Photos
Sunday, December 12, 2010
I Will Remember
And the lullaby of a moon soothes me to sleep
I will remember.
When bird song rings through a lonely forest,
And clouds drift across an endless blue
I will remember.
When a wishful dream becomes reality,
And my eyes tell a storyI will remember.
When my thoughts meander like the trickling stream,
And my heart throbs for the one I love I will remember you.
Poem Source: Freya
I Will Remember, Goodbye Poems http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/friend/poetry.asp?poem=24094#ixzz17peBEeT4
I Will Meet You There
Even though we know they will all leave us eventually
Never knowing where the future might lead you
No worries though, there is a future for them too
Because even if there not in front of you they will always be in your heart
Nobody or nothing could tear a love like that apart
With that being said my friend you will always be with me
And when my time has come I will meet you there you will see
I know you are looking down on me now and then
Up in a place we like to call heaven
Make sure there is room for me when I get there
Just so that I know that you still care
I don't know how long it will be before it is my time
So I'm letting you know with this little rhyme
That I will always be here no matter where you are
You wont even have to reach out to me because I will never be that far
Don't ever fear because my love will forever send
And I will be by your side when my life comes to an end.
Poem Source: Jennifer L. Timmons
Poem: I Will Meet You There, Goodbye Poems http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/friend/poetry.asp?poem=14278#ixzz17pZXmb7A
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Three Sisters
Three sisters are we
I love each of you,
And I know you love me
We’re not always together,
Life sometimes keeps us apart.
But we're never separated
We’re in each other's heart.
Now I know we've had our troubles,
But we always get thru.
The real message is you love me,
And I also love you.
We have had lots of good times
That we'll never forget
Sometimes we worry
And sometimes we fret
But if God ever gave me
Something special you see,
It might have been the blessing of,
Three sisters are we.
The Lord above has gave me lots
Of happiness and glee
But the most special thing he did was
Make us sisters, all three.
Poem Source: Three Sisters, Sister Poems http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/family/poetry.asp?poem=517#ixzz16lOgvrnF
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
History of White Chocolate
White chocolate is made of cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. Most often, the cocoa butter is deodorized to remove its strong and undesirable taste that would negatively affect the flavor of the finished chocolate. Regulations also govern what may be marketed as "white chocolate": In the United States, since 2004, white chocolate must be (by weight) at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% total milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat, and no more than 55% sugar or other sweeteners. Before this date, U.S. firms required temporary marketing permits to sell white chocolate. The European Union has adopted the same standards, except that there is no limit on sugar or sweeteners. Although white chocolate is made the same way as milk chocolate and dark chocolate, it lacks the cocoa paste, liquor, or powder, leading to the waggish claim that "white chocolate is what is left after the chocolate is removed from chocolate." Some preparations that may be confused with white chocolate (known as confectioner's coating, summer coating, or Almond bark) are made from inexpensive solid or hydrogenated vegetable and animal fats, and as such, are not at all derived from cocoa. These preparations may actually be white (in contrast to white chocolate's ivory shade) and will lack cocoa butter's flavor.
Since it does not contain cocoa solids, white chocolate contains only trace amounts of theobromine, a chemical compound which gives other types of chocolate their characteristic brown color. This means that white chocolate can be safely consumed by individuals who must avoid theobromine for medical reasons. Dark chocolate contains more theobromine than white chocolate because it contains the largest amount of cocoa solids.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Sri Jeganathar Swamigal
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Cakes.... History....
Cakes are made from various combinations of refined flour, some form of shortening, sweetening, eggs, milk, leavening agent, and flavoring. There are literally thousands of cakes recipes (some are bread-like and some rich and elaborate) and many are centuries old. Cake making is no longer a complicated procedure.
Baking utensils and directions have been so perfected and simplified that even the amateur cook may easily become and expert baker. There are five basic types of cake, depending on the substance used for leavening.
The most primitive peoples in the world began making cakes shortly after they discovered flour. In medieval England, the cakes that were described in writings were not cakes in the conventional sense. They were described as flour-based sweet foods as opposed to the description of breads, which were just flour-based foods without sweetening.
Bread and cake were somewhat interchangeable words with the term "cake" being used for smaller breads. The earliest examples were found among the remains of Neolithic villages where archaeologists discovered simple cakes made from crushed grains, moistened, compacted and probably cooked on a hot stone. Today's version of this early cake would be oatcakes, though now we think of them more as a biscuit or cookie.
Cakes were called "plakous" by the Greeks, from the word for "flat." These cakes were usually combinations of nuts and honey. They also had a cake called "satura," which was a flat heavy cake.
During the Roman period, the name for cake (derived from the Greek term) became "placenta." They were also called "libum" by the Romans, and were primarily used as an offering to their gods. Placenta was more like a cheesecake, baked on a pastry base, or sometimes inside a pastry case.
The terms "bread" and "cake" became interchangeable as years went by. The words themselves are of Anglo Saxon origin, and it's probable that the term cake was used for the smaller breads. Cakes were usually baked for special occasions because they were made with the finest and most expensive ingredients available to the cook. The wealthier you were, the more likely you might consume cake on a more frequent basis.
By the middle of the 18th century, yeast had fallen into disuse as a raising agent for cakes in favor of beaten eggs. Once as much air as possible had been beaten in, the mixture would be poured into molds, often very elaborate creations, but sometimes as simple as two tin hoops, set on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. It is from these cake hoops that our modern cake pans developed.
Cakes were considered a symbol of well being by early American cooks on the east coast, with each region of the country having their own favorites.
By the early 19th century, due to the Industrial Revolution, baking ingredients became more affordable and readily available because of mass production and the railroads. Modern leavening agents, such as baking soda and baking powder were invented.
Cake Revolution
In the mid 1800’s, the temperature controlled oven, the style we have today, was invented and it revolutionized the art of baking. Cakes become even more like the cakes we know today and cake decorating became almost a sport. Having the most elaborately decorated or unique cake at a social function was crucial to anyone who wanted to acquire social standing so once again Sugarcrafters were in high demand.
Most people today who are not professional cake decorators and even some who are rely on pre-mixed cake mixes to make sure that their cakes turn out light, moist, and fluffy. There is a renewed interest in Sugarcrafting today brought on by a desire to glorify the past and the retro days of the 1950’s and 1960’s when women spent their days creating gorgeous edible works of art for coffee dates and holidays.
The Food Network and shows like The Ace of Cakes and Top Chef have brought cake decorating and Sugarcrafting back into the spotlight and men and woman are discovering the artistry involved in Sugarcrafting.
History of Chocolate
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Because Of You Lyrics
I Will not let myself cause my heart so much misery
I will not break the way you didYou fell so hard
I've learned the hard way, to never let it get that far
Because of you
I'll never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side
So I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust
Not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid
I lose my way
And it's not too long before you point it out
I cannot cry
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes
I'm forced to fake, a smile, a laugh
Every day of my life
My heart can't possibly break
When it wasn't even whole to start with
Because of youI'll never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side
So I don't get hurt
Because of youI find it hard to trust
Not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid
I watched you die
I heard you cry
Every night in your sleep
I was so young
You should have known better than to lean on me
You never thought of anyone else
You just saw your pain
And now I cry
In the middle of the night
For the same damn thing
Because of youI'll never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of youI learned to play on the safe side
So I don't get hurt
Because of you
I tried my hardest just to forget everything
Because of you
I don't know how to let anyone else in
Because of you
I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty
Because of youI am afraid
Because of you
Because of you
Friday, November 12, 2010
ENTREPRENEURSHIP QUOTES FROM REAL ENTREPRENEURS
"When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure."- Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics
"An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he'll quickly learn how to chew it.- Roy Ash, co-founder of Litton Industries
"Business opportunities are like buses, there's always another one coming."- Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Enterprises
"The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It's as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer."- Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese's
"Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service. It is capable of being presented as a discipline, capable of being learned, capable of being practiced. Entrepreneurs need to search purposefully for the sources of innovation, the changes and their symptoms that indicate opportunities for successful innovation. And they need to know and to apply the principles of successful innovation."- Peter F. Drucker, "The Father of Modern Management"
"I never perfected an invention that I did not think about in terms of the service it might give others... I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent."- Thomas Edison
"The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it."- Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies
"We were young, but we had good advice and good ideas and lots of enthusiasm."- Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Corporation
"Our success has really been based on partnerships from the very beginning."- Bill Gates
"Entrepreneurs are risk takers, willing to roll the dice with their money or reputation on the line in support of an idea or enterprise. They willingly assume responsibility for the success or failure of a venture and are answerable for all its facets."- Victor Kiam, best known for his "I liked it so much, I bought the company" ads for Remington electric shavers
"If it really was a no-brainer to make it on your own in business there'd be millions of no-brained, harebrained, and otherwise dubiously brained individuals quitting their day jobs and hanging out their own shingles. Nobody would be left to round out the workforce and execute the business plan."- Bill Rancic, winner on Donald Trump's "The Apprentice"
"The cover-your-butt mentality of the workplace will get you only so far. The follow-your-gut mentality of the entrepreneur has the potential to take you anywhere you want to go or run you right out of business--but it's a whole lot more fun, don't you think?"- Bill Rancic
"Nobody talks about entrepreneurship as survival, but that's exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking. Running that first shop taught me business is not financial science; it's about trading: buying and selling."- Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop
"I have always found that my view of success has been iconoclastic: success to me is not about money or status or fame, its about finding a livelihood that brings me joy and self-sufficiency and a sense of contributing to the world."- Anita Roddick
"Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you're generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don't make."- Donald Trump, real estate and entertainment mogul
"My son is now an 'entrepreneur'. That's what you're called when you don't have a job."- Ted Turner, broadcasting entrepreneur
"I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them!"- Madam C.J. Walker, creator of a popular line of African-American hair care products and America's first black female millionaire
Source:http://entreprenurs.about.com
My Life at UMK
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
My Dream... My Ambition
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Sardarji Jokes
Sardar's mobile bill
Sardar: Can I know my mobile bill, please?
Call centre girl: Sir,just dial *123# to know your current bill status.
Sardar: (He got angry and..)You stupid...
Call centre girl:Sir,I'm sorry, anything wrong?
Sardar: I'm not asking my current bill.I'm asking my mobile bill.. Don't be a fool. Be wise like me.
Call centre girl: ???!!!
Y 2 K fix
Our staff has completed the 18 months of work on time and on budget. We have gone through every line of code in every program in every system.
We have analyzed all databases, all data files, including backups and historic archives, and modified all data to reflect the change. We are proud to report that we have completed the "Y-to-K" date change mission, and have now implemented all changes to all programs and all data to reflect your new standards:
Januark, Februark, March, April, Mak, June, Julk, August, September, October, November, December
As well as:
Sundak, Mondak, Tuesdak, Wednesdak, Thursdak, Fridak, Saturdak
I trust that this is satisfactory, because to be honest, none of this Y to K problem has made any sense to me. But I understand it is a globalproblem, and our team is glad to help in any way possible.
And what does the year 2000 have to do with it? Speaking of which, what do you think We ought to do next year when the two digit year rolls over from 99 to 00? We'll await your direction.
Looks like a foreigner
sardar returns from London. He calls his wife and asks her, "Do I look like a foreigner?"
She says no.
The answer angers him. "Look carefully, do I look like a foreigner?"
She again replies in the negative. By now the sardar is fuming.
He yells: "Come close and see, do I look like a foreigner?"
The wife says: "No."
The sardar who is seething with rage says: "All those women in London were fools. Every time I went out they would say: `Look a foreigner`."
SARDAR'S ESSAY
Once a sardar had to learn two essays for the exam.One is about friend and the other is about father.He had studied only about friend.But in the exam the essay asked was about father.Sardar didn give up.He replaced father with friend in the essay and it read: I am a very fatherly person, I have lots of fathers, My best father is my neighbour. He ended the essay as, A father in need is a father in deed....!
Napolean and Sardar
NAPOLEAN: "In my Dictionary there is no word called 'IMPOSSIBLE'....
Sardarji: "What's the use of saying it now,you should have checked it before buying THE DICTIONARY !!
Sardaar and Tiger
Sardar Dhakaal Singh is big hunter. Once he went to a zoo. At that time a big tiger escaped from its cage. The zoo officials sent everyone out of the zoo and closed the main gate. Now the tiger is inside the zoo but wandering freely. Zoo people requested sardar to be inside and trap the tiger in a cage. Scared but to avoid insult he went into the zoo in his jeep carrying a big gun.
While driving on one of the zoo's roads, he noticed that the tiger is chasing him. Feeling scared he drove the jeep fast but only to observe that the tiger is very near to the jeep. At that time the road separated into two paths ahead, one to the left and other to the right. Then cleverly dhakaal put the left indicator on and turned the jeep to the road on right. The tiger runs into the left path. With a sigh of relief, he drove forward. After some time the roads meet and the same situation arises again.
Once more the road divides into two and this time our sardar is smart enough to put the right indicator on and turned to left. This time the tiger goes into the road on right side. After some time the roads meet again to our sardar's misfortune and the tiger starts to chase him again. This time the road never divides and our sardar thought the tiger would catch him. Then a brilliant idea struck his mind. He slows down his jeep taking it to the left corner of the road. Then he held his hand outside and a gives signal which is given for vehicles which want to overtake. The
tiger this time overtakes his jeep and runs forward.
NOW TELL ME WHAT IS THE MORAL OF THE STORY??
ANSWER BELOW............
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
MORAL: "There are Sardar Communities in Tigers
too".
Sardars do their Calculation
the President Dr. Zail Singh
The Sardars decide to take a taxi.
The taxi driver takes them to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The meter shows Rs. 28/-, so the taxi driver says, "You have to pay me
Rs.
28/-."
Now, the Sardars have to share the cost among themselves and so they
decide
to divide the total (Rs. 28/-) by the number of people, i.e. 7.
This is how they do the calculation to arrive at the answer:
____
7 | 28 = 13 ( 7 x 1 = 7, 7 x 3 = 21 ).
7
--
21
21
--
0
--
The driver is exceedingly happy upon receiving Rs. 13/- from each of
the
Sardars. He thanks them profusely and the feeling of happiness is
writtern
on his face as he leaves them and proceeds his way.
Seeing this, the Sardars feel that they may have made a mistake.
They decide to ask Zail Singh about it. After all, the fellow was the
President of the nation!
They ask Zail Singh to check their calculation of the taxi fare.
Zail Singh ponders over the calculations and finally says, "See, I am
not
good at division. The process just boggles me but addition is something
I am
an expert at. Let us add all the amounts you guys gave to the taxi
driver
and check the result. This is how I do for those tax forms I get very
often. The process is slow but is sure." The other sardars nod their
heads
(?) in appreciation.
The President writes as shown below and also explains as he writes on:
13
13
13
13
13
13
13
--
28
--
i.e. 3+3+3+3+3+3+ 3= 21 and 21+1+1+1+1+1+ 1+1=28 so this checks out.
He then says, "Yes, it's correct. But I can also call my close friend
and
Finance man Banta Singh.
Banta Singh arrives, and when told of the problem, he replies that
he
doesn't think it is a bad deal but says, "No problem! I will verify it
via
mathematical computation. I'll verify it with multiplication. That
is
the
best technique for this, you see!"
While others watch in admiration, Banta Singh goes on to write as
shown:
13
x7
--- (7*3=21 ,7*1=7 so 21+7=28)
21
+ 7
--
28 This checks out as well.
--
Then he says, "This is really fine. There should be no problem,
President
Sahab. After all, it is correct in all the methods."
An electric motor
in an interview,
Interviewer: How does an electric motor run?
SARDAR: dhuurrrrrrrrrr..
Interviewr shouts: stop it !
SARDAR: dhurr dhup dup dup dup.
Sardar's Match Essay
A teacher told all students in a class to write an essay on a cricket match. All were busy writing except one Sardarji.
He wrote "DUE TO RAIN, NO MATCH!"
Sardar standing in mirror
Sardarji was standing in front of the mirror with his eyes closed.
His wife asked what you are doing.
He said I am seeing how I look while sleeping.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
THREE IDIOTS- MOVIE REVIEW
Come to think of it, 3 IDIOTS carries a huge 'burden' on its shoulders: The 'burden' of humungous expectations. And it's not without reasons...
• 3 IDIOTS is Aamir's next release after the record-breaker GHAJINI.
• 3 IDIOTS is Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra's third film together, after MUNNABHAI MBBS and LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI, landmark films.
• Three actors from the path-breaking RANG DE BASANTI team - Aamir, Madhavan and Sharman - team up yet again. Plus, Aamir's teaming up with Hirani. It couldn't get bigger!
3 IDIOTS is over-hyped and that could be dangerous for any film since it's the expectations which kill a film if the content doesn't match up to the hype. In this case, all izz well!
Now let's demystify the myths...
3 IDIOTS is not about idiots or nincompoops. It's about three engineering students who believe in 'I'll Do It On my Terms' and that's what the three characters achieve in life and that's what Hirani, Chopra, Aamir eventually achieve at the end of the movie. Making a movie on their terms!
One more thing! You cannot draw parallels with any other film, past or present, successful or unsuccessful. And though people may draw parallels with GHAJINI or the MUNNABHAI series, it would be sacrilege to do so. 3 IDIOTS [based on a novel 'Five Point Someone' by Chetan Bhagat] doesn't tilt, it stands tall.
Here's yet another illusion: 3 IDIOTS belongs to Aamir Khan. Yes, it does, but also to R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, Kareena Kapoor and Omi, the entrant in Hindi movies, who delivers an equally sterling performance. The film would be incomplete without any of these characters.
To cut a long story short, all you'd like to say about the film is, All izz very, very, very, very, very well. Watch this film to know what it means!
Two friends [R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi] embark on a quest for a lost buddy. As they make their way through the perilous landscape [Shimla, Manali, Ladakh], another journey begins: their inner journey through memory lane and the story of their friend - the irrepressible free-thinker Rancho [Aamir Khan], who, in his unique way, touched and changed their lives.
It's a story of their hostel days that swings between Rancho's romance with the spirited Pia [Kareena Kapoor] and his clash with and oppressive mentor, Viru Sahastrabudhhe [Boman Irani]. And then one day, suddenly, Rancho vanishes...
Who was he? Where did he come from? Why did he leave? The friend who influenced and inspired them to think creatively and independently, even as the conformist world called them three idiots. Where is the original idiot now?
Hirani is a genius and that has been proved twice in the past. He proves it for the third time with 3 IDIOTS. Screenplay writers Hirani and Abhijat Joshi and screenplay associate Vidhu Vinod Chopra narrate a story that's straight out of life. A story that each one of us can relate to or identify with.
Very often, we've read news-reports of students committing suicides because they've to live up to the family's pressure/expectations. This film depicts it at the very start, when a student commits suicide. But the issue doesn't end there, for 3 IDIOTS raises a pertinent question: Was it suicide or murder?
Hirani balances the rough and smooth incidents in their lives beautifully. The sequences in the campus, right from the ragging sequence at the start, to Omi's speech when the word 'chamatkaar' is changed to 'balatkaar' [superb; will bring the house down], to the trio getting caught in an embarrassing situation at the reception of Kareena's sister [Mona Singh], to the dinner sequence at Sharman's house, to Kareena and Aamir driving Sharman's seriously ill father on their bike to the hospital... the funny moments would make your jaws ache.
The interval point is a shocker. The point at which the first half ends will leave you stunned. Now what was that? Kahani mein twist!
The mystery is solved soon after the intermission ends and a new journey begins. That's one of the USPs of the film. Just when you think that the story would be solved, a new story begins. Of course, the pace dips slightly in its second hour, especially during the delivery sequence of Mona [which may appear filmy to a few], but the immediate sequence, when the baby boy is born and also the subsequent sequence between Boman and Aamir bring the film back on track. The culmination to the film is novel and yes, it's a master stroke from the writing point of view!
Every person behind the camera gives his/her best to the film. Hirani and Joshi's screenplay is the mainstay of the film. If you fondly recall 'Gandhigiri' from their previous film LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI, you'd have a new phrase to chew on this time: 'All Izz Well'. Muraleedharan C.K.'s cinematography is awesome. Note the aerial view at the very start, when Madhavan and Sharman begin the journey to Shimla or the picture perfect look of Ladakh... the DoP does a magnificent job.
Shantanu Moitra's music may sound plain ordinary to ears, but when viewed on screen, the score is just perfect. 'Give Me Some Sunshine', 'All Is Well', 'Zoobie Doobie' are three tracks that would grow on you after you've watched the film. The choreography of 'All Izz Well' [Avit Dias] and 'Zoobie Doobie' [Bosco-Caesar] are eye-catching. The background score [Sanjay Wandrekar, Atul Raninga, Shantanu Moitra] is right.
3 IDIOTS belongs to everyone. But, yes, there's no denying that Aamir makes you forget all his past achievements as you watch the amazing actor play Rancho. To state that this ranks amongst his finest works would be an understatement. Madhavan is incredible, especially in the sequence when he explains his point of view to his father [Pareekshit Sahani]. Sharman is outstanding from start to end. This was a difficult role to portray and only an actor of calibre could've pulled it off. Boman is superb as the vicious head of the institute. The scenes between Aamir and Boman are extra-ordinary and it's a treat to watch these two powerful actors clash on the big screen, without getting overdramatic. Boman's appearance, mannerisms and dialogue delivery are exemplary.
The length of Kareena's role may not be as much as Aamir, Madhavan and Sharman, but she registers a strong impact nonetheless. Omi is excellent and the viewers are sure to love his acidic tongue and gestures in the movie. Mona Singh doesn't get much scope. Jaaved Jaffery is competent. Pareekshit Sahani is decent.
On the whole, 3 IDIOTS easily ranks amongst Aamir, Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra's finest films. Do yourself and your family a favour: Watch 3 IDIOTS. It's emotional, it's entertaining, it's enlightening. The film has tremendous youth appeal and feel-good factor to work in a big way.