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I have been promising that I would like to upload all of the articles I have written over the years so that they might be of use for people rather than them languishing on my hard drive, but I've been a bit slack at actually doing so because converting them to decent HTML and fixing it all up takes a bit of time.
But Regine's post on Visualizing: tracing an aesthetics of data inspired me to find the article on Jonathan Harris that I wrote a while back in 2004.
So, the plan from here on in is to upload one article from the archives per week (which would mean about two year's worth of posts!).
Man of the Hour – Jonathan Harris
If recent world events have taught us anything about the media it must surely be that it is relentless organism. We have seen live videophone feeds from the frontline in Iraq, the explosion of blogging and RSS (Really Simple Syndication) news feeds and recently mobile phone camera images on the front pages of newspapers. Use any RSS news reader and you will see stories being updated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With all this information flying around the Web, how can we make sense of it all and what would an hourly snapshot look like? That is exactly the question Jonathan Harris set out to answer with his 10×10 project. In an ironic twist the site held the number one slot on Blogdex for several days as news of its representation of news spread around the Web.
(Article continues…)
Originally from Vermont in the United States, Harris had a traditional Beaux-Arts training before studying computer science at Princeton University. As is often the case with those that have studied both the arts and computing, Harris developed an eye for how their intersection might shed light on the chaos of life. At Princeton he developed a program called Extra!Extra!that gathered similar news stories from over 75 sources around the world, so that you could read multiple accounts of the same story and glean a more balanced perspective. "It was a lot like Google News, one year before Google News,†he says. "In some ways, 10×10 was a natural extension of Extra!Extra!, but more about images and less about media bias.â€
Throughout Harris's earlier work, there is a strong emphasis on information design, from posters on world debt and health to re-interpreting cartography, many of which formed part of his work at the Princeton International Networks Archive.
"I've always found hidden patterns fascinating,†he explains. "As a little kid, I had this wonderful book called Trouble For Trumpets, by Peter Cross. It was filled with vastly intricate illustrations of this fictitious world, inhabited by a race of fuzzy orange creatures called Trumpets. Hiding in the pictures were a series of objects – faces gnarled into tree bark, banjos inside daffodils, mollusks in the moon. I would spend hours on end with this book, always convinced there were more hidden patterns to discover. Fast forward fifteen years to the present day, and I'm confronted with a whole new set of tools to escalate pattern finding to a global, real-time, hugely meaningful level.
"The Web has allowed us to look at humanity holistically, more or less, drawing conclusions about what matters in a given moment. A dataset like the Web is massively daunting, but if you can find meaningful niches to examine, it's also massively inspiring. I'm intrigued by the idea of a collective unconscious, influencing us all in the same way, causing us to make the same choices as others, without knowing it.â€
10×10 is, as most great ideas are, relatively simple in conception. It consists of a ten by ten grid of images, with an associated list of 100 words. The data is collected from several news sources (Reuters, the BBC and The New York Times) every hour. Harris's code analyses the data and works out which are the most important words and pictures of the hour. Although Harris says that it "runs with no human intervention and makes no comment on news media biasâ€, the choice of (albeit well-respected) news sources does pass comment on the focus of the Western media because it quite clearly shows what news is decreed as important by those institutions. Harris plans to do a similar version including non-Western media or blog feeds in the future.
"It's an ambitious idea and a controversial statement to claim to encapsulate an hour on planet earth,†he admits."I expected to field a lot of heavy criticism. I was shocked and amazed by the overwhelmingly positive response. Within two days of its launch, over 90,000 unique visitors had seen 10×10, it was one of the top ten links on the entire web for several days, and I started receiving hundreds of emails a day from people all over the world, some of which were surprisingly emotional, as people were truly moved by what they saw in the grid.
Harris describes November 11th, the day Yasser Arafat died, as crystallizing 10×10's true nature for him when almost the entire grid was filled with pictures of the Palestinian leader.He feels it is a little like being a reclusive photographer on a rooftop, snapping away at the hustle and bustle below, detached from the emotion of it all. " When there's a 9/11, or an Arafat death, 10×10 is there to record our reaction,†he says.
For something that has had such a wide resonance with the online community, Harris is not terribly inspired by the Web. "[Inspiration] usually comes from observing normal people in the world, and then thinking about how their experiences could be quantified and revealed, sometimes using the Web as a data source. My next project will be about Internet porn. It's the most popular part of the Web, and one of the least often analysed.â€
Another project, WordCount is an interactive visualization of the 88,000 most frequently used English words ranked and scaled in one long sentence ("Andy†is 3,352nd beating "Desktop†at 5,459th). Of course "the†is at the number one slot, but perhaps more revealing is QueryCount, which maps the most commonly searched for words within WordCount.
"I noticed that when people used WordCount, they rarely searched for common words like 'the',†explains Harris. "By being so common, such words render themselves uninteresting. People tended to search instead, first for their name, and then for sexual words. I was curious to see whether this tendency was only shared by my ribald friends, or whether it applied to all users of WordCount. To answer this question, I created QueryCount, [which] has now logged hundreds of thousands of WordCount queries, and the top 30 or so words read like the public television censorship list.†No prizes for guessing which word beginning with 'F' is at the number one spot (oddly enough "celebration†is the least searched for word).
We can expect to see more of Harris's work as he is currently on a residency at Fabrica in Italy, Benetton's Research and Development Communication Centre (Update: Of course he's no longer there – AP). Several other projects can be found at Number 27 as well as at his production company's site, Flaming Toast (Update: Flaming Toast was subsumed by Number 27 since this article was written – AP). As if that wasn't enough, he is also co-founder of a designer breath mint company called Oral Fixation Mints, which incidentally, has a beautiful website, just in case all that bad news leaves a nasty taste in your mouth.
This article was originally published in Desktop Magazine, January Issue, 2005. There are also several other posts on Playpen about Jonathan's Harris more recent works that you might be interested in.
©2004 Andy Polaine & Niche Media Pty. Ltd. This article is not covered by Playpen's general Creative Commons Licence.
[tags]writing, archives, interviews, articles, work, jonathan harris, desktop[/tags]


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003 #IAMSLUT Collection is a reflection of who we are and how we see the world we are living in today.
As a result after our study, #IAMSLUT is too provocative and refers to a bad connotation for women in our society. In contradiction, #IAMSLUT for men does not outrage the society and even create a humor reaction in minds.
That is why we decided to give to women #UAREPRUDE. Nevertheless, who wants to be a prude ?
Why should we be limited by the gender ?
#LIBERATEME (unisex line) is the master peice of 003 Collection. #LIBERATEME is over the gender. Neither men or women, still HUMAN.

subset: commoncrawl


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Just Gold Mother-Daughter Pairing Accessories
Mother and daughter have a subtle and mysterious connection both the blood and the soul.The most pleasant thing is the purest and selfless love that is revealed naturally between the two,especially the moved feeling from the mother,which is considered to be the inspiration of poems,movements and famous painting. The well known leading brand Just Gold gives high praise of the mothers.Knowig their passion for the daughters,Just Gold has especially promoted Mother-Daughter Pairing pendants and bracelet.
With subtle design of Mon and Gal series,its character is their similar style and pictures,which accentuate bothe the Mother and Daughter patterns,showing off the intimacy between mother and daughter.The inspiration is derived from lovely animals such as dolphin,bee and panda,also includes the dots and crossed pictures from most primitive family game.
All of these have become funny fashionable accessories by trimming with colors. Seeing the grow up of the daughter,the happiness and proudness released from mother's heart illuminate everyone around.Every mother will make the best plan for the daughter and pass their most precious thing and instrumental value on to their daughters.
Nothing can be more admirable than wearing the same pendant and bracelet with the daughter.With twin-like dress up,they utmostly show their warm and fashionable taste,which will pass from generation to generation.
MaBe Dolphin pendant
As a symbol of grace and vigor,the dolphin is aspiritual and kind-hearted sea life. This paring accessories is inspired by a baby dolphin clings to the mother's embrace, feeling satified and safe.It's a kind of fashionable pattern loved by both mothers and babies.
MaBe Bee pendant
It's indeed a sweet design with an interesting polygon honeybomb shape.It looks more fashionable and moving with several flying bees.
MaBe Panda pendant and bracelet
Panda is our favourite animal,thus both the mother and baby patterns are lovely.The vivid black and white colors on the panda's face and its specific plump body,which is more funny and delicate.MaBe Noughts red beadings bracelet
Inspired by the round circles in the Pass --Three –Carriers game,the focus is the wholly-cut red coral beading trimming and skeleton strip Just Gold,which is both generous and fashionable.
MaBe Crosses bracelet Inspired by the cross in the Pass --Three –Carriers game,the bracelet has abundant crossed lines,creating a unique and dazzling beauty.Both mother and baby are interested in it.
Posted by Fashioner at 9:37:00 PM
Labels: Accessories, bracelet, jewelry, MaBe, mother and baby, Panda, pendant
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text: We would greatly value your prayers for the coming two months of mission. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association have asked Steve and World Mission's if we can return to many of the desert communities and conduct follow up events after the success of REALITY 2016 in Alice Springs with Will Graham. Over 800 people committed their lives to Christ and many of them live in isolated regions. So during June and July our plan is to get back out to Alice Springs and begin serving remote churches and distributing essential materials. Pray for these small communities who often times have no resources and encouragement and yet have people hungry for Bible teaching and fellowship.


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I' continuing UFM this month. I had 17 absolutely No Spending days in January and hope to do the same in February. We are filing our income taxes some time next week. Hoping for a good outcome!
We have decided to tell the tenant of the cottage that she has to move. I hate to have to do this but they are always late with the rent and still owe us the rent from the month of September. We have been very patient with them because she fell on hard times and we know how hard is to get back on your feet. We realized that we should treat the house as a business. If she fails to pay the rent, we have to take $600 from our household budget to make the mortgage payment. I know this is a chance we took but we just have to try to get someone in there that can make the rent. Let's see what happens.
Not much going on here; just watching the Superbowl on Sunday.
Weekly update
I' continuing UFM this month. I had 17 absolutely No Spending days in January and hope to do the same in February. We are filing our income taxes some time next week. Hoping for a good outcome!
4 Responses to "Weekly update"
February 3rd, 2017 at 04:20 pmIve been in the same scenario dealing with one of my roommates. And yes at some point we have to treat it as a business agreement. Do you have a rental agreement? Also, maybe suggest she pays you twice a month versus all at once. Thats if you decide to keep her.
February 3rd, 2017 at 06:09 pmI completely agree with treating the rental property as a business because it is an investment. You set out to make money, not give someone charity and it is now February so you have been more than generous by giving them plenty of time to make up the missing September rent. I hope you get a great tenant next time!
February 5th, 2017 at 11:19 amI am sure it is a tough thing trying to be nice to this person who fell on hard times, but you have to look out for yourself as well. I think you've been generous and kind waiting on the late rent and as you said, you have to make up the deficit.
February 7th, 2017 at 09:48 amI agree with the others. You need to let the renter not have a free ride.


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Free Quick Tips for SME's
Do Not Chase The Superstars On Google+
In this video we share how to create good quality networks on Google+.
By building up others, you will enable yourself to grow.
Focusing on the superstars however is not usually all that healthy for your own network.
Click below to view:
Further advanced training available:
Marketing help
If you feel you would like help developing a custom web presence marketing strategy, then please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.


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Cleaning of tartar, as well as any visit to the dentist, is an unpleasant procedure. That is why today we offer several preventive methods to help prevent tartar and plaque and fight against the already available.
Remove plaque
These popular recipes do not damage the tooth enamel, they simply soften the plaque or even tartar, contributing to easier cleaning of the teeth. Due to the natural antiseptic effect, the decoctions also serve to disinfect the mouth and prevent the plaque from coming out!
Decoction of lime-blossom
You will need:
4 tablespoons lime blossom
4 tablespoons dry flakes of sunflower seeds, without kernel
1 liter of water
Prepare a potion: in the warm water run the linden blossom and the crushed flakes sunflower, allow the mixture to boil, then cool slightly and strain the liquid.
Wash your teeth with an ordinary toothpaste. Then rinse them with the lukewarm decoction.
Rinse your mouth with the potion, every day in the morning and evening, and a week later you will notice that there is no trace of a rough plaque!
Sunflower husks are not always available, but do not worry! They can be replaced by oak bark, which is easy to find in herbal pharmacies. Decoction of lime blossom is useful for rinsing the mouth and those who wear prosthesis or dental implants. This will protect you from all inflammatory processes!
Decoction of horsetail
You will need:
30 g of horsetail
1 cup of water
1. Prepare a potion – in the hot pan boil the horsetail.
2. Take the potion 2 times a day 1/3 cup within 15 minutes after a meal.
3. The duration of this prophylactic course is 20 days.
Note: If you have kidney problems, the horsetail is contraindicated!
Horsetail is a remarkable anti-inflammatory and cleansing agent. If your teeth are prone to plaque, always try the strength of the curative drink! In addition, the horsetail improves blood circulation: it is very useful for periodontal disease.
Well, it turns out that cleaning a plaque is not as difficult as you think! Of course, this does not mean that you should stop going to the dentist! Prevention is the most important thing!


text: Mikey is a sweet old Belgian gelding in his late twenties. Mikey is one of our more independent horses and prefers to be left alone by others. He is not afraid to stand his ground and can often be seen fighting with the other horses. Mikey does, however, love attention from people. Mikey is always hanging out at the fence on Sundays looking for attention from our many visitors. He will also follow you around the paddock to keep you from grooming any of the other horses.


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Registered Psychiatric Nurses, Partnering with People
Abuse of health care workers is a growing and serious problem. The Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Saskatchewan believes that health care facilities should recognize and actively minimize health care worker abuse.
The Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Saskatchewan believes that an educational program addressing abuse should be implemented in all health care facilities in Saskatchewan. The educational program should include:
Abuse may take the form of acts/threats of physical aggression, verbal abuse, psychological abuse or sexual harassment. Anticipation or fear of violence is a stress factor which may cause physical or psychological problems for the health care worker.
Approved by Council
June 1994


text: The rumors have been confirmed, and now it has been disclosed that Lil Wayne's initial collection with the Supra brand will be unleashed in early 2013. The exclusive partnership will deal only with footwear, as of course, apparel would hinder his recently-introduced Trukfit brand. Weezy has rocked with Supra heavy over the years, so again, this linking shouldn't really come as a surprise. Stay tuned for more on the joint effort. [via Supra]


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Hey, welcome. Consider following us on Twitter and subscribing to our RSS feed, or sign up for email updates from the Home Page.
We've been seriously digging on atole over the last few frigid days, specifically, this version made with cinnamon-packed horchata. Start with fragrant rice, nutty (and affordable) pepitas, and a generous portion of cinnamon stick. Add just enough maple syrup to make the corn sing in the final product, and let your stove transform it all into one comforting, fluffy beverage thick enough to drink with a spoon.
Try it out for a light breakfast or a snack any time of day. But keep in mind that, comforting as it is, this atole isn't a sweet indulgence. It's more of a staple item--mild, a little earthy, and soothing. We top ours with extra spice, and strongly suggest you do the same, though it isn't necessary. The horchata recipe calls for vanilla extract for price and convenience, but if you can spare a quarter or so of a fresh bean, use that for a flavorful (and more traditional) substitute.
And, finally, feel free to make the horchata in advance. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days. Use the spent pulp to bulk up oats--the ground rice cooks up softly, of course, and the ground pepita adds a bit of texture and fiber. Add the pulp to 1/4 cup steel-cut oats, combine with 1 1/2 cups water and cook, essentially, like rice: cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes. Sweeten and garnish as you would straight oats. They can be stored in the fridge for several days and reheated on the stove with a little nondairy milk to thin out the mixture, which thickens as it stands.
Atole de Horchata
yields 2 large or 4 small servings
3 cups horchata, recipe follows, divided
1/4 cup masa harina
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
pinch ground aniseed
Reserve 1/2 cup of horchata in a medium bowl and set aside. Pour remaining horchata into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When it begins to boil, working quickly, make a slurry by whisking the masa harina into the reserved horchata. When the pot contents come to a full boil, whisk in the slurry until fully combined, then reduce heat to medium-low, retaining a steady high simmer.
Cook, whisking frequently, until thickened into a near-custard consistency, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the ground spices and set aside. You'll know the atole is ready when whisking causes the mixture to come away from the bottom of the pot. Serve immediately, with spoons, and sprinkle a pinch or two of the spice mixture on top of each cup.
yields 3 cups, adapted from Pure Vegan
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup jasmine rice
1/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2-inch cinnamon stick, broken in half
pinch salt
cold water
2 1/2 TBSP grade B maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Combine the hot water, rice, pepitas, and cinnamon. Cover and let soak at least six hours, or overnight. Blend until smooth and strain thoroughly through a nut milk bag, squeezing to express as much liquid as possible.
Combine the milk with salt, syrup, vanilla, and enough cold water (2 to 2 1/4 cups) to make a total of 3 cups liquid. Note that this horchata separates readily, so stir well before each use.


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Out of Control is book one of the Kincaid Brides series by Christian historical fiction author Mary Connealy. The two main protagonists are Julia Gilliland, a fiery redhead in love with God and natural science (something rather unusual for her point in history!), and Rafe Kincaid, a sensible, grounded man who has built a wall around his wounded heart. When they meet up, sparks fly and the adventure commences! The book is a light read, but fun and entertaining, with likable characters and an interesting plot. You may be surprised by how this book ends, or you may not, but I think you will enjoy it either way! I know I did!
Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a free copy of this title in order to provide a review. The thoughts above are my own and entirely original.


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PSA: We are almost sold out of our YBC Mantra Boxes. The healthy living subscription box will go out the first week of September and it is packed full of goodies from small businesses in the health, wellness and fitness industries. Snag yours while you still can!
If you've been reading for a while, you know that I recently took a week off to deal with some health issues that had reared their ugly head in the wake of the stress I'd been feeling for the last few months. It hasn't been an easy year for me. At the end of last summer, I moved from LA to the Czech Republic, then a few months later went back to the US, lead a retreat in Costa Rica, moved back to Europe (Germany), traveled to Dubai for work, went back to the US (homeless, crashed with our parents), traveled to Miami for a retreat, traveled to Costa Rica for a retreat, finally found a place to live (had no furniture, not even a bed), went to Greece, Italy and Morocco to lead retreats, went back to the US to move into our new place (office tour, home tour), lead a retreat in Upstate New York, and then crashed and burned.
My body was falling apart, my anxiety and stress levels were high, and depression was creeping its way into my life. I was told I needed to get myself together or things were going to get worse.
In tears after the longest day ever in New York City, I sat in the car at the train station, feeling like a complete failure. I felt like my body was betraying me - I mean I blog for a living - I'm not curing cancer over here, so I felt it was absurd that the stress was getting to me. But I realized that I have honestly been going non-stop for months. A lot of travel, time change, and giving of myself (retreats, while I absolutely love them, are not a vacation for me) had worn me down. It was a good reminder that my body, while it has been healing from longterm antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease for just over a year and a half, still has a very weak immune system. When a friend pointed out that I'd never actually taken any time off from my work, I realized I needed to drop everything and tend to my health.
The past week that I took off was about lowering my stress levels, and finding ways to develop a work/life balance because when you work from home, it's hard to just shut the door to the office and call it a day. It's going to be a goal of mine to continue to find this balance and keep my stress levels in check because I did a lot of research over the week and found that emotional and situation stress actually has a physical effect on the body. It can raise cortisol levels which can raise inflammation. And inflammation is the root of so many diseases, so it's extremely important to me to get myself back to a healthy space. This morning I'd like to share what I did over the last week, and the changes I've made to help meet my goal.
Over the week, I tried to learn more about stress and how it affects the body. In my research, I learned that being out in the woods and smelling the fresh air (I know, it sounds nuts), can actually reduce the stress hormone cortisol significantly more than taking a walk around an urban environment. I grew up near the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut, and I haven't been there in years, so I jumped in the car with the pup on one of the hottest days of the week, and hiked through the woods. He had a blast, and I enjoyed myself, too. It's funny because I am the least outdoorsy person alive, but I feel like I turned a new leaf (see what I did there?). I took the time to listen to the hollow sound of my steps on the trail, looked up at the towering trees, and listened to the river rush by. I took some deep breaths in and tried to soak up the moment. By the end of the hike, I actually wanted to go camping, haha. We'll see how long that desire lasts. #notoutdoorsy
After our hike, I went to visit some of my cousins (are cousins not the best?!) and spent some time with my uncles and my mom. I never really get to see any of these people, aside from my mom, so it was really, really nice to catch up and I drove home feeling so uplifted.
I worked out every day - because I love it and it's my happy place. And also because, according to The Gratitude Diaries, the book I was reading, exercise may help to decrease inflammation.
I have been focusing a lot on weight lifting, and I am really loving my workouts lately. I feel like I'm getting stronger, and it's positively impacting my yoga practice, improving my posture, and the overall way I feel. I can't really describe it, but I just feel good. Yesterday's workout, in case you were interested in switching up your own routine was:
Front squat 5/5/5 at 65/75/85 pounds
Then 200m row sprint, 10 pull ups, 15 wall balls 5 rounds for time.
Then, afterwards, I'd practice yoga - whether it's a flow like the one above (wearing: nike shorts and bra) or handstand work or gentle stretching.
I tried to get outside as much as possible, exploring new hiking trails with the dog....
...who clearly enjoyed it!
And I tried to really take the time to do things that made my body feel good. Like I love fresh juices, and the GAPS diet talks about the importance of drinking them often, but I don't usually take the time to make them myself. Instead I buy them from Whole Foods which is just a waste of five bucks and they taste better and probably contain more nutrients when I make them myself. So I busted out my juicer and got to work. This one was made with a handful of parsley, romaine lettuce, 1 whole lemon, 1/4 apple (gotta do low sugar for me right now because of inflammation), 1 in piece of ginger, 2 stalks of celery and a cucumber.
I also called up an old friend and got together with her at the beach. It was such a great afternoon to sit and chat and being around her and her sweet kids, and being at the beach lifted my spirits.
On another day, a friend invited me to come over. She had booked a massage therapist for us by the pool! I'd never had a massage outdoors and it was such a different experience to feel the soft breeze and hear the birds. It was heaven.
By the end of the week, I felt so much better (see above, hahahaha). Not 100%, but far less stressed. My efforts to get outside, be with friends, and do things that I knew my body loved had started to pay off. But when it came time to think about getting back to work, my throat started to hurt (I get this weird choking feeling when I'm stressed) and my jaw pain started to come back. So I decided to make some changes.
Resolutions for Self Care
1. Social media shut down. I turned off all notifications on instagram, twitter and Facebook. YBC has a combined total of 38,000 followers just on those three platforms. Like I said, I'm not changing lives here, my job isn't really that serious, but I am in the business of helping others and I really love the community we've created. I feel like somehow we've attracted the kindest, smartest people from all over and I'm happy to answer questions and make connections - but I need to have a balance between work and my personal life. It's extremely important to me to connect with people, but the notifications were happening at all hours. I felt like if I didn't answer someone's question immediately that they'd feel offended... but it was getting to be too much, so I just decided that I need to only answer questions when I have the time and energy for it. So now, when I sign in, I'll answer what I can given the time and energy I have, and let that be enough.
2. Be more thankful. Years ago, I read The Secret and one of the things that has stayed with me over the years is this paragraph about this guy who got up every morning and as his feet touched the ground, he'd mentally say, "Thank you." And as he walked to the bathroom, his left foot would touch the ground and he'd say, "Thank" and his right foot would touch the ground, and he'd say, "you." What an amazing way to start your day, right? And it was the exact opposite of how I'd been living over the past few months.
Before I took my week off, I had fallen into this victim mentality. Ugh, I never have enough time. There's no way I'm going to be able to secure this deal. Why am I always having to prove myself on these conference calls?
Over the week, I realized I really needed to flip the switch because feeding myself negativity was just going to bring me and my team down. Instead, I needed to feel thankful. Thankful that I have so much work that my entire work day (and then some!) is filled. Thankful that I have the opportunity and the ability to take sales calls and work my butt off to secure deals so I can pay my bills. Since I wasn't working last week, I practiced with other things.
Before I ate, I'd take a second to feel thankful to the farmer that grew the veggies in my soup, and raised the duck for my broth. And when my neighbors kept me up till 1:00am on Saturday night, I switched from feeling irritated that I wasn't getting quality sleep, to feeling thankful that I had my hearing (hey, these are the things we take for granted). And I did this because 1) I remember how good it felt when I was practicing The Secret years ago, and 2) because I know our emotional state affects our physical state, and if I'm feeling angry and irritated, I'm probably raising my stress levels, and if I'm feeling calm and grateful, I'm probably decreasing them.
3. Stop negative self talk. Ok this one will probably take a while to stick, but I am going to fiercely work on this. I am guilty of putting a lot of pressure on myself. I'm hard on myself and nothing is ever really good enough for me. If I do something well, I might take half a second to feel proud and then I'm like, 'Well, actually, if I had done it this way, it would be that much better." I suppose from the standpoint of an entrepreneur it's good to have that quality, but at the end of the day, when it's constant and it's about nearly everything I do, it's just tiring. Can I just, for once, be happy with what I've done and let what I've done be enough? Let who I am be enough? Yes, yes, I can. I think. ;)
I'm considering these things my mid-year resolutions, and if you'd like to join in and share what you're struggling with and how you'd like to overcome those issues, I'd love to hear. We can share the progress on instagram, too, using #YBCresolutions...but if you ask a question I probably won't get back to you for a day or so.... cuzzzzzz #selfcare :)
On another note - I wanted to thank you so much for the support sent my way when I announced I was taking a break. The outpouring of kind words, encouragement and love from places near and far was so unexpected and moved me to tears. You guys are truly the best and I'm so thankful for each and every one of you reading this. Thank you. xo
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In 1882, Helen Keller suffered from an illness her doctor called a brain fever and lost her ability to see, speak and hear. In the 21st century, the exact illness remains a mystery, but some doctors believe she suffered from either scarlet fever or meningitis.
At 18 months of age, Helen Keller developed an illness that caused her body temperature to rise to dangerous levels. Within a couple days of her recovery, Helen's mother noticed a change in her daughter's reaction or lack of reaction to things like the ringing of the dinner bell and waving a hand in front of the child's face.
Helen Keller was developmentally on schedule until this brain fever struck. She began talking when she was around 6 months old and walking her first birthday. The brain fever was responsible for her loss of speech, sight and hearing.
At age 7, Helen Keller met Anne Sullivan who taught her sign language by writing on her hand and forcing the young child to feel the associated item. For instance, Sullivan would spell out "water" and then put Helen's hand under running water from the water pump. It took more than 25 years for Helen Keller to regain the ability to speak.


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Wednesday, November 21, 2012By David Alexander
U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta speaks during a change of command ceremony at the United States Southern Command in Doral, Florida, November 19, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Rhona Wise
Panetta, in a speech to the Center for a New American Security, said while the United States had achieved progress against al Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and Somalia, associated groups had made inroads in Mali and Nigeria and were trying to gain a foothold in Libya.
He said the United States had "decimated core al Qaeda," killing leaders like Osama bin Laden, Sheikh Saeed al-Masri and Abu Yahya al-Libi. It also has made strides against affiliated groups like al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and al Shabaab in Somalia, he said.
"These gains are real, but it is important to point out that even with these gains, the threat from al Qaeda has not been eliminated," he said. "We have slowed the primary cancer, but we know that the cancer has metastasized to other parts of the global body."
As a result of U.S. pressure, Panetta said, al Qaeda has become even more "widely distributed, loosely knit and geographically dispersed."
"The fight against al Qaeda has taken a new direction - one that demands that we be especially adaptable and resilient as we continue the fight," he said.
Panetta said disrupting and ultimately defeating al Qaeda would remain a key priority even as U.S. forces draw down in Afghanistan over the next two years and renew their focus on the Asia-Pacific region as part of a new military strategy.
He said the key to achieving "the end of al Qaeda" was to finish the job in Afghanistan in a way that ensured the group could never again establish safe havens there.
Panetta said dealing with government corruption in Afghanistan and eliminating militant safe havens in Pakistan were crucial to Afghan stability.
"It will require continued commitment by the international community and the United States to help Afghan forces achieve it," he said, adding, "We have come too far and invested too much blood and treasure" not to finish the job.
He said the United States also would have to keep the pressure on al Qaeda in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. It would also have to work to prevent the emergence of al Qaeda safe havens elsewhere in the world, using U.S. special operations forces in partnership with local forces, he said.
"To truly end the threat from al Qaeda, military force aimed at killing our enemy alone will never be enough," Panetta added. "The United States must stay involved and invested through diplomacy, development, education and trade in those regions of the world where violent extremism has flourished."
He said that included Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as countries in the Middle East and Africa.
(Reporting By David Alexander; editing by Philip Barbara)


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text:
eid day at home used to be one of the days i used to look forward to all year. We used to get up early in the morning at 6ish, my dad used to go to eidgah for eid ki namaaz and we used to switch on tv to the live cast of eid prayers and then we would follow the prayers from the tv. and before the prayers used to start, we would try to identify which sheikh had come. almost celebrity status. when my dad returned home, we would wish everyone eid mubarak and then would have kheer kurma (sp!) which my aunt would have prepared the nite earlier. then my dad would give us eidi(eid money) and we would distribute to all. for bakri eid we would get our goats two days earlier and us kids would spend time "bonding"with the goats, talking to them(yea we are a bit weird) and feeding them. and since we had a huge courtyard we did the qurbani there only, sadly within hearing distance. obviously none of us kids ever went to see the qurbani, and we didnt even eat the qurbani meat for few days after which my parents would convince us that the meat is actually from outside and not the qurbani meat, but now i know otherwise.
at noonish relatives would come to our house, and us kids would watch movies/cartoons/songs or play board games. all of us were pretty bigre huwei and never really helped in the cooking or in the cleaning of the meat. my apa always had this task and she never complained about it either. and we were happy to let her to do it all. only one eid i was part of this task and seeing all the meat just put me off so much i couldnt eat for three days.
after prayers and lunch, we would all play dumb charades or pple would talk to each other and phones would be ringing off the hook. and then later in the evening we would go visit pple and then the whole family would go to the beach and we would sit on the sand eating nuts and fruits. the next two days, would be filled with long drives, picnics, playing cricket/cards and eating all kinds of desserts.
its so much different now, when im back in the US. it sometimes doesnt even feel like its eid. which always makes me a little sad. but even now when im back home, its still different. not bad different but just different. now when all of us have moved away, and have grown up .eid day is no more the games we used to play as kids, or how much eidi one got, but just a time to be together and although u dont really stay in touch with so many of the relatives that you have its just nice to see them after so long and still be able to laugh and have a good time. reminds you that no matter how much time passes, or how far you move away, that bond will always remain.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
the tale of two cities
ive been sleeping like a log for the past week. as much as id like to contribute that to jet lag, its not. perhaps its something in terms of the water here. dont know. but am sleepy and lethargic all the time. from the start my trip was jinxed. the landlord refused to shorten my lease. i forgot to throw out a bunch of stuff from my bathroom and the cab driver to the airport was in a terrible mood and although i tipped him quite a bit (its a mystery to me why as well) his mood just didnt get better. watever. and then my bag never made it on my connecting flight. i got the middle seat. with two crying babies in the seats in front and behind. and just when i thought things couldnt get worse, the kid behind started kicking my chair. the guy next to me didnt talk one bit and negated everything i said. "i love new york city" was responded with " i absoulutely hate new york city" ok jeez. bite me. after trying to talk, i mean i know its sometimes annoying to sit next to the person who doesnt shut up but then its just polite to introduce ureself and have some kind of conversation. i mean you are sitting next to hte person for the next 15 hours or so rite. neway the guy on the right decided me and the other dude were boring as hell and he switched seats even though he had an aisle seat. i agree with him. on the other aisle seat there was this kid who was playing some game and i really wanted to join the game. i usually play inflight trivia (general knowledge questions) and i really enjoy playing that and my mom usually has a love-hate relationship with that game. she never plays with me but always wants to read the questions and somehow even if its just me playing by myself, her blood pressure rises. we are way too competitive desis. =).
neway my flight was late, we stopped in germany and i spoke to two pple who were like are u from there and im like yea and i was like wow how did they know, till they pointed to my backpack. i can be totally duh sometimes. then there was this resident doctor from boston called zara, i really love that name, and we had a five minute conversation. and she seemed liek a really interetsing person and when she asked me what did i watch during the flight. and since i have teeny bopper taste and nothing remotely refined i said i watched my super ex girlfriend and the breakup (both sucked majorly, wasted grey cells) and then i asked her and she was like oh i watched this documentary thing. (i cant even remember the name-goes to show how much i pay attention) neway i was a bit embarassed. im sure shes just like three four years older to me. but far more mature. neway we had nice conversation and then said our goodbyes. i wonder if anyone ever actually keeps in touch with pple they meet on a plane. i know i have never. i have exchanged emails once in a while but never really called or emailed. for that matter, no one has done the same.
neway, at dxb, a lot of pple hadnt got their stuff and it was highly irritating to have pple cut the line and pretend that they dont even see u standing there. normally im ok with this and would be like fine ure in a huge hurry, go ahead. but i was really irritated by then, lack of sleep, lack of good food, etc and my family had been waiting for me 3 hours at the airport. so i gave the guy a piece of my mind and just when im like "wow im assertive", the attendant is like listen its not our airline's problem. you have to wait for more time before we can file your complaint. gone are the days, when pple were helpful to each other. just coz they could be.
the sad part of the story is that i am so absent minded i never even noticed what color my bag was, what brand it was is door ki baat. so basically im complaining about a bag with no tag and no idea about the color jsut that its huge. i cannot believe my dumbness sometimes. finally we did find it, coz we usually tag our bag with our standard blue plastic bag. which even then, i wasnt sure if i had that identification on my bag.
to be continued...
P.S i started this post two days ago. today is eid and wishing everyone who has stumbled over this blog/ read this blog a beautiful eid. May this eid bring you loads of happiness and joy.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
kuch cheezein kitnei sach hotei hai. [ some things are so true]
mk: darasal hum dono ki dosti itni pakhi thi, kei humein koi aur sei dosti karni hi nahin padhibas hum dono hi kafi thei
ani: mujhei maloom hai
mk: sarei gham sarei khushiyaan hum dono saath saath sahei. ajeeb bat hai yei kei jabhum saath hotei toh ek dusrei ki maujoodi ka ehsaas hi nahin hota, aur jab alag hoja tei todi deir kei liyei bhi. toh aisa lagta kei sarei duniya mein akelei hogaye.
mk: the thing is we were such good friends, that we didnt need any other friends
ani: i know
mk: all the happiness and sorrows we used to share. and the strange thing was that whenever we were together we never realized each others presence (or rather significance).
and if only for a small time we were apart, it would be like we were completely alone in the whole world.
- Tanhaiyaan (Haseena Moin)
mk talking about her sister zara. me and my sisters used to be like this. but then they went off and got married! =)
zara: mohabat hamari zindagi ki sabsei baree zaroorat toh nahin hai, kei iska zikar har kitaab ya phir har kahani mein ho. mujhei aisa lagta hai duniya kei tamam logh is saazish mein lage rehtai hai, ya kisi na kisi tara apnei aap ko yakeen dila dei tei hai, keh aglei mor pei kissi shandar see cheez karhi hai jissei woh bas thodi si mehnat kei baad haasil kar sakte hai
s:yei ghaliban shakespear nei kaha tha
zara: main bhi pehlai bahut jazbaati hoti thi,phoolon ki, baarish ki, aur titliyon ki baatein karti thi. lekin mujhei ab pata chala zindagi bas tabthi dhoop ka naam hai. aur baki sab ek khwab..
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
i said i wont, but i lied.
coming to u live from the undergrad library.
wats more embarassing?
a. snoring in the library and waking up to see pple are staring at u. some even smirking and pointing.
b. singing loudly cheesy songs in the library bathroom only to discover after a whole five mins there is another person in the bathroom.
c. talking on the phone in the bathroom. and then someone yelling from another bathroom, shutup im trying to concentrate.
only one of the above has happened to me.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
two days and more.
so in case of the situation where they dont let me start early and i end up being @home for many months. many of my friends think im the luckiest person on earth to have such a huge break. i get so many of the its-the-last-time-u-will-have-such-a-long-holiday-u-wont-get-any-leave-when-ure-working. blah blah blah. i dont know why pple keep saying that to me. its just freaking me out. well for one, i could go back and do my phd (yea rite) ok thats the last resort and im not even thinking about it unless they pay me and beg me to go back and do it. which will never happen unless i develop another brain or something. well two, i could quit my job. khuda na khasta. pls god dont make that happen. but im just saying. it could happen. i could become this famous script writer for some desi movie and write and direct and i could take 6 months off and go scouting for some location for my movie. overeactive imagination. i could also decide to have my own cafe and ditch the job. ok that comes in the category of quitting my job. on brighter thoughts, i could become the MD of the bank and work from home or like pretend im working in the overseas office and actually be holidaying in the bahamas or something or wherever MD's (managing director) holiday. who knows.
so i really dont want to take a long break between school and work unless im using that time to do the cliched backpacking around the world (which i have no funds for-but i guess i can start the poor-graduate-student-backpacking-fund) i have no idea how i can get money for this. that is such a selfish motive, why would anyone pay. and besides i think my mom would flip. her reaction to me when i wanted to go study abroad for the summer semester in undergrad( abroad in terms of spain). "why do u want to go abroad from abroad". the first abroad being the US. and then again this backpacking thing is very romanticisized (sp!) thanks to movies, its not all hunky dory and if it is then ure not really doing the backpacking the correct way. u arent supposed to stay in good hotels and eat in good restaurants. ure supposed to be living the simple life. sorry im quoting from a stupid reality show.
neway, so now my alternatives is to get back the teaching job. which is a really out there idea. coz its highly unlikely they would hire me for 4 months. unless i pay them to hire me. who knows then they might. but then who knows they might not. unless they didnt have to pay me. then again i found the uni very cliquey and the students kept smirking at me. its weird being called maam by pple who are even older tahn u. neway if thats the case id rather work in the psychiatry department of some hospital. im not sure if ill be able to volunteer. i will need to pull major strings to even ask for a volunteering job. too many medical students doing the rounds and plus im not even doing anything related to medicine. but then agian i can say maybe i want to. but thats opening a whole can of worms and its enough to make my family beserk. if not that, then the radio station. i dont even mind doing the midnite shows when only the broken hearted or those who are studying are listening to the radio. and plus id be less self concious coz hardly anyone would be listening. but that again is really tough to get into in dubai coz its popular and eveyrone wants to be the rj and get free tickets to every movie premiere. competiion is so tough sometimes. or i can do the most unexciting and the most likely to come true. i can go back to my old job and be asked a gazillion times when im either moving back to dxb or when im getting married or when im going to become their boss. haaha, i wish. seriously pple have this fear that ill come back and take over their position. chillax, dudes. or maybe they are humoring me and are like going u wish. i have few friends at work place so it cant be that bad but i really dont want to end up working till 8 every day and on my weekends too. on technically the months, where im supposed to be on "holiday"
damn. why is it so hard to make decisions.
P.S on a totally tangent topic, the new ben stiller movie about statues and paintings coming alive in the museum when its nite is one of my must-sees. when i was a kid i used to imagine that this happened. i used to even think that perhaps even all our stuffed animals and my sisters dolls came alive when we were in the deepest slumber of sleep. then i grew up and id ont think that anymore. (hmm) haha i dont. but i was so excited to see that someone thought like me and made a movie of it. wot, can i say great minds think alike. now that ive said that im so sure the movie is going to stink and will flop bigtime.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
todays senti scene of the day.
dil chahta hai ( the heart desires)
sid: Kyun chahti ho tum akash ko itna? [ why do u like akash so much?]
deepa: pata nahin, bas chahti hoon. [ i dont know just do]
sid: deepa, tum bahut achi larki ho. [ deepa ure a really nice girl]
deepa: (angrily) if mein itni achi larki hoon, toh phir mujhei akash kyun nahin pasand karta!
[if im so nice, then why does akash not like me]
sid: yei reit dekh rahi ho, isko jitna bhi koshish karo pakadnei kei liyei wutni hi jaldi haath sei pisal thi hai.
[u see this sand, (holding sand in his palm), the tighter u try to hold it, the faster it slips away from ure hand]
(ok this is majorly paraphrased and the hindi is so much better in the movie)
i love this movie. and this is one of my favorite scenes in this movie. the others are too long to write/type.
- Dialogue from DCH (Farhan akhtar)
why do i always end up in a situation that leads to sticking my foot in my mouth. baaahhhh.Read more...
Friday, December 15, 2006
the forgotten ones
im one of those pple who usually do their supermarket shopping usually under some timeline/deadline/curfew. max an hour. and i usually make a list of what all i need and should buy. and then theres the list of stuff i dont need and shouldnt buy. but which i still end up buying. chocolate cake/icecream etc all come into this category. neway, usually im in my own world and dont even look around who is in my surroundings.
today at the check out counter, i saw this elderly lady struggling with her purchases and managed to stand behind me in the line. I asked her if she wanted to go ahead in front of me. when the guy in front of me was like the check out lady has said that he would be the last one before she goes off duty. WTH.
i so wanted to punch him. the elderly lady looked at me and was like im 91 years old and im doing my shopping alone. i felt so bad at that moment. wat kind of life is this where u reject the elderly and leave them to fend on their own. wat kind of life is this where simple things are a struggle to do and u become so dependant on someone else. but then there is no someone else coz no one cares. i felt so sad and was like if u wait five mins i can help drop ure stuff home. she said thanks and i quickly went to another line and got my stuff scanned and quickly paid and when i came back she was gone. i looked outside as well around the area but i couldnt find her. i hope someone helped her.
allah kabhi kissi ko mohtaji na dei.
badal ko salam
so i have two finals this coming week. and by finals i mean like take it home types. where u have considerable time to work on each. i really hate these kind of exams for one they are much harder, much much harder. and secondly the pain is not like pulling of a bandage, swift. its more like prolonging and constantly questioning whether ure doing the right thing or not. and thirdly they allow pple to talk together and compare answers, work together etc - althought its explicitly said its not allowed.. and honest to god it sucks. coz u might be doing ure own thing and obviously two brains in most cases is better than one. so u might end up getting a lower grade coz of the simple lack of ethics. and not only that. the class genius hands out his answers too and those guys who are paly n all with the class genius quite obviously get every single thing right.
baaaaaaaaaah. im so mad.
neway, moving on. after a long time i went out with one of my friends for dinner yest. and over the last semester we hardly talked coz of,i wouldnt say a misunderstanding but more like an event that downgraded him to a friend to being a sneaky person. we never really had any showdown as such but just stopped communicating just cordial hi and byes. i can never be that rude to ignore the person. besdies i wasnt that mad anyway. just zapped. but watever, ive forgotten that now and plus the nostalgic leaving school, may never see them again kind of thing is sort of sinking in and plus life is too short to hold grudges. sahi. and so we started talking again and i really dont have any major issues with him anymore. and sure everyone deserves a second chance. however, its very hard to trust the person like u did before. or be the same person that u were. equation changes. u are definetly still more guarded. no matter how much nicer they are to u. word of advice: never ever lie to ure friends, always be upfront and hopefully they will see ure sincerity in ure honesty.
badal ko salam
so i have two finals this coming week. and by finals i mean like take it home types. where u have considerable time to work on each. i really hate these kind of exams for one they are much harder, much much harder. and secondly the pain is not like pulling of a bandage, swift. its more like prolonging and constantly questioning whether ure doing the right thing or not. and thirdly they allow pple to talk together and compare answers, work together etc - althought its explicitly said its not allowed.. and honest to god it sucks. coz u might be doing ure own thing and obviously two brains in most cases is better than one. so u might end up getting a lower grade coz of the simple lack of ethics. and not only that. the class genius hands out his answers too and those guys who are paly n all with the class genius quite obviously get every single thing right.
baaaaaaaaaah. im so mad.
neway, moving on. after a long time i went out with one of my friends for dinner yest. and over the last semester we hardly talked coz of,i wouldnt say a misunderstanding but more like an event that downgraded him to a friend to being a sneaky person. we never really had any showdown as such but just stopped communicating just cordial hi and byes. i can never be that rude to ignore the person. besdies i wasnt that mad anyway. just zapped. but watever, ive forgotten that now and plus the nostalgic leaving school, may never see them again kind of thing is sort of sinking in and plus life is too short to hold grudges. sahi. and so we started talking again and i really dont have any major issues with him anymore. and sure everyone deserves a second chance. however, its very hard to trust the person like u did before. or be the same person that u were. equation changes. u are definetly still more guarded. no matter how much nicer they are to u. word of advice: never ever lie to ure friends, always be upfront and hopefully they will see ure sincerity in ure honesty.
the height of all heights.
not to mention the wannabiest of the wannabees. i miss my dubai.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
this holiday season..
so we went to watch the holiday despite having finals next week. there was a time when i wouldnt step out of the house coz i had finals in three weeks. wat a difference in attitude. haha. who cares. neway, latest on the travel agent update. once u send them the check thats it, it becomes main kaun tu kaun. seriously. im getting super attitude from the agent and hes on the point of yelling at me. and none of my damsel in distress act is working. damnit.
ok watever. neway back to the holiday.story is simple two single girls who exchange their houses one in UK and the other in US in order to attempt to get away from their lives in order to get over their heartbreaks. and in turn they find love instead. its kinda cheesy. and seriously jude law is wrongly cast. but hes too good looking with glasses. sorry, im sounding like a 16 year old. but cant help it. jack black is ok. cameron diaz is better. however kate winslet rocks. shes done a great job and is likeable as the bridget jonesque diary kinda figure.
and as usual its about the bad guy versus the good guy. and as always girls are too dumb and tend to fall in love with the bad guy. she sums it up pretty well in the movie when she describes this phenomena to jack black who is going through his own heart break. something on the lines of. so you like the bad guy, thinking u can change him, and no matter how bad he treats u try to persuade ureself that it might be something u ve done or uve not done and when he does one good thing u ve sort of convinced ureself. so basically in the constant pursuit of trying to prove ureslf rite u dont see the "light".
the movie though cheesy sometimes has its moments. and besides anything to deter from studying for derivatives. im seriously conteplating becoming a movie trailor director.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
the colors that we use and the strokes that we make define our picture to be made.
does anyone know why google has the "scream" painting image as their logo. im too lazy to google the significance. neway i finally bought my ticket. the ticket saga has officially ended. yay. not before i got another call from another travel agent who was giving me earlier dates (which i wanted ). and of course i was tempted like anyting. so ended up calling my travel agent and creating a on going trading scenaro of my own. 'so how much is he giving u, wait wait bibiji' but the sad part being. and as my decision making skills are soo poor. i was like great now i have to decide. finally i opted for the less shadier more reliable one, maybe a little more exp too. hopefully my ticket will come in two three days. if not, then i will be in deep deep trouble.
before leaving i have to take care of a whole list of tasks. first on the line is graduating, sorry second on the list is that, first is finishing my finals. third is to take care of paperwork/rent/visa issues. fourth is to find storage space. fifth an apt in nyc. pple who do read my sad blog and are from nyc or have some information on how to find an apt in one of the greatest city world, please do pass on ure wordly tips. sixth calling up my friend who is getting married in 12 days.
eeps, i wonder what she must be feeling now. my sister got married last year and it was chaos in my house and with the rishtadaars coming from all corners of the world, the house was like a big mela. poor girl had not time to herself, there was not a moment of peace or silence or even the two mins to be able to talk to her fiance. saddddd. probably the only moment of personal time is when ure in the bathroom but that too is interrupted with pple knocking to use the bathroom or not use the bathroom and just knocking randomly (hahaha im guilty of THAT) or other people who want their OWN personal space so that means having to intrude on someone else's personal space or like if the phool wala(decorator) or the ac wala ( the guy to fix the ac) has come and theres no one around (lets rephrase no one who is willing to do anything which involves moving a muscle ) is around so i believe it is quite stressful. finally she got so sick of all of us and kicked us all out (me, my family in its all entirety). her one argument and most valid one " im going to have dark circles under my eyes on my wedding. let me sleep and get out!!" thats enough to shut us all up.
that and then those hazaar issues with the tailor and the wedding dress and the thousand other dresses which you probably will wear once in ure lifetime. at times like these sucking up to the tailor is one of the better options. 'masterji hum bas aapkei paas hi atei hai, koi aur darzi pasand hi nahin' - (to the tailor-we only go to u, and we dont like any other tailor other than u).
This statement is usually after one has gone and given half their clothes to another tailor, whose shop is not even in another neighbourhood, but may be right next door.
there is no ethics left in the world.
(i wonder why desi pple call their tailors as master. its just so weird to me)
neway my mom has a pretty good alternative strategy. coz the above strategy is old. our tailors name is val-jee bhai. so subah sei (from morning) some relative is put on duty to check up on val-jee bhais daily sometimes 6 hourly progress. that way, women in my family have excellent delegation and managerial skills. hahaha. finally val-jee bhai will get so fed up of this constant questioning and will succumb and forget everyone elses clothes and do ours first. hehe. vot to do. desperate times call for desperate measures. and he will try his level best to not screw it up as often tailors are quite well known for. coz u know what that means, another relative put on duty to check out the alterations progress. hahaha. we suck.
well, anything that involves using the phone pple will happily oblige. things like going and talking to the hall decorator, the manager at the hotel, sorting out the menu. all these things which actually requirework will rest on the shoulders of a few. but i love ghar kei weddings, what do u mean ghar kei, well more like u know who is getting married and u are close to them. my cousin got married as well last year and it sucked coz i wasnt able to attend her wedding. damn school work. we practically grew up together and i still have tihs image of ours where we are like three or something and we are hiding under the side table. those were the days when two pple could fit under a side table. hahaa. neway we are sitting under that hiding and we both have this mischevious grin and i think my mom just captured that for posterity. dont know how she did that though. neway, so i missed out on her wedding and now im missing out on my friends wedding which i wont be able to go to. ive never been to a wedding in delhi and it sucks that i cant go coz of these stupid ticketing issues. and thats like a ghar ka wedding, coz she is one of my closee friends. i hate going to weddings where u dont know half the pple and ure randomnly smiling at everyone and no one in particular.
merai kyal sei weddings are supposed to be short n sweet and without much fanfare. invite not who u know, coz there are gazillion pple who u know but more like pple who u love and respect and who u know will be happy to share ure happiness.
ok i totally went of tangent with this post, this post was supposed to be on how relieved i am that finally things are wrapping up and a new chapter in my life will be starting, inshallah.
Monday, December 11, 2006
4 am conversations when my brain is shutting down(??) shld be documented
Ik says:
my landlady had a baby and sent me the pictures
Ik says:
dam she is being very nice
Ik says:
I want to re negotiate my rent with her
Ik says:
and she is being nice
Ik says:
me says:
coz she showed u her kin
me says:
oooh i know
me says:
u can blackmail her that ull kidnap her baby
me says:
if she doesnt lower ure rent
Ik says:
OO god
Ik says:
u take it o a whole new level
me says:
always one to come up with new ideas
Ik says:
yah and then i can breast feed a one week old baby
Ik says:
I have a car also so it will be easy
me says:
me says:
me says:
ok wait for few months
Ik says:
Ik says:
months only
Ik says:
not days
Ik says:
u sure
me says:
u can at least have some excuse for maternity leave
Ik says:
paternity u mean
Ik says:
i am str8
Ik says:
sent it to u [email with baby's pic]
me says:
are u giving me the babys supari
Ik says:
Ik says:
am i mad
me says:
dude they are calling their child a product[on reading the email where they are calling their (landlord lady n hubby) a product.
Ik says:
to trust u
Ik says:
me says:
i can kidnap her and we can share the loot
me says:
90% to 10%
Ik says:
yeah since u are doing all the talking and me the action that is an even split
Ik says:
I take it u have finished ur HW for tomorrow
me says:
we can be lois and clark
me says:
no i have not
Ik says:
then it is too tough and u are frustrated
me says:
i take time out of my busy schedule to talk about stupid plans that can make me money
Ik says:
this is practice for the *some bank* interview
Ik says:
I get it
me says:
yes theyd be happy to know I'm in the baby kidnapping business
Ik says:
Ik says:
they may have investors
Ik says:
u never know
Disclaimer: im just kidding before anyone sends me hate mail or something.
the trials and tribulations of buying an airline ticket in december
ok the above title has everything to do with my post. firstly, i dont know why everyone insists on traveling at the same time as ME. yea im a procrastinator. sorry Procastinator with a capital p. neway, its been quite a hassle getting a reasonable priced (read cheap ticket) back home. yea i can do it online rite. wrong. in the world of credit cards, those who dont have one are at a huge disadvantage. and forget using someone elses card, some airlines have these stupid restrictions that the credit card holder has to be one of the travelers. so if suppose i was a 15 year old who wanted to travel alone and obviously i dont have a credit card. i cant ever travel using that airline. thats just reducing ure clientele. and that is just bad business.
second rant: after i call up the airline to report this huge inconvenience, the rep tells me ok i can book it on the phone but oops wait let me check..oops oh the ticket is no longer there. and when i loook back at the website, surprise suprise its no longer there. one of my friends/bhai knows all these ecommerce tricks and im so irritated and having been duped many times by these airline websites. its all a hoax, they can track exactly what ure accessing and conveniently reduce the demand and push the price up. or remove the ticket altogether and make u all frantic and paranoid enough to buy the mroe expensive ticket that u see. sneaky psychology, if u ask me.
neway finally i decide to find a travel agent the point of last resort, and its always shaky to do that. an asian friend gave me her far east travel agent number. i called her she totally said flatly no im not a travel agent. then my friend immediately called her back, and they started conversing in chinese, the normal pleasantries hi how are you hows it going and all that. and then the lady goes so by the way are u looking for a ticket. this is my WTH moment. so my friend is like yea my friend wants a ticket back home and then she says oh we dont do that route coz all are clients are far east asian and its far too expensive for us as a travel agency. okaaaay, why did she have to lie about it. so weird. and waisei bhi acha hua u never know kahin aur na paunch jao.
so then i decided desi travel agent. but sometimes they have a reputation of giving dhagga/dhoka/ditching u. at least i remember a long ago incident of my friends. or else they think that ure related to them and they yell at u on the phone "arrei kyun pehlai book nahin kiya, ab kaisei milega! bibi ji kuch hai nahin! kya karei!"(why didnt u book it before, now how will we get it, there is nothing, what should i do!) and i mean really yelling.
talk about way too much apna pan jatana.
even my mom doesnt yell at me like this. hell no one yells at me like this. and then obviously i go into my bheegi billi mode and im like haan ji haan ji.sahi hai sir jee. (andar sei im like fool just give me the ticket! ticket aajaye phir dekhna) . ok yea im all talk. im a bheegi billi. period.
i just hope i can find something soon. cant waitttttt to go home!
now i trace back my path and i fear its clearer to me than was
university campus the right is the school of drama and the left is the student center. and in the middle are two poor souls who dont know they have been photographed by urs truly
Sunday, December 10, 2006
andei ya phir tamatar
wat the hell is THAT!do u think they are having the same conversation?? i cannot believe how pathetically corny the movie vivah is. story is simple. a couple who gets engaged and then the movie is about their lives from engagement to shaadi/wedding. i should have figured by the name that it would be kinda overtly senti. but this corny and cheesy, i cant imagine. .coming from me this is a big deal. since i have a huge stamina for crap hindi movies. i have watched something like dil ka rishta (dont ask. dont even google it) thrice. But within 10 mins i was cringing with the overdose of sentiness and after half an hour i wanted to kill myself, the music director of this movie (seriously, mujhei haq hai) and the screenplay writer. highly sidey read overtly cloying type dialogue-giri. Aaaaaaaargh...
is it just me hallucinating or were the protagonists actually(actor-actress) whispering to each other throughout the whole movie. dude, who talks like that. kaun kambakth baat karta hai aisei. (hahaah, this movie is getting to me)
the height of wierdness. and in the age of internet and free nightime minutes, why would they sit and write letters (ok some will say its sweet yea yea ok .but this shouldnt be the only form of communication ). i cant believe pple are so organized to do that, takes me forever to send out two three pieces of mail monthly. this way,if it were me, i dont think we would progress beyond hello and goodbye.
let me put this in context. the guy tells her so i cant talk to u/ or write you letters for a whole month now that im going to japan. i seriously dont get this part of japan having no post office or wireless service providers. its called making an international call. Jeez. just shoot me already.
and i know i may be all cynical and paranoid and just nitpicking. watever. the scene where they talk for the first time, in the arranged marriage scenario type thing, he gives his blurb on his liking someone else, and im thinking finally there is some climax to this story, nope no such thing. he of course is the quintessential good guy who just likes the bad girl (the girl with the numerous boyfriends) from afar. wat crap. and in the first two minutes he tells her he has tried smoking and drinking, but doesnt do it anymore. pls pls. gimme a break. having heard many of these stories of "meet the guy". which i shall save for another day. i have never heard any story where the guy will say any of this in that time span. or girl for that matter. no gender bias.
nanei farishtei hai saab. (little angels)
watever. and the characters are all so one dimensional. either black or white. no one is like that. we are all gray. some more grayer than others. neway, some parts are still ok and the climax part where she(the main girl) saves her cousin and gets burnt in an accidental fire, but the guy still marries her even though she has 3rd degree burns.that is all good. i mean that. pple watch movies and a lot are somewhat consciously or subconsciously influenced by them. so movies that have a good moral to them still have my support no matter how much i cringe from inside. Read more...
Saturday, December 09, 2006
down with z-u-n-e
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
PZ: Relax ammi, im cool.
Hahaha. My mom is totally like this. Ok, i know that is random. Just missing home a bit and I was watching this movie and felt like posting it. Neway..
What a depressing day today. It took me, i kid you not, four hours to fix one program and i was missing a variable. 4 hours wasted just like that. Tauba. Had lunch with my advisor today and shes expecting inshallah a baby girl. Its quite scary pregnancy and all and surpisingly she says you get used to it and its one of most happiest phases of life a girl goes through. and that its supposedly a miracle to have something growing inside you. yes, i know all that. changes nothing. am still super scared. Read more...
Monday, December 04, 2006
graduating class of 2006: wear sunscreen
we had the grad dinner yest and it was a huge turnout. as usual we were really late, as much as id like to take credit for converting my non desi friends to indian standard time. i did not. and this time i was ready to go an hour and half before. and desis are badnaam for no reason . lol. but its a weekend and calling a cab is a huge problem here. no one picks up the damn phone. neway, thats not the point. we reached and we sat on our own table and not with any of the professors. theres pros and cons to this. pro is that you get to talk with your prof on a one on one level. two the conversation at the table can get quite dry. neway it was on top of mount washington and the restaurant was pretty classy, food sucked royallly. and my heart was all set on the dessert (will it be chocolate cake, will it be cheesecake, or will it be chocolate cheesecake) traders on our table were all ready to bet on the cheesecake. sadly there was neither. it was some sort of dessert plate. sort of like byte sized desserts. i know im sounding like a hog. but wat to do these are the highlights of the grad dinner. oh the other highlight was they gave us each a flash drive. isnt that so geekily cool! i dont own a flash drive and no matter how anyone else reacts to this i know my mom will be totally excited about this. i get the geeky genes from her.
then there was the professors speeches and some professors were really funny. one prof said we were so overworked and this course has been so tensing and high pressure ( i agree) and that when we graduate we will miss that challenge and wont know what to do with oursleves so in response to that hes going to post a weird exotic russian option to price. to allow us to cope with these withdrawals. that made me laugh. then we had this other professor who is like the smartest ever person i have met in my whole life . i cannot imagine how all these professors can think of these things. and this class has been the hardest class in my whole time here. but its also been my favourite as well. neway hes like the new james bond movie, casino royale, has a plot of buying puts( a put is a financial instrument where the bottom line is you make money when the stock price falls) on airline stocks and then making airplanes crash. then this is the funniest hes like if james bond is doing financial eng then we finally have arrived.
hahaah. good, hopefully fewer of my relatives will ask me ure studying WHAT? and will stop asking me why their credit card statements are charging them interest!
neway for a moment just a moment i felt a bit sad especially when the profs were giving heir speeches. especially this other prof who was like dont just cruise by but be someone in your field. i almost feel guilty when i hear this coz i often just cruise by and dont speak up and dont apply myself or ask questions and dont think too much out of the box. i had a great time here though and learning from each one of these prof was a priviledge, not only are they excellent at what they teach but they are awesome pple as well.
afterwards they asked if some students want to give a speech, so some brave souls volunteered and gave thanks to everyone and some even offered that if they can ever do anythign for any of us they would be happy to do so. i think that was kind of sweet.
neway then we had the picture session and a lot of pple thought i looked different all dressed up( i hope its good different). and then that was it. i feel somewhat graduated today.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Go pens!
ok, so everyone who hasnt ever been to a hockey game are totally missing out. this is ice hockey. it is brutal, exciting and fun all at the same time. today was one of the biggest games for the penguins (pitts team) and it was so much fun. the above picture is from my cell phone its very tiny and we were sitting really high up. but i took the picture neway coz i want to preserve all these memories. it was quite funny this incident in the cab when we were getting to the stadium. the cab driver was like u guys dont seem like hockey fans are you? OK im not sure what hockey fans look like but yea im pretty sure we dont fit the bill. so we are like no. then hes like let me guess you are building a robot that is supposed to play hockey and you need to do this for your project. okayyy one thanksss for letting us know that we look like geeks and secondly why would anyone build a robot that plays hockey. how totally useless. (ok this may actually be some phd types dissertation and they might be totally pissed at me for saying that. well too bad.) then hes like ok so its for your class, you are sociology majors and this is part of your project. haahah. ok now we look like the artsy . totally OK by me. hahaah. finally i felt bad for him he was all out of guesses and i told him the truth. it was funny though.
neway. i think part of the excitment of these games are huge crowds sitting together and cheering their team. who none of us(our group) knew or even had heard of before the game. it was quite a thrilling experience. and i never knew this game can be so violent. the players even punch each other and hit each other with their sticks. in fact after half time two of the players were punching each other and the referee was just watching. i was a bit shocked at that. but some pple say its just a ploy and this is the highlight of hockey as well. where the players are supposed to fight it out. seems a bit barbaric to me though. but other than that the excitement is very similar to soccer where youre trying to find the puck and ure going from one end to the other. its very fast paced and thats what enjoyable and even though im desi, i really have no love for cricket. i know its sad. i think its just a lazy game and its only fun when pakistan and india are playing. or only when my dad used to watch it and convince me to watch the last 10 overs. which used to take forever.or ig uess when rahul dravid was playing. haha. i till today believe i did see him in real at a hillstation near delhi, although many pple think its a figment of my imagination. woe to them. :P. neway i remember the last cricket game i saw was in my undergrad. we were in this really shady desi restaurant 50 of us packed in a studio size room like sardines at 3:00 in the morning. the things you do for your friends. =) . i also like the fact that they have these ads at the hockey game and then coz we were a huge group, our school got an honoroable mention on their huge TVs. woohoo. my 2 seconds of fame. haha. i also like the "couple focus". where they suddenly put the camera on couples and its a whole range young couples, mixed couples, really old couples. its quite sweet. neway now i can officially cross out the " going for a hockey game" from my list of things to do one day.
Friday, December 01, 2006
good morningggg dxb
i was reading yest about the taxi problem in dubai in gulf news. apparently it takes an average of 15 minutes to get a cab. this is the hail a cab scenario. not the call the helpline and wait kinds. i never knew that. i thought there were gazillion cabs in dubai especially when im driving. i drive pretty fast but still not fast enough for these dudes. and especially when i was a newbie on the dubai roads, the amount of time i got the get-out-of-my-way-look is too many to enumerate. i guess dubai is goign to be heading the new york way. where only cabs will be seen. and with their whole metro thing going into gear (at least i think so) it seems more and more likely. maybe thats their business strategy flood the market with a trillion cabs and force everyone to use the metro. suits me fine as long as it doesnt take me an hour and half to get from jumeirah to bur dubai. (a 15 minute drive)
in the trend of posting my fave dekko clips from youtube. heres another movie which i like and i really like their theme song. especially the bagpipes type tune thing.
salaam e-ishq (tribute to love)
salaam-e-ishq, o meri jaan zara kabool kar lo. o humsei pyar karnei ki zara si bhool kar do.
its too cheesy to even translate, but salman khan says it with such a straight face. wuski toh daat deni pareigi. hahaha.


text:
Shopping on Black Friday can be a daunting task especially for first-timers. This is attributable to the fact that there are so many deals to choose from such that one cannot be sure what to leave and what to buy. In addition, most people are not aware of when, where, as well as what to buy during this season. In this article, we provide a reliable shopping guide that you can use during this coming Black Friday shopping extravaganza.
1) Have a budget
Black Friday deals are very tempting. This shopping season provides shoppers with a range of deals that includes different products for home and personal use. If you're not careful, it can be easy to be carried away with the hype that comes with it. Often, the majority of the people tend to buy things that they do not need just because they are offered at fair prices.
As such, you need to a have a budget for your Black Friday shopping to limit you from overspending in Black Friday sales. Make a list of the products that you need and ensure that you abide by your budget. Do not be tempted to buy a heavily discounted product that is not in your budget.
2) Carry a research
Before the day comes, take some time to research on the products that you want to buy. This research can include looking around for the best prices, as well as establishing some of the stores offering Black Friday coupons and discounts for your selected goods. Moreover, you need to have a rough estimate of the amount that you are willing to spend on a given product.
3) Establish the best payment method
Having an appropriate payment system is one of the factors that make an online store secure. Try as much as possible to avoid stores that do not allow credit card payment. Paying for your goods using credit card offers you security guarantee over faulty and fake products. You can ask for a refund should you get cheap goods.
4) Look out for long-term Black Friday deals
There are cases when some stores combine black Friday deals with Christmas gifts and special offers. Such offers can significantly minimize your expenditure. As such, be on the lookout for loyalty bonuses, and vouchers to can add on to your shopping savings.
You need to be careful when shopping during Black Friday to ensure maximum savings, and also get the best offers on the available products.
New post (free vector black friday Red Design Background …) has been published on Black … – https://t.co/9XLhOglPXP pic.twitter.com/9ouhTFlnZh
— Black Friday Deals (@Thefirdaydeals) 1 de octubre de 2017
Additional Reading: How to Get Discounted Phones On Cyber Monday Sales
Suggested articles:
High Expectations for Best Cyber Monday Deals in 2017


text:
Deciding on the right technology in the Direct Sales Industry can be scary -- from distributor microsites, e-commerce solutions, reporting, commissions...where do you begin? Technology solutions can be especially scary for startup companies that have a great product and a desire to offer a great business opportunity for potentially millions of entrepreneurs globally. There are a few do's and don'ts that I can offer after nearly 20 years in the industry as a Distributor, Corporate Member, and now a Supplier Member.
First and foremost, if you have not yet contacted the Direct Selling Association, I highly encourage you to do so. The DSA is the national trade association of the leading firms that manufacture and distribute goods and services sold directly to consumers. The Association's mission is "To protect, serve and promote the effectiveness of member companies and the independent business people they represent. To ensure that the marketing by member companies of products and/or the direct sales opportunity is conducted with the highest level of business ethics and service to consumers." They are very knowledgeable and are more than willing to help guide member companies in the right direction. There are approximately 200 member companies in the DSA, including many well-known brand names.
If you have already contacted the DSA, then I'll move onto second item, which is almost as important as the first. Be sure to choose a technology partner that has direct selling experience. When it comes to technology in social selling models, systems such as an e-commerce system at first glance may look like they can easily fit into a direct sales organization; however, this is not the case. Although the differences between a social selling model and traditional retail model seem small, there are changes to the core of the business model that require a unique approach. For example, a regular e-commerce system would not work for the party plan model for social selling. Additionally, the commission structures are unique for social selling companies, with upline commissions and downline recognition -- this requires a specific type of software made specifically for the direct selling industry. A technology partner with experience in direct sales understands these differences and can help guide you down the right path to make sure you don't invest too much time and effort into a technology that won't work for your company in the long run.
The third item to consider is your data. The key point here is that the data is yours and you must retain ownership of that data -- so make sure that is reflected in the paperwork. Before signing any contracts, be sure to find out where the data is housed, how easy is it for you to access your data, as well as how hard would it be for you to take your data with you if you transition to a new system. For example: How quickly can you get a download of all of the commissions data you have paid to your distributors? Quick access to your data can be imperative for your future business success.
Finally comes cost, and I know what you must be thinking...since when does cost not rank in the top 3? To put it simply, cost is a broad topic. There are many parts that make up costs in technology (the software itself, hosting, backup/redundancy, etc.); however, deciding on a system purely based on cost could be detrimental. You want to make sure the system you choose works for your specific business and is not a hindrance to your distributors conducting and growing their businesses. A system that is inexpensive and does not have key fundamental pieces can break your company -- even if the system you choose is specifically tailored for direct selling. When considering costs, you must consider both how much the system costs to implement and how much it costs to maintain the system. This can be a big consideration, as your options can vary drastically. You can have a custom system built for you that will cost a lot up-front (but you own it), or you can pay next to nothing up front (except for configuration fees) HOWEVER, the licensing costs in the long run can be enormous as your company grows. The best option exists somewhere in the middle where you pay some up front costs for a system that is unique for your business needs, and then a maintenance or licensing fee that is not based on your volume.
As a side note, I always advise being cautious of per-distributor costs. These may seem small when you only have 1,000 distributors, but these costs can be crippling to a company with explosive growth, which is common in the industry. It can be tough to manage growing your company 200-300% annually -- but throw in having to implement a new system because you now have over 20,000 distributors and your monthly per-distributor costs went from $8,000.00 per month to $160,000.00 per month, and it becomes next to impossible.
Finding a system is more than just looking for a great technology, you must take into consideration the company behind the technology. All technologies require up keep and maintenance, and unless you have the staff in house to accomplish these tasks, you will be joined at the hip to your technology provider. To ensure your long term sanity and success, be sure that your partner has the expertise in the direct selling industry, they are trustworthy and have a proven track record, and that they are a true partner in your success.


text:
Our 5ft scaffold tube is the smallest pre-cut size of tube available from Actavo Direct and is specifically designed to work hand-in-hand with our scaffold fittings and scaffolding boards. Made from galvanised steel, these scaffolding poles offer maximum reliability to your construction project, as the protective, zinc coating prevents any rusting.
Also weather resistant and lightweight, the scaffold tube is the ideal component for ensuring construction runs smoothly, as it enables workers and equipment to be securely supported at elevated levels. Typically, the scaffold tube is used in the construction of buildings.
Actavo Direct has a wide range of scaffolding for sale in a range of sizes (5ft tube to 21ft tube) to suit any construction project, no matter how big or small.
Call us on 0800 1337 494
or contact us online


text:
24 April 2016, Moremi
My iPhone just about died yesterday, so I switched it off overnight. Miraculously, it's now back to 24%!
We saw leopard tracks but no leopard and then a lone impala to start the day. We were out for 90 minutes before collecting the other staff and the trailer. We then drove north towards Chobe NP. At one point, the road ahead was flooded. Contrary to what you may have been told, there's no bridge on the River Khwai, so we had to take a different route...
"Nkwe!" Makabu suddenly shouted, which I later found out meant 'leopard' in Setswana. He had just seen one crossing the road, and he immediately followed it. After a few yards, he stopped, got out and jumped on the roof to work out where it was, then he unhooked the trailer and drove after it off-road. You're not supposed to do either of those things, but I like the fact Africans think rules are there to be broken! The leopard escaped, sadly, but that means Makabu now leads 2-1 in big cat sightings...
Fun fact:
'Nkwe' means leopard and 'tau' means lion in Setswana.
Having said that, our handyman chipped in with a great spot of a spotted eagle owl perched in a tree as we were driving past. It was just hidden by a branch, so I asked if I could get out and walk a bit closer. Makabu said I could, and I took a very rare picture. I've never seen a spotted eagle owl before...
We stopped for lunch (and to collect firewood), and I managed to get attacked by very prickly and sticky fertility grass. Not even thick socks are good enough protection against it. Then again, you can always boil it up and drink the liquid if you're having problems with your womb!
At around 1400, we dropped off our team to make camp, then we went back out for another game drive. The radio chatter suggested there were lions out there and maybe even a leopard, but it all seemed like a wild goose chase until we saw a pair of young lions asleep under a large fever berry tree. They like it as it has the best shade, and - lo and behold! - you can also boil its leaves in water to cure a fever. Is there any plant out here that doesn't have medicinal properties?! We even had chance to come back later for some great close-ups.
Shockingly, I had to change my WB setting to cloudy a few times today. Very poor...
Fun fact:
You can tell which termite mounds are active by the presence of wet sand deposits on the surface.
Species lists:
We saw impala, black-backed jackal, tsessebe, low veld giraffe, hippo, warthog, Burchell's zebra, blue wildebeest, red lechwe, tree squirrel, chacma baboon, vervet monkey, elephant, waterbuck, lion, wild dog.
We ask saw birds including Burchell's starling, African darter, blacksmith plover, Swainson's francolin, helmeted guineafowl, red-billed hornbill, saddle-billed stork, grey hornbill, African fish eagle, spotted eagle owl, long-tailed pied shrike, African jacana, wattled crane, Cape turtle dove, little egret, Egyptian geese, Gabor goshawk.


text:
Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Mr Pickles said "planning reforms will not destroy the countryside. It's not a choice between the countryside and concrete."
The Communities and Local Government Secretary insisted that the planning system needed to be improved but that it did not have to be "at the expense of the countryside or local democracy."
Mr Pickles then turned to address the issue of planning rules for unofficial travellers' sites, like the Dale Farm site near Basildon in Essex.
"It's not right to have planning rules that give a green light to traveller camps being dumped on the green belt and open countryside.
"So we're giving councils stronger enforcement powers to prevent unauthorised sites like Dale Farm from ever being established in the first place," he added.
Speaking specifically about the Dale Farm case, where travellers have been given a second judicial review on their eviction, Mr Pickles said: "We should take no lectures from far-left activists or penpushers parachuted in from some obscure United Nations agency. The Dale Farm saga has now spent 10 years before the courts. Justice delayed is justice denied. It's time that planning law was enforced."
Today bailiffs were finally given permission to start clearing the Dale Farm travellers' site more than a fortnight after the eviction was supposed to start.