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suni51 replied to the topic What is this comment ?.
I wanted to know the same- what are these comments?
9 years ago
suni51 created new topic Boddunan has reached to this stage.
Sorry to see poezhang is spamming the forums and there is no one to take care! At this rate this site will be a paradise for spammers.
9 years ago
rambabu replied to the topic Book reading is a good habit..
Most of the Books I have now are inherited from my father, a voracious reader. Works of Perl S. Buck, H.G wells, Charles Dickens and Jane Austin are some of the Books I got from my Father's library. later I added many Books related to Arts, and Computers.
9 years ago
Anusha Jain created new article DIY Wall-Art with Typography Using Keynote.
Customized photo quotes are quite trendy online these days. You can select your favorite quote and your unique wall art printed and delivered. But actually, these are super easy to DIY (do it yourself). If you have some fancy graphics editing software like Adobe Photoshop, it would be great, but even if you don’t, you could still manage to create some decent pieces.
In this guide, we’ll use Apple’s Keynote, and Font Book on Mac OS to create our wall art. But you could achieve similar results with Windows, using Character Map instead of Font Book, and Microsoft Powerpoint instead of Keynote.
We would also use a premium Script font, called Hysteria Santa*. You could use any good script font, not necessarily a commercial one.
The wall art’s size would, of course, be your choice, but for this kick starter project, we are choosing the A4 size. For a decent print quality, we are keeping the dimensions as 2500 * 3500 (300 ppi)
Once we click-start the Keynote application, we’ll be asked to choose a template. Parchment Template is what we are using for this project, you could even keep your slides blank. In fact, B&W art could look stunning on say, a whitewashed clean wall. You could also insert a picture, your own, or some kind of illustration or a scenic click from the last vacation, possibilities are endless.
Back to our project, we’ll have to change the resolution of our slides to 2500 * 3500. So select the document panel (Top right, button with a ‘rectangle’ icon)
Click on Slide size drop down, and click on custom slide size. We’ll put the desired dimension in here, and hit enter. (The orientation will change from landscape to portrait.)
Select the most amazing quote which would probably showcase your opinion, or maybe your current state of mind. The theme was this project of ours has such a worn out old paper look, that I thought a beautiful time quote would be just perfect.
This is something I’ve created myself, I just didn’t find something apt on the Internet.
“Time is precious. Moments are like little pearls. The best garland the pearls of moments can create is -- Beautiful Memories.”
I’ve posted an extended version of this thought on my Facebook timeline, but this is enough for our purpose.
We will get rid of the title and the subtitle, Copy paste the quote, click the Brush icon button from top right to go to the Format Panel, and change the size to something suitable for making it visible. Select the text box and bring it to the center. We’ll change the font to Hysteria Santa, and after little rearrangement and font resizing this is how the slide is looking.
A script font comes with alternate glyphs. These are special extra characters to make your Typography infinitely more attractive. Accessing the alternate Glyphs is easy, Font Book on Mac OS is what we are using, but you could use other applications which support glyphs.
We will need to copy and paste some alternate characters, swirls, and ligatures. After editing it to my heart’s content, here’s what the final image looks like.
Being a general purpose presentation application, Keynote has its limitations as a Typography Creator. If you use a slightly more sophisticated program or spend some more time and effort playing with the background, colors and maybe multiple fonts, you can create even more gorgeous images to decorate your walls. It could be either Adobe Illustrator, or the free and open source Inkscape.
After getting a print of your art, there are many ways to show if off impressively. You could get it framed of course, but there are other interesting DIY ways of encasing it. You could use two wooden bars, paste one on the top, other on the bottom, with a string on the top bar to hang it. Or you could paste small wooden pieces of wood surrounding your quote. Again endless possibilities only limited by your imagination.
References:
*The Article uses a commercial script font Hysteria Santa. I own the commercial license, purchased from FontBundles.net
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Kashmir is on boil: Indians must introspect.
Background
Pakistan never accepted the accession of Kashmir to India and insisted on a plebiscite in the valley to ascertain the wishes of the people of Kashmir. As was his habit, the Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru in his misguided zeal, agreed for a plebiscite under UN auspices after peace was restored. Pakistan made at least 4 attempts to annex Kashmir but failed. At that time the majority of the people of Kashmir, though Muslim eyed the Pakistan military and government with suspicion. But from 1989 things began to change as incessant propaganda by extremist Muslims and Pakistan fostered a feeling that Muslims are superior and different from India. They began to wean away from the Indian state, which began to be perceived as a Hindu state, trying to foster Hindu Raj in the valley. In addition, the policy of the Indian government to support men who had no grass root support in the valley like Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed added fuel to the fire. In 1989 the election was also rigged in favor of the Congress and the NC added to the alienation of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan saw its opportunity and exploited the deep resentment of the Kashmir youth and gave arms and money for an insurrection.
The battle
Over the last 2 decades, the insurrection in the valley has gone out of hand and not a day passes without the Indian security forces not having to have firefights with the Kashmir militants. Matters are not helped by a weak government, which is also paralyzed as it is run by party's which are poles apart in their ideology. The BJP which is in a coalition with the PDF is thus guilty in part for this spurt in extremist activity. The situation is now bad and one can gauge the extent of alienation from India when the death of a Hizbul commander, a terrorist named Burhan Wani is lionized and thousands attend his funeral and call for attacks on Indian forces to ' free' Kashmir. No Indian can walk the streets of Kashmir unescorted and that is sad. Even the grave of Sheikh Abdullah who signed the Kashmir accord with India is guarded by the CRPF as the Kashmir youth hate him. The hatred against India is now deep and calls for a drastic solution. Unfortunately, the Modi government has no political option to up its sleeve and the death toll in daily attack is burgeoning. Somebody has to bite the bullet. I can see only 2 options which I have outlined below
a) Make the valley which is 99% Muslim at the moment a semi-independent state like Bhutan
b) Alternatively, enforce Martial law and hand the valley to the army to restore order with no holds barred.
I wonder how many will agree with me, but I see no option than the above two. As I have written somebody has to bite the bullet and think of an out of box solution. I understand the first option was under consideration of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in conjunction with General Musharraf. In any case the present suspense and inaction has to stop. Continued agitation will only make world opinion antagonist to India.
9 years ago
Palok Chakraborty created new article What Durga Pujo means to a Bengali?.
The raison d’être of this article that it sets out to achieve and consequently narrate is so enmeshed in multiple layers of consciousness and meanings that the entire point of penning this piece is in danger of portraying a biased outlook on an issue that is, honestly speaking, more than an issue to the writer himself. If you are still trying to figure out what the hell the writer is talking about all you need do is cast a fleeting glance over the title of this article as well as the name of the author who penned it. And bingo!!! A Bengali writer trying to wax eloquent over the single most spot of prominence that a Bengali almanac can possibly dish up to anyone. Crammed with festivity of every sort it is humorously said that Bengalis have thirteen (13) festivals in their religious calendar, which incidentally has only twelve months! However, the present article endeavors to concern itself with the biggest, the most significant and the mother of all festivals that Bengalis do enjoy that is “Durga Puja” or “Durga Pujo”. But this article is not an attempt to chronicle the convivial merrymaking in which all Bengalis do seem to revel during the Puja/Pujo in a year in year out manner. Rather it will delve deep into this mare’s nest with the hope of finding out “what does Durga Pujo actually mean to him or her”.
What does Puja mean to him? Does it mean anything at all to her? Does it contrarily mean everything to him? Or can it at all be understood by remaining within the confines of a “meaning”? Is it then a feeling only? Or a sentient, I presume. If it is a feeling then how is it different from others? Or is it an expression then of something bigger which cannot be penned but realized from within? Or is it a sign of something else? A symbol may be then. It may be symbolizing a synergy of some things. Or is it a thought then that recurs to our life once in twelve months? Does it revolve us with an orbital duration of 365 days or do “We” revolve around this “thing” with a recurring span of 12 months? Does it happen to us or we happen to it? Why the sky suddenly seems heavenly blue? Why the smell of air suddenly seems extra refreshing? Why the river seems to meander to a new tune? Why the sight of a dewdrop on the top of a flower makes a refreshing impact on a Bengali mind especially in a specific time of the year?
Can we find answers to all these questions? Let’s make an honest effort.
The essence of Durga Puja is fundamentally connected with one of the greatest intangibles of our human existence: that is the sense of joy, the spontaneous outpouring of joviality. The sheer imponderables associated with the sense of “joie de vivre” in this regard make it incredibly hard to dissect and dwell on. However, the grandiose extravagance and the material varying opulence so inalienable a part of this unique festival come subtly packaged with differing purposes of meaning to each and every individual. Yes, we all enjoy the occasion but our enjoyment is conditioned and coloured with hues and shades of reason and purpose. Let me explain. For someone who is coming back to his home - after staying abroad for a long time - during this auspicious time of the year the enjoyment assumes an added, undeniable sharpness and intensity both for the person and the persons with whom he/she is going to unite. The invocation and worship of the goddess assumes a totally different dimension to those who have the luxury and tradition of celebrating it within their house/family as many families in Bengal are blessed with the rich tradition of celebrating the Pujo within the four walls of their own house. Words will fall short to describe the sheer sense of collective joy that only the members of those families feel privileged to experience. Perhaps more than a collective sense of joy it’s going back to the roots for them, a sort of way to pay their respective respects to the age-old and unwritten canons of tradition of their own bigger family. For those expatriate Bengalis it is an opportunity to indulge not only in mirth and rituals but also to feel nostalgic about those halcyon childhood days spent all the way back in Bengal. For someone who is just a part of any Pujo Committee the mere sense of being involved in the whole process is enough of a dividend to him. For someone it is an affirmation and strengthening of the state of being a Bengali since this is the quintessential festival of the Bengali community. For them it is a beautiful coalescence, a meeting of many strands of existence woven into a common joyous form.
However, there are some sections of people even among Bengalis whose sense of joy have mixed commercial overtones. It may be hugely disturbing as well as controversial to drag the notion of trade and commerce into something which is meant to celebrate our sense of aestheticism. It is to be noted right here that I do not doubt their aesthetic commitment towards the cause of Puja. Rather these sections of people are the ones who metamorphose this cult of goddess into an exercise of artistic expression. I am talking about all those sculptors, the skilled artisans, the expert craftsmen, the master electricians who all contribute so heavily into this extravaganza of religion, culture, artistry and camaraderie. However, since these people also make a living out of doing things mentioned just above the commercial aspect of this entire thing cannot be sidestepped. And in these cases the sense of joy while giving way to a definite shape of artistic expression (sculpturing for example) still assumes a slightly nuanced implication that is better left unsaid.
I have endeavoured to make readers understand what Puja means and brings to a Bengali. However, as I said in the second paragraph of this piece that any attempt to capture the essence of Pujo is futile in itself since the essence in question outgrows the meaning. If anything it is an expression of many strands of divinity and humanity all symbiotically rolled and woven into one. It is an expression of something bigger, something unexplained, something inexplicable which can only be felt and realized but cannot be penned or given concrete shape through mere words. The Pujo happens every year but it does not fail to capture our heart, our imagination, our longing and our undivided devotion. The entire experience is actually an uncanny sense of déjà vu in its purest form. And precisely herein remains the divine charm of beatitude that the entire episode so beautifully encapsulates.
9 years ago
Gouri Dharmadhikari created new article Indian Gooseberry.
Indian Gooseberry is popularly known as Aamla in Hindi and Amalik in Sanskrit. The tree of Indian Gooseberry belongs to Phyallanthaceace family and is of deciduous in nature. Indian Gooseberry is used in traditional Indian medicines in the form of fresh fruit or dried form. All parts of plants are useful in medicines and herbal preparation. Indian Gooseberry contains all the tastes and hence it balances all the body systems.
The Indian Gooseberry has a very sacred place in Hindu mythology. It is said that God Vishnu dwells in this tree. The tree is worshipped on Ambalika Ekadashi. It is believed that Indian Gooseberry originated from Amrit that spilled during Samudra Manthan. Due to its origin it cures all the diseases and increases the longetivity.
Maharashtra is the largest producer and supplier of Indian Gooseberry followed by Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. It is rich in vitamin C and also contains minerals, calcium, phosphorous, iron, carotene and B-complex.
Indian Gooseberry has a wide variety of health benefits. It strengthens the roots of hair thus promoting hair growth. It also enriches hair pigmentation thus maintaining hair color. Its antioxidant property prevents hair fall and hair damage. The high carotene content of Indian Gooseberry has powerful effect on vision related conditions thus improving cataract and night blindness.
Indian gooseberry also helps our body to absorb calcium which is essential for our teeth, bones, and nails. High protein content of Aamla helps in cellular growth and muscular development. The corium content in Indian gooseberry stimulates the insulin secreting group of cells thus reducing blood sugar levels of diabetic patient.
The diuretic nature of Indian gooseberry increases the frequency and volume of urination, thus helping the body to eliminate unwanted toxins and salts. High fiber contents of Aamla reduce the chances of constipation by keeping the bowel movements regular. The antibacterial and astringent property of Indian gooseberry and Vitamin C content improves immune system of body and protect it from infection and allergy.
A fruit of Indian Gooseberry contains 80% water, minerals, carbohydrates and water. Thus consuming Indian gooseberry daily in dried or fruit form is essential for healthy life.
9 years ago
Gouri Dharmadhikari created new article Deepti Naval - A Perfect Blend Of Strength And Silence.
Deepti Naval is a well known Indian actress with immense talent and versatility. She is popularly known for her image of girl next door. She contributed to Indian cinema with her critically acclaimed and close to life characters. Her simple appearance on screen proved to be her strength while portraying women of different eras.
Deepti naval was born on 3rd February 1957 in Amritsar. Later her father moved to New York due to her father’s job and there she completed her studies at Hunter College. She made her debut in 1978 by the movie Junon directed by Shyam Benegal. By 1980’s she became the lead actress of parallel cinema with her lead role in movie Ek Baar Phir alongside Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi.
Deepti naval was very close to actor Farookh Shaikh both on screen and off screen. Their on screen chemistry began with movie Chashme Baddoor in 1981. The both acted in several movies like Sath Sath, Katha etc . They both shared a great rapport and bond with each other and were the most decent and iconic pair of their time.
She also acted in movies of several other Indian languages and won award for best movie in Panjabi and Kannada. She also won several international awards for her role in movies Leela and Listen------Amaya. She is no doubt a versatile actress but she is also interested in film making. Her debut movie as a director was Do Paise Ki Dhoop Char Aane Ki Barish starring Manisha Koirala. The film was critically acclaimed at international level and has also won several awards at International film festivals along with its premiere at Cannes Film Festivals in 2009.
Deepti married Prakash Jha for two years and the couple also adopted a daughter named Disha. Disha worked as a costume designer for her father’s movie Rajneeti. She is also learning music from Archana Shaha. Deepti’s marriage with Prakash Jha ended after two years but post their split they continued to be friends. They are still spotted together watching movies and dinning along with their daughter. Deepti was then engaged to Vinod Pandit but his untimely death ended their relationship.
Besides an actress she is also a painter, photographer and writer. Her father wanted her to be a painter but she continued to pursue both acting and painting. She has her hands in painting portraits and faces with lonely and morbid expressions. She also conducted several exhibitions. She also wrote poems in Hindi of which Lamha Lamha was published in 2004. She also wrote a collection of short stories, The Mad Tibetan in 2011. She is also engaged in social activities and runs a charitable trust called Vinod Pandit charitable Trust for education of girl child.
Source: Wikipedia
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Hillary as President will give free reign to another round of sex escapades of Bill Clinton.
There is a battle royale in the offing between the two adversaries Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Both the contenders have some skeletons in their cupboard regarding their personal lives. Donald has married thrice and unwittingly has proved the Kama Sutra and the Perfumed Garden correct, in that both these tomes advocate younger partners for rejuvenation in life. Each time Donald has married a younger partner and his present wife is decades younger than him.
Hillary is in a piquant position. There is no sex scandal or anything similar tainting her, but her husband Bill Clinton makes up for her straight life by being a philanderer. His stint in the White House( 1993-2001) is notable for his sex escapades in the Oval Office of the White House. The hallowed office was used for sexual liaisons. Well, Bill has been like that throughout his life and has had innumerable sexual liaisons with women of all ages and groups. Many women have accused him of sexual liaisons and one of then named Juanita Broaddrick even accused him of raping her. Not an edible charge against a man who later became president of the USA.
Bill Clinton's term in the white house was a lackluster affair. He spent 8 years in the white house with Hillary as the wife. But his sexual escapades continued and now apart from his philandering, one can't think of anything that Bill achieved during his tenure. One, in fact, can accuse him of being a president which saw the incubation of Islamic fundamentalism.
Bill Clinton started a sexual liaison with Monica Lewinsky and he would frequently meet her in the Oval office, which became his rendezvous with the girl.She was considerably younger to Bill and again he probably unwittingly followed what the Kama Sutra has written about sexual relations with younger women for men past their prime. Hillary Clinton was aware of this relationship, but despite the emotional trauma, she did not divorce Bill. One wonders why Hillary kept quiet on this relationship. Her marriage to Bill Clinton could not have been a happy one?
Just as Bill was into a relationship with Monica, another woman also entered his life. Reports have now emanated that this second woman was Eleanor Mondale, who was the daughter of Walter Mondale, who was Vice President during the presidency of Jimmy Carter. He also stood against Ronald Reagon and lost badly. Both these women pandered to the urge of Bill and sometimes he had to do a balancing act between the two.
This philandering of Bill had its repercussions and when news leaked of these liaisons, an effort was made to impeach him. These were tortuous months for Bill and Hillary as their opponents brought out all the lurid details of the goings-on in the Oval office. Bill escaped impeachment by the skin of his teeth. Obviously in the months that Bill was facing impeachment proceedings, his attention was not on global issues, but efforts to save his chair. Hillary it must be mentioned was always in the know of these relationships , but she stuck to Bill. She is a calculating woman and probably she had other plans, so she condoned the sexual liaisons of her husband.
Her fortitude has borne fruit and she is likely to be the Republican nominee for the post of President and of course Bill Clinton her husband will be again by her side. He will again enter the white house and one wonders whether he may not start another round of sexual liaisons again. As Hillary had condoned the earlier indiscretions, there is every chance that she will again keep quiet. Hillary has been aware of the sexual escapades of her husband since she married him. At least a dozen women have claimed that they slept with Bill. This claim cannot be disregarded.
With Hillary( if she wins) in the white house the stage the may be set for another round of philandering by her husband, who would again have free run of the White House. This is a piquant situation and perhaps not the best thing to happen to America. Hillary herself has just escaped prosecution by the FBI on the email scandal and her health is also suspect as she fainted some time back. All in all the election and the US presidency may see many fun and games in the years to come.
9 years ago
Umesh Kauche created new article Twist and turns of life.
It was the time internet had started peeping in our lives, I was from well cultured family. Well cultured and well to do family from Dombivali, so, my childhood was excellent compared to others. I also, reciprocated the same way by being a bright student.
With internet beginning to reach every house, like every teenager, I also started staying up late in night exploring virtual world over my desktop. Slowly, I started chatting with my friends, and unknowingly made some online friends too. One of them was Kangna, a Haryanvi girl, currently settled abroad. It wasn't love at first sight, but while chatting with her, I developed an attraction. While away from chat rooms, I always used to think, what and how should I communicate more and more. The chats which started for mere few minutes had grown to hours, we never lacked the subjects to talk about. We shared everything with each other, right from our upbringing to the daily chores. We actually exchanged the movies of our lives with each other.
Being online throughout the day wasn't possible for either of us, so we exchanged our mobile phone numbers. Initially, it started with texts, followed by never ending calls. It was truly my own separate world, in which only she and I existed. I can not even recall, how our relation started. But, only after few months, I realised that she is the one for me. I had read it somewhere, that "Out in the world, somewhere, there is someone who is born just for you". After, Kangna came in my life, I believed it, it was like a filmy love story, but it was true event for me.
This feeling of loving someone from bottom of my heart was an alien one. My well cultured family heard me out, respected my feelings open heartedly. We were separated by miles, but connected over phones and internet. Then, a day dawned when she was going to visit my town, I was overjoyed, the heaven was just three inches away from me. My mind was occupied with thousand thoughts, one of that being, 'What if she rejects me after seeing in person?' I brushed that thought aside consoling myself and to feel confident, I visited nearby parlour for a make over. After getting ready sharp at 10, I went to the station to pick her up. We had decided that she would meet my parents, before we head out for the day.
I reached station ten minutes before, the train in which she was expected also arrived in a short while. My eyes were scanning each face, getting off that train, trying to find her. My eyes were working like 'eagle eye', not for searching prey, but looking for someone for whom I pray!! After few minutes of filtering, I could find pot of gold! I recognised her glowing face, looking confused, her eyes searching for me. "Kangna", I shouted loud enough to gain her attention. Her confused face lit up with a broad smile. I reached towards her in lightning speed, and greeted her by shaking hand (I wanted to hug her tightly, but it was our first meeting and moreover it was a public place). After exchanging initial pleasantries, I carried her luggage, and my heavy heart towards home. My heart must be pumping more blood towards my face, as she said I was blushing throughout the journey!
My parents greeted her with open arms, acknowledging their acceptance. We spent some time home and headed out to get some privacy. I had decided to take her out for lunch to a good place, little away from city. My ultimate aim was to have a memorable time with her. We reached the place and the friendly staff, made our feast unforgettable. As there was never scarcity of subjects for us to talk about, time flew unknowingly. We spoke about lot of things, and before leaving I asked her out for marriage too!! As expected, she agreed with shy smile burying her face in her little arms. The stay wasn't long, as she had to reach to her relatives before moon rises. The time spent with her was exciting than I could have ever imagined. With heavy heart and greatest memories I dropped her to the destination. While returning, I was above the ninth cloud due to aftertaste of our meeting. I started dreaming about our happy marriage.
Slowly the things started falling in place and the marriage was a "dream come true" day for both of us. As she was a green card holder, I also got an opportunity to settle outside India. The feeling was overwhelming, I was having a better life style, with love of my life. I also could grab a good paying job in a short time. The life was so perfect, that I even envied myself.
But, as the universal truth says, everything has an end!!! And I could experience it in my life. So, called perfect life, slowly started corrupting. Her behavior suddenly changed, she started showing lesser interest in me. I was seeing my love castle deteriorating, brick by brick. Initially, I assumed the additional "full time member" in her life had taken a toll on her. So, I used to console her and forgiven all her tantrums. But, after few months, the situation became fatal.
I also, started giving it back to her, unable to bear the insult. The small wind had turned into a deadly tornado. I knew, I have to do something or else everything we had built together will turn into ashes.
I thought of consulting her parents to seek a solution. However, their response blew my mind, "She was always like that, we have given up on making her understand". I was middle of nowhere, I had no one to look at.
One day, the fight reached to such an extent, that she accused me saying, "You married me, only to get a green card". It was a strong blow on my self esteem, I cried the entire night and blamed god to put me in such a situation. I couldn't believe my ears but the harsh reality had struck the week point of my heart, 'my self confidence'.
Next day, I got up with determined to prove my intentions. I reached out to the officials to know the process of returning the Green card. I returned home, and with trembling voice informed her what I did. She simply smiled as if I was lying, and went out as if she never cared. That moment was good enough for me to decide, that returning Green card, and settling back in my own country is a wise decision. Looking at her emotion less eyes, I started the process. The time had stopped, everything around me had become bitter and dark. The remaining days on the foreign soil was like the worst nightmare. I was no longer concerned about my career, my life, or myself.
I returned back to my home land with broken heart, shattered shitty life. My parents truly stood by me and my decision and never uttered a foul word. Staying home staring at the walls with empty eyes had become my routine. Meanwhile, I tried to speak to few of my friends but everyone declared me a fool. Nobody showed any concerns about my feelings, mainly everyone called me impractical for returning the god damn green card.
I didn't lose only the green card, but also my life!!! I still haven't divorced her, hoping for a miracle to happen and to bring the lost life back in me.
9 years ago
Gayathri Krishnan created new article Methi Poriyal.
Methi Poriyal
Methi or Fenugreek is a small bitter brown seed that is very nutritious and a healthy way to lowering blood sugar in diabetics. Methi poriyal is a dry dish which can be used as a side dish with rasam or sambar rice. It can also be taken as a protein snack.
Ingredients
Methi - 1 cup.
Channa dal- 2 tsp
Coconut-Grated- 4 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Red chillies- 1 big
Salt to taste
Hing powder-a pinch.
Mustard- to splutter
Oil- 1 tsp.
Soak Methi overnight. Before preparation the next day, heat a kadai, add oil and mustard. When the mustard crackles add chilli and curry leaves. Add channa dhal.
Then add the soaked methi along with the water. (The water stock need not be wasted). Stir lightly and cook with a closed lid. Add salt. Do not stir often as the methi might get mushy. The seeds should be soft yet separate.
When all the water has evaporated, add grated coconut and hing powder. Remove and serve hot.
9 years ago
Gayathri Krishnan created new article Smile-remedy for all ills!.
After the common cold, the next thing,but the best thing that catches us quickly is a smile. A comic show on the telly, a baby that gives us a drooling smile in the train, an empathetic stranger in a long winding queue, anything makes you smile as a rejoinder.
Reading the facial expressions of people around us is a very ancient form of communication and expression. The human face is very expressive. It can register plenty of non verbal communicative systems. Expression tell us if a person is happy or hurt,annoyed or anguished, contented or distressed.
It takes human beings just a fraction of a second to respond to a smile. It would take a very hard day at work for us not to counter to a smile,whoever or wherever it may be.
IN a paper published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences researchers Paula Niedenthal and Adrienne Wood say that when w see a stranger smile it relives memories of the past when we felt the same emotional happiness and now this 'sensori motor simulation' triggers parts of the brain and muscular movement that makes u smile back in return.
Sometimes when you are induced to smile back,you may not be in form and a customary curling of the lips may suffice. This is because, the researchers say, only the 'somatosensory and motor systems' that activate a smile-muscle works, but the brain does not take the message to the facial muscles, hence the watery smile.
Whatever that may be learn to smile-at the person behind the ticket counter, the vegetable vendor at the roadside, the garbage collector-they might be the only ones that elp you to hold back the shattered pieces of the day together- with a smile.
Smile back in return and learn to take it home to others you migt meet-your spouse and your children, your parents and in-laws! After all a smile is an infection worthy to be spread!
9 years ago
Reena created new article Laughter Is The Best Medicine.
Laughter is good for health. Since this is an era where everyone of us is busy with their lives, we rarely get time to laugh our hearts out. Everything around us is polluted. We no longer get clean water to drink, pure air to breathe and stress-free environment to live. Even fruits, vegetables, grains and all those food items that we eat are neither fresh nor clean. In such an environment where everything is so polluted, we try to put in so many efforts so that we can keep ourselves fit and healthy. We even in our hectic schedule, spare a little time for exercise, try to eat healthy as and when we can, consult our physician for regular check-ups. However, this is not enough. A simple and best therapy our elders used to care for and today we do not care at all, is to laugh a little. Today we do not care to find ourselves some time so that we can enjoy this therapy and take great benefits from it. Best part of this therapy is that it hardly takes any time or toll. It is very simple as well as effective form of medicine. It can be done by anyone and age does not matter as it hardly requires any effort.
Advanced scientific research has proved that laughter improves mental health of a person. When an individual starts this therapy, for that particular duration he frees himself of his stress and tension. Whatever turbulence that is going around in his life stops. This shows remarkable improvement in his mental health. Physical health is mere reflection of mental health. When there is a sound mind, body definitely will regain its health. More than 90% of the diseases today are psychosomatic. It means our stress and turbulence we create in our minds are responsible for causation of diseases and formation of disorders in the body. When the stress itself gets eradicated, there is no way a person will suffer from dreadful diseases.
A smile or laughter can light up the whole arena. One has to laugh out loud. It is an exercise very popularly practiced today. We can see sometimes a group in a park laughing loudly. This is an exercise they perform which fills in them lots of enthusiasm and helps them to get rid of stress from their lives. This in turn will help them to get rid of their diseases. It is been widely practiced throughout the world. Earlier one had enough time to complete their work in required duration. Once they were done with work, they would find enough time to spend with their family and friends. They spent enough time and laughed hard and enjoyed a lot. Thus, this was no more a exercise then. It was more of a routine one would follow and enjoy. Today we do not indulge in getting together and spending quality time with others. Family time too has been engaged by television or mobile internet. We go out with friends but all we do over there is shop or listen to loud music. Laughter has long gone from our lives. Thus, today when we ask some one to laugh loudly it seems more like an unnatural act to them. It has thus been named as laughter exercise.
Initially one would find difficulty in doing it, as it seems a little unnatural to laugh without any reason. Therefore this exercise is best carried out in groups. While in groups, when we look at one another, laughter comes out naturally and all the hesitation goes away. It is a best exercise one can perform. It instills in us lots of enthusiasm, even in each and every part of the body. As the mind gets relaxed, so does the body and we becomes active and energized. This is the reason that today it is been practiced in almost all the yoga centers. Such is its importance. All we have to do is understand how important it is for our health and make it a routine of our every day lives. It is been popularly said that for good health, one has to reduce their food consumption to half of what they are already consuming, double the amount of water one is drinking, triple the intensity and duration of exercise one is performing and most important is quadruple the laughter in life. If one analyzes everything, one can see how difficult the other three are. Today we find it extremely difficult to reduce our food intake. On the other hand, we do not increase our water intake, no matter how many times it is been told to us. Exercise to most of us is like a nightmare and we rarely do it. Most of us hardly go for a walk and in such case, increasing the duration and intensity of exercise to almost triple the amount, almost seems impossible. Out of all the options given, laughter is the simplest and best option one can select for a healthy living.
Endorphin is a hormone in human body that helps human to get rid of pain. Human body itself is able to generate this pain relieving hormone in body. Individuals who practice this laughter therapy have excess amount of this pain relieving endorphin hormone in their body. As a result, such individuals experience very less amount of joint pains, headaches etc..... Laughter not only reduces stiffness of joints resulting in decreased joint pain even in old age but also decreases stress and thus stress related headaches does not develop. Laughter always exerts positive effects on health. It increases blood circulation. As the blood circulation in body increases, blood carries more and more amount of oxygen and nutrients to all the vital organs which in turn increases their working efficiency. Laughter is particularly helpful to individuals suffering from stress related disorders.
People usually smile or laugh when they are happy. Now let us look other way around. While we laugh loudly, our brain secretes a chemical known as serotonin. This chemical helps us to remain stress free and thereby makes us happy. We instead of giving justification that we cannot laugh unless we are happy, we can go for other way around. We should follow this laughter therapy and make ourselves happy. Laughter exerts positive effect on each and every cell in our body. It increases working efficiency of each and every organ in our body especially our digestive system. While we laugh all the muscles of our digestive system undergo exercise which increases the working efficiency. One can get rid of constipation very easily. All the other digestion related disorders too seem getting corrected by themselves. Respiratory related disorders too get corrected if an individual takes this laughter therapy seriously. Individuals who are suffering from asthma or other respiratory diseases in which excess of sputum gets collected in lungs, if regularly follows laughter therapy, will gradually see improvement in their condition. This is because laughter increases working efficiency of lungs and the sputum that is blocking channels or the one which is collected in lungs can be seen clearing out the way resulting in clear lungs. Within few days an individual can see drastic improvement in his condition.
Today most of us are sleep deprived. Reason is our busy life and hectic life style. Though most of us go for a sufficient sleep of 6-8 hours. even then we feel that we have not slept enough. This is all because it is just our body that sleeps. Mind still works even when body is recovering in sleep. This is because of stress that we go through in our day today lives. Whereas there are others who do not sleep at all i.e., the one who are suffering from insomnia. Laughter therapy helps them to correct their disorder and provides them a sound sleep. All the stress and tension gradually decreases. It relaxes mind and helps an individual to sleep peacefully. It decreases high blood pressure and various heart related diseases and disorders. Today right from early age even kids are suffering from depression. It has affected almost all age groups and the reason for its cause is not known in most of the cases. Laughter therapy serves as a boon as it helps greatly in treating depression and other mind related disorders. Laughter increases the process of inhalation and exhalation i.e., exchange of gases on its own. It acts like a cleansing process. Excess amount of oxygen enters the body and mixes with blood which is then carried to all vital organs in the body as well as excess amount of carbon dioxide gets excreted from the body. This provides sufficient energy as well as strength to respiratory organs and they work more efficiently. Laughter also increases defense power of body. It increases the immunity and helps body to fight against all sorts of infections and diseases.
Laughter therapy is a boon to mankind. It does not require any extra effort and thus can be carried out by individuals of all age groups, irrespective of whether they are kids or belonging to elderly age group. It does not require any strenuous efforts or modern equipment, the way physical exercises do, thus can be even carried out by physically weak individuals who are suffering from chronic illness. It is completely cost free. It does not require any special equipment nor there is a per-requisite of joining of any membership and thus it is cost free. It can be done individually or in a group. It can be done indoor within premises of one's house or outdoor in fresh air. Thus, it does not bring any hard and fast rules with it. It is a very simple and effective therapy and should be followed by each and every one. It exerts no negative effects. In contrary, it does good to each and every part and each and every organ of our body. It not only helps us to get rid of our physical diseases but is also mainly effective in treating mind related disorders. It is a tonic for brain. It completely eradicates stress and tension from one's life and helps them to live a happy and cheerful life. An individual who practices laughter therapy will always remain active and will be blessed by lots of enthusiasm which will always keep him healthy. Since laughter exerts positive effect on each and every cell of our body, a person who practice it from early age will keep himself free from all sorts of diseases and disorders as well as will show signs of delayed aging. His skin will glow and will remain wrinkle free. Laughter therapy is an easy technique of keeping our stress and turbulence we create in our daily lives aside and live a stable, disease free and healthy life.
9 years ago
Reena created new article Let Go Attitude.
Life is a journey which is full of surprises. It is a smooth hurdle free journey to some whereas for others it seems roller coaster ride. Every soul is on its own journey. Decisions once taken and the deeds once done, then one has to face outcome for sure. Though our love for other souls especially our near and dear ones is pure but we cannot bound them forever.
Every thing around us is mortal. To keep our views clear and live a simple life, we need to understand what all will be subjected to mortality and what all substances will remain with us forever. We have to let go our past as we all are aware of the fact that past cannot be repaired. We can always learn from our past mistakes and should remain fully aware in our present so that we do not commit them again. Most of us instead of learning from past, keep on cursing themselves or others for the rough time being faced in the past. This behavior instead of healing wounds, will lead to further surface scratching which will always keep wounds unhealed. The more and more surface is scratched, more delay one needs to face in recovery. Wound that would have been healed way back in the past was not allowed to do so and this is nobody's but our own mistake.
Whether the wound was caused by some one else or by ourselves, it is left to us whether we have to heal it or let it remain unhealed. If not allowed to recover, it will become prone to infection which will again cause lots of pain. We ourselves are responsible for our pain. If we determine and decide that we will always remain happy then no soul on this earth has the ability to cause any harm to us. It is the same way in which if a person wants to remain healthy and fit then no sort of infection or disease can affect his health. This is because of his conscious efforts he is putting in to remain healthy. His efforts will pay back him and bless him with good health. Thus, our conscious has to be clear. If we want to remain happy we need to let go all the turbulence that developed between us and other souls. We need to forget as well as forgive for our betterment. Does not matter who was responsible for creating turbulence. Need of this hour is to let go and forgive whoever did create it. Also, we need to forget the incident as remembering it again and again is like scratching the wound.
Let go should not only be kept confined to past deeds. Even in present it can work wonders if applied in our day to day lives. Let go does not only mean forgetting and forgiving wrong things others have done to us or vice versa. It also means letting go the people around us. As we know that each soul is on its own journey, we cannot create turbulence in others path. We should not get entangled in others business. They may be near and dear one of ours or may be total strangers. It does not mean that we cannot give suggestions or advice to them. For example, letting go does not mean parents cannot advice their kids to choose a right career or guide them in their journey or a friend cannot suggest or recommend something to his best friend. Letting go means fulfilling our duties and letting other person decide for himself. One can always make suggestions and give advice. What we do is, we do not let others especially our near and dear ones to choose for themselves as we are very sure of our suggestions and doubt their chosen options. In this way, we get entangled with them. Each soul has to decide for himself and thus we need to let go others no matter how close they are to us and allow them to make decisions of their lives.
Let go does not only remain confined to past. It is an attitude we need to develop. Once develop, it will rise us above small things and will aid to our greatness. We will no longer disturb ourselves over superficial issues. It will change our thinking and help us remain stress free and happy. It is a mantra we need to learn as well as teach others. Our life is precious and we cannot waste it thinking about some lame issue or fighting over with some one about something which is not of great concern. Let go is a mantra we need to learn and inculcate in our daily lives so that we understand the meaning of forgiveness. Soon it will become our attitude and help us become great and happy souls.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article 7.5% growth rate, but why is there less food to eat in India?.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly " baat" ( talk) on the radio stated that India has an economic growth of 7.5%. One cannot fault him for this as there is no doubt that the Indian growth rate is at the moment the highest in the world. The growth rate is a figure and refers to many factors and one of these is the investment in the country and the growth of the industry
Growth rate vs prices
Yet this growth rate has not translated into any material benefit for the Indian masses who continue to subsist on the lowest intake of protein and healthy foods in the world. This has a repercussion on the national health and the resultant effect on good life and performance in sports. The fact is that food prices despite this 7.5% growth have shot up to the sky and the humble Daal( pulses) the main staple diet for the Indians is selling at 3 times the price what it was sold before Modi took over. Daal is the source of protein in India as the percentage of meat eaters is less and also because meat and other items are beyond the reach of the masses because of their exorbitant cost. Mutton sells at almost Rs 500-600 a kilogram and that is not what an average Indian can afford to pay.
A question which I have repeatedly raised is that what use is a Mars mission and another paraphernalia if food for the mases is not available and farmers who produce the food are forced to commit suicide. What relevance has 7.5% growth and missions to Mars have for a child who does not get enough protien to eat or goes to bed half hungry. Many so called nationalists don't want to see the problem from this perspective and the result is the government also has lopsided priorities and food security, wholesome and healthy which should be the first priority remains the last.
Economic priorities
Foodstuff and that includes vegetables so essential for vitamins are selling at a price which should be for meat products. Meats are in any case out of reach for the masses and the myth is created that Indians are vegetarians. The fact is that people are unable to eat meats and so a myth of vegetarianism is created. I wonder whether Modi has ever thought of these points in his favorite Man ki Baat radio talks. He has NEVER touched on this issue. The fact is that 40% of Indian live below the poverty line and in numbers, they are more than the destitute of all countries put together. Not a happy thought.
One is reminded of a famous quote by the queen of France during the French revolution. She stated in 1789 "If there is no bread let the people eats cakes". i wonder whether the Modi government has a similar answer. However having said this, one must state that the present crisis of rising in foodstuff prices is a legacy from the lopsided economic policies of the Congress party and emanated from the views of Jawaharlal Nehru. This man really was just a philosopher who was catapulted as India's prime minister and the results in all field were simply disastrous. He set up 5 years plan but agriculture got very less priority and during his time hunger stalked India and thanks to the USA who gave free grains under PL 480, the Indians could subsist. This is Nehru and Congress party's legacy.
The future
But the clock has to be arrested and Modi can not take refuge at the ills of the congress party. He has to turn the clock around and see that the priority is nothing but food and this I am afraid he has not done. He has been in power for 2 years and yet one does not find any visible change. Farmers continue to commit suicide and food prices have shot up to the sky and overall Indian have less to eat, yet the BJP government like the congress is just increasing taxes. So what does 7'5 % growth men and what meaning it has for the poor?. Modi has to address this issue otherwise, he will go down in History like Nehru, who promised much but achieved little.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The crucial question; will Hillary Clinton make a good commander in chief.
The US Presidential election is now heading for the last lap. The conventions of the two main parties the GOP and the Democrats will be held next month and they will in all likelihood put the seal on the election of the two candidates who will represent the parties. Thus the stage is set for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to confront each other. As things stand Hillary has built up a tremendous lead over Trump as per the Gallup polls. This lead will be sweet music to the supporters of Hillary.
Assuming that Hillary maintains her lead, there is every chance she will be the president of the USA. Here is the fly in the ointment. Hillary as president will also be the Commander in Chief of the US armed forces. What sort of commander she will be is a question that many want to answer. One must understand that a C in C of the US armed forces is unlike any other commander as he or she also controls the nuclear button and the commander has to take momentous decisions on security matters and deployment of troops.
Last week I was in the USA and was a guest at a brunch with my American friend who is now out of the army as a Colonel. He in an animated discussion gave me a startling opinion. As per him, Hillary as a Commander in Chief is the most undesirable thing as far as the US is concerned. He pointed out that there is no record in the history of a woman having commanded any army and taken momentous military decisions. One is apt to quote the example of Indira Gandhi and say " look she was a woman and yet led in the war for the liberation of Bangladesh". But in reality, she took only political decisions and despite her exhortations the then army Chief Sam Maneckshaw made it clear that he would launch the invasion only at a time he decided and hence the invasion was delayed by a few months.
In the US such a scenario does not exist, as all executive power over the armed forces is the president. I must also grudgingly agree with my friend that there is no record of a woman taking military decisions in the army. Another friend, however, interjected and asked what about Razia Sultana and Joan of Arc of Orleans( France) ? My answer is the Razia ruled in the company of her lover and all military decisions were taken by him while Joan of Arc was a subordinate commander as the King of France was the defacto ruler.In any case in a history of 4000 wars, these are like flashes in the pan and overall women as commanders have not existed.
War is now more complex and there is the added danger of a nuclear conflagration. This is the real danger as the sole authority to authorize a nuclear strike is the US president and one wonders with the state of her health ( she fainted a few months back) how competent she will be to handle the nuclear button. In all likelihood, she will need an advisor and maybe her husband the ex-president Bill Clinton will chip in. She does not have the best of relations with him after his indiscretions in the oval office with Monica Lewinsky which almost led to his impeachment.
Being a woman has an effect. However competent she is Hillary, has not displayed any acumen that she is fit to handle the nuclear button. Women are associated with somethings soft and beautiful and one cannot associate them with the harsh decisions of deciding the policy of war. All in all an interesting aspect of politics in the US has come up. The voters are fickle and vote more by instinct than thought and some follow the sheep mentality. It happens in India also as the real capability of a candidate gets overlooked.
How good a commander Hillary will be is a question that at present finds no answer. Perhaps one does not question Donald Trump on his capability to handle the nuclear button, but in the case of Hillary these thoughts do crop up.The present election may well be a watershed in world politics.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The crucial question; will Hillary Clinton make a good commander in chief.
The US Presidential election is now heading for the last lap. The conventions of the two main parties the GOP and the Democrats will be held next month and they will in all likelihood put the seal on the election of the two candidates who will represent the parties. Thus the stage is set for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to confront each other. As things stand Hillary has built up a tremendous lead over Trump as per the Gallup polls. This lead will be sweet music to the supporters of Hillary.
Assuming that Hillary maintains her lead, there is every chance she will be the president of the USA. Here is the fly in the ointment. Hillary as president will also be the Commander in Chief of the US armed forces. What sort of commander she will be is a question that many want to answer. One must understand that a C in C of the US armed forces is unlike any other commander as he or she also controls the nuclear button and the commander has to take momentous decisions on security matters and deployment of troops.
Last week I was in the USA and was a guest at a brunch with my American friend who is now out of the army as a Colonel. He in an animated discussion gave me a startling opinion. As per him, Hillary as a Commander in Chief is the most undesirable thing as far as the US is concerned. He pointed out that there is no record in the history of a woman having commanded any army and taken momentous military decisions. One is apt to quote the example of Indira Gandhi and say " look she was a woman and yet led in the war for the liberation of Bangladesh". But in reality, she took only political decisions and despite her exhortations the then army Chief Sam Maneckshaw made it clear that he would launch the invasion only at a time he decided and hence the invasion was delayed by a few months.
In the US such a scenario does not exist, as all executive power over the armed forces is the president. I must also grudgingly agree with my friend that there is no record of a woman taking military decisions in the army. Another friend, however, interjected and asked what about Razia Sultana and Joan of Arc of Orleans( France) ? My answer is the Razia ruled in the company of her lover and all military decisions were taken by him while Joan of Arc was a subordinate commander as the King of France was the defacto ruler.In any case in a history of 4000 wars, these are like flashes in the pan and overall women as commanders have not existed.
War is now more complex and there is the added danger of a nuclear conflagration. This is the real danger as the sole authority to authorize a nuclear strike is the US president and one wonders with the state of her health ( she fainted a few months back) how competent she will be to handle the nuclear button. In all likelihood, she will need an advisor and maybe her husband the ex-president Bill Clinton will chip in. She does not have the best of relations with him after his indiscretions in the oval office with Monica Lewinsky which almost led to his impeachment.
Being a woman has an effect. However competent she is Hillary, has not displayed any acumen that she is fit to handle the nuclear button. Women are associated with somethings soft and beautiful and one cannot associate them with the harsh decisions of deciding the policy of war. All in all an interesting aspect of politics in the US has come up. The voters are fickle and vote more by instinct than thought and some follow the sheep mentality. It happens in India also as the real capability of a candidate gets overlooked.
How good a commander Hillary will be is a question that at present finds no answer. Perhaps one does not question Donald Trump on his capability to handle the nuclear button, but in the case of Hillary these thoughts do crop up.The present election may well be a watershed in world politics.
9 years ago
ABSIVAKUMAR created new article Neighbors can be real companions.
It is always observed that in huge metro cities and even in the tier 2 towns, the people in flats and apartments do not even know the names of those who live on the same floor, forget those above or below in the other floors of the same apartment complex. Worse, they do not make many attempts in knowing each other, nor interact with the people at any point in time.
This is a very unhealthy trend which has to be reversed, for the following reasons.
Losing out on happy moments
It is a big tragedy of life that we miss out on vital happy moments. When we share small happy moments with others, particularly neighbors, it is a great fact of life, that it becomes much more beautiful.
How? Very simple. There is humor, there is fun, there are several lighter moments, like when a two year old child goes around playing and ransacking the house. Or, trying to bargain something from the mother, by being adamant. Even if we spend just around three minutes, we are able to see all this. But, we often ignore such things, and walk around like mad people, with money being the only single obsession. Often, our attempts at making quick money come to naught, and we are back to square one.
They are human too
The art of winning friends and influencing people, starts from ground zero. Neighbors are as human as we are, with all their strengths and weaknesses. When we reach out to them, we might discover that they are very good people, who really mean what they say and are all out to be of great help, more so, then merely keeping safe custody of our house keys when we are away, or buying the LPG gas cylinder when we are away.
There are small things, but they can often give us big solace in terms of good advise or console us, when there is a calamity in terms of death in our houses. So, it is all about reaching them in the right way.
Bringing happiness all around
Neighbors are often capable of bringing happiness all around. One evidence of this is the huge number of humor clubs in many localities of big cities. The humor clubs poke innocent fun at others, or revolve around unknown persons. Since there is huge amount of laughter, there is always a big amount of happiness that goes along with such laughter.
Similarly, the human spirit in all its goodness is often seen in times of need. Neighbors who had not even exchanged the basic minimum pleasantries, in normal times, were seen to be highly cooperative and more helpful during the November and December 2015 floods in Chennai city. In fact, there were countless stories of how people were able to organize themselves with the scarce resources that they had, and braved the five days of real hell, as it were.
The one big lesson that this mammoth calamity taught them was to really be friendly with neighbors and not fight over trivial reasons or small disputes or even misunderstanding.
The happiness with which the rescue measures were mounted was something that one had never seen before. Even neighbors who were not in talking terms, came together to brave the crisis situation, and shared not only their accommodation, but also whatever scarce resources they had, for the five horrible days of rain. They communicated with their relatives from whatever spots they could, and sought the help of even strangers, who sprang up from nowhere to go all out to help. In several localities, huge kitchens were set up, and food on a mass scale was prepared and distributed.
So, it is up to us to really understand our neighbors and build rapport with them.
Neighbors can add value in many ways
In many cases, neighbors are doctors, engineers, lawyers, architects and even professional singers. Each of them can be helpful and can guide us at any point in time. However, it is futile to attempt to have a totally commercial view of the whole thing. Building rapport and bridges cannot and should not happen in a jiffy. It does take time and it does make meaning only when we are very sure that they have some time on their hands to spare for us. For instance, a neighbor who is a doctor, might be able to get to the initial diagnosis or suggest a good clinic where this could be done, even if he or she were to work elsewhere. Beyond this point, it is ridiculous to expect the doctor to help us in any way.
So, we need to understand the small little ways in which we can build rapport with others. Once we do this, there will be harmony all around. Already, in some apartment complexes, there are some good attempts to encourage meeting of all people, at least once a week.
This should be encouraged and taken to its logical conclusion, so that neighbors can live in peace, and together at all times to come.
9 years ago
Bajirao created new article Why do our joints crack?.
You might have noticed many times your knee joints, finger joints or knuckles frequently cracking. Why do they crack? Is it really a serious problem? Do you need to be concerned about this popping sound? We all have these questions at back of our mind whenever we hear popping sounds from our joints. Lets understand what is the reason behind this problem.
Some scientists and doctors says there is no reason for popping sounds, joint do crack all the time and hence not to worry about it. Only if the joints pain or swells due to cracking then there is some pathology behind this joint cracking. But its a curiosity to know why they crack at first place?
What causes the sound when we crack the joints?
1) Movements and gliding of joints - Usually you will hear cracking sound in the knee or ankle joints. That sound is due to the movements of tendon which get slightly out of the place. Hence when you sit or squat you get the cracking sound.
2) Lack of friction - Synovial fluid present in between two joints acts as lubricant and hence the movement of joints become smooth. In case of arthritis, synovial fluid is less and smoothness of cartilage reduces as well and hence it causes friction in the joints. This friction may cause sound in the joints during certain motion.
3) Release of gases - Some of the scientists and doctors believe that another reason for cracking sound in the joint is due to release of gases from the synovial fluid. According to the them, synovial fluid contains various gases like nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. When we stretch a joint like we press the knuckles or when we sit, small air bubbles are formed between the sac of joints. These air bubbles make the popping sound.
Is joint popping really a serious problem?
It is not a serious problem unless there is no pain and swelling. Such sounds are normal and usually increases with the age. Cracking sound of joint neither good nor bad for our joints. Many people think that cracking of knuckles or joints cause arthritis, it is not true. However frequent cracking of joints may increase the inflammation in the joints and lower the strength of the joints according to the researchers. However it is better to understand that arthritis is not caused by popping of joints but caused due to lack of synovial fluid between the joints.
If you hear the popping sound too frequently with pain or swelling in the joints, it is always advised to seek doctors advice as it can be due to some pathology in the joints.
How to stop popping sound?
You need to strengthen the muscles where popping occurs. If your knee joint make cracking joint frequently, try to strengthen the muscles that supports the knee joint. Do some warm up exercises and squats regularly. These exercises will help to lubricate the joints and improve the mobility of the joints.
Also soft massage would help to get rid stress in your joints. You can visit the massage therapist for professional soft tissue massage.
Eat healthy food as nutritious food help to improve the quality of joints and muscles. Consume fish oil as it fights against the inflammation related to joint destruction. also eat lots of fruits and vegetables as they are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Don't over do any thing. Avoid exercising to great extent. Do as much as your body, joints and muscles are able to manage. Regular mild to moderate exercise will help to reduce the cracking sound in the joints, however pathological cracking of joints would require more efforts than just nutritious food and exercise. Hence please take your doctors advise in such cases.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Is it morally right?.
Margaret Alva was in fact steadily demoted after she started speaking out her mind to the press, so it is not as if she has been silent nor been an opportunist. I think she was a great admirer of Manmohan Singh which made her put up with a lot within the party. Now when she is out if it all, if she decided to write down her memories there is no morality involved. In fact the people she had written about should do some introspection about their own deeds since so many under them are coming up with almost similar revelations..
9 years ago
suni51 replied to the topic What is this comment ?.
I wanted to know the same- what are these comments?
9 years ago
suni51 created new topic Boddunan has reached to this stage.
Sorry to see poezhang is spamming the forums and there is no one to take care! At this rate this site will be a paradise for spammers.
9 years ago
rambabu replied to the topic Book reading is a good habit..
Most of the Books I have now are inherited from my father, a voracious reader. Works of Perl S. Buck, H.G wells, Charles Dickens and Jane Austin are some of the Books I got from my Father's library. later I added many Books related to Arts, and Computers.
9 years ago
Anusha Jain created new article DIY Wall-Art with Typography Using Keynote.
Customized photo quotes are quite trendy online these days. You can select your favorite quote and your unique wall art printed and delivered. But actually, these are super easy to DIY (do it yourself). If you have some fancy graphics editing software like Adobe Photoshop, it would be great, but even if you don’t, you could still manage to create some decent pieces.
In this guide, we’ll use Apple’s Keynote, and Font Book on Mac OS to create our wall art. But you could achieve similar results with Windows, using Character Map instead of Font Book, and Microsoft Powerpoint instead of Keynote.
We would also use a premium Script font, called Hysteria Santa*. You could use any good script font, not necessarily a commercial one.
The wall art’s size would, of course, be your choice, but for this kick starter project, we are choosing the A4 size. For a decent print quality, we are keeping the dimensions as 2500 * 3500 (300 ppi)
Once we click-start the Keynote application, we’ll be asked to choose a template. Parchment Template is what we are using for this project, you could even keep your slides blank. In fact, B&W art could look stunning on say, a whitewashed clean wall. You could also insert a picture, your own, or some kind of illustration or a scenic click from the last vacation, possibilities are endless.
Back to our project, we’ll have to change the resolution of our slides to 2500 * 3500. So select the document panel (Top right, button with a ‘rectangle’ icon)
Click on Slide size drop down, and click on custom slide size. We’ll put the desired dimension in here, and hit enter. (The orientation will change from landscape to portrait.)
Select the most amazing quote which would probably showcase your opinion, or maybe your current state of mind. The theme was this project of ours has such a worn out old paper look, that I thought a beautiful time quote would be just perfect.
This is something I’ve created myself, I just didn’t find something apt on the Internet.
“Time is precious. Moments are like little pearls. The best garland the pearls of moments can create is -- Beautiful Memories.”
I’ve posted an extended version of this thought on my Facebook timeline, but this is enough for our purpose.
We will get rid of the title and the subtitle, Copy paste the quote, click the Brush icon button from top right to go to the Format Panel, and change the size to something suitable for making it visible. Select the text box and bring it to the center. We’ll change the font to Hysteria Santa, and after little rearrangement and font resizing this is how the slide is looking.
A script font comes with alternate glyphs. These are special extra characters to make your Typography infinitely more attractive. Accessing the alternate Glyphs is easy, Font Book on Mac OS is what we are using, but you could use other applications which support glyphs.
We will need to copy and paste some alternate characters, swirls, and ligatures. After editing it to my heart’s content, here’s what the final image looks like.
Being a general purpose presentation application, Keynote has its limitations as a Typography Creator. If you use a slightly more sophisticated program or spend some more time and effort playing with the background, colors and maybe multiple fonts, you can create even more gorgeous images to decorate your walls. It could be either Adobe Illustrator, or the free and open source Inkscape.
After getting a print of your art, there are many ways to show if off impressively. You could get it framed of course, but there are other interesting DIY ways of encasing it. You could use two wooden bars, paste one on the top, other on the bottom, with a string on the top bar to hang it. Or you could paste small wooden pieces of wood surrounding your quote. Again endless possibilities only limited by your imagination.
References:
*The Article uses a commercial script font Hysteria Santa. I own the commercial license, purchased from FontBundles.net
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Kashmir is on boil: Indians must introspect.
Background
Pakistan never accepted the accession of Kashmir to India and insisted on a plebiscite in the valley to ascertain the wishes of the people of Kashmir. As was his habit, the Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru in his misguided zeal, agreed for a plebiscite under UN auspices after peace was restored. Pakistan made at least 4 attempts to annex Kashmir but failed. At that time the majority of the people of Kashmir, though Muslim eyed the Pakistan military and government with suspicion. But from 1989 things began to change as incessant propaganda by extremist Muslims and Pakistan fostered a feeling that Muslims are superior and different from India. They began to wean away from the Indian state, which began to be perceived as a Hindu state, trying to foster Hindu Raj in the valley. In addition, the policy of the Indian government to support men who had no grass root support in the valley like Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed added fuel to the fire. In 1989 the election was also rigged in favor of the Congress and the NC added to the alienation of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan saw its opportunity and exploited the deep resentment of the Kashmir youth and gave arms and money for an insurrection.
The battle
Over the last 2 decades, the insurrection in the valley has gone out of hand and not a day passes without the Indian security forces not having to have firefights with the Kashmir militants. Matters are not helped by a weak government, which is also paralyzed as it is run by party's which are poles apart in their ideology. The BJP which is in a coalition with the PDF is thus guilty in part for this spurt in extremist activity. The situation is now bad and one can gauge the extent of alienation from India when the death of a Hizbul commander, a terrorist named Burhan Wani is lionized and thousands attend his funeral and call for attacks on Indian forces to ' free' Kashmir. No Indian can walk the streets of Kashmir unescorted and that is sad. Even the grave of Sheikh Abdullah who signed the Kashmir accord with India is guarded by the CRPF as the Kashmir youth hate him. The hatred against India is now deep and calls for a drastic solution. Unfortunately, the Modi government has no political option to up its sleeve and the death toll in daily attack is burgeoning. Somebody has to bite the bullet. I can see only 2 options which I have outlined below
a) Make the valley which is 99% Muslim at the moment a semi-independent state like Bhutan
b) Alternatively, enforce Martial law and hand the valley to the army to restore order with no holds barred.
I wonder how many will agree with me, but I see no option than the above two. As I have written somebody has to bite the bullet and think of an out of box solution. I understand the first option was under consideration of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in conjunction with General Musharraf. In any case the present suspense and inaction has to stop. Continued agitation will only make world opinion antagonist to India.
9 years ago
Palok Chakraborty created new article What Durga Pujo means to a Bengali?.
The raison d’être of this article that it sets out to achieve and consequently narrate is so enmeshed in multiple layers of consciousness and meanings that the entire point of penning this piece is in danger of portraying a biased outlook on an issue that is, honestly speaking, more than an issue to the writer himself. If you are still trying to figure out what the hell the writer is talking about all you need do is cast a fleeting glance over the title of this article as well as the name of the author who penned it. And bingo!!! A Bengali writer trying to wax eloquent over the single most spot of prominence that a Bengali almanac can possibly dish up to anyone. Crammed with festivity of every sort it is humorously said that Bengalis have thirteen (13) festivals in their religious calendar, which incidentally has only twelve months! However, the present article endeavors to concern itself with the biggest, the most significant and the mother of all festivals that Bengalis do enjoy that is “Durga Puja” or “Durga Pujo”. But this article is not an attempt to chronicle the convivial merrymaking in which all Bengalis do seem to revel during the Puja/Pujo in a year in year out manner. Rather it will delve deep into this mare’s nest with the hope of finding out “what does Durga Pujo actually mean to him or her”.
What does Puja mean to him? Does it mean anything at all to her? Does it contrarily mean everything to him? Or can it at all be understood by remaining within the confines of a “meaning”? Is it then a feeling only? Or a sentient, I presume. If it is a feeling then how is it different from others? Or is it an expression then of something bigger which cannot be penned but realized from within? Or is it a sign of something else? A symbol may be then. It may be symbolizing a synergy of some things. Or is it a thought then that recurs to our life once in twelve months? Does it revolve us with an orbital duration of 365 days or do “We” revolve around this “thing” with a recurring span of 12 months? Does it happen to us or we happen to it? Why the sky suddenly seems heavenly blue? Why the smell of air suddenly seems extra refreshing? Why the river seems to meander to a new tune? Why the sight of a dewdrop on the top of a flower makes a refreshing impact on a Bengali mind especially in a specific time of the year?
Can we find answers to all these questions? Let’s make an honest effort.
The essence of Durga Puja is fundamentally connected with one of the greatest intangibles of our human existence: that is the sense of joy, the spontaneous outpouring of joviality. The sheer imponderables associated with the sense of “joie de vivre” in this regard make it incredibly hard to dissect and dwell on. However, the grandiose extravagance and the material varying opulence so inalienable a part of this unique festival come subtly packaged with differing purposes of meaning to each and every individual. Yes, we all enjoy the occasion but our enjoyment is conditioned and coloured with hues and shades of reason and purpose. Let me explain. For someone who is coming back to his home - after staying abroad for a long time - during this auspicious time of the year the enjoyment assumes an added, undeniable sharpness and intensity both for the person and the persons with whom he/she is going to unite. The invocation and worship of the goddess assumes a totally different dimension to those who have the luxury and tradition of celebrating it within their house/family as many families in Bengal are blessed with the rich tradition of celebrating the Pujo within the four walls of their own house. Words will fall short to describe the sheer sense of collective joy that only the members of those families feel privileged to experience. Perhaps more than a collective sense of joy it’s going back to the roots for them, a sort of way to pay their respective respects to the age-old and unwritten canons of tradition of their own bigger family. For those expatriate Bengalis it is an opportunity to indulge not only in mirth and rituals but also to feel nostalgic about those halcyon childhood days spent all the way back in Bengal. For someone who is just a part of any Pujo Committee the mere sense of being involved in the whole process is enough of a dividend to him. For someone it is an affirmation and strengthening of the state of being a Bengali since this is the quintessential festival of the Bengali community. For them it is a beautiful coalescence, a meeting of many strands of existence woven into a common joyous form.
However, there are some sections of people even among Bengalis whose sense of joy have mixed commercial overtones. It may be hugely disturbing as well as controversial to drag the notion of trade and commerce into something which is meant to celebrate our sense of aestheticism. It is to be noted right here that I do not doubt their aesthetic commitment towards the cause of Puja. Rather these sections of people are the ones who metamorphose this cult of goddess into an exercise of artistic expression. I am talking about all those sculptors, the skilled artisans, the expert craftsmen, the master electricians who all contribute so heavily into this extravaganza of religion, culture, artistry and camaraderie. However, since these people also make a living out of doing things mentioned just above the commercial aspect of this entire thing cannot be sidestepped. And in these cases the sense of joy while giving way to a definite shape of artistic expression (sculpturing for example) still assumes a slightly nuanced implication that is better left unsaid.
I have endeavoured to make readers understand what Puja means and brings to a Bengali. However, as I said in the second paragraph of this piece that any attempt to capture the essence of Pujo is futile in itself since the essence in question outgrows the meaning. If anything it is an expression of many strands of divinity and humanity all symbiotically rolled and woven into one. It is an expression of something bigger, something unexplained, something inexplicable which can only be felt and realized but cannot be penned or given concrete shape through mere words. The Pujo happens every year but it does not fail to capture our heart, our imagination, our longing and our undivided devotion. The entire experience is actually an uncanny sense of déjà vu in its purest form. And precisely herein remains the divine charm of beatitude that the entire episode so beautifully encapsulates.
9 years ago
Gouri Dharmadhikari created new article Indian Gooseberry.
Indian Gooseberry is popularly known as Aamla in Hindi and Amalik in Sanskrit. The tree of Indian Gooseberry belongs to Phyallanthaceace family and is of deciduous in nature. Indian Gooseberry is used in traditional Indian medicines in the form of fresh fruit or dried form. All parts of plants are useful in medicines and herbal preparation. Indian Gooseberry contains all the tastes and hence it balances all the body systems.
The Indian Gooseberry has a very sacred place in Hindu mythology. It is said that God Vishnu dwells in this tree. The tree is worshipped on Ambalika Ekadashi. It is believed that Indian Gooseberry originated from Amrit that spilled during Samudra Manthan. Due to its origin it cures all the diseases and increases the longetivity.
Maharashtra is the largest producer and supplier of Indian Gooseberry followed by Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. It is rich in vitamin C and also contains minerals, calcium, phosphorous, iron, carotene and B-complex.
Indian Gooseberry has a wide variety of health benefits. It strengthens the roots of hair thus promoting hair growth. It also enriches hair pigmentation thus maintaining hair color. Its antioxidant property prevents hair fall and hair damage. The high carotene content of Indian Gooseberry has powerful effect on vision related conditions thus improving cataract and night blindness.
Indian gooseberry also helps our body to absorb calcium which is essential for our teeth, bones, and nails. High protein content of Aamla helps in cellular growth and muscular development. The corium content in Indian gooseberry stimulates the insulin secreting group of cells thus reducing blood sugar levels of diabetic patient.
The diuretic nature of Indian gooseberry increases the frequency and volume of urination, thus helping the body to eliminate unwanted toxins and salts. High fiber contents of Aamla reduce the chances of constipation by keeping the bowel movements regular. The antibacterial and astringent property of Indian gooseberry and Vitamin C content improves immune system of body and protect it from infection and allergy.
A fruit of Indian Gooseberry contains 80% water, minerals, carbohydrates and water. Thus consuming Indian gooseberry daily in dried or fruit form is essential for healthy life.
9 years ago
Gouri Dharmadhikari created new article Deepti Naval - A Perfect Blend Of Strength And Silence.
Deepti Naval is a well known Indian actress with immense talent and versatility. She is popularly known for her image of girl next door. She contributed to Indian cinema with her critically acclaimed and close to life characters. Her simple appearance on screen proved to be her strength while portraying women of different eras.
Deepti naval was born on 3rd February 1957 in Amritsar. Later her father moved to New York due to her father’s job and there she completed her studies at Hunter College. She made her debut in 1978 by the movie Junon directed by Shyam Benegal. By 1980’s she became the lead actress of parallel cinema with her lead role in movie Ek Baar Phir alongside Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi.
Deepti naval was very close to actor Farookh Shaikh both on screen and off screen. Their on screen chemistry began with movie Chashme Baddoor in 1981. The both acted in several movies like Sath Sath, Katha etc . They both shared a great rapport and bond with each other and were the most decent and iconic pair of their time.
She also acted in movies of several other Indian languages and won award for best movie in Panjabi and Kannada. She also won several international awards for her role in movies Leela and Listen------Amaya. She is no doubt a versatile actress but she is also interested in film making. Her debut movie as a director was Do Paise Ki Dhoop Char Aane Ki Barish starring Manisha Koirala. The film was critically acclaimed at international level and has also won several awards at International film festivals along with its premiere at Cannes Film Festivals in 2009.
Deepti married Prakash Jha for two years and the couple also adopted a daughter named Disha. Disha worked as a costume designer for her father’s movie Rajneeti. She is also learning music from Archana Shaha. Deepti’s marriage with Prakash Jha ended after two years but post their split they continued to be friends. They are still spotted together watching movies and dinning along with their daughter. Deepti was then engaged to Vinod Pandit but his untimely death ended their relationship.
Besides an actress she is also a painter, photographer and writer. Her father wanted her to be a painter but she continued to pursue both acting and painting. She has her hands in painting portraits and faces with lonely and morbid expressions. She also conducted several exhibitions. She also wrote poems in Hindi of which Lamha Lamha was published in 2004. She also wrote a collection of short stories, The Mad Tibetan in 2011. She is also engaged in social activities and runs a charitable trust called Vinod Pandit charitable Trust for education of girl child.
Source: Wikipedia
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Hillary as President will give free reign to another round of sex escapades of Bill Clinton.
There is a battle royale in the offing between the two adversaries Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Both the contenders have some skeletons in their cupboard regarding their personal lives. Donald has married thrice and unwittingly has proved the Kama Sutra and the Perfumed Garden correct, in that both these tomes advocate younger partners for rejuvenation in life. Each time Donald has married a younger partner and his present wife is decades younger than him.
Hillary is in a piquant position. There is no sex scandal or anything similar tainting her, but her husband Bill Clinton makes up for her straight life by being a philanderer. His stint in the White House( 1993-2001) is notable for his sex escapades in the Oval Office of the White House. The hallowed office was used for sexual liaisons. Well, Bill has been like that throughout his life and has had innumerable sexual liaisons with women of all ages and groups. Many women have accused him of sexual liaisons and one of then named Juanita Broaddrick even accused him of raping her. Not an edible charge against a man who later became president of the USA.
Bill Clinton's term in the white house was a lackluster affair. He spent 8 years in the white house with Hillary as the wife. But his sexual escapades continued and now apart from his philandering, one can't think of anything that Bill achieved during his tenure. One, in fact, can accuse him of being a president which saw the incubation of Islamic fundamentalism.
Bill Clinton started a sexual liaison with Monica Lewinsky and he would frequently meet her in the Oval office, which became his rendezvous with the girl.She was considerably younger to Bill and again he probably unwittingly followed what the Kama Sutra has written about sexual relations with younger women for men past their prime. Hillary Clinton was aware of this relationship, but despite the emotional trauma, she did not divorce Bill. One wonders why Hillary kept quiet on this relationship. Her marriage to Bill Clinton could not have been a happy one?
Just as Bill was into a relationship with Monica, another woman also entered his life. Reports have now emanated that this second woman was Eleanor Mondale, who was the daughter of Walter Mondale, who was Vice President during the presidency of Jimmy Carter. He also stood against Ronald Reagon and lost badly. Both these women pandered to the urge of Bill and sometimes he had to do a balancing act between the two.
This philandering of Bill had its repercussions and when news leaked of these liaisons, an effort was made to impeach him. These were tortuous months for Bill and Hillary as their opponents brought out all the lurid details of the goings-on in the Oval office. Bill escaped impeachment by the skin of his teeth. Obviously in the months that Bill was facing impeachment proceedings, his attention was not on global issues, but efforts to save his chair. Hillary it must be mentioned was always in the know of these relationships , but she stuck to Bill. She is a calculating woman and probably she had other plans, so she condoned the sexual liaisons of her husband.
Her fortitude has borne fruit and she is likely to be the Republican nominee for the post of President and of course Bill Clinton her husband will be again by her side. He will again enter the white house and one wonders whether he may not start another round of sexual liaisons again. As Hillary had condoned the earlier indiscretions, there is every chance that she will again keep quiet. Hillary has been aware of the sexual escapades of her husband since she married him. At least a dozen women have claimed that they slept with Bill. This claim cannot be disregarded.
With Hillary( if she wins) in the white house the stage the may be set for another round of philandering by her husband, who would again have free run of the White House. This is a piquant situation and perhaps not the best thing to happen to America. Hillary herself has just escaped prosecution by the FBI on the email scandal and her health is also suspect as she fainted some time back. All in all the election and the US presidency may see many fun and games in the years to come.
9 years ago
Umesh Kauche created new article Twist and turns of life.
It was the time internet had started peeping in our lives, I was from well cultured family. Well cultured and well to do family from Dombivali, so, my childhood was excellent compared to others. I also, reciprocated the same way by being a bright student.
With internet beginning to reach every house, like every teenager, I also started staying up late in night exploring virtual world over my desktop. Slowly, I started chatting with my friends, and unknowingly made some online friends too. One of them was Kangna, a Haryanvi girl, currently settled abroad. It wasn't love at first sight, but while chatting with her, I developed an attraction. While away from chat rooms, I always used to think, what and how should I communicate more and more. The chats which started for mere few minutes had grown to hours, we never lacked the subjects to talk about. We shared everything with each other, right from our upbringing to the daily chores. We actually exchanged the movies of our lives with each other.
Being online throughout the day wasn't possible for either of us, so we exchanged our mobile phone numbers. Initially, it started with texts, followed by never ending calls. It was truly my own separate world, in which only she and I existed. I can not even recall, how our relation started. But, only after few months, I realised that she is the one for me. I had read it somewhere, that "Out in the world, somewhere, there is someone who is born just for you". After, Kangna came in my life, I believed it, it was like a filmy love story, but it was true event for me.
This feeling of loving someone from bottom of my heart was an alien one. My well cultured family heard me out, respected my feelings open heartedly. We were separated by miles, but connected over phones and internet. Then, a day dawned when she was going to visit my town, I was overjoyed, the heaven was just three inches away from me. My mind was occupied with thousand thoughts, one of that being, 'What if she rejects me after seeing in person?' I brushed that thought aside consoling myself and to feel confident, I visited nearby parlour for a make over. After getting ready sharp at 10, I went to the station to pick her up. We had decided that she would meet my parents, before we head out for the day.
I reached station ten minutes before, the train in which she was expected also arrived in a short while. My eyes were scanning each face, getting off that train, trying to find her. My eyes were working like 'eagle eye', not for searching prey, but looking for someone for whom I pray!! After few minutes of filtering, I could find pot of gold! I recognised her glowing face, looking confused, her eyes searching for me. "Kangna", I shouted loud enough to gain her attention. Her confused face lit up with a broad smile. I reached towards her in lightning speed, and greeted her by shaking hand (I wanted to hug her tightly, but it was our first meeting and moreover it was a public place). After exchanging initial pleasantries, I carried her luggage, and my heavy heart towards home. My heart must be pumping more blood towards my face, as she said I was blushing throughout the journey!
My parents greeted her with open arms, acknowledging their acceptance. We spent some time home and headed out to get some privacy. I had decided to take her out for lunch to a good place, little away from city. My ultimate aim was to have a memorable time with her. We reached the place and the friendly staff, made our feast unforgettable. As there was never scarcity of subjects for us to talk about, time flew unknowingly. We spoke about lot of things, and before leaving I asked her out for marriage too!! As expected, she agreed with shy smile burying her face in her little arms. The stay wasn't long, as she had to reach to her relatives before moon rises. The time spent with her was exciting than I could have ever imagined. With heavy heart and greatest memories I dropped her to the destination. While returning, I was above the ninth cloud due to aftertaste of our meeting. I started dreaming about our happy marriage.
Slowly the things started falling in place and the marriage was a "dream come true" day for both of us. As she was a green card holder, I also got an opportunity to settle outside India. The feeling was overwhelming, I was having a better life style, with love of my life. I also could grab a good paying job in a short time. The life was so perfect, that I even envied myself.
But, as the universal truth says, everything has an end!!! And I could experience it in my life. So, called perfect life, slowly started corrupting. Her behavior suddenly changed, she started showing lesser interest in me. I was seeing my love castle deteriorating, brick by brick. Initially, I assumed the additional "full time member" in her life had taken a toll on her. So, I used to console her and forgiven all her tantrums. But, after few months, the situation became fatal.
I also, started giving it back to her, unable to bear the insult. The small wind had turned into a deadly tornado. I knew, I have to do something or else everything we had built together will turn into ashes.
I thought of consulting her parents to seek a solution. However, their response blew my mind, "She was always like that, we have given up on making her understand". I was middle of nowhere, I had no one to look at.
One day, the fight reached to such an extent, that she accused me saying, "You married me, only to get a green card". It was a strong blow on my self esteem, I cried the entire night and blamed god to put me in such a situation. I couldn't believe my ears but the harsh reality had struck the week point of my heart, 'my self confidence'.
Next day, I got up with determined to prove my intentions. I reached out to the officials to know the process of returning the Green card. I returned home, and with trembling voice informed her what I did. She simply smiled as if I was lying, and went out as if she never cared. That moment was good enough for me to decide, that returning Green card, and settling back in my own country is a wise decision. Looking at her emotion less eyes, I started the process. The time had stopped, everything around me had become bitter and dark. The remaining days on the foreign soil was like the worst nightmare. I was no longer concerned about my career, my life, or myself.
I returned back to my home land with broken heart, shattered shitty life. My parents truly stood by me and my decision and never uttered a foul word. Staying home staring at the walls with empty eyes had become my routine. Meanwhile, I tried to speak to few of my friends but everyone declared me a fool. Nobody showed any concerns about my feelings, mainly everyone called me impractical for returning the god damn green card.
I didn't lose only the green card, but also my life!!! I still haven't divorced her, hoping for a miracle to happen and to bring the lost life back in me.
9 years ago
Gayathri Krishnan created new article Methi Poriyal.
Methi Poriyal
Methi or Fenugreek is a small bitter brown seed that is very nutritious and a healthy way to lowering blood sugar in diabetics. Methi poriyal is a dry dish which can be used as a side dish with rasam or sambar rice. It can also be taken as a protein snack.
Ingredients
Methi - 1 cup.
Channa dal- 2 tsp
Coconut-Grated- 4 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Red chillies- 1 big
Salt to taste
Hing powder-a pinch.
Mustard- to splutter
Oil- 1 tsp.
Soak Methi overnight. Before preparation the next day, heat a kadai, add oil and mustard. When the mustard crackles add chilli and curry leaves. Add channa dhal.
Then add the soaked methi along with the water. (The water stock need not be wasted). Stir lightly and cook with a closed lid. Add salt. Do not stir often as the methi might get mushy. The seeds should be soft yet separate.
When all the water has evaporated, add grated coconut and hing powder. Remove and serve hot.
9 years ago
Gayathri Krishnan created new article Smile-remedy for all ills!.
After the common cold, the next thing,but the best thing that catches us quickly is a smile. A comic show on the telly, a baby that gives us a drooling smile in the train, an empathetic stranger in a long winding queue, anything makes you smile as a rejoinder.
Reading the facial expressions of people around us is a very ancient form of communication and expression. The human face is very expressive. It can register plenty of non verbal communicative systems. Expression tell us if a person is happy or hurt,annoyed or anguished, contented or distressed.
It takes human beings just a fraction of a second to respond to a smile. It would take a very hard day at work for us not to counter to a smile,whoever or wherever it may be.
IN a paper published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences researchers Paula Niedenthal and Adrienne Wood say that when w see a stranger smile it relives memories of the past when we felt the same emotional happiness and now this 'sensori motor simulation' triggers parts of the brain and muscular movement that makes u smile back in return.
Sometimes when you are induced to smile back,you may not be in form and a customary curling of the lips may suffice. This is because, the researchers say, only the 'somatosensory and motor systems' that activate a smile-muscle works, but the brain does not take the message to the facial muscles, hence the watery smile.
Whatever that may be learn to smile-at the person behind the ticket counter, the vegetable vendor at the roadside, the garbage collector-they might be the only ones that elp you to hold back the shattered pieces of the day together- with a smile.
Smile back in return and learn to take it home to others you migt meet-your spouse and your children, your parents and in-laws! After all a smile is an infection worthy to be spread!
9 years ago
Reena created new article Laughter Is The Best Medicine.
Laughter is good for health. Since this is an era where everyone of us is busy with their lives, we rarely get time to laugh our hearts out. Everything around us is polluted. We no longer get clean water to drink, pure air to breathe and stress-free environment to live. Even fruits, vegetables, grains and all those food items that we eat are neither fresh nor clean. In such an environment where everything is so polluted, we try to put in so many efforts so that we can keep ourselves fit and healthy. We even in our hectic schedule, spare a little time for exercise, try to eat healthy as and when we can, consult our physician for regular check-ups. However, this is not enough. A simple and best therapy our elders used to care for and today we do not care at all, is to laugh a little. Today we do not care to find ourselves some time so that we can enjoy this therapy and take great benefits from it. Best part of this therapy is that it hardly takes any time or toll. It is very simple as well as effective form of medicine. It can be done by anyone and age does not matter as it hardly requires any effort.
Advanced scientific research has proved that laughter improves mental health of a person. When an individual starts this therapy, for that particular duration he frees himself of his stress and tension. Whatever turbulence that is going around in his life stops. This shows remarkable improvement in his mental health. Physical health is mere reflection of mental health. When there is a sound mind, body definitely will regain its health. More than 90% of the diseases today are psychosomatic. It means our stress and turbulence we create in our minds are responsible for causation of diseases and formation of disorders in the body. When the stress itself gets eradicated, there is no way a person will suffer from dreadful diseases.
A smile or laughter can light up the whole arena. One has to laugh out loud. It is an exercise very popularly practiced today. We can see sometimes a group in a park laughing loudly. This is an exercise they perform which fills in them lots of enthusiasm and helps them to get rid of stress from their lives. This in turn will help them to get rid of their diseases. It is been widely practiced throughout the world. Earlier one had enough time to complete their work in required duration. Once they were done with work, they would find enough time to spend with their family and friends. They spent enough time and laughed hard and enjoyed a lot. Thus, this was no more a exercise then. It was more of a routine one would follow and enjoy. Today we do not indulge in getting together and spending quality time with others. Family time too has been engaged by television or mobile internet. We go out with friends but all we do over there is shop or listen to loud music. Laughter has long gone from our lives. Thus, today when we ask some one to laugh loudly it seems more like an unnatural act to them. It has thus been named as laughter exercise.
Initially one would find difficulty in doing it, as it seems a little unnatural to laugh without any reason. Therefore this exercise is best carried out in groups. While in groups, when we look at one another, laughter comes out naturally and all the hesitation goes away. It is a best exercise one can perform. It instills in us lots of enthusiasm, even in each and every part of the body. As the mind gets relaxed, so does the body and we becomes active and energized. This is the reason that today it is been practiced in almost all the yoga centers. Such is its importance. All we have to do is understand how important it is for our health and make it a routine of our every day lives. It is been popularly said that for good health, one has to reduce their food consumption to half of what they are already consuming, double the amount of water one is drinking, triple the intensity and duration of exercise one is performing and most important is quadruple the laughter in life. If one analyzes everything, one can see how difficult the other three are. Today we find it extremely difficult to reduce our food intake. On the other hand, we do not increase our water intake, no matter how many times it is been told to us. Exercise to most of us is like a nightmare and we rarely do it. Most of us hardly go for a walk and in such case, increasing the duration and intensity of exercise to almost triple the amount, almost seems impossible. Out of all the options given, laughter is the simplest and best option one can select for a healthy living.
Endorphin is a hormone in human body that helps human to get rid of pain. Human body itself is able to generate this pain relieving hormone in body. Individuals who practice this laughter therapy have excess amount of this pain relieving endorphin hormone in their body. As a result, such individuals experience very less amount of joint pains, headaches etc..... Laughter not only reduces stiffness of joints resulting in decreased joint pain even in old age but also decreases stress and thus stress related headaches does not develop. Laughter always exerts positive effects on health. It increases blood circulation. As the blood circulation in body increases, blood carries more and more amount of oxygen and nutrients to all the vital organs which in turn increases their working efficiency. Laughter is particularly helpful to individuals suffering from stress related disorders.
People usually smile or laugh when they are happy. Now let us look other way around. While we laugh loudly, our brain secretes a chemical known as serotonin. This chemical helps us to remain stress free and thereby makes us happy. We instead of giving justification that we cannot laugh unless we are happy, we can go for other way around. We should follow this laughter therapy and make ourselves happy. Laughter exerts positive effect on each and every cell in our body. It increases working efficiency of each and every organ in our body especially our digestive system. While we laugh all the muscles of our digestive system undergo exercise which increases the working efficiency. One can get rid of constipation very easily. All the other digestion related disorders too seem getting corrected by themselves. Respiratory related disorders too get corrected if an individual takes this laughter therapy seriously. Individuals who are suffering from asthma or other respiratory diseases in which excess of sputum gets collected in lungs, if regularly follows laughter therapy, will gradually see improvement in their condition. This is because laughter increases working efficiency of lungs and the sputum that is blocking channels or the one which is collected in lungs can be seen clearing out the way resulting in clear lungs. Within few days an individual can see drastic improvement in his condition.
Today most of us are sleep deprived. Reason is our busy life and hectic life style. Though most of us go for a sufficient sleep of 6-8 hours. even then we feel that we have not slept enough. This is all because it is just our body that sleeps. Mind still works even when body is recovering in sleep. This is because of stress that we go through in our day today lives. Whereas there are others who do not sleep at all i.e., the one who are suffering from insomnia. Laughter therapy helps them to correct their disorder and provides them a sound sleep. All the stress and tension gradually decreases. It relaxes mind and helps an individual to sleep peacefully. It decreases high blood pressure and various heart related diseases and disorders. Today right from early age even kids are suffering from depression. It has affected almost all age groups and the reason for its cause is not known in most of the cases. Laughter therapy serves as a boon as it helps greatly in treating depression and other mind related disorders. Laughter increases the process of inhalation and exhalation i.e., exchange of gases on its own. It acts like a cleansing process. Excess amount of oxygen enters the body and mixes with blood which is then carried to all vital organs in the body as well as excess amount of carbon dioxide gets excreted from the body. This provides sufficient energy as well as strength to respiratory organs and they work more efficiently. Laughter also increases defense power of body. It increases the immunity and helps body to fight against all sorts of infections and diseases.
Laughter therapy is a boon to mankind. It does not require any extra effort and thus can be carried out by individuals of all age groups, irrespective of whether they are kids or belonging to elderly age group. It does not require any strenuous efforts or modern equipment, the way physical exercises do, thus can be even carried out by physically weak individuals who are suffering from chronic illness. It is completely cost free. It does not require any special equipment nor there is a per-requisite of joining of any membership and thus it is cost free. It can be done individually or in a group. It can be done indoor within premises of one's house or outdoor in fresh air. Thus, it does not bring any hard and fast rules with it. It is a very simple and effective therapy and should be followed by each and every one. It exerts no negative effects. In contrary, it does good to each and every part and each and every organ of our body. It not only helps us to get rid of our physical diseases but is also mainly effective in treating mind related disorders. It is a tonic for brain. It completely eradicates stress and tension from one's life and helps them to live a happy and cheerful life. An individual who practices laughter therapy will always remain active and will be blessed by lots of enthusiasm which will always keep him healthy. Since laughter exerts positive effect on each and every cell of our body, a person who practice it from early age will keep himself free from all sorts of diseases and disorders as well as will show signs of delayed aging. His skin will glow and will remain wrinkle free. Laughter therapy is an easy technique of keeping our stress and turbulence we create in our daily lives aside and live a stable, disease free and healthy life.
9 years ago
Reena created new article Let Go Attitude.
Life is a journey which is full of surprises. It is a smooth hurdle free journey to some whereas for others it seems roller coaster ride. Every soul is on its own journey. Decisions once taken and the deeds once done, then one has to face outcome for sure. Though our love for other souls especially our near and dear ones is pure but we cannot bound them forever.
Every thing around us is mortal. To keep our views clear and live a simple life, we need to understand what all will be subjected to mortality and what all substances will remain with us forever. We have to let go our past as we all are aware of the fact that past cannot be repaired. We can always learn from our past mistakes and should remain fully aware in our present so that we do not commit them again. Most of us instead of learning from past, keep on cursing themselves or others for the rough time being faced in the past. This behavior instead of healing wounds, will lead to further surface scratching which will always keep wounds unhealed. The more and more surface is scratched, more delay one needs to face in recovery. Wound that would have been healed way back in the past was not allowed to do so and this is nobody's but our own mistake.
Whether the wound was caused by some one else or by ourselves, it is left to us whether we have to heal it or let it remain unhealed. If not allowed to recover, it will become prone to infection which will again cause lots of pain. We ourselves are responsible for our pain. If we determine and decide that we will always remain happy then no soul on this earth has the ability to cause any harm to us. It is the same way in which if a person wants to remain healthy and fit then no sort of infection or disease can affect his health. This is because of his conscious efforts he is putting in to remain healthy. His efforts will pay back him and bless him with good health. Thus, our conscious has to be clear. If we want to remain happy we need to let go all the turbulence that developed between us and other souls. We need to forget as well as forgive for our betterment. Does not matter who was responsible for creating turbulence. Need of this hour is to let go and forgive whoever did create it. Also, we need to forget the incident as remembering it again and again is like scratching the wound.
Let go should not only be kept confined to past deeds. Even in present it can work wonders if applied in our day to day lives. Let go does not only mean forgetting and forgiving wrong things others have done to us or vice versa. It also means letting go the people around us. As we know that each soul is on its own journey, we cannot create turbulence in others path. We should not get entangled in others business. They may be near and dear one of ours or may be total strangers. It does not mean that we cannot give suggestions or advice to them. For example, letting go does not mean parents cannot advice their kids to choose a right career or guide them in their journey or a friend cannot suggest or recommend something to his best friend. Letting go means fulfilling our duties and letting other person decide for himself. One can always make suggestions and give advice. What we do is, we do not let others especially our near and dear ones to choose for themselves as we are very sure of our suggestions and doubt their chosen options. In this way, we get entangled with them. Each soul has to decide for himself and thus we need to let go others no matter how close they are to us and allow them to make decisions of their lives.
Let go does not only remain confined to past. It is an attitude we need to develop. Once develop, it will rise us above small things and will aid to our greatness. We will no longer disturb ourselves over superficial issues. It will change our thinking and help us remain stress free and happy. It is a mantra we need to learn as well as teach others. Our life is precious and we cannot waste it thinking about some lame issue or fighting over with some one about something which is not of great concern. Let go is a mantra we need to learn and inculcate in our daily lives so that we understand the meaning of forgiveness. Soon it will become our attitude and help us become great and happy souls.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article 7.5% growth rate, but why is there less food to eat in India?.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly " baat" ( talk) on the radio stated that India has an economic growth of 7.5%. One cannot fault him for this as there is no doubt that the Indian growth rate is at the moment the highest in the world. The growth rate is a figure and refers to many factors and one of these is the investment in the country and the growth of the industry
Growth rate vs prices
Yet this growth rate has not translated into any material benefit for the Indian masses who continue to subsist on the lowest intake of protein and healthy foods in the world. This has a repercussion on the national health and the resultant effect on good life and performance in sports. The fact is that food prices despite this 7.5% growth have shot up to the sky and the humble Daal( pulses) the main staple diet for the Indians is selling at 3 times the price what it was sold before Modi took over. Daal is the source of protein in India as the percentage of meat eaters is less and also because meat and other items are beyond the reach of the masses because of their exorbitant cost. Mutton sells at almost Rs 500-600 a kilogram and that is not what an average Indian can afford to pay.
A question which I have repeatedly raised is that what use is a Mars mission and another paraphernalia if food for the mases is not available and farmers who produce the food are forced to commit suicide. What relevance has 7.5% growth and missions to Mars have for a child who does not get enough protien to eat or goes to bed half hungry. Many so called nationalists don't want to see the problem from this perspective and the result is the government also has lopsided priorities and food security, wholesome and healthy which should be the first priority remains the last.
Economic priorities
Foodstuff and that includes vegetables so essential for vitamins are selling at a price which should be for meat products. Meats are in any case out of reach for the masses and the myth is created that Indians are vegetarians. The fact is that people are unable to eat meats and so a myth of vegetarianism is created. I wonder whether Modi has ever thought of these points in his favorite Man ki Baat radio talks. He has NEVER touched on this issue. The fact is that 40% of Indian live below the poverty line and in numbers, they are more than the destitute of all countries put together. Not a happy thought.
One is reminded of a famous quote by the queen of France during the French revolution. She stated in 1789 "If there is no bread let the people eats cakes". i wonder whether the Modi government has a similar answer. However having said this, one must state that the present crisis of rising in foodstuff prices is a legacy from the lopsided economic policies of the Congress party and emanated from the views of Jawaharlal Nehru. This man really was just a philosopher who was catapulted as India's prime minister and the results in all field were simply disastrous. He set up 5 years plan but agriculture got very less priority and during his time hunger stalked India and thanks to the USA who gave free grains under PL 480, the Indians could subsist. This is Nehru and Congress party's legacy.
The future
But the clock has to be arrested and Modi can not take refuge at the ills of the congress party. He has to turn the clock around and see that the priority is nothing but food and this I am afraid he has not done. He has been in power for 2 years and yet one does not find any visible change. Farmers continue to commit suicide and food prices have shot up to the sky and overall Indian have less to eat, yet the BJP government like the congress is just increasing taxes. So what does 7'5 % growth men and what meaning it has for the poor?. Modi has to address this issue otherwise, he will go down in History like Nehru, who promised much but achieved little.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The crucial question; will Hillary Clinton make a good commander in chief.
The US Presidential election is now heading for the last lap. The conventions of the two main parties the GOP and the Democrats will be held next month and they will in all likelihood put the seal on the election of the two candidates who will represent the parties. Thus the stage is set for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to confront each other. As things stand Hillary has built up a tremendous lead over Trump as per the Gallup polls. This lead will be sweet music to the supporters of Hillary.
Assuming that Hillary maintains her lead, there is every chance she will be the president of the USA. Here is the fly in the ointment. Hillary as president will also be the Commander in Chief of the US armed forces. What sort of commander she will be is a question that many want to answer. One must understand that a C in C of the US armed forces is unlike any other commander as he or she also controls the nuclear button and the commander has to take momentous decisions on security matters and deployment of troops.
Last week I was in the USA and was a guest at a brunch with my American friend who is now out of the army as a Colonel. He in an animated discussion gave me a startling opinion. As per him, Hillary as a Commander in Chief is the most undesirable thing as far as the US is concerned. He pointed out that there is no record in the history of a woman having commanded any army and taken momentous military decisions. One is apt to quote the example of Indira Gandhi and say " look she was a woman and yet led in the war for the liberation of Bangladesh". But in reality, she took only political decisions and despite her exhortations the then army Chief Sam Maneckshaw made it clear that he would launch the invasion only at a time he decided and hence the invasion was delayed by a few months.
In the US such a scenario does not exist, as all executive power over the armed forces is the president. I must also grudgingly agree with my friend that there is no record of a woman taking military decisions in the army. Another friend, however, interjected and asked what about Razia Sultana and Joan of Arc of Orleans( France) ? My answer is the Razia ruled in the company of her lover and all military decisions were taken by him while Joan of Arc was a subordinate commander as the King of France was the defacto ruler.In any case in a history of 4000 wars, these are like flashes in the pan and overall women as commanders have not existed.
War is now more complex and there is the added danger of a nuclear conflagration. This is the real danger as the sole authority to authorize a nuclear strike is the US president and one wonders with the state of her health ( she fainted a few months back) how competent she will be to handle the nuclear button. In all likelihood, she will need an advisor and maybe her husband the ex-president Bill Clinton will chip in. She does not have the best of relations with him after his indiscretions in the oval office with Monica Lewinsky which almost led to his impeachment.
Being a woman has an effect. However competent she is Hillary, has not displayed any acumen that she is fit to handle the nuclear button. Women are associated with somethings soft and beautiful and one cannot associate them with the harsh decisions of deciding the policy of war. All in all an interesting aspect of politics in the US has come up. The voters are fickle and vote more by instinct than thought and some follow the sheep mentality. It happens in India also as the real capability of a candidate gets overlooked.
How good a commander Hillary will be is a question that at present finds no answer. Perhaps one does not question Donald Trump on his capability to handle the nuclear button, but in the case of Hillary these thoughts do crop up.The present election may well be a watershed in world politics.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The crucial question; will Hillary Clinton make a good commander in chief.
The US Presidential election is now heading for the last lap. The conventions of the two main parties the GOP and the Democrats will be held next month and they will in all likelihood put the seal on the election of the two candidates who will represent the parties. Thus the stage is set for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to confront each other. As things stand Hillary has built up a tremendous lead over Trump as per the Gallup polls. This lead will be sweet music to the supporters of Hillary.
Assuming that Hillary maintains her lead, there is every chance she will be the president of the USA. Here is the fly in the ointment. Hillary as president will also be the Commander in Chief of the US armed forces. What sort of commander she will be is a question that many want to answer. One must understand that a C in C of the US armed forces is unlike any other commander as he or she also controls the nuclear button and the commander has to take momentous decisions on security matters and deployment of troops.
Last week I was in the USA and was a guest at a brunch with my American friend who is now out of the army as a Colonel. He in an animated discussion gave me a startling opinion. As per him, Hillary as a Commander in Chief is the most undesirable thing as far as the US is concerned. He pointed out that there is no record in the history of a woman having commanded any army and taken momentous military decisions. One is apt to quote the example of Indira Gandhi and say " look she was a woman and yet led in the war for the liberation of Bangladesh". But in reality, she took only political decisions and despite her exhortations the then army Chief Sam Maneckshaw made it clear that he would launch the invasion only at a time he decided and hence the invasion was delayed by a few months.
In the US such a scenario does not exist, as all executive power over the armed forces is the president. I must also grudgingly agree with my friend that there is no record of a woman taking military decisions in the army. Another friend, however, interjected and asked what about Razia Sultana and Joan of Arc of Orleans( France) ? My answer is the Razia ruled in the company of her lover and all military decisions were taken by him while Joan of Arc was a subordinate commander as the King of France was the defacto ruler.In any case in a history of 4000 wars, these are like flashes in the pan and overall women as commanders have not existed.
War is now more complex and there is the added danger of a nuclear conflagration. This is the real danger as the sole authority to authorize a nuclear strike is the US president and one wonders with the state of her health ( she fainted a few months back) how competent she will be to handle the nuclear button. In all likelihood, she will need an advisor and maybe her husband the ex-president Bill Clinton will chip in. She does not have the best of relations with him after his indiscretions in the oval office with Monica Lewinsky which almost led to his impeachment.
Being a woman has an effect. However competent she is Hillary, has not displayed any acumen that she is fit to handle the nuclear button. Women are associated with somethings soft and beautiful and one cannot associate them with the harsh decisions of deciding the policy of war. All in all an interesting aspect of politics in the US has come up. The voters are fickle and vote more by instinct than thought and some follow the sheep mentality. It happens in India also as the real capability of a candidate gets overlooked.
How good a commander Hillary will be is a question that at present finds no answer. Perhaps one does not question Donald Trump on his capability to handle the nuclear button, but in the case of Hillary these thoughts do crop up.The present election may well be a watershed in world politics.
9 years ago
ABSIVAKUMAR created new article Neighbors can be real companions.
It is always observed that in huge metro cities and even in the tier 2 towns, the people in flats and apartments do not even know the names of those who live on the same floor, forget those above or below in the other floors of the same apartment complex. Worse, they do not make many attempts in knowing each other, nor interact with the people at any point in time.
This is a very unhealthy trend which has to be reversed, for the following reasons.
Losing out on happy moments
It is a big tragedy of life that we miss out on vital happy moments. When we share small happy moments with others, particularly neighbors, it is a great fact of life, that it becomes much more beautiful.
How? Very simple. There is humor, there is fun, there are several lighter moments, like when a two year old child goes around playing and ransacking the house. Or, trying to bargain something from the mother, by being adamant. Even if we spend just around three minutes, we are able to see all this. But, we often ignore such things, and walk around like mad people, with money being the only single obsession. Often, our attempts at making quick money come to naught, and we are back to square one.
They are human too
The art of winning friends and influencing people, starts from ground zero. Neighbors are as human as we are, with all their strengths and weaknesses. When we reach out to them, we might discover that they are very good people, who really mean what they say and are all out to be of great help, more so, then merely keeping safe custody of our house keys when we are away, or buying the LPG gas cylinder when we are away.
There are small things, but they can often give us big solace in terms of good advise or console us, when there is a calamity in terms of death in our houses. So, it is all about reaching them in the right way.
Bringing happiness all around
Neighbors are often capable of bringing happiness all around. One evidence of this is the huge number of humor clubs in many localities of big cities. The humor clubs poke innocent fun at others, or revolve around unknown persons. Since there is huge amount of laughter, there is always a big amount of happiness that goes along with such laughter.
Similarly, the human spirit in all its goodness is often seen in times of need. Neighbors who had not even exchanged the basic minimum pleasantries, in normal times, were seen to be highly cooperative and more helpful during the November and December 2015 floods in Chennai city. In fact, there were countless stories of how people were able to organize themselves with the scarce resources that they had, and braved the five days of real hell, as it were.
The one big lesson that this mammoth calamity taught them was to really be friendly with neighbors and not fight over trivial reasons or small disputes or even misunderstanding.
The happiness with which the rescue measures were mounted was something that one had never seen before. Even neighbors who were not in talking terms, came together to brave the crisis situation, and shared not only their accommodation, but also whatever scarce resources they had, for the five horrible days of rain. They communicated with their relatives from whatever spots they could, and sought the help of even strangers, who sprang up from nowhere to go all out to help. In several localities, huge kitchens were set up, and food on a mass scale was prepared and distributed.
So, it is up to us to really understand our neighbors and build rapport with them.
Neighbors can add value in many ways
In many cases, neighbors are doctors, engineers, lawyers, architects and even professional singers. Each of them can be helpful and can guide us at any point in time. However, it is futile to attempt to have a totally commercial view of the whole thing. Building rapport and bridges cannot and should not happen in a jiffy. It does take time and it does make meaning only when we are very sure that they have some time on their hands to spare for us. For instance, a neighbor who is a doctor, might be able to get to the initial diagnosis or suggest a good clinic where this could be done, even if he or she were to work elsewhere. Beyond this point, it is ridiculous to expect the doctor to help us in any way.
So, we need to understand the small little ways in which we can build rapport with others. Once we do this, there will be harmony all around. Already, in some apartment complexes, there are some good attempts to encourage meeting of all people, at least once a week.
This should be encouraged and taken to its logical conclusion, so that neighbors can live in peace, and together at all times to come.
9 years ago
Bajirao created new article Why do our joints crack?.
You might have noticed many times your knee joints, finger joints or knuckles frequently cracking. Why do they crack? Is it really a serious problem? Do you need to be concerned about this popping sound? We all have these questions at back of our mind whenever we hear popping sounds from our joints. Lets understand what is the reason behind this problem.
Some scientists and doctors says there is no reason for popping sounds, joint do crack all the time and hence not to worry about it. Only if the joints pain or swells due to cracking then there is some pathology behind this joint cracking. But its a curiosity to know why they crack at first place?
What causes the sound when we crack the joints?
1) Movements and gliding of joints - Usually you will hear cracking sound in the knee or ankle joints. That sound is due to the movements of tendon which get slightly out of the place. Hence when you sit or squat you get the cracking sound.
2) Lack of friction - Synovial fluid present in between two joints acts as lubricant and hence the movement of joints become smooth. In case of arthritis, synovial fluid is less and smoothness of cartilage reduces as well and hence it causes friction in the joints. This friction may cause sound in the joints during certain motion.
3) Release of gases - Some of the scientists and doctors believe that another reason for cracking sound in the joint is due to release of gases from the synovial fluid. According to the them, synovial fluid contains various gases like nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. When we stretch a joint like we press the knuckles or when we sit, small air bubbles are formed between the sac of joints. These air bubbles make the popping sound.
Is joint popping really a serious problem?
It is not a serious problem unless there is no pain and swelling. Such sounds are normal and usually increases with the age. Cracking sound of joint neither good nor bad for our joints. Many people think that cracking of knuckles or joints cause arthritis, it is not true. However frequent cracking of joints may increase the inflammation in the joints and lower the strength of the joints according to the researchers. However it is better to understand that arthritis is not caused by popping of joints but caused due to lack of synovial fluid between the joints.
If you hear the popping sound too frequently with pain or swelling in the joints, it is always advised to seek doctors advice as it can be due to some pathology in the joints.
How to stop popping sound?
You need to strengthen the muscles where popping occurs. If your knee joint make cracking joint frequently, try to strengthen the muscles that supports the knee joint. Do some warm up exercises and squats regularly. These exercises will help to lubricate the joints and improve the mobility of the joints.
Also soft massage would help to get rid stress in your joints. You can visit the massage therapist for professional soft tissue massage.
Eat healthy food as nutritious food help to improve the quality of joints and muscles. Consume fish oil as it fights against the inflammation related to joint destruction. also eat lots of fruits and vegetables as they are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Don't over do any thing. Avoid exercising to great extent. Do as much as your body, joints and muscles are able to manage. Regular mild to moderate exercise will help to reduce the cracking sound in the joints, however pathological cracking of joints would require more efforts than just nutritious food and exercise. Hence please take your doctors advise in such cases.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Is it morally right?.
Margaret Alva was in fact steadily demoted after she started speaking out her mind to the press, so it is not as if she has been silent nor been an opportunist. I think she was a great admirer of Manmohan Singh which made her put up with a lot within the party. Now when she is out if it all, if she decided to write down her memories there is no morality involved. In fact the people she had written about should do some introspection about their own deeds since so many under them are coming up with almost similar revelations..
9 years ago