Saathee Raleigh May 2024

Hello Readers

We are celebrating Saathee’s 26th anniversary this month. Thank you community, friends, advertisers, family and neighbors for your support throughout the years. We will continue to bring this valuable resource to the community in the coming years.

Outdoor events are sprouting up everywhere as summer rolls in. Go to page 18 for the latest listings in our Events Section

Full Frame Documentary Festival returned in 2024. Read our review on page 24.

Forever chemicals are lurking in public water systems. How can we remove them? See page 28.

Read the Mirror, Mirror column to get a perspective about "Life's Cycles as Seen Through Cicadas." Go to page 40.

Learn how to manage risks in your financial life in our Personal Finance column on page 62.

Do you need an immigration attorney to help expedite the process? Learn about it on page 80.

Check our redesigned classifieds section beginning on page 108.

Share Saathee with friends and family. We would be happy to add anyone in the Carolinas to the Saathee subscription base at no charge, simply visit saathee.com/subscription

“It may be possible to gild pure gold, but who can make his mother more beautiful?”

- Mahatma Gandhi

Saathee (USPS 021-116) (ISSN: 1543-8147) is published monthly by: Shukla Entertainment Inc.

612 Heather Ln., Charlotte, NC 28209

Periodicals postage paid at Charlotte, NC and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Saathee, P.O. Box 11468, Charlotte, NC 28220-1468

May 2024 Issue # 312 - Saathee.comEditor

Samir Shukla (Samir@Saathee.com) Publisher &

Divakar Shukla 704-527-7570 or saatheemag@hotmail.com

Jennifer W. Allen

Ad Design / Layout

DSJ Graphics & Manimaran

Contributors for this issue: Kirit Shukla, Dilip Barman, Taige Shukla, Dipika Kohli, Dr. Maha Gingrich, Rishi P Oza, Mo Vidwans, Shyama Parui Brandie Erickson, Raajeev Aggerwhil, Ketu Desai, Balaji Prasad, and Jalendu Vaidya.

Mission: Our goal is to be a valuable source of information for the South Asian community and to be a vital advertising tool for businesses.

Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily of the publisher or editor. Please contact us prior to submitting articles or photographs.

Saathee is published monthly. Deadlines for advertisement, submissions and events information is 15th of the month.

For a free Saathee subscription, visit saathee.com/subscription All content © 2024 Shukla Entertainment, Inc

Cover: Golden-fronted Leafbird

A colorful Golden-fronted Leafbird perched on a branch of a sakura tree. Photo taken at Jayanti, Buxa, West Bengal, India.

Photo: Adobe Stock

Page 18 Spring Events

Page 36 Film Clips: Srikanth Starring Rajkummar Rao Opens in May

Page 40: Life’s Cycles As Seen

Through Cicadas

Page 74 Recipe: 3-Ingredients Peda

The

Namaskar

May Missives — May Missives —

The Editor’s Desk

by Samir Shukla

Keep Rolling

Saathee was founded toward the end of the last century. That sounds fun just saying it. In May 1998, we published our first issue, all four pages, photocopied and folded. This month marks our 26th year of publishing Saathee as a community resource. The magazine is our foundation, along with our popular website (Saathee.com), weekly e-Newsletter and social media channels. The community has supported us and we continue to inform and support the community. It’s an unbreakable partnership we deeply believe in.

The next phase of Saathee will be the launch of SaatheeTV sometime this year. Let us know how we can continue to improve Saathee. Keep sending your love, suggestions and comments, and don’t forget to let advertisers know that you heard about them through Saathee. Let’s keep rolling.

Hold the Old

There’s much chit chat around the country about oldness. The presidential election is a few months away and now we’ve got a couple of, ahem, oldies essentially set as the candidates. Barring any unforeseen calamities before election day, they are going to duke it out for the big prize. A grudge rematch awaits the American voter. A rerun of oldie but not necessarily goldie will take place during the incoming chill of early November.

Talk is floating among citizenry about maybe putting an upper age limit on who can run for president. We already have an age requirement on the lower end, 37, below which qualification for candidacy is not met. So why not an upper limit?

Well, it’s a bad idea. Who is to judge? An 80-yearold can be vibrant and fully engaged, able to run marathons, while someone a couple of decades younger may already be degrading mentally or physically. Everyone ages differently.

Our lively, aggravating, invigorating electoral system has a way of working things out. Reasoned folks need to and often do stand up, show up and help make that happen. Besides, there are systems in place, others who can take over if an elderly, or young politician, becomes unable to attend to duties.

These unforeseen circumstances, such as death, are generally covered in state constitutions as well as our national constitution. Continuity is assured.

Generational sparring has always existed. When we were young many of us sometimes wanted the oldies to get out of the way and let us do our thing. Get something done quicker. Hey pops, let the youngsters handle this task; such thoughts swirled inside young minds and, a confession here, mine included.

I’m now strolling along on the other side of 60, and often want an impatient youngster to get out of my way. Hey kid, let somebody who’s been around the proverbial block a few times take care of things. I got it. Go back to your smart phone.

Sure, some older folks have those clichéd senior moments - failing memory, repetition, slower reflexes

Upcoming Events

Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival: Pittsboro, NC (May 2 - 5, 2024)

The 20th annual spring Shakori Hills GrassRoots festival is where you can dance to the music and pitch your tent. This is a nonprofit music and dance event in rural Chatham County which draws dozens of musical acts from across the country who lean into Americana, world and jam-band music. Ticket and lineup info can be found at Shakorihillsgrassroots.org.

Umrao Jaan Ada – A Musical Play: Raleigh, NC (May 3 - 4, 2024)

Meit Shah in association with Asia Events presents Neetu Chandra in “Umrao Jaan Ada – A Musical Play,” a West End musical play in Broadway style based on the novel by Mirza Hadi Ruswa. The performance will be held at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium on Friday, May 3. 2024 starting at 8:30pm and & Saturday, May 4, 2024 starting at 1pm. Tickets will be available soon. For more details, call Maulesh: 704-779-6896 or Asia: 310-890-5599.

Lovin’ Life Music Fest: Charlotte, NC (May 3 - 5, 2024)

This inaugural fest comes to uptown’s First Ward with major headliners: Stevie Nicks, Post Malone, Noah Kahan, The Chainsmokers, Maggie Rogers, DaBaby, and Dashboard Confessional. Your ticket buys access to three stages and 40+ artists. Tickets and other info can be found at Lovinlifemusicfest.com.

Daniel Boone Festival: Mocksville, NC (May 4, 2024)

Learn about Davie County’s most famous former resident. The festival will feature local artisans, historical tours, food, contests, live music, and programming for children. Tours include a visit to Joppa Cemetery where Boone’s parents and brother are buried, the Boone Tract at Bear Creek, and the Daniel Boone Marker in Farmington. Although the festival is between 10am – 5pm, live entertainment will continue in the area until 7:30pm. Details at: Mocksvillenc.org/daniel-boone-festival.

NC Indian and South Asian Film Festival: Cary, NC (May 5, 2024)

The 9th Annual NC Indian and South Asian Film Festival dedicated to the films of South & East Asian Diaspora returns on May 5, 2024. A variety of fiction and nonfiction movies from national and international filmmakers will be screened, along with movies and appearances by local filmmakers, and South & East Asian Filmmakers Conference with industry experts, guests of honor, Vasant and Champa Patel, from the Emmy Nominated - Meet the Patels. For a full list of films, to purchase tickets, and other details, visit Asianhollywood.org.

Artisphere: Greenville, SC (May 10 - 12, 2024)

The 20th annual Artisphere offers a one-of-a-kind experience. From award-winning restaurants to talented artists gathered on one of the quaintest main streets in the south, Artisphere is for all. This mixture of visual, performing, and culinary arts will be on display along the streets of downtown Greenville from May 10-12, 2024. Details: Artisphere.org.

Meditative Melodies: Charlotte, NC (May 11, 2024)

Heartfulness presents “Meditative Melodies” – nurturing souls through meditation, music, and dance. The event will take place on Saturday, May 11, 2024, 4 – 7pm at Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences. The venue is located at 1411 Hawthorne, Ln., Charlotte. For more details, visit Heartfulness.us and search for the event.

Punjabi Mela 2024: Morrisville, NC (May 11 2024)

NCPB Presents a free Punjabi Mela on Saturday, May 11, 2024 from noon - 8pm at Morrisville Cricket Ground, 5817 Cricket Pitch Way, Morrisville. Live performances from Jazzy B, G Sidhu, and Gary Bassi. There is also a talent competition. Parking at Wake Tech, 10908 Chapel Hill Rd., Morrisville. For more details, call 919-244-2940. Search for the event on Facebook.

Upcoming Events

Charlotte Dragon Boat Race & Asian Festival: Cornelius, NC (May 11, 2024)

The Charlotte Dragon Boat Race & Asian Festival will take place on Saturday, May 11, 2024, from 11am to 5pm at Ramsey Creek Park in Cornelius, NC. The festival celebrates Asian cultures, diversity, ethnicity, roots and history. Explore all the cultural heritage showcases, retail vendors, live music, and dance performances, along with exciting dragon boat races. Parking is available offsite with bus shuttles to and from the park. Details: Charlottedragonboat.com.

Musical Mudra: Harrisburg, NC (May 11, 2024)

Enjoy an evening of Bharatnatyam and Kathak jugalbandi with dance production by Aparna Nair along with painting exhibition. The event will raise funds for the Breast Cancer Hub. It will take place on Saturday, May 11, 2024 beginning at 4:30pm at Hickory Ridge HS Auditorium, 7321 Raging Ridge Rd., Harrisburg, NC. For details visit the site Heartist.world.

Mega Musical Concert: Morrisville, NC (May 12, 2024)

Carolina Murugan Temple presents an evening of live music to raise funds for Bala Aalayam construction. The event takes place on Sunday, May 12, 2024, beginning at 5pm at HSNC Cultural Hall, Morrisville, NC. For more details, find Carolina Murugan Temple on Facebook or call 919-460-0065.

Beaufort Music Festival (May 17 - 18, 2024)

For more than 30 years, the festival has taken place each May in historic Beaufort, and the area will be packed between May 17 & 18, 2024 with locals and tourists alike enjoying the beautiful weather and plenty of great music. The twoday festival takes place on the beautiful waterfront property at Gallants Channel. There will be food trucks, vendors, beer tents and a kid’s area. Information: Beaufortmusicfestival.com.

Got to Be NC Festival: Raleigh, NC (May 17 - 19, 2024)

The Got to be NC Festival will be held between May 17 & 19, 2024 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, NC. It’ll feature a carnival, children’s activities, music, rides, games, contests and competitions, flea market, food and wine.

Details: Gottobencfestival.com.

19th Annual Festa Italiana: Charlotte, NC (May 19, 2024)

Festa Italiana is Charlote’s only Italian gourmet food and wine festival. On Sunday, May 19, 2024 feast on antipasti, brick oven pizza, pasta and more as you sip fine Italian prosecco, chianti, pinot grigio and beer, at Gateway Village, while raising money for the Nevins Center. Info: Festaitalianacharlotte.org.

Hasya Kavisammelan: Morrisville, NC (May 19, 2024)

Hindi Vikas Mandal along with the International Hindi Association present the humorous and heartwarming Hindi recitals from Arun Gemini, Shambhu Shikhar, and Mumtaz Naseem on Sunday, May 19, 2024 beginning at 7pm at Hindu Bhavan Cultural Hall, 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC. Dinner will be available for purchase from 6 - 7pm. For more details, call 919-656-5224 or 919-880-8529. Visit Hindi.org.

Info Seminar - Jivan Dastavej (Life’s Documents): Charlotte, NC (May 21, 2024)

Information Seminar on “Jivan Dastavej- Plans and Documents Every Family Must Have” is intended to create awareness of the critical information and void left behind when a person passes away without proper documents. This is a part of a community service. Tea and refreshments will be served. The event will be held at Hindu Center Charlotte on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, from 4 –6pm. It is free but RSVP is a must. Contact Kalindi and Manu Naik by May 10, 2024, with the names of attendees manupnaik@gmail.com.

Spoleto Festival USA: Charleston, SC (May 22 - June 9, 2024)

Spoleto presents performances by renowned artists as well as emerging performers in opera, theater, dance, as well as chamber, symphonic, choral, and jazz music. The Spoleto Festival USA is internationally recognized as America’s premier performing arts festival and is held at various venues across the historic Charleston, SC downtown area. This year’s festivities will take place between May 22 and June 9, 2024. Details: Spoletousa.org.

Next to Sangam Mart

Upcoming Events

SunderKand by Ashwinkumar Pathak: Morrisville, NC (May 28, 2024)

The Hindu Society of NC is hosting a sangeetmai Sunderkand Path by renowned Guruji Ashnwinkumar Pathak on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 beginning at 7pm at HSNC Temple, 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC. For details call 919-460-7830 or visit Hsnctemple.org.

Plant-Based Prevention of Disease Conference: Raleigh, NC (June 1 – 2, 2024)

The conference will focus on nutrition and lifestyle medicine with several speakers, medical experts and other professionals covering topics and discussions about lifestyle and nutrition options and sustainability. In person attendance or virtual options available. For full details, visit P-pod.org.

Raleigh International Food Festival (June 1, 2024)

The 8th annual Raleigh International Food Festival will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2024 (11am to 8pm). Over 50 food dessert trucks from around the globe will be on site with delectable culinary delights along with beer and wine. It will also be host to the largest, outdoor, international dance party with nonstop performances. Admission is free and the event is pet friendly. The festival will be held outdoors in the City Plaza along the 400 block of Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. Info: Visitraleigh.com.

Praveen Godkhindi (Flute) on Sunday, June 2, 2024 starting at 4pm at the Hindu Center of Charlotte’s Gandhi Bhavan. Both musicians will be accompanied by Soumiya Narayanan (Ghatam) and Amit Kavthekar (Tabla). For more details, call 704-339-4126 or 704-840-5949.

SC Festival of Flowers:

Greenwood, SC (June 6 - 9, 2024)

Classical Jugalbandhi w/ Ambi Subrahmaniam: Charlotte, NC (June 2, 2024)

The Classical Music Association of Charlotte (CMAC) presents a Carnatic and Hindustani Classical Jugalbandhi concert featuring violinist, composer, and educator Ambi Balasubramaniam (son of Dr. L. Subramaniam) along with

The unique mix of events and attractions make the SC Festival of Flowers in Greenwood, SC a one-of-akind place to visit. The arts and entertainment are alive and well with a wide variety of flower-themed performances and exhibits. There will also be many vendors on hand. Check out the variety of foods and cuisines available. The festival will take place between June 6 & 9, 2024 along the 11,000-acre area of Lake Greenwood. Details: Scfestivalofflowers.org.

Taste of Charlotte (June 7 - 9, 2024)

Taste of Charlotte returns to uptown Tryon Street between June 7 & 9, 2024. The event is a three-day food festival featuring samples from area restaurants. Enjoy delicious food while strolling through the festival experiencing three stages of entertainment, performances, and interactive tours. Aside from that, a large variety of local, regional, and national partners will provide information, coupons, and free stuff. Admission to the festival is free. Food items priced individually by vendors. Info: Tasteofcharlotte.com.

Life Mission Youth Camp:

Mebane, NC (July 14 – 20, 2024)

The weeklong camp’s theme is “Finding your true path in life: lessons from the Srimad Bhagavatam.” The camp for ages 9 – 17, includes yoga sessions, nature walks, Indian culture, personal development, sports, arts, drama, discussions and more. For details and registration, call 760473-4811 or visit Lifemissionusa.org.

Full Frame Festival Review

by Dilip Barman

Full Frame is back! The 26th annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (fullframefest.org) was delightful, all the more so because it returned after five years, albeit with some virtual offerings. It seemed that this jewel might be gone but thankfully not.

Full Frame is one of the most important and biggest documentary film festivals, and we’re lucky to have it in Durham, NC. It’s an opportunity to see fabulous new films and curated, invited films, as well as enjoy panel discussions and meet filmmakers. The next one is in April 2025 – it’s not too early to start planning!

The Kingdom of Bhutan’s quiet alpine beauty is the backdrop for Agent of Happiness (2024, Arun Bhattarai & Dorottya Zurbóre). The country, the last to have television in 1998, claims to be one of the happiest places in the world and has a metric for this – their Gross National Happiness (GNH). They send surveyors around the country to measure and use the results as input to their 5-year development plans. This film follows two agents administering detailed surveys to folks in the countryside as well as in towns, resulting in a happiness score for each whom they interview.

One of the directors, Arun Bhattarai, shared that, “as a Bhutanese growing up in the times when GNH was created, I couldn’t escape it. We were taught GNH in schools, watched it on TV and even celebrated it on National Happiness Day – but I always felt conflicted about the ideals of GNH since I come from the ethnic Nepali community living in Bhutan. GNH promotes human well-being over material wealth, but the rights of the minority Nepali population were often not considered while talking about it.” As usual, (interesting) stories often have layers of complexity, and I enjoy how the filmmakers unravel the story at an unhurried pace.

The impact of experimental musician Brian Eno, both solo and with musicians like Roxy Music, David Byrne, David Bowie, Devo, U2, Coldplay, Peter Gabriel, and others, made for a suitably memorable film in Gary Hustwit’s 2024 film Eno. What made the film revolutionary was its use of generative technology such that the film can be remixed with scenes and sequences in different orders. Each screening can be a fresh new one.

Another excellent music documentary was Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes (Sam Pollard & Ben Shapiro, 2023); I have seen Pollard’s detailed biopic of Maynard Jackson Jr. Maynard (2018) several times and this film of his about

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SERVING GOD AND THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1984

3228 Rapid Falls Rd. Morrisville, NC 27560

We Welcome You to Become a Part of This Loving Spiritual Family

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (The Holy Bible)

Regular Activities

Sunday Worship Service: 9 AM (Dynamic Praise Time)

Children’s Sunday School & Adult Bible Study: Sundays at Noon

Sunday Love Meal: 11 AM

Wednesday Intercessory Prayer Fellowship: 7 PM

Leading annual medical missions to remote areas of Kenya and India.

Pastor: Joseph B. Jesudason

Zakar Bible Club: Character development of children through memorization of God’s powerful and redemptive word. Please send your child and receive guaranteed life lasting blessing.

We welcome you to our new facility come and receive a blessing through this evangelical, Christ-centered, Bible-based, non-denominational, loving, caring, mission-minded spiritual family church.

Church: 1402 E. Williams St., Apex, NC 27539

Pastor’s Cell: 919-233-2900

Removing Forever Chemicals From Public Water Systems Will Cost Billions Removing Forever Chemicals From Public Water Systems Will Cost Billions

Here Are Some Ways to Filter Out Some of the Harmful PFAS at Home

By Kyle Doudrick

Chemists invented PFAS in the 1930s to make life easier: Nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, greaseresistant food packaging and stain-resistant carpet were all made possible by PFAS. But in recent years, the growing number of health risks found to be connected to these chemicals has become increasingly alarming.

PFAS – perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are now either suspected or known to contribute to thyroid disease, elevated cholesterol, liver damage and cancer, among other health issues.

They can be found in the blood of most Americans and in many drinking water systems, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency in April 2024 finalized the first enforceable federal limits for six types of PFAS in drinking water systems. The limits – between 4 and 10 parts per trillion for PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA and GenX – are less than a drop of water in a thousand

Olympic-sized swimming pools, which speaks to the chemicals’ toxicity. The sixth type, PFBS, is regulated as a mixture using what’s known as a hazard index.

Meeting these new limits won’t be easy or cheap. And there’s another problem: While PFAS can be filtered out of water, these “forever chemicals” are hard to destroy.

My team at the University of Notre Dame works on solving problems involving contaminants in water systems, including PFAS. We explore new technologies to remove PFAS from drinking water and to handle PFAS waste. Here’s a glimpse of the magnitude of the challenge and ways you can reduce PFAS in your own drinking water.

Removing PFAS will cost billions per year

Every five years, the EPA is required to choose 30 unregulated contaminants to monitor in public drinking water systems. Right now, 29 of those 30 contaminants are PFAS. The tests provide a sense of just how widespread PFAS are in water systems and where.

Realtor / Real

The EPA has taken over 22,500 samples from about 3,800 of the 154,000 public drinking water systems in the U.S. In 22 percent of those water systems, its testing found at least one of the six newly regulated PFAS, and about 16 percent of the systems exceeded the new standards. East Coast states had the largest percentage of systems with PFAS levels exceeding the new standards in EPA tests conducted so far.

Under the new EPA rules, public water systems have until 2027 to complete monitoring for PFAS and provide publicly available data. If they find PFAS at concentrations that exceed the new limits, then they must install a treatment system by 2029.

How much that will cost public water systems, and ultimately their customers, is still a big unknown, but it won’t be cheap.

The EPA estimated the cost to the nation’s public drinking water systems to comply with the news rules at about US$1.5 billion per year. But other estimates suggest the total costs of testing and cleaning up PFAS contamination will be much higher. The American Water Works Association put the cost at over $3.8 billion per year for PFOS and PFOA alone.

PFAS levels in US drinking water

There are more than 5,000 chemicals that are considered PFAS, yet only a few have been studied for their toxicity, and even fewer tested for in drinking water. The United States Geological Survey estimates that nearly half of all tap water is contaminated with PFAS.

Some money for testing and cleanup will come from the federal government. Other funds will come from 3M and DuPont, the leading makers of PFAS. 3M agreed in a settlement to pay between $10.5 billion to $12.5 billion to help reimburse public water systems for some of their PFAS testing and treatment. But public water systems will still bear additional costs, and those costs will be passed on to residents.

Next problem: Disposing of ‘forever chemicals’

Another big question is how to dispose of the captured PFAS once they have been filtered out.

Landfills are being considered, but that just pushes the problem to the next generation. PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” for a reason – they are incredibly resilient and don’t break down naturally, so they are hard to destroy.

Studies have shown that PFAS can be broken down with energy-intensive technologies. But this comes with steep costs. Incinerators must reach over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 Celsius) to destroy PFAS, and the possibility of creating potentially harmful byproducts is not yet well understood.

Other suggested techniques, such as supercritical water oxidation or plasma reactors, have the same drawbacks.

So who is responsible for managing PFAS waste? Ultimately the responsibility will likely fall on public drinking water systems, but the EPA has no waste regulations for PFAS.

The EPA on April 19, 2024, designated PFOA and PFOS as eligible contaminants for Superfund status, which means companies that are responsible for contaminating sites with those chemicals can be required to pay for cleanup.

However, the EPA said it did not intend to go after wastewater treatment plants or public landfills.

Steps to protect your home from PFAS

Your first instinct might be to use bottled water to try to avoid PFAS exposures, but a recent study found that even bottled water can contain these chemicals. And bottled water is regulated by a different federal agency, the Food and Drug Administration, which has no standards for PFAS.

Your best option is to rely on the same technologies that treatment facilities will be using:

• Activated carbon is similar to charcoal. Like a sponge, it will capture the PFAS, removing it from the water. This is the same technology in refrigerator filters and in some water pitcher filters, like Brita or PUR. Note that many refrigerator manufacture’s filters are not certified for PFAS, so don’t assume they will remove PFAS to safe levels.

• Ion exchange resin is the same technology found in many home water softeners. Like activated carbon, it captures PFAS from the water, and you can find this technology in many pitcher filter products. If you opt for a whole house treatment system, which a plumber can attach where the water enters the house, ion exchange resin is probably the best choice. But it is expensive.

• Reverse osmosis is a membrane technology that only allows water and select compounds to pass through the membrane, while PFAS are blocked. This is commonly installed at the kitchen sink and has been found to be very effective at removing most PFAS in water. It is not practical for whole house treatment, but it is likely to remove a lot of other contaminants as well.

If you have a private well instead of a public drinking water system, that doesn’t mean you’re safe from PFAS exposure. Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources estimates that 71% of shallow private wells in that state have some level of PFAS contamination. Using a certified laboratory to test well water for PFAS can run $300-$600 per sample, a cost barrier that will leave many private well owners in the dark.

For all the treatment options, make sure the device you choose is certified for PFAS by a reputable testing agency, and follow the recommended schedule for maintenance and filter replacement. Unfortunately, there is currently no safe way to dispose of the filters, so they go in the trash. No treatment option is perfect, and none is likely to remove all PFAS down to safe levels, but some treatment is better than none.

Article courtesy of theconversation.com

Kyle Doudrick Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame

Upcoming Movie Releases

May 3

Krishnamma

(Director: VV Gopala Krishna)

Cast: Satya Dev and Athira Raji

May 10

Srikanth (Director: Tushar Hiranandani)

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Jyothika, Alaya F, and Sharad Kelkar

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

(Director: Wes Ball)

Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, and William H Macy

Prasanna Vadanam (Director: Arjun YK)

Cast: Suhas Pagolu, Payal Radhakrishna, Viva Harsha, and Nitin Prasanna

Poolman (Director: Chris Pine)

Cast: Chris Pine, Annette Bening, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Danny DeVito

May 17

Gangs of Godavari

(Director: Krishna Chaithanya)

Cast: Vishwak Sen, Neha Shetty, M Nassar, Pudipeddi Sai Kumar, and Praveen

IF (Director: John Krasinski)

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, and Steve Carell

Back to Black (Director: Samantha Taylor-Johnson)

Cast: Marisa Abela, Jack O’Connell, and Lesley Manville

Kartam Bhugtam (Director: Soham P Shah)

Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Vijay Raaz, Madhoo, and Aksha Pardasany

Babes (Director: Pamela Adlon)

Cast: Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, John Carroll Lynch, and Hasan Minhaj

May 24

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

(Director: George Miller)

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, and Lachy Hulme

Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan

(Director: Rajiv Chilaka)

Cast: Anupam Kher, Makrand Deshpande, and Yagya Bhasin

Atlas (Streaming) (Director: Brad Peyton)

Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown, and Lana Parrilla

Bhaiyya Ji (Director: Apoorva Singh Karki)

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Suvinder Vicky, and Zoya Hussain

May 31

Mr. and Mrs. Mahi (Director: Sharan Sharma)

Cast: Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor

Baby John (Director: Kalees)

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, and Jackie Shroff

Srikanth

Blind Srikanth gets into MIT, founds Bollant Industries. He pursues goals for visually impaired while facing entrepreneurial challenges, navigating personal sacrifices. Highlights obstacles overcome by the blind in academics and business. The film, directed by Tushar Hiranandani, stars Rajkummar Rao, Jyothika, Alaya F, and Sharad Kelkar. It opens on May 10, 2024

Young Woman and the Sea

Daisy Ridley, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, and Christopher Eccleston star in this Joachim Renning directed film. It is the story of competitive swimmer Trudy Ederle, who, in 1926, was the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel. Look for in on May 31, 2024.

The Dead Don’t Hurt

Two pioneers fight for the survival of their lives and their love on the American frontier during the Civil War. The western drama stars and is directed by Viggo Mortensen. The cast also includes Vicky Krieps and Solly McLeod. The movie will be released on May 31, 2024.

Ezra

Tony Goldwyn directs Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson, William A Fitzgerald, and Robert De Niro. The film centers on Max co-parenting autistic son Ezra with ex-wife Jenna. Faced with crucial decisions about Ezra’s future, Max and Ezra go on a cross-country road trip. It opens on May 31, 2024.

Metro in Dino

Anurag Basu’s Metro In Dino, starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Sara Ali Khan, is slated for release on November 29, 2024. It’s a heartwarming tale of contemporary couples navigating the intricate dance of urban romance. The film is a successor to Life in a... Metro, which explored the lives of couples in Mumbai.

Emergency Kangana Ranaut stars in and directs the film Emergency, which is about India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Other cast includes Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade and Mahima Choudhary. The film is slated for release on June 14, 2024.

Shankara

Karan Johar will produce Shankara, a film that narrates the relentless fight of a lawyer against the British Raj to expose Punjab Lieutenant Governor Michael O’Dwyer’s involvement in the tragic 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The cast includes Akshay Kumar, R. Madhavan, and Ananya Panday film. No release date has been announced.

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Life’s Cycles as Seen Through Cicadas

by Jennifer Allen

We once again sashay our way through the seasons as the month of May helps inch us all just a little bit closer to Summer. Spring is not quite over yet, though, and the eastern United States will soon bear witness to a rare phenomenon where two separate broods of cicadas will emerge to occupy nearby trees and fill the warm air with their unique songs. Indeed, both a 13-year brood and 17year brood shall invoke the periodical circle of life in tandem for a few short weeks; a serendipitous cycle that hasn’t occurred since 1803.

Lives aren’t completed. They’re concluded. You are, and forever will be, unfinished. This is nature.

Cycles and spectrums. Moments and seasons. Do you ask when the weather will be complete? The spring finished?

Your life won’t have one point or purpose. You’re lovelier than that.

~ Jarod K. Anderson

While these two broods usually don’t intermingle, it’s still fascinating to witness such a boom. The large, winged Magicicada follow an intricate schedule with their young living underground for much longer than most other insects live. They eat, grow, burrow, and simply… wait until the perfect time to rise up and attempt to attract potential mates with their cacophonous whistles. Such a technique is no doubt a way for them to continue as a species due to the number of predators.

Mirror continued on page 92

Mirror, Mirror

12/31/24

The Joy of Travel

Namaskar, Y’all

by Shyama Parui

Over ten years ago, our family was visiting Chincoteague Island in Virginia and we decided to climb up the Assateague Lighthouse. Little did we know that we would be running for our lives chased by swarms of mosquitoes. Those annoying insects that we usually swat away were massive in size and number. Like undefeated enemies of humans, they were undeterred even when we doused ourselves with bug spray thus forcing us to fling our hats from side to side and flee while covering our mouths. The urgency to escape was so intense that we were oblivious to the comical scene we were creating. Eventually, we managed to get to the top of the lighthouse and enjoy the views, but in our minds, Virginia will always be associated with the vicious mosquito attack.

Although not joyful, such incidents have never discouraged our family from traveling to different locations. Recollections of our misadventures stir hilarious conversations.

Namaskar continued on page 86

CapEx Cycle

Eye on the Markets

by Ketu Desai

The Fed has got our backs. That is the takeaway from the March Fed meeting. Despite a couple of higher-thanexpected inflation points, the Fed still expects to cut rates three times this year. The rate cuts are likely to start in June. While delivering rate cuts, the Fed revised their growth forecast. This is a favorable backdrop for risk-taking. We are starting to see just that. With rate cuts coming and millennials in their home buying years, housing activity will likely rebound. Building permits were up 2.4 percent just in the last month. KB Home reported a 55 percent increase in net new orders for the first quarter.

We saw a couple of well received high-profile IPOs in March. It is likely 2024 will see over 200 IPOs, bringing us back to pre-pandemic levels. Corporate confidence is on the rise.

The CEO Confidence Index hit the highest level in two years. The combination of a favorable macro backdrop and the necessity of AI to compete will unleash a cap-ex cycle, led by technology. Micron, which makes semiconductors that are an essential building block for a lot of technology,

provided guidance that is sold out for 2024 and much of 2025 already. We have heard similar commentary this year from companies across technology including TSMC, Super Micro, Dell, Oracle, ASML, ServiceNow, and Broadcom.

It is not just technology that is experiencing a cap-ex cycle, manufacturing PMI moved to the highest level since June 2022, solidly in expansionary territory. The Philly Fed CapEx index exploded higher in March to the highest level in a couple of years. The latest durable goods orders surprised to the upside. The capex cycle is just starting, it is broad, and it will likely last a while.

There is plenty of fuel for risk-taking in the form of cash. Corporations have approximately $4 trillion in cash on their balance sheets. Banks are likely to lend more in 2024, as there is less pressure on their balance sheets. In recent weeks, Chair Powell said that Basel III endgame will be reconsidered. This will be a significant release of capital for banks to be more active. There is nearly $2 trillion in private credit that is looking to be deployed. Private equity has another $2.6 trillion in dry powder. There is $6.1 trillion in money market funds. All of this cash has had the benefit of earning 5 percent.

Something to Write Home About

Something to Write Home About

Kismuth and the Way II

by Dipika Kohli

I got some nice feedback on the last column. Thanks if you wrote to me sharing your thoughts about it. I smiled while reading these candid notes, as some of you had talked about your own anecdotes on how you, too, may have, at one point or another, also questioned the need to over verbalize our personal opinions. Pauses help quell this pattern, I’ve noticed. Yet silence, silence is so winning.

I wanted to share a little more, in answer to a few direct questions that came up, from some of you. What made you decide to write this piece, Dipika? Why now?

I will start with the second question. So far this year for this column, I’ve written about centering moments. Maybe you read the story I wrote about going out every morning to the exact same very small, very local cafe for tea in the mornings. Or how there was that jaunt that I didn’t mean to take, way out beyond the outskirts of the city where I live, which is Phnom Penh, and how it felt to let the adventure that wasn’t planned simply happen while even managing to relax into it, somehow, despite the circumstances. Thinking about these, I recalled why I had suggested picking this column back up after a two-year hiatus, and why I began to set about sketching, drafting, writing, and rewriting, this series, Kismuth & The Way II.

Kismuth pieces do not start with an agenda. They go where they will go. Things happen, or they don’t, poetically, but that’s not the purpose of it. To go and see is. To try new things. Could that be something to write home about?

Quiet space is what Kismuth loves. A great quiet emerges when, and if, you make it a priority to find the space to be still; inwardly, but also, in relation to others, too.

That’s the answer to the first question, by the way, about why I wrote that piece. It’s also why I write all the pieces in this series, and why I publish Kismuth books on its own website, too. To center and spotlight that which I interpret,

Kismuth continued on page 84

What is Health? What is Health?

Nutrition for Life by

Parul Kharod

Everyone wants to be healthy, but what does that mean?

The World Health Organization created the following definition of health in 1948: Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

In 2017, a group of researchers concluded that the above definition was outdated based on the current needs. They devised this new definition of health, which is a mouthful to be honest: “a holistic state of physical, mental, emotional, and social wellness supported by an integrated and technologically sophisticated healthcare delivery system tailored to meet the entirety of a patient’s medical needs, including disease prevention and management of undesirable conditions, comorbidities, complications, and unique patient circumstances”.

Regardless of the definition used, unfortunately, we are not practicing health care. We are actually doing disease care. People get sick, they go to the doctor to get treated for their illness. We are not doing anything to prevent that disease from happening in the first place. The day we all start focusing on prevention, that is when we will start doing health care in the true sense.

Spot the Differences

See if you can spot the 15 differences between the original photo on left and modified one on right Answers are on page 104

AI, Hallucinations and A Brave New World

Raajeev’s Corner by Raajeev Aggerwhil

When I tell people that I have an AI-start up, they roll their eyes making it clear they are thinking, “Not Another AI start-up.” Among those who know me as a stand-up comedian, think I am telling a new joke! When I mention that I studied AI at Stanford and Computer Science at Berkeley in the late 80’s, they are surprised. I know they must be thinking, “higher education at work.”

I am happy to see a resurgence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), in the form of Generative AI, a branch of AI capable of generating text, images and videos. Back in my undergraduate years at Berkeley, I was interested in not only cognition but semantics and intentionality behind the spoken words. That is one of the reasons behind the discordance in the first few years of my marriage! I was like a non-stop autocorrect; it must have caused a lot of irritation and frustration for my wife.

With the emergence of ChatGPT, and many similar Large Language Models (LLMs), my interest and passion reignited. I realize that I am as passionate about AI as my comedy. So, I embarked on an AI start-up with a couple of my Ph.D. friends. At an open mike, I was telling people, “I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that all of our jobs will be taken away. The good news is that it would be done by machines and not Indians through outsourcing. At least there would be a neutral accent.”

One reason behind my AI start-up journey, besides my passion and interest, was fear. If the jobs are going to be taken away, I would rather be on the other side… the side taking away the jobs. The last reason

behind this new venture was that I wanted to conform and live up to the expectations set by my fellow Indians. When people are in distress about the loss of their jobs, they can pander to their biases and take comfort in blaming brown people in helping accelerate the job losses. It is like when you are going 75 mph on a highway and you see a car going 35 mph ahead of you, you immediately change lanes. And while passing the slow-moving car, you take a quick glance at the driver. If their gender, age or race conforms to the group you are most prejudiced against, you nod with relief and say to yourself, “Of course!”

For the AI start up, we are going to investors to pitch the idea to raise money. What is weird about doing this is that the skills I learnt as a stand-up comic are completely useless here. If I pitch investors and I manage to make them laugh, I am in deep trouble. “Ha ha! You want money for this idea. That’s funny. Tell us another one.”

Raajeev continued on page 110

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Learning to Manage Risks in Your Financial Life

Personal Finances

by Mo Vidwans

Everyone has heard of home, auto and perhaps shortterm disability insurance. We always have our fingers on these. We often spend time shopping around, understand what our needs are and then find the best fit for them by talking to people who offer such products. We change suppliers of such products if we don’t like what they are doing and go shopping for something else.

In other words, we are usually on top of such issues. We make sure all or at least most of such risks are covered.

But in life there are many other issues we face which demonstrate similar concerns or risks and we may not be doing our best to mitigate them. Health is certainly one of them. We certainly don’t get too concerned about it when we are young, but it does come to haunt us in later life. Our investments are also other matters where, perhaps, we are not as careful. Generally, we don’t pay as much attention as we might to insurance needs.

life examples have risks associated with them but we either just don’t pay attention or don’t think about it from the risk point of view. Once this is well understood, it should not stop us from doing whatever we wish to do in life because absolutely nothing is risk-free.

Investment could be much more serious than that because at times that is the only vehicle we have to secure our futures, especially retirement. It also helps if we know and understand our own risk tolerance levels under all circumstances. So, let’s look at what is involved.

Most investors or their managers normally allocate a securities portfolio across three major asset classes. Namely: 1) cash and cash equivalent which are mainly fluid or liquid.

2) Fixed income which includes bonds and notes of various duration; this one is semi-fluid or liquid because there is some time and penalty involved to make it fully liquid and 3) Equities and market capitalization which are long-term propositions.

These three will constitute your entire asset base and a mix of each will depend on where you are in your life financially and your appetite for risk.

Risk of Cash and Cash Equivalent

Often, we just find a reasonably large firm, move our investments to them and hope that they will produce good results. Granted that hope is eternal, but sometimes, especially in investments, it has a short life.

The concept of risk became painfully clear in 2022, as the latest example, when after years of abnormally low interest rates, the rapid increase of interest rates by Federal Reserve disrupted equity and fixed income portfolios alike. Needless to say, this has happened before, many times in fact, over the last 40 or 50 years that we all would remember. Remember 2007 and 2008 when the economy and markets were greatly disturbed?

As I tried to explain above, everything we do in life has risks. Being born, playing at home, walking/driving on the street or even crossing the streets; all these simple, everyday

What kind of risks can there be in a situation where your assets are sitting in full cash? Have you heard friends say: Oh, I wish I had gone somewhere else where I could get a better interest rate? That is risk talk. Bank rates always change and nothing will be the best for a long time and know that for sure, especially when you lock in your money even for a short time, there is risk involved of missing something else. This is called bank rate or interest rate risk. Sometimes, bank rates fluctuate on their own too.

Many times, where you invest, even when the interest rates are similar, can create some risk. Investing in Government Agencies or in short-term corporate securities is not the same because their credit ratings could be different. These are known as credit risks.

Inflation can play a major part. When invested into a fixed rate instrument, what extra money you get in the form of interest may not buy the same goods as it would have at the beginning of that investment. This is called inflation risk. It is very difficult to completely avoid.

Risks of Fixed Income Investments

Bonds run the gamut from government, agency and municipal securities to investment grade corporate and high-yield securities. Their risk factors are very similar to the ones described above. It is always suggested to pay attention to the terms, clauses, covenants and other details.

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NuvYug India Festival 2024

Raleigh’s Nuv Yug India Fest 2024 was held at the State Fairgrounds on March 23. This year over 9,000 people visited the festival. The stage program featured over 1,400 performers in 110 dance items representing various Classical dance forms such as Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak and a variety of regional folk dances, in addition to a dazzling array of popular Bollywood dances. It was a unique shopping opportunity for attendees as dozens of traditional crafts and fashion vendors offered items for sale. Delicious Indian Cuisine was also available during the event. Raleigh’s Nuv Yug India Fest is supported in part by the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission.

ICC Men’s T20 Men’s World Cup 2024

The 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States between June 1 – 29, 2024. This will be the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup, a biennial Twenty20 International (T20I) tournament contested by men’s national teams and organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

This is also the first time the ICC World Cup tournament will host matches played in the United States. England’s team is the defending champion, having defeated Pakistan in the final of the previous edition.

The tournament will be contested by a record 20 teams, an expansion from 16 teams at the 2022 tournament; they will include the two hosts, the top eight teams from the 2022 edition, the next two teams in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, and eight teams determined by regional qualifiers. Canada and Uganda qualified for the men’s T20 World Cup for the first time, while the United States is participating for the first time by virtue of being co-host.

“With less than three months to go until the first ball of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, there is huge anticipation for what will be a historic event for cricket in the Americas,” said Claire Furlong,

ICC General Manager, Marketing and Communications, back in March during a news conference.

“Cricket has more than a billion fans and we want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to get up close with the trophy that will be lifted by the winning captain in Barbados on 29 June.”

For more details, visit Icc-cricket.com

Blumenthal Arts Announces New Immersive Experience

Charlotte’s Blumenthal Arts has announced a new immersive experience launching this fall.

SPACE EXPLORERS: THE INFINITE, a captivating immersive journey inspired by NASA missions aboard the International Space Station, will play September 20 – November 10, 2024 at the Iron District, former home to Charlotte Pipe and Foundry.

SPACE EXPLORERS: THE INFINITE is inspired by NASA missions. Join the few who have experienced space firsthand. Through the transformative lens of immersive VR, you’ll be transported 250 miles above Earth into the International Space Station. This voyage offers more than just mere observation; it immerses you in the essence of space exploration without ever leaving the ground. From exclusive encounters with astronauts to serene moments of Earthgazing, every sensation deepens your connection to the universe and your place within it.

Blumenthal Arts is looking to the future with the creation of Blume Studios, a new pillar of programming that will launch with THE INFINITE—with more to come. Blume Studios will focus on the intersection of technology, the arts, and community.

“We are over the moon to announce the future of Blumenthal Arts programming,” said Blumenthal Arts President and CEO Tom Gabbard.

“Charlotte audiences proved there’s an appetite for this type of entertainment with the success of Van

Gogh. For more than two years, our fans have been wondering, ‘what’s next?’ Charlotte has cultivated a growing international reputation in the immersive space. We’ve traveled the world to prepare for this moment and usher Charlotte into the future of experiential art.”

Blumenthal’s new immersive space will act as a launchpad in the area of Uptown Charlotte known as the Iron District.

Gabbard said, “Real estate developers are coming to understand the power of what we do to not only draw crowds, but provide color, texture, and a creative spark that brings economic vitality and success to a growing community. We are honored to be the first residents and partners to help bring the Iron District to life.”

THE INFINITE will feature themed ancillary activities and art exhibits that will be free and open to the public. Schedules and more information will be announced at a later date.

Tickets and more info at Blumenthalarts.org/infinite.

Amul Launches Fresh Milk in the United States of America

Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (GCMMF, Amul), is the world’s largest farmer owned dairy cooperative. Amul has announced its partnership with Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA), America’s tenth largest dairy cooperative that was established in 1916.

This partnership between the two cooperatives will bring Amul to millions of Americans through its branded fresh milk products in the United States using MMPA’s technology.

This announcement was made at MMPA’s 108th annual meeting at Novi, Michigan, USA in March 2024.

Speaking at the event, Dr Jayen Mehta, Managing Director, Amul, said “We are very honored and pleased to enter into an association with MMPA, a very respected 108 year old dairy cooperative. This association will ensure all our American and Indian consumers will be nourished and energized with the goodness of Amul Milk.

credited for the White Revolution of India and the overall success of India’s dairy industry.

Amul is the world’s largest farmer owned dairy cooperative. It is owned by 3.6 million dairy farmers and procures 30 million liters of milk every day and processes it across 100 dairy plants in India and markets more than 50 categories of products.

India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA)

Youth Essay Competition

In the spring of 2020, the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA) introduced the Youth Essay Competition as a catalyst to foster philanthropic thinking and action among youth. The competition stands as a testament to the fusion of youthful dedication and philanthropic leadership, uniting bright young minds with organizations at the forefront of development and poverty alleviation in India. In their essays, students select the issue they believe to be most important and define ways in which we can all be part of the solution. This year, students are invited to also delve into India’s untold narratives, to uncover and amplify the less visible yet critical issues affecting India.

India is the world’s largest democracy. In recent years, it has undergone significant shifts and has progressed on several fronts.

While many of the unmet needs and challenges of India’s vulnerable communities have been brought into the mainstream in recent years, much still needs to be done to address hidden realities and achieve creative solutions to inadequate and inequitable access to food, shelter, healthcare, clean water, education, women’s empowerment, and a safe environment.

Each submitted essay should answer the following question:

India.

This is the first time that Amul’s fresh milk range is being launched anywhere outside

It is our great pleasure to bring the taste of India to the world, in alignment with the vision of our Prime Minister Modi to make Amul a global dairy brand.”

Amul will launch the range of fresh milk in Indian grocery stores throughout the East Coast and Midwest markets of the US.

The Indian dairy cooperative movement that started in 1946 with 250 liters of milk from the small town of Anand, India has spread its wings globally. Amul manufactures a wide range of branded milk and milk products in India and exports them to more than 50 other countries around the world, including the U.S. The Amul brand is India’s largest consumer products brand with a turnover of more than US 10 billion dollars and handling more than 11 billion liters of milk every year.

Amul’s partnership with Michigan-based MMPA is a continuation of the brand’s ties to Michigan. Dr. Verghese Kurien, the Milkman of India and the founder chairman of GCMMF, is a Michigan State University alumnus and

Which developmental issue in India do you feel is most pressing and why? What are the lesser-known challenges and impacts posed by this issue? How can American individuals and groups be a part of the solution?

Participants are rewarded for essay originality.

The essay competition is open to middle and high school students who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents. You do not need to be Indian American to participate in this competition.

Entrants in the essay competition are divided into two categories determined by the student’s grade level as of spring 2024. Middle school students are invited to respond to the prompt in 600 words or fewer. High school students are invited to respond to the prompt in 900 words or fewer.

The winners will present their award-winning ideas at a national gathering of leading philanthropists, business, and nonprofit leaders at a high-impact Philanthropy Summit in the fall of 2024. The date and location are to be determined.

Essays of the winners, runners-up, and finalists are published and widely promoted by IPA.

Deadline is July 1, 2024. For details, visit indiaphilanthropyalliance.org/2024youthessay.

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Community Focus

Live Spectrum A Dream Realized

By Divakar Shukla

In late 2004, I received a call at the Saathee studios from Raleigh entrepreneur Arvind Mahajan. He introduced himself as an avid fan of Bollywood entertainment and had a dream to put the Triangle area on the “map” for Bollywood superstars that tour the US. He felt “the area had a good ecosystem to have celebrity entertainment and was far enough away from major metros of Atlanta, DC, Orlando, to pull it off.” Back then he was an aspiring promoter with a passion and a dream and a background in event promotions from his college days. Over the next 20 years, he and his wife Neha would have two children and their company Live Spectrum Entertainment would promote more than 30 mega shows.

The first event featured comedian Jaaved Jafferi in Hum Le Gaye Tum Reh Gaye in March of 2005 since then Arvind and Neha have hosted shows featuring Paresh Rawal, A.R. Rahman, Jagjit Singh, Sonu Nigam, Asha Bhosle, Ghulam Ali, Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Shaan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Anupam Kher, Pankaj Udhas, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy just to name a few.

Her grandmotherly interaction with our son when he was only 1.5 years touched our hearts.

- AR Rahman “Jai Ho Tour’ of 2010 offered many challenges from the size of the 85 ft stage, an accident, and rain. In spite of all that, Rahman put on a fabulous show with more than 5000 in attendance. In person, Rahman sir was very humble, and his kind heartedness won our hearts.

- Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan in 2006 was the first big concert of Raleigh in PNC arena. They performed like rockstars in spite of lost luggage.

- Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan & Loy concert of 2011 featured 3.5 hours of non-stop music. And Shankarji was very humble and devoted family man.

And now, the Mahajans are working on several shows later this year. Arvind Mahajan said “I am very excited to bring more top knotch Bollywood productions to North Carolina. Next time my son Arnav will take the lead in promoting the event. Of course, my wife Neha, daughter Anvi and I will be heavily involved.”

Divakar Shukla: After so many years and events, what are some of your favorite memories? Arvind Mahajan: All of them gave different and one-of-akind experiences with talented and legendary artists. Hard to pick favorites, each interaction with artist is a very vivid memory forever. For example, Asha Bhosle in 2007 took us from 1960s to 2000s in a memorable concert which made 4000 people go through all emotions of their youth. Neha and I had the pleasure of spending three days with Ashaji. She showed us her family pictures, narrated stories to us about her sister Lata Mangeshkar and her whole family.

- Ghazal shows with Ghulam Ali, Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas. They are not among us anymore but have left a permanent impression on us with their quite legendary performances and funny interactions.

Some of our favorites were theatrical plays with Paresh Rawal, Anupam Kher, comedy with Amit Tandon and of course the 90s smash Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, and Shaan gave mesmerizing and lively performances and took us back in time. Finally, the Sufi shows of Kailash Kher and Rahat Fateh Ali khan are gems.

Divakar: Any final thoughts?

Arvind: We have been proud to take Raleigh into Bollywood superstar orbit since 2005. Through these events over the past two decades, we as a family have had the privilege to support local organizations like NC arts in action, NCIAP Peoples Medical Care, Aniridia International, Crayons to Calculator, Diaper Train, and Bonnie Book Foundation. We have met some amazing people from our community and from the entertainment industry that have left a lasting impact on us.

Arvind’s dream to put the Triangle on the Bollywood entertainment map has been realized. The Mahajan family also operate Safe Splash Swim School in Morrisville (2nd Location to open in June in Holly Springs) along with Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids and AKM Investments.

For details on future shows call 919-308-5500 or visit Livespectrum.com.

Interview segment edited for clarity and space restriction.

The Mahajan family with Shankar Mahadevan

The Future of Dances of India

Dances of India

by Dr. Maha Gingrich

The 21st anniversary of Dances of India production was a success. This year we had 50 plus participants and showcased the dances of Lord Shiva and his family. We also followed storytelling through folk traditions. I want to thank everyone who contributed to the continued success of this show and the dancers for their unwavering dedication to classical dances. Without the dedication of parents and students, I would not have completed 83 arangetrams/dance graduations thus far.

People often ask me as to why I am sticking with only traditional dance styles and not open to incorporating Bollywood in my show. In my opinion, everything has its own place. It all depends on the individual teacher’s own vision and passion. My passion is traditional dance styles that include classical dances and traditional folk dances.

I love to research and learn about the influences of Indian dances on world cultures. I want to show people visually our similarities and differences. Our

signature dance, “Unity in Diversity” has been acclaimed by many for its uniqueness and the beauty of inclusion. I believe when you know where you are coming from, it is easier to understand where you are going.

Since the age of 5, I have had a strong desire to dance. My father nourished my wishes. I discovered that dancing was not predicated upon the movements of legs and arms, but that it grew from an inner urge for prayer in motion. I see many of my students in the same light. Either the parents are fulfilling their own unmet dreams through their children, or the students want to experience the energy of dancing. My students’ enthusiasm, motivation, energy, and happiness while dancing is totally contagious. Their hard work and my creativity are a fine blend of success. Even my students who completed their arangetrams have worked very hard while in college and performed flawlessly for the show.

Even though the demand for classical dances is not as high as it used to be prior to the pandemic, there is still a demand for classical dances. These dances not only teach discipline, but also stories from the Hindu religion and traditions, long term commitment to an art form that is very difficult to learn and a perfect

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What is the “Whoppertunity” Cost of Doing This? What is the “Whoppertunity” Cost of Doing This?

Thinking About Thinking

by Balaji Prasad

“He who walks in the middle of the roads gets hit from both sides.”

~ George P. Schultz

Life is a continually evolving puzzle. It is literally a maze!

Amazing Maze

And, since you are inside the maze and cannot see over the walls around you, you need to make your best guess at the next step in your journey. It is possible that you will venture in a direction that brings you to a dead end. But this happens only once! – when you cease to live. This is so because you are dealing with an infinite maze that isn’t set in stone: it decides its next move, responsively, based on what you do on your turn in this unbounded game. It doesn’t have a mind that is entirely its own, much like the other human beings around you: they often do what they do, depending on what you do.

The bad news, if you want to call it that, is that you must keep playing the game. “You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave,” as the Eagles profoundly observed about their Hotel California. When you stop playing, everything stops. No maze, no music, no nothing. Silence.

So, you might as well enjoy the game and the challenges that it throws at you. There is no choice about engaging versus not engaging; the part of you that lies under your cognitive “see-level “will continue to deeply engage with the game even if you fool yourself into thinking that you are sitting out the game.

All that is fine, but how do you decide which move to make in this game of 4D chess between yourself and reality when there are so many possibilities? Can you employ any heuristics – any rules of thumb?

Opportunity Costs

It is relatively straightforward. If you do X, then you cannot do Y. If you decide to read A Tale of Two Cities, you cannot read War and Peace at the same time. You can, though, as long as it is not simultaneously. You can read a bit of this, and a bit of that, and a bit of this again, and so on. That is an option too.

by Taige Shukla

Instagram: @whatsthe_chai

3 Ingrdients Peda

Happy 26th Anniversary to Saathee Magazine! To celebrate we decided to bring you a super simple peda recipe that our family absolutely loves during times of celebration! Amma (Charu Shukla) shared her 3-ingredients recipe with me, and it did not disappoint. To make them a bit more festive I decided to add some food color to the peda, and now I can’t wait to share these at my friend’s upcoming wedding! With such a large family, oftentimes we have a lot to celebrate, so this peda recipe has always been a great go to, especially on a time crunch. Using only 3 ingredients, this dish takes less than 30 mins and will make enough for your whole party. It’s also so easy to make it your own through decorating, food coloring, and garnish. Honestly, a very versatile dessert that will fit any occasion. Give this super simple recipe a go and, take my word for it, you’re guaranteed to wow your guests. Happy Anniversary Saathee and cheers to you, readers, for a wonderful 26 years!

Ingredients Directions

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 stick unsalted butter

1¾-2 cups of milk powder (aka dry milk)

Optional: cardamom powder, saffron, nuts for garnish

Special thanks to: Charu Shukla (Amma)

Servings: About 15 - 20 pieces

Prep Time: 10 minues / Cook Time: 20 minutes

Heat a nonstick pan on medium-low and melt butter. Mix in the condensed milk and milk powder until well combined. Optional: mix in ¼ tsp of cardamom powder and/or saffron milk (few strands of saffron + 2 tbsp warm milk) for a more aromatic flavor.

Continue to mix the ingredients on low heat until the mixture begins to thicken and form into a texture similar to dough. Let the mixture cool slightly, then split into even pieces and mold into peda (small, round bit sized pieces). Hint: make sure you form the peda before the mixture cools off completely and becomes too stiff. Optional: add some food coloring at this stage to achieve the festive pedas pictured.

Finally, decorate or add garnish to the peda. I chose to use a cookie cutter to make the design on top. You can also top it with your favorite nuts, such as pistachios, or saffron.

Serve at room temperature within two days or refrigerate for up to two weeks.

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Do You Need an Attorney?

Immigration Matters

by Rishi P. Oza

Everyday, I speak and meet with clients from around the world asking a variety of questions on a range of immigration-related topics. On a daily basis, I cover topics ranging from F-1 visas, employment related questions for nonimmigrants and immigrant visa holders, citizenship, asylum and even the occasional consultation for someone in removal proceedings.

Regardless of the topic, a common question that I am frequently asked is “Do I need an attorney for this process?” This question has bedeviled attorneys who need to balance the potential pitfalls associated with the immigration field, as well as the needs of their practice (i.e. their business), alongside providing the best advice to a client that serves, not the attorney’s interests, but the client’s interests. The easier answer –it depends.

The truth of the matter is that no one is required to have an attorney represent them in any particular legal matter. A client always has the right to represent themselves (what attorneys call pro se representation). However, as with all professional matters, attorneys bring expertise, understanding and perspective to bear on any situation in which they are involved. I

understand what you may be thinking – “This sounds incredibly self-serving. Why wouldn’t an attorney write an article stating that they are needed.” However, I tell all my clients the same thing – you don’t have to have an attorney, but in my experience, it’s usually a good idea.

If you think about this question in the same context as other professionals, the answer makes sense. You can fly a plane by yourself, conduct surgery on yourself and even change your own oil on your car. Nothing about any of these situations requires you to hire a pilot, surgeon or mechanic respectively, but assuming that you don’t have the skills of these professionals (and want to avoid a plane crash, medical catastrophe or replacing your car’s transmission), we generally consider hiring professionals to be the prudent course of action. When you consider substituting the complexity of the immigration system, commonly considered the second hardest legal practice area behind tax law, the benefit of seasoned immigration counsel is wellworth the cost.

Sadly, the complexity of the immigration system does not need to be so. The process of getting a visa or navigating removal proceedings can commonly require a single individual to have to interact with multiple governmental agencies, many of which Immigration continued on page

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Kismuth continued from page 50

and, through writing, invite others to investigate into on their own, too, namely, that which resides within and around The Quiet.

Writing is a means of getting there. For me. Writing things out and seeing where the writing takes you. It’s not a linear process, for me. It’s an unveiling, and an illumination, too, if I’m lucky. Sometimes I hit a high note, which I chalk up to dedicated practice; I’ve been writing every day for fifteen years for Kismuth stuff, and before that, on staff at newspapers in Seattle and southwest Ireland.

Now I’m in Cambodia. It’s the third day of Khmer New Year, today; this is the biggest holiday of the year. As most people have gone to the provinces to visit their families, almost all of Phnom Penh’s businesses are shut. Walking down the street you’ll see a lot of flags, but not that many people. No street sellers, very few cars, some motos, and a few tourists who perhaps are wondering where everyone is. I used to be one of them, when I first got here in 2014, at this very time of year.

I’d put my initial impressions of life in Phnom Penh into the short book Breakfast in Cambodia (Kismuth / 2016). Everything was so new then. I recall a friend of mine saying that she thought this book would be about food. It isn’t. It’s about making time for yourself to do something (like a weekly breakfast out on my own), as a way to build a habit so as to ease right into flow. Breakfast was fun and light to write, perhaps because it was such a contrast to the short book I’d finished right before it.

That one had been quite a different kind of memoir, the prequel to the Kismuth series. I’d alluded to it time and time again when I’d launch each new book in the series. I put what I feel are my best collection of words into that prequel. I had to. It was so important. It’s called Kanishka (Kismuth / 2015).

This year, apart from Kismuth & The Way II, I’ve been writing in earnest on the topic of ‘Soft Skills’ for a weekly emag I produce, called S P A C E. Very different conversations take place over there, when I ask professionals in human relations, say, what they think about this topic. Granted, it’s trendy, but that’s part of the reason “soft skills” had crossed my desk. Empathy, active listening, effective communication, “bottlenecks” at work, and “Return to Office” are some of the things people brought up in conversations with me, over several dozen email threads and just as many calls with people across the world, this past season. We talked a lot.

Occasionally, there’d be so much to say that I’d invite an interviewee in S P A C E to join me for an audio recording, which I then edited into an MP4 for my podcast, over at my personal site. My favorite episodes are “New Baselines”, “Certainty”, and “Making a Magazine,” the last one being an interview with the editor of this magazine, Samir Shukla. Quite fun. Listen to them at: dipikakohli.com/podcast.

Dipika Kohli is an author who is based in Phnom Penh. Discover her books at kismuth.com and other projects at dipikakohli.com.

Editor’s Desk continued from page 14

- but what about junior moments of the youngsters? Those pesky things like inexperience, impatience, thin skin, digital madness? Generations have quarreled and argued with each other since recorded history.

This is nothing new. It just seems amplified in our incessant digital world.

Here’s a concept that my well-aged brain has cooked up. If I may riff on an old classic formula that everyone on the planet knows, even if they don’t understand it. Brother Einstein came up with this one, E = MC²

I’ve discovered, through years of intermingling with myriad humans, a powerfully workable formula: P = EX² (Progress = Energy X Squared (X is Experience)). It’s the Energy of youth and the Experience of age squared and when melded properly and multiplied can create the lovely bridge of progress.

When bright eyed youngsters interact with squinting eyed folks, in a let’s learn from each other manner, everyone benefits. Progress happens. We pass on years of experience learned via mistakes and missteps while gaining the forward-gazing energy and ideas of youth.

Meanwhile, in an interesting turn of events, old is new again - retro fashion, vinyl records – among other things, are enjoying rebirth as young people gravitate toward them.

I’m a lifelong music lover who cherishes the ongoing soundtrack of my life, which includes many songs and pieces of music going back even before I was born. I’m also always on the lookout for fresh music, young musicians to add to my musical catalog. Music is such a universal beast; the oldies remain warm while fresh music helps further color our world.

Along with seeking new, young music, I’m planning on hanging out with some, let’s just say, finely aged musicians and performers in the coming months.

Concerts on this summer’s list: Rolling Stones (aged 76 –80) Bob Dylan (82), Neil Young (78), Willie Nelson (90), along with a slew of others in their mid-70s - Robert Plant, Aerosmith…

Summer, that ageless season, is arriving. It’s the perfect bridge for young and old, sun and sand, music and light. Happy times for people of all ages. Kick back, pop open couple of cold ones to share, with someone outside of your comfort zone or age, and let the warmth spread.

In the meantime, don’t be in such a rush to mark someone’s age, whether young or old. Both yongsters and the experienced can learn a thing or two from each other.

Einstein’s classic formula is reserved for science, but P = EX² seems a workable formula for everyday people.

Oh yeah, one more thing. There’s another inspiration of mine. This youngster named Clint Eastwood is currently directing a new film at the tender age of 93.

Hold the old.

Samir Shukla

is the Editor of Saathee Magazine

Contact: Samir@Saathee.com

Twitter: @ShuklaWrites

Newsletter: ShuklaWrites.Substack.com

Namaskar continued from page 44

If you are wondering when the travel bug bit me, I would say that it was since I learned to read. Vivid descriptions from books often stayed on my mind’s mood board pinning a desire to visit that corner of the world. I guess, writers of fiction and nonfiction were the original influencers who boosted the phenomenal growth of the tourism industry.

In my early years, vacationing hindered the operations of my parent’s small business but to their credit they encouraged me to seize every travel opportunity that came my way.

Consequently, my early memories of being away from home were limited to Girl Scout camps, school trips and group tours with my older siblings. When I lived in India, I could not even scratch the surface of my home country’s numerous and diverse destinations. Nevertheless, the handful of places I visited were vibrant and steeped in history while revealing unique aspects of a fascinating country.

Step outside our comfort zone

with college friends from eons ago. As a graduation gift to ourselves, my friends and I had planned a weeklong trip to Goa. It was off season, and we moved around like locals and ate at hole in the wall restaurants that served lip smacking delicacies.

Decades later, my friends and I still talk about it fondly as our youthful jaunt had given us something common to hold on to once life sent us all in different directions.

Opponents of travel are plenty and they have valid reasons to recommend that we stay put. Overtourism inspired by social media or scenes from movies can burden small towns or already popular destinations. Local people may have to unfairly deal with inflation and traffic jams as well as the stupidity of tourists. Due to ignorance, we may cause damage to fragile eco systems such as the snorkelers we saw at Baby Beach in Aruba, who were stepping on coral. At a personal level, traveling to a new country may replace a trip to visit family members and potentially weaken our ties.

A nation is more than what is featured in news stories, and I have found this to be true of other countries as well. Putting ourselves in unfamiliar territory offers a change of perspective both literally and figuratively. It nudges us to step outside our comfort zone as we try new foods and respect other cultures by examining their practices.

For most people, their daily routines rarely provide the time to gaze at the sky or admire wildlife at the nearest zoo, slowly eroding the sense of awe.

Scientists and mental health experts have found evidence that interacting with something that generates a sense of awe can be therapeutic. Its benefits range from lowering inflammation to engaging in altruistic behavior. For me, this would be the biggest reason to take that break and seek amazing stimuli which does not have to be far or expensive. For example, catching a glimpse of the recent solar eclipse from the front yard, with protective glasses that cost only about $3, was enthralling.

I was delighted to hear that students from my children’s school had stepped outside the classroom to witness this celestial event.

Satisfaction from outings is not based on its cost

Even though homes are the hub of family activities, chores and “work from home” hours do not protect family time. Vacation offers a chance to make up for this loss. It is also perfect for learning a new skill or rekindling old friendships. I am fully aware that traveling is a privilege and paid time off is unfortunately not available to everyone. It is also true that the satisfaction from outings is not based on its cost.

Some of my favorite trips were short and/or economically priced. What comes to mind is my voyage

All things considered; I still vote in favor of travel. Here are a few lessons that have helped me reap the benefits of travel with a sense of responsibility:

• Identifying goals related to travel and setting objectives before planning the details is important. For example, if one has been under heavy stress, a relaxing or spiritual trip may offer healing to the mind and body.

• Selecting the right destination by looking past the hype and curbing the desire to keep up with the Sharmas or Patels is more meaningful.

• Involving family members is the key to ensure that everyone is committed to the plan. We allowed each of our teenagers to plan one family trip on their own so that they could learn about budgeting, safety, and other travel related decisions.

• Avoiding the tendency to compare one destination with another is essential. Soaking in the moment and practicing mindfulness has helped us savor the pleasures of every excursion.

• After penning down these thoughts, I am eager to embark on my next adventure and I encourage everyone to explore what lies beyond the boundaries of their usual work and duties.

Bon voyage!

Shyama Parui is a long time North Carolina resident and an ardent writer. You can reach her at: shyamashree_parui@hotmail.com

Full Frame

continued from page 24

legendary drummer Max Roach was different in mood and narrative flow, yet recognizable as one of Pollard’s. It was remarkable how much archival footage he had. He shared that he had the footage “in the can” for many years and waited till he felt just right about how to treat it before making the film.

On the heels of their 2020 film Boys State, directors Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss made Girls State (2023), this time about a weeklong gathering of high school girls competing to be elected various positions for the week, from Governor to Supreme Court Justices and more. Besides the compelling story, I enjoyed the Q & A with one of the participants, now in college, and the filmmakers.

There were several hard-hitting films that I saw, including Sugarcane (Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie, 2024), Power (Yance Ford, 2023), and Hollywoodgate (Ibrahim Nash’at, 2023). The first film was about the notorious Native American reeducation camps which housed children, trying to strip them of their culture, while in too many cases they suffered abuse at the hands of the priests and nuns who ran the schools. Power is a critique of modern policing, sharing historical perspectives and offering perspectives from the police themselves. Hollywoodgate tells the harrowing tale of Egyptian filmmaker Nash’at who gets permission by the Taliban to document a lieutenant and his men taking control of s a CIAabandoned base.

among us. The film Red Whiteville and Blue (2024, D. L. Anderson) describes the Great Economy Project and the nonprofit Patriotic Millionaires who provide money to organize and educate communities about how politicians should work to provide more equitable economic opportunities which, they claim, is the real issue hidden behind smokescreens of “liberal” and “conservative” labels. This film describes Whiteville, a community of about 5000 in southeastern, North Carolina. The empowerment of the citizens is tangible in seeing their working together across many “dividing” lines. The audience cheered their strength of conviction when they boarded a bus to Raleigh and spoke at the State Legislature.

Love Machina (Peter Sillen, 2024) was remarkable to me as it revealed technology that I was unaware of – that of filing/spacecasting “mind files” into outer space for preservation for 10,000-100,000 years or more and building of robots with the goal of preserving relationships. Inventor and entrepreneur Martine Rothblatt, creator of Sirius XM radio, left her job upon learning of her daughter’s medical condition to found a company that developed a drug that now saves not just the daughter but also thousands of others. The technology is quite remarkable and the story of preserving Martine and partner Bina’s love through AI robot Bina48 was well worth understanding.

Story & Pictures By (Joanna Rudnick, 2023) was an excellent film for anybody who has a soft spot for children’s literature. The film was bright and peppy on one level, mirroring the kinds of books it portrayed, but also delved into the real world lives and challenges of the authors.

It’s frustrating to see how divided our modern politics is and I often wonder why we can’t see more commonalities

Filmmakers Nancy Buirski, founder and, for ten years, director of Full Frame, and D. A. Pennebaker, pioneer of cinematic realism captured through “fly on the wall” lightweight cameras, were honored at the festival. I previously reported on Buirski’s The Loving Story (2011) about the landmark Supreme Court case that overturned restrictions on interracial marriage; it was shown, along with several others by her. I enjoyed Pennebaker’s first film, Daybreak Express (1957) which showed five minutes by train of New York City with a score by Duke Ellington, as well as his 1967 Dont Look Back about Bob Dylan’s tour of England in 1965. Many will be familiar with the classic cards Dylan tosses in a New York alleyway to the music of “Subterranean Homesick Blues”; this is the opening scene from Dont Look Back (yes, there is no apostrophe). Another of Penny’s films, Town Bloody Hall (1979) witnesses a surprisingly raucous panel discussion of women’s liberation with author Germaine Greer, National Organization for Women president Jacqueline Cerballos, Village Voice journalist Jill Johnston, and literary critic Diana Trilling, moderated by author Norman Mailer.

The festival ended with a Dawn Porter film about Luther Vandross, Luther: Never Too Much (2024). I love the music that directly influenced his music, Philly Soul, and that set the stage for contextualizing his music and entertainment trajectory. His life story is one that is touching in his kindness and painful in seeing his ongoing battles with diabetes and weight.

I could only report on some of the many films that I saw. Often difficult choices among parallel screenings had to be made! Unfortunately, many of these films only tour the festival circuit.

Did I mention “Full Frame is back!”? It’s a fabulous opportunity to take four days off and immerse oneself in fascinating storytelling learning about topics both familiar and unfamiliar. April 2025?

Still from Sugarcane

Still from Red Whiteville and Blue

Still from Love Machina

Eye on Markets continued from page 46

The Fed will begin cutting this year and they will continue until they get to the neutral rate. As the rate on cash moves lower, holders will have to make a decision, especially as the real rate and time become their enemy. The risk/reward framework for putting this cash to work is favorable. If growth does slow, the Fed will cut more than expected to support the economy. Not to mention, they have the capacity on their balance sheet to help support markets. If growth continues and we are on the verge of a new capex cycle, investors are likely to earn far more investing in risk assets than what they will sitting in cash.

For much of the last fifteen years, tech has been what I like to call a beta sector. By this I mean that it was a sector that traded together with little dispersion. It was hard to pick a tech stock that went down. In recent weeks, we have started to witness tech investors becoming more selective. High profile names such as Adobe, Snowflake, and Palo Alto Networks saw their stock severely punished after disappointing results.

As AI becomes the dominant theme, the market is separating winners and losers within tech, making it an alpha sector. While tech moves to an alpha sector, value sectors such as industrials and financials are moving to beta sectors.

The market is starting to front run

The spread between growth and value is wider than the dot.com bust. The Fed cutting and continued economic resiliency will serve as the catalyst for the spread to mean revert. The market is starting to front run this. Both sectors have outperformed tech YTD. Financials have upside from M&A, capital markets, de-regulation, and yield-curve disinversion. Industrials outperform when PMIs bottom and turn up. In particular, when PMIs are less than 47, the 12M forward return has historically been 22 percent, with a 95 percent-win ratio.

Industrials’ earnings are getting revised higher, expected to grow 14.4 percent next year. The fiscal stimulus that was approved a couple of years ago is just now starting to hit the system and will accelerate in 2024. Industrials benefit from many long-term themes of energy transition, supply chain onshoring, a new aerospace cycle, growing importance of national defense, and infrastructure spending. Longer-term, AI will lead to margin expansion.

The combination of steady economic growth, lower inflation, rate cuts, earnings growth, a capex cycle, and margin expansion will make many cyclical value sectors market leaders.

Looking ahead, the market will focus on first quarter earnings, the economic data, the election, and geopolitics.

Ketu Desai is the principal of i-squared Wealth Management Inc. (www.isquaredwealth.com), an investment management firm based in New Jersey. ketu@isquaredwealth.com

Thinking continued from page 72

Options! Aka “opportunities”.

As the roads fork in front of you, spreading out like an octopus’s tentacles, you pause and survey the landscape, as far as your eye can see. And, as far as your mind can see. This is the dangerous part, though, for an eager and grasping mind can see much further than the humble eye can, even seeing wispy, non-existent paths between the paths.

From Shining See to See

A road opens in front of me, Then another … and ‘nother … yet ‘nother ... and ‘nother! There’s one too many opportunity, And when Self’s installed as ship’s rudder, Many more appear in drunk reverie: I’ve gone from See to Shining See, To universe that cannot be!

It’s time for a triage. “Do I go on this one, or on that?” you ask yourself, overcome with anxiety and doubt. “And how do I know whether a path is a path at all, or whether it is a stray mirage spun up by my infinite imagination?”

Mirages: “Whoppertunities”

Can you tell an opportunity from a “whoppertunity” (a huge lie)? You can, but it will be impossible if you are intoxicated. With your Self, that is. For your Self may bring with it some intense fears and desires that power the spinups of illusory paths and futures. Also, the Self is known to be not too particular about the truth, and doesn’t mind specious logic and wordplay of the kind that lawyers and politicans are wont to engage in. So, anything can be anything, and what you see can be what you wish to see, as your mind does voodoo on real things in the real world to make them shinier – or more terrifying – objects than the ones that actually exist.

The only way out of the Shining See is to see. And you can only truly see if you see the seer, and the state of intoxication that the seer is in. And to take what is “seen” with a huge grain of salt.

Whoppertunities can be dangerous, and so you do want to do your best to avoid them; one avoidance tactic is to distrust an intoxicated seer altogether, letting things flow where they flow, instead.

Opportunities, on the other hand are useful but not equal to one another. Taking one incurs the cost of not taking some other one, which may have been a better one. May the best choice win, once you get the lie of the land. Or you avoid the lies of the land!

Balaji Prasad

is an IIT/IIM graduate, a published author, SAT/ACT Online and in-person Coach, and K-12 Math Tutor at NewCranium. balaji.prasad@newcranium.com.

continued from page 40

Some find them grotesque. Others see them as intriguingly beautiful. Within a year already spotted with terrestrial earthquakes and solar eclipses, the appearance of these large bugs will seem (to some) like another sign of the Apocalypse.

I am simply captivated by nature’s ability to balance itself through occurrences such as this. Observing these periodical cicadas unfurl from their shed skins “like flowers,” nymphs floating from tree to tree “like snowflakes”. The sun glimmers through gossamer wings as they fly overhead, and forests seem to come alive with the sound of crackling leaves as they crawl out of their holes in the dark.

Yet the phenomenon is also a reminder that our own lives are but a blink within the greater picture. As the shortness of life calls to us, each day calls for the fullness of each hour, each moment. Human beings celebrate our very existence through religious rites passed down from our predecessors.

As we pray, dance, sing, or meditate… a portal leading us toward a heightened presence opens up as every minute ticks and pulsates with an extra fullness of being, while at the same time attuning us to the cyclical essence of time and its correlation to life and death.

We are all earthly bodies locked in a celestial dance

Some beliefs prefer to take this a step further by way of reincarnation and rebirth, and recurrent means by which the Earth moves between each season seem to support this. We are all earthly bodies locked in a celestial dance of which we are never more aware than when the seasons turn. While this is much more apparent within other animal species, this does not exclude our own.

As days grow longer or shorter, our very lives adapt in a multitude of ways as the little blue ball we reside upon traverses around our star.

Author Henry Beston once wrote:

“With the change, there comes something particularly needed by the human spirit — an affirmation of that eternal change in nature which rules out stagnancy, and the appearance of the entirely new within the pattern of the old… I suspect that in human existence our problem is the finding of some like harmony between what is fixed and of the pattern and what is untried and eager to be born.”

The reemergence of these whistling insects is simply a much more poignant personification of this, as in a way the cicadas breeding patterns remind us of those small moments of clarity brought forth while contemplating our own mortality.

While the cicadas will not be nearly as noticeable in the Carolinas this time around, they will certainly be discussed in national news broadcasts within the next few weeks. Take the time to embrace this unique spectacle and enjoy the multi-layered chorus of their mating calls.

Such wondrous miracles of nature are to be celebrated and remembered, as should all things which remind us that life (and death) is beautiful, precious, and too often taken for granted.

Jennifer Allen works at Saathee and is also a Podcaster, Blogger, Photographer, Graphic Artist, Gamer, Martial Arts Practitioner, and an all around Pop Culture Geek. You can reach her at Saathee@Saathee.com

Personal Finances

continued from page 62

The risks for this class are similar to the class of cash and cash-equivalent, but there are more. Bonds are medium to long-term duration, generally from 2 years to 10 or more years.

Hence interest rate risk and call risks are the main factors that come into play. Interest rates can change during the “locked” phase of the bond, which can affect the value of the bond.

Call risk is always there when a bond is purchased because the issuer has the right to call the bond prematurely, especially if the interest rates are falling, and abruptly disturb your apple-cart.

Risks with Equities

Equities have a whole litany of risks and when done properly, they bring a lot of joy and pleasure or on occasion many displeasures and heartaches as well. I will just mention a few here; Market risks: General market declines due to mismanagement or due to geo-political reasons and we suffer. Company specific risks: all points to very bad management and nobody else can be blamed for it.

What I have given here is just a few examples of these risks. This list is long. To manage these risks, one thing is for sure and that is not only must we comprehend what they are but even more importantly, understand what your risk tolerance make-up is and how you react to those risks. Risks can never be avoided completely.

Everyone is different and will react differently but knowing and understanding yourself, and I might add your spouse who should be your partner in all such endeavors, is very important and necessary. It will not happen overnight but serious attempts need to be made. Seek help if necessary.

These efforts will create a certain direction for you that will help you avoid pitfalls and serious mistakes in the future. Like they always say, “know thyself.” It is easier said than done.

Mo Vidwans

is an independent, board certified financial planner. For details visit, VidwansFinancial.com, call 734-476-0579 or write to: mvfinancial@yahoo.com

Nutrition for Life continued from page 54

The month of May has many National Health Observances

• Arthritis Awareness Month

• National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month

• National Women’s Health Week – celebrated starting Mother’s Day

• National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

• Mental Health Awareness Month

• Older Americans Month

• Better Sleep Month

All these observances are created to raise awareness of the diseases in order to find more funding for research for better treatment options. And, no doubt, we have come a long way in the treatment of major diseases. There have been many scientific breakthroughs and technological advances with medicines and robotic surgeries. There has not been as much focus on prevention.

The medical and insurance industry has been focusing on this disease care, but things are changing for the better. A group of physicians a few years ago decided to do something about this disparity, and created a specialty called Lifestyle Medicine.

Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to prevent and treat chronic conditions. Lifestyle medicine certified clinicians are trained to apply evidence-based, whole-person, prescriptive lifestyle changes to treat and, when used intensively, often reverse such conditions.

How to be healthy and prevent disease? Focus on these six areas:

1. Nutrition

Healthful eating is to focus eating a whole food plantbased – meaning majority of your calories should be coming from unprocessed or minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and pulses and legumes.

The Blue Zones Project, conducted by Dan Buettner of National Geographic, went around the world to identify the regions with the greatest number of centenarians (people who live to be 100 years old). A common theme was that 95 percent of their diet was plant-based diet among these regions. You can look up the Blue Zones documentary film called Live to 100 on Netflix.

Foods to avoid include all processed and especially ultraprocessed foods that have artificial colors, chemicals, additives, and preservatives. These typically include packaged foods, frozen ready to eat foods, and fast foods.

2. Physical Activity

Physical activity refers to aerobics, strength, flexibility, and balance. Regular physical activity improves heart health

and improves mood. Recommendations for adults 18-64 years old: at least 150-300 minutes of moderate intensity, or 75-150 minutes of vigorous activity weekly along with two or more days weekly of strength training. Avoid sitting for long periods of time.

It is important to incorporate movement regularly throughout the day. Sitting is being called the new smoking. It’s not just about exercise; it is the ability to live a long healthy life without aches and pains, and risk of falling and fractures.

3. Sleep

Restorative sleep is important for the body to rest and repair. It is recommended to get undisturbed sleep for about seven hours. Our sleep cycle is closely associated with our metabolism. Studies show that people who do not get adequate sleep may gain weight or find it harder to lose weight. Early to bed and early to rise seems to be the key to good health. Our internal clock or Circadian Rhythm is closely associated with the sun. So, get into the habit of sleeping and waking up at the same time, and avoid staying up late at night.

4. Stress

Studies show that stress can cause short term memory loss! Stress is also associated with gut imbalances and related to food allergies and intolerances, GI issues such as gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and hormone imbalances. Stress can cause chronic inflammation. It is important to identify stress and learn how to cope with it. Try yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercise, and any other methods needed to help manage stress. Talk to a therapist or psychologist if needed.

5. Social Connections

Neurological research studies show that positive social connections are more powerful than playing sudoku to improve brain health and prevent dementia. The Blue Zones study showed that social support, higher purpose and spirituality are very important to longevity, wellness, and healthy aging.

6. Harmful Substances

It is now well known that smoking is seriously harmful to the body. The same can be said for alcohol and drugs. Studies are showing a strong link between alcohol consumption and increased risk of cancer. Even one glass of wine can significantly increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer. We also need to stay away from other harmful substances like pollutants, pesticides, and other chemicals and preservatives.

Even small changes go a long way! So rather than thinking about diets for weight loss or any particular disease, focus on improving your overall quality of life.

Parul Kharod

is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist and works as a Clinical Dietitian. She can be reached at parulkharod@gmail.com

Job Openings, Matrimonials, Business Opportunities and more Classifieds here.

Editor’s Desk: Read about “Frontier Lands” here.

Immigration continued from page 80

have no clue what the other agencies do. For example, should a company want to sponsor an IT professional from India for a green card, that company could possibly have to interact with three different governmental agencies: the US Department of Labor (for the labor certification or “PERM” process), the US Department of Homeland Security (for submission of the I-140 immigrant worker petition) and the US Department of State (for issuance of the immigrant visa should the employee be abroad).

Similarly, an individual in removal proceedings commonly deals with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), the attorneys for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Immigration Courts (EOIR), the first two of which are housed under the US Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration Court as a part of the US Department of Justice. This mishmash of agency authority makes navigating the overall immigration system chaotic and confusing, making the finding of a proper solution exceedingly difficult.

As a practitioner, one of the situations that I find most regrettable is when I have to speak with a potential client that has attempted to navigate the immigration process on their own, only to hit a roadblock or, more commonly, have created a problem. These predicaments are often avoidable, but clients are often unaware of the complexity of the law that governs our immigration system.

These situations often lead to clients spending more on having an attorney fix the problems that are now created than would have been required from the outset; moreover, the commonality of all of these situations is that mistakes cost time and as we all know, time is the only commodity that we never get back.

I’ve had the unfortunate responsibility to tell parents that their child may have to wait another two years before they can immigrate due to mistakes that need correcting.

All of this returns us back to our initial question – do you need an attorney, to which I would answer again the same – it depends. If you feel comfortable with the subject matter and are familiar with the legal requirements for what you are seeking, then you may not need an attorney. Consulting with an attorney, even for a 30-minute phone call, may be money well spent, to avoid making a mistake and costing yourself time and money.

A running joke amongst immigration attorneys is that a functional and semi-intuitive immigration system would eliminate many of our jobs; alas, the federal government keeps me employed by making the system harder to navigate than it should be. Given this complexity, having the right guide be beside you throughout the process is usually worth the expense.

Rishi P. Oza is Partner at Brown Immigration Law, a firm that focuses solely on immigration law; he practices in Durham. roza@rbrownllc.com

Dances of India continued from page 70

balance of right and left brains. The stories told through dances are not known even to some of the new generation of Indians coming to the USA. Many of my students have been admitted into prestigious colleges due to their longterm commitment to these classical dance forms and training. When these students commit to the traditional dance forms for 7 to 10 years, their commitment to achieve their goals is apparent. They usually write amazing personal statements and essays for their college applications that reflect their passion and the influence of these dance forms on their life. This life-changing experience stays with the students as a guiding light to achieve many things they aspire to as they grow older.

Several people also ask me about the language barrier these second-generation Indians face in this country. They wonder how these students can express the stories told through dancing so beautifully. This language barrier is not unique to the second generation. As India has so many spoken languages, it is almost impossible to learn them all. As teachers/gurus we explain the stories to the students to bring out the inner emotions of storytelling using dance as a medium.

Many teachers, who moved to and made the USA their home, have a great opportunity to take it out of India and spread these seeds of culture. Many of the Indian dance teachers in the USA teach these dances to support themselves financially. They have to include in their teachings many non-classical dance styles to survive. Some teachers like me may want more out of it, such as reintroducing our culture to our own Indian community, introducing the culture to the non-Indian community, and building recognition, appreciation, and interest along with a respect for our culture. We all have to learn to grow.

In my opinion, with the continued interest and popularity of Indian classical dances, the need and search for authentic exposition is pressing and dance shows of this dimension and character is indeed the need of the hour. Indian art is a science, a discipline, an art and an exposition at the same time. With the co-operation, philanthropy, and good will of the art lovers of the USA, I am confident of promoting and fostering an appreciable understanding of the ancient cultural heritage of India among the aesthetic public.

Arts are not to be restrained from sharing with others. They are suitable for all cultures. In my opinion, the future of Dances of India looks strong, and this annual production gives me the opportunity to share with pride my Indian heritage.

Dr. Maha Gingrich is an IIT/IIM graduate, a published author, SAT/ACT Online and in-person Coach, and K-12 Math Tutor at NewCranium. balaji.prasad@newcranium.com.

Tune Your Brain

Solve these brain teasers - Solutions on Page 110

Quiz Corner

Who wants to be a Scholar?!

Answer the ones you know and research the rest. There is only one correct answer!

1. Arrange these chemical substances according to their low to high boiling points.

(a) Chloroform(b) Glycerol

(c) Water(d) Sulfuric Acid

2. Amitabh Bachchan sang a Holi song in the film

(a) Don (b) Silsila

(c) Hum(d) Sholay

3. How many US states start with the letter M?

(a) 8 (b) 7

(c) 6 (d) 5

Brain-Train

Here is a fun quiz. See if you can solve it. No peeking! Match the number in column 1 with letter in column 2

of State

Yadkin

Edisto

Oconee

Duck

Pecos

St. Johns

Tanana

Guadalupe

Bear

Humboldt

Alaska

Florida

Utah

South Carolina

North Carolina

Georgia

Texas

Tennessee

Nevada

New Mexico

Stickelers Answer: The word COUSIN does not belong because it does not specify gender.

Brain Train: 1-E, 2-D, 3-F, 4-H, 5-J, 6-B, 7-A, 8-G, 9-C, 10-I

5.b6.c7.d 8.c 9.c 10.c

Scholar: 1.a, c, b, d 2.b 3.a 4.d

4. “Equal volumes of all gases contain same number of molecules at the same temp/pressure.” is the law of

(a) Ohm(b) Pythagoras

(c) Newton(d) Avogadro

5. Uranus has ___ known moons.

(a) 14(b) 28

(c) 53(d) 79

6. The area of an eclipse with minor axis = 4ft. and major axis = 7 ft. is approximately

(a) 18 Sq. feet (b) 20 Sq. feet

(c) 22 Sq. feet (d) 24 Sq. feet

7. Use of math and computers to understand chemical behavior is this branch of chemistry.

(a) Inorganic (b) Analytical

(c) Physical (d) Theoretical

8. Super Bowl 2020 winner

(a) Panthers(b) Forty Niners

(c) Chiefs(d) Patriots

9. The birthstone, if you are born in May is

(a) Topaz(b) Amethyst

(c) Emerald(d) Diamond

10. Indian Rs. 2 paper note (no longer in circulation) was introduced in (a) 1935(b) 1939

(c) 1943(d) 1947

Answers are on bottom left. No Peeking.

Scholar: All correct; 1st Class: 8 Correct; 2nd Class: 7 Correct; 3rd Class: 6 Correct; Need to improve: 5 or less

Key Word Search

Fill in blanks of these clues, then take the first letter of each word and unscramble them to find this month’s Key Word.

In baseball, three ____ and you’re out. Opposite of empty. ____

James Bond movie, You ___ Live Twice.

Hindi, English, & Spanish are ___. North, South, East, ___. Former US President Ronald ___. Chickens lay ___.

Answers on page 104

By Kirit Shukla

PUZZLES & TOONS

Note: * denotes abbreviation of the word or phrase

Clues Across:

1. The basic monetary unit of Bhutan.

8. The seventh letter of Greek alphabet.(η)

11. A stupid, mean or despicable person. (European slang) 12. A student or former student at Eaton college.

14. A club used in finishing handmade linen; a mallet.

16. A clear distilled liquor made from grain mash.

A person who mixes and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar.

Illinois. (*)

Eastern Time. (*)

Organic compound that reacts with water to produce alcohols and acids.

22. Some, no matter how much or how little; without limit.

Traditional Russian associ. of laborers for collective work.

Earned Run. (*) (Baseball).

To look.

26. To ask or express a wish or desire for, in a polite way.

29. A pale brownish-orange color.

31. Moving around an axis or center.

African Methodist Episcopal. (*) (Church)

Anabolic hormones used to promote muscle growth.

Change of a liquid to vapor by means of heat.

Quick to learn or understand.

International Subscriber Dialing. (*) (Telecommunication)

The early settlers or scientists doing exploratory works.

North America. (*)

A slight wetness; moisture.

Information Services. (*).

Clues Down:

1. Seized suddenly; snatched.

2. Very impressive; large in number.

3. One who operates a computer, computer program, or online service.

4. Educated to read and write; literate.

5. To go in again.

6. Utah (*)

7. A person whose work is loading and transporting goods.

8. An Islamic holiday, such as the end of Ramadan.

9. A type gnu goat found in Eastern Himalayas.

10. A detail examiner.

13. The second part of negation: ‘Neither - ___’.

15. For fear that; in case.

18. Cross out; erase.

22. Sedimentary clastic rocks consisting of sand grains.

23. A Latin epic poem about Aeneas & his adventures.

24. Continent between Asia and the Atlantic Ocean.

25. Indian spicy fried turnover, filled with potatoes & peas.

27. The sacred book of Islam.

28. Solid-state drive. (*)

29. “Albert B. ___”, Russian born, U. S. bacteriologist, who developed a vaccine to prevent poliomyelitis.

30. Yours Sincerely. (*)

34. To cut down (something) to a preferred size or shape.

35. To figure out as a result of investigation. (Slang: British)

39. Pennsylvania. (*)

40. Rhode Island. (*)

(solution on page 104)

Find & circle the words in the puzzle.

Subject: Desserts

ADA

BAKLAVA

BARFI BISCUIT CAKE

CARAMEL CHOCOLATE COFFEE COOKIE DOUGHNUT FRUIT

GULABJAMUN ICECREAM JALEBI

JAM KAJUKATLI KHIR LEMONTART MILK PAK PAN PASTRY PIE PUDDING RABADI RASMALAI SORBET TEA

The unused 9 letters spell that is ”The sweet ball made of sugar, coconut, semolina (Rava) and ghee.”

(answer on page 104)

EZ-BZ

TEST YOUR IQ

The common letters are “IE” - Fill in the blanks)

1. A fabric strip used to tie curtains to one side.

2. An old joke, song, saying, film etc.

3. A village in Movileni Commune, in Romania.

A satellite of Uranus.

Devotion to religious duties and practices.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Acute sorrow or distress.

Changed or altered.

To give a false impression.

Ahead of an opponent by many holes. (Golf)

Institute of European Union Studies at SUNY.(*)

Intimate associate.

To have trust or confidence.

A special or limited selection of food & drink.

An obstacle.

International Energy Agency. (*)

A substance added to paint to make dry fast.

A small bar made of rich chocolate, nuts etc.

Land for raising crops.

The keyboard of an organ or piano.

Indian Environmental Radiation Monitoring Network.

A ripened soft, white cheese made in France.

A brief nap taken after noon meal esp. in Spain.

One mission by a single military plane.

A fuel oil used in locomotives, trucks etc.

(Puzzle solutions are on page 104. NO peeking!)

Festivals & Holidays - Puzzle Solutions

MAY 2024

May 1 - Maharashtra / Gujarat Day

May 1 - Beltane / May Day

May 1 - International Workers Day

May 2 - National Day of Prayer

May 4 - Vallabhacharya Jayanti

May 5 - Cinco de Mayo

May 5 - Yom HaShoah

May 5 - World Laughter Day

May 7 - Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti

May 7 - National Teacher Appreciation Day

May 8 - Darsh Amas (No Moon)

May 10 - Parshuramama Jayanti

May 12 - Mother’s Day

May 14 - Yom Ha'atzmaut

May 16 - Sita Navami

May 19 - Mohini Ekadashi

May 18 - Armed Forces Day

May 21 - Narsingh Jayanti

May 23 - Buddha Purnima / Vaishakha Purnima

May 25 - Towel Day

May 27 - Memorial Day

Key Word

from page

Math Magic from page 103

Astroscope

Aries

(March 21 – April 20)

After a good start, your financial picture could turn ugly by the end of the month. Work hard to curb your expenses and avoid any risk-taking tendencies. The middle of the month, however, may expose new money-making opportunities, but try to grab them with caution. Do not overact to any issue and take advantage of your reputation to protect against any awkward situations. Avoid travel.

Taurus

(April 21 – May 20)

Compromise is a better solution than tenaciousness. You should find favorable prospects for a rise in income at your present employment. You may benefit due to changes in government policy or political actions. A misunderstanding may spoil your family environment. Aggressive and quick actions will help more than prayers. Postpone any long distance journey.

Gemini

(May 21 – June 20)

Political ventures will help more than social or religious ones at this time. You may elevate your status and become a bit of a celebrity. Don’t dispute with your partner and/or family. Self-confidence and boldness are both very important during this period. A change in strategy should help you achieve success. Business-related, short-distance travel might prove fruitful.

Cancer

(June 21 – July 22)

An unexpected rise in income will delight you and help cover expenses. You should feel relaxed during the middle of the month, but don’t ignore your health as it could take a serious turn. Avoid any speculation at this time. You will survive, but mental stress could be there. You may learn good news regarding your family. Keep away from legal matters.

Leo

(July 23 – August 22)

Evade acting on instinct this month otherwise you may end up in dire trouble. The temptation to indulge in wrongful acts is possible. Health problems may disturb your peace of mind. You could tap into some type of occultism. A memorable journey is also possible. Your family and associates will help you in making favorable financial deals.

Virgo

(August 23 – September 21)

You may have to adjust your ideologies twice this month; it is advisable to remain patient and avoid drastic decisions. You may recoup a lost opportunity, so don’t lose hope. This period is good for financial gains, but the circumstances of these gains will deteriorate in the long run. A fast and busy trip should prove beneficial. A minor health issue is also possible.

Libra (September 22 – October 20)

Possible ventures undertaken this month could be fruitful if linked to government agencies. A rise in status and position are also possible. An enemy may attempt to tarnish your reputation but will fail. You might receive a very positive piece of news. A minor accident is possible, so avoid any type of travel.

Scorpio (October 21 – November 20)

This month may find you attracted to and fascinated by someone of another gender. Unexpected yet favorable events are likely to occur. Family members’ attitudes will be quite uncertain. However, your interest in occult or parapsychology should also develop and prove a positive experience. A sudden monetary gain could be there. Your friends may not keep their promises.

Sagittarius (November 21 – December 21)

Even though your life should improve, it will take a bit of time to come back on track. This period is very good for financial gains. Keep your expenses under control and your bank balance will rise. A sense of insecurity won’t let you enjoy it, however. A long distance journey may prove exhausting. Speculation could also be rewarding this month. Watch your health.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 21)

This month should relieve you of tension and anxiety. Domestically you will feel happy. A promotion, if employed, is likely. Your heart could become focused on romance and mind on higher philosophy. There is a possibility of prolonged illness, so keep watch on your health and try not to work long hours. Postpone any travel until next month.

Aquarius

(January 22 – February 18)

A lack of confidence this month may cause some problems. Remain vigilant and avoid immoral deeds such as cheating on your partner or shady dealings. Instead, it will be better to go on business trips. Meeting up with old friends or a lost love is also possible. Try to curb your expenses on luxury items. Don’t get involved in minor disputes with family.

Pisces

(February 19 – March 20)

Patience is a virtue: a good slogan to remember this month. Good tidings are on the horizon, but don’t shake up the status quo to hasten their arrival. Try to limit your imagination and dreams as these may develop into more problems. Keep yourself active and busy, but don’t go overboard. You may have to depend upon undesirable people. Avoid travel.

Call today to get your kundali chart reading and numerological consultation and find way to happier self.

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Employment Opportunities

Elderly Help Needed for 72 year-old paralyzed male in Apex, NC. Experienced couple preferred, livein or full-time. Must be Legal. Pay negotiable. Call Dina 919-924-8658.

Front Desk Manager & Housekeeping Couple Wanted for franchise hotel in Columbia, SC. Accommodations provided. Fluent English required. Text / call 704-701-9975.

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Hotel Help Wanted:

Looking for Manager & Front Desk for properties in Charlotte, NC. Contact Nita Shah at 704-502-2630 or gm.nita.shah@gmail.com

Looking for Desk Clerk & Housekeeping Couple for franchise motel in Rock Hill, SC. Legal status & fluent English required. Can provide accommodations. Call 864694-6299 and leave message.

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Seeking Help

with vegetarian Gujarati cooking 1-2 times/week for elderly couple in Concord, NC. Must have own transportation. Call/text 248-515-2732.

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Hotel Help Wanted

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Gas Station Seeking Help in Rock Hill, SC. Single or couple. Good pay for an experienced person! No accommodations. Call 803-659-3330.

Hotel Help Wanted:

Couple needed for Front Desk (4 shifts/week) and Laundry in Greensboro NC. Accommodations provided. Must be Legal/fluent English. Call/Text 336-5588195 between 9am-8pm.

Front Desk & Laundry Help needed for Franchise Hotel in Concord, NC. Accommodations provided. Call 704772-5554.

Single, Couple or Family Needed for Front Desk, Laundry & Breakfast Attendant at Franchise Hotel in South Charlotte. Text only 980-229-8216.

Help Needed

at Perfume Stores in Charlotte & Pineville. For details, please call Veer Singh at 415-265-8686.

Full-time Cashier Wanted for Convenience Store in Charlotte area. Legal status required. Please call for details: 704-241-4499.

Hotel Help Wanted

Front Desk / Manager, Night Auditor & Housekeeper (Single/Couple) for franchise hotels in Charlotte (Airport Area) & Winston-Salem (Near Hanes Mall). Accommodations provided. Call 704-626-4849 between 4-8pm.

Cooking & Housekeeping Needed for home in Durham, NC. Must have own transportation and state issued valid ID. Four hours/day, 3 days/ week. Call 919-300-5154.

For Sale / Rent

Furniture from India for Sale.

See our display ad on page 17. Call or text for details: 336-207-0678

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Place a classified ad here and on Saathee.com for $25. visit: saathee.com/classifieds or email saathee@saathee.com or call and ask for Jennifer: 704-527-7570.

Pittsboro - Fearrington

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Perfect Family Opportunity! Atkinson Properties Group 919-362-6999

For Rent: Shared accommodations at 1583 Duckhorn St in South Charlotte near great school district. Rent $750 with attached Bed & Bath inclusive amenities. Contact Shoba 704-956-8504.

Townhome for Rent: 3 bedroom, 3 bath with washer/dryer in Monroe, NC near 485 towards Charlotte uptown. Call 248-766-2216.

Home for Sale

in active adult community (55 and older). Sunroom, deck, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths in Indian Land, SC (minutes from Charlotte). Community offers swimming pool, tennis, pickle ball, shuffleboard & many community activities. New asking price: $690,000. Call Rhonda for details: 980-226-7665.

Seeking Bride

Well-educated MD Internist / Hospitalist (Non-Interventional Cardio Fellowship) Man. 35 year-old, never married, wellsettled, and good-looking. Vegetarian, Spiritual, Gujarati, only child, US Citizen. Looking for Girl, preferably Medical professional but will accept any higher education. Text Shailesh with details 260-602-3354.

Seeking Bride for Son raised in the US, never married, 42, 6', Bengali, handsome, honest, good-natured, Pharmacologist living in NC. Will accept a good-looking, Bengali or non-Bengali, highly educated, honest girl interested in a simple lifestyle. Contact Purabi Nagchowdhuri. Cell: 252-412-9820.

Seeking tall, athletic Girl from the East Coast for 30-year-old US-raised boy. 6'2", Master's in Accounting, Kannada family, working as a consultant in Washington, DC. Refer AN, Text 470-684-0830.

Seeking Bride for son. US citizen doctor. 37 years old. Divorced. (Charotar Moti satavis) Canada / US citizen preferred. Please send bio data to krishnaprayash@gmail.com.

Matrimonial / Seeking Companion Services

Vedic & KP Astrologer,

Looking for Life Partner

for US Citizen, retired businessman (Jat Niyat Koi Bathnathi) Indian born Gujarati Patel. Call 304-800-3262.

Seeking Groom

Seeking well educated, US raised Boy for 36-year-old girl. 5'5", US-raised, nevermarried, MD, Physician from NJ. Refer NN, Text 678-304-8184.

Seeking well educated, never married, vegetarian Boy for 33 year old girl from a Tamil Iyengar family. 5'3", raised in India, vegetarian, never married, MS, Senior Software Engineer, North Carolina. Refer NS, Text 678-304-8184.

Seeking well-educated, US-raised Boy under 35 for a 30-year-old. 5'1" Tamil girl raised in the USA, currently a medical student in North Carolina. Refer NS, Text 470-684-0830.

Tarot Card Reader and Pranic Healer in Charlotte. We do Horoscope Analysis, Birth Chart analysis, Match Making. Having problems with your Health, Relationship, Finance or Career? We can guide you with the help of Astrology. 20+ years of experience. Contact 704-6662482 or astrologer.luv.patel@gmail.com.

Gujarati Priest

Devendra Dave Independent priest. Ganesh, Randal, Navratri, Diwali's Laxmi & Sharda Pujas, Satyanarayan Katha, Weddings, Vastu, Baby Shower, Funeral Seva. Call Daveji 704-780-3563. God Blessings to All.

Financial Professional:

Plan for tax-free retirement. Protect your wealth from taxes, inflation, market risks, and the unexpected. Build a lasting legacy. Call Vijay Machiraju at 984-664-1864 for a free 1hour discovery call.

Pari Beauty in Matthews

Threading, Waxing, Facials, Massage for newborn and mom & other services. 35 years of experience. Special Deals & Great Service. Call: 704-846-7912.

Travel Passion

International & Domestic Air tickets. We process India Visa, OCI, Indian Passport Renewal, Hotel bookings & Tour packages. Call 509-550-9076 or 509-550-9034 or Email: travelpassion24@gmail.com

Tabla Lessons

for all age groups. In person or online from professional tabla player, Ryan Shah. Call 803-348-7294.

Affordable Wedding Photography

20 years of experience in Indian wedding photography. Specializing in film & digital photos. Engagement, Wedding, and Receptions. Contact Vivek: email: vivekweddingmemories@gmail.com or call 347-321-4746.

Priest Available for Shree Satya narayan katha, Shanti hawan, Vastu shanty, Weddings, Baby shower, Bhumi pujan, Mata ki chowki pujan, Funeral, all types of karmakand. Please call Viral Bhatt 704-438-6334.

Neeta's Beauty Parlor

Open 7 days a week. Full service. Located near the Hindu Center of Charlotte. Call 704-968-0270 for an appointment.

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Raajeev continued from page 58

Actually, I do find my comedy to be helpful sometimes, especially when I have to explain complex technical topics to a nontechnical audience. LLMs like ChatGPT sometimes have a problem called Hallucination. If the system does not know the answer or does not have any evidence, it will make it up. AI programmers have really struggled with this. I am very familiar with this problem. I have been married for over 25 years! I have had these kinds of discussions with my wife for years. The other day I was meeting an acquaintance for lunch. Later my wife asked me, “Did he ask about me?” I said, “Why would he ask about you?” She said, “Well, you always ask about other people’s wives.” Surprised I said, “When do I do that?” Like LLM’s, she didn’t have any evidence. So, she simply said, “All the time. Every time.”

That is why to combat hallucinations associated with LLM’s, the software developers design programs that have transparency and explanation built in. Unfortunately, in my personal life, I just need to learn to deal with minor hallucinations as a fact of life. If I insist too much on explanation or transparency, I’ll be in trouble!

When I pitch our AI offering to potential customers, they are concerned about the job loss. I tell them our software system is designed to enhance productivity and eliminate grunt work. If they are not convinced, I tell them to think back to 40 years ago when PCs with word processors like WordPerfect were coming in to replace typewriters. There were people who would resist technical change. Some were even afraid of technology. In fact, after the industrial revolution, in Great Britain, there were workers who would go about breaking the machines because they were afraid that those machines would take their jobs away. Those people were called Luddites. Several years ago, when I got my Tesla, I decided to get a customized plate, “LUDDITE.” I figured that name for an electric car would be a good expression of my humor.

The group of people in favor of efficiency, whether by machines, Information Technology and now AI have always faced resistance from people like Luddites. However, in the case of AI, a lot of people are afraid, and these are not bluecollar workers. A lot of knowledge workers, like accountants, financial analysts, even radiologists are afraid that their jobs might become obsolete. I think the concern is genuine and the best way to deal with it is to focus on the core skills of your job, get better at it by using technology like ChatGPT and other LLM’s as an aid to increase your efficiency. That way, you are indispensable.

I tried running some of my tried-and-true punch lines of my jokes I have had great success with to see if ChatGPT could do any better. It didn’t. So at least, I know one thing, my job as a comedian is not going to be replaced by AI anytime soon!

Raajeev Aggerwhil is a Los Angeles-based comedian. Follow him on Instagram @raajeevcomedy

To see his videos on YouTube, search for his name.

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Index for Charlotte, South Carolina & Atlanta Region

A2Z Cash & Carry Wholesale..............................37

Aishwarya Majumdar (Live in Charlotte)...............5

AmeriFab International.....................................91

Anand, Versha (Real Estate) ...............................85

Apex Financial (Investment Hub)........................41

Bala Sure (Broker / Realtor, NC & SC)................59

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Charlotte).....16

Bashyam Global LLP - Immigration Law Group..99

Bhindi Jewelers .................................................2

Blooming Buds...............................................101

Blooming Smiles Pediatric Dentistry...................81

Blumenthal Performing Arts (Events)..................71

Blumenthal Performing Arts (Events) .................10

Brijal Shah (Keller Williams - Real Estate)...........63

British International School of Charlotte..............9

Brown Immigration Law (Rishi Oza, Partner)......93

Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center.......................85

Carolina Law Group .........................................32

Carolina Medical Partners..................................67

Carolinas Pediatrics (Uma Periyanayagam, MD, FAAP)69

CaroMont Medical Group (Bankim Patel MD)....75

Charlotte Chess Center ........................................4

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat .......................60

Chess Klub (Klub Ventures)................................23

Chiro-Carolina .............................................87

CliqStudios (Custom Cabinets).........................114

Color Master Collision Center.............................61

Concha, David (Immigration Attorney)...............47

Concord Children's Clinic .................................63

Copper Restaurant (Charlotte)...........................73

Countywide Commercial (Pavement Solutions)....43

Desai & Mehta CPAs PLLC .............................111

DJ Lalit (Lalit Hemnani)..................................105

Dosa n' More (Fort Mill, SC)..............................89

Eesha Realty, LLC.............................................51

Four Points by Sheraton (Myrtle Beach)..............48

Furniture for Sale (Indian Furniture)..................17

Geological Resources, Inc.................................101

Global Mall / Legacy Jewels .............................115

H2 Laser & Skin................................................69

Harish Bhasin (Independent Insurance Agent)......21

Health Markets (Medicare, Health, Life, Supplemental)113

Heartfulness (Advancing in Love)........................21

Hindu Center of Charlotte (Events)................76-79

Hitch Hiker's Guide to College............................27

Hitesh Rathod (Real Estate)...............................27

HX Imports (Smoke Shops, C-Store, Vape Shops)...6

Insurance - Tushar Barot, Supreme Insurance Serv.55

Insurance Shopping (Sonal Patel - IndependentAgent)101

JVC Realty (Balaji Tatineni Realtor / Broker).......29

Kaur, Karamjit (New York Life Insurance)...........26

KB Zaveree (Atlanta).........................................19

Khanna & Sons Jewelers.....................................13

Kumar, Kokila (Real Estate - Allen Tate)...............69

Lead Designs LLC.............................................91

Life Mission USA (Summer Youth Camp)............38

Maadhurya Photography...................................53

Maharani Indian Cuisine (Charlotte)...................27

Malak Jewelers..................................................35

Malani Jewelers...............................................116

Malaya Kitchen.................................................63

Malleswar Varikuti Realtor (Realty One Group)...87

Mango Chaska....................................................3

Mathur, Gitanjali (Allen Tate Realtors)..................7

Maxim Tours.....................................................17

Meenakshi Creations LLC....................................7

Meghana (The Vedic Power Astrologer)..............107

Mehta & McConnell, PLLC (Injury Lawyers).......52

Mint MedSpa & Laser Studio..............................67

Mithi Arts (Make Up Artist)...............................87

Must Media (Printing & Mailing Specialists)........81

Neeta's Beauty Parlor........................................87

North American Bancard ..................................15

NRS PAY Credit Card Processing........................11

NSD Tax & Accounting Services........................105

Om Tours & Travel............................................105

One 2 Entertainment.........................................41

Patel & Samatova, Law......................................45

Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices)............................111

Patel, Tony (Real Estate).....................................49

Pathak, Atul (Real Estate)..................................53

Persis Indian Grill (Fort Mill, SC).......................89

Plant-based Prevention of Disease Conference......55

Pramukh Mandapam.........................................49

Quantum Financial Services (Bhavesh Patel)........39

Queen City Smiles (Dr. Kanupriya Tewari)...........75

Ram Mortgage (Mayank Patel)...........................55

RPMS Realty (Rhonda Copp)............................37

Ruby Realty LLC (Neil Pathak)..........................25

Ryan Shah (Tabla Lessons)..................................21

Saffron Restaurant and Catering.........................65

Shah & Associates, CPA, PLLC...........................45

Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC.................................91

Shah, Anish (Real Estate)..............................82-83

Sheraton Chapel Hill (ATMA Hotel Group).........42

Sona Realty (Venkat Suryadevara).......................97

SP Orthodontics (Matthews)..............................61

Technone LLC (Securtiy Systems)........................45

The Blue Taj......................................................73

360insureall.com (Maqsood Khan).....................47

Travel Passion...................................................55

Union Family Eye Associates (Dr. Keshav Bhat)....65

Uniworld Travel.................................................47

VAS Realty LLC (Ashwani Dalal).......................43

Vema Mortgage LLC (Chirag Rachhadia).......65/75

Venu Parepalli (Insurance & Real Estate) ...........31

Vimal Realty (Vimal Patel - Realtor)..................33

Worldwide Travels..............................................41

Index for Raleigh (Triangle), Greensboro (Triad) & Virginia

A2Z Cash & Carry Wholesale..............................37

Aishwarya Majumdar (Live in Charlotte)...............5

Allstate (Krish Parlikad)....................................21

AmeriFab International.....................................91

Apex Financial (Investment Hub)........................41

Apna Bazar (Morrisville)....................................75

Apna RTP Realty (Ananth Chivukula)................63

Aura Skin & Laser (Dipan Patel)...........................7

Bashyam Global LLP - Immigration Law Group..99

Bharath Bazar and Café (Cary)...........................26

Bhat & Associates (General Dentistry)..................65

Bhindi Jewelers .................................................2

Blooming Buds...............................................101

Bombay Central (Grocery & Take Out Food)........73

Brown Immigration Law (Rishi Oza, Partner)......93

Cary Internal Medicine & Diabetes Center, PA......71

Cary Medical Clinic...........................................67

Chandni's Beauty Salon .....................................77

CliqStudios (Custom Cabinets).........................114

Concha, David (Immigration Attorney)...............47

Corner Stone Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.....61

Countywide Commercial (Pavement Solutions)....43

Crescent Dental (Dr. Kavita Ghai).......................77

Darji, Iyer, Joshi & Patel (Accounting &Tax Services)..71

Desai & Mehta CPAs PLLC .............................111

DJ Lalit (Lalit Hemnani)..................................105

Eesha Realty, LLC.............................................51

Four Points by Sheraton (Myrtle Beach)..............48

Furniture for Sale (Indian Furniture)..................17

Geological Resources, Inc.................................101

Global Bazaar (Dhaba & Grocery)........................4

Global Mall / Legacy Jewels .............................115

Hasya Kavi Sammelan (Hindi Vikas Mandal)........16

Health Markets (Medicare, Health, Life, Supplemental)113

HSNC (Expansion)............................................81

HX Imports (Smoke Shops, C-Store, Vape Shops)...6

Inchin's Bamboo Garden....................................65

Insurance - Tushar Barot, Supreme Insurance Serv.55

Insurance Shopping (Sonal Patel - IndependentAgent)101

International Community Church.......................27

KB Zaveree (Atlanta).........................................19

KDP CPA.........................................................27

Khanna & Sons Jewelers.....................................13

Lead Designs LLC.............................................91

Life Mission USA (Summer Youth Camp)............38

Maadhurya Photography...................................53

Malak Jewelers..................................................35

Malani Jewelers...............................................116

Mango Chaska....................................................3

Marriott Raleigh Crabtree Valley........................32

Maxim Tours.....................................................17

Meghana (The Vedic Power Astrologer)..............107

Mehta & McConnell, PLLC (Injury Lawyers).......52

NC Dermatology Associates................................78

NC Indian and South Asian Film Festival.............76

NCIAP (People's Medical Care)............................9

North American Bancard ..................................15

NRS PAY Credit Card Processing........................11

NSD Tax & Accounting Services........................105

Nunna Realty (Shiva Nunna)..............................59

Oh' Calcutta (Restaurant Winston Salem)............69

Om Tours & Travel............................................105

One 2 Entertainment.........................................41

Patel & Samatova, Law......................................45

Patel Brothers (Cary).........................................87

Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices)............................111

Patel, Tony (Real Estate).....................................49

Pathak, Atul (Real Estate)..................................53

Plant-based Prevention of Disease Conference......55

Pramukh Mandapam.........................................49

PreJuve Medspa & Wellness (Neelu Agarwal MD)..67

Prism Lending (Madan Khatri)..........................21

PSR CPA PLLC................................................23

Quantum Financial Services (Bhavesh Patel)........39

Rajeev Devgon, CPA .........................................79

Ram Mortgage (Mayank Patel)...........................55

RB Realty Group (Ravi Bheemarao)....................29

Real Triangle Properties (Joe Mathews)................61

RPMS Realty (Rhonda Copp)............................37

Rupa's Spa & Threading.....................................31

Satyam Primary Care (Amit Sharma, MD)..........63

Shah & Associates, CPA, PLLC...........................45

Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC.................................91

Shah, Anish (Real Estate)...................................82

Sheraton Chapel Hill (ATMA Hotel Group).........42

Singh, Manny (Real Estate)................................31

Smile Forever Family Dentistry (Dr. Narender Dudee).7

Sona Realty (Venkat Suryadevara).......................97

Spectrum Family Medicine (Sujatha Sajeevan, MD)..25

Spices Hut ........................................................60

Stylish Me.........................................................25

Taaza Fresh Indian Bistro...................................79

Technone LLC (Securtiy Systems)........................45

360insureall.com (Maqsood Khan).....................47

Travel Passion...................................................55

Tutoring (Nirmala Koripella - A+ Tutoring)........10

Umrao Jaan ADA (Musical)................................85

Uniworld Travel.................................................47

VAS Realty LLC (Ashwani Dalal).......................43

Vema Mortgage LLC (Vipul Hapani).............25/63

Vimal Realty (Vimal Patel - Realtor)..................33

Wake Spine & Pain............................................59

West Cary Medicine (Dr. Kareem M.D.)...............21

Worldwide Travels..............................................41