A Wild And Crazy Language...

English is the most widely used language in the history of our planet. One in every 7 humans can speak it. More than half of the world's books and 3 quarters of international mail is in English. Of all the languages,it has the largest vocabulary - perhaps as many as 2 MILLION words. Nonetheless, let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend, that you comb thru annals of history but not a single annal? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preacher praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? If you wrote a letter, perhaps you bote your tongue?

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another?

Have you noticed that we talk about certain things only when they are absent? Have you ever seen a horseful carriage or a strapful gown? Met a sung hero or experienced requited love? Have you ever run into someone who was combobulated, gruntled, ruly or peccable? And where are all those people who ARE spring chickens or who would ACTUALLY hurt a fly?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm clock goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it.

Taken from Rex Barker's Joke-of-the-Day mailer...found it amusing

Keep Swimming...

Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl.
One was an optimistic soul,
But the other took the gloomy view.
"We'll drown," he lamented without much ado,
And with a last despairing cry,
he flung up his legs and said "Goodbye."

Quote the other frog with a steadfast grin,
"I can't get out but I won't give in,
I'll just swim around till my strength is spent,
then I'll die the more content."
Bravely he swam to work his scheme,
And his struggles began to churn the cream.

The more he swam, his legs a flutter,
The more the cream turned into butter.
On top of the butter at last he stopped,
And out of the bowl he gaily hopped.

If you can't hop out, keep swimming around. You never know what your actions might cause, and often you get involved in something frustrating or apparently purposeless, but there always seems to be a hidden purpose in everything. Sometimes you will learn something critical, or meet someone who will play an important part in your life.

Taken from Rex Barker's Joke of the day mailer.

Tu Raja Ki Raj Dulari...

Lovely song from Oye Lucky Lucky Oye...in Haryanvi (Ragini)..it talks about the Marriage of Lord Shiva and Parvati

Just sharing the lyrics ...if possible hear it if not already done.


Tu Raja Ki Raj Dulari, Main Sirf Langote.., Aala Su.. ) - 2
Bhang Ragad Ke Piya Karu Main, Kundi Sote Aala Su
Tu Raja Ki Raj Dulari, Main Sirf Langote, Aala Su
Bhang Ragad Ke Piya Karu Main, ( Kundi Sote Aala Su ) - 2

Tu Raja Ki Chhori Se, Mere Ek Bhi Daasi Dost Nahi
Chal Tu Shawl Odhan Aali, Mhare Kambal Tak Bhi Paas Nahi
Tu baagan Ki Koyal Se ,aade barf pade Hari Ghaas Nahi
Kis tariya dil Lage Tera, Satran Chaul Prakash Nahi
Kise Saahukar Ke Byah Karwale,Saahukar Ke Byah Karwale
Main Khaali sote Aala Su
Bhang Ragad Ke Piya Karu Main, Kundi Sote Aala Su
Tu Raja Ki Raj Dulari, Main Sirf Langote, Aala Su
Bhang Ragad Ke Piya Karu Main, ( Kundi Sote Aala Su ) - 2

Main dhuna me tapa karun, tu aag dekh ke darr jagi
Rakh ghol ke Piyaa Karu Mera, Bhag Dekh Ke Dar Jaagi
Sau Sau Saap pade reh gale me, Naag Dekh Ke Dar Jaagi
Tane Julfo aala Chhora Chaiye, Julfo aala Chhora Chaiye
Main Lambe Chote aala Su
Bhangh Ragad Ke Piya Karu Main, Kundi Sote Aala Su
(Tu Raja Ki Raj Dulari, Main Sirf Langote, Aala Su
Bhangh Ragad Ke Piya Karu Main, Kundi Sote, Aala Su ) - 11

Quotes of the day - 12th January 2008

Assumptions are the termites of relationships.
-- Henry Winkler

If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.
-- Buddha

You are built not to shrink down to less but to blossom into more.
-- Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, February 2003

Lets Help others....

Taken from Rex Barker joke-of-the-day mailer

There was once a little boy who was raised in an orphanage. The little boy had always wished that he could fly like a bird. It was very difficult for him to understand why he could not fly. There were birds at the zoo that were much bigger than he, and they could fly. "Why can't I?" he thought.

There was another little boy who was crippled. He had always wished that he could walk and run like other little boys and girls. "Why can't I be like them?" he thought.

One day the two boys met, and the first one asked the other if he had ever wanted to fly like a bird. "No," said the little boy who could not walk or run. "But I have wondered what it would be like to walk and run like other boys and girls." "That is very sad," said the little boy who wanted to fly. "Do you think we could be friends?" he said to the little boy in the sandbox. "Sure," said the little boy.

The two little boys played for hours. Then the little boy's father came with a wheelchair to pick up his son. The little boy who had always wanted to fly ran over to the boy's father and whispered something into his ear. "That would be OK," said the man.

The little boy who had always wanted to fly like a bird ran over to his new friend and said, "You are my only friend and I wish that there was something that I could do to make you walk and run like other little boys and girls. But I can't. But there is something that I can do for you."

The little orphan boy turned around and told his new friend to slide up onto his back. He then began to run across the grass. Faster and faster he ran, carrying the little crippled boy on his back. Faster and harder he ran across the park. Harder and harder he made his legs travel. Soon the wind just whistled across the two little boys' faces.

The little boy's father began to cry as he watched his beautiful little crippled son flapping his arms up and down in the wind, all the while yelling at the top of his voice,

"I'M FLYING, DADDY. I'M FLYING!"

By helping others with their challenges, you also overcome your own.

Quote - 2nd January 2009

"People might not get all they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all they get." - Frederick Douglass

"Old age is not so bad when you consider the alternatives." - Maurice Chevalier

"Every Mother hopes that her daughter will find a Man better than hers and she is sure that her son won't find a wife better than his father's" - Anonymous

Be on Time..

Taken from Rex Barker's Joke of the Day mailer

After twenty-five years in the same parish, Father O'Malley was saying his farewells at his retirement dinner. An eminent member of the congregation - a leading politician - had been asked to make a presentation and a short speech, but was late arriving. So the priest took it upon himself to fill the time, and stood up to the microphone:

"I remember the first confession I heard here twenty-five years ago and it worried me as to what sort of place I'd come to... That first confession remains the worst I've ever heard. The chap confessed that he'd stolen a TV set from a neighbor and lied to the police when questioned, successfully blaming it on a local scallywag. He said that he'd stolen money from his parents and from his employer; that he'd had affairs with several of his friends' wives; that he'd taken hard drugs, and had slept with another woman and given her a disease.

You can imagine what I thought... However I'm pleased to say that as the days passed I soon realized that this sad fellow was a frightful exception and that this parish was indeed a wonderful place full of kind and decent people..."

At this point the politician arrived and apologized for being late, and keen to take the stage, he immediately stepped up to the microphone and pulled his speech from his pocket: "I'll always remember when Father O'Malley first came to our parish," said the politician, "In fact, I'm pretty certain that I was the first person in the parish that he heard in confession....."

Being on time is a virtue. It shows you that first of all you respect yourself and your own time, and that you take life seriously. It also shows others that you respect them and value their time. If you are a perennially late person, push yourself hard to be on time for just days --- and then see if you feel better about yourself.