Image by: KyleWrather

Apart from texting, chatting, shopping, eating, and praying, what one thing should a person get hooked to? Well, it’s READING. Disappointed?

It’s not surprising though for one to get disappointed at such answer. For sure many would scoff at the idea of getting hooked into reading, what with all these fast-paced, highly engaging gadgets available anywhere. Eyebrows will certainly rise. Why dwell on a “boring” activity as reading? But, on the other hand, should you not think twice, thrice, a hundredfold? Come to think of it, these gadgets would not have been a huge success if you are unable to read every text, message, and instruction that comes with their use?

Why do many tend to pass up on every opportunity to read a nice book, an interesting article, or an informative travel book over something as trivial as...gossiping. Perhaps our understanding of the importance of reading is so scant or twisted that we grimace everytime a reading material is handed to us. Perhaps it’s high time to strengthen our understanding of reading.

Virgil Howe’s once said, “ Reading can be one of man’s deepest pleasures. It extends his experiences, giving him a glimpse of the world’s excitement, pleasure, and wisdom.” Reading allows us to ponder on the mysteries of the world and its complexities, explore knowledge, and contemplate the unknown. With reading, we begin to discover some answers to questions, is motivated to raise more stimulating questions, and continues his quest for deeper understanding. Reading can be our primary tool for blending our inner pyschological world of thought, imagination, and reality.

Reading has never and will never be a passive activity. It is in fact a kind of social relationship shared and developed by the author and the writer.

We claim to be good at many things. Can we not also claim to be good at reading?

Go on Avail!!!

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It is interesting how PayPal thought that no one would notice when it quietly raised their fees. The new fees, took place last June were not immediately known until after PayPal started charging for it. However, this article posits that there’s more than just higher fees.


ars technica wrote:

In June, PayPal made a number of changes to its User Agreement and posted an update to the PayPal Blog. At that time, director of product marketing Heinz Waelchli wrote that PayPal had now begun allowing those with business and premium accounts to make personal transfers to friends and family for free. This, in itself, is a welcome update—I use my PayPal account to receive payments for items I sell on Etsy, but now I can send money to my brother from the same account without either of us having to give PayPal a cut.

What PayPal failed to do was inform users of the fact that any transfer having to do with goods or services will be charged the 3¢ + 2.9 percent fee no matter who or where it's coming from. This includes payments sent from personal accounts as well as payments made after someone has sent you a request for payment (even if that request has nothing to do with goods or services).

For example, a personal account sending another personal account money for a one-time payment for, say, mowing your lawn was not previously charged any fees on either side, but is now charged the usual transaction fee (the sender gets to decide who pays). The only way to avoid this is by selecting "gift" when making the transfer—something you can't do if you're following through on a purchase or invoice from someone. And, if you fall into this category (which many people do), it's likely that you had no idea about the changes until just now.

Well, it appears as if the lack of a "huge formal communication" has now begun to anger users, as it comes off as a shady way to hide the addition of fees to mass numbers of transactions. Sure, users would have been irritated either way, but doesn't PayPal know that the way to handle bad PR is to be the first one to control the message? People value openness and transparency—especially when bad news is involved. Now, those controlling the message are other, ticked off users, and that won't be an easy one to clean up after.

Go on avail!!!