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Showing posts from November, 2020

On Reading Newsletters, The Queen's Gambit, Blog Analytics and StoryGraph

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The StoryGraph I am floored by the analytics and insights they have worked to provide. It is clear they have used AI and ML techniques for annotating the various moods associated with the books, from audiences around the world – like a manual crowd annotation of sorts. This is great since it is manual effort yet, labelling of the dataset, but the people on the platform are many, and I can only see the platform grow. Goodreads is really old, 2000s. In 2020s we need StoryGraph . I want to do certain recommendation system, like this website does with respect to emotional moods, but a bit different. Catering to Reading Challenges prompts. Like, you get book suggestions for prompts like ‘a lady of the cover’, ‘deals with Jewish traditions’ or ‘won JCB Price in last 10 years’. So, that is the idea. May be I’ll make it, hopefully I can, and leave a website for you to try. The Enneagram Type The Enneagram Personality Type – this is the recently trending personality system, a pointer o

October Wrap Up - Audio and Watch Lists

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Now that October has ended, I'm satisfied with the regular writing habit I have created through #MyFriendAlexa 1. And Then There Were None Agatha Christie's novels are a treat. Sometimes I feel the urge to consume a suspense packed thriller but do not have the patience to read an entire book on it. I am a rather slow reader. So a mini-series suffices. And oh the thrill, the bated breaths, racing hearts and jumpy me. As I await the movie on 'Death in the Nile' (I have already read the book years ago, but you forget the mystery somewhat), I indulged in the BBC 2015 mini-series based on the novel of the same name 'And Then There Were None'.  It has a rather strange premise. An ensemble of characters meet in a secluded island, on receiving a letter from a certain Mr. and Mrs. Owen. Some are recruited, some invited for a party. But the sinister announcement after the first days' dinner reveals that they all are guilty of murder. Some justify the deaths, some conf

IGNITE - An Online Exhibition of Art and Poetry

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Thanks to technology, the world is prepared to have its employees work from the confines of their homes. Theatrical experience is brought to home through several OTT platforms, that stream top-notch content from several countries to the world-wide audience. This time even the Jaipur Literature Festival was held online, covering so many author interviews, bookish discussions, and everything under the hood of humanity. With multiple workshops, campaigns, orientations, seminars, book club meets, and even dinner dates being held online, artists around the world are not far behind. Coping with the pandemic, and churning their creative juices, 8 artists and 8 poets have geared up for an Online Art and Poetry Exhibition, IGNITE. In total they present 40 artworks and 40 poems. Such a treat! It includes lockdown Diaries, a community to help writers through Writers' Block, to infuse inspiration through art and poetry, dialogues to inspire, to connect with the world at large through creativit

Queeristan by Parmesh Sahani

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  Queeristan (Amazon Link) Thanks to Audible Free Trial I listened to this amazing non-fiction on LGBTQ inclusion in Indian workplaces. Author Parmesh Sahani identifies as gay Indian, working closely with Godrej higher management and employees for years to create an inclusive workplace, both legally and in spirit. This book is a result of those years of experience, research, collaboration with individuals from difference spectrum of the society and organizations who has successfully transitioned into a queer friendly one.   Indian history is inclusive. From the Khajuraho temple architectures, to Konark to the Rig Veda, there is existing proofs even 2000 years ago of Indian inclusiveness of queer. It’s the draconian British law that criminalised it, which was scraped in 2009, came into effect once again following a sad judgement in 2013 and eventually was scraped off for good in 2018. I am in awe of the lawyers who fought this legal battle- colleagues and partners – Arundhati Katju

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