and colleges, can be like a pillow of comfort which provides them emotional support whenever they lay their head on it by supplying situation-specific solutions. Those who are wise know that they should live in the moment, thus, they never fail to find happiness in small things. Their most prominent qualities may be honesty, living a moment to its fullest, and expressing themselves correctly. As those who are wise speak their mind, the fire in them may come out in the form of an angry outburst. However, expressing anger and being ill-tempered are very different. Those who are ill-tempered, their hot-headedness makes them take decisions that are impulsive, and their ego prevents them from going back on what they have decided.
Knowledge about these personality variations will not only make students see others in a different light, but also make them more self-aware. They can accordingly work on themselves to be the best version they can be after knowing their flaws.
Along with people, their perception of who they find refreshing to be around, whose presence can make them forget about their worries and have a refreshing, peaceful moment in a life full of rush also varies.
From the vast pool of personal experience and exposure, we learn about our own selves. Educational institutions should include activities focused on self-discovery and self-awareness. They are as important as any other subject being taught.
Love
The emotion of love is a blessing to one and all. Everyone needs and wants to be loved in their life. It is said that love blossoms in your life when it is in your destiny. However, it is not always one’s partner who is the most loved, it depends upon their priorities and experiences. For some, their parents are the most important throughout their life, while for others, they may take a backseat when they get married. Love cannot be forced, it grows out of their personal experiences in life. As every personality variates, the definition of love and how they express it also changes. It is not just fellow humans whom we fall in love with, it could be animals, plants or any material. Love, as a feeling, should not be restricted. One should love whoever and whatever they want to love because nothing, not even monetary gains, can give us the joy and happiness this feeling can.
Here are some things that people love and prioritise-
For some, blood relationships are of the highest importance. They love their family more than anything in the world. It is their cousins who take part in their mischievous plans and subsequently form an unbreakable bond with them. They are their family as well as their friends and, thus, they are the closest to them. Impulsive, confident and generous, some people have an extremely special bond with their mothers. They may the rebellious child of their family and cause troubles to their moms but their love towards them is incomparable. They are often labelled as ‘mamma’s child’ because they prioritise their mothers above everything else.
Many people forget to live in the present and often replay their certain happy memories instead of creating more. They ones who are hung up on their past. They devote all their love to their ex-partner or someone they previously in their life who may have even done them wrong. They easily fall in love but it is hard for them to stop loving someone.
Friendship is valued by most and some may even give it the highest priority. Some people are extremely close to their friends. They are someone who is always ready to help others in difficult situations. Their creativity and practical knowledge are at work when they’re with their friends as they always look for new experiences. They are the ones who love their best friends more than anyone else in the world, either in a platonic or romantic way. They consider their best friends as their backbone.
Leaving the present and the past behind, some people tend to dwell in the future. Constantly planning about their future events, friendships, relationships et cetera they actually forget to admire what’s around them. They may love the image of their future partner the most. They are constantly searching for their perfect mate. In this process, they develop high expectations and a surreal standard for their future.
Many people are self-reliant and passionate and prioritise themselves over others. They endlessly work on themselves to become their best version. They are completely in love with their souls and never hesitate to show that. Self-love is a very important part of everyone.
It is said by many that pets are human’s best friends. For many, their pets are like their family. Their world would come to a halt if they are away from their pets for a long time. They shower their pets with all their love and provide the absolute best to them. They are the kind of people who feed their pet before they eat themselves.
Thus, love is an emotion which varies for everyone.
Corporal Punishment: Something That Should Not Be A Part Of Childhood
Getting physically injured is something that is scary for everyone. So, what makes it okay to cause harm to a child, just because he/she did something which is inappropriate, instead of talking and explaining to them? Nothing. Nothing justifies mistreating a child at a place where they are supposed to grow into the future of the nation.
Corporal punishment, by definition, means to cause deliberate physical pain to someone, usually by an individual who holds an authority over the other person, in order to reinforce a point. In INida, as sad as it sounds, but corporal punishment is a part and parcel of almost all the indiviuals childhood. For the more unfortunate individuals, it was/ is a daily experience. If confronted, the administrator of these punishments have replies ranging from ‘tough love’ to ‘teaching them obedience’ to ‘it is how it is’. It is to say, as if physical punishment are mandated, not even an option. Many people justify it from their childhood experience.
Another way to look at this is that it is the easy way out. Sometimes, from responsibilities to sitting down and making the child understand why something is not correct. Sometimes, from the hassle of handling a situation. ANd sometimes, it is for the long run. The perpetrators would say it is helpful in the long run for the children, but in reality, it is often helpful for them in the long run, as the punished child is effectively scared to not try his/her limits again.
The children, upto the age of 12, undergo physical growth and development. Upto this stage, some parts tend to be more susceptible to get hurt in comparison to adults. Corporal punishment often exposes the children to the rish of serious physical damages. Some they become life threatening and permanent too. And apart from that, the trauma and mental harassment that the child goes through also needs to be taken in account.
Corporal punishment in educational institutes does more harm than good. In India, an overwhelming percentage of authoritative people indulge in corporal punishment in these educational and co curricular institutes. And sadly, their colleagues often not only don’t call them out on this, but rather even support them in many cases. Such behaviour and environment is enough to deter a child from going back to school and makes education a burden to them. This also results in negative emotional development in the child.
According the Indian law, under Right To Education Act, 2009, Section 17 declares corporal punishment (also includes mental harassment) to be illegal, and the person found guilty under this charges will face disciplinary action in accordance to the applicable service rules applicable. On the similar note, Section 323, 325, 305, 352 and 506 of the IPC are also regarding child protection. The figures of authority that can be held responsible in such cases include teachers, relatives and even the parents.
But the sad scenario is that though in the law books, these laws are often not enforced in reality. The society, as a whole, sees corporal punishment as a part of growing, and until that attitude remains, things are not going to be better.
Experience of a 2020 Graduate
Every year when we passed a class, be it Kindergarten, 4th grade or 10th grade, we feel like we’ve grown and moved onto bigger things in life. Our teachers always made us feel like a wiser, more responsible person every time we moved up a class. When we graduated from school, a deep sorrow along with excitement for experiencing college life filled us. Passing the 12th grade is the ultimate goodbye from our friends and family, our teachers, the school we’ve been in for years, and the city we grew up in. Never did our previous years’ graduates were stuck in a limbo, out of school but not in a college. A long gap with nothing to do in it, no motivation and no goal.
Every day of 11th and 12th, we heard our teachers and parents tell us the importance of the stream we choose and the things we learn in the duration of these two years. The final year of school, 12th grade is the most important year of the entire school life in terms of both academics and fun.
From the very first day of 12th, we are told to study hard as it will play a great role in determining the college we get into and the career we choose. Even though it is the last year of school life, our focus remains more on our marks, completion of our syllabus, multiple coaching or tuition classes, and comparing our score to others. We forget to spend some of our time doing what we’ll actually miss and remember, hanging out with friends, extracurricular activities, going to the canteen, roaming around in the school, and so much more.
The 2020 graduates have had the worst farewell or introduction into college. Some of us couldn’t even give the exams we had prepared for with all our might. When we were done with our exams, there was a long waiting period. All of the plans, going on a trip, having the time of our lives, were unsuccessful as we couldn’t even leave our houses.
Having spent the last seven months in isolation, with uncertainty about our future, has really affected our mental health. Those who have taken admission into colleges have to adapt themselves to online college life with many hours spent in front of their laptops. Those who have not yet taken admission are also under a lot of stress as they are wasting away the important time of their life.
Competitive exams such as NEET (National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test), JEE (Joint Entrance Examination), CLAT (Common Law Admission Test), et cetera were postponed which severely stressed out the ones who had been preparing for these exams for the past two years.
The results were delayed and the admission processes in some colleges have still not begun which is making the graduates anxious. This is in stark contrast to all the previous years’ experience which was full of joy and excitement, not stress and anxiety.
Hopefully, everything will be back to as it was before!
Teachers During the Pandemic
Teachers during the pandemic
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has significantly affected all sectors including the education sector, the agriculture sector, the industrial sector, and our economy in its entirety. This unforeseen virus has single-handedly disrupted the entire world, from every country’s economy to everyone’s professional as well as personal life. One of the sectors which have been deeply affected is the education sector. Schools have been working offline efficiently for a long time and expecting a fluid switch from offline classes to e-learning is not practical. Most of the schools and the students are not well-equipped with technology to conduct classes regularly, administer tests, organise co-curricular activities, et cetera. Teachers now have to work double the amount they did with the same, if not less, salary.
Here are some problems that teachers are facing in our country:
• Technological Gap
On one hand, the previous generation is not familiar with technology and on the other, the present generation excels in this area. All their existing curriculum plans are no longer applicable for online learning, thus, they have had to opt for new timetables and plans which may or may not be favourable for them. Learning your way around new applications, especially at the risk of your job, is not an easy task. Upon that, teachers are also made to feel embarrassed because of their lack of knowledge in this area.
• Unemployment or fall in salary
In these difficult times, teachers are facing financial problems. Due to classes no longer being conducted in many schools or shut down of local schools, teachers and other employees are losing their jobs. The sports department is not engaged in teaching or other activities due to the lockdown and social distancing protocols which do not allow sports. Many teachers have been cut and their work given to others, overburdening them while leaving the others unemployed. Some educational institutions are reducing the salaries of their employees, or simply making them work by not giving them their well-deserved pay.
• Household chores
India, a country which follows a largely patriarchal system, has about 70 female teachers per a hundred men. Women in our country are expected to attend to all the household chores. Many teachers of this age also have kids, whom they need to handle during the classes as well. Thus, teachers, both male and female, are overburdened with work. Having classes 6 days a week and handling your house are not easy tasks, especially with the added stress of the pandemic and the uncertain future.
• Bullying
Students are taking advantage of the anonymity that the internet provides. Disrupting classes, passing snide comments, making fun of the teacher, et cetera are very common these days. Students do it out of fun or boredom, what they do not realise is the deep mental effects bullying has on others. Teachers are already pressurised by the schools and the demand to quickly adapt to new teaching methods, they also have to go through this.
Elementary class teachers are finding it difficult to engage students. Their screen time is increasing and as teaching takes up most of their day, their physical exercise has reduced. Social isolation and all these factors together are negatively affecting our teachers. Let’s take a vow to be kinder to them as they are surely doing their best!
Friendship Is The Most Wonderful Relationship In Our Life
Friendship is the most wonderful relationship that anyone can have. Ideally a friend is a person who offers love and respect and will never leave or betray us. Friends can tell harsh truths when they must be told. There are four different types of friends: True friends, Convenient friends, Special interest friends, and historical friends. To have friendship is to have comfort. In times of crisis and depression, a friend is there to calm us and to help lift up our spirits. There are many illustrations that show why a friend can be a great comforter. For example, if a student is going through a hard time at school, a friend can offer guidance, encouragement and support.
A true friend is also someone who loves and respects us. A boyfriend and a girlfriend desire to be with each other. They love each other so much that they just want to be with each other as much as possible. This bond is also present in a good friendship because it has genuine love. Also, as friends they respect each other. They try to avoid causing conflicts. They don’t make fun of each other, but treat each other with respect. As friends, we all make sacrifices for each other. Some friends risk their lives for a friend.
A person is acquainted with many persons in their life. However, the closest ones become our friends. You may have a large friend circle in school or college, but you know you can only count on one or two people with whom you share true friendship.There are essentially two types of friends, one is good friends the other are true friends or best friends. They’re the ones with whom we have a special bond of love and affection. In other words, having a true friend makes our lives easier and full of happiness.
Most importantly, true friendship stands for a relationship free of any judgments. In a true friendship, a person can be themselves completely without the fear of being judged. It makes you feel loved and accepted. This kind of freedom is what every human strives to have in their lives.In short, true friendship is what gives us reason to stay strong in life. Having a loving family and all is okay but you also need true friendship to be completely happy. Some people don’t even have families but they have friends who’re like their family only. Thus, we see having true friends means a lot to everyone.
Being in a relationship and having a boyfriend and girlfriend they key word in that is “friend” the key to a relationship is to be good friends first before rushing into anything. that also means you have genuine love for each other and you even respect each other more. One of the most important thing about having a friend is to never betray them. A friend is loyal through thick and thin, broke or rich, house or no house, smart or dumb. A lot of friendships now a days are not real friendships. People are friends with each other for even a certain period of time to get something out of them. A lot of people do not keep promises in a friendship anymore and it is sad. Loyalty and love makes a friendship a lot stronger.
Therefore, there is no doubt that best friends help us in our difficulties and bad times of life. They always try to save us in our dangers as well as offer timely advice. True friends are like the best assets of our life because they share our sorrow, sooth our pain and make us feel happy.
My favourite subject
As a student, everyone excels in some subjects and not in the others. Of course, there are some students who do well in all of them, but that number is low. However, almost every student has a favourite subject. It does not matter if it’s related to academics or arts. Personally, my favorite subject is English. I have always scored well on the subject because I understand it well. It makes learning effortless and I always manage to get good marks. There are other subjects I like too but English definitely tops my list. I never get bored of it and am always ready to study it.
Reason For Favouritism
There are many reasons as to why I enjoy studying English. The major one is that it enhances my reading skills. Ever since my childhood, my mother has always read stories to me. So, I developed a habit of reading and listening to stories. As my reading skills get polished through English, it helps me in other subjects too. I grasp the concepts better through reading.
Furthermore, through English, I developed a knack for writing. I absolutely enjoy writing essays and articles. It is only through English, that I started writing my own work. This helps me in forming incredible answers for other subjects as well. It gives me the experience to use accurate words and sentences to convey my message better.
Most importantly, I love fictional stories in English. I love how it always has some lessons in them to learn. They also apply in real life and help me make wise decisions. The stories in English novels and plays always keeps me entertained. It also enhances my imagination powers.
A Scoring Subject
English is definitely a scoring subject which makes it even more special for me. I am an average student who does not take much interest in Science. I manage to get decent marks in the subjects, but in English, I score well. When we compare English to other subjects, we see it is most scoring.
English does not demand word to word answers. It gives the child a chance to play with words. It gives them the creative liberty to speak their minds out. For instance, in Maths, you cannot create your own formulas. You must copy the same exact one taught in the syllabus. But, in English, we can compose our own answers based on our understanding and intelligence.
In addition, English teachers are usually more approachable and understanding. In other subjects, the teachers always have to stick by the book and literally make students mug up the formulas and theories. The English teacher takes time to make them understand each phrase. They allow the students to interpret it as per their intellect. This empowers the child too so they can put their own thinking in it.
In short, I absolutely love English. It gives me the chance to excel without putting too much pressure on me. I get to play with words and form my own interpretations. This helps me get the creative freedom I do not get in other subjects.
Who delivers the Amazon cardboard boxes???
Cardboard boxes that have been used for generations and thrived in the age of e-commerce continue to flourish or could the cardboard box be facing a new challenger? Cardboard boxes are a very big deal within the U.S. The United States is the Saudi Arabia of trees. Someone’s going to make the first box and that’s almost inevitably a mill generally in the Southeast United States. China certainly doesn’t have trees and India the extent they do have trees they’re not necessarily the right types of trees and shouldn’t be dedicated towards making boxes for us. The box business grew rapidly up through 1999 when the U.S. coordinated box market had its peak shipment. Starting in the early 2000s the U.S. corrugated box market faced multiple economic obstacles.
The great recession dragged on box demand and even after the recession demand continued to slow for commodity like soda and for the boxes that transport them. The move to digital devices also coincided with a drop in demand for copy paper and newsprint. But box makers found a grace in e-commerce sales and Amazon sale specifically which were growing at mostly integer rates within the recession and post-recession years. Those e-commerce sales have become a significant market for the containerboard industry. In 2018 told a U.S. e-commerce sales were estimated to be $512 billion almost 50 percent higher than in 2015. Amazon captured 48 percent of those sales. Most estimates are that e-commerce accounts for about 10 percent of the U.S. box market. Amazon accounts for close to 5 percent of U.S. box demand. By our estimates they are clearly the single largest box user in the US. International Paper with a third of the market I think does closer to 50 percent of all the amazon boxes evidently they got a bit more share than perhaps some of the smaller players.
Amazon said they deal with most of the big box makers across the U.S. according to analysts. Those manufacturers include International Paper, WestRock, Packaging Corporation of America and Georgia-Pacific. Some investors were turning to these companies as a way to invest in the e-commerce giant without having to purchase Amazon’s pricey stock. People didn’t really start talking about buying International Paper or WestRock as a secondary investment in Amazon till about the last five years. Despite the boost from e-commerce sales the box business still isn’t growing all that much. And since 2018 their stocks have mostly underperformed the S&P 500. In 2018, 69 percent of International Papers total revenue came from the box business and that sales volume has been mostly flat for the past five years. Although the big producers sold less boxes in 2018 than in 2000, industry consolidation has dramatically narrowed the fields.
The handful of big players remaining are based in Memphis, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia and Lake Forest, Illinois. Analysts have told CNBC that substantial industry mergers have made it easier to collectively hike prices and those price increases have helped drive revenue. There are portions of the business that are in indisputable secular decline but if you’re in the brown part of the business, making these boxes, that’s been some very welcome growth. But those extra boxes piling up on people’s doorsteps have led to a backlash from disgruntled customers who are sick of receiving golf ball sized products in supersized boxes. It used to be that you’d order a toothbrush and it would come in three giant boxes and you’d say to yourself, what is this? Well, Amazon is trying to rectify that by using fewer boxes and using other types of packaging where appropriate. With e-commerce packaging underfire Amazon decided to change the way they do shipping. In 2008, Amazon introduced the Frustration Free Packaging program. It aims to reduce the extra packaging created when retail packaged products are placed inside Amazon boxes to be shipped. Instead, products certified in the program that are roughly the size of a blender or larger need to be packaged in their own ready to ship boxes. And those boxes also need to be made of 100 percent recyclable materials. For customers that means that the packaging is easy to recycle and the box is easy to open without all the excess packaging materials.
Amazon offered vendors an incentive of a dollar per shipment to modify their packaging. And starting August 1st 2019 Amazon is charging a $1.99 penalty for each product shipped that needs to be reboxed. And basically the point of this deadline is for Amazon to get out of the business of packaging. They want their vendors to send them boxes that Amazon doesn’t have to touch or rebox. Over the last two years we have invented two different kinds of flexible mailers. One is the blue and white all plastic mailer. We’ve recently launched in the last six, eight months a paper padded mailer that’s actually fully recyclable with the paper stream. Amazon said they made about 10 million shipments using the paper padded mailer and depending on the month the plastic mailer is used about 20 to 30 percent of the time. So really when we come down to deciding if the product is of the size it can go on a mailer, it’s not likely to be damaged by going in the mailer, the mailer is always the better fitting option and frankly is easier for the customer to choose to recycle than breaking down a corrugate box. We’re driving in that direction for many different reasons. But those plastic mailers generally are not accepted in municipal recycling programs and you’ll need to bring them to a store that accepts plastic bags. The latest stats from the EPA show that corrugated boxes were recycled at a rate of 92 percent in 2015 while plastic bags, sacks and wraps were recycled at a rate of 13 percent in 2015.
When you think about what is the greatest pain point for the consumer after having it get there safely arrive on time people are concerned about receiving something that is plastic or made a poly because of the environmental concerns. Some waste management companies say plastic packaging also causes problems for the recycling systems. Plastic mailers get caught in the recycling machinery slowing down the process and raising the costs for recyclers and sometimes contaminating entire bundles. Until Scotty on the Enterprise can beam the products from the warehouse to your living room I think Amazon’s going to be good for the corrugated business. I think there’s going to be noise I think you’re going to have challenges from time to time where people say, “Should we try and the plastic pouch?”, in the long run plastic is going to be on the wrong side of history. Because Amazon is a market leader in the U.S. e-commerce sector any move away from cardboard to plastic mailers could signal a shift for the entire industry. The corrugated box could be about to undergo a major facelift. We’re seeing some major trends among consumers and what they’re expecting from e-commerce and the first one is actually this desire for increased engagement with the package. In 2015, Amazon partnered with Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment to ship orders in bright yellow delivery boxes featuring cartoon characters from the movie Minions. The boxes promoting the movie and a special Amazon U.R.L. dedicated to shopping for merchandise from the film.
Why economy of India is slowing down???
India is one among the world’s fasting growing economies. It had been touted as an economic and geopolitical counterweight to China. But recently its growth fell to its slowest pace in six years. Investment has weakened, and unemployment has risen. So what’s causing the slowdown, and how can it be reversed? Since the turn of the century, India’s economy has grown at a rapid rate, helping transform the country. Between 2006 and 2016, rising incomes lifted 271 million people out of poverty, meaning the proportion of Indians still living in poverty has fallen dramatically, from around 55% to twenty-eight . Access to electricity has also improved. In 2007 just 70% of the population had access to power. By 2017, that grew to nearly 93%.
More recently, the Indian government constructed around 110 million toilets — a huge step towards better sanitation designed to prevent the practice of open defecation. It’s a signature program of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, known as Swachh Bharat, or Clean India. All this development has been supported by a booming economy, but as lately , that expansion has begun to run out of steam. In the third quarter of 2019, India’s economic output grew by 4.5% – making it the primary time the country’s growth dipped below 5% since 2013. For context, 4.5% growth remains much above that of developed economies just like the U.S., But with 12 million Indians entering the workforce per annum , economists say the country needs annual growth rates to remain above nine percent to make sure there are enough jobs. So, what’s causing this recent slowdown? Well, officialdom argue turbulence in international financial markets is guilty.
Political uncertainty and U.S.-China trade tensions mean confidence levels among investors and consumers everywhere have sunk. The United Nations has even warned that a global recession in 2020 is now a “clear and present danger”. But back to India – many economists say the country’s growth problems are literally self-inflicted. One obvious culprit is the shadow banking sector. During the 2000s, India saw an investment boom. It was fuelled by state banks dispensing a load of loans for giant infrastructure projects. But some of the companies taking advantage of these loans couldn’t keep up with the repayments. That meant the state banks weren’t getting paid back and therefore struggled to give out new loans. To keep business moving, shadow banks stepped in. These financial institutions, which operate like ordinary commercial banks but don’t follow traditional banking rules, eventually made up an estimated third of all new loans nationwide. The loans played a pivotal role for the millions of small businesses and consumers who would otherwise have no access to credit. But in 2018, shadow banking giant Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services, defaulted on its debt repayments. Its collapse sent shockwaves through the economy and shook up more traditional banks that had supported the world.
It became harder for people to shop for expensive items like cars. That hurt India’s automotive industry, which is one among the country’s biggest. It employs about 35 million people and makes up about 7% of India’s GDP. Last summer, the industry suffered its worst sales performance in nearly 19 years, and reports suggest tens of thousands of workers are laid off. The agriculture and construction sectors have also been hurting, with small and medium businesses being hit the hardest. The country’s percentage has been on an overall upward trend since July 2017, rising several percentage points to 7.7%. Higher unemployment means consumers are buying less, resulting in the unfortunate cycle of slower manufacturing, production, investment and job creation.
A survey from the Reserve Bank of India found consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level in five years. But Indians still have a positive outlook for the longer term , with most consumers expecting to feel more optimistic during a year. However, if things don’t improve, debt could become another issue. Expecting better days ahead, many households have continued to spend, by taking out loans and dipping into savings. Household savings as a proportion of GDP has fallen from 23.6% to 17.2%. Meanwhile, household debt has surged to 10.9% during the same period. Critics say the govt in New Delhi has did not spot these risks and hasn’t done enough to urge the economy moving again. The Reserve Bank of India’s former governor Raghuram Rajan recently blamed the lack of significant reforms and a slowdown in investments since the global financial crisis. Even the country’s chief economic advisor recently admitted reforms are needed to form India more friendly to investors.
India has cut its corporate rate , but labor and land laws are still extremely strict. He also says the country must become pro-market, instead of just pro-business, to avoid costly government bailouts of failing sectors. But not all reforms have been good to the economy. In 2016, Prime Minister Modi tried to crack down on corruption, counterfeits and evasion by banning high value bank notes. In one night, the cash ban made 86% of all cash invalid. Three years later, many analysts say the policy disrupted the economy and did not achieve many of its original goals. In 2017, a replacement nuisance tax placed small businesses struggling and a few of them were forced to shut . In mid-2019, India’s government introduced a controversial new tax on foreign investors. Consequently, India’s stock exchange suffered its worst July performance in 17 years. Just one month later, the measure was scrapped.
The government has now refocused its efforts on international trade and investment, and thus the recent changes to the corporate rate could indeed help attract businesses and investors to India. But if the country wants to be a part of the world’s largest supply chains, it’ll need low and consistent tariff levels to encourage outsiders to take a position for the long term.
The country’s shifting export policy has harmed several of its largest industries, particularly clothing. India’s share of the worldwide apparel market has increased only slightly within the past 20 years. And though the Indian workforce is vast, both Bangladesh and Vietnam now export more. On top of that, the country’s import tariffs on the average are much above the world’s biggest economies. They’re also among the highest of the world’s emerging economies. Even U.S. President Donald Trump has called for the country to bring down its duties.
Has India’s growth actually slowed the maximum amount as we think? The government’s former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian caused a good little bit of controversy in June 2019, when he claimed the country’s official stats probably overstated GDP growth by 2.5% from 2011-2012 to 2016-2017. He says the bottom line is that India never recovered from the global financial crisis. The government denies this. But none of this has hurt Prime Minister Modi at the polls – he won by a landslide in the most recent election. So how will he keep his promise and double the dimensions of the economy by 2025? Many economists insist a well-explained economic vision would help. As would more long-term investment, better skilled workers and enhancements to infrastructure. It may not matter who or what’s responsible for India’s recent economic challenges, but bottom line – India’s economic process must recover , and fast.
Why Australia is least affected by recession!!!
America’s economy is approaching a big milestone. If it keeps humming until July 2019, it’ll be the longest expansion in U.S. history. It would be exactly one decade and one month old by then. But there’s another country with an even more impressive run It’s even called the ‘lucky country’ Three big lessons from Australia.
- Be smart.
- Be organized.
- Be lucky.
So, if I’ve got any advice for other countries, it’s try and be as lucky as Australia That luck has to do with Australia’s treasure trove of natural resources. You know Australia is on the other side of the world and sitting on tremendously valuable minerals right at the point where the Chinese economy is just around the corner and exploding. Australia and every one its natural resources were within the right geographic neighborhood even as the Chinese economy began to begin . And it just so happens that China did a big fiscal stimulus in 2008 and spent a great deal of money building new cities. So all of these resources were drawn from places like Australia. So that also served as a huge tailwind at a time when developed markets were in a whole lot of trouble.
The year 2008 was a time of economic turmoil The Global Financial Crisis hit and markets crumbled around the world. But as it turns out this was also a year for Australia’s economic management to really show off At the time the government had a very helpful and very low level of debt. One reason? Pension reform in the 1990s. Australia set up a compulsory retirement system called the superannuation system. It requires employers put money into its employees’ retirement savings.
Since companies and citizens have to build up retirement savings, some of the financial burden to pay off pensions was taken off of Australia’s government As other economies reeled in the wake of the 2008 crisis, the Australian Government was then able to put money directly into people’s bank accounts This boosted consumer spending in order to stimulate growth In 2008, the Australian Government unlike some other developed market governments actually jumped in very quickly with fiscal stimulus, so that helped to kind of minimize the effect of the crisis The country’s numbers continued to look sluggish after the financial crisis. But they never quite dipped low enough or for long enough to satisfy the definition of a recession. It takes two quarters of negative growth to fall into a recession. Australia’s economy did post a couple of negative quarters since 2008, but no country’s perfect. Overall Australia’s economy has been managed pretty much in recent years partly due to a robust and stable financial institution.
Australia has an independent financial institution and it is a very well-run financial institution . It also has a floating exchange rate and the exchange rate helped it adjust to international shocks. Australia’s economic reforms gave it flexibility in times of hardship. For example, floating the Australian dollar In 1983, Australia’s government moved the dollar onto a floating exchange rate This meant that the dollar would be valued by supply and demand instead of being subject to influence from its government or its central bank It allows the economy to react to shocks as well Typically when an economy is hit by some sort of negative shock. The currency will adjust. It will depreciate and that helps promote exports. Another reason behind Australia’s economic diary lies in its immigration policy. Since the late 1990s, Australia has seen growth in temporary migration, many arriving to the country on student or temporary work visas. The number of temporary migrants peaked in the year 2000. However a recent change to immigration law in 2018 gave visa applicants more hurdles to get through if they wanted to come to the country Even when our GDP per capital average incomes aren’t rising by much because the number of people continues to rise that means the total GDP continues to rise at even more rapid pace Part of that’s underpinned by much faster population growth Most experts think Australia’s economy remains strong in 2019, but it’s not without risks.
Australia’s suffering at the instant from pretty weak wage growth. That’s worrying a lot of people. There’s a lot of fear right now that China is hitting a wall. That will hit demand for Australian products. The good news is to the extent that the Chinese are buying commodities hopefully will find buyers from overseas for many of those commodities if the Chinese are not there The bad news is the rest of the world economy is not doing that well.
How India’s massive Election System works?
The world’s biggest democracy just had an election. The world’s biggest democratic election It’s a marathon election A mammoth undertaking It’s the world’s biggest exercise in democracy In India, voters picked its central government for the next five years. An eighth of the world’s population was eligible to vote in this election. In the year, 2019, there are 900 million eligible voters in India making this the largest Democratic exercise in the history of humanity.
In one of the largest and most populous countries in the world, that isn’t an easy task. India has to reach voters in coastal cities in the south, in the rural regions of the west, and jungles to the east and everywhere in between. And what’s more, they want every Indian citizen to be within 2 km of a voting station. That’s only about 25 city blocks no matter where you are in the country. It’s an incredibly ambitious goal and yet, somehow they’re able to do it. This is the biggest election in the world and I wanted to know how does it work. Every election a team of state officials and security forces, get on a ship within the east of India to require off towards this island. They travel about 100 km to get here, all to securely deliver these Electronic Voting Machines or EVMS, the instrument that logs India’s votes, the heart of this elaborate election process.
India has 2.3 million voting machines for its 900 million voters. So, getting these machines on the brink of every voter may be a big logistical undertaking. That’s why India doesn’t have one polling day , instead, it’s closer to an election month with multiple phases that last weeks. This process takes more than 11 million election officials and security forces, who move from polling station to polling station to polling station from densely populated cities to the rural areas where the majority of Indians live. Once on the island with the EVMs, officials pile on to bike carts and head towards the polling station. Once they arrive, they start setting everything up for the vote.
On Election Day, voters line up, cast their vote, and get their fingers inked to prevent double voting. This is where the process ends for the voters, but for the election officials this is just the beginning. Driving a boat out to a remote island is just one of many ways that officials reach every voter. India’s vast and diverse terrain requires transportation methods of all kinds, like in the jungles of this northern state where elephants transport voting machines to reach a remote town or in the Himalayas where officials hike for hours to bring EVMS for election day. Helicopters, trains, they even use camels. But what makes India’s elections so impressive is not just how they reach everyone in such an enormous country, that’s just half the battle. It’s also the ways they try to include voters of all backgrounds into the process, a challenge that has been a part of India’s elections since the very beginning. India has 22 official languages and hundreds of dialects and when India became an independent nation, less than a quarter of the population could read and write.
The newly formed Election Commission of India created a range of symbols to correspond to each political party, like an elephant, a lotus, a hand or even an alarm clock so that from the beginning all people regardless of literacy level and language could vote with confidence. Since 1947, the literacy rate has increased significantly, but it’s still only 75 percent, so these symbols are still useful to many when casting a vote. But this is a massive sprawling operation and over the years it’s run into some pretty serious problems like allegations of election rigging and problems with a practice called booth capture, where gangs actually take over polling stations and tamper with the elections. It’s partly because of these problems that the Commission introduced these voting machines in the 1990s.
It also increased security around the elections. These efforts to include all voters and protect elections seem to be working. In 2019, India saw the highest voter turnout yet and for the firsttime women voted just as much as men. India’s elections are only getting bigger and more complicated. India has one among the fastest growing populations within the world. and in 2020, young people will make up more than a third of the country. This is the most important election within the world that takes many officials fanning out across a huge country to assist many millions vote.
8 Genuine ways to earn money from your home!!!
Here are some of the genuine ways to earn in your spare time without any investment.
- Transcriber: average earnings per month is hundred and fifty. All you need is actually to have a good pair of headphones and of course you need to get stored to type there now there is a few other sites so you can’t only rely of course on hundred and fifty dollars average earning per month but if you are good at this you can actually earn of course much more but what you can do is you can become a transcriber. rev.com is another site here as a transcriptionist you can anywhere from 24 to 90 cents per audio/video minute basically you can be a video captioner also which is pretty much the same here and you can earn anywhere from 45 cents up to 75 cents.
- Micro tasks you can do this on my.com in your spare time you get paid for completing simple tasks here so it can be anything from like tagging objects here helping companies select the best picture the audit user classifying you can see that there is tons of opportunities. Rapidworkers.com is another site where you can earn a decent amount just by doing some micro taskes.
- Data entry jobs on Amazon on rapid workers there is micro workers also but there is also assigned like a clickworkercalm.com. You just sign up for a free account and you work independently your schedule is flexible and all you need is a computer and of course and/or a mobile device with an internet connection and it’s totally up to you how much you want to work. You can do text creation, copy editing, research surveys, mystery visit, app testing and photo capturing a lot of opportunities that you can earn money from the comfort on clickworker.com.
- Virtual assistant one of my favorite sites is virtual assistant jobs calm and basically you can apply for data entry, call center whatever comes into your mind you can get started here and apply and search for it you might be available only to do this on part time so you can search for part-time flexible with contracts. Jobs.com helps us out there by providing all types of virtual assistance jobs.
- Online tutoring if you’re good at something math or English or something like that one side is a shag.com , VIP kid teachers.com which is basically they teach English here and you can earn up to twenty two dollars per hour teaching. There are many students who want to learn extra and out of their books so here comes opportunity by teaching them.
- Freelancer totally depends on your skills. There is other popular freelance sites like upwork.com there is freelancer.com there is people per hour so a lot of options actually that you can apply for here as a freelancer. Freelancing is one of the best option as you can work also on your niche and can enhance it for future use.
- Affiliate marketer and the good thing with affiliate marketing is that you don’t have to deal with shipping you don’t have to deal with anything at all. You need is just grab a link and promote that offer whatever it is and of course you earn a commission okay so one of the most popular platforms is Clickbank.com. They have thousands of products here probably one of the most popular niches will be health and fitness. You just grab a link here and what you do is you use this link to promote it you can use something like bitly to shorten this ugly link of course and then all you need to do is drive traffic to this offer. Amazon is another option that you can make money as an affiliate marketer they have millions of products here that you can promote ok you can earn a commission from anything you promote inside Amazon here so it works the same way it totally depends on your niche here how you can drive traffic to it.
- Sell stuff on eBay you have available that you don’t use at your home you can get stored there to sell this or you can actually use this platform to buy something and sell it much higher. So, you can be a sort of a middleman here so this is another option tons of ways and opportunities to make money eBay and you can of course do this from your home without any investment.
Day to Day Sings & Symptons…DAY 1 to 22
Day to Day Signs and Symptoms of Coronavirus DAY TO DAY SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 Before proceeding, please note that this general overview is compiled for initial self-assessment only and should vary for each individual. If you are not feeling well, you ought to immediately consult a medical man to possess an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment of COVID-19. The typical daily symptoms are concluded from the study of 138 patients at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University and another study involving 135 patients from Jinyintan Hospital and 56 patients from Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital.
These symptoms are broken down into:
DAY 1 to DAY 2 the start symptoms are almost like the cold with a light pharyngitis and neither having a fever nor feeling tired. Patients can still consume food and drink as was common .
DAY 3 The patient’s throats start to feel a touch painful. Body temperature reads at around 36.5° celsius. Although it’s uncommon, other symptoms like mild nausea, vomiting or mild diarrhea are possible to set in.
DAY 4 Throat pain becomes more serious. Other symptoms like feeling weak and joint pain start to manifest. The patient may show a temperature reading between 36.5° to 37° celsius.
DAY 5 to DAY 6 Mild fever starts. The patients show a temperature reading above 37.2° celsius. The second most common symptom, dry cough, also appears. Dyspnea or breathing difficulty may occur occasionally. Most patients during this stage are easily feeling tired. Other symptoms remain about the same. These four symptoms are among the top five key indications of COVID-19 according to the final report of the initial outbreak conducted by the joint mission of China and WHO.
DAY 7 get more serious coughs and breathing difficulty. Fever can get higher up to 38° celsius. Patients may develop further headache and body pain or worsening diarrhea if there’s any. Many patients are admitted to the hospital at this stage.
DAY 8 to DAY 9 On the 8th day, the symptoms are likely to be worsened for the patient who has coexisting medical conditions. Severe shortness of breath becomes more frequent. Temperature reading goes well above 38°.
DAY 9 is that the average time when Sepsis starts to affect 40% of the patients.
DAY 10 to DAY 11 Doctors are ordering imaging tests like chest x-ray to capture the severity of respiratory distress in patients. Patients are having loss of appetite and should be facing abdominal pain. The condition also needs immediate treatment in ICU.
DAY 12 to DAY 14 For the survivors, the symptoms can be well-managed at this point. Fever tends to urge better and breathing difficulties may start to cease on day 13. But Some patients should be suffering from mild cough even after hospital discharge.
DAY 15 to DAY 16 Day 15 is the opposite condition for the rest of the minority patients. The fragile group must prepare for the possibility of acute cardiac injury or kidney injury.
DAY 17 to DAY 19 COVID-19 fatality cases happen at around day 18. Before the time, vulnerable patients may develop a secondary infection caused by a new pathogen in the lower respiratory tract. The severe condition may then lead to blood coagulation and ischemia.
DAY 20 to DAY 22 The surviving patients are recovered completely from the disease and are discharged from the hospital.
STAY HOME & STAY SAFE
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