The latest addition on WhatsApp.

What is this new blue circle that has appeared on What'sApp, Facebook and Instagram? In the past few days, a blue circle has been seen on these platforms but many people are unaware of what it means.

Actually, this blue circle indicates Meta AI, the smart assistant launched by Meta. This AI assistant can be used for free by users in India and it has been available for use since the day before yesterday. Meta AI was launched two months ago but it was only available in a few countries. Now, it has been made available in India as well.

Meta AI is a very advanced AI model that can answer questions, create content and even translate languages. It can also help with tasks like writing emails and creating content. This AI model is based on the LLaMA 3 model which is one of the most advanced language models in the world.

The best part about Meta AI is that it can be used directly from the Facebook and Instagram feeds. For example, if you see a post on Facebook and want to know more about it, you can ask Meta AI directly from the post. Additionally, Meta AI has a feature called Imagine which can create images based on the text you type. This means you can create images in your preferred style and even animate them.

Overall, this blue circle is a big surprise that has taken Facebook and Instagram to a whole new level.

Check out - it's working in India.

Tailpiece.

Got up leisurely, being a Sunday. 

Went to the Foundation on Chambu's scooter. Rajan was waiting there since a half past 1, poor fellow.

To Poojappura at Muthachchan's statue. Conducted the "Amma Malayalam" by Dr Usha Rani. What a great presentation it was!

A quiet evening thereafter.

India is champs!

At the T 20 World Cup. A victory at long last!

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

A quiet day. Lunch at the Rest House cafeteria.

The “Kaviyum Kavithayum” (Poet and the poems)was very nice.

A new piece of information.

Dateline 28 Jun

I never knew that in the early days, black slaves could only play the piano with black keys and not white keys and I didn't know that "Amazing Grace" was composed with black keys....

Inside Carnegie Hall, gospel singer Whitney Phipps delivers perhaps the most moving "Amazing 

Grace" ever recorded.

He said, "Many people don't realise that almost  all black spirituals are written on the black notes of the piano because slaves were not allowed to use the white keys.

Perhaps the most famous of this slave work is by John Newton. Produced and wrote "Amazing Grace".

After sharing the famous history of the song, Mr Phipps delivers an exciting performance making the audience stand up and applaud....!!

Tailpiece.

Got up around 3, the chores and was ready by a half past 8. Off to Thiruvallam, since Poorooruttaathi was only till half past 7 this morning, we did not offer the 'bali tharpanam' as to day is Muthachchan's remembrance day by the Malayalam calendar.

The evening's event on "Senior Citizens : their problems and solutions" by Vijayakumaran Nair was nice with 100% participation from the audience.

 

 

Top of the world.

Such a feelin’s comin’ over me

There is wonder in most everything I see

Not a cloud in the sky,

Got the sun in my eyes 

And I won’t be surprised if it’s a dream

Everything I want the world to be

Is now comin’ true especially for me

And the reason is clear, it’s because you are here

You’re the nearest thing to heaven that I’ve seen.

I’m on the top of the world lookin’ down on creation 

And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I’ve found, ever since you’ve

been around

Your love’s put me at the top of the world.

Something in the wind has learnt my name

And it’s telling me that things are not the same

In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze

There’s a pleasant sense of happiness for me.

There’s only one wish on my mind

When the day is through I hope I will find

That tomorrow will be, just the same for you and me

All I need will be mine if you are here,

I’m on the top of the world lookin’ down on creation 

And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around

Your love’s put me at the top of the world.

My take

Karen Carpenter at her best and an all time favourite!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 3, the chores and was ready by a half past 5. Anto had driven me to the railway station. Lekhs is gonna be there, alone, for a couple of days when Rema, Padmakumar and Mini would join her during the weekend.

Got the passenger train that left Guruvayur by 0640 hrs.  Spent an hour in the a/c comfort room, at Thrissur, before my train, the Jan Shatabdi left for Tvpm by a 13 mts past 8.

Reached the Foundation by 2. Had lunch given by Lekha soon after and at 4, I’d gone across to Poojappura for the evening’s function at Muthachhan’s feet. Today, it was the Narayaneeyam paaraayanam by Indirakkutty's Vanamali group. It was nice!

An early evening at Maman's place and it was yakkitiyak!

Leave small fights for small fighters.

Of all the wise quips and proverbs that circulate, this little piece is one of the favourites. The author is not known but the content is reproduced by most motivational speakers. If you want to rise above the scraggle and the scrum of this crazy life, to the dizzy heights of happiness and success, you must learn to choose your battles. Here we go :-

I once asked a very successful person to share her secret with me. She smiled and said, 

"I started succeeding when I started leaving small fights for 

small fighters.

I stopped fighting those who gossiped about me.

I stopped fighting for a cheating partner.

I stopped fighting for attention.

I stopped fighting to meet public

expectation of me.

I left such fights for those who

have nothing else to fight and I 

started fighting for my vision, my

dreams, my ideas and my destiny.

The day I gave up on small fights

was the day I started becoming 

successful.....some fights are not

worth your time. Choose what

you fight for, wisely".

My take

Think big; never think small.

Courtesy. What'sApp

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 3, the chores and we kicked off for Mallan's Dental clinic at a quarter to 6. Had breakfast of idlis, chutney and sambar at the Aryaas, short of Edappalli, at about a half past 7.

Reached the clinic 5' after a half past 9. The doc had taken some time for telling Lekha as to what he was gonna do and to make small talk with us. The whole procedure took about a half an hour.

We returned to Guruvayur soon after and had lunch at the Gokula Nandana off Angamali, around 1.

Reached The Quarterdeck by a half past 3.

A quiet evening thereafter, trying to tie up all the loose ends!

Unless you've been a soldier.

Unless you've been a soldier,

You just won't understand

The things that we have seen

and done,

In the service of our land.

We were trained to live in

combat,

And to deal with awful sights,

That shouldn't be seen by

anyone

And keep you awake at nights.

We don't discuss the wounds we

have,

To the body or the mind

We just put our hurts behind us,

And turn our memories blind.

We are proud we served our

country,

But remember those we lost.

For the freedom that you have

today,

They paid the awful cost.

Then the second one

I have been a soldier

I have lived through wars and

crimes.

I have served in many countries,

And in many different climes.

I have laughed with other

soldiers,

And maybe wept sometimes.

I can tell you lots of stories,

By word of mouth or mimes.

But I prefer to tell my tales,

As simple little rhymes.

For the years I was a soldier,

Were the very best of times.

Tailpiece.

After a restful night at Rema's house, had got up at a half past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 9. Drove through the rain with Padmakumar showing us the way out of the labyrinthine byroads.

Dropped Rema at Shenoy Care for her review and then went off to Satish Bhat. Returned to Shenoy Care by a half past 12. Cast off from there at a half past 2.

Reached Guruvayur by 6, after buying fruits. Unpacked and settled down at our usual time.

Tomorrow is a long day! 

Collective noun for group of doctors….

* a mop of surgeons

* a spasm of anaesthesiologists

* a clot of cardiologists

* an orbit of ophthalmologists

* a joint of orthopaedicians

* a flap of plastic surgeons

* a gut of gastroenterologists

* a culture of microbiologists

* a synapse of neurologists

* a rouleau of haematologists

* a hound of paediatricians

* a rash of dermatologists

* a consolidation of of pulmonologists 

* a stream of urologists

* a pile of proctologists 

* a mass of oncologists

* a block of pathologists

* a brace of dentists

* a cohort of epidemiologists

* a beam of radiologists

* a period of gynaecologists

* a conception of obstetricians 

* a voice of laryngologists

* a parliament of physicians 

* a parody of psychiatrists 

* a dose of pharmacologists 

Tailpiece.

Got up at 4, the chores and was ready by a half past 6. Sanju had taken me to the DDRC laboratory at Randalummoodu for drawing my blood at fasting. Returned home, had breakfast of puttu, loaded the Chevy and once Padmakumar and Rema had come by, we kicked off on our journey.

The blood for post prandial reading was drawn at a half past 8, before that I’d visited the Nagaraja kshetram for a small prayer. And we, finally, kicked off around a quarter past 9.

Topped up the Chevy with fuel and checked tyre pressure at our regular pump at Kottarakkara. Encountered rain at Changanasserry, Kottayam and Ernakulam. Reached Rema’s place at Thrippunithura around a half past 1.

A quiet day, thereafter.