Moral compass meaning

In a hall on Japan's Sado island, 71-year-old Yoshikazu Fujimoto strikes the imposing drum mounted before him, producing a boom so powerful that it reverberates through the floorboards. Fujimoto is a veteran performer of Japanese taiko drumming, a musical form with roots in religious rituals, traditional theatre and the joyous abandon of seasonal festivals called matsuri. But for all its ancient pedigree, taiko as a stage performance is a fairly modern invention, developed by a jazz musician and popularised in part by one of Japan's most famous troupes: Sado island's Kodo. Fujimoto is the oldest of the 37 musicians that make up the group, which recruits members through a rigorous two-year training programme. It was founded partly to attract people to Sado, off Japan's west coast, and tours internationally, spreading the gospel of taiko. "Taiko itself is like a prayer," said Fujimoto, who came to Sado in 1972 to join the group that evolved into Kodo. "It used to be said that … [Read more...] about ‘Become one with the sound’: Japan’s taiko reinvents drum tradition

A husband and wife used a kitchen knife to fight off a bear that broke into their Wisconsin home as their children slept. Taylor County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) was alerted to the bear attack inside the home in Castle Road, near Medford, about 11 p.m. local time (midnight ET) on Friday. According to CBS affiliate WSAW, the couple first noticed a bear was outside their home eating from the bird feeder before they opened a window and yelled for it to go away. But the bear charged, broke through a window and entered the home. During the fight, one of the couple grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed the bear before the husband was able to get a firearm and shoot the bear dead while it was still inside the house. Both the husband and wife sustained numerous injuries in the attack; they have been released following treatment. Their children, who were asleep at the time of the bear attack, were not harmed and the couple successfully fought off the animal. WSAW reported the bear … [Read more...] about Husband, wife use kitchen knife to fight off bear in their home

Kate Middleton honored women with infertility on a recent visit to maternal healthcare organizations accompanied by Princess Anne. The royal wore a dress embellished with lace panels in shapes reminiscent of pineapples, the symbol adopted by infertility groups and identifiers. Kate has developed her personal style since becoming a member of the royal family in 2011, and has demonstrated over time a keen awareness of the symbolism and emphasis placed on what members of the royal family wear. Since the engagement which saw Kate and Anne appear for a rare joint visit to the headquarters of the Royal College of Midwives and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Kate has announced her patronage of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, which aims to help new and expectant mothers. For the visit Kate wore a tailored crepe midi dress from the designers at Self Portrait. The brand has been a proven favorite of Kate's as well as sister-in-law Meghan Markle , who wore a … [Read more...] about How Kate Middleton paid hidden tribute to women with infertility

The story so far: With the Russian invasion of Ukraine nearing three months , Sweden and Finland (SweFin), the two Nordic countries that have historically stayed out of military alliances, have formally applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) . If President Vladimir Putin ordered the Ukraine attack on February 24, apparently to prevent NATO’s further expansion into Russia’s neighbourhood, he is now facing the prospects of two countries joining the trans-Atlantic military alliance. But their accession into NATO may not be smooth. Turkey, a NATO member since 1952 , has said it would oppose the Nordic countries joining the bloc, citing that they harbour “terrorist groups” — a reference to Kurdish insurgent outfits. Put together, these developments — the continuing war in Ukraine, fresh NATO applications, and Turkey’s opposition to SweFin’s bid — have shaken up Europe’s delicate security equilibrium further. What explains the long-term neutrality of Sweden … [Read more...] about Explained | Why is Turkey against Sweden, Finland joining NATO?

The proposed manufacturing plants of Maurti Suzuki and Suzuki Motorcycle at Industrial Model Township in Sonipat’s Kharkhoda will entail an estimated investment of ₹20,000 crore and generate about 13,000 direct jobs. An agreement and land allotment letter were signed by the Haryana government with the two companies on Thursday to mark Maruti Suzuki’s four-decade old association with the State. Spread across 800 acres, the proposed Maruti Suzuki plant will be the company’s largest single manufacturing site in the country involving total investment of about ₹18,000 crore. Kenichi Ayukawa, executive vice-chairman, Maruti Suzuki, said the company would start construction work on the car manufacturing plant immediately. “With the support of the State government, the first plant, with an annual capacity of 2.5 lakh vehicles, is expected to be commissioned within 2025. The Phase-I of the project will have an investment of about ₹11,000 crore,” he added. The site will have space for … [Read more...] about Maruti and Suzuki’s projects in Haryana will involve ₹20,000 crore investment

Soaring inflation, supply-chain issues and the hit from the Ukraine war will bring an end to the growth boom India's IT services industry enjoyed during the pandemic, J.P.Morgan analysts said on Thursday as they downgraded the sector to "underweight". The $194-billion sector, whose software services helped businesses adopt to pandemic-era practices of online shopping and remote working, is facing a demand slowdown this year as employees return to offices and the Russia-Ukraine war weighs on spending from clients in Europe. "We see peak revenue growth behind us and EBIT margins trending down from inflation, mean reversion," JPM said. "While the bottom-up outlook remains positive from most Services, Software and SaaS names YTD, and the tech spending cycle remains buoyant structurally, we feel there are more downside risks to current earnings assumptions." The brokerage expects the slowdown to worsen in 2023 partly due to a potential decline in orders from the key market of United … [Read more...] about J.P. Morgan downgrades India’s IT sector as pandemic boom fades

VIENTIANE, May 22 (Vientiane Times/ANN): The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Lao Fuel and Gas Association are urging members of the public to be frugal in their use of fuel and not to travel unnecessarily, so that enough reserves of petrol are available for use for farming and other essential activities. Careful use of fuel is the only way to resolve the current shortage, they say. Some farmers have complained that they are unable to cultivate their crops because of the petrol shortage and have called on the relevant parties to take speedy action to tackle the crisis. Head of the Lao Petroleum Enterprise branch in Khammuan province, Vongsone Phimmavongsa, updated reporters in the province about the local situation with regard to fuel supplies. Khammuan is one of many provinces suffering from a lack of fuel, he said, and pumps at some petrol stations have run dry, meaning that many motorists are unable to use their vehicles. In some areas, petrol stations are open … [Read more...] about Laos government advise public advised to avoid unnecessary travel, to save fuel for agriculture

Former Union minister P Chidambaram stated on Sunday that the facts of the central government’s fuel price tax reduction are “contrary” to what he had previously said. On Saturday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an excise duty drop of Rs 8 per litre on petrol and Rs 6 per litre on diesel to bring down surging fuel prices caused by a rise in international crude oil prices due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. “The notification on reduction of duty on Petrol and Diesel is now available. FM used the words ‘Excise Duty’, but the reduction is in Additional Excise Duty which is not shared with the states. Hence, contrary to what I said yesterday, the entire burden of the reduction falls on the Centre. To that extent, I stand corrected,” Chidambaram said. The states are getting very little by way of share of duties on petrol and diesel, he said, noting that their revenue is from VAT on petrol and diesel. “I wonder if they can afford to give up that revenue unless the Centre … [Read more...] about ‘I Stand Corrected’: Chidambaram ‘Takes Back’ Critique; K’taka ‘to Consider’ Further Cut | Reactions

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom defended his administration’s work on housing and homelessness during an interview with The Chronicle’s editorial board Thursday, promising to crack down on local opposition to housing projects. “Taxpayers deserve more in terms of results, not just inputs,” Newsom said. “They want to see results.” In the last few years, Newsom has been responsible for putting more state funding into housing and homelessness programs than any other recent governor. His previous budgets have poured billions in funding to increase housing production and help get homeless people off the streets, but Californians aren’t yet seeing results they want, as they continue to rank housing and homelessness as top concerns. Three years into Newsom’s tenure, housing production remains sluggish. Although preliminary numbers show the homeless population has shrunk in San Francisco , it’s grown in almost every other Bay Area county that reported data last week. Where’s the … [Read more...] about ‘NIMBYism is destroying the state.’ Gavin Newsom ups pressure on cities to build more housing

Almond: A Novel AUTHOR : Won-pyung Sohn (Author), Sandy Joosun Lee (Translator) PUBLISHER : HarperVia "The Emissary" meets "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" in this poignant and triumphant story about how love, friendship and persistence can change a life forever. This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me. [TONGBANG BOOKS] Yunjae was born with a brain condition called alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends—the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that—but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and content life. Their little home above his mother’s used bookstore is decorated with colorful Post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you" and when to laugh. Then on Christmas Eve—Yunjae’s 16th birthday—everything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, … [Read more...] about 2020.10.29 New Arrivals