Young woman several months pregnant boarded a bus. She noticed a young man smiling at her she began feeling humiliated on account of her condition. She changed her seat and he seemed more amused. She moved again and then on her third move he burst out laughing.... ........ ....She had him arrested.
When the case came before the court, the young man was asked why he acted in such a manner. His reply was: When the lady boarded the bus I couldn't help noticing she was pregnant. She first sat under an advertisement,
which read: 'Coming Soon: The Gold Dust Twins'.
I was even more amused when she changed her seat and went to sit under a shaving advertisement, which read: 'William's Stick Did The Trick'.
Then I could not control myself any longer when on the third move she sat under an advertisement, which read: 'Dunlop Rubber would have prevented this accident.'
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Monday, 6 May 2013
Not knowing
When you do not know something so important in your life, something that in your opinion goes to the very root of your existence, the definition of who you really are and your true identity, not knowing can eat you up alive in such situations. Mostly, such feelings are associated with one not knowing their heritage, family background and close family members like siblings, first uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents. However, the most sensitive part of not knowing is when you do not know your parent.
Someone has sent me a story, of a A little girl who grew up without knowing her biological father, the struggles she went through emotionally and the pictures of a perfect father she had painted in her head. Upon her request, I am publishing the story as it was sent to me. ..
My name is Rubi,
I grew up in a happy and loving family. My parents were both very good to me when I was little. They both came from a poor background, and when they started working they had to support their families, considering what they were earning was not much our lives were never that of abundance but rather necessity basis. However, amidst all that, my father never failed to make time for me, he would take me for evening walks with his small radio, and I remember us walking for hours at times while listening to BBC swahili or something else of that sort. And I remember enjoying this so much. We would talk and on our way back home my father would tell me stories from his childhood and how he grew up. By this time I had only one sibling a little brother who was born when I was almost 6years old.
My mother, was a hard worker. She worked so hard to support her parents and siblings, at the same time assisting my father's brothers with school fees and all. I remember my mother sewing a school uniform for one of my father's little brother by hand from one of my Father's old work uniforms. She was gifted with skills and a good heart. All the while, I always had plenty of school uniforms, my mum always made sure that I had at least five shirts and three skirts for my school uniform. I always had a nice school bag and nice shoes. Looking Back now I do not know how she did it, but I always had plenty of whatever was basic for a little girl.
When I was 9years old someone's tongue slipped, and it was that day that I realized my Father was not biologically my father. As a child, I did not fully get what was going on, I remember wondering if that meant my father didn't love me and if one day he will change and start treating me bad because I was not really his child but he never did. My father loves me, as if I were his own. He has never once treated me like a step child, and as I grow older my father and I are becoming friends. We talk and joke and My father has a special place in my heart. All those good things that fathers and daughters do, the memories and the stories and the funny stuffs from the childhood, all that I have because of my father. When I was 9years old I also become a sister to a beautiful little girl that was born that year, and she is my best friend to date. And despite now knowing we are only half siblings she loves me to death. And I would donate an organ for her if she ever needs it! That's how much I love her.
However, from the day that I realized that I have another father somewhere I never stopped wondering. I always wondered what he was like, if he had another family, other siblings that I did not know of. I remember wondering if things might have been different if I knew my Bio-Father, constantly wondering how my life would have been if he were around. I made an attempt once to ask my mum about it but I was dismissed. And I knew never to ask again. As I grew older so did my curiosity. The problem was, no one was talking, not my grandparents, or my uncles no one. They all loved my mum so much and were respecting her wishes of not telling me anything about the man who fathered me. Sometimes I would think of him, wonder if he was thinking of me as well. And wonder why he never looked for me. Sometimes, I would cry because I felt pain that I could not explain, the not knowing was killing me, I'd sit there and wonder and cry and look at the sky and wonder what his life was like.
I remember crying myself to sleep a lot in secondary school. There was constant pain in my heart and a wonder in my head. However, I never dared to ask my mum, because as her daughter I could see that my ever strong mother was always hurt by such a mention, or whenever she talked about my birth and pregnancy. All that I knew was that My father had hurt my mother so much for her to feel so sad whenever she remembered those times.
All these years, my step father continued to be a wonderful father to me. But it was my mother who made sure that I never lacked a thing in mylife. From school, to nice clothes, expensive private tuitions and all that she could afford to give me. Although our family was not rich, I can still proudly say that I had a very luxurious childhood. Years passed by, and I remember passing my primary school exams but my mum opted for a private school instead, and the same thing for my o'level exams. Over the years our financial situation improved, and to date my parents are well off.
After college I started working, and in six moths I moved out of my parents house and started living on my own. This is when I found my father. It felt like I was dreaming. I was 24years of age by then and I could not believe that it was happening. It felt so surreal, and I was so overjoyed and I thanked God for all that had happened. I found out that he had three other children, my siblings. Two boys and a girl, a girl was born less than two years after I was born. I have never met her to date because she lives abroad. However we talk almost everyday and I have never met a person who was so excited to have a big sister than she was. To me she is a blessing, another sister who loves so me much and me her, and from all that followed, she is the blessing and a my silver lining in a cloud. My shoulder to cry on, and she always understands what I'm going through. I have forgotten that we have never actually met
My brothers, good kids I have met them both, one is in College and another in secondary school. I am a sister to them, they love me, respect me and I scold them when the need be. And they listen.
My Bio- father on the other hand is the cloud. He is not a colourful painting that I had him painted in my head. I admit that he has been a good father to my three siblings. However I do admit that it is because of his very good wife that he was able to pull all that off, she is also a very strong willed and a nice person and its because of her that my siblings have the education and life that they have today. He never keeps promises, even the little ones that he makes. He drinks and he is so irresponsible when it comes to his health and he wouldn't listen no matter how or who tells him to stop.
I got admission for a masters program, and when my sister heard she persuaded my Bio-father to pay for it, so he said he would. However, at some point I started feeling a lot more like a charity case to him than daughter. it was obvious that he did not want to pay but he was doing so out of shame and obligation to my fierce little sister. Until now the fee's second instalment is way overdue by three months, and my assignments and tests were not being marked anymore because I hadn't finished paying the fees. I tried talking and explaining to him what was happening, but in the end he stopped taking my calls. Or when he picked he simply said he would call me back and he never did.
Two weeks ago, I was calling him, I wanted to meet him so that I can tell him that I was planning to introduce my boyfriend to my parents (mum and step Dad) and that I was going to be betrothed, he never picked the calls,and he never called back. A lot more silence followed, and to me it felt like stab wounds in myheart. He had rejected me once again, showed me how much I simply did not mean a damn thing to him, and that I could just go to hell for all he cared. That's how it felt, when your father stop answering your calls, nothing can be more painful than that.
I took courage, and I asked one of my mum's college friend what had happened between my mum and my Bio-father to make my mum hate him so much, what I heard was shocking. I started to understand what my mum had to live with everyday whenever she saw me, and I am now wondering how she could have loved me as much as she did given the circumstances surrounding my birth. I now do not know what to feel about him. And I wonder he if he deserves my respect at all. I'm thinking what if a man did to me what he did to my mother? And wonder if I will be able to raise such a kid with so much love and protection as my mum raised me. And what's worse, I don't think he has ever apologized to my mother for what he did to her, or thanked my step father for raising me as his own.
How can I respect or love such a person for that matter? All that he has brought in my life apart from pain is my siblings, his children. They are a wonderful wonderful most amazing thing to ever happened from such a bad situation. And only for their sake I can not find it in my heart to hate him, but I do not think I will ever love him the way a daughter should love a father. But my siblings, I would go to the moon and back for them. I had two, Now I have five, and All of them good kids, who loves me and me them.
All that has happened lately have taught me several things,first that I already have a father and I really did not need another one. Secondly that my mother is an Angel and that I should keep praying for her everyday. And third that not knowing is not such a bad thing.
And that is my story.
Yours truly,
Rubi
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Well folks, As I said I published it as it was sent to me. But given the circumstances I would also choose ignorance.
Someone has sent me a story, of a A little girl who grew up without knowing her biological father, the struggles she went through emotionally and the pictures of a perfect father she had painted in her head. Upon her request, I am publishing the story as it was sent to me. ..
My name is Rubi,
I grew up in a happy and loving family. My parents were both very good to me when I was little. They both came from a poor background, and when they started working they had to support their families, considering what they were earning was not much our lives were never that of abundance but rather necessity basis. However, amidst all that, my father never failed to make time for me, he would take me for evening walks with his small radio, and I remember us walking for hours at times while listening to BBC swahili or something else of that sort. And I remember enjoying this so much. We would talk and on our way back home my father would tell me stories from his childhood and how he grew up. By this time I had only one sibling a little brother who was born when I was almost 6years old.
My mother, was a hard worker. She worked so hard to support her parents and siblings, at the same time assisting my father's brothers with school fees and all. I remember my mother sewing a school uniform for one of my father's little brother by hand from one of my Father's old work uniforms. She was gifted with skills and a good heart. All the while, I always had plenty of school uniforms, my mum always made sure that I had at least five shirts and three skirts for my school uniform. I always had a nice school bag and nice shoes. Looking Back now I do not know how she did it, but I always had plenty of whatever was basic for a little girl.
When I was 9years old someone's tongue slipped, and it was that day that I realized my Father was not biologically my father. As a child, I did not fully get what was going on, I remember wondering if that meant my father didn't love me and if one day he will change and start treating me bad because I was not really his child but he never did. My father loves me, as if I were his own. He has never once treated me like a step child, and as I grow older my father and I are becoming friends. We talk and joke and My father has a special place in my heart. All those good things that fathers and daughters do, the memories and the stories and the funny stuffs from the childhood, all that I have because of my father. When I was 9years old I also become a sister to a beautiful little girl that was born that year, and she is my best friend to date. And despite now knowing we are only half siblings she loves me to death. And I would donate an organ for her if she ever needs it! That's how much I love her.
However, from the day that I realized that I have another father somewhere I never stopped wondering. I always wondered what he was like, if he had another family, other siblings that I did not know of. I remember wondering if things might have been different if I knew my Bio-Father, constantly wondering how my life would have been if he were around. I made an attempt once to ask my mum about it but I was dismissed. And I knew never to ask again. As I grew older so did my curiosity. The problem was, no one was talking, not my grandparents, or my uncles no one. They all loved my mum so much and were respecting her wishes of not telling me anything about the man who fathered me. Sometimes I would think of him, wonder if he was thinking of me as well. And wonder why he never looked for me. Sometimes, I would cry because I felt pain that I could not explain, the not knowing was killing me, I'd sit there and wonder and cry and look at the sky and wonder what his life was like.
I remember crying myself to sleep a lot in secondary school. There was constant pain in my heart and a wonder in my head. However, I never dared to ask my mum, because as her daughter I could see that my ever strong mother was always hurt by such a mention, or whenever she talked about my birth and pregnancy. All that I knew was that My father had hurt my mother so much for her to feel so sad whenever she remembered those times.
All these years, my step father continued to be a wonderful father to me. But it was my mother who made sure that I never lacked a thing in mylife. From school, to nice clothes, expensive private tuitions and all that she could afford to give me. Although our family was not rich, I can still proudly say that I had a very luxurious childhood. Years passed by, and I remember passing my primary school exams but my mum opted for a private school instead, and the same thing for my o'level exams. Over the years our financial situation improved, and to date my parents are well off.
After college I started working, and in six moths I moved out of my parents house and started living on my own. This is when I found my father. It felt like I was dreaming. I was 24years of age by then and I could not believe that it was happening. It felt so surreal, and I was so overjoyed and I thanked God for all that had happened. I found out that he had three other children, my siblings. Two boys and a girl, a girl was born less than two years after I was born. I have never met her to date because she lives abroad. However we talk almost everyday and I have never met a person who was so excited to have a big sister than she was. To me she is a blessing, another sister who loves so me much and me her, and from all that followed, she is the blessing and a my silver lining in a cloud. My shoulder to cry on, and she always understands what I'm going through. I have forgotten that we have never actually met
My brothers, good kids I have met them both, one is in College and another in secondary school. I am a sister to them, they love me, respect me and I scold them when the need be. And they listen.
My Bio- father on the other hand is the cloud. He is not a colourful painting that I had him painted in my head. I admit that he has been a good father to my three siblings. However I do admit that it is because of his very good wife that he was able to pull all that off, she is also a very strong willed and a nice person and its because of her that my siblings have the education and life that they have today. He never keeps promises, even the little ones that he makes. He drinks and he is so irresponsible when it comes to his health and he wouldn't listen no matter how or who tells him to stop.
I got admission for a masters program, and when my sister heard she persuaded my Bio-father to pay for it, so he said he would. However, at some point I started feeling a lot more like a charity case to him than daughter. it was obvious that he did not want to pay but he was doing so out of shame and obligation to my fierce little sister. Until now the fee's second instalment is way overdue by three months, and my assignments and tests were not being marked anymore because I hadn't finished paying the fees. I tried talking and explaining to him what was happening, but in the end he stopped taking my calls. Or when he picked he simply said he would call me back and he never did.
Two weeks ago, I was calling him, I wanted to meet him so that I can tell him that I was planning to introduce my boyfriend to my parents (mum and step Dad) and that I was going to be betrothed, he never picked the calls,and he never called back. A lot more silence followed, and to me it felt like stab wounds in myheart. He had rejected me once again, showed me how much I simply did not mean a damn thing to him, and that I could just go to hell for all he cared. That's how it felt, when your father stop answering your calls, nothing can be more painful than that.
I took courage, and I asked one of my mum's college friend what had happened between my mum and my Bio-father to make my mum hate him so much, what I heard was shocking. I started to understand what my mum had to live with everyday whenever she saw me, and I am now wondering how she could have loved me as much as she did given the circumstances surrounding my birth. I now do not know what to feel about him. And I wonder he if he deserves my respect at all. I'm thinking what if a man did to me what he did to my mother? And wonder if I will be able to raise such a kid with so much love and protection as my mum raised me. And what's worse, I don't think he has ever apologized to my mother for what he did to her, or thanked my step father for raising me as his own.
How can I respect or love such a person for that matter? All that he has brought in my life apart from pain is my siblings, his children. They are a wonderful wonderful most amazing thing to ever happened from such a bad situation. And only for their sake I can not find it in my heart to hate him, but I do not think I will ever love him the way a daughter should love a father. But my siblings, I would go to the moon and back for them. I had two, Now I have five, and All of them good kids, who loves me and me them.
All that has happened lately have taught me several things,first that I already have a father and I really did not need another one. Secondly that my mother is an Angel and that I should keep praying for her everyday. And third that not knowing is not such a bad thing.
And that is my story.
Yours truly,
Rubi
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Well folks, As I said I published it as it was sent to me. But given the circumstances I would also choose ignorance.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
When Unexpected Happens
Its guaranteed that life will catch you offguard sometimes, surprise you with things that u were not prepared for and you will stumble from your path at least for a while. But these surprises are not always bad, sometimes life surprises you with wonderful wonderful things, like how you may find love in very unexpected places and wealth in the least place you would look. But in the game of life, these things are a must and are inevitable.
When you are caught offguard by good events, embrace them but do not let them stir you or distract you from your original plan, because good or bad a distraction is a distraction. When such events are bad and they hit you in such a way that life looses its meaningful and the path to your future seems blank and pitch black, do not stop moving, use your heart and instincts to keep moving in the right direction and your hands to feels the way and obstacles. Because in the end it doesn't matter how you got there but the thing is you did get there.
When you are caught offguard by good events, embrace them but do not let them stir you or distract you from your original plan, because good or bad a distraction is a distraction. When such events are bad and they hit you in such a way that life looses its meaningful and the path to your future seems blank and pitch black, do not stop moving, use your heart and instincts to keep moving in the right direction and your hands to feels the way and obstacles. Because in the end it doesn't matter how you got there but the thing is you did get there.
Monday, 15 April 2013
Anyway
I love Mother Theresa's anyway poem, mainly because it always gives me such satisfaction that cruelty of this world should not be a reason for a person to also be cruel. It goes like this. . . .
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
~ :) ~
This poem somehow for at least a moment there when u read it gives u the will power to keep on living and be good. It may not matter how nice you are, how good you are to other people, how helpful you are to other people because people always forget. The important thing is to always remember that anything you do to help others is not for them but rather for yourself and for the peace of your own soul.
People are mean, manipulative, angry, ungrateful, cruel and so many many more bad things, but it is important to remember not to loose your faith and your soul to all that. It doesn't matter why, just be a good human being
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone on the Tigo Tanzania Network
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
~ :) ~
This poem somehow for at least a moment there when u read it gives u the will power to keep on living and be good. It may not matter how nice you are, how good you are to other people, how helpful you are to other people because people always forget. The important thing is to always remember that anything you do to help others is not for them but rather for yourself and for the peace of your own soul.
People are mean, manipulative, angry, ungrateful, cruel and so many many more bad things, but it is important to remember not to loose your faith and your soul to all that. It doesn't matter why, just be a good human being
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone on the Tigo Tanzania Network
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Perfect guy
You are the sun that shines bright throughout my day,
You are the gravity that hold me down in every way.
You are the moon that shimmers throughout my night,
You are stars that glimmer oh so bright.
You are the oxygen that keeps me alive,
You are my heart that beats inside.
You are the blood that flows through me,
You are the only guy I can see.
You have the voice of when a mocking bird sings,
You are my everything.
You are my one and only,
You stop me from being so lonely.
We plan our future as if we have a clue,
I never want to lose you.
I want you to be my husband and I want to be your wife,
I want to be with you for the rest of my life.
~ Betty Kevin ~
You are the gravity that hold me down in every way.
You are the moon that shimmers throughout my night,
You are stars that glimmer oh so bright.
You are the oxygen that keeps me alive,
You are my heart that beats inside.
You are the blood that flows through me,
You are the only guy I can see.
You have the voice of when a mocking bird sings,
You are my everything.
You are my one and only,
You stop me from being so lonely.
We plan our future as if we have a clue,
I never want to lose you.
I want you to be my husband and I want to be your wife,
I want to be with you for the rest of my life.
~ Betty Kevin ~
Monday, 11 February 2013
Buliding the Nation
This is one of my favourite poems of all the time:
By Henry Barlow
Today I did my share
In building the nation.
I drove a Permanent Secretary
To an important urgent function
In fact to a lunch at the Vic.
The menu reflected its importance
Cold bell beer with small talk,
Then fried chicken with niceties
Wine to fill the hollowness of the laughs
Ice-cream to cover the stereotype jokes
Coffee to keep the PS awake on return journey.
I drove the Permanent Secretary back.
He yawned many times in back of the car
Then to keep awake, he suddenly asked,
Did you have any lunch friend?
I replied looking straight ahead
And secretly smiling at his belated concern
That I had not, but was slimming!
Upon which he said with seriousness
That amused more than annoyed me,
Mwanainchi, I too had none!
I attended to matters of state.
Highly delicate diplomatic duties you know,
And friend, it goes against my grain,
Causes me stomach ulcers and wind.
Ah, he continued, yawning again,
The pains we suffer in building the nation!
So the PS had ulcers too!
My ulcers I think are equally painful
Only they are caused by hunger,
Not sumptuous lunches!
So two nation builders
Arrived home this evening
With terrible stomach pains
The result of building the nation -
- Different ways.
By Henry Barlow
Today I did my share
In building the nation.
I drove a Permanent Secretary
To an important urgent function
In fact to a lunch at the Vic.
The menu reflected its importance
Cold bell beer with small talk,
Then fried chicken with niceties
Wine to fill the hollowness of the laughs
Ice-cream to cover the stereotype jokes
Coffee to keep the PS awake on return journey.
I drove the Permanent Secretary back.
He yawned many times in back of the car
Then to keep awake, he suddenly asked,
Did you have any lunch friend?
I replied looking straight ahead
And secretly smiling at his belated concern
That I had not, but was slimming!
Upon which he said with seriousness
That amused more than annoyed me,
Mwanainchi, I too had none!
I attended to matters of state.
Highly delicate diplomatic duties you know,
And friend, it goes against my grain,
Causes me stomach ulcers and wind.
Ah, he continued, yawning again,
The pains we suffer in building the nation!
So the PS had ulcers too!
My ulcers I think are equally painful
Only they are caused by hunger,
Not sumptuous lunches!
So two nation builders
Arrived home this evening
With terrible stomach pains
The result of building the nation -
- Different ways.
Monday, 13 August 2012
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
TELL ME... I'LL TELL YOU
Vicky is a friend of mine, a poet by hobby and a good one too, here is some of her recent work, of which I liked
We all need love and we all have people that we love to death. There are things you don't want to hear from those you love and you wish that those unpleasant things said to you can only be sweet words.
Words to take you through the day and night, words to bring a smile on your gloomy face, words to make you glow even when you have a million pimples/acne.
We are all human, giving and receiving love is inevitable. Whether it's from/ to the people you love or not.
Cheers!
Tell me you love me and I will tell you I love you too
Tell me you hate me and I will tell you I still love you
Tell me I irritate you and I will tell you I'm amused by you
Tell me I get in you nerves and I will tell you I'm made happier by you
Vicky Mwakoyo© 29th May 2012
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Famous Photographs
01. Afghan Girl [1984]
Photographer: Steve McCurry
And of course the afghan girl, picture shot by National Geographic
photographer Steve McCurry. Sharbat Gula was one of the students in an
informal school within the refugee camp; McCurry, rarely given the
opportunity to photograph Afghan women, seized the opportunity and
captured her image. She was approximately 12 years old at the time. She
made it on the cover of National Geographic next year, and her identity
was discovered in 1992.
02. Omayra Sánchez [1985]
Photographer: Frank Fournier
Omayra Sánchez was one of the 25,000 victims of the Nevado del Ruiz
(Colombia) volcano which erupted on November 14, 1985. The 13-year old
had been trapped in water and concrete for 3 days. The picture was taken
shortly before she died and it caused controversy due to the
photographer’s work and the Colombian government’s inaction in the midst
of the tragedy, when it was published worldwide after the young girl’s
death.
03. Portrait of Winston Churchill [1941]
Photograph from: Yousuf Karsh
This photograph was taken by Yousuf Karsh, a Canadian photographer,
when Winston Churchill came to Ottawa. The portrait of Churchill brought
Karsh international fame. It is claimed to be the most reproduced
photographic portrait in history. It also appeared on the cover of Life
magazine.
04. The plight of Kosovo refugees [1999]
Photographer: Carol Guzy
The photo is part of The Washington Post’s Pulitzer Prize-winning
entry (2000) showing how a Kosovar refugee Agim Shala, 2, is passed
through a barbed wire fence into the hands of grandparents at a camp run
by United Arab Emirates in Kukes, Albania. The members of the Shala
family were reunited here after fleeing the conflict in Kosovo.
05. Stricken child crawling towards a food camp [1994]
Photographer: Kevin Carter
The photo is the “Pulitzer Prize” winning photo taken in 1994 during the Sudan Famine.
The picture depicts stricken child crawling towards an United Nations food camp, located a kilometer away.
The vulture is waiting for the child to die so that it can eat him.
This picture shocked the whole world. No one knows what happened to the
child, including the photographer Kevin Carter who left the place as
soon as the photograph was taken.
Three months later he committed suicide due to depression.
06. Segregated Water Fountains [1950]
Photographer: Elliott Erwitt, Magnum Photos
Picture of segregated water fountains in North Carolina taken by Elliott Erwitt.
07. Burning Monk – The Self-Immolation [1963]
Photographer: Malcolm Browne
June 11, 1963, Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk from Vietnam, burned
himself to death at a busy intersection in downtown Saigon to bring
attention to the repressive policies of the Catholic Diem regime that
controlled the South Vietnamese government at the time. Buddhist monks
asked the regime to lift its ban on flying the traditional Buddhist
flag, to grant Buddhism the same rights as Catholicism, to stop
detaining Buddhists and to give Buddhist monks and nuns the right to
practice and spread their religion.
While burning Thich Quang Duc never moved a muscle.
08. Bliss [~2000]
Photographer: Charles O’Rear
Bliss is the name of a photograph of a landscape in Napa County,
California, east of Sonoma Valley. It contains rolling green hills and a
blue sky with stratocumulus and cirrus clouds. The image is used as the
default computer wallpaper for the “Luna” theme in Windows XP.
The photograph was taken by the professional photographer Charles
O’Rear, a resident of St. Helena in Napa County, for digital-design
company HighTurn. O’Rear has also taken photographs of Napa Valley for
the May 1979 National Geographic Magazine article Napa, Valley of the
Vine.
O’Rear’s photograph inspired Windows XP’s US$ 200 million advertising campaign Yes you can.
09. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire [1911]
Photographer: International Ladies Garmet workers Union
Picture of bodies at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. Company rules
were to keep doors closed to the factory so workers (mostly immigrant
women) couldn’t leave or steal. When a fire ignited, disaster struck.
146 people died
Falling in love
Its a beautiful feeling. The way your stomach will ache painlessly as you are waiting for the reply of a text message, or a chat.
You know, the way you hope that he will say what your heart longs to hear and feel and praying that you wont mess up when you reply.
But that's the least of the problems, the main issue is that lingering worry of "Is this it?" deeply hoping that this is the one while trying so hard to suppress your feelings and make sure that you do not look like you are rushing things? I know exactly how that feels, been there done that.
Take your time, be patient and be yourself. Its important to remember that the first impression is going to define the rest of your relationship. Do not fake anything because you should expect the same from the other side, its good to know true colours of the people that we are getting involved with.
All these are just precautions, the important thing is " Enjoy every moment of it, there's never a better feeling that falling in love"
This is for my best friend. Love you and always praying for you. Fingers crossed.
wink wink ;)
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
SLAVERY
Africa,
Do not forget where you came from
Do not let yourself be fooled by them
Never forget what they did to your children
Never forget how they tied your children like dogs
And treat them no better than bugs
Never forget the cries our our forefathers.
How their fathers saw your fathers
Is how their children sees us
Ignorant dumb brainless Monkeys
Who do not know where they go
Who needs a whip in order to move
No better than the monkeys in the wild
Africa, Never forget where you came from,
What they made your children go through
How they ripped you off, and sell your children like peas,
And call your children animals,
And kill them like wild geese
And work your children like donkeys
And whip them like wild animals.
Do not let their glittering golds get to you, because initially they were yours
Friday, 18 May 2012
Mother Theresa's Anyway poem
A friend of mine reminded me of this poem today, and I thought I should share it with my viewers. And what's funny is that she isn't a Christian, she is Hindu. This poem is exactly what she needs right now, to keep her believing in what is right.
Its a good reminder to us all, that we shouldn't be heart broken simply because people do not appreciate us, or treat us right. Because in the end its simply between you and your God. Thanks Dev, for reminding me of this poem
Thursday, 17 May 2012
African Blackwood (Mpingo)
Common Name(s): African Blackwood, Mpingo (Swahili)
Scientific Name: Dalbergia melanoxylon
Distribution: Dry savanna regions of central and southern Africa
Tree Size: 20-30 ft (6-9 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1.0 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 82 lbs/ft3 (1,310 kg/m3)
Basic Specific Gravity: 1.08
Hardness: 4,730 lbf (21,060 N)*
*Estimated hardness based on specific gravity
Rupture Strength: 31,000 lbf/in2 (213,790 kPa)
Elastic Strength: 2,980,000 lbf/in2 (20,550 MPa)
Crushing Strength: 10,470 lbf/in2 (72.2 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 2.5%, Tangential: 4.5%, Volumetric: 7.6%, T/R Ratio: 1.8
Color/Appearance: Often completely black, with little or no discernible grain. Occasionally slightly lighter, with a dark brown or purplish hue. The pale yellow sapwood is usually very thin, and is clearly demarcated from the darker heartwood.
Grain/Pore: African Blackwood has a fine, even texture, with small pores that should not require filling; the grain is typically straight.
Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; both small and medium sized pores in no specific arrangement; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; dark brown deposits present; growth rings may be distinct due to marginal parenchyma; rays not visible without lens; parenchyma banded (marginal), apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates, paratracheal parenchyma can also be vasicentric, and aliform (winged).
Durability: Heartwood is rated as very durable in regards to decay resistance, though only moderately resistant to insect attack. The sapwood is commonly attacked by powder-post beetles and other borers.
Workability: Very difficult to work with hand or machine tools, with an extreme blunting effect on cutters. African Blackwood is most often used in turnery, where it is considered to be among the very finest of all turning woods—capable of holding intricate details, and is reported to hold screw threads nearly as well as metal.
Mpingo, the East African Blackwood tree, is used to make clarinets and oboes, and is the medium of choice for local wood carvers. Its dark, lustrous heartwood is one of the most valuable timbers in the world. The tree is under-threat from over-exploitationand could become commercially extinct.
.jpg)
This tree is great for those who do agricultural work as it is known to improve the fertility of the soil as well as the soil’s stability. The Blackwood is a great source of food for various herbivores as well as livestock as these animals will eat its leaves. Despite being a very hardy tree (most of the mature trees are even able to survive a fire), the population of the African Blackwood has been on the decline.
In Swahili, the population of the African Blackwood continues to diminish. The name comes from the color of its heartwood which is a color closely resembling black. The tree is said to grow in areas where most other trees or plants couldn’t, as it prefers infertile and rocky soil. The Mpingo is also very slow growing, taking between 70-200 years to grow to a mature size and many only grow to be able 9 feet. tall. It is the national tree of Tanzania even though the tree can be found in about 26 different African countries, including Ethiopia, Angola, Senegal, and many others.
What’s the cause of threat of extinction?
The extremely dark heartwood of the Blackwood is definitely one of the most widely sought after timbers in the entire world. Some of the highest class instruments, mostly woodwinds, are made of this wood. It is also used to make furniture as well as for carving purposes. Carving this wood has been done since the 1930s, but today it’s extremely hard for the carvers to find enough wood to use, which means many times that the timber is imported. The trees are often harvested for this timber and other seedlings are rarely planted in their place. Even though mature Blackwoods can survive a fire, the seedlings cannot, which greatly slows down regeneration.
The African Blackwood Conservation project is working each day to help regenerate these trees because they are declining in population so rapidly. The group plants new trees each year in hopes that the tree population will be replenished. Seedlings are grown at the Moshi Mpingo Plot and the transported to a place where the tree can mature.
Harvesting and Products
It takes about sixty years to produce a commercially viable specimen (straight trunk, large diameter), and today there is an estimated 3 million trees, with only 20% or 600, 000 of them suitable for harvesting. In the market, the wood can be found in different grades, depending on the use, with Grade A often calling for a hefty sum.
The wood is commonly used for musical instruments as it is strong, moisture absorbent and withstands the carving process. It may also be used for knife handles, boxes, jewellery, furniture, bowls and ornamental objects. It is also used for carving prayer beads, one of the most noble uses that a wood can be put to. In the pictures below, you can see the slightly reddish tint that may appear in different pictures
.jpg)
Monday, 7 May 2012
BEST SLEEVED WEDDING DRESSES
Apparently nowadays I am totally addicted to googling wedding gowns, and not just any wedding gowns but the ones with sleeves in particular. So below is the collection of just a few of them. Enjoy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)