Attention friends. At an early age, I started to write poems. I compiled those and after I came to the United States, I decided to self-publish. Accordingly, I published two books of poems – the first one named SHE HAS SURRENDERED TO SLUMBER and the second one is NEPTUNE’S DUSK. Eventually I became very busy…
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LIFE, DEATH, AND OUR COLLECTIVE DESTINY
St. Augustine said, “It is only in the face of death that man’s self is born.” Over the last few years, the world faced the fear of death in a way that has resulted in a complete transformation of how we view life. The viral outbreak of COVID-19, the illegal use of substances such as…
TO WRITE A NOVEL IS LIKE A SAILOR’S VOYAGE
Each time I sit down to write fiction, I embark on a voyage out in the ocean. A voyage is full of uncertainties. When a writer starts to craft a story, the journey to the last sentence of the manuscript is also full of uncertainties. On some days, the weather is bright and sunny, and…
THE WOES OF WINTER
For some, winter is a season of beauty. It certainly is. But for many seniors, this beauty comes at a cost, as the realities of life pose stress and hazard for their health and well-being. Once you look past the beautiful snow, there are icy roads, slippery sidewalks, gloomy and dark days, and chilly winds…
HELP THE HOMELESS
No one, on this planet, should be homeless. And yet, many people are without roof over their heads. This is a crisis that we must address. There is a winter storm alert right now. As I look out the window, I see snow, continuously falling. I thank God that I have a roof over my…
HOW THE SEASONS TRANSFORM US
Heraclitus, the ancient philosopher, said that no man can step into the same river twice, because everything is in a state of flux. With each passing moment, things change, including the river. Each day, we are subject to transformation. Each season, we change. No two summers are the same. No two winters are the same….
PEACE AND UNITY
This holiday season is an opportunity for people to come together, regardless of color or creed. There are endless distractions in life, as well as numerous ways in which people get divided in society. There are divisions based on race, religion, language, and also political affiliation. In recent years, the divisions in society have become…
WHY WE SHOULD LOOK AT OLD PHOTOS
We should open the photo albums and spend some time thinking about the days of the past. Unless we think of the past, how can we move ahead in the future? We close our eyes at night and wake up again in the morning to start our day. But life is still a continuous flow…
WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER
In the day and age of division, there are some powerful forces that can bring people together. Music, of course. Sports, quite certainly. The ongoing FIFA World Cup is an example of the power of sports that can break barriers and unite people. Regardless of whether you call it “soccer” or “football”, one must agree…
FUTURE GOP SUCCESS DEPENDS ON ASIAN AMERICAN VOTE
America is becoming a more diverse country, every day. Asian Americans make major contributions towards the increasing diversity of the United States population. The Asian American population grew from approximately 11.9 million to around 22.4 million between 2000 and 2019, making them the fastest growing minority group in the United States. For the Republican Party,…
THINK ABOUT THESE BEFORE VOTING
For the citizens of the United States, voting is a right and it is also a responsibility. We must make our voices heard and vote for the candidates of our choice. Every vote matters. The 2022 midterm election is perhaps the most important election of our lifetime. We stand at a fork in the road,…
HUMANS – MEN AND WOMEN – ARE NOT ROACHES
A human being is not a cockroach. To say that human beings are roaches is highly offensive. Sunny Hostin, a host on the television show The View, recently compared “white Republican suburban women” to “roaches.” Her comment is an insult to women. Sunny Hostin said that “white Republican suburban women” voting for GOP candidates is…
TO COMBAT CRIME, VOTE REPUBLICAN
The rise in crime in communities across the United States affects the lives of the American people. To combat crime and to increase public safety in our neighborhoods, states, and country, we must vote for Republican candidates on the ballot. When crime rises, we know that we need strong law enforcement presence to fight the…
INFLATION DIMINISHES FREEDOM
Inflation hurts people’s budgets by decreasing the value of money. As prices rise in the economy, as a result of reckless government spending and the Biden administration’s opposition to fossil fuels, the freedom of the American people is diminished. American families, because of inflation, find it hard to afford groceries. They also find it challenging…
ELECT LEE ZELDIN TO RESTORE LAW AND ORDER
It is time to restore law and order in the state of New York. To help accomplish that goal, the people of New York must elect a Republican. New York was my port-of-entry when I arrived in the United States as a legal immigrant. As such, I have some special feelings for the state. I…
DISMAL REPORT: THE DECREASE IN TEST SCORES
Reportedly, test scores in the United States have decreased significantly. This is the result of school closures and mask mandates that students had to deal with during the period of COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic caused disruption in people’s lives, all over the globe. Here in the United States, people suffered due to shutdowns and stay-at-home…
BIDEN ECONOMY: HALLOWEEN’S SCARIEST
Halloween is almost here. And there is nothing scarier than the current state of the American economy, also known as the “Biden economy.” Since President Joe Biden took office, the economy has been on a downward spiral. Just this month, it was reported that inflation jumped by 8.2 percent in September, compared to a year…
THE SPACE WE OCCUPY
At any given point in time, we are occupying space in this multi-dimensional world. It is our responsibility to respect this God-given space and make the best use of it. To my knowledge, no one has determined the composition of the soul. What a soul truly is remains a great mystery. The discussion of the…
DEFEATING DISTRACTION
The world, with all the elements in it, can distract us from our path. As we work our way towards our destination, diversions can push us in other directions. A person can defeat distractions if there is strong commitment to fulfill a purpose in life. When working on an important project, for work or school,…
BYE BYE, CALIFORNIA
The elected officials in California must take major steps to address the problem of rising crime. Otherwise, more and more people will leave the state.
THE SILENCE OF THE WRITER
A period of silence often precedes a storm. Similarly, when a writer feels that his creativity has subsided and his mind has been subject to a draught, a pouring rain of productivity may just be on its way. A writer must never lose hope. As long as the mind exists and is connected to a…
MY LOVE FOR HANDWRITTEN NOTES
In this age of technology, when people are texting, sending emails, including emojis in messages, my love for handwritten notes has grown in intensity. There was a time when handwritten notes and letters were the primary ways to communicate, in addition to spoken words. Even with the emergence of typewriters, a paper on which a…
THE POWER OF LONELINESS
I guess most people do not want to be lonely. But there are others who seek moments, days, weeks, or even longer periods of solitude. We all have different preferences. But can we truly be lonely? Our inclinations vary, depending on our personalities and experiences. The desire to be around people or to be lonely…
TIME: FAIR, JUST, AND UNFORGIVING
Time neither pauses, nor stops. As I looked at my watch, I saw the ticking of the second hand. The movement of time, as we know it, is irreversible. We can track it, but we cannot change how it flows. As humans, we are confronted with the limitations that time has set for us. And…
QUALITY TIME, QUALITY OF THOUGHTS
Any rational individual would like to spend quality time with family, friends, and loved ones. What constitutes “quality time” would vary, depending on who you ask. At the core, quality time refers to the time spent in doing that which would strengthen a relationship. In addition to quality time, quality of thoughts is also essential…
HOW CRITICISM INSPIRES ME TO WRITE AND SPEAK
Some criticisms are constructive, while others are not. Regarding my writings and podcast, I have never been afraid of criticism. The words and reactions from critics inspire me to continue to be vocal in expressing my thoughts through writing and speaking. I believe in the free expression of ideas. I like to share my thoughts…
DON’T BAN SINGLE-USE PLASTICS
I want a clean environment for all. I think we should take reasonable measures to keep the environment clean. Banning the use of single-use plastics is not a reasonable step to protect the environment. I think single-use plastic items, such as forks, knives, spoons, cups, boxes, etc., are essential and we must continue to use…
MOURNING THE LOSS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died today. She was 96 years old at the time of her passing. The news of her death shook the entire world. In this context, I want to share something that I know from my family’s history. My maternal grandfather, Mr. Ansaruddin Khan, was a businessman and was also…
MOVE-IN AND MEMORIES
The campus of the University of Wisconsin – Madison is once again full of young men and women who have arrived in the city to start the new school year. As students are moving in, my mind is taking me back to the years I spent at this university. Move-in days are bringing back memories….
WHY YOU SHOULD WRITE YOUR LIFE’S STORY
Some believe that one’s life flashes in front of the eyes, right before the person’s death. There may be no known scientific way to test and validate that claim, because there is no apparent return from that point. As such, there is no way to write about that experience, except using one’s imagination. Additionally, the…
THE GARLAND OF WORDS
For the writer, words are flowers that can be woven together to create a garland. The scent from the garland can be intoxicating, not just for the readers, but the writer too. No wonder, reading and writing are both addictive. A writer can forgo sleep to maximize the number of hours spent in creative expression…
WHAT IS POETRY?
Poetry is the highest form of expression. If you want a definition of poetry, there is not one. You can feel free to look for a definition in a dictionary, but that would not tell you much about poetry. Poetry is recited, as much as it is written. But most importantly, poetry is felt. A…
CALIFORNIA’S WAR AGAINST GAS CARS
Never in my life did I think that the government, here in a major American state, would try to dictate people about what kind of vehicle should be used for transportation. But here we are. Reportedly, the California Air Resources Board decided that, by 2035, all new vehicles in the state would be required to…
A PROFESSOR SAID – “PUBLISH OR PERISH”
Human beings are mortal. Yet, there is a way to continue to live, long after one’s earthly existence has ceased. “Publish or perish,” said one of my professors at North South University, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. As far as I can recall, he had heard it during his time as a student, and as a teacher…
MY ADVICE TO WRITERS WHO FAIL TO PRODUCE NEW WORK
Words do not attach themselves to each other to create sentences. A writer puts one word after another for the expression of ideas, thoughts, and feelings. What happens when a writer fails to produce new pieces of writing, particularly fiction? If you are a storywriter, you are likely engaged in producing novels or short stories….
GOD’S BEAUTIFUL CREATIONS, BESIDES HUMANS
As a child, I did not spend much time around animals. But I have always learnt to appreciate God’s creations. We are all created by the same God – humans, animals, plants, and all other beings. Since my childhood, I have always been fascinated by the wide variety of animals that are here on this…
LIVING IN THE BEST CITY
The city of Madison, in the beautiful state of Wisconsin, is known as the best place to live in America, according to Livability.com. I decided to make Madison my home, many years ago, and I think it is one of the best decisions I made in my life. When I came to the United States,…
THE SECOND-BEST CITY IN THE WORLD?
Is Chicago the second-best city in the world? It certainly is, according to a new list that was published recently. But what about the rise in crime in Chicago, and how is that affecting residents and visitors? According to TimeOut, Chicago is the second-best city in the world. The Midwestern city has excellent dining options,…
FROM MY LIBRARY: A FEW BOOKS ON ASTROLOGY
I started creating my own library when I was a young boy. From British literature to Bengali mystery books, from Tintin comic books to encyclopedias and books on history and geography, I enjoyed a wide variety of reading materials. I read the works of Satyajit Ray, Rabindranath Tagore, Charles Dickens, John Keats, Lord Tennyson, and…
END THE NEVER-ENDING FEAR
Since the outbreak of COVID19, many people continue to be affected by never-ending fear. I think it is time to eliminate the fear from our hearts. There are individuals who are still wearing masks due to their fear of coronavirus. I completely respect people’s freedom to wear or to not wear masks in public settings….