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Tag Archives: Post A Day 2015
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Chennai: Come December…
December 5, 2015 tvaraj	1 Comment
By T.V. Antony Raj
Chennai floods (Source: ndtv.com)
December 1, 2015:
It rained through the night in Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. The incessant rains that plagued us for the past three weeks did not seem to abate.
At 7.11 am, while I was still in bed my boarding and classmate Sunderaraj Kagoo, former Managing Partner of Star Brand Sweets, Colombo, had given me a call. I was not able to call him back since my cell's battery had run down.
There was no way to charge my cell because we had no electricity supply.
Of all the rainy days that started in mid-November, 2015, today it rained heavily and forcefully.
Since the cable TV line was completely out and my 100 MB internet connection was dead, there was no way to know what was happening around us. We were not able to go out of our house to shop for essentials due to the torrent.
My second daughter Subodhra living in Palayamkottai, 620 km away from Chennai, phoned my wife. She said it did not rain there in Tirunelveli. She inquired how we were faring since she saw several news channels on TV covering the floods in Chennai. She said that Velachery, about 5 km from our house was flooded and that boats were being deployed to evacuate the marooned from their flooded houses to safety. My wife assured her that we were safe.
At 6:45 pm electricity came on.
At 6:48 pm my cousin Lawrence rang up inquired whether we were safe. He assured us that his house safe. I could hear children shouting and music in the background and immediately knew that the first birthday of his second grandson Tom Philip was being celebrated. I blessed the child over the phone and told Lawrence that even if they had invited us for the birthday party we would not have made it.
At 7:00 pm my wife, daughter Sujatha and I ran to the house on the first floor of the flat opposite our house to attend the first birthday party of a year-old toddler.
At 7:30 pm while the party was on, the electric power was cut off and we had the birthday dinner by candle light.
We returned home at 8:00 pm.
It poured heavily.
At 9:00 pm since we had no electricity, TV broadcast nor the internet, I tried to call my daughter Subodhra at Palayamkottai to know about the situation in Chennai that she would have seen on TV . Alas, to our bad luck the Vodafone network was out of service.
At 9:20 pm remembering the phone call from Sunderaraj Kagoo, I tried his number, but I was not able to get through. Then I noticed that my service provider Aircel too was out of service.
Since there was no electricity, we were not able to turn on the electric mosquito repellers and had to sleep at the mercy of the swarming mosquitoes.
After the inundation of the arterial Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road south and north of Tambaram, all roads leading to Tambaram submerged at various stretches making Tambaram inaccessible to the rest of the city and for those heading towards Chennai city from Chengalpattu.
It rained heavily in the morning.
I saw a few strangers in our neighbour Lokanayaki's house. She told me that they were her relatives from nearby Pallikaranai and flood waters had entered their house up to their neck and so had come to her house for shelter.
Around 4:00 pm the rain ceased and there was only a pleasant drizzle. I took this opportunity to venture out on my two-wheeler to buy essential foods and medicines.
All the ATMs in our neighbourhood were out of service.
I went to one of the local medical shops. The proprietor was there and I asked him whether the card machine worked. The proprietor reluctantly said no. Then he asked how much my purchase would amount to. When I said more than ₹500, he said he would try to accommodate me since the backup battery had almost died out. He then took my order which amounted to ₹580 and switched on the card reader which came to life after a bit of coaxing. I thanked him for obliging and left the shop with the medicines.
The main road between Velachery and Tambaram is flooded in many places with hidden potholes lurking under the muddy waters. So, buses are not plying. I am not able to travel on my two-wheeler more than 100 metres either way from Pallikarani Oil Mill Stop.
I took the risk and waded through deep waters on my vehicle for about a kilometre and finally saw eggs stored on plastic trays at a shop. I bought a dozen eggs for ₹6 each.
On my way back home the engine of my two-wheeler stopped. I cranked the fuel tap to reserve and retraced my route. I found more than 50 people waiting in a queue to fill their motorcycles and cars at the petrol bunk. Finally, after waiting for about 30 minutes my turn came and after filling the tank with petrol and oil for ₹200, I returned home around 5:30 pm.
At 6:30 pm it was dark. I ventured out on my two-wheeler to buy a pair of batteries for my LCD torch. Almost all the shops were closed. Finally, I saw an electrical shop where an oil lamp lit the inside dimly. Luckily the batteries were available and I hurried home.
In the evening we heard that Chennai was officially declared a disaster area.
Rains continued to plague Chennai.
Around 11:00 am we saw an army helicopter crossing far away from our house.
Around 1:30 pm we received electricity. We were able to see TV programmes.
PM Narendra Modi viewing flooded Chennai from a helicopter (Source: financialexpress.com)
We were made aware that the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu viewed the damages wrought by the incessant rains from the comfort of a helicopter. We also came to know that the Prime Minister who had come all the way from New Delhi too viewed the damages travelling on a separate helicopter.
At 6:30 pm some of our neighbours hurried towards the main road. My wife told me that the ATMs were working. I too took my debit card and ran to the main road. We were all disappointed for one ATM displayed the "Sorry. No money!" sign and the other two ATMs had shuttered down. It was a rumour.
Around 7:00 pm the electric supply was cut off and we were once again in the dark.
Around 7:30 pm my nephew Raphael Leo came home by motorbike to our house to inquire whether we and his mother-in-law who lives about 200 metres away from our house were safe. My son Subas Raj in Ellicott City, MD, USA had contacted him on WhatsApp and had asked him to check on us.
Though relief efforts were well underway across some of the flooded areas in Chennai, the lack of any coordinated relief response forced thousands of its residents to evacuate their houses on their own.
From 5:00 am we had no rain and the sun shone through thick clouds. We were happy and thought the rains had finally ceased. With a letup in rainfall, floodwaters gradually began to recede in some areas in Chennai though 40 percent of the city remained submerged. Safe food and drinking water was in short supply.
Still no cell phone service. And there is no internet.
The electric supply comes in spurts. TV works intermittently even when electricity is available.
The internet was available from 1:45 pm today.
At 2:30 pm ominous dark clouds started gathering and it started to rain heavily.
A patient getting shifted to another hospital from MIOT Hospital after flooding of the area due to heavy rainfall in Chennai . PTI
Around 6:30 pm I saw the heart-wrenching news on TV channels about the loss of 18 patients who had died at the MIOT International Hospital in Manapakkam, Chennai, due to overflowing of flood waters from Adyar river that breached the hospital's walls, damaging equipment in its path.
Three Ministers: Natham Viswanathan, Gokul Indra, Selur Raju. (Source: vikatan.com)
Two TV channels showed AIADMK Tamilnadu State Ministers Natham Viswanathan, Gokula Indra, and Selur Raju being chased away by the public when they visited the Chief Minister's R.K. Nagar electorate. They had come to the CM's electorate to meet the people in lieu of their head. The ministers arrived in a cortege of 18 cars, and without getting down from their vehicles, the ministers spoke to the people. This infuriated the people. They asked the ministers to get down from their vehicles and get their feet wet as they did. After an argument, the ministers with the protection and cordoning by the police escaped the fury of the mass.
AIADMK cadres sticking stickers of JJ on foods and other essentials brought in for distribution by some charitable public and non-AIADMK organisations. (Source: Dinakaran.com)
Then we came across the shameful news that in some areas in Chennai the AIADMK hooligans are abrogating the work done by the charitable people and NGOs in Chennai by sticking stickers of JJ on the food parcels brought by them for distribution. If they could not help at least they should not steal the credits that are due to the helping people with their hard earned money and organizations who do not belong to their party. Instead, these shameless ruffians could have volunteered to work in the flood affected areas instead of stealing efforts made by others; or they could have pressured their higher-ups from the lowly municipal councilors to the Chief Minister to distribute free food from their "Amma Canteens" and distribute free "Amma Water" Bottles.
There seems to be a voltage drop and the electricity might be cut off at any moment.
For now, my family and I are safe. Please see the TV news channels for the overall situation now prevailing in Chennai.
18 patients die as Chennai hospital 'abandons' its job …(english.manoramaonline.com)
சென்னை ஆர்.கே.நகர் : முதல்வர் தொகுதியில் விரட்டப்பட்ட 3 மந்திரிகள் (vikatan.com)
ChennaiFloodsFood for ThoughtIndiaMIOTPost A Day 2015Tamil NaduTamilnaduThis is lifeUnited StatesVideo
Drama, Food for Thought, India, Plays, Tamil, Tamilnadu, This is Life, tvaraj
A Nondescript Village in Tamilnadu, India Stages 100 Dramas Every Year!
November 30, 2015 tvaraj	Leave a comment
The Valayankulam village located 22 km from Madurai City in Tamilnadu, India has a population of 5705 comprising 1514 families as per the Population Census of 2011.
This village has a low literacy rate – 69.57% compared to 80.09% of Tamil Nadu. The Male literacy stands at 77.96% while the female literacy rate was 61.23%.
As per the constitution of India and Panchayati Raaj Act, an elected Sarpanch (Head of Village) administers the Valayankulam village.
Valaiyaangulam Subburaj Theatre (Photo: Dhanasekaran Muthu/ssl.panoramio.com)
The cynosure in most village festivals in Tamilnadu would be entertainment items such as the theru koothu, karakaattam, dancing, singing, drama or a pattimandram (debating platforms), etc. But, what many, even in Tamilnadu, do not know is the fact that this nondescript village enacts 100 dramas every year to please the village deity – "Thaanaai mulaitha Thanilinga Perumal" (தானாய் முளைத்த தனிலிங்கப் பெருமாள்) meaning "self-sprouted Thanilinga Perumal". So much so, the villagers do not fancy cinema theatres.
Even in this modern scientific era, women barred from entering the Thanilinga Perumal temple, pray to the deity standing outside the temple.
On the stage erected in front of the temple, the villagers allow only performance of dramas. They consider the stage sanctified and none can approach it wearing any kind of footwear.
According to a former village headman, the deity Thanilinga Perumal loves staged dramas; hence his devotees perform dramas 100 days per year to please him.
Devotees entreat the deity to fulfil their request and in return pledge to stage a drama of their liking when the deity answers their prayers.
A drama performed at Valayankulam Thanilinga Perumal temple stage. (Source: Facebook/Art and Cultural Rights of Folk Artists)
This tradition of staging dramas in this particular village dates back to the days of Thirumalai Nayakkar who ruled Madurai from 1623 to 1659 when a severe drought brought famine to Valayankulam and other surrounding villages. Since the people believed the deity Thanilinga Perumal loved staged drama, they pledged to perform a drama if he answered their prayer for rain. Miraculously, it rained and the village had a bountiful harvest. As obligated, the villagers staged a drama the following year to thank their village deity. From then on to date, the village has been performing dramas to please their deity.
Around this time, when king Thirumalai Nayakkar visited the Thanilinga Perumal temple, the villagers entertained him by performing a drama from Mahabharata titled "Abhimanyu Sundari" – the story of Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna and Subhadra, and his first wife Sundari. The king relished the play and praised the actors who took part in it, and those actors adopted the phrase 'Thirumalai mechinaar' (திருமலை மெச்சினார்) meaning 'Praised by Thirumala' as their family name.
Consequently, the first play performed during the drama festival would always invariably be Abhimanyu Sundari performed exclusively by members of the Thirumalai mechinaar families
A drama performed on stage at Valayankulam Village (Source: dhinasari.com)
Every year the drama festival begins on Maha Sivarathri or 'Great Night of Shiva', a Hindu festival celebrated annually in reverence to mark the marriage of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati – the convergence of Shiva and Shakti. From that day onwards the villagers enact a drama daily for 100 days without any interruption.
Drama "Valli Thirumanam, " performed at Valayankulam Thanilinga Perumal temple..(Source: Facebook/Art and Cultural Rights of Folk Artists)
The villagers believe that if anyone prays to their deity and pledges to stage a drama, the deity would hearken to their prayers. The villagers of Valayankulam boast that barren couples who pray for issues would come to the temple the following year with their offsprings and offer their thanks by sponsoring a drama.
A drama peformed on stage at Valayankulam Village ( Source: dhinasari.com)
Flaming Torches brought by the villagers from the village square to the stage.
In the past, when there was no electricity, the villagers lit the stage using flaming torches. Hence even now, to uphold the tradition, the villagers carry flaming torches from the village square to the stage with pomp and ceremony before the day's play begins. When the torch bearers reach the stage, the pujari or archaka (priest) performs special ceremonies in the temple.
Audience watching a drama performed on stage at Valayankulam (Source: dhinasari.com)
View of the stage from the sanctum sanctorum of Thaanaai mulaitha Thanilinga Perumal (தானாய் முளைத்த தனிலிங்கப் பெருமாள்)
After paying the due respects to the seniors of the village, the play will begin at 10:00 pm and will proceed till 5:00 am the following day. The pujari keeps the door of the sanctum sanctorum open during this time for the deity to view the play.
The drama festivities will culminate on Chithra Fullmoon Day followed by a banquet for people belonging to all castes.
The minimum cost of staging a play by mediocre actors would amount to ₹25,000 and might go up to ₹60,000 to ₹1,00,000 if performed by cinema actors. Almost all Tamil drama actors and artisans connected with the dramatic art have performed or taken part on the stage at Valayankulam before the deity Thanilinga Perumal.
Staging a play at Valayankulam whenever one likes is not easy as anyone might think. Devotees who have pledged to sponsor a play have to pay ₹100 and wait in a long queue for at least a year to stage it on a stipulated date.
Note: I gleaned most of the above details from the article published in dhinasari.com written in Tamil titled, "வருடத்தில் 100 நாட்கள் நாடகம் நடைபெறும் கிராமம்" ("A village where dramas are performed 100 days per year") by Mr. S.P. Senthilkumar, a reputed Tamil journalist from Madurai, Tamilnadu, India.
வருடத்தில் 100 நாட்கள் நாடகம் நடைபெறும் கிராமம்
(dhinasari.com)
DramaFood for ThoughtIndiaMaduraiPlaysPost A Day 2015Thanilinga PerumalThirumalai NayakkarThis is lifetvarajValayankulamVillageVillage deity
Chennai, Floods, Food for Thought, Humour, India, Post A Day 2015, Poverty, Satire
A Thanks Giving Day story: The Letter Addressed to God.
A still from the film "Slumdog Millionaire"
A few days ago, during the incessant rain and floods in Chennai, Tamilnadu, India, a little boy wanted 100 rupees to buy food for his family who had not eaten for two days. He prayed to God. When nothing happened and no one officially came to help them, he decided to write a request letter to God.
A puzzled post office staff on seeing the letter addressed to God forwarded it to the Chief Minister.
The amused Chief Minister thought that 100 rupees would be a lot of money for a little boy to buy food. So, she instructed her secretary to send the little boy 30 rupees instead from the Chief Minister's relief fund.
When the little boy received the money he was delighted. He wrote the following 'Thank you' letter to the CM:
"Dear God, I thank you for sending me money through the Chief Minister's Office Secretariat in Chennai. However, I would like you to know that corrupt asses there must have swindled 70 rupees as their commission! "
Images of floods in Chennai in November 2015 (google.co.in)
Chennai floods and the aftermath (thehindu.com)
ChennaiFloodsFood for ThoughtIndiapoorPost A Day 2015PovertyThis is lifetvaraj
#WPLongform, Babies, California, Child birth, Children, Fertility drugs, Food for Thought, Mormons, Mothers, Parents, Post A Day 2015, Pregnancy, Religion, Septuplets, T.V. Antony Raj, This is Life, tvaraj, United States
From Hope to Heartbreak: the Pathetic Case of the Frustaci Septuplets
November 25, 2015 tvaraj	2 Comments
More than 6,218 readers have viewed this post.
By T. V. Antony Raj
Patti Frustaci, a 30-year-old English teacher at Rubidoux High School, in Riverside, California, and wife of 32-year-old Samuel Frustaci, an industrial equipment salesman for a Buena Park firm, had already conceived a child, a healthy toddler named Joseph.
Even though they already had a healthy child, Patti and Samuel opted for fertility treatment. From August to November of 1984, Dr. Jaroslav Marik, a pioneer in his field with a stellar reputation treated Patti Frustaci at Tyler Medical Clinics Inc., of West Los Angeles, where Marik was a part owner. He treated Patti with the drug Pergonal, a fertility drug used for fertility issues in women, especially women who are anovulatory and oligo ovular.
When ultrasound examinations performed during the following January revealed the presence of seven fetuses which meant that the fetuses had a slim chance of surviving until term. When Patti's obstetrician warned of the possible outcome, and counseled her to have a selective abortion by which a doctor would remove several of the fetuses in order that the remaining unborn offsprings would have a better chance of survival. Being Mormons by faith, the Frustacis invoked God's teaching and spurned abortion.
Patti Frustaci got admitted in St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California on March 25, 1985.
A 38-member medical team was constituted at St. Joseph Hospital to assist Patti's obstetrician, Dr. Martin Feldman, in what was to become the first largest multiple births in the medical history of the United States of America.
The average duration of a normal pregnancy is 280 days (40 weeks), calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period, with 85 to 95% babies born between the 266th and the 294th days. Common deviations thus range up to 14 days in either direction. However, in the Frustaci case, the medical team determined that the babies would have a better chance of survival if they completed 28 weeks of gestation in the mother's womb before their birth.
Patti's hypertension threatened to deprive the fetuses of nutrition. As a result of hypertension, the team of doctors scheduled the surgery after her condition declined from good to fair.
On May 21, 1985, Patti Frustaci was wheeled into the delivery room at St. Joseph Hospital.
Beginning at 8:19 am, the operation went smoothly without any hitch led by Dr. Martin Feldman. It took only three minutes for the caesarean section team to deliver the first septuplets in the United States, prematurely at 28 weeks. For Dr. Feldman, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The seventh-born septuplet, later named Christina Elizabeth, was stillborn, apparently died in the uterus several days before. The 32-year-old Samuel Frustaci, had a moment alone with the stillborn baby and held it as did his wife Patti after she came out of the general anesthesia.
The weights of the septuplets ranged from 15.5 ounces (439.42 grams) to 1 pound 13 ounces (822.14 grams).
About 10 minutes after delivery, to compensate for the immaturity of their lungs and immune systems, the six surviving Frustaci septuplets requiring a higher level of care were transferred to the adjacent CHOC Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Joseph Hospital and placed on respirators and antibiotics.
At St. Joseph Hospital, where the babies were delivered and as Patti Frustaci remained in the intensive care unit, the switchboard was flooded with calls of well-wishers. Many of the calls were from new mothers offering support, prayers and outgrown baby clothes. Also, bouquets of flowers and huge baskets filled with stuffed toys arrived at the hospital.
Sam Frustaci visits with baby, May 23, 1985. The infant is nicknamed 'Peanut' (Source: corbisimages.com)
On Thursday, May 23, 1985, the sixth-born septuplet, David Anthony, the tiniest of the six Frustaci septuplets who survived birth, nicknamed "Peanut," went into "respiratory distress" around 7 pm. The doctors were able to resuscitate him. He died the following day, Friday, May 24, 1985, at 12:34 am.
Peanut was brought to Patti from CHOC after he died, and she held him for about an hour. According to Samuel Frustaci, the hardest thing for Patti is the fact that she never got the chance to see (Peanut) alive.
Parents of septuplets Samuel Frustaci and wife (Patti) leaving the hospital
On Wednesday, May 29, 1985, around 12:30 pm, wearing a lavender robe and cradling a bouquet of roses, a joyous Patti Frustaci emerged from St. Joseph Hospital on a wheelchair to the cheers and applause of employees of the hospital. A jubilant Samuel Frustaci accompanied his wife Patti, passing a horde of reporters got into a waiting car en route to the home of Patti's parents where she would continue recuperating while her five surviving septuplets remained behind at CHOC. A wagon full of stuffed animals attached to balloons followed her car.
The second-born septuplet, James Martin, who was in the most critical condition and had been given a 50-50 chance of survival died after 16 days on June 6, 1985.
Three days later, on Sunday, June 9, 1985, Bonnie Marie, the fourth-born septuplet, who for so long beat the odds against her survival, died at 12:25 pm. She lasted a week longer than they gave her.
All three infants succumbed to cardiopulmonary failure and arrest due to severe hyaline membrane disease, a disorder of the alveoli and respiratory passages that result in the inadequate expansion of the lungs.
The three surviving septuplets, two boys, and one girl: Steven Earl, Richard Charles and Patricia Ann, were on oxygen and medication to fight infection. Because of their traumatic birth, the doctors suspected that both boys may also have cerebral palsy. The Children's Hospital of Orange County released them one at a time beginning in mid-August 1985 as they recovered from problems that afflict premature babies.
Patti Frustaci holds her son, the last of her three surviving septuplets to leave Children's Hospital of Orange County.
Extraordinary expenses such as the cost of their medical care amounted to more than $1 million, offset only partially by offers of free food, goods and services and an exclusive interview contract with People magazine. As the infants died, many withdrew their endorsements and many offers never materialized.
The first birthday for the three surviving Frustaci septuplets was marked by disclosures that the two boys have cerebral palsy and all three suffer from eye, hearing and breathing disorders. The two boys had hernia surgery and all the infants attached to monitors that sound a warning when breathing stops.
Initially, the Frustacis considered the births as a "blessing"" on their family, but grieved the loss of four children. Then the reality of caring for three premature infants quickly became an ordeal.
Since they followed the Mormon faith, it stands to reason that the outcome of the pregnancy was God's will. But since they could not sue God, the Frustacis went after the next best candidates, the Taylor Clinic and Dr Jaroslav Marik.
On October 7, 1985, the Frustacis filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Tyler Medical Clinics Inc. of West Los Angeles, the fertility clinic that treated Patti Frustaci, and her physician, Dr Jaroslav Marik who prescribed and injected Patti Frustaci with the fertility drug Pergonal.
The suit accused the clinic and the physician of failing to monitor fertility medication properly and to perform tests that could have indicated the potential for multiple births before conception. It blamed them for health and developmental disabilities of the surviving three babies afflicted with eye problems and considered developmentally retarded.
The suit also alleged medical malpractice, four wrongful deaths of their babies, loss of earnings and of earning capacity as a result of the overprescription of the fertility drugs. The Frustacis sought $1 million for current and future medical expenses, and $1.25 million for non-economic losses – $250,000 for each parent and for each of the three surviving infants.
The fertility clinic admitted no wrongdoing.
In July 1990, the Tyler Medical clinic agreed to pay $450,000 immediately and the three children would receive monthly payments for the rest of their lives. If the surviving three children live to a normal life expectancy, the award could total $6 million.
Dr Marik, the fertility specialist who treated Patti Frustaci, refused to participate in the agreement. The doctor said at a news conference that he was not to blame for the plight of the Frustaci septuplets because Mrs Frustaci was a patient who did not follow instructions and had a tendency to decide what she wanted to do.
On Monday, June 22, 1987, Patti Frustaci was driving from Las Vegas to Barstow on Interstate 15 with her three surviving septuplets. Her van got stuck in the sand in the middle of the highway when she tried to make a U-turn across the centre divider. California Highway Patrol officers arrested her on suspicion of drunken driving. She was released five hours later on her own recognizance and her 2-year-old infants were handed over to their father.
On December 21, 1990, Five and a half years after the birth of the septuplets, the 36-year-old Patti Frustaci treated with the same fertility drug, Pergonal at another clinic gave birth to healthy twins – a boy and a girl, at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, California. They named them Jordan Browne and Jaclyn Lee.
Pathetically, the family broke up. Samuel and Patti Frustaci divorced a few years later.
List of multiple births (en.wikipedia.org)
St. Joseph Hospital (sjo.org)
CHOC Children's (choc.org)
THE FRUSTACI SEPTUPLETS: MIRACLE OR MALPRACTICE?
(engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu)
A Mighty Tough Year Behind Them, the Survivors Among the Frustaci Septuplets Celebrate Their First Birthday
(people.com)
Spotlight was an ordeal for California parents
(deseretnews.com)
Septuplets' Mother Held: Drunk-Driving Charge (articles.latimes.com)
Twins for Mother of Septuplets (nytimes.com)
Woman Who Sued After Septuplet Birth Has Twins With Aid of Drug (articles.latimes.com)
#WPLongformcaliforniaChild birthCHOCCHOC Children's Neonatal Intensive Care UnitDr. Jaroslav Marikfertility drugFertility drugsFood for ThoughtMormonsMultiple birthsNeonatal intensive care unitOrange CountyPatti FrustaciPergonalPost A Day 2015PregnancySamuel FrustaciSeptupletsst joseph hospitalT. V. Antony RajThis is lifetvarajtwinsTyler Medical Clinics Inc. West Los AngelesUnited States
Buddhism, Buddhists, Ceylon History, Colombo, Fishermen, Flora and fauna, Food, Food for Thought, Hinduism, History, Indian Ocean, Inspirations, Jaffna, Pearl divers, Pearls, Sri Lanka, This is Life, Travel, tvaraj, Videos, YouTube
Sri Lanka, the Island Paradise with a Colourful Heritage
The "Island In The Sun" is the title song of the 1957 movie bearing the same name. It was written by Irving Burgie and sung by Harry Belafonte.
Oh island in the sun
Willed to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest waters, your shining sand
As morning breaks, the Heaven on high
I lift my heavy load to the sky
Sun comes down with a burning glow
Mingles my sweat with the earth below
I see woman on bended knee
Cutting cane for her family
I see man at the waterside
Casting nets at the surging tide
Though this song addresses the island of Jamaica, it is equally applicable to Sri Lanka the pearl of the Indian Ocean and nature's treasure chest.
Sri Lanka, also known as India's Teardrop and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, is an extension of peninsular India that got separated from the mainland.
The island paradise, formerly known as Ceylon until 1972, is in the northern Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent in South Asia. Sri Lanka has maritime borders with India to the northwest and the Maldives to the southwest. It is one of the most delightful destinations in the world to visit.
Sri Lanka is the home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Though the island's documented history spans over 2,550 years, evidence shows that it had prehistoric human settlements dating back to at least 125,000 years. Its history boasts of planned cities, magnificent palaces, temples, and monasteries, expansive reservoirs, green forests and gardens, monuments and works of art.
Sri Lanka due to its geographic location and endowed with natural harbours has been the cynosure of strategic importance from the time of the ancient Silk Road through to World War II.
Today, Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary state governed by a presidential system. The capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, is a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka's largest city.
Sri Lanka is home to many races speaking diverse languages, and following different religious faiths. It is the land of the Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, Indian Tamils, Moors, Burghers, Malays, Kaffirs and the aboriginal Veddas.
The island has a rich Buddhist heritage spanning from the time of the Indian Emperor Ashoka Maurya (304–232 BC) of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all the Indian subcontinent from circa 269 to 232 BCE. The first known Buddhist writings of Sri Lanka, the Pāli Canon dates back to the Fourth Buddhist Council in 29 BCE.
Stilts or Pole fishermen, Sri Lanka (Source: agmisgpn.org))
The island is one of the most beautiful and delightful destinations in the world for tourists to visit. Its historical planned cities, magnificent palaces, temples, dagobas, monasteries, monuments, sculptures and other works of art, expansive artificial reservoirs, green gardens, etc., illustrate the characteristic rich history of its ancient rulers.
Here is a video titled "Heritage of Sri Lanka" produced by The Ministry of National Heritage Sri Lanka, which I enjoyed viewing and I hope you too will be delighted to view it as well.
Sri Lanka (en.wikipedia.org)
Sri Lanka (wikitravel.org)
Introducing Sri Lanka (lonelyplanet.com)
Sri Lanka – Wonder of Asia (srilanka.travel)
You're our world – SriLankan Airlines (srilankan.com)
Sri Lanka (travel.state.gov)
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Poetry, Post A Day 2015, Quotes, This is Life, tvaraj, William Shakespeare
Did William Shakespeare Really Say That?
November 3, 2015 tvaraj	8 Comments
Readers have viewed this post more than 41,574 times.
The above is a widely copied and circulated quote on Facebook and other social networks, but I could not find the source of the quote anywhere in the works of William Shakespeare. Even though the attribution of the above quote to Shakespeare is incorrect, some people due to their ignorance re-post it without verification. Even goodreads.com, searchquotes.com, azquotes.com, and a few other websites have this fake quote on their pages.
Someone had initiated this fraud by copying the part of the text starting with "Before you speak" from the short poem titled "Before You" by William Arthur Ward (1921 – March 30, 1994), one of America's most quoted writers of inspirational maxims.
Before You
by William Arthur Ward
Before you speak, listen.
Before you write, think.
Before you spend, earn.
Before you invest, investigate.
Before you criticize, wait.
Before you pray, forgive.
Before you quit, try.
Before you retire, save.
Before you die, give.
Even though we have now stepped into the 21st century, a few choose to remain ignorant. I just wonder why these copycats do not surf the internet, enlighten themselves, and verify facts before posting whatever they copy on social media.
On a lighter vein, I came across this comment by Rodolphe in RoDoLpHe'S wOrLd dated August 18, 2011.
"To blog or not to blog", said Hamlet, in reply to Othello who told him "Put out the comment, and then, put out the comment."
Both knew that Henry the Fifth was spamming Richard III's blogger account on purpose because the latter dated Cromwell's third girlfriend. It was Falstaff who discovered the plot because he hacked Iago's secret identity database.
I hope no one will copy portions of Rodolphe's comment and post them on social media and attribute it to the Bard of Avon.
Did William Shakespeare say "I always feel happy…"?
(skeptics.stackexchange.com)
William Arthur Ward (en.wikipedia.org)
Righting the wrong and quoting the misquote (lemondederodolphe.blogspot.in)
Did Albert Einstein Really Say That? (tvaraj.com)
The Golden Words Meryl Streep Lives by! (tvaraj.com)
Bard of AvonBefore Youfabricated quotesfalse quotesFood for ThoughtpoetryPost A Day 2015quotesThis is lifetvarajWilliam Arthur WardWilliam Shakespeare
Asia, Asian, Bangkok, Beauty, Beauty pageant, Beauty queen, Food for Thought, Garbage, Post A Day 2015, Poverty, Thailand, This is Life, tvaraj, Women
Khanittha 'Mint' Phasaeng, the Thai Beauty Queen Is a Garbage Collector
November 2, 2015 tvaraj	Leave a comment
Khanittha "Mint" Phasaeng,, the beautiful Miss Uncensored News Thailand 2015 – invoking the blessings of her mother amidst trash bins (Source: bangkok.coconuts.co)
Many Asians, kneel and prostrate before their elders invoking their blessings. The above down-to-earth photo of Khanittha 'Mint' Phasaeng, the beauty queen who won the title Miss Uncensored News Thailand 2015, prostrating and invoking the blessings of her 47-year-old mother Orathai Pormaun, a garbage collector, amidst garbage bins, has won the heart of everyone who saw it on the internet.
According to the Bangkok Post, the 17-year-old Khanittha's parents had separated when she was young and her mother had remarried. Khanittha lived in a 4-by-5-metre shack with five other family members where her mother also stored garbage for separation before sale.
Because of the crowded conditions at her home, Khanittha had to move and live with an aunt. Due to poverty, Khanittha was then adopted by a salon owner named 'Know', who sent her to school until she completed primary school or Mathayom 3.
Khanittha adores her mother. She has never been ashamed of her background or what her mother does to earn a living. "What I am today is because of my mother. There is no reason why I should feel inferior because my mother and I earn our livelihood by doing honest work."
Khanittha Phasaeng sorting garbage with her mother (Source: women.asiaone.com)
The teenager helps her family by assisting her mother sort recyclables from the trash. She also takes on menial jobs and sells used clothes to help cover household expenses and her brother's education.
Because she is tall and good looking, some friends suggested that she should enter the beauty contest "Miss Uncensored News Thailand 2015" launched by "Exclusive Star", the Tabloid magazine, which had just celebrated its 3rd anniversary and entering its fourth year with aims to promote gender equality and same-sex marriage.
The aim of this pageant contest with the slogan "gender equality" was to bring all women together in a beauty showdown, whether identified as female at birth or have transformed to be one over the years. The contest allowed the participation of only Thai women and trans-women between the age of 17-25 years, to show off their beauty and talent for a reward. Applications were available from August 29, 2015, at Imperial World Samrong.
Encouraged by her friends, Khanittha decided to take part in this somewhat cut-throat competition.
The beauty pageant, Miss Uncensored News Thailand 2015 open to both women and Transgenders was held on Friday, September 25, 2015, at the Imperial World Samrong,
Khanittha 'Mint' Phasaeng, the beautiful Miss Uncensored News Thailand 2015 (Source – daliulian.net)
Khanittha 'Mint' Phasaeng, the beautiful Miss Uncensored News Thailand 2015 – with other participants (Sourc: daliulian.net)
When the referee announced Khanittha the winner, she thought it was a dream and wondered how an ordinary girl like herself could have won the title of "Miss Uncensored News Thailand 2015."
Almost immediately after crowning Khanittha 'Mint' Phasaeng as Miss Uncensored News Thailand 2015, many universities contacted the organizers offering her scholarships. This prompted the organizers to scrutinize her application form. They discovered that Khanittha had lied about her education. She had submitted that she had completed senior high school or Mathayom 6 (Level 12) whereas she has only completed primary school or Mathayom 3.
On Thursday, October 15, 2015, a news conference was held near Khanittha's house in Samut Prakan province, to end speculation whether she would lose the crown.
Somchai 'Daisy' Leknoi, director of Miss Uncensored News Thailand 2015, told the press that the contest, held for the first time at the Imperial World Samrong, aimed to provide opportunities to people from all social classes. She said the organizers and the two runners-up held no grudge against her as the event did not limit the gender or education of competitors. Nobody would take away her prizes, but she should not have lied about her education. Somchai Leknoi said, "However, we think she should apologize for her mistake. We just want all candidates to tell the truth, so they do not face any problems in the future."
Khanittha Phasaeng, the winner of Miss Uncensored News Thailand 2015, and organizer Somchai Leknoi (Source -bangkokpost.com)
Khanittha apologized to Somchai Leknoi, claiming she had no intention of lying about her education; her uncle had filled the application form for her and she had failed to check it before submitting it. She thanked the committee for not withholding her prizes. She said that she would spend the money on her brother's education.
Khanittha THB 30,000 in cash as part of her prize.
After the win, Khanittha 'Mint' Phasaeng has gained advertising, film and television work which she hopes will improve the situation at home, and would continue to help her mother collect garbage for a living.
Touching moment Thai beauty queen kneels down in a glittering tiara and sash to thank rubbish collecting mother who raised her
(dailymail.co.uk)
Humble Garbage Collecting Teen Win's Thai Beauty Contests (chiangraitimes.com)
Khanittha Phasaeng A Garbage Collector crowned Miss Uncensored News Thailand (angelopedia.com)
Thailand's beauty pageant winner kneels to her mother (dramafever.com)
Once a garbage collector, now a Thai beauty queen (women.asiaone.com)
This 17 Year-Old Thai Beauty Queen Did the Most Touching Thing After Winning the Crown (hitz.fm)
สาวแท้-สาวเทียม เตรียมประชันโฉมบนเวทีเดียวกัน ที่แรกของไทย ! (women.kapook.com)
New pageant contest lets women and trans-women compete in beauty showdown (bangkok.coconuts.co)
Garbage collector keeps beauty queen crown (bangkok.coconuts.co)
Beauty to keep her prizes despite lies (nationmultimedia.com)
BangkokBeauty pageantBeauty queenExclusive StarGarbageGarbage collectorImperial World SamrongKhanittha 'Mint' PhasaengKhanittha MintKhanittha PhasaengMint KhanitthaMiss Uncensored News Thailand 2015Post A Day 2015PovertySomchai 'Daisy' LeknoiThailandThis is lifeTransgenderstvarajWomen
#WPLongform, 2012, Climate, Food for Thought, Hurricane Sandy, Maryland, Natural disasters, Nature, New Jersey, New York, News, Pennsylvania, Post A Day 2015, Storms and Hurricanes, T.V. Antony Raj, This is Life, tvaraj, United States, Videos, YouTube
When Hurricane Sandy Pounded USA, I Was in Ellicott City, Maryland!
October 31, 2015 tvaraj	Leave a comment
When Hurricane Sandy, unofficially known as the "Superstorm Sandy", devastated the United States in October 2012, I was in Ellicott City in Maryland.
Hurricane Sandy was the second-costliest hurricane in the history of the United States. It was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season. It all began on October 22, 2012.
A Timeline of Hurricane Sandy's Path of Destruction
Developing in the southern Caribbean Sea off the coast of Nicaragua as a tropical easterly wave causing areas of cloudiness and thunderstorms, The depression strengthened and six hours later becomes Tropical Storm Sandy, with maximum winds of about 40 mph. It moved slowly northward toward the Greater Antilles and gradually intensified.
On October 24, Sandy became a Category 1 hurricane, moved northward across the Caribbean and made landfall near Kingston, Jamaica with winds of 80 mph.
Although Hurricane Sandy's eye does not cross the Dominican Republic and Haiti to its east, the storm dumped more than 20 inches of rain on Hispaniola. More than 50 people died in flooding and mudslides in Haiti.
A few hours later, it re-emerged into the Caribbean Sea and strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. Off the coast of the Northeastern United States, the storm became the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with winds spanning 1,100 miles (1,800 km).
Detailed map compiled by NOAA on October 25, 2012, that shows the track of Hurricane Sandy (Source: gowally.com)
Sandy strengthened as it moved from Jamaica to Cuba and made landfall in the historic city of Santiago de Cuba with winds of about 110 mph as a Category 3 hurricane.
Sandy caused more devastation as it crossed the Bahamas and made a slight turn to the north-northwest.
Sandy moved away from the Bahamas and made a turn to the northeast off the coast of Florida. Sandy weakened for a brief period to a tropical depression and then restrengthened to a Category 1 hurricane.
Sandy continued moving northeast on a track parallel to the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. As it approached latitude 35 degrees north off the coast of North Carolina, the hurricane's eye stayed well offshore. Even then, the storm still a Category 1 hurricane with peak winds of about 80 mph sent powerful tsunami-like waves onto North Carolina's Outer Banks washing out some places in NC Highway 12.
Due to an unusual configuration of converging weather factors, meteorologists warned that the storm as it churns northward would likely morph into a powerful, hybrid super-storm.
A high-pressure cold front to Sandy's north forced the storm to turn to the north-west toward major cities such as Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and New York. And the meteorologists expected that in conjunctions with the effects of the full moon Sandy's storm to surge up to 11 to 12 feet in some places and a little higher as it made landfall.
Sandy expanded into a huge storm covering about 1,000 miles with strong winds.
This satellite image from NOAA shows Sandy on the morning of October 29, 2012 as it was about to begin its approach to the coast of New Jersey (Source: voices.nationalgeographic.com)
At 12:30 pm, Sandy made its expected sharp turn. It curved west-northwest (the "left turn" or "left hook") and then moved ashore near Brigantine, New Jersey, just to the northeast of Atlantic City, as a post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds. The storm also has started interacting with other weather systems, gaining energy in the process. The storm dumped heavy snow in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina.
During the afternoon, Sandy brought high winds and drenching rains from Washington, D.C. northward, toppling trees and power lines and cutting off electrical power for millions of people. The storm eventually affected more than 50 million people on the Eastern Seaboard.
At 8 pm, Sandy's centre came ashore near Atlantic City, New Jersey. The storm was no longer considered a hurricane but classified as a post-tropical Nor'easter. But the storm's unusual path from the south-east made its storm surge much worse in New Jersey and New York.
The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel iflooded after a tidal surge caused by Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 2012, in Manhattan, New York. The storm has claimed at least 39 lives in the United States and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images)
A high storm surge, a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water occurred in New York City with a high tide of 14 ft (4.2 m), a new record for a storm surge in the harbor, flooding streets, tunnels and subway lines and cutting power in and around the city. The surge tops the sea wall at The Battery Park in Lower Manhattan and floods parts of the city's subway system. The surge also floods the Hugh Carey Tunnel, which links Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Spooky gray NYC skyline
The wind, rain and flooding from the huge storm pounded New Jersey and New York throughout the night and through three cycles of high tides and low tides.
Tanker John B Caddell beached on Front Street, Staten Island (Photo: Jim Henderson)
Staten Island also was hit very hard by the storm. The Seattle Times later reported that towns such as Oakwood Beach, Midland Beach, South Beach and Tottenville — which lost many residents who were police and firefighters during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 — were among the hardest-hit communities.
When I look back, I remember posting several times on Facebook on 29th and 30th October 2012 about Hurricane Sandy to benefit my friends and readers in the United States and to assure my kith and Kin in India that my family was safe:
7:00 am EDT:
From the Carolinas to Maine, Hurricane Sandy will affect 50 million people.
Hurricane Sandy is churning off the East Coast and is expected to join up with two other weather systems to create a huge and problematic storm affecting 50 million people. Here's a snapshot of what is happening or expected, state by state.
The storm lashed barrier islands off North Carolina and rendered several homes and businesses nearly inaccessible. About 90 miles off the coast, a tall ship carrying 17 people was in distress; the Coast Guard was monitoring.
The number of power outages increased quickly in a state where utilities' response to past weather-related failures has become a political issue. Connecticut Light & Power says hundreds of customers are without power. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy asked a task force to make sure fuel suppliers are fully stocked. Many residents along Long Island Sound heeded warnings and evacuated.
Hundreds of people fled to shelters as the rough surf pounded the coast. Water covered some roads.
Snow is expected in mountainous areas.
Officials predict coastal flooding and beach erosion, and utility crews have been brought in from Canada to handle anticipated power failures.
Baltimore is opening six shelters; several city intersections are closed because of flooding threats. Early voting, which began Saturday and was to run through Thursday, was canceled for Monday.
Utilities brought in crews from as far away as Texas and the Midwest to cope with anticipated power failures. Most schools and colleges have canceled classes. The Boston transit authority said it would continue to operate as long it was safe.
Gov. John Lynch put 100 National Guard soldiers on active duty to help with preparations. Two shelters are being set up, and some schools have closed.
Sandy's center is expected to make landfall in New Jersey late Monday. By daybreak, more than 5,000 homes and businesses were without electricity. Thousands of people evacuated low-lying areas, and many inland towns hit by flooding from storm Irene last year issued evacuation orders.
Many residents left low-lying flood evacuation zones, and the subway system shut down Sunday night. A storm surge of 11 feet is possible, the highest of all coastal areas being hit by Sandy. The New York Stock Exchange and other U.S. financial markets shut down for at least the day. Thousands of flights were canceled at the city's major airports.
Residents of low-lying areas and along Lake Erie were told to watch for flooding; utilities are anticipating high winds that could blow down trees and poles. Snow is forecast in some areas.
Many schools closed. Philadelphia shut down its mass transit system, and hundreds of flights were canceled at the city's airport. Dozens of people took shelter at evacuation centers. Thousands of members of the National Guard have been told to be ready for deployment.
Several communities have ordered mandatory evacuations and many schools closed for the day. Big waves are expected to cause flooding along Narragansett Bay, which bisects the state. Authorities told people to be prepared for long periods without power.
Snow is expected in higher elevations, where a freeze warning has been issued. High winds are expected in many areas.
About 2,000 customers lacked power, and a utility said as many as 1 million could ultimately lose electricity. Many residents of Chincoteague Island, popular with tourists, shrugged off the idea of evacuation.
Gov. Peter Shumlin declared a state of emergency to provide access to National Guard troops in a state still recovering from the devastating effects of the remnants of Hurricane Irene. Culverts and storm drainage basins in some spots have been cleared of debris.
The capital area's transit system shut down rail service for the first time since 2003, and the Smithsonian Institution closed for the day.
As much as 2 to 3 feet of snow were forecast in mountainous areas, and flooding was possible in some areas. Several shelters were put on standby, and power crews were mobilized to handle potential failures.
3:30 pm EDT:
Here in Ellicott City, Maryland, the wind speed is 41 mph NW. Not menacing at the moment.
Landfall for Sandy within 3 hours time near Atlantic City, New Jersey shore with a wind speed of 90 mph in the center. The system moves at 18 mph.
In Ellicott City, Maryland, the wind speed has risen to 49 mph WNW.
Sandy landfall in Cape May, New Jersey around 8 pm.
Battery Park in New York City is now inundated with 11.87 feet high. Water might enter NYC subway. Trains and buses won't run on Tuesday (tomorrow).
Waters from Hudson river has breached the Manhattan Broadwalk. Battery Park in New York City is now inundated with 13.7 feet high. MTA confirms that the subways are flooded.
1.5 million homes experience power outages in many states. In Maryland, 195,000 homes are without electric power. We have still not been hit by a power cut.
Power surges, outages and flashes being experienced in the New York City area. Everything is dark over there. Manhattan is in darkness as well as the Statue of Liberty.
10:47 pm EDT:
All bridges were closed for traffic. Chesapeake Bay Bridge that connects Baltimore-DC area with the northern parts of Maryland such as Kent Island too was closed for traffic around 4 pm.
10:55 pmEDT:
Sandy is still on its way towards us playing havoc with everything in its path.
Sandy had its landfall in Cape May, New Jersey around 8 pm. Ellicott City, MD is about 210 miles from the landfall area. The system is moving around 20 to 25 mph and I expect it to come here on Tuesday (tomorrow) morning around 6 am EDT.
Tuesday , October 30, 2012
Hurricane Sandy plays havoc: Widespread Power outages have occurred in all the north-eastern and eastern states. In Maryland, 391,005 homes are experiencing power cut.
Sandy is 10 miles southwest of Philadephia, PA.
10:50 am EDT:
Sandy has passed us. We did not incur any damages. We did not lose any power.
I thank you all for praying for us.
However, my heart bleeds for those who have suffered and are undergoing hardships due to the havoc created by this "Frankenstorm" called SANDY.
Sandy: The loss to properties has been assessed between 10 and 20 billion dollars.
Sandy slammed New Jersey last night and early morning today. At least 16 deaths reported. Massive flooding, high winds, and widespread power outages hit the East Coast as Sandy moves inland.
Hurricane Sandy dissipated over western Pennsylvania, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its final advisory on the storm: "multiple centers of circulation in association with the remnants of Sandy can be found across the lower Great Lakes."
Click on this line or the photo below to see photos of the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
People scavenging for food in a dumpster where a Key Food supermarket has discarded spoiled food, due to power outages after Hurricane Sandy hit New York (Photo: Mr. Choppers)
Hurricane Sandy (en.wikipedia.org)
Effects of Hurricane Sandy (tvaraj.com)
Some Images of the U.S. East Coast Pounded by Hurricane Sandy (tvaraj.com)
Will Hurricane Sandy Become 'The Perfect Storm' or a 'Frankenstorm'? (tvaraj.com)
Monster storm leaves U.S. East Coast crippled; 30 dead(tvaraj.com)
Sandy's Havoc in the Caribbean (tvaraj.com)
Sandy, "There's nothin' left for me …" (tvaraj.com)
Soggy Jamaica Cleaning up After Hurricane Sandy (abcnews.go.com)
Hurricane Sandy will impact New England but landfall location still uncertain, forecasters say (boston.com)
Hurricane Sandy, Hit New York, New Jersey, Delmarva October 29 Perfect Storm (finaljudgedotorg1.wordpress.com)
Effects of Hurricane Sandy in New York (en.wikipedia.org)
#WPLongformAtlantic CityBahamasElkridge MarylandEllicott CityFood for ThoughtFrankenstormHurricanHurricane SandyJamaicaLower Manhattannatural disastersNew JerseyNew YorkNew York CityNewsOctober 2012Post A Day 2015stormStraten IslandT. V. Antony RajThe Battery ParkThis is lifetvarajUnited StatesVideoWashington DCYouTube
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The Tao Te Ching and Its Many Translations
Sage Laozi (or Lao Tzu, Chinese: 老子) literally meaning "Father" or "Old Master" wrote the Chinese classic text, Tao Te Ching (道德經;) or Daode jing (道德经), translated as "The Classic of the Virtuous Way."
According to tradition, Laozi wrote the Tao Te Ching around 6th century BC, although the oldest excavated text dates back to the late 4th century BC, leading to the true authorship and date of composition or compilation of the text under debate.
Although a legendary figure, Laozi is usually dated to around the 6th century BC as a record-keeper at the court of the Zhou dynasty. He is also reckoned as a contemporary of Confucius (September 28, 551 – 479 BC), the Chinese teacher and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. However, some historians contend that Laozi actually lived during the Warring States period of the 5th or 4th century BC.
A painting of the Daode Tianzun ('the Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue'), the deified Laozi, one of the supreme divinities of Daoism. (Source: eng.taoism.org.hk)
Laozi deified as the Daode Tianzun (道德天尊 – "Moral senior" or "the Grand Pure One") and venerated in traditional Chinese religions as "the Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue" founded Taoism, an ancient tradition of Chinese philosophy and religious belief profound in Chinese customs.
Throughout Chinese history, various anti-authoritarian movements embraced Laozi's work. As a central figure in Chinese culture, the emperors of the Tang dynasty and modern people of the Li surname claimed Laozi as the founder of their lineage.
A part of a Taoist manuscript, ink on silk, 2th century BCE, Han Dynasty, unearthed from Mawangdui tomb 3rd, Chansha, Hunan Province, China. ( Source: Hunan Province Museum)
In 1973, archeologists unearthed a large number of silk manuscripts from Mawangdui tomb 3rd, Changsha, Hunan Province, China. Among these were two versions of the Daode jing by Laozi, dated to around 200 BC. The two silk books are part of the Cultural Relics from the Mawangdui Tombs collection at the Hunan Provincial Museum.
Th(Source: terebess.hu)
In 1993, archeologists discovered three bundles of 71 bamboo strips with the Daode jing text written on them in a tomb in Guodian in Hubei province (east central China). The "Guodian Laozi" that has survived intact since 300 BC, is by far the earliest version of the Daode jing ever unearthed.
The Tao Te Ching is a short text of around 5,000 Chinese characters in 81 brief chapters or sections composed of two parts, the Tao Ching (chapters 1–37) and the Te Ching (chapters 38–81).
The ideas in the Tao Te Ching are singular and the style poetic. The rhetorical style combines short, declarative statements and intentional contradictions.
Many western scholars with a foundation in the Chinese language and Chinese philosophy have attempted to translate the Tao Te Ching into their own native languages.
The Tao Te Ching written in classical Chinese relies in essence on allusions. For many non-Chinese scholars, it can be difficult to understand the verses completely due to their inherent semantic meanings, nuances, subtexts and many words are on purpose vague and open to more than one interpretation.
In Laozi's period, people memorized this work. They reinforced the allusions by using them in their writings. Today, even among the modern Chinese translators, there are only a few who have a deep acquaintance with ancient Chinese literature and many have lost sight of the many levels of subtext.
As there are no punctuation marks in classical Chinese, it can be difficult to determine where a sentence ends and the next begins. Moving a full-stop a few words forward or back or inserting a comma would completely change the meaning of passages. So, it is for the translator to determine where the divisions are and the meanings.
Some editors and translators say that the original texts of the Tao Te Ching written on one-line bamboo strips linked with silk threads are much corrupted, and it is difficult to understand some chapters without moving sequences of characters from one place to another.
Many popular translations are less erudite. They give an individual author's interpretation of the Tao Te Ching that deviate from the original text and incompatible with the historical thoughts of the Chinese people.
Holmes Welch (1924-1981), an American scholar of Daoism and early 20th century Chinese Buddhism remarked: "It is a famous puzzle which everyone would like to feel he had solved."
Today, the perseverance of non-Chinese scholars to preserve and bring out the original meaning of the Chinese text in every respect has spawned hundreds of versions of the Tao Te Ching in western languages that in certain instances even contradictory. To prove my point, I have quoted below a few attempts by some authors to translate Chapter 74 of Tao Te Ching:
"If people do not fear death why attempt to frighten them by capital punishment?
Supposing the people are made constantly afraid of death, so that when they commit unlawful acts I arrest them and have them killed, who will dare [afterwards to misbehave]? For then there will always be yiu–sze, or civil magistrates, to execute them. Now the execution of men on behalf of the inflictor of the death-punishment [by those not legally qualified to do so] may be compared to hewing on behalf of a master carpenter; and people who [attempt to] hew instead of a master carpenter mostly cut their hands."
– Translated by Frederic Henry Balfour, 1884
"It is futile to threaten people with death. If they are not afraid to die, they cannot be frightened by the death penalty; and if they are afraid to die, why should we kill them?
Only Nature knows the proper time for a man to die. To kill is to interrupt Nature's design for dying, Like a blundering apprentice judging himself to be wiser than his master.
Whenever an apprentice thinks he is smarter than his master, he is very likely to hurt himself.
Whenever an apprentice thinks he is smarter than his master, he is very likely to hurt himself. "
– Translated by Archie J. Bahm, 1958
"It is not the leader's role to play judge and jury, to punish people for 'bad' behaviour. In the first place, punishment does not effectively control behaviour.
But even if punishment did work, what leader would dare to use fear as a teaching method?
The wise leader knows that there are natural consequences for every act. The task is to shed light on these natural consequences, not to attack the behaviour itself.
If the leader tries to take the place of nature and act as judge and jury, the best you can expect is a crude imitation of a very subtle process.
At the very least, the leader will discover that the instrument of justice cuts both ways. Punishing others in punishing work."
– Translated by John Heider, 1985.
"If people don't love life, they won't fear death, and threatening them with it won't work.
If people have lives worth living, then the threat of death is meaningful, and they'll do what is right to avoid it.
But killing itself should be the province of the great executioner alone. Trying to take his place and kill is like cutting wood in the place of the master carpenter: The odds are you'll hurt your own hand."
– Translated by Ren Jiyu, 1993.
"When the people are not afraid to die
Why then threaten them with death?
Even if they normally are fearful of death,
For worst offenders, we may seize and kill them.
But who dares to execute?
There is always an expert executioner who kills.
Substituting for an expert executioner,
Is like hacking wood in place of a master carpenter.
Whoever substitutes for the master carpenter,
He seldom escapes injury of his own hand."
– Translated by David Hong Cheng, 2000.
"The people do not fear death,
Why threaten them with death?
Suppose the people always fear death,
One who does strange things (ch'i),
I shall seize and kill,
Then who dares [to do strange things]?
Killing is carried out by the executioner.
To replace the executioner and kill,
Is like chopping wood in place of the master carpenter.
To chop wood in place of the master carpenter,
Rarely one does not hurt one's own hand."
– Tao Te Ching: A New Translation with Commentary by Elen Marie Chen
But killing itself should be the province of the great executioner alone.
Trying to take his place and kill is like cutting wood in the place of the master carpenter:
The odds are you'll hurt your own hand."
– The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu by Brian Browne Walker
"If the people do not fear death,
For reasons of extreme poverty or suffering,
What is the point of threatening them with death?
If the people fear death,
And if the outlaws are captured and killed,
Who will dare to break the law?
Yet, the act of killing should always be
The exclusive province of the Great Executioner.
Therefore, to kill in place of the Great Executioner is
Like hewing wood in place of the master carpenter;
Few, if ever, will escape cutting their own hands.
– Translated by Yasuhiko Genku Kimura
"If people don't fear death
How will you frighten them with death?
If people always fear death
And I seize and execute
Anyone who does anything new,
Who will dare to move?
There is a public executioner who kills.
Killing on behalf of the public executioner,
Is called cutting wood on behalf of the carpenter.
In cutting wood on behalf of the carpenter,
There are few who escape hurting their hands."
– Translated by A. S. Kline, 2003.
Example #10
"If people are not afraid of death,
how can they be threatened by it?
But if they always live in fear of death,
and still continue in their lawlessness,
we can arrest and kill them.
Who then would dare?
And yet there is a Lord of Death whose charge it is to kill.
To take his place and kill would be like carving wood in place of the master carpenter.
Few would escape without injuring their hands."
– Translated by Tim Chilcott, 2005.
For more translations of the Tao Te Ching by other authors visit Terebess Asia Online (TAO) .
Tao Te Ching (en.wikipedia.org)
Laozi (en.wikipedia.org)
Taoism (en.wikipedia.org)
The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (terebess.hu)
Daode Tianzun (en.wikipedia.org)
#WPLongformChangshaChinaChinese languageChinese philosophyConfuciusDaode jingDaode TianzunFood for ThoughtGuodian Chu SlipsGuodian LaoziHunan ProvinceHunan Province MuseumLao TzuLaoziMawangdui tombPost A Day 2015silk manuscriptsTao ChingTao Te ChingTaoismTe ChingThis is lifeTranslationstvarajZhou dynasty
Advertisement, Double entendre, Food for Thought, Humour, Post A Day 2015, This is Life, tvaraj
Do You Have Tight Nuts or a Rusty Tool?
The above leaflet from the 1960's created by a master craftsman is a gross and most brazen advertisement loaded with double entendre for WD-40. It is an innuendo that seems to work with the true facts of what WD-40 can do. Even though the ad is a fake, it gives the impression of a real advert from the 1960's with the stains and frayed edges.
On November 4, 2014, a user posted this image showing a printed advertisement for the WD-40 spray lubricant in a "funny photos" thread on the US Message Board, asserting it was an ad from 1960. As the image got shared on sites such as Facebook, Imgur, and Reddit, the date changed, with the most common claim being 1964.
Several attributes of the advertisement give it away as a fake:
1. If this was a genuine, high-profile ad for WD-40 why is it the only photograph available on the Internet documenting its existence?
2. If you look at this image critically you will note that it is not a photograph at all. The paper on which the advertisement appears looks old and crinkled, but the letters are straight. This implies that the text is a digital overlay on a background image of a crinkled page.
3. The image describes the product as "WD 40" when its name is, and always had been, rendered as WD-40.
4. The image refers to a 'red knob' whereas the distinctive red cap that now tops the WD-40 cans was originally black!
By the way, those of you not familiar with WD-40 must be wondering what the hell it is.
Back in 1953, Norm Larsen founded the Rocket Chemical Company. The fledgling company and its staff of three set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry.
Working in a small lab in San Diego, California, Norm Larsen, a persistent chemist, perfected his water displacing formula on his 40th try. So, WD-40 stands for "Water Displacement, the 40th formula", a name that came straight out of the lab book used by Norm Larsen.
The formula of WD-40 is a trade secret. Out of fear of disclosing its composition Norm Larsen did not apply for a patent for WD-40 in 1953. The opportunity for patenting the product has long since elapsed since the application for a patent should have been filed prior to any public use or public disclosure of the invention anywhere in the world. Even today, the original secret formula for WD-40 is still in use.
The Convair Division of General Dynamics at the Kearny Mesa assembly plant north of San Diego, California, built the SM-65 Atlas, for U.S. Air Force. It was the first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed and deployed by the United States that became operational in October 1959. The Atlas missile's warhead was over 100 times more powerful than the bomb dropped over Nagasaki in 1945.
Later on, for almost half a century, the Atlas missile served as a first stage satellite launch vehicle.
The balloon-like paper-thin stainless steel fuel tanks of the Atlas missile were and fragile, and when empty, to prevent them from collapsing, they had to be kept inflated with nitrogen.
Convair used WD-40 as a corrosion-inhibiting coating to protect the paper-thin stainless steel outer skin of the fuel tanks of the Atlas missile from rust and corrosion.
WD-40 worked well to inhibit rust and corrosion. This prompted several employees to sneak out some WD-40 cans out of the plant to use in their homes.
A few years following WD-40's first industrial use, Norm Larsen reasoned that consumers might find a use for the product in their homes as some of the employees had. So, in 1958, he put the product into aerosol cans and made it available in stores in San Diego.
In 1960, Norm Larsen's Rocket Chemical Company doubled in size, growing to seven people and sold an average of 45 cases per day to hardware and sporting goods stores in the San Diego area.
On Monday, September 11, 1961, Hurricane Carla, ranked as the most intense US tropical cyclone with a highest wind speed of 280 km/h made landfall near Port O'Connor, Texas. To meet the disaster needs of the victims of Hurricane Carla along the US Gulf coast, the Rocket Chemical Company filled its first full truckload order for WD-40 to use in reconditioning flood and rain damaged vehicles and equipment.
In 1968, soldiers in Vietnam received goodwill kits containing WD-40 to help keep their firearms in superb working condition by preventing damage from moisture.
In 1969, the company changed its name to WD-40 Company, Inc., after its only product.
In 1973, the company went public. On the first day of listing, the stock price increased by 61%. From then on, the WD-40 Company, Inc., grew by leaps and bounds. In 1993, WD-40 sales grew to more than one million cans per week.
WD-40 is now virtually a household name in America with 80% American households using it. About 81 percent of professionals in many consumer and industrial markets such as aviation, automotive, manufacturing, construction, hardware, home improvement, farming, and sporting goods, use it regularly.
WD-40's main ingredients as supplied in aerosol cans, according to U.S. Material Safety Data Sheet information are:
(1) Aliphatic hydrocarbons – 50%: According to the manufacturer's website this ratio in the current formulation per se is not Stoddard solvent which is a similar mixture of hydrocarbons.
(2) Petroleum base oil – 25%: Probably a mineral oil or light lubricating oil.
(3) Low vapor pressure aliphatic hydrocarbon – 12 to 18%: To reduce the liquid's viscosity for use in aerosols. The hydrocarbon evaporates during application.
(4) Carbon dioxide – 2 to 3%: A propellant used instead of the original liquefied petroleum gas to reduce WD-40's flammability.
(5) Inert ingredients – 10%.
HISTORY – FASCINATING FACTS YOU NEVER LEARNED IN SCHOOL (wd40.com)
WD-40 (en.wikipedia.org)
SM-65 Atlas (en.wikipedia.org)
Hurricane Carla (en.wikipedia.org)
WD-Naughty (snopes.com)
What are the time limits for filing a patent application? (oppedahl.com)
advertisementAdvertisingAtlas MissilesConvair Divisioncorrosioncorrosion-inhibiting coatingDo You Have Tight Nuts or a Rusty ToolDouble entendreFood for ThoughtGeneral DynamicsHurricane CarlaICBMIntercontinental ballistic missileNorm LarsenPost A Day 2015Rocket Chemical CompanyrustSM-65 Atlas MissilesThis is lifetvarajUnited StatesUnited States Air ForceWD-40WD-40 Company Inc


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I wandered over to The New Yorker website just to take a look. I had not intended to spend too much time there, but wouldn't you know it, the first story on the page jumped right out at me and I had to take a look. I figured I would read just the first paragraph or so, but that was not enough. Soon, I found myself on the last page.
The story is called "Rat Beach" and it is evidently part of a collection of stories that will be published later this year. The author, William Styron, is perhaps best known for his novel Sophie's Choice (1979), which was later made into a movie. I have not read the book nor seen the movie, both of which I have been meaning to do.
In William Styron's "Rat Beach", our American narrator is on the beach in Saipan, a beautiful place whose beauty still stands out despite having been trampled by war. A second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, he awaits his next assignment. His company had previously been tasked with acting as a decoy, distracting the Japanese from the intended targets. This time, it would be for real. He would have to face the enemy and take his chances with fate.
He watches as ambulances and trucks arrive on the beach from Okinawa, full of the injured and the dead. Hopelessness and fear threaten to paralyze the young officer. Styron's words put the reader right into his shoes.
The narrator finds a bit of comfort in the common bond and camaraderie of his fellow soldiers, and yet feels separate from them, wondering if they too feel the same fear he does. They talk about everything, sharing intimidate details, but never about their fears or inner turmoil about the war and they are about to walk into.
Finally word comes down that there will, in fact, be an invasion. The details are a secret, however, even from the officers who will have to be prepared for the upcoming battle. The closer the moment comes, the greater his fear. It haunts his dreams and waking hours. I could feel the terror he felt so clearly as I read.
Styron's writing is beautiful and raw. He captures well the time and place, but what is most striking is his portrayal of the nameless soldier. This story makes me want to run out and get everything William Styron wrote in his lifetime.
Have you read a short story lately? I'd love to hear about it! Be sure and drop by Ready When You Are, C.B. for Short Story Sunday & The Book Mine Set for Short Story Monday, the hosts for this event.
The only thing I've read by Styron is The Confessions of Nat Turner, but he has so much out there that looks good. Including this story!
Well, it is embarrassing to admit, but I haven't read anything by Styron, although I did see the movie, Sophie's Choice. The short story sounds so good that maybe I'll make that correction and see what I can find at the library when I get home. Thanks for a great review, Wendy!
I'm usually not crazy about war books, but UI could probably manage a short story. Thanks for the link!
Angie - You're welcome. I hope you like the story.
Kristie - Exactly! That happens to me all too often. Sometimes we just get pulled in and before we know it, quite a bit of time has passed.
John - Thank you for stopping in! If you do read the story, I hope you will like it.
As I was browsing through the titles of short stories on the New Yorker website, I was thinking how short stories might be a good way to sample authors I am not too familiar with--or even genres and types of fiction I might not otherwise read--either for lack of interest or having tried it but not really cared for it in long form. You never can tell when you might find an exception.
Lezlie - Thank you for the link!
I've been reading Styron since his first book, "Lie Down in Darkness" (1950). I live in Tidewater Va., near where he grew up--in Newport News. in "Rat Beach" he brings all of his writing skills to bear, along with his experience in the Marines. I'd say it's some of his best work, although short. It's up there with "The Red Badge of Courage," as I see it. I look forward to his new anthology of Marine stories, "Suicide Run," to be published in October, says The New Yorker. Maybe it helps younger generations to hear about the savagery of war--as a deterrent for future conflicts. Not much to justify writing and publishing them otherwise.
Please don't begin your Styron experience with this book--"Sophie's Choice" is the place to begin, or "The Confessions of Nat Turner." His slim collection "A Tidewater Morning" is a good way to just put your toe in, so to speak.
Chris - Thank you so much for the link to your review. After reading the one story, I ran out and bought a copy of Sophie's Choice. I look forward to reading it.


Brook RD, Appel LJ, Rubenfire M, et al; on behalf of the American Heart Association Professional Education Committee of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, and Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism. Beyond medications and diet: alternative approaches to lowering blood pressure: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Hypertension. 2013;61:1360-1383. Available at: http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/61/6/1360.full+html.


Homemade granola in maple syrup, with oats, almonds, cashew, flaxseeds, raisins, cranberries. The perfect heart-healthy, fiber-filled, nutritious breakfast! Oh-so-good and satisfying. Just add yogurt or almond milk and you're good to go!


Shooter will select training product he or she is interested in purchasing. Contact class Coordinator, shooter will provide physical mail too address and Billing Info ( Credit card only, MC or Visa only.) Confirmation package will be shipped to shooter via mail and credit card will be billed in full for training products selected. Shooter will then go to his calender and select a primary day he would like to train and a secondary date in case that range is booked on the first day he selected. He will contact class coordinator via email or text to confirm shoot date.


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Civics and the American Founding Program
See below for news on Spring 2020.
A series of graduate courses designed to help teachers respond to the new Illinois civics requirement for high school students, offered through the Master of Liberal Studies Program of Lake Forest College.
Civics and the American Founding program brings together small groups of high school teachers in special graduate seminars, led by members of the faculty of Lake Forest College's Master of Liberal Studies program. These seminars focus on key issues and documents of political thought that have shaped our nation's history. Full tuition grants for teachers are provided by the Jack Miller Center through their Founding Civics Initiative.
Announcing the Return of MLS 583 for
MLS 583 Hamilton and the Founding Fathers
Professor Catherine Weidner
Dates: Jan. 25 - May 2, 2020
The reputation of Alexander Hamilton has vacillated wildly over the years. Detractors have called him an elitist, an opponent of democracy, or a crypto-monarchist, while his admirers view him as a realist who believed that the new Republic needed a strong central government in order to build a strong economy. Because he played a pivotal role in both the American Revolution and the formation of the Constitution, his story becomes a lens to study many of the defining moments of the founding of the United States. His life takes us into the great debates of the early republic over the scope and nature of government power and its role in shaping American society. This course will draw on the musical "Hamilton" as well as recent scholarship and key primary source readings to reassess Hamilton's influence upon the key events of his lifetime and his legacy. The goals of the courses are: 1) to understand the key personalities, debates, and decisions of the Revolution and the Early National Period and 2) to model and practice the most effective teaching strategies for use in your own civics and history classrooms.
2020 Syllabus Draft
Catherine Sardo Weidner is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and earned her Ph.D. in American History at Northwestern University. In addition to teaching for Lake Forest College, Weidner writes and lectures widely on issues of race, class, community and labor in Chicago. She co-founded and teaches with the Sojourner Scholars Summer Humanities Institute, a program of Illinois Humanities Council that provides high school students from four South Side CPS high schools the opportunity to take college level courses with local university and college faculty over a period of three summers. Weidner recently served as President of the Board of Directors for Alternatives, Inc., a Chicago-based nonprofit that supports and empowers young people.
The course carries 4 semester hours of graduate credit or 60 PD hours.
Full tuition grants for working high school teachers thanks to the support of the Jack Miller Center.
Classes are on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to noon, on the campus of Lake Forest College.
7 face-to-face meetings, the remainder of the course on-line.
Teachers may take this course for a stand-alone credit or matriculate into the MLS program.
Ideal for American history, government, or civics teachers, given the new Illinois civics requirement.
Click here for application form.
Full tuition grants for teachers are provided by the Jack Miller Center through their Founding Civics Initiative. For more information about the Jack Miller Center, see here.
For more information about the program and the Fall and Spring seminars call Carol Gayle, Associate Director of Lake Forest College's MLS program, at 847-735-5083, or email her at gayle@lakeforest.edu.
Civics Program
Our Endowment

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Business Grower Profiles
NIAGARA PARKS SCHOOL OF HORT IN SPOTLIGHT
By Greenhouse Canada
• After months of review and consultation, the program has been granted accreditation at the four-year bachelor degree level by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET). It's quite a milestone for the program.
• The school's superintendent and a pair of students received awards at this year's Award of Excellence ceremonies during the International Horticulture, Lawn and Garden Trade Show and Conference in Toronto.
Niagara Parks School of Horticulture granted four-year accreditation degree level
The ornamental horticulture diploma program of the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) School of Horticulture is celebrating an amazing milestone.
After months of review and consultation, the program has been granted accreditation at the four-year bachelor degree level by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET).
PLANET is the official trade association for members involved in landscape construction, design/build contracting, landscape maintenance reclamation and erosion control, irrigation, lawn care, interiorscaping and all aspects of installation, construction and maintenance of the living environment.
School superintendent Liz Klose, B.Sc. (Agr.), said the accreditation "will increase the awareness for other horticulture colleges and universities across Canada. The additional certifications we have integrated into our curriculum enhance the educational experience of the students. Our diploma, which is already held in high regard, in combination with the industry certification designations, provides our graduates with greater employment opportunities."
So how does a three-year program receive four-year bachelor degree level accreditation status?
It's easy to understand when you study the curriculum and program intensity. It operates 40 hours per week for 48 weeks per year for 36 consecutive months. There are over 35 academic courses encompassing horticulture and landscape fundamentals, including several courses in plant identification, landscape design, entomology and pathology, to name a few. As well, there are courses in business management and communication, in addition to an extensive practical training program totalling some 5,568 hours of training over the three years. (It's like holding down a regular full-time job in addition to a keeping up with a heavy academic course load.)
Combining the academic component with the practical application is what makes the program so unique, says Klose. "There is no other school in North America that has the same balance of academics and
practical. This is what we're known for throughout the world."
She said that just like most horticulture and landscape businesses that get into full swing in the spring, "we begin our school year in late March and the training spans all four seasons. Our outdoor classroom (the Niagara Botanical Gardens) gives students an extra advantage. Communication, crew management, and the practical application of theoretical horticulture are employable skills necessary for success in the industry, all of which are taught and reinforced beyond the classroom."
This is a college/university level program, and thereby meets and exceeds the apprenticeship standards. Due to the strong practical component, it also envelops the Horticultural Technician program from the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
Additionally, the School of Horticulture integrates two industry certifications, Certified Horticulture Technician (CHT), known as Certified Landscape Technician (CLT) in the United States, and Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT) into their curriculum. This winter, the first Irrigation Technology course was offered, and was aligned with the requirements of the CIT.
The program attracts students from throughout North America and overseas, notes Klose. Applicants must be passionate about horticulture, have a good academic background in math, communications and sciences from high school or post-secondary educational institutions, and possess a minimum of two seasons of related experience. "It takes a dedicated student to commit to school knowing they'll only have three to four weeks off a year. This type of education is an investment in their future career."
The program is similar to European hort schools, and was in fact modelled some 70 years ago after the famed School of Horticulture program at Kew Gardens in the U.K. NPC has re-established a partnership program with Kew that includes a internship opportunities. NPC has similar partnerships with other schools worldwide, and has welcomed interns from Japan, France and Ireland. Belgium may soon join that list.
The school's placement rate of 100 per cent speaks for itself. "We have more jobs (posted) than we have graduates for. Employers begin contacting us in the fall for spring placements. The students are in such high demand."
For more information on PLANET accreditation, visit www.landcarenetwork.org, and click on PLANET Campus. For more detailed information on the NPC School of Horticulture, check out www.schoolofhorticulture.com. The deadline for applications is June 30, 2007, for enrolment beginning in March 2008.
NPC School of Horticulture in Congress awards spotlight
The Niagara Parks School of Horticulture was in the spotlight during this year's Congress show and conference in Toronto hosted by Landscape Ontario.
Superintendent Liz Klose, B.Sc. (Agr.), received The College Horticulture Educator of the Year Award during Award of Excellence ceremonies sponsored by the Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association. The awards program was held during the International Horticulture, Lawn and Garden Trade Show and Conference – more commonly known as Congress – held in January in Toronto. The award was in recognition of Klose's many years of support of horticulture at the college level, her involvement with the Ontario Horticulture Education Council and with Landscape Ontario, and her work in helping initiate, with school colleagues, the first college Certified Horticultural Technician Test at NPC.
Two NPC School of Horticulture students also earned awards at the ceremony. Second-year student Amy Doan was presented with the Tony DiGiovanni Scholarship. Third-year student Sarah Wilson received a post-secondary scholarship from the Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association.
Klose's academic and industry involvement was also recognized closer to home. During their annual educational conference last November, the school's alumni association presented her with an Award of Merit for contributions to the school, the association and the industry.
"It is truly an honour to be recognized by my industry colleagues," she said. "I am indebted to the School and Botanical Gardens staff, students, alumni and other industry colleagues with whom I have the privilege of working with. Their knowledge and contributions are a constant source of inspiration and encouragement. They are equally deserving of this acknowledgement."
Klose joined the faculty at the School of Horticulture and Botanical Gardens as an instructor and garden curator in 1991. She is the chair of the Bursary and Scholarship Selection Committee of the Ontario Parks Association Foundation, and a member of the Ontario Parks Association, Perennial Plant Association, the Herb Society of America, the Ontario Horticulture Education Council, Landscape Ontario, the Professional Landcare Network, and the Alumni Association of The Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture Foundation.
Co-author of two gardening books, Roses for Ontario and Best Garden Plants for Ontario, Klose is also a regular contributor to print media. She is a frequent guest speaker at schools and industry associations, and for local, provincial and international garden and horticultural societies.
The Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens and School of Horticulture is located in Niagara Falls. The Niagara Parks Commission is an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism that has operated at no cost to taxpayers since 1885.
• www.schoolofhorticulture.com
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KUWAIT, Nov 18 (KUNA) — All of Iraq's outstanding issues with Kuwait have been resolved as result of the commitment of both and it will carry out all of its commitments in 2015, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said on Monday.
Iraq submitted a request to Russia for providing satellite images of mass graves committed by the former regime.
The Presidency of the Council of Representatives announced on Friday to postpone the planned its next meeting, on Wednesday, to 17 of the current month of November.
Lifting of the House of Representatives its usual to next Monday.
Confirmed the Iraqi List, on Sunday, that the political blocs could "extend the work of the current parliament" for a specific time period in case of failure to vote on the election law, as shown that the blocs agreed by 85% to pass the law, pointed out that tomorrow's meeting could see the law passed.
MP for the National Alliance Salman al-Moussawi said the election law is ready for a vote within the parliament.
Baghdad (AIN) -The parliament chairmanship decided the next Monday to be last date to discuss the Parlaimentary Elections Law.
He attributed a member of the Committee on the economy and investment parliamentary Amer winner of underinvestment in the country and investors away, to the deterioration of the security situation and follow the routine in the instructions by local governments and investment authorities, pointing out that this is the cause of the damage to Iraq's economy.
Baghdad (AIN) –The parliament announced that the next Monday session will devoted to the vote on the Budget law of 2013.
Baghdad / WAP / Download an economist Husam Obeid, the Iranian side, the direct responsibility for money laundering operations and currency smuggling from Iraq.
Discusses the House of Representatives in session next Monday the government's decision to cancel the ration card and financial compensation amounts.
Baghdad (newsletter) … According to economy and Investment Committee member MP/Iraqi/coalition nahida aldaini, the inability of the State commercial banks to meet the requirements of investment and economic process alone in the country, due to a lack of capital, to encourage global banks to open branches in Iraq to contribute to the economic development.
Baghdad (News) … Iraqi coalition candidate, said defense attorney Talal Al-zawbai, the candidates of the ministries of the Interior and defence will be after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Baghdad (news) .. said economist Maytham and coffee, that political differences have a direct impact in blocking the movement of the economic sector.
Baghdad (newsletter) … A senior government source ruled out by u.s. Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Iraq on Tuesday.
Company F predicted. Mother. G Swedish investment funds to manage strong growth of the shares, although the Iraqi instability that afflict the security situation in the country.
Deputy for the National Alliance on Alfalh, to claim the International Monetary Fund cut the budget did not affect the budget of the provinces in order to reduce inflation is winning.
announced the decision of the House of Representatives Muhammad Al-Khalidi, Monday, that the Parliament will vote during its meeting of 23 to be held next Monday, the Law on the financial budget for the year 2012.
parliamentary source, Sunday, that the meeting of the Council of Representatives of the 22 which will be held on Monday, will see the first and second readings of six draft laws including the Law on preventing the importation of games that incites violence.