MERRY CHRISTMAS

MAY YOU ALWAYS FEEL LOVED

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world
You may not always understand.

May the pain you have known and conflict you have experienced
Give you the strength to walk through life
Facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those whose love and understanding
Will always be there, even when you feel most alone.

May you discover enough goodness in others
To believe in a world of peace.

May a kind word, a reassuring touch, a warm smile be yours
Every day of your life,
And may you give these gifts as well as receive them.

Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.

Teach love to those who know hate,
And let that love embrace you as you go into the world.

May the teaching of those you admire become part of you,
So that you may call upon them.
Remember, those whose lives you have touched
And who have touched yours are always a part of you,
Even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.
It is the content of the encounter that is more important than it's form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters,
But instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.

Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world around you.

Realize that each person has limitless abilities,
But each of us is different in our own way.
What you may feel you lack in one regard
May be more than compensated for in another.
What you feel you lack in the present
May become one of your strengths in the future.

May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself,
And not be dependent on another's judgement of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

Copyright 1987 Sandra Sturtz Hauss

UNRETURNED FAVOURS

A Connecticut farmer was asked to assist at the funeral of his neighbor's third wife and, as he had attended the funerals of the two others, his wife was surprised when he declined the invitation.

On being pressed to give his reason he said, with some hesitation:

"You see, Mary, it makes a chap feel a bit awkward to be always accepting other folks's civilities when he never has anything of the same sort of his own to ask them back to."

WASN'T CALLING HER DEAR

Desirous of buying a camera, a certain fair young woman inspected the stock of a local shopkeeper.
Is this a good one?" she asked, as she picked up a dainty little machine. "What is it called?"
That's the Belvedere," said the handsome young shopman politely.
There was a chilly silence. Then the young woman drew herself coldly erect, fixed him with an icy stare, and asked again:
Er−−and can you recommend the Belva?"
- courtesy ' best short stories"

ek lau is tarah

I Somehow cant still move away from the terror attacks. Not sure if it is a good thing or otherwise. I however cannot forget. It is not just about the people who have left us. I was watching shashannk shinde and chitte's story on NDTV.
Each of them leaves behind two and three daughters respectively. The emotion i feel watching a young one amongst them tell the camera how proud she is of her father is beyond words.
There surely shall be a story attached to all of them who departed. One that should never be forgotten.
A clip from NDTV india paying homage to the brave heroes.

And just as disappointing is the fact today is the 7th anniversary and only a handful of MP's found time to pay their respect to the ones who laid down their life protecting the parliament. Breaks my heart if the same thing happens again and this too goes forgotten.

REAL MADRID and the manager saga

Its official now .. Bernd Schuster has been sacked. Not without a reason this time. Disastrous run of results culminated in him receiving the sack. Juande Ramos hopefully is an able replacement. His time at the White Hart Lane notwithstanding.

There are few things that give as much pleasure as following one team through its highs and lows. I have been at football for the past 10 years now. I officially am a Manchester United fan. However if there is any team I love after United its Real Madrid. When I started following football they were the team in their prime and caught my fancy.I however evolved into a United fan but love Madrid no less. An absolute pain when United clashes against Real.

However the coaching policy at the Bernabeau leaves me astounded. The first incident I remember is Vincent del Bosque getting sacked. The del Bosque phase was the most successful phase I happened to see Madrid in. They boasted the best of the players. Shockingly they axed him immediately afte he won them the la liga again.

Then came the lean period for Madrid before 'Don Fabio' took them back to the dizzying heights of the la liga title in an incredible season last year. Anyone who followed the 2007-2008 season would have simply loved how Madrid came back to claw the title from Barca. And then.. Capello gets the sack. I simply could not fathom how the guy who brought them back from the pits suddenly was not good enough.

They brought in Schuster who's claim to fame in the managerial world was managing Getafe. Incredibly Madrid still dont have a settled coach yet. With Schuster getting the sack, i hope Ramos is able to deliver.

Add to this probably the greatest clash in the football world looms large. Real Madrid take on Barcelona this weekend. The 'El Clasico'. One of the finest rivalries that has lived up to its expectations always. The previous year Madrid got better both times.

This weekend however Madrid season is in turmoil while Barca has pulled away at the top by 9 points.The 'El Clasico' looks a bit daunting for us Real fans with current managerial crisis. Add to that several missing key players for Madrid.I admit not the best time to be Real fan.I stil howvever would be pining for the whites to win at the Nou Camp. What kind of a fan one is if one does stick with his team through its higs and as well as it lows

Section 49 -O and the Protest Vote

One word that has been thrown up a lot in recent times has been " protest vote". What exactly is it??? A certain mail has again come into precedence considering the current political situation...I am sure most have at times received the following mail...sadly it is a hoax..

"Did you know that there is a system in our Constitution, as per the
1969 act, in section "49 O" that a person can go to the polling booth,
confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding
election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone!

Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly
notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called Section"49
O".

Why should you go and say "I VOTE NOBODY"... because, in a ward, if a
candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has
received 49 "O" votes more than 123, then that polling will be
cancelled and will have to be re polled. Not only that, but the
candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest
the re polling, since people had already expressed their decision on
them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine
candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way
of our whole political system..."
The TRUTH

There is no section 49-O in the constitution or the 1969 act..it is a rule
in the The Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.

"...if a
candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has
received 49 "O" votes more than 123, then that polling will be
cancelled and will have to be re polled. Not only that, but the
candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest
the re polling, since people had already expressed their decision on
them...." FALSE.

The actual text of section 49-O is

"Elector deciding not to vote.-If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark."

The result of the polls stand inspite of the no. of protest votes, no repolling nothing of that sort. and
Can we still register protest votes???. Yes we can. However with the emergence of EVM's protest votes violate a voter's right.

Earlier voting with ballot papers the ballot paper could simply be dropped in without voting...or voting for multiple candidates to ensure the vote is inavlid. Sadly the EVM's have no such facility. As such informing the presiding officer about the decision to not vote, violates the secrecy of voting.

The last i knew there was a petition in the supreme court about modification of the EVM's to have "none of the above" button. Till then protest vote means disclosing identity.

Merits of a protest vote are debatable.. If the results are gonna stand inspite of protest votes. The whole affair would be just a record in some babu's file in some dusty cupboard. We have shameless politicians who wuld not worry ab8 protest votes...kursi ka prem more than any moral conscience

So then is the protest vote the right way to go????

A TEST OF FRIENDSHIP

Andy Foster, a well−known character in his native city, had recently shuffled off this mortal soil in destitute circumstances, although in his earlier days he enjoyed financial prosperity.

A prominent merchant, an old friend of the family, attended the funeral and was visibly affected as he gazed for the last time on his old friend and associate.

The mourners were conspicuously few in number and some attention was attracted by the sorrowing merchant. "The old gentleman was very dear to you?" ventured one of the bearers after the funeral was over.

"Indeed, he was," answered the mourner. "Andy was one true friend. He never asked me to lend him a cent, though I knew that he was practically starving to death."

The Movie Star

The rally held at gateway had an outpuring of public sentiment. some expressed it through words. The others by way of placards. My favorite amongst the placards

V.S. Achuthanandan and the Dog

As the shock over the attacks set in heads have begun to roll. In the aftermath of the attacks I had assumed not one politician would have lost his post. I have been plesantly surprised at the Home Minister's exit. It was long overdue. However both the Maharashtra Chief Minister and his deputy must be cursing bollywood for their own downfall. I thought both would escape the aftermath however both have been done in by their own foolishness.

Vilasrao looked like he was bloody taking a picnic in Taj with his entourage. I mean what the heck was he doing with his son and Ram Gopal Varma in tow.It was a place of carnage... not a freakin tourist spot that he carries his band of happy revellers. No wonder SMS's are doing rounds
"Ram Gopal Varma yahi kamaai ..do sarkar banai... ek giraai"

R.R. Patil's press conferences are a pain honestly.He is incoherent and difficult to comprehend. God only knows what he implied when he said, " aise hadse to Mumbai jaise bade shehron me to hote hi rahte hai"( these incidents happen in big cities like mumbai)..The less talked about it the better. He dug his own grave and has gone for good

The latest is the Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan throwing his hat in the ring. If anything V.S. was the farthest away from Mumbai. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan laid down his life. The least VS could do was be sensitive to the family. I thought it was a mistake on his part to have none representing his government at the Major's funeral. Only the media pressure made him go to Bangalore.

Kudos to Sandeep's father for showing VS the door. Apparently VS had messaged sandeep's father a text offering his condolences. When asked about it when he reached B'lore by the martyr's father VS apparently could not even remember how the SMS started. Rightly turned out of his place by the father.

And then the masterstroke by VS.I dont know if it was his ego that could not bear it or was it plain stupidity that prompted him saying,"If it had not been (Major) Sandeep's house, not even a dog would have gone there". WTF..I am at a loss of words to describe what that means. A nation mourns the death of a braveheart and then we have absolutely ridiculous statements going about. For God's sake the family lost their only son. Spare a thought for the trauma they r undergoing and are yet to endure.

Not that i had too much respect for an 83 year old sticking to his chair still. Whatever little I had I am glad is not there anymore. His continual refusal to apologize is ridiculous. He apparently has done no wrong. I mean c'mon. have some shame.Look deep inside yourself. U ought to be ashamed. You are the face of kerala and are presenting such an awful front. Atleast Ifor sure am ashamed of you...period. I am sure the dogs around the country if they could express themselves will agree.

I dont what legacy VS will leave behind, if it can be called a legacy. In my eyes this is what u leave behind for me. I will always remember you as the guy who slighted a martyr's family at the worst possible time with scant respect for a nation pained by the loss.I am pained and outraged... and all you could was incense me further.

You may never be able to emulate the feats of Major Sandeep. Neither can i . The least one can do is acknowledge his supreme sacrifice and carry what he did in our heart and hope one day we can come in handy for our motherland in whatever way possible. Hope you do realize that you were indeed wrong opening your mouth. And may you be payed in the same coin.
Amen