Make major decisions before the storm

The wrong decision at the wrong time = disaster.
The wrong decision at the right time = mistake.
The right decision at the wrong time = unacceptable.
The right decision at the right time = success.

Energy

Sometimes we wish we ran on power...
but we're humans, we run on rechargeable batteries! (and power fails too!)

Have you re-charged yourself today?

Can't get over!

The article, The long and grinding road, talks about commuting time and how GTA drivers spend 79 minutes daily on commute. That's very ridiculous.
When using the TTC for a long travel (20 km), you need to budget time for:
-Walking from your place to the nearest stop.
- Waiting for the streetcar or bus.
- If you take the subway, or transfer to the subway:
- Climbing stairs
- Waiting in line to pay, or swiping
- More stairs
- Waiting for the subway to arrive
- Once you exit the subway, more stairs again
- Transfer requires walking to, and waiting again for the next TTC vehicle
- If there a lot of people @ a stop, you have to wait in queue
- Finally, when you have transferred 4 times, you get off, smelling great and walk a bit to your final destination.
This way, 20 km can take upto 1.5 hours. If you're driving, it's... about 15-20 min...ouch!

Make Poverty History

One year ago, billions of people around the world watched 10 simultaneous Live8 concerts and petitioned the G8 leaders to Make Poverty History. The politicians of the wealthiest countries made historic commitments to act in 2005 to reduce debt, improve trade and increase aid. If they think we've forgotten their promises - you can prove them wrong!

U2's Bono recently said that wealthy countries are taking some action on debt, doing little on aid, and failing in terms of trade initiatives: “Overall, there is one cheer on debt, half a cheer on AIDS and boos and wolf whistles for what is happening on trade,” the Irish rocker told Reuters.

The 2006 G8 meeting, to be held in Russia from July 15 - 17, will be Prime Minister Stephen Harper's first summit. Unfortunately, poverty is not high on the agenda. Leaders are planning to discuss energy security and infectious diseases, but development concerns could arise when they debate themes of health and education. At a June 29th press conference with Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies and Toronto's Mayor David Miller, Make Poverty History co-chair Gerry Barr said,” The upcoming summit will focus on health and education - and that's good. But no progress will be made unless G8 leaders live up to and surpass promises already made on aid, debt and trade.”

Go to http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/home.php and send an email to Prime Minister Harper and your own MP. Tell them you expect Canada to commit to increased action, including a firm timetable to reach 0.7% of Gross National Income for aid, enhanced debt cancellation for the poorest countries, and trade justice - especially for developing economies.

One year after an historic deal is not the time to retreat. At the G8, Stephen Harper should show Canadian leadership to Make Poverty History.
This message is available at: http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/take-action/e-alerts/2006-07-10.html

'Never Get me back' riddle

I can run swiftly and silently when you want me to stay still,
I can move slowly and cautiously and am yours to fill.
You look at me often and yet you always forget me,
I am the most feared killer, yet you can't live without me.
Sometimes you have me for all to spare,
Yet when you need me, I am not there.
You can waste me, or cherish me, you choose the track,
But once you're done you can never get me back.

What am I? Any guesses?

To dust

Today
I set myself on fire
I burnt myself to ashes

Praise belongs to Allah

In the Name of Allah the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

O You to Whose mercy one flees!
You in Whom the one in need and distress seeks refuge!
O Master, You Whose pardon is near!
O You Who help all who call on Him!
We seek Your help, O You who help the weak!
You are enough for us, O Lord!
There is nothing more majestic than Your immense power
and nothing mightier than the might of Your force.
Kings are humbled to the might of Your domain
and You lower or elevate whomever You wish.

The entire affair returns to You,
and the release or conclusion of all matters is in Your hand.
We have presented our affair before You,
and we complain to You of our weakness.
Have mercy on us, O You Who knows our weakness
and continue to be merciful.
Look at what we have experienced from people!
Our state among them is as You see.
Our troops are few and our wealth is little.
Our power has declined among groups.
They have weakened our solidarity and strength
and diminished our numbers and our preparation.

O You Whose Kingdom cannot be pillaged,
give us shelter by Your rank which is never overcome!
O Succour of the poor, we trust in You!
O Cave of the weak, we rely on You!
You are the One on Whom We call to remove our adversities,
and You are the One we hope will dispel our sorrows.
You have such concern for us that we cannot hope
for protection which comes through any other door.
We rush to the door of Your bounty
and You honour the one You enrich by Your gift.
You are the One Who guides when we are misguided.
You are the One who pardons when we slip.

You have full knowledge of all You have created
and encompassing compassion, mercy and forbearance.
There is no one in existence more lowly than we are
nor poorer and more in need of what You have than us.
O you of vast kindness!
O You Whose good encompasses all mankind, and no other is called on!
O Saviour of the drowning! O Compassionate!
O rescuer of the lost! O Gracious Bestower!
Words are lacking, O Hearing, O Answerer!
The cure is difficult, O Swift! O Near!
To you, our Lord, we have stretched out our hands
and from You, our Lord, we hope for kindness.
Be kind to us in what You decree
and let us be pleased with what pleases You.
O Allah, change the state of hardship
for ease and help us with the wind of victory.
Give us victory over the aggressors
and contain the evil among those who asked for it.
Overpower our enemy, O Mighty, with a force
which disorders them and crushes them.
Overturn what they desire and make their efforts fail,
defeat their armies and unsettle their resolve.
O Allah, hasten Your revenge among them
They cannot stand before Your power.

O Lord, O Lord, Our protection is by Your love,
and by the might of Your help.
Be for us and do not be against us.
Do not leave us to ourselves for a single instant.
We have no power of defence
nor have we any device to bring about our benefit.
We do not aim for other than Your noble door,
we do not hope for other than Your encompassing bounty.
Minds only hope for Your blessing
by the simple fact that you say 'Be" and it is.
O Lord, O Lord, arrival is by You
to what You have and seeking the means is by You!
O Lord, You are our high pillar of support!
O Lord, You are our impregnable fortress.
O Lord, O Lord, give us security
when we travel and when we remain.
O Lord, preserve our crops and herds,
and preserve our trade and make our numbers more!
Make our land a land of the deen
and repose for the needy and the poor.
Give us force among the lands as well as respect,
impregnability and a polity.
Appoint it its might from the protected secret,
and grant it protection by the beautiful veiling .

By sad, qaf and nun,
place a thousand veils in front of it.
By the rank of the light of Your noble Face
and the rank of the secret of Your immense kingdom,
And the rank of 'la ilaha illa'llah'
and the rank of the Best of Creation, O our Lord,
And the rank of that by which the Prophets prayed to You
and the rank of that by which the Awliya' pray to you,
And the rank of the power of the Qutb and the Awtad
and the rank of the Jaras and Afrad,
And the rank of the Akhyar and the rank of Nujaba'
and the rank of the Abdal and the rank of the Nuqaba',

And the rank of every one worshipping and doing dhikr
and the rank of everyone praising and giving thanks,
And the rank of everyone whose worth You elevated
both those who are concealed and those whose renown has spread,
And the ranks of the firm ayats of the Book
and the rank of the Greatest Supreme Name,
O Lord, O Lord, make us stand as fuqara'
before You, weak and lowly.
We call to You with the supplication of the one
who calls on a noble Lord who does not turn aside those who call.
Accept our supplication with Your pure grace,
with the acceptance of someone who sets aside the fair reckoning.

Bestow on us the favour of the Generous,
and show us the kindness of the Forbearing.
O Merciful, extend Your mercy over us
and spread Your blessing over us, O Generous.
Choose for us in all our words
and select for us in all our actions.
O Lord, make it our habit to cling and devote ourselves
to the resplendent Sunna.
Confine our manifold desires to You
and grant us full and complete gnosis.
Combine both knowledge and action for us,
and direct our hopes to the Abiding Abode.

O Lord, make us follow the road of the fortunate
and make our seal the Seal of the martyrs, O Lord!
Make our sons virtuous and righteous,
scholars with action and people of good counsel.
O Allah, remedy the situation of the people
and, O Allah, make the reunification easy.
O Lord, grant Your clear victory to the one
who takes charge and empowers the Deen,
And help him, O You Who are forbearing, and help his party
and fill his heart with what will make him pleasing to you.
O Lord, help our Muhammadan deen,
and make it end mighty as it began.

Preserve it, O Lord, through the preservation of the scholars,
and raise the minaret of its light to heaven.
Pardon, grant well-being, make up for our deficiency
and forgive our sins and the sins of every Muslim, O our Lord.

O Lord, bless the Chosen one
with your perfect prayer of blessing.
Your prayer is that which grants success in his business
as befits his lofty worth.

Then bless his noble family and glorious Companions
and those who have followed them.

Praise belongs to Allah by whose praise
those with an aim completely fulfil that aim.

Phantasmagorially Exotic

Bounty chocolate has long been a part of my life, but then most chocolates have :)

What makes Bounty really different, is that once your teeth crack apart the the thick delicious smooth milk chocolate, your nose is greeted with a new aroma. Coconut.

Fans say that it's a taste of paradise, just like the ad on TV.

From the days of just one Bounty bar, huge steps have been made in the coconutty world. Recent additions include Bounty biscuits – plain biscuits with a layer of coconut, topped with milk chocolate, and boxes of Bounty Calapuno chocolates – bite sized domes of coconut covered in crispy wafer and then encased in milk chocolate with extra flakes of coconut on top...
They have Bounty cake bars (Galaxy cake bars are HEAVENLY!) and both tubs and bars of Bounty ice cream. Plus they have Bounty Easter Eggs...
And sad to say, I haven't tried any of them because they're only available in Europe!

The original bars do still exist though. Blue wrappers mean milk chocolate, and burgundy, dark. You can get them in various sizes, from mini, very mini to treat size, fun size and normal. Assuming you’re in a normal supermarket or news agents, and not at a rip-offs-r-us (aka all station / airport shops and most vending machines) a normal bar shouldn’t cost you more than a dollar 50 cents.

So what do they taste like? In a word, mmmmm. The coconut center is always just right – smooth and soft but not too sticky – and the chocolate, although thin on the ground, is lovely and creamy. It very rarely melts on your hands, so if you’re a delicate nibbler rather than a muncher, you can take your time. Plus, the filling is so well made that even when exposed after taking a bite, it doesn’t spill out messily. The fact that the normal bars contain two pieces means that it's meant to be shared, although I have to admit that this has rarely happened to me. They smell appetizing but not sickly sweet, and the little ridges on the top are like little waves, waiting to be surfed ...

Does Procrastination Sabotage your Success?

By Rita Emmett

The STING strategy- 5 steps to take the STING out of being overwhelmed:
S: Select 1 task that you've been putting off.
T: Time yourself. Give the task an hour.
I: Ignore everything else. Focus on doing just this one thing.
N: No breaks allowed while the timer is ticking.
G: Give yourself a reward when the job is done.

Rita Emmett is the author of The Procrastinator's Handbook.

Correct technique of brushing your teeth

I went through many sites, this seems to explain it in reasonable detail:
Healthy teeth

Most of us aren't taught the proper way of brushing our teeth in childhood, and this can lead to many probles in adulthood. Also, when using a mouthwash, make sure you hold it in for @ least 30 seconds (1 minute is ideal) and swing the liquid around in your mouth with force.

As simple as this may sound, you can learn the correct technique of brushing your teeth from your dentist!

Dos and Don'ts

1. Try to cut down on starchy, refined, excessively sweet and sticky carbohydrates like -- chocolate, pastries, jams, and most fast food items like pizzas and burgers.
2. Immediate changes of hot and cold food or beverages expose the nerves to extreme temperatures, which does not give enough time to the nerves to adjust to the new temperature. This should be avoided, as it can be harmful to the teeth and gums.
3. Aerated beverages-colas are a strict no-no!
4. Needless to say smoking is extremely harmful for the mouth. It forms a nicotine stain on the teeth, which in turn damages the lining in the mouth and one starts getting patches in the insides of the cheek or mouth.
5. Never use tooth picks. It is not a good habit, because they dig into the gums, which in turn results in more food particles being stuck, thereby causing more damage to the teeth.
6. Maintain the usual personal dental hygiene and care as mentioned above.
7. Eat fruits and fibrous foods-like apple, cucumbers and carrots. Add some of these fruits or vegetables into your salad. These mechanically clean up the biting surface of your teeth.
8. Chew on sugar-free gum. When you chew on sugar-free gum, there is an increase in saliva in the mouth. As a result, the acidic content in the saliva is reduced, which in turn does a mechanical cleaning of your teeth.

When the inner voice speaks

She turned off the music on her laptop, and leaned back in her chair. It was a hot night as usual, but her mind was too distracted to be worried about the weather. Her conscience couldn't contain the sudden silence, and stepped out of her. Time for a challenge, it thought.
"Rihal, feels odd, doesn't it?"
"What does?"
"The turns that your life is taking."
My life isn't taking any turns. If anything, I'm hanging off a cliff."
"Yes, but you haven't assessed your situation deepy. Don't you see you've already fallen off the cliff?"
"Why do you say that? How do you know?"
"Let me tell you about this person you call your friend. Both of you went climbing up the cliff... started a risky adventure in hopes for lots of fun, and each other's company. Now, your friend thought it best to start the climb before you, so that he could clear footing as you climbed, and you followed obediently. As both of you gained height, you looked out for each other lesser, and lesser..."
"I followed because... it all seemed so perfect..."
"All that glitter is not gold Rihal."
"What happened next? How did I fall?"
"You lost your grip a few times, and each time, you'd try to grab your friend's foot. What else could you do? Each time he'd hold still until you were stable, but he didn't stop, because his vision's fixated on getting to the top... but cliffs are only meant to be falling off from."
"Go on..."
"You began to feel he couldn't always watch out for you, and this started a growing fear inside you, that you continued to feed. It's not his fault. After all, rock-climbing is a dangerous sport and losing confidence can be fatal, as it was, in your case. In the final slip, he had two options. To losen his rope and jump off the cliff in search for you, or... continue upwards. You know what you would have done if you were in his position. Once you fall off a cliff that high, chances of survival are very minimal. Was this worth risking his life for? He could speed up to catch up with the others much ahead of him, and find new companionship.
After that, you know what happened..."
And her conscience faded away. It hurt a lot. Just thinking about it. Remembering those moments. For Rihal, everything is lost. Her friend's only mistake was, that he climbed up first. And she had to suffer because of that decision. When it's too late, it's too late. You've been shattered like pieces of glass, crumbled like old doors and crushed like dried flowers.

Murphy's Law

Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong (and at the worst possible time).

Murphy's Law is sometimes also presented as a life philosophy. Also embodying defensive design, many simply see it as a way of saying in the approach of anything whatsoever that could have a possible flaw (be it an engineering project, a romantic relationship, an argumentative case, carrying an upright bass down a flight of stairs, or putting on your suit), then it's always within good measure to make the necessary precautions to make sure that those flaws can't happen. Many see it as the initial meaning behind what Murphy was saying, a simple philosophy of defensive design that has been highly misinterpreted. However, this is left open to controversy.

Read more on Wiki

Confession

'You cannot love a person unless you touch him', she whispered in my ear, 'so don't close your doors.' so much power in her few quiet words. Why is, what she said, right? Why can I not be right? I felt sincerity in her words, but I didn't need the sincerity. There's got to be a solution. My thoughts were drowned by the music in the background. 'We should go back', I said to her. She nodded, and we started walking back towards the people. Some people do have it alright, I thought. But of course, I feel that way because I don't know how much they struggled.

You can't be perfect, and you can't expect perfection. Yet, we dream so much about being perfect. My face turned into a grimace with a growing sickening feeling inside me. So this is how it feels to be stranded between the reality and...fantasy, I thought, We live in a world where we can't get up and do what we want. Life was never meant to work that way, that simple.

I noticed someone walking towards me. It was him. I didn't expect to see him here. My heart skipped a beat and my thoughts dissolved. 'Everything will be alright. If not now, very soon. Believe in your Faith, and every moment that leads up to it. 'How are you?', he asked me, with a very serious look on his face. 'Is something wrong?', I asked. 'No. It's good to see you. You look great.' he smiled.
'Thanks'. Thanks for making me feel priceless...as you always do. Here I go again. He just said 2 words. Maybe she was right... it's just me.

---

[...tbc]