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The U.S. and its Extreme Weather phenomena - Hurricane Belt, Tornado Alley, Snowbelt, Blizzard Tracks, and Storm Corridor!

There is a lot to love about the US, but its weather is not one of them. I guess it’s the price we pay to have all the seasons, especially the fall colors.  I love driving through New England in the fall! However, the extreme weather faced across the country can be a huge price to pay. The northern states have harsh, long winters with freezing temperatures for several months, or even half the year. The southern states and the coastal states face frequent hurricanes and tropical storms during the hurricane season. In the middle, the central Plains and Midwest have powerful tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. Early in 2026, we saw a historic winter storm (referred to as Winter Storm Fern) sweep across much of the continental United States. A massive snow, sleet, and ice storm that affected over 200 million people across the U.S., from the southern Plains (Texas, Oklahoma) through the Midwest and up into the Northeast. Heavy snow, dangerous ice, and freezing conditions caused wide...
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FIFA World Cup 2026 and Sports Leagues around the world - EPL, NBA, IPL, NFL, MLB, NHL

 The FIFA World Cup 2026 is shining. The senior stars Lionel Messi (Argentina), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), and Neymar (Brazil) shine bright as the 2026 World Cup starts. Then there is the new guard heralded by Kylian Mbappé (France) and Erling Haaland (Norway). National Sports During the telecast of the FIFA World Cup soccer match between Portugal and Spain (Portugal lost 0–1 in the round of 16), one statement by the commentator stood out — the population of Portugal is just over 10 million, and Spain’s population is four to five times that. Well, that can be considered a very common statistic to compare, unless you put it in context with the most populous country, India, with a population of 1.4 billion. The Indian team did not even qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup! Sports Leagues Across the World If you are watching FIFA in the USA, you have undoubtedly seen how much time is spent during studio panel discussions talking about the US teams' chances and US play...
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Kerala’s new maritime economy: Future of God’s own Country (Part 1)

              I'm back to obsessing about my retirement destination halfway around the world! This is a new series of posts about what I see into the future for “God's Own Country” - Kochi. Kochi’s future is intertwined with its role as a trade port. Kochi originated from Muziris, the legendary spice-trading port city, which led to the ‘Spice Route’. Kochi’s location gave it the name ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’. The crown jewel of Kochi’s port (called Cochin Port) is Dubai Port World's Vallarpadam Transshipment Terminal. The government-owned Cochin Port is spread across two islands: Willingdon Island, which is India’s largest man-made island, and Vallarpadam Island, which houses Dubai Port World's Transshipment Terminal. Dubai Port World's Vallarpadam Transshipment Terminal (started in 2011) competes with Adani's new Vizhinjam port (started in 2025), which is just 180 nautical miles away. Like the Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports made Califo...
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Kochi - Asia’s Largest Natural Christmas Tree & Asia’s largest art Biennale coincides to herald a secular, sustainable paradise for artists!

  Asia’s largest Christmas tree Kochi has a 25-year-old tradition of decorating Asia’s largest Christmas tree. This natural Christmas Tree is located in Veli Ground, in a locality called Fort Kochi in the older part of Kochi City in Kerala, India. The lighting of this Christmas tree draws huge crowds, with up to 50,000 visitors each evening during the Christmas period. This is a natural Christmas tree, an existing rain tree, estimated to be around 200 years old. The rain tree is decorated with lights and ornaments every year for Christmas celebrations. Every year, the Christmas tree is lit up in a different color, and it is yellow this year. The Christian population in Kochi (and the state of Kerala) traces its roots to St. Thomas the Apostle and can be considered among the oldest Christian communities in the world. The people here have a strong secular civic identity, often attributed to high literacy and long social reform movements, and you’ll find temples, churches, and m...
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Nintendo Switch V1/V2/OLED versus the Nintendo Switch 2, ROG Xbox Ally or Steam Deck: The Console Upgrade Myth (Part 2)

New hardware dominates the conversation, but older consoles aren’t done yet. From gaming PCs to Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Steam Deck, last-generation favorites like the original Nintendo Switch continue to offer compelling reasons to play even alongside the Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, and ROG Xbox Ally. However, I’m seeing a pronounced appetite for used, lightly used, and like-new gaming devices. The trend mirrors the early pandemic period, when perceived supply constraints fueled a similar rush toward secondary markets.  This might be due to the Nintendo Switch 2 being priced at $450-500, price increases on older Switch models, or even fears that tariffs could further increase prices. Or is there something more? Table 1 sets the tone for a closely examined, detail-oriented discussion about the various Nintendo Switch versions. Table 1. Nintendo Switch OLED vs Switch V2 vs Switch V1 Consoles Nintendo Switch OLED Nintendo Switch V2 ...
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