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Friday, July 3, 2015

The Starling Project - Part 23

This is the aft part of the deck showing the underside of the plywood. I have painted this with a good undercoat paint leaving bare strips of plywood for where glue is required to adhere the ply to the deck beams.

The deck is now glued and nailed with silicon bronze nails. The nails have been countersunk with a nail punch and filled with mahogany wood filler. I was able to strategically place the cardboard deck patterns that I had made of the deck on a large sheet of Maranti marine plywood in such a way that I only have deck joins on either side of the forward ends of the cockpit. I hope I am able to sand out all the marks and stains so that I am able to varnish the deck. Time will tell.

I know I have turned a corner now, but wish I felt it as well. I think I feel like this because I am not looking forward to the amount of sanding that I have to do. Sanding is a job I don't like very much, whether it is hand or machine sanding.

At this stage I am still undecided as to whether to fiberglass the hull or not - And I wish that I had a proper workshop to work it, it's freezing weather and if I'm not tripping over stuff, I am out buying stuff that I know I already have but can't find amongst the clutter of a shed the size of a matchbox. Bugger it.

Steve-the-Wargamer said...

...but she's looking good.. :-)

Alden Smith said...

Yep, she is. Thanks Steve for the encouragement. When I have made some new splash boards, fitted rubbing strakes and some cockpit trim, that will be the end of the woodwork. Then its the filling / painting / varnishing and hardware fitting stage. Doesn't seem too daunting if I say it all very quickly LOL!

George A said...

I feel your pain about both working in the elements and not being able to find tools you know you have!

Alden Smith said...

Thank you for your empathizing! - It's not existential pain, so I am surely able to get over myself when the weather improves LOL.

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Sunday, November 20, 2005

November 19

Well I was able to get the scarf for my mother in Law completed today. I started it last night while waiting for the New Harry Potter movie to start. By the way the movie was great you much see it. I took my middle daughter to see it and as we waited for the show to start we sat in out seats and knitted. I bought this yarn from Walmart and used a size 13 needle and cast on 10.

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« Live It Out | Main | Times Select »

The Social Construction of Straight Hair

A while back, my cousin's hair was suddenly straighter-than-usual. This, it was explained, was the "Japanese hair-straightening technique" that was all the rage. As is often the case with such things, once informed of its existence it became apparent that the technique really was all the rage. Especially with your younger Jewish women, which makes sense since Jews tend to have not-so-straight hair. At first glance, the Japanese origin of this technology passed muster, since lots of technologies originate in Asia nowadays. But then you think about it -- why would a hair-straightening technology originate in Japan, where everyone's hair is straight? Phoebe Maltz asked the question and got an answer. Apparently, Japan isn't as monolithically straight-haired as one might think, but in addition, a land of straight-haired people generates a more exacting standard of what kind of hair counts as "straight."

The general social trend toward preference for ever-straighter hair is somewhat mysterious. The superficially similar preference for lighter hair has a straightforward evolutionary explanation -- light hair suggests youth. And, indeed, in blonde-heavy Iceland it's notable that older people had a more youthful look about them. But straight hair is about . . . what?

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In the US it's not mysterious at all, just a consequence of racial and ethnic prejudice. High-status whites of North European descent have, on average, straighter hair than African-Americans or Mediterraneans who have historically had lower social status here, so straight hair becomes a marker of social dominance. As with light hair and youth, this can become detached from its biological origins to the point where even moderately-straight-haired whites want straighter hair. (There's also a pure element of fashion, since curls and waves have been in at various times. Remember the Star-Bellied Sneetches.)

Not sure about Japan, though it's possible that something similar is going on, with ultra-straight hair as a marker of high-status ethnicity that then takes on a life of its own.

Posted by: Matt McIrvin | Sep 18, 2005 1:02:15 PM

...And I don't think there's any need to identify an evolutionary preference for straighter hair, since I don't think there is one: the curly or kinky hair that prevails in some parts of the world may well have itself evolved through sexual selection. (Same for light-colored hair, actually. If the preference is really so universal, would anyone have black hair by now? Maybe, if it were correlated with survival traits like skin melanin in sunny places, but I think the question is worth asking.)

Posted by: Matt McIrvin | Sep 18, 2005 1:08:14 PM

Actually, long, straight hair is associated with youth in the sense that it's generally unflattering on most people over thirty-- it's a very unforgiving style. It drags the face down, doesn't provide any camouflage for puffy eyes or not-quite-symmetrical features, etc.

As luck would have it, I had straight, fine hair in the big, frizzy eighties, although as I've gotten older my hair has gotten wavier, which is more flattering, if not fashionable. Luckily, being a redhead hasn't been a detriment in my adolescence or adulthood, although it, combined with an assertive manner, used to make for some really annoying pickup attempts .

Posted by: latts | Sep 18, 2005 1:23:09 PM

I also seem to feel that many ugly-duckling-turned-swan type movies have a heroine with curly hair that becomes sleek and straight once she finally becomes pretty and desirable. Or I could just be thinking of the Princess Diaries. But I'm sure there are more.

Posted by: susan | Sep 18, 2005 2:13:58 PM

it's not a racial thing....we always want what we don't have. and i wish i had curly hair!

Posted by: f-i-n | Sep 18, 2005 2:51:43 PM

I naturally vary from straight-haired to curly, though I increasingly have to work for my straight hair. Not all fashion and beauty is done for the benefit of men, for one thing. You could call it a tertiary sexual trait, or an indirect sexual trait--there's probably already a good name for it, I'll have to ask--behavior or traits you use to send signals to other members of the same gender. I think Susan hit on it--straight hair comes across as neater, and more elegant. The transformation in Princess Diaries (which I haven't seen, but I tried to gather something from the sequel which I watched half asleep on a plane once) is from scattered and uncapable to competetent and elegant. When I'm just going out to have a good time, I let the natural curls bounce in or even add them. If I were to go for an interview at Goldman&Sachs or something equally ludicrous, I'd blowdry it straight. In fact, it's possibly the fact that other people know straight hair takes time that it's a bit of a status symbol. Look at me, I'm so together and organized I have time to carefully blowdry and iron my hair in the morning. I'm actually convinced that's the point of a lot of fashionable beauty. Luckily I don't go for interviews at Goldman and Sachs much, or else I'd have to kowtow to it more.

Posted by: Saheli | Sep 18, 2005 3:10:46 PM

It is a combination of fashion and boredom. I was looking at the haircare products aisle recently and realized that there were no home perm kits. There used to be a whole section of them. Now there were a wide variety of anti-frizz conditioners. Women want to change their hair periodically. The fashionistas want to stand out from the hoi polloi but then the riff-raff figure out how to achieve the look (and the products are available at CVS, not just fancy salons).

I got my hair cut recently and the stylist then flattened it with an iron. It was a really freaky sensation, it didn't feel like my hair at all. It is a very expensive and high maintenance look. When I see someone with it, I figure it is more about showing off wealth than any inherent attractiveness.

Posted by: Violet Strange | Sep 18, 2005 3:37:11 PM

I would think that older people in Iceland would look more youthful because they would be less likely to have the sort of sun damage common in American tan-worshippers.

Posted by: Amber Taylor | Sep 18, 2005 4:02:03 PM

Frankly, I think it's a matter of convenience. I've had both straight and curly hair (gah! bad 80s perms!), and my hair tends toward a combination - straight in the front, curly in the back. I often found that the curly part of my hair, and all of it when it was permed, would trend towards dreadlocking, knotting, etc., which resulted in me spending an hour in the morning brushing it out when getting ready.

Of course, now I keep it boy-short, so none of this is a problem anymore, but if I were to grow it out again, I would totally go for the hair straightening - part of the reason I cut it was that I just didn't have the time, now that I have a job, to get up an extra hour early in the morning just to de-knot my hair.

Posted by: sam | Sep 18, 2005 5:38:45 PM

I believe the wish for straight hair has to do with neatness, or a kind of polished, manicured look. It's sleek, as Susan said. Curly hair is seen as wilder, more unmanageable. It's harder to look really pulled-together with curly hair. Or at least that's what a curly-haired Jewish friend of mine says when expressing a desire for hair like mine.

Posted by: ac | Sep 18, 2005 6:29:22 PM

Light hair suggests youth to Europeans, because many European children start out blond and their hair darkens as they get older.
But my Chinese colleagues were suprised that my daughter is blonde, when neither of her parents are. Where they are from, the children's hair is just as dark as that of their parents. So the symbolism is culture-specific.

Posted by: Joe Buck | Sep 18, 2005 7:01:12 PM

I think it's just a master principle of Japanese culture to completely articulate the space of possible cultural obsessions.

Posted by: spacetoast | Sep 18, 2005 7:09:21 PM

"...to completely articulate the space of possible cultural obsessions."

Glass love seems a likely Bukkake reference.

Posted by: bob mcmanus | Sep 18, 2005 7:18:35 PM

The general social trend toward preference for ever-straighter hair is somewhat mysterious. The superficially similar preference for lighter hair has a straightforward evolutionary explanation -- light hair suggests youth...But straight hair is about . . . what?

Surely straight hair is about...nothing, except current fasion. I'd give the current preference for ultra-straight hair another 2 years, tops. In fact, my guess is among those-in-the-know, it's probably already out of fashion. I cast my vote for a WWII era wave/curl for women, preferably combined with a new vogue for red/auburn hair coloring.

Posted by: PB Almeida | Sep 18, 2005 8:42:37 PM

cast my vote for a WWII era wave/curl for women

Alameida, doesn't that itself require smooth straight hair first? I was under the impression those waves and curls were added, not natural.

Posted by: Saheli | Sep 18, 2005 8:54:41 PM

Alameida, doesn't that itself require smooth straight hair first? I was under the impression those waves and curls were added, not natural.

No doubt the waves and curls largely weren't natural. I'm just sick of that severe Jennifer Anniston look.

Posted by: PB Almeida | Sep 18, 2005 8:59:23 PM

I am sure that there are plenty of people who do it just for the hell of it, but for a sizable minority it clearly (whether they admit it or not) has to do with downplaying the traits ascribed to their tribes. It is also something that one can do from a relatively young age and that does not require a big bag of cash at once, as is the case for straightening things like noses. Then again, I am sure that it does add up to thousands of dollars extra in hair products spending over a life time for the people who are religious about it.

Posted by: Nonna | Sep 18, 2005 9:42:19 PM

Since when are Jews the only ones who have "not-so-straight" hair, Dr. Mengele?

Posted by: Marc | Sep 18, 2005 9:47:22 PM

Actually, bob, it's nothing so quotidian as that, or even obviously porn. Maybe. It is definitely weird fetishy Japanese cultural detritus though.

Posted by: spacetoast | Sep 18, 2005 9:56:58 PM

I'm just sick of that severe Jennifer Anniston look.

Ah, I agree, despite the fact that I often wind up there by mistake. If we no longer care about minimizing labor-intensity, I agree, you can't really beat Katherin Hepburn hair.

Posted by: Saheli | Sep 18, 2005 10:16:51 PM

The superficially similar preference for lighter hair has a straightforward evolutionary explanation -- light hair suggests youth.

I don't see why we need to propose an evolutionary explanation for something which can be quite easily explained by cultural factors. If light hair were evolutionarily advantageous, we would expect to see an increase in the incidence of light hair over time, which I don't think is the case. Certainly dark hair is much more common across human populations than light hair, suggesting that the evolutionary explanation doesn't actually explain much. To the degree that the incidence of light hair among certain populations (e.g. scandinavians) has an evolutionary basis, it seems more likely to be the result of founder effect and other non-fitness related processes than to any advantage it confers in appearing youthful. After all, traits which do not become useful until after an individual is past prime reproductive age have little bearing on fitness.

Posted by: Larv | Sep 18, 2005 11:05:17 PM

Speaking as someone with naturally very curly hair who has been getting the Japanese straightening treatment done for over 2 years now, straight hair is so much more fun than curly hair. If you have curly hair, you can kind of vary the length although too long or too short is out of the question, and you can sort of change the layers around, but basically, you just have to cut it to minimize volume and have the right shape. Straight hair can be almost any length, you can add crazy layers and shape it more easily. It's possibly to make straight hair curly or wavy, whereas curly hair can only be curly or, with a lot of effort, straight.

I have bangs now, and I could never have had them with curly hair. Thank you Japanese straightenting treatment!!

Posted by: Julie | Sep 19, 2005 2:52:54 AM

Nonna, this kind of knee jerk reaction is why so many people think that Jews are hypersensitive. *I* think that most Jews are hypersensitive, and it detracts from the ability to address real concerns.

There is a greater percentage of redheads among people of Celtic descent than among the general population. There is a greater percentage of wavy or curly hair among Jews than among the general Caucasion population. There is a greater percentage of women who have facial hair issues among those of Mediterranean origin than among the general population.

No one is building camps here, for crying out loud.

Posted by: Lisa | Sep 19, 2005 11:14:50 AM

My apologies, nonna. I thought the attributions were above the comments, rather than below them. My comment was directed at Marc, rather than at you.

Posted by: Lisa | Sep 19, 2005 11:19:16 AM

And the thread starts out with race and class...

Rot. What about comfort and ease of care?

I’ve got wavy thick hair that just doesn't look good on me long or naturally thick, class and race aside. When it gets "older" after a cut, it thickens and becomes increasingly unmanageable and, more importantly, damned uncomfortable be it summer or winter. I get it cut, not because it gets too long for social or professional standards, but because it gets too thick & uncomfy. When long hair was in fashion, I still had to keep it short. If there was a way to get it to stay thin but could let me grow it longer, I’d give it a try. I say it’s great for people who have a salon option to wear their hair how they like it.

Posted by: Bill | Sep 19, 2005 6:32:46 PM

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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Out of clutter, find simplicity-Albert Einstein

Are you a giver? Do you overgive?

I know it's the holidays and we'll all be giving to different degrees, but do you give too much on a regular basis? You can give too much you know, and it can creep up on ya in a bad way.

I am a giver and I have suffered from burnout on more than one occasion. A couple of times this year in fact. Thats when I retreat and my self care goes into overdrive. Sometimes I catch myself 'teetering on the brink' of burnout. Sometimes its my partner that notices and reminds me to slow down. One of the hardest lessons of my life has been saying no. But you have to sometimes. You can't say yes to everything. We've all been there.

This year in particular I have been looking hard at the things that drain me, and some of those things I have let go of altogether. It can feel a little selfish, but at the same time it feels soooo good to emotionally and physically free yourself up. I haven't found the perfect balance (by a long shot), but I am on a roll and working on it more everyday. I am finding that getting started is the hardest part. I've been asking myself all kinds of questions and finding (and dealing with) ALL the big energy drains in my life.

Do you have things in your life that weigh you down just by thinking of them?

These things not only cause us exteme stress but can make us feel crappy about ourselves as well. We all know there are things in our lives that we can't change. But what about the things you can change?
Its sort of like therapy. It isn't "easy" but it is so freeing and worth it...

If you are an over giver like me I highly recommend saying no once in a while. You will not only be doing yourself a favour, but you will have more to give to the people and causes that really matter to you. Give back to yourself. Nurture yourself. Make time for you.

Its good to give what you can, just remember to give back to yourself too.
*Registration is on for all of my classes for January. Daytime, night-time...Classes for everybody. Delicious, affordable yoga -in both Yaletown (click here) and Mount Pleasant (click here)
There is a mat with your name on it waiting for you. Namaste.


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Pregnancy Yoga DVD

Pregnancy Yoga DVD 2017-10-11T16:47:24+00:00

“How YogaYin’s Pregnancy Yoga DVD Can Help You Enjoy a Healthy Pregnancy”

The YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD is the safe Yoga practice suitable for beginners and all trimesters, that Strengthens your body and the bond with your baby, Soothes stress and Empowers you toward a better pregnancy and labour.

  • The YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD improves your mobility by strengthening the lower body through standing postures, balances and squats – to help with that little bit of extra weight you carry in your belly.
  • Boosts your energy levels to reduce tiredness by increasing the flow of blood to your muscles, tissues and organs.
  • Decreases the back pain you feel by training you to be aware of your posture while carrying baby in your belly.
  • The YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD prepares you for a healthy childbirth by strengthening your pelvic floor, opening your hips and toning the tissues around the uterus.
  • Calms your mind and decreases stress levels by training you to focus on your breath and being present in the moment.
  • Creates and builds a bond between you and your precious new baby by concentrating your mind on the life growing within.

“Discover The Little-Known Yoga Secrets to a Natural Labour”

Get the ‘Yoga For Natural Labour eGuide’ valued at $19.95 for FREE with the purchase of The YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD

This guide of color photographs and easy to follow instructions, along with the help of your supportive Midwife / Obstetrician / Doula, will help you prepare for the birth of your wonderful baby – naturally.

  • Postures to work with contractions; release tension in the body and minimize pain
  • Resting poses to increase strength and energy between contractions
  • Birth positions to optimize natural delivery
  • Four Yoga breath techniques to help during contractions, prevent straining, tearing and ease pain
  • Ways to include your partner/birth partner in the birth process.

YogaYin is a beautifully presented yoga DVD for the NORMAL pregnant woman (you don’t have to be thin or flexible, alternative or anything in particular, it’s for YOU)… This DVD combines what is necessary for your body to allow your pelvis to open to the delivery of your baby, as well as what is necessary for your soul and mind… I recommend it without reservation and believe that yoga is a key to optimising vaginal delivery rates.”
Dr Anna Rogers, MBBS, FRANZCOG, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Hi Allannah
Lulu Lemon on Chapel Street recommended I buy your DVD. I must say I was impressed with the speed in which I received it after I placed my order online, so thank you. I used your DVD for the first two trimesters of my first pregnancy. I had fallen pregnant through IVF and so was very nervous to engage in any strenuous exercise as I didn’t want to risk anything! I had only done yoga once in the past, so I was also feeling a little too shy to head out to a yoga class given I was such a beginner! I found your DVD easy to follow, relaxing and enjoyable to do in my lounge room, usually while my partner went for a run! The length of the DVD was perfect, and I felt as though I had done a satisfying work out each time I had finished! I will continue to use the DVD now that I have had my baby, and will definitely use it if I ever fall pregnant again.
Hello Allannah
I bought the DVD for my family. I am a mother, grandmother and an aunt and in my early career a midwife. I can honestly say that your DVD is perfectly attuned to help mothers to be to maximise quality rest and relaxation during pregnancy and for preparing the body for the birth process. Your DVD has been used by my daughter in law in Holland and now by my niece in Canberra. Both women have said they love it.
Hello, my name is Kathryn and when I purchased the DVD I was 20 weeks pregnant. I’ve now only got a few weeks to go and still love the DVD! It is so simple to follow and the fact it is only half an hour session means you actually do it unlike other workout DVDs. It genuinely makes you feel better and more comfortable once you’ve done it. I tend to do it once I’ve got my little girl to bed of an evening. I have already recommended it to my friends. Thanks for the DVD it really has made the world of difference to my pregnancy this time. I only wish I’d used it in my first.

“3 Ways YogaYin Strengthens Your Pelvic Floor and Tones Your Uterus”

Your pelvic floor supports the muscles in your lower back and abdominal area. By strengthening and toning your pelvic floor you will improve the health of your pregnancy, childbirth and post natal recovery. The YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD provides instruction in the following areas:

  • Contracting and holding the pelvic floor during the YogaYin class increases the strength of your muscles, helping prevent the high incidence of bladder issues experienced by women during and after pregnancy.

  • Deeper breathing and poses during the class will encourage these muscles to prepare for labour by increasing their elasticity – which helps during childbirth.
  • Controlling the breath focuses your mind while improving uterine contractions during labour, allowing the rest of the body to relax.

“Do You Suffer From Pregnancy Related Back or Shoulder Pain?”

  • The YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD trains you to be aware of your posture to counter the weight you carry in your belly.
  • The class tones your dorsal muscles which support the baby during pregnancy, taking the emphasis off the lower back.
  • You learn breathing from the pelvis and lower back to encourage physical and inner strength and spinal alignment.
  • The YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD works on flexibility of the spine, neck and shoulders with kneeling poses.
  • You will tone and relax your waist, back and hips to correct stiffness and pain with standing open twists.
  • The class strengthens the muscles controlling the spine by practicing gentle back bends to help prevent back conditions.

“Is Yoga Safe During Pregnancy?”

Yes, in most cases and if taught in the right way. The YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD is specifically designed for pregnant women and completely avoids poses that are not safe – particularly those that cut off blood flow to your baby. Poses such as close twists, advanced backbends, total inversions (where the body is upside down) can be risky.

The YogaYin Pregnancy DVD has been created using flowing gentle postures so it is safe for any stage of pregnancy – whether first, second or third trimester. However, if you are in your first trimester, or have experienced complications with this pregnancy or a previous one, it may be best to leave prenatal Yoga until your second trimester, just to be completely safe.

Of course you should always check with your health practitioner before commencing any new exercise program.

“The Secret Yoga Shares to Calm Your Mind and Soothe Pregnancy Related Stress”

Pregnancy can bring a lot of stress. We worry about the health of our baby. We worry about the financial pressures of pregnancy and parenting. We worry about the impact of our pregnancy and a new baby on our relationships. We worry about a wide range of external issues. Some of our concerns are legitimate. But when they consume us we cannot enjoy the rewards of pregnancy and motherhood.

  • This YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD will help reduce the stress hormones in your body and relax by teaching you how to slow down and deepen your breath.
  • By practicing The YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD , you learn to peacefully turn your awareness inward and leave the cares of the outside world behind.
  • The breathing exercises and yoga postures taught in The YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD lead to improved sleep, an improved sense of wellbeing and an increased ability to deal with pregnancy related hormonal changes and stressful situations.

Yes, I want to order the YogaYin Pregnancy DVD for $29.95 and get the ‘Yoga For Labour’ eBook valued at $19.95 for FREE!

  • YogaYin Pregnancy Yoga DVD + Yoga for Birth eBook $49.90 $29.95 + postage
  • This is a strictly limited offer
Secure Payment by PayPal


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Monday, October 31, 2011

Though October has bidden us farewell, autumn is yet far away from its prime and is slowly opening its gate to allow us to step on its threshold to welcome its blazing beauty. It is a season which is sandwiched between two harsh entities, sapping summer and unyielding winter, and that is why it enjoys a special place because of its mellowness and its wholesome weather. Frustrated by the sweltering heat, sticky and stifling climate of the long summers, autumn mercifully brings a respite with its breezy coolness and restores the mental and physical balance. Albert Camus paying a tribute to the beauty of autumn quips, “Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.”

This is a season which is nature lovers’ delight. The riot of colour enshrined in various aspects of the deciduous trees, remind you of the images which you’ve formed of Garden of Eden inhabited by Adam and Eve before their banishment from the heavenly abode.

The shedding of leaves in their magnificent glory of red, orange, yellow and deep maroon all around us, provide not only a breathtaking delight but elevates as well as overawes in terms of discipline it follows and munificence it grants, us mortals, who have almost forgotten about the blessedness of nature because it comes to us gratuitously. In John Keats “Ode to Autumn” there is a windfall of autumnal imagery, painting its exceptional gifts in words.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;

I recall the exotic presentation of nature’s extravaganza on both sides of the high way, when autumn was in its youthful splendour and we were driving from Philadelphia to New York a few years back. The scene is permanently carved in my memory for its picture perfect kaleidoscope of fantastic hues to draw inspiration there from.
Autumn symbolizes the continuity of the flow of life in its many avatars. At the moment, leave shedding is sparse, even when it catches on, lots of green will stay put for some time allowing two faces of the natural phenomenon to co-exist. The parts which make the whole will keep on overlapping its boundaries, manifesting nature’s mysteries which of course we’d never comprehend. As with nature, so it is true of life itself, wherein past, present and future have never an absolute break.

I’ll end with a beautiful quote from George Eliot: Delicious autumn! My soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Almonds: A Reservoir of Nutrients

Dear friends, I find almonds  to be a reservoir of the best nutrients needed for the human body, therefore I'm sharing  a few accepted truths with you.
Almonds are wonder nuts, packed as they’re with all the essential vitamins and minerals, required for a healthy body. They’re loaded with energy and vitality boosting proteins, dietary fiber which helps to lower cholesterol and vitamin ‘E’ a powerful antioxidant, considered to help prevent the accumulation of plaque in the arteries, improves the skin tone and texture  and slows down the aging process.
Calcium in almonds strengthens and maintains bone health and is essential for growing children, pregnant, lactating and menopausal women.
Almonds are of two distinct varieties, sweet and bitter. Sweet are the edible ones that are eaten as nuts and are used in bakery products, to garnish puddings and desserts, in soups, in salads, in ice creams and are eaten as such as a wholesome fulfilling snack. The oil of bitter almonds is used in the manufacture of flavouring extracts and for therapeutic medicines.
In the present day hectic life style, one must devise ways and means to include them into daily food pyramid. Why not stash a handful (about 20) of them in a container in your car or in your purse and munch them on your way or keep them in a drawer in your work place and enjoy as a snack. While on a long walk, a handful of almonds will sustain you and keep you satiated.
The catch is: Chew, chew and chew, for proper absorption and to derive the maximum benefit.
At home sprinkle whole or sliced almonds on your oatmeal, wheat porridge, pan cake batter or mix powdered almonds in a glass of hot milk or make a cold beverage by blending it with milk and ice cubes. The older people with dental problems can refrigerate the powered almonds and use them in the above stated manner.
You can soak them in purified water overnight and consume them by removing the skin, together with raisins or sultanas (both store house of minerals). It’d take care of constipation and cleanse the system. Substitute almond butter for other spreads on toasts.
Almond oil is used for body massage to improve blood circulation, restore vitality and well being and ameliorate aches and pains. Hair massage before washing prevents dandruff and hair loss and gives hair a lustrous shine.
In India mothers after delivery are feted with a preparation made of roasted wheat flour, pure ghee(for lubricating the intestines) dry ginger powder, ground aniseed seeds, raisins, sugar and lots of almonds , whole or sliced, for at least forty days to replenish her body, to  enable her to take care of the baby and  household duties.
In summers, almonds should be stored in the refrigerator for preventing them from going rancid. Even otherwise they should be kept in air tight containers in a cool,dry place.
With such immense health benefits almonds should find a special place in our daily meal plans.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

My dear blog friends,

I cherish your unseen presence and your visits to my blog. I wish you all a very happy Diwali!!! It is a gala day for all Indians here as well as for those living offshore. It is actually a festival of lights signifying a victory over evil and shadows of darkness. It ushers in a spirit of hope, prosperity and well being.

Preparations for Diwali celebrations begin well in advance in every household. There is a spree for sprucing up the house, garden and surroundings. People get their houses painted or white washed a fresh, every nook and corner is dusted clean, metal decoration pieces are polished and furniture items are wiped smooth with cotton rags, giving them a bright sheen and an inviting look. Besides, people spend time brightening up their houses with new vibrant upholstery for a festive makeover. Gifting clothes and other items to servants and the needy is also a part of the spirit of magnanimity associated with the festival. All this and much more is gone through to propitiate the goddess of wealth to visit and shower her benedictions.

People install electric string lights on the parapets of the roofs. (My husband and I did the job yesterday.) The sights of these multi-coloured twinkling lights transport you to a state of supreme joy and you feel like exclaiming, “Oh! To be alive and kicking at such a moment is, what life is all about !!!" : )

The festival season is auspicious for shopping, be it splurging on new clothes, buying pieces of jewellery or consumer goods and, it also allows you to indulge in pleasing your sweet tooth. I for one however, don’t opt for these luxuries any more, because wearing gold ornaments is not safe now and I’ve enough of dresses stuffed in the cupboards which cry for a body and plenty of sun and air. This is me stupid and needs ignoring.

In the evening after the sun sets, the traditional part of the festival starts. Candles and earthen oil lamps are lit and placed at vantage points i.e.on the boundary walls ,backyards and other forgotten parts of the house. Offerings of sweets and fruit are made at religious places of one’s faith and few candles are lit in the compound there. Back home to witness and hear all round firework displays, deafening noise of the bursting of crackers and blinding smoke which go on till late at night.

The upbeat mood lingers on refusing to fall back into the same old routine for some time more.

Fantasizing Is a Boon

Fantasizing takes us on a flight of fancy to a dream world of make believe and idealism. How wonderful that nature has bestowed on us the ability to make rosy pictures in the mind’s eye and the subsequent ecstasy, buoyancy and inspiration -the by products- can lead to wholesome brainstorming. Isn’t it magical that man’s grey cells can visualize beyond the substantiality of the present to another realm composed of pure thought? The ideas of all great inventions of the world germinated in the intellect of men with exceptional visionary abilities. Scientific discoveries are as much based on hypotheses as on observation and experiment, which ignite the thought process to action in the first place.

This capacity alone awards man the numero uno position amongst God’s creations.

Researchers maintain that even animals day dream in a limited way. Actually a healthy person’s mind is a reservoir of prolific original buds of conceptions, which if given an impetus can flower into something seminal. In everyday life situations, fantasizing about an important upcoming event, results in creative and better planning of it and things will fall in place saving time and energy.

Just think of the success of pure fantasy 'Star War Series' a couple of decades back which thrilled millions of viewers and fired the imagination of generation X while providing entertainment to the core. Very recently the Sci- fic 'Avatar' earned world wide acclaim for its highly innovative plot. If it is not a fantasy then what it is?!!!

During the darkest moments in the journey of life, a make believe dialogue session with an entity or image of your faith provides a lot of solace and peace of mind. I derive comfort by reliving the sweet memories of my mother. The experience grants me reassurance and restores my energy levels to take on the world afresh.

However there is also the dark side to it. Some people become so obsessed with day dreaming that they lose grip on reality and slide into a psychic abyss. Some indulge in sexual fantasies which ruin their family life and result in divorces

Some start fantasizing about unachievable goals and become passive, waiting for some miracle to happen to catapult them to that position and fall prey to depression and manifold psychological problems, when things do not happen according to their wishes.

In totality, this is an invaluable gift of God to mankind. It sharpens human intellect and feeds thinking prowess which can devise ways and means for the betterment of humanity. It, indeed, is a remarkable boon!!!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Mother: My Soul Curry

Mother played a seminal role in shaping my character by inspiring me to imbibe values, which worked hugely well for me in the face of life’s challenges.

Early days of her married life were tough, being a part of the joint family. Most of the time my grandparents did not allow my father- who was in the army- to take her along with him. Because of her tender age and naivety she did not react initially and suffered stoically. Soon she had to assert herself strongly and a small house was constructed in a short time by my father. Living separately gave her confidence and resurrected her dormant qualities. She became a sort of an activist, instructing village women in making pickles, sweets, and taught sewing, crocheting and other household skills.

Later when I grew up she would bare her heart out, narrating the traumatic experiences of her early married life, which would get triggered off and on. Tears would roll down my eyes and hers and we would cry together for hours-cementing a mother daughter bond. Even after my marriage, on short visits to her, the scene was repeated many times leading to a type of Cathartic effect on both of us.

Strangely enough after each visit, a ripple of deep tenderness and gratefulness for her would start flowing in my being, thinking of her sacred and unconditional love for me and my family. Now whenever I look at her photograph (my parents’ pictures adorn my bedroom) I experience a profound emotional connect as well as a blessed feeling of her protective presence.

Mother remained my confidante, counsellor, well wisher and above all my soul curry, throughout her life. There was an intense and steely bonding and an unstated understanding between the two of us. Her face would light up to see me whenever we visited her and I would feel totally relaxed and heavenly.

I always marvelled at her courage, honesty and fearlessness in everyday life situations. She was religious and traditional too and would prepare halwa ( parsad) on birth anniversaries of our Gurus and special dishes on festivals. She was God fearing and stuck to a fixed schedule for morning and evening prayers all her life. As a young girl I imbibed it all, including her exceptional culinary skills.

I recall an incident, which for ever impacted my perspective towards life. I had been married for many years when a trying situation made me very vulnerable and depressed. I could not help shooting a letter to her about my predicament. When I met her she said somewhat reproachfully, “Nothing stays for ever, good or bad and one must always adapt oneself to the changing circumstances”. This statement I knew was the distillation of her vast experiences, which held a mirror to life. Whenever I was facing a difficult situation, the memory of that incident steered me in the right direction.

Mother was inimical to vanity and hypocrisy and would not stand people who blew their own trumpet. Such people respected her and were a little in awe of her, no nonsense nature.

Another incident which taught me to be humble and grounded always is the one when we shifted to our newly built house and she visited us bringing sweets and gifts. We were showing her around and I playfully uttered “Do you like our house Ma?” She lovingly put her hand on my shoulder and softly whispered so that no one else may hear it, “Yes it is beautiful, but it is a gift of the Almighty to you all, so be grateful for His blessings.”

She remained my anchor and my pole star throughout. Her sweet memories and her simple lessons will forever stay fresh in my mind. ‘Ma I salute you and thank you a million times wherever you are!’

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Of Poets and Poetry

Poets are exquisitely gifted individuals. They are endowed with sharp sensitivities and sensibilities. None can match their keen observation, their depth of feelings, their intensity of responses to the world around, and their power to evoke images through “vividness of narrative and minuteness of detail” which mesmerize the readers. Aristotle in his Poetics asserts ‘the poet disengages himself from the material needs’ and “expresses the universal – the permanent possibilities of human nature.”

A poet is a magician with words. He connotes the meaning of words by conceptulising them. He threads words into pearls of muse and fashions a pleasurable experience with the power of heightened imagination. The poet surpasses reality by presenting it as a coherent and reasonable portrayal of life’s higher goals. He purifies it “from the dross which always mingles with empirical reality.” and elevates it to a high pedestal taking us along with him like a magnet. The paradigm of human emotions of love, tenderness, beauty, separation and betrayal are a part of a poet’s primary assumptions. He builds his own environment where he recreates them, so subtly and skillfully as to leave us spellbound.

Let me share with you briefly my impressions and appreciation of a few wonderful poems by English Romantic Poets which I enjoyed as a student and later as a teacher.

The foremost among them is William Wordsworth. Whosoever is an aficionado of poetry is drawn irresistibly to the naturalness and earthiness of his poetry as he picks themes from real life and invests them with grandeur and poetic wonder which moves you to a state of exaltation and pure joy. For Wordsworth “poetry is emotions recollected in tranquility.” His poems “The Daffodils” and ‘The Solitary Reaper’ exemplify his assertion beautifully. While on a walk he is so enthralled by the beauty of the daffodils growing on the bank of a river and the scene gets etched in his mind’s eye and he pours it out so lyrically and rhythmically when alone in his room. The first stanza says a lot about the wonderment of natural beauty:
I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
The Solitary Reaper’s singing influences him deeply and gives wings to his imagination. He makes ample use of imagery to lend a philosophic and mystic touch to the poem and takes the reader along while conjecturing about the theme of the song.
Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary highland lass!
Reaping and singing by herself,
Stop here or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and bind the grain.
O listen! For the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
By the use of metaphor and similes he elevates a concrete reality into an artistic creation of unparalleled beauty.

Shelley in 'Ode to West Wind’ addresses the west wind which is associated with autumn. He goes imaginatively lyrical as the poem progresses, personifying it in so many ways and pouring his heart out to it. He implores it to help him overcome his inertia and bless him with courage and freedom to express his deepest longings. The poem ends on a note of optimism though, with the proverbial line: ‘If winter comes, can spring be far behind?’
O Wild West Wind,
Thou breath of autumn’s being...

Oh lift me as a wave, a leaf a cloud,
I fall upon the thorns of life, I bleed.
John Keats the last of the romantics was a self-taught genius. His poem ‘A thing of beauty is a joy for ever’ is an expression of his love for beauty, the power of the word and has eye for colour and detail. He feels overwhelmed with the assuaging capacity of nature’s blessings and maintains that in spite of despondence, sorrows and melancholy associated with life, nature shelters us with its abundant benedictions. The poem embodies the universal truth of nature’s balancing effect on our lives. Keats' thought process goes much beyond the ordinariness of existence to reach the zenith of aesthetic pleasure.
'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.'

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Recounting a Childhood Memory

There are some childhood memories which leave an indelible imprint on your psyche. These remain ensconced in the subconscious and resurface whenever triggered. One such memory which is still fresh in my mind happened a long, long time back and it tells a lot about me as a child.

When I was a toddler I was only interested in playing, playing and more playing. First four years of my life were spent in my father’s village. He was in the army and most of the time away from home. Mother had to stay near the extended family. Mother used to tell me, “You were so active that by ten months you had already started walking and while in the crawling stage you would even cross street drains to reach at your aunt’s courtyard where all the children would assemble to play. You would sit in the middle of the circle of children and would keep clapping, amusing one and all.”

As I grew a bit more, my penchant for playing intensified. There was an incident peculiar to me and worth penning down for its quirky aspect and incidentally was the outcome of my obsession for playing.

I was about five and by this time we had shifted to the city. Much against my opposition and in spite of my howling and tantrums, I was admitted to a school. I cried every morning because I was afraid of the maid (she was coal dark and one eyed) who chaperoned me for a few days. However after the initial hiccups I made many friends and was very happy.

One day it so happened, that instead of going straight home after school hours, I was tempted to accompany my friend to her house for more playing. We busied ourselves with one thing or the other. Her mother surprisingly did not object at all. On the other side hell broke loose in my house. (I could fathom the gravity when I grew up.) My parents had searched everywhere, the school its vicinity and made all enquiries. They were imagining the worst. As a last resort they hired a drummer who went from street to street announcing the lost child’s description, asking people if they had seen her somewhere.

The irony of ironies is that the drummer also came to the street where I was playing with my friend. She called me saying, “Look who is there.” We curiously peeked out of the window and that was all. So engrossed were we in our games. Her mother did not pay any attention either. At last it was quite late in the evening; hungry and tired I was homeward bound. As soon as I stepped into the yard of my house, I saw through the open door so many ladies surrounding my mother who was in tears. (This scene I still recall very vividly). I don’t know how at that tender age things became crystal clear to me in a second. I ran to my mother and holding her tightly started howling at the top of my voice. Ladies dispersed immediately. Nobody said a word. I was too young to be reprimanded and what I could gather was an immense sense of relief on my parents' faces.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Socialization Modern Style

 The dictionary meaning of socialization seems to have undergone a sea change. It is no longer sitting together to have a healthy exchange of views amongst members of a community, but mindless babble deafening the ears, or a race for one-upmanship. The other day while ruminating over a few existential matters, sitting in the lawn, I was joined by two ladies. Needless to say they belonged to the neighborhood of my second ‘home’. One of them complimented me on my dress, but the other completely ignored it, so much so that a sullen expression momentarily crossed her visage. The problem is that she has an inflated opinion about herself in everything and keeps on flaunting it all the time, to the muted chagrin of almost all her listeners except of course the other lady who outwits her in garrulity .Though I had experienced their chattiness before but that day it was a different ball game altogether and I was not prepared for a double assault. Trepidation broke loose in my being at the prospect of facing their verbal attack all alone.

Luck was not favoring me that day. After seating themselves comfortably in their chairs, they started articulating their stream of consciousness at break neck speed. The customary necessity of even a smile or a nod from the listener was not considered by them. Blow after blow of cacophonic hammering on my temples from either side left me literally gasping for breath. For them I was not even a mere presence but a thing to be trampled on with their verbosity. My nerves were on edge as they continued their harangue ad nauseam. The blah blah ranged from the likes and dislikes of their husbands and their grandchildren, to pet dogs and their fussy eating habits, to pet bunnies with their ubiquitous burrows and unending litters, to pet parrots and other canary birds. The talk also covered kitchen gardens and the upkeep of their sprawling lawns in their first homes, birth and wedding anniversaries of their kith and kin and a lot more. Why did they go on and on- though linguists rue the inadequacy of language-(pun intended) unveiling their private lives and the inanities of their existence was inexplicable? They were vying with each other to speak and tried all the time to drown each other’s voice by raising voice decibel.

I do have encountered such annoyances previously in my community but what perplexes me is the dumbness of those who continue to exploit your good manners without realizing, what a pain they are with their unceasing chatter!

Apparently such people naively think they impress their listeners but are oblivious of the fact that their listeners get too tired even to make an effort to say a word edge ways. Thus instead of a meaningful dialogue there is a frustrating monologue and none is any wiser for that. The above appraisal may be a little harsh but nonetheless it is true.

There is another type of extreme narrative in Aldous Huxley’s novel ‘Brave New World’ (a negative utopia) peopled with totally predictable gammas, betas and epsilons. Where emotions are a taboo, thinking is a disease, private life is extinct, and promiscuity is a norm. No conversations take place.Vocabulary is reduced to a few hundred words and nuances of meaning have been abolished e.g. opposite of good is ungood. The life of these emotionless people is governed by a few slogans which are ingrained into their systems from birth itself. A sample: ‘Ending is better than mending’ meant to promote consumerism.

Can’t we as thinking beings envisage a world and also make it happen, which follows a middle path between these two extremes? Only then, our disenchantment and cynicism will give place to  productive inter- relatedness, which will elevate the participants and restore their dignity.

Dear friends: Your comments are solicited.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Wrapping Up September

Hello friends, I’ve tried to weave the month of September in the tapestry of words based on my observations of life and landscape around me.

September ushered itself on a very dismal note. Today is 1st and weather wise terribly hot, humid and suffocating. While supervising the maid my body got bathed in buckets of sweat which poured out of the skin in a continuous flow. Later a soaking bath in cold water and OMG! what a relief it was. I hope after a fortnight into September, we’ll have a semblance of normalcy in our lives. The searing heat and stifling humidity of the last two months have depleted our energies leaving us limp and listless. The AC helps to bear it but the onslaught of the cold wind directly, leaves our joints and limbs stiff and painful.

On the political front disturbing trends are looming large. The three assassins of Rajiv Gandhi(our former P.M) who were sentenced to death by the Apex court and whose mercy petition is rejected by the president were scheduled to be executed shortly but the Tamil Nadu Assembly through a resolution passed unanimously requested the Supreme Court to commute their death sentence into life sentence. It may set a wrong precedent as the sanctity of the judicial process may be undermined.

Good news on the stock market. It has gone up after Anna’s anti-corruption movement’s Jan Lokpal bill got tabled in parliament after colossal flip flops by the ruling party and indecisiveness of the opposition parties. Anna’s fast, generated a popular upsurge that has shaken the country out of a self imposed deep slumber and kindled a light of hope for India’s teeming millions.

2nd September: God’s mercy came through a substantial downpour in the afternoon bringing down levels of humidity. I saw half a dozen larks and a crested sparrow pecking for insects and worms in my back lawn.

The Delhi blast outside the High court has shaken our faith in the ability of the Govt. to ensure safety of its citizens. The repeated terrorists’ attacks have demoralized the people..

The world remembered the holocaust of nine eleven on its 10th anniversary and realized once again how the world has changed during the intervening period. All of us have become slightly paranoid. A memorial in the memory of those who lost their lives was unveiled at ground zero in New York

Today 14th September, There is no respite from the clammy and sticky heat .Evenings are the worst as the temperature rises. Hoping and praying for some benedictions from the weather Gods above.

During the past week there was substantial rainfall and we’re feeling relieved and trying to make up for the lost hours due to heat.

An earthquake in and around Sikkim caused immense death, destruction and misery.

The morning walk is on but shopping is still kept in abeyance.

22nd September: The 2G spectrum scam is back in the limelight. The stock market crashed here and all over the world .It does not portent well for the world economy. The weather is changing at a snail’s pace, however mornings and evenings are turning pleasant. All over the world, politically, socially and economically things are not looking up. There is widespread unrest. What we need is a clean and just political class. Buddha said:

‘Be ye lamps unto yourselves.
Be your own reliance.
Hold to the truth within yourselves
as to the only lamp.’

Pl. post a comment.

Monday, October 3, 2011

A Magical Morning Juxtaposed with Worldliness

  It has been raining for forty eight hours now with sporadic stops. It is 7.30 A.M and I’m sitting in the back verandah of my house trying to soak in the aftermath of incessant rain. The sky is still covered with white clouds. My eyes survey the scene around. In front of me on the clothes line, water droplets are seen suspended totally intact. I squint my eyes and look at them with a new perception. Lo, they look like pearl drops embellishing a lassie’s tender earlobes. On my left is the Neem, absolutely saturated and exhibiting its majestic stature while its twigs are swinging mildly in the gentle morning breeze. During monsoon its leaves put on a dark green healthy elegance soothing the onlookers’ nerves and its torso becomes filled up with the sheen of green.

  Slowly the velocity of the wind is rising, cooling the environment further. The vigour of the swinging movement of the Neem branches is steadily growing. A pair of parrots came in the range of my vision flying in Milkha Singh’s sprint speed. I can see a crow wet to the bones and its neck lazily resting on its limp body perched on the parapet of the house in front. On the ground my mint bed gives a fresh appearance though it got a belated pruning. Tulsi plants look a bit unruly and are crying for some attention from their host i.e. poor me. Actually these are smarting under the weight of unregulated growth and lack of proper shearing on time. (My gardener neglected his duties in our absence.)

  In the background I can hear the TV commentary on the events taking place in historic Red Fort grounds in Delhi; the unfurling of the flag and various other ceremonies in connection with our 65th Independence Day on 15th August. On the road across vehicular traffic is gaining momentum. A neighbour’s dog has started its demanding bark. May be it is asking to be taken for its morning stroll which is delayed by its master. The vegetable vendor is already hawking his wares. These worldly noises ended abruptly my magic moments of serene interaction with nature.

  I’m not going inside to watch the predictable stuff on the TV. I’ve seen it year after year….I feel like ruminating on the loves of my life on this Independence Day. I’m proud of my country. I love every blade of its grass, every petal of its flowers, every leaf of its trees, every rock on its hills, every drop of the water in its ponds, lakes, rivulets, canals, streams, rivers and its vast seas; its rich culture, its numerous languages, its Vedas, Scriptures and all other religious books, its philosophers and great men and its smiling citizenry in spite of being crushed under elephantine problems.

  But there are things which gnaw my conscience. My helplessness alarms me. Where are we heading for, with the creeping cynicism, disillusionment and frustration of our times? Yes! I’m not going inside to listen to the blah, blah, blah!!! Rather I'll sit out and contemplate.

I wrote it on 15th August but'm posting it today.

The Golden Memories of My Dear Father

  About half a century back I was half way into my teens when one Sunday morning my mother asked me to tidy up an almirah. I began the project little knowing that a wonderful surprise was there, waiting for me! Buried under the tightly folded bed sheets, ‘What did I come upon?’ a framed group photograph of my dear father. It was that of the hockey team of his regiment. He had served in the Indian Army- Ex4/12 Frontier Force&5/14 Punjab Regiment which fought the Japanese in the jungles of Burma during Second World War. Here was a strapping young man in his twenties, with deep set sharp eyes, and confidence exuding from every limb of his body. The erect posture, smart bearing with a hockey stick poised under the palms of his hands, he stood tall on the left side corner of the photograph. The picture mesmerized me and my heart swelled with pride. I saw my father in an entirely new avatar of a strikingly handsome young man.

  Even before this discovery a special bonding existed between the two of us. From that day onwards my attraction for him acquired a new intensity. He became my hero and I his darling fan. I started observing him keenly. His meticulous habits and loving disposition drew me towards him, in turn shaping my character over the years. The rules which he set for himself and others in the family became milestones in the development of my personality and indelible part of my super ego. I constantly endeavoured to do something good to please him and he reciprocated very warmly. In the backdrop of it all, there was always the secret charm of the photograph to uplift me, to goad me, to do better always.

  True to his army background he was a disciplinarian but underneath that exterior breathed the kindest man I have ever met. There was some magnetic sweetness about him which commanded instant respect. He desired from the core of his heart that I develop good habits and be successful in life. To that end he also encouraged me to learn household tasks and would praise every little bit I achieved in that sphere. Some times when I balked he would lovingly remark, “You should learn all the skills which are required to run a household well.” “Yes dad you could not have been more right. Your insistence proved to be a great blessing in my life later on.”

  He imbibed in me the spirit of pride in learning to do things with one’s hands. As a young girl though too busy in my own world, I still recall fleeting glimpses of him helping and instructing the gardener in hoeing and sowing in our kitchen garden. I can still relive the taste of juicy radishes, sweet and fresh carrots and mustard greens, for preparing sag in winters, the handiwork of my father’s efforts. That scene continually flits before my mind’s eye whenever I supervise my gardener and I silently thank dad for passing his love of nature and gardening on to me.

  He was generous and truthful to a fault. In times of natural calamities he would set aside a sum of money to be sent for the relief fund. His life personified simple living; sans pretensions of any kind. Being inimical to inane talk he disliked arguing for the sake of one-upmanship. In such situations he would prefer to leave rather than express displeasure. I learnt the great lessons of life by observing him practice the things he valued.

  My dad loved seasonal delicacies and good food enormously. Preparing Alsi (flaxseed) pinnies in winter was a regular feature in our house. He would gladly procure the provisions and help mother whole heartedly in all the steps of the process of making. A tin full of the delicious stuff was always reserved for me.

  Being the son of the soil ,he collaborated with a friend and tried his hand at mechanized farming in U.P. in the early sixties, winning many prizes for the quality of the wheat grain produced in the farm.

   I was plunged into deep sorrow when he passed away suddenly after a brief illness. A few days before he embarked on his final journey; he fell sick and was hospitalized. Some tests were done and he looked very fatigued. I was alone with him. I tried to comfort him and all of a sudden he looked at me, there were tears in his eyes. My father, who could move mountains and had enjoyed perfect health all along, was feeling helpless like a child. I felt choked with a lump in my throat. I wanted to hug him tightly and tell him how much I loved him and that he would be well again. But the flood of emotions incapacitated me and I stood their rooted to the ground like a statue. The moment passed!

  So many times my father has figured in my dreams standing there watching over me, exhorting me to take heart and pursue my goals. The image is a precious souvenir, a reminder of the unique relationship which a father and a daughter shared with each other.

Dear friends, please post your special memories in the comments section below.


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By , 07/31/2012

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Saturday, October 21, 2017
Home » News » Cyberabad Police to reward best cab drivers
Cyberabad Police to reward best cab drivers
Cyberabad Police to reward best cab drivers

Cyberabad Police to reward best cab drivers

Hyderabad: Cyberabad Police Commissioner Sandeep Shandilya said that the police would reward the best cab drivers.

He made the announcement while addressing a sensitization program for cab drivers held at Ascendas IT Park Auditorium on Saturday. The programme was also attended by DCP Traffic Madhapur A.R. Srinivas, Society for Cyberabad Security Council Secretary (SCSC) Bharani Kumar Aroll and Telangana State Cabs and Bus Operators Association (TSCBOA) President Syed Nizamuddin.

During the program, cab drivers have been shown actual accident scenes captured from the CCTVs and also have been educated about various safety tips while driving like advantage of wearing seat belts, not to use cell phones, to behave properly with all passengers, not to chew gutkha / pan and avoid drunken drive.

They also have been given leaflets about various safety measures.

Speaking on the occasion, Sandeep Shandilya said the the Cyberabad Commissionerate would take suggestions from all major IT companies and major Taxi operators to identify the best cab and Taxi drivers on a monthly basis to reward the drivers with best conduct.

He also advised drivers to take special care while dropping the women passengers at their home / office – instead of just dropping them at their destination & leaving immediately, urged them to wait for couple of minutes to make sure that they enter their house / office safely”.

The SCSC Secretary said that cab and taxi drivers operating in the IT corridor were very much part of growing IT industry and they are playing an important role in safe transportation of people to the work place and back.

He said that the people are the assets of IT industry and thousands of IT assets are being transported by using cabs and Taxis as a safe means of transportation, every day.

He also told them to feel confident and feel great about their services as they are going to play a major role if Hyderabad has to grow from 75,000 crores SW exports to 1,50,000 crores of SW exports.

Syed Nizamuddin said that the cab drivers were brand ambassadors of Hyderabad and they have an onus of carrying this brand image to every visitor to the city. He also informed that so far 12 training programmes have been conducted wherein over 11,000 drivers were trained on safety driving and related issues like women safety.

He also claimed that the cab drivers who participated in those training programmes have improved in their performance and behaviour.

Speaking on the occasion, DCP Traffic Srinivas said that Cyberabad Traffic Police is continuously interacting with the industry, people to understand how traffic scenario can be improved in the IT Corridor and working on various suggestions given by them to reduce the commuting time of the citizens.

SCSC Traffic Forum Leader Krishna Yedula said that as of date close to 75,000 Safety cab stickers have been issued and urged all the other drivers to get their cabs registered under this scheme, in case they have not done so already.

Before concluding the program, more than 1,000 taxi and cab drivers took safety oath administered by ACP Traffic Ashok Kumar “that they will safely operate their cabs and make every effort to ensure that all their passengers are dropped to their destination safely. (INN)

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Home > Author Archives: Myrornaskrig

Author Archives: Myrornaskrig

Super Mario Maker: East vs. West

Game Grumps (Arin and Danny) vs. Abu

Super Mario Maker was released just a few months ago, and the platform creator revolving around the world’s most famous plumber has easily shown up on many console Let’s Player’s videos. And for good reason: the game allows you to share your levels with players all over the world. These levels vary from AutoMarios to fair “that could be in ...

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2016 Presidential Candidates play Pokemon

Donald Trump with a Pidgey and Pokemon hat.

Anytime Politics mix with the internet, hilarity has a huge chance to ensue, if the correct mix of political accuracy and humor can be achieved. Case in point: the brilliant voice actor Jason Stephens pretending to be Barack Obama playing COD: Ghost is comedy gold, not only because he sounds like Obama, and the absurdity of Obama playing any type ...

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Jacques: The Ultimate Sidekick from JonTron

JonTron‘s gaming and occasional movie reviews often have a dreamlike quality to them. Very few have an actual ending, rather they have an abrupt or surreal sequence to signify that Jon is fed up with whatever he is reviewing. Each episode is a capsule on it’s own; very few follow any continuing timeline aside from the two main characters, Jon ...

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5 Reasons Markiplier is the King of Five Night’s At Freddy’s (FNAF)

A little over a year ago, the internet was introduced to the phenomenon of Five Nights at Freddy’s. Not long after, YouTube was drowned in reaction video after reaction video of unprepared people who began to question if it was worth wetting themselves on camera. Perhaps this game would have remained in obscurity, however, if one Youtuber had not made a big ...

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Gold Member Since 2016
Audited Supplier
Zhuhai Yukming Technology Co., Ltd.

Transistor, Traditional Transistor, Mosfet manufacturer / supplier in China, offering Transistor Std3pk50z of Power Mosfet Traditional, LED Driver IC Integrated Circuit Drv632pwr New and Original, LED Driver IC Integrated Circuit Hv9912ng-G and so on.

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Supplier Homepage Product Transistor Others Transistor Transistor Std3pk50z of Power Mosfet Traditional

Transistor Std3pk50z of Power Mosfet Traditional

FOB Price: US $1.4 / Piece
Min. Order: 500 Pieces
Min. Order FOB Price
500 Pieces US $1.4/ Piece
Get Latest Price
Port: Zhuhai, China
Transport Package: 500PCS
Payment Terms: L/C, T/T, D/P, Paypal

Request a custom order and have something just for you!

Send Customized Request
Basic Info
  • Model NO.: STD3PK50Z
  • Shape: To252
  • Maximum Drain Source Voltage (V): 500
  • Maximum Continuous Drain Current (a): 2.8
  • Trademark: ST
  • Certification: RoHS
  • Number of Elements Per Chip: 1
  • Maximum Gate Source Voltage (V): +/-30
  • Operating Temperature Range: -55 to 150 Degree C
  • HS Code: 85412100
Product Description
P-channel 500 V, 3 Ω typ., 2.8 A Zener-protected SuperMESH™ Power MOSFET in a DPAK package
Trans MOSFET P-CH 500V 2.8A 3-Pin(2+Tab) DPAK T/R
Do you require the advantages of traditional transistors coupled with the switching benefits of power MOSFETs? STMicroelectronics' STD3PK50Z power MOSFET can provide a solution. Its maximum power dissipation is 85000 mW. This component will be shipped in tape and reel packaging to allow for effective mounting and safe delivery. This device utilizes supermesh technology. This P channel MOSFET transistor operates in enhancement mode. This MOSFET transistor has an operating temperature range of -55 °C to 150 °C.
EU RoHS Compliant
Product Category Power MOSFET
Configuration Single
Technology SuperMESH
Channel Mode Enhancement
Channel Type P
Number of Elements per Chip 1
Maximum Drain Source Voltage (V) 500
Maximum Gate Source Voltage (V) ±30
Maximum Continuous Drain Current (A) 2.8
Maximum Gate Threshold Voltage (V) 4.5
Maximum Drain Source Resistance (mOhm) 4000@10V
Typical Gate Charge @ Vgs (nC) 29@10V
Typical Gate Charge @ 10V (nC) 29
Typical Input Capacitance @ Vds (pF) 530@50V
Maximum Power Dissipation (mW) 85000
Minimum Operating Temperature (°C) -55
Maximum Operating Temperature (°C) 150
Packaging Tape and Reel
Typical Turn-On Delay Time (ns) 16
Typical Turn-Off Delay Time (ns) 46
Typical Fall Time (ns) 26
Typical Rise Time (ns) 15
Maximum Gate Source Leakage Current (nA) 10000
Maximum IDSS (uA) 1
Mounting Surface Mount
Package Height (mm) 2.4(Max)
Package Length (mm) 6.6(Max)
Package Width (mm) 6.2(Max)
PCB changed 2
Tab Tab
Standard Package Name TO-252
Supplier Package DPAK
Pin Count 3
Lead Shape Gull-wing

1. Highlights of our product:
1-1.Stock in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, timely delivery.
1-2.Qualified and most competitive price.
1-3.With over 10 years' experience in Electronic Components industry including PCB assembly.
1-4.Gold membership.
Lead time2 to 3 days after receiving the payment.
Remark100% New and original ; 30 days warranty
Payment  Heng Seng Bank (Hong Kong), Paypal,
ShipmentDHL ,TNT ,FEDEX, UPS or any other express
2. Our Services
2-1.Sevice Purpose:
Quality -- our standard to the customer
Responsibility -- our attitude to the customer
Integrity -- our promise to the customer
Profession -- our service to the customer
Innovation -- our responsibility to the customer
Efficiency -- our assurance to the customer
Time -- our appointment to the customer
2-2.Service Promises:
Insisting on the spirit of High Quality, Best Service and Development, we, Zhuhai Yukming Technology Co., Ltd responsibly make the following promises in public with the concept of Qualified Products and Reasonable Price:
We ensure that all the electronic components distributed by us are original assembly new, so that the customers can put into their production without any trouble.
We strictly follow the relative regulations of our products for after-sale service. If the customer can prove that the product is defective in design or material or process based on the correct installation and application according to our instructions or suggestions, after receiving written application, we will recall all the defective products, then replace them or return the payment to the customer.
We guarantee that we will provide effective opinions within 24 hours if there are any doubts on the quality of our products from the customer, and call together our professional service group within 48 hours to the site if necessary.All the issues we will make the records and track to the last step.
Our office line will be on during the working hours for all the consultation on technical trouble or others, and we will provide the solution accordingly.
2-3. Service Content:
In order to improve the maintenance system of the electronic components industry, Zhuhai Yukming Technology Co., Ltd set up a professional service group who are of good experience to assist the customer choose the right product by knowing their requirements and application condition after the customer understanding our products including the category, model No. And performance etc., even we shall do the project planning and system demand analysis for the customer, so that our products can fully meet the customer's need to in the meantime maximize the comprehensive economic benefits of the customer's investment.
Yukming Technology is devoting to solving the varieties of trouble or problems which occurred in production of our products by the customer, and will in time provide the solution after finishing analysis to the opinions or suggestions from the customer to gain their satisfaction. Meanwhile, we will set complete records for all the customers and conduct the customer satisfaction survey regularly.
What's more, Yukming Technology can provide a series of value-added service solutions of electronic components to meet the different service need of the customers.
3. Company Information
Zhuhai Yukming Technology Co. ,Ltd., branch of Shenzhen Eternal Technology Co., Ltd, is a high-tech enterprise for distribution of electronic components devoting to providinghigh quality of integrated circuit as well as the relative information service to manufacturers of CM, OEM, ODM and EMS for famous brands including ST, TI, ON, MICROCHIP, SUPERTEX,OB, SILAN, FAIRCHILD which are used in varieties of fields such asPC, telecommunication, consumer electronics, electric equipment, LED lighting, security monitoring, medical equipment, power control etc. What's more, we have the unique advantage in IC for LED lighting, power source, electric instrumentation equipment as well as MCUs. We can also provide other components including SCR, diode, capacitor, resistor and connectors on timely delivery basis as we have stocks in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Zhuhai.
Now we have developed new products: karaoke player and effector, which can bring you pefect visual and audio feast!
We have been strictly following the consistent objective of "original assembled products", and "reputation and long-term relationship"is the principle of our development. For the future progress, we will constantly improve ourselves. Kindly inform us your opinions, suggestions or comments if any. We are looking forward to a long-term cooperation with you!
Following "Quality First, Service Oriented", Yukming will do the best to provide you one-stop supply chain!
Send your message to this supplier
Ms. Yuan Yue
Foreign Trade Manager
To: Ms. Yuan Yue

Enter between 20 to 4,000 characters.

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Sunday, July 27, 2008

Lola's First week, my most favorite moments... and THANK YOU!!

So, she's been home exactly a week, and she's now a week and 2 days old, and we can't get enough of the cutest little bug ever. We wanted to first say thanks a million times over for all our sweet & wonderful friends and family for your outpouring of support, help, meals and friendly faces. We're so excited to share this time with those we love, and can't tell you how much it means to us, all you've done for us!! Thank you.

Lola had some adorable moments this week, and I wanted to share them. Starting with the day we got home, our good friends the Thaut's came over with dinner, and Brian set up his camera in her nursery, we got an adorable shot of her in her crib... all stretched out. She so long!!

Then there was the night I bundled her up in the "swaddle me" blanket that Jeri my sweet mother-in-law gave us ... she looked like she was squirming around in a potato sack. So adorable. We're still not sure if this helps her to sleep better, as we haven't had much sucess these last 7 nights... :)

I pulled out the boppy pillow that Teylor and Kim gave me (bless your little hearts for saving my back)... within 30 secons of laying it down on the couch, Stella... jumped right in, and got cozy, it was pretty funny and so typical of our sweet little puppy. She's a sucker for this kind of stuff.

Here is one of the other day when we were with Zack's family, and Jeri (my mother-in-law) was burping little Lola, she looks so cute, like a little monkey. I love this girl!!

Okay, and I saved my favorite moment for last. Of course we had to figure out how to bathe our little one this week... quite an intimidating challenge for first time parents... :) However, we quickly learned that little Lola LOVES her bath. It is the cutest thing. She gets all peaceful, and almost smiles when we pour the warm water over her. She's the cutest when she's on her belly, she looks like a frog... Get's us chuckeling every time!!!

What an awesome week! We love you Little Lola!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Lola Jayne Bell is here!!

I'm SOOOO excited to announce that Lola Jayne Bell was born last Friday morning at 4:03am. I was scheduled to be induced on Friday morning, at 7am. So, on Thursday (her Due Date) I decided to take the day off to get prepared (mostly mentally:), I had a wonderful day. Got a massage in the morning, went to the pool, then went for a pedicure. Around 5:30pm when I got home, I started feeling some mild contractions, but finally they were some what consistent (i've been feeling inconsistent contractions for weeks and weeks). So, we decided to go to Zack's softball game, and then maybe stop by the hospital to check things out after wards. Of course, our sweet angel already loves softball, because we made it through the game no problem (i still felt great), and by the time we arrived at the hospital at 10:00ish, I was dilated to a 5.5, and they admitted me right away. We had pretty quick overall labor and delivery (about 6 hours), and we were SO excited at 4:03 in the morning when she made her entrance! We already love her so much!! She is the sweetest girl!!

She was 7lbs, 12 oz, and 20 inches long. She has really long fingers and toes, just like her mama, and beautiful dark hair like her daddy. Otherwise, we can't tell who she looks like. I'll update the blog with more details later on, but wanted to at least get some pics posted.

Our first family photo. The day she was born, at the hospital. Of course, our friend Brian took this picture. :)

We had lots of visitors at the hospital, and Zack and I were feeling really good, so we were thrilled to see all our loved ones!

Here's a cute one of my brother Grady, with our adorable nieces Olivia & Kendyl who couldn't wait to meet their new cousin.

Lola really likes to cuddle, I thought this was the sweetest thing ever when she curled up next to me in the hospital bed. :) :)

We finally got to go home on Sunday morning. Here's Zack with his new little baby girl, headed into our home for the first time.

We were pretty nervous to bring Lola home to Stella, but... Stella decided that she loves her new baby too. They already like to snug. :)

Of course I'll have lots more to add later. As for right now, I think I am in need of a nap... :)


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Three Designs Of Acn Services

The American Communications Network supplies services that make attaching to the world simple as well as easily accessible to all. It is a telecom firm giving local and far away telephone service, house protection, cordless connection, the web and also digital phone solution. This vast array of product or services are recognized in 21 countries throughout the globe. Apart from the product or services, ACN also uses a wonderful company opportunity. It permits suppliers to earn compensations each product or services marketed along with compensations on brand-new funded members.

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Acn's Capacity For On The Internet Market

ACN provides an organisation chance of a life time. Maybe a house service you and also your family members should lastly have complete control of your financial resources and also time. check out this site You can generate income from joining ACN Telecommunications, but you need to discover the ins as well as outs of business for you to optimize your revenue.

Not all who venture in multi-level advertising and marketing company be successful. Among the reasons they fall short is they are not happy to do the all the required work. They have this idea in mind that a multi-level advertising Your Domain Name company is a get-rich-quick system. It is not. In the beginning, you should strive to build your team. It takes a great deal of ACN Products job from marketing the items as well as solutions, hiring people to join your group, to educating them to end up being prospective leaders. All this job needs time. Once you develop your group and all individuals below you do their job, after that you will certainly be able to delight in a continuous circulation of revenue.

With American Communications Network, you do not have to go through the process all alone. A team of professional will certainly be there to assist you her explanation obtain started in the company. When you end up being an independent entrepreneur, all the help you require will be offered to you. You just have to take all the essential actions. Do your component as well as the firm will certainly compensate your hard work.

American Communications Network Offering Earnings For Life

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