4 lug to 5 lug conversion

When you don’t leave your house for days on end, it can be challenging to be a dazzling conversationalist when friends and family call. Anytime someone asks me what’s new lately, my mind goes blank. Looking around for inspiration, I usually mumble something about the weather. There’s also a lot of heavy sighing on my end, which isn’t particularly entertaining for the other person. It’s hard to strike an equilibrium in conversation if you’re feeling overwhelmed, unhappy and drained. “Some may be struggling to have positive conversations because the world is dark,” said Alison Wood Brooks, an associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. “Others are struggling with conversational fatigue as they manage crowded households. Still others wish they could have more conversations as they combat profound loneliness.” Even though there’s plenty we can’t control right now, there are things we can control when it comes to the conversations we’re having. We can … [Read more...] about Here’s how to have a fun conversation during these difficult COVID-19 times

In a discovery reminiscent of a crime thriller, an unusual sound in a video soundtrack has led to the discovery that a rare salamander species from the hill district of Darjeeling in West Bengal, is capable of vocalising . Sibling wildlife filmmakers Ajay and Vijay Bedi were editing footage recorded for a documentary on amphibians, called the Secret Life of Frogs , in their studio in Delhi when they heard a low ptaak sound. “When we checked up with researchers, we learnt that this was unique,” said Vijay Bedi, 40, who comes from a family of wildlife film-makers. The filmmakers later teamed up with scientists at Sri Venkateswara College (SVC) from Delhi University and wrote up their findings about the salamander species, Tylototriton himalayanus, in a peer-reviewed scientific publication, Salamandara — German Journal of Herpetology. Lizards are reptiles with dry scaly skins and can only breathe through their lungs. Amphibians, like salamanders and frogs, need to … [Read more...] about Filmmakers catch salamanders in conversation

Japanese streetwear designer Hiroshi Fujiwara has teamed up with Converse on two pairs of the Chuck 70 low sneakers as part of his 7 Moncler Fragment line. This is the first collaboration between the two brands. The collection, known as 7 Moncler Fragment + Converse Chuck 70, comes in a black and a white version. They will be available from Sep 1 at Moncler boutiques and online at moncler.com, then at converse.com as well as select boutiques and retailers from Sep 3. Fujiwara is the founder of Fragment Design and is an influential figure in the world of streetwear culture. He’s also known as one of the founding fathers of Tokyo’s Harajuku scene. His minimalist design on the classic Chuck 70 low features contrast stitching to animate the silhouette, and both Fragment's lightning bolt and the Moncler insignia on the heel. … [Read more...] about A Converse and Moncler collaboration by way of a Japanese streetwear guru

In 1989, I was attached to a public relations company as part of an internship programme. I remember printing flyers during lunch, using the fancy office laser printer. At that time, mere mortals only used what was referred to as a dot matrix printer. The noise would make a cat jump, but it did its job. I was also introduced to computers around then, spending endless hours at the computer lab of the Faculty Of Arts And Social Sciences in NUS (National University Of Singapore), typing out essays for courses which no longer accepted hand-written submissions. LISTEN: My Singapore Life: Death And Loss, And My Mother’s Conversations, read by Lim Yu-Beng My Singapore Life Death, loss and my mother’s conversations Singaporean playwright Haresh Sharma says there is no real coming of age until one comes face-to-face with unbearable loss. Read by Lim Yu-Beng. Subscribe in Apple Podcast Download These transitions served me well. I had … [Read more...] about Death and my mother’s conversations: Great loss becomes part of your story

Divestment and Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty told ETCFO in an exclusive interview. He also said that the government’s consideration to hive off NPAs to make PSU assets lucrative cannot be used as a common strategy. On the proposal of large industrial houses owning banks, he said, that is fraught with systemic risks. The former finance ministry official also stressed it’s time that bureaucrats handling disinvestments get protected by law. Edited Excerpts. Q: How can the government make Public Sector Banks “sellable”? Atanu Chakraborty: Bank privatization is one of the boldest political decisions on the economic front in recent times. There are multiple steps that the government can take to ensure the smooth sale of Public Sector Banks. First, it must aim to resolve all outstanding legal issues. Otherwise, the privatization would run into legal hurdles, as happened in case of oil PSUs almost two decades back. This would call for certain amendments in the … [Read more...] about How should Sitharaman sell PSU banks in style? In conversation with Ex DIPAM Secy Atanu Chakraborty