armstrongvazblogsfromgoa

Number 42 on the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations is one word: “Plastics.” Many of you will recognise it as part of the conversation 21-year-old Ben, played by Dustin Hoffman, had with one of his father’s worldly-wise friends at a party to celebrate his graduation. "There's a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?” says the middle-aged man to the young and confused man about to enter adult life.   Fast-forward 52 years, billions of smartphones with heads hunched over and many more billions of dollars in venture capital and we’re at 22,000 tonnes. That’s how much plastic waste is generated each month as a byproduct of online food deliveries in India. The lion’s share comes from Swiggy and Zomato, the two Goliaths in the space, together accounting for over 60 million food deliveries each month.    It’s a mountain that’s piling up with no immediate end in sight. Because organic or eco-friendly alternatives t...

Video killed the radio star. Then, video went from large TV screens to smartphone screens. Pedal power went to combustion engines to electric vehicles. Local stores became supermarkets, then went online. Actually, everything went online (sadly even social communication). The point is evolution. Natural evolution, not forced evolution. And forced evolution is what did Godrej Nature’s Basket (GNB) in. Its start, in 2010, was focussed enough - one store, in an upmarket region in Mumbai, selling only premium gourmet food items like artisanal bread, wine and imported cheese. Then came the expansion over the years. To New Delhi, Pune, and other cities. To selling private-label brands and going online.  So far, so natural. Coupled with revenue growth that was picking up. Then came 2016-17, and with it ‘GNB Refresh 2020.’ A marketing tagline that essentially meant the brand took a 180° spin - from a 'World Food Store' to a 'Daily Food Delights' store. It became a neighbourhood...

The AIFF reacting to the joint statement of Hero I-League clubs feel that it is very premature and unnecessary to pre-judge any action of the AIFF, and be commenting on the AIFF Executive Committee meeting on July 3, 2019 in advance. The AIFF as a custodian of Indian Football has always endeavoured to balance to the interest of all stakeholders, and the Hero I-League, and its clubs. To say that the future of Hero I-League, and the clubs will not be taken into consideration for any future decisions of the AIFF would be unfair. As a matter of fact, a decision regarding the Hero Indian Super League becoming a league were also discussed with AFC, and FIFA before it was given recognition, and even for any future decisions AFC and FIFA will be duly consulted. In fact, during the last AFC AGM in Paris, the AIFF asked the AFC General Secretary Dato Windsor John to visit India specifically for Hero I-League issues. Furthermore, while the decision of the AIFF Executive Committee ca...

***WARNING: THIS MAN IS A FRAUD!*** HE STOLE MY MONEY! PLEASE BE AWARE!! The story: His name is NEERAJ CHOUDHARY. He is from Haridwar and operates mainly in Rishikesh and Dehradun. I have known him for 2 years and I was in Rishikesh in October 2018. When I returned to the UK, Neeraj asked me if I would be interested in setting up a business with him: an online booking platform comparing yoga schools, mainly in Rishikesh, and then other parts of India. He told me he would speak to the main ashram owners in Rishikesh to get them onto the website and he would like to have a stand/stall in the INTERNATIONAL YOGA FESTIVAL in RISHIKESH to promote the business. We agreed to go ahead and he said he would develop the website in India. He sent me a couple of quotes on which we agreed. He asked me for 25,000 Indian Rupees = $350 (half the payment for the website and the other half for flyers and posters, which he would then post to me in the UK. I transferred the money to him in November 201...

$550 billion. That's the size of India's grocery market. It's as big as the GDP of a small but fairly well off country (think Sweden).  Some 96% of that, though, is made up of the likes of Prakash and Asha. A couple who ran a tiny grocery store right by where I used to live in North Bengaluru once upon a time. Cheerful, intimately acquainted with every customer, and enterprising to a tee (they never missed an opportunity to extol the wonders of their Amway products), they're emblematic of the Indian kirana store. Or if you'd rather, the "hyperlocal" grocery market that many a tech startup has vowed to disrupt—with mixed results at best. But the remaining 4% or so, the organised grocery segment, is still a respectable $21 billion. That's what e-commerce companies and large retailers—from Flipkart, Amazon and BigBasket to Reliance and Future Group—are gunning for now. And it's been a bloodbath. Over the past four years, nearly 20 online grocers have...

First, a confession. I have not watched a single episode of Game of Thrones... since season 1, not just the last one. But of course, most of the world has. Hotstar, which exclusively airs the show online in India, reported a sixfold jump in viewers for the final season’s first episode. The numbers have likely stayed strong since as viewers stay riveted, undaunted by the stray coffee cup blunders, and Hotstar laughs all the way to the bank. But what if one or more of the 30-odd video-on-demand services in India also had the rights to air GoT? Or one of the cable companies or telecom companies? Not such a fun thought for Hotstar, is it?  However, for a majority of the other VOD companies, sharing their content is slowly becoming the last resort to stay afloat. These companies started out with the same dream—of becoming the next Netflix—and went the same route, spending heavily to develop the next blockbuster. Video streaming was meant to kill cable TV, like in the US, w...

Yet another drowning death in Baga Goa With at least one or two drowning deaths per week Goa is increasingly gaining notoriety for the danger on its beaches. The tourist season is set to roll in at the start of the month in the Indian state of Goa. The monsoon fury at sea is slowly fading away. Beach waves are lashing the shore at a galloping but still much slower pace. The sea water is choppy. Swimming in the turbulent water is inviting trouble. Numerous Indian tourists from various parts of the country invariably fall into the trap of just dipping their feet in the sea water or swimming in the shallow beach waters and end up getting dragged in by the undercurrent, only to be engulfed by the furious monsoon waves. The alarming regularity of deaths by drowning in Goa has been a cause of concern. The small state known for its silvery beaches has gained notoriety for the ills of tourism like drugs, rave parties, sex tourism and mismanagement of garbage. It can now add one more t...

STREET PROVIDENCE TRUST GOA has been looking after Mr Mario , a goan , who is homeless, with no family at all , and amputated in 1 leg from 14.10.2018 Mario was admitted in GMC for an operation may be in beginning Oct 2018. He is actually having no family members and no home. Claims he is from cuncolim. Looks like alcohol was his downfall and by the time he realised it , his leg had to be amputated. He got his leg amputated AT GMC and because of the kind gesture of a police man , who observed that Mario has no one in this world, we at Street providence took him in . Today when he went for a eye check up at GMC , the doctor claims he has blood in his eye and he is being told to do the operation at VISION HOSPITAL MAPUSA , by the doctor at GMC as he has no deendayal card or some crap like this. 1. We are having an official contract to rehabilitate homeless people with THE GOVERNMENT OF GOA signed by GSUDA and that includes free medical facilties for these homeless people . ...

Street providence trust Goa gets help to this Goan man Mr Johnny / Rony from TIVIM / SIRSIAM BARDEZ GOA INDIA . Let's say JOHNNY is his name. A good singer and a smooth talker, well known around mapusa and Panjim. I had met him a few months back while feeding the on the streets of Panjim and he at that time came to our home at Porvorim to stay but changed his mind and went away . In January 2019 he again was admitted in our home at BATIM but in 15 days he troubled and asked to be released. Say by beginning Feb 2019 he wax spotted in dirty attire in different parts of mapysa, begging for food , help. There was a video circulating on social media of him asking for help which reached us. We tried 3 times helping him but still he refused to come with us. Finally looks like he had an accident and tried to get himself admitted into the district hospital Mapusa, but then who will touch a dirty man. Finally I think some where mid March 2019 we managed to get him to our home at A...

ANJUNA: A Czech Republic national was mauled by a pack of ferocious stray dogs on Anjuna-Arpora Hill when she had gone for a walk in the morning. She is currently undergoing treatment at St Anthony Hospital, Anjuna. The Anjuna PI, Navlesh Dessai, told Herald that the incident occurred on Monday morning and the lady reported the same to Anjuna police. “The lady had gone for a walk at 7.00 am when a number of dogs attacked her on the Anjuna-Arpora hill. She did not seek for a complaint to be registered but requested us to act in the matter by informing the concerned authority. She did not want another person to suffer from a similar savage attack. We have written to the Village Panchayat of Anjuna, Animal Rescue and Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services,” said Anjuna PI. An animal rights activist based in Assagao brought this issue to the notice of Herald that a foreign tourist was mauled by several dogs on the Anjuna-Arpora Hill a week back. “She...

#Goa : Cuncolim outgoing chairperson drops corruption bomb on newly elected Angela Luis

As Cavelossim goes into final bend of preparing for the feast of Sta. Cruz on 3rd May, the festivities are already in full swing..The Luminar of Rodrigues Vangodd was celebrated today with traditional cultural gaiety as done for years togather in the past. Coconuts are roasted in oil with vicks made out of soft cotton cloth tied with pinch of salt , whilst the elders sang the Ladainha in harmonious voices. The whole village gets togather in offering prayers and later enjoy traditional fireworks enchanting kids as well as elders into ecstacy. Long live these traditions...a festival worth a visit. The Holy Cross Church in Cavelossim, in South Goa is situated in a quaint sea side town. During our trip to Carmona, Cavelossim and Agonda, we visited this church. At the intersection of roads, the Church stands on a huge rectangular site in front, which is paved and used for feasts and events. A very pretty Pavilion is situated to the right of the front court yard. Built in 1763 AD, th...

The Ramponkars and fisherman of Cavelossim Beach - one of the beaches in South Goa) say that their numbers are dwindling . Rampon was once an integral part of Goan society,. In this traditional method of fishing, a long net is dropped in a semicircular fashion over a distance of a couple of kilometres from a canoe. The ramponkars then haul the net from the sea with a variety of live fish. The bumper catch is then sold off and the profits shared among the ramponkars. Availability of fish in the market during the 'Monsoon' is limited. due to the compulsory fishing ban during that period. Traditional fishermen or 'Ramponkars' do not venture into the sea due to its rough nature. THe Ramponkars live along the coastline of Goa which stretches for over 105 km. The tradional community based fishing using rampons had an inbuilt system of conservation but with the advent of mechanisation of fishing canoes this eco-balance has being recklessly exploited by the mo...

Chaos in Cuncolim municipality as traders gherao chairperson over garbage issue

https://youtu.be/z2ijCQ_mRMM Alan chooses Goa and Manali as music destinations over native England Alan chooses Goa and Manali as music destinations over native England

Let me be honest. Before I read Arundhati’s story today, I knew nothing about this topic. Her story is about why more startup investors are veering towards a new model of funding through something called venture debt.    Me, I barely understand equity financing. Cap table. Liquidation preference. Term sheet. Pre money. Post money. Extended universe. Crossover episode. Xbox 360 version. No clue.    Anyway, after I read her story, I finally got it. If you know what venture debt is, you should click on the link at the bottom and head over to read the story. Save yourself.    If you have no idea, read on. I have come up with a really tortured analogy. It’s too late for you now. Here goes.    Startups need money. Usually to grow. Pay salaries. Things like that. And to raise this money, they need an investor. Now remember, this startup has nothing, so it can really offer just one thing—the promise of future returns. Give me money. Take...