wish you all a happy and prosperous diwali

How poor are we?

Nice story which inspired me. What about you?
One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, 'How was the trip?'
'It was great, Dad.'
'Did you see how poor people live?' the father asked.
'Oh yeah,' said the son.
'So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?' asked the father.
The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, 'Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.'

A thing of beauty is a joy forever

Sometimes we come across beautiful things in life which we would like to share and relish with others. This piece of artwork by artist Ilayaraja is worth sharing.  See the expressions on the face and the realistic look of the properties, the sunlight, the colour combinations, the flowers and what not?  Real masterpiece.  It is rightly said "A thing of beauty is a joy forever".

Your comments are expected not for the blog but for the art as it will be a real appreciation of the work of the artist.

Doggies in movies

The other day, I just happened to watch a movie named Underdog where a dog was given the role of a hero with a robe similar to superman.  The movie was really entertaining.  Suddenly I became curious to know about some movies where dogs have been playing important roles.  Dogs are friendly and share a bonding with the people who grow with them.  I hope this post will be interesting to dog lovers.  ·         Buddy, a Golden Retriever, starred in the 1997 film Air Bud 

·         Rin Tin Tin, was the name given to several German Shepherd Dogs who starred in many Warner Brothers film and television productions. 

·         Zip, a Blue Heeler Australian Cattle Dog famous for his role in the 1995 film Last of the Dogmen Zip's character is named Zip and has a touching storyline many viewers remember.^[11]

Thus,  dogs have played important roles in movies and had developed a bonding with not only dog lovers but also movie lovers.

These are real superdogs who play a subtle role but still steal our hearts.

Father and daughter

These poems are dedicated to a proud father who is very happy about his daughter’s achievements but still misses her as she is away for a while to pursue her career. Thanks to all who have rendered the poems and made it available on the net.

The Bond

The bond between father and daughter happens instantly, starting right at birth,
When a father first lays eyes on his little girl he loves her more than anything on this earth,
In her eyes he is the closest thing to God, in her eyes he is a King,
To her father she means the world, she means everything.
When a daughter grows up to be an adult and mature,
Her father will always be there anytime she still needs dad to help her,
To give her advice or just-for anything she will ever need,
The bond between father and daughter is the most important bond indeed,
It cannot be broken when she finds a man, and become his wife,
A daughter will always have the memories of her father, her best friend
This bond has a beginning, but there is never an end.
The bond between a father and daughter is so profound
The love shared is well renowned,
From the beginning of his daughters life, he is a changed man,
At that moment his life really just began.
From the moment their eyes meet,
two souls instantly become complete.

My Baby girl

Seems like only yesterday
With a teardrop in my eye
That you were born into this world
With a whimper and a cry
The days flew by and turned to weeks
The weeks almost a year
And every time you learn something new
I get that same ol’ tear
I guess its cause you're growing up
But to me it's just too fast
I guess it's just that I'm afraid
You're innocents wont last
But as the years go stumbling by
One thing will remain true
You'll always be my baby girl
No matter what you do.

My growing daughter

I used to watch you run and play,
those were our funnest times together.

I always tucked you in at night,
and comforted you during stormy weather.

I used to hold your hand so tight,
before we crossed the street.

And cheered you on with so much pride,
when you said Daddy look at me!

Now Daddy's heart hurts so bad,
not having you around.

Your Daddy misses everything about you,
especially trips to the playground.

But Daddy know's that someday,
we will be together once more.

Because there's nothing stronger than a fathers love,
missing his baby girl.


 The growth phases  

As the little girl walks to the bus, on her first day of school, she knows her daddy will be right behind, crying like a fool, but it also makes her feel, so very good inside, knowing that her daddy's tears, he's not afraid to hide, the little girl will miss her daddy, more than he must know, because she'd never want to hurt, the daddy she loves so.

As the young lady, walks the stage with pride, her daddy knows the feeling she has, because he feels it inside, he knew how hard she had worked, to get her diploma today, because he had been by her side, coaching all the way, he never felt more proud, than the moment he did now, when she tossed her hair aside, smiled and took a bow.

As the lady put her dress on, smiles all over her face, no one could see the tears behind, streaming along her daddy's face, this little girl he always had, with him everyday, would soon take another man's name, after daddy gave her away, as the memories of her pigtails, dances, and smiles, would now just be a memory, stored into the files, he would never let his baby know, how sad he must have been, because all he'd ever wanted for her, was the happiness she'd brought to him.

As the woman laid there proudly, she looked at him and cried, daddy I want you to meet someone, and look she has my eyes, she placed the little baby, into her daddy's arm, and she knew that her daughter, would now be safe from harm, just the way that she had felt, all throughout the years, because he couldn't help but smile, even through all those tears, and now this little baby, would be a part of his life, and that would okay with him, since his baby was a wife, there was so much he would teach her, in her years ahead, and instead of being mommy's girl, he knew she would be his little girl instead.

Hope all dads and daughters will agree with the above.  Thanks for the poems given by creative poets.

Salad of Broccoli? no ! it has E coli

     The outbreak of the HUS syndrome in Germany has been the concern of many.  Let me also become social conscious. I felt that some information on the e coli infection and the precautions to be taken will be helpful to the readers of my blog.  Thanks to all who have given ample information on the net which has helped me to assimilate and share it on my blog

What is E coli 0104? 

E.coli is a bacteria which lives in the intestine and helps in digestion process.  It is safe as long as it is in the intestine.  It becomes dangerous once it leaves the intestine and spreads through fecal matter or unwashed or uncleaned hands.  The latest addition to this is ecoli 0104.

German health authorities have reported an outbreak of a severe illness called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in Germany since May 2, 2011. In this outbreak, HUS is being caused by an infection with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) bacteria. Many people have been hospitalized, several requiring intensive care, and some people have died. New cases are still being reported.. The organism causing the outbreak has been identified as E. coli O104:H4, producing Shiga toxin. This strain of E. coli causes an illness similar to infection with E. coli O157:H7.

     STEC infections can cause different gastrointestinal symptoms, which often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. If there is fever, it is generally not very high (less than 101°F [38.3°C]). HUS is a disorder that usually occurs when an infection in the digestive system (such as STEC) produces toxic substances that destroy red blood cells and cause kidney injury. Early symptoms of HUS include decreased frequency or volume of urination, feeling very tired, and losing pink color in the cheeks and inside the lower eyelids. Signs of HUS typically start 5–7 days after the start of diarrhea, and diarrhea or bloody stools may no longer be present when HUS develops.

   Most infections have been reported in people in northern Germany (mainly Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein) or in people who have recently traveled to these areas. Cases in travelers to northern Germany have been reported in Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

     German health authorities are investigating the outbreak but have not confirmed a source. They suspect that the source is contaminated food, possibly raw vegetables.

Guide to travellers:

German health authorities recommend that people in Germany, especially in the northern part of the country, avoid eating raw tomatoes, fresh cucumbers, and leafy salads, until further notice. Travelers should also follow regular food safety measures when handling fruit and vegetables.

If you have traveled to Germany and have bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps or symptoms of

HUS, go to a doctor right away and tell him or her about your recent travel.

Please do not panic.  Some precautions to avoid an infection

A few simple precautions can reduce the risk of foodborne diseases:

·         Wash : Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables in running tap water to remove visible dirt and grime. Remove and discard the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage. Because bacteria can grow well on the cut surface of fruit or vegetable, be careful not to contaminate these foods while slicing them up on the cutting board, and avoid leaving cut parts at room temperature for many hours. Don't be a source of foodborne illness yourself. Wash your hands with soap and water before preparing food. Avoid preparing food for others if you yourself have a diarrheal illness. Changing a baby's diaper while preparing food is a bad idea that can easily spread illness

·         Don't cross-contaminate one food with another. Avoid cross-contaminating foods by washing hands, utensils, and cutting boards after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry and before they touch another food. Put cooked meat on a clean platter, and not back on one that held the raw meat.

Cook meat, poultry, and eggs thoroughly. Using a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of meat is a good way to be sure that it is cooked sufficiently to kill bacteria: 145°F for whole meats (allowing the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or consuming), 160°F for ground meats, and 165°F for all poultry. Eggs should be cooked until the yolk is firm.

·         Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Bacteria can grow quickly at room temperature, so refrigerate leftover foods if they are not going to be eaten within 4 hours. Large volumes of food will cool more quickly if they are divided into several shallow containers for refrigeration.

Report suspected foodborne illnesses to your local health department. The local public health department is an important part of the food safety system. Often calls from concerned citizens are how outbreaks are first detected. If a public health official contacts you to find out more about an illness you had, your cooperation is important. In public health investigations, it can be as important to talk to healthy people as to ill people. Your cooperation may be needed even if you are not ill.

The World Health Organization cautioned people against taking antibiotics if they fall ill from the E. coli outbreak, which began in Germany last month.

The UN health agency said it supports existing recommendations to avoid antibiotics because they could make the condition worse.

Anti-diarrhea medication also should be avoided because it stops the bacteria from quickly leaving the body,

Studies testing the effectiveness of antibiotics for E. coli suggest at best the medication has no effect and at worst the drugs may worsen the illness. By killing bacteria, antibiotics cause the microbes to release more toxins that cause illness.

The New York Time’s Gardiner Harris goes into greater detail:

Instead of antibiotics, the best treatment is intravenous fluids, which help to keep the kidneys functioning.

Wish you a E coli infection free life.

    

Results: the anxiety is over or has begun?

Hi friends awaiting results of the board exams or who have already got the same

The result may be unbelievable to many who have scored very high.  Kudos to your efforts and hardwork which has borne fruit.  All the best for your future plans.  You may turn out to be a Doctor, engineer, Scientist, IT professional and so on.  And again, thanks to you all for having done excellently so that the vacancies for commerce graduates, chartered accountants, arts, journalism or other avocations will not be filled by you but will be the cup of tea of those who have not scored as well as you all.  So those who have not scored as well as the toppers can have solace in these courses as they offer a wide variety and interest to those who have a passion for it.  If you cannot be placed in any of these, you can pursue a vocation in other courses like medical transcription, multimedia, and the like.

Those who have got a slightly lesser mark when your parents and peers have expected more, take it in the right spirit.  Heavens are not going to fall.  You have fared well.  In the yester years,  an 80% was considered as a very great mark and the person scoring will be regarded as a well educated and smart person.  So don’t lose heart because your friends have got a centum or 98%.  You have got a full life to go and many centums to score in future.  This is not the end.  Moreover, you cannot always say for sure that a person scoring centum in 10^th or 12^th class will score centums in all walks of life.  Analyse your strengths apart from academics and try to pursue a goal which is very close to your heart or which is your passion.

And now, coming to those who have not made it successful in the examination.  For some it may be expected.  For some it may be disappointing.  For some it may be very depressing and painful.  The first step for you will be breaking the news to others, especially to anxious parents and peer group.  Prepare yourself to take the news.  It may be mostly because of two reasons,  not understanding the subjects and not making any effort to understand , or the second as simple as that, lethargy and  callous attitude.  Having said that,  have the courage to face the others, prepare your parents and peers for the worst by giving them some indication beforehand so that they will not be utterly disappointed.  Slowly their expectations will come down.  Still they may have some hope.  As for as you are concerned,  one step is over.  The next will be to think about the next course of action.  Having faced this result,  prepare yourself mentally not to face any such results in the future.  Plan the next, whether you are going to rewrite the exam, whether you are going to take private tuitions or tutorials to pass.  The next time you are going to pass and come out with flying colours.  

To all my dear friends, my humble request is to be courageous to face anything and not to take any extreme steps to avoid being ridiculed or criticised by others.  You openly tell them beforehand not to expect much from the result.  And the next is that it is your life and not that of others who criticise.  As regards parents, let them vent out their feelings.  That is only due to a concern for you.  As regards others, just ignore.  Life is more important.  You are worth more than the marks you score.  You are a person with flesh and blood and a heart to show emotions and empathy.  If you cannot make a mark academically, you can definitely make a mark as a social conscious person, a responsible son, an affectionate sibling and a helpful neighbour.  

All the best for your whole life. 

Some famous persons who have faced failures and how they became famous without losing their lives.

• Beethoven’s music teacher once told him that as a composer, he was hopeless.
• Winston Churchill failed in the 6th grade.
• John Creasy, the English novelist who wrote 564 books, was rejected 753 times before he became established.
• Charles Darwin’s father told him he would amount to nothing and would be a disgrace to himself and his family.
• Walt Disney was fired by the editor of a newspaper because he, Disney, had “no good ideas”.
• When Thomas Edison was a boy his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything.
• Einstein was four-years-old before he spoke. He spoke haltingly until nine years of age. He was advised to drop out of High School. And his teachers told him he would never amount to much.
• Henry Ford’s first two automobile businesses failed.
• Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard’s early failed products included a lettuce-picking machine and an electric weight-loss machine.
• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
• Ray Krok failed as a real estate salesperson before discovering the McDonald’s idea.
• Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka sold only 100 of an automatic rice cooker which burned the rice. Later, they built a cheap tape recorder for Japanese schools. This was the foundation of Sony Corp.
• Isaac Newton failed at running the family farm and did poorly in school.
• Steven Spielberg dropped out of high school in his sophomore year. He was persuaded to come back and placed in a learning disabled class. He lasted a month.
• The artist Whistler failed in chemistry, failed at West Point and failed at engineering before turning his hand to art.

A small note to parents:  Be there for your child, whatever he/she may score.  Your love and support will help them face the worst.  Please do not get disappointed at the marks and behave harshly .  Ultimately your anxiety is because you want your child to be a successful person in life,  To have a successful child, you should have one in the first instance.  Know your child in and out, speak to them with an open mind .  Comfort them, do not confront them. After all, they have nobody in this world except you.