Three Stories. One Change Of Heart.
by Elizabeth Ellis
This was no ordinary Sunday. At least not for Jennifer and her family. As little baby Jimmy cooed and frantically reach for all the hands that were touching him, he was happy to be made a fuss all over. The ladies who were attending the baptism all marveled at how adorable he is. As Jennifer passed around homemade butter cookies in a favor gift bag, she heard some of them talking about her unmarried status. Nevertheless, today was about Jimmy, not her. Jimmy was her precious package now and she couldn�t bear to part with him again.
Jennifer carried the baby to the altar. With every step towards the crib, she was bought back to the time when her boyfriend had walked out on her when she told him she was pregnant. Angered and ravaged at that moment, she had attempted to abort it. But now as she kisses the baby�s cheek, her eyes began to tear and she took back all the thoughts of that selfish desire. �My beloved family and friends, we are now going to start the prayer. In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit�� Jennifer made the sign of the cross and bowed her head to pray.
�Anyone saw my sash? On no, where did I leave it?� Mala was scurrying down the hallways searching for it. At the back of the room, Nalini and Asha were arguing over the best ways to tie the ribbon. Mala nearly bumped into Sister Anita when she suddenly appeared on the door. In her hands was Mala�s sash. Sister Anita�s stern look was enough to make the whole company quiet down as they slowly went up to her for checking.
The three girls quieted down and went through Sister Anita to make sure all of them were clean and tidy looking. All of them then head to the little chapel at the corner of St Theresa�s Orphanage. As the girls pass through the garden, they loose all their poise and start talking and prancing among the jasmines and azaleas in the garden. It was truly beautiful, thanks to the efforts of the students and the sisters of the orphanage. It was the least they can do after the chapel was restored from generous alms giving from the community. At least, it does not look as bad as the derelict classrooms beside it.
Sister Anita held her tongue when she saw them. She wanted to remind them about Mother�s Priyanka lecture on decorum. However, as she looked at their smile, she couldn�t resist but to smile with them. At that age, those girls have gone through much more than an average teenager would. They were the abandoned children of the Calcutta. Poverty, violence and abuse were the only things they had witnessed while growing up. Anita was one of the unfortunate once.
�Come in children. Here, take these favors and give it to your new siblings.� Mother Priyanka gestured them to the gift bags lying on the floor.
Asha opened it and her eyes went wide as a dollar coin, Chocolates! Her favourite! She hesitated for a moment but was nearly knocked over by the two friends who were pushing her to the front. All the children were excited as this was a very rare treat for them and it is the best thing they received since the beginning of the year.
Mother began to ask the children to quiet down. As she bowed her heads in prayer, she gave thanks to God as she welcomes Asha, Nalini and Mala into the orphanage and into God�s embrace of love.
It seems as if there were needles poking into his lungs whenever he breathed, Seng thought. He looked around and was greeted by the plain looking walls and the strong antiseptic smell of the ward. However, at the corner of his eyes, he saw a new wooden crucifix hanging atop of him. He struggled to wake up.
He fought back tears as he remembered his hale and hearty youth two decades ago. �How long has it been�.� He recalled the heady days where his services business was flourishing throughout South East Asia. Blissfully married to Ai Ling, when she gave birth to their son Meng, their happiness is complete. But he fell into temptation when Minna entered the picture. It was just one brief affair!
When Ai Ling found out, she filed for divorce despite his begging and pleading, leaving Meng with him.
Life with Minna was so glitzy to the extent Seng lost control of himself, ignoring his responsibilities to the organization he build. Eventually, he lost everything but Minna still clung to him like a parasite. With no one to turn to, Meng became the victim of abuse which he then ran out of his life too. Life got much worse when he turned to beers, drugs and women as he enjoys the worldly pleasures while venting his anger at God all the time. However, when Seng was diagnosed with cancer, he began to rethink his actions and wondered if it was too late for him.
He knew that today was a special celebration at the church. Judging by the decorated eggs he had for breakfast, he reckoned it was Easter Sunday. He begged the nurses to bring him to a priest. He knew his time was near and he wanted to make amends before it was all too late. When they reached the church, Seng knocked and was greeted by a face so painfully familiar. His eyes began to quiver with tears.
The priest lifted Seng up ever so gently. Seng was weeping as he muttered the words of repentance from God.
�Our Heavenly Father forgives all, but will you also forgive me, father?�
Baptism � an act of christening and renewing ones life without placing limitation on age, race or any earthly bounds. When we are given an opportunity to forgive our sins and welcoming Gods love, it is the best baptism favor we can give not only to us but the people around us as we share the ultimate gift of love.
About The Author
Help With Data Recovery
Help With Data Recovery
by John Ugoshowa
If you�ve had something bad happen to your hard drive and find yourself looking for data recovery help, your probably in a hurry, not wanted to listen to hype or schemes. Many individuals who have experienced the loss of their data cannot wait, and need to have their data now. Businesses on the other hand, need to have their data up and working so that they can continue to carry out their normal day to day operations.
Anytime you experience problems with your hard drive, you can count on data recovery to recover your data. There are a few options available, the first being recovery specialists that can actually come to you. They will look at your computer and your hard drive, and first determine what caused the hard drive to malfunction. Data recovery specialists are highly skilled computer technicians, and know the hard drive inside and out.
Good specialists are those who can be there anytime you call. You don�t want someone who isn�t reliable, especially if you are looking to establish a relationship. If the technician is able to be there immediately, he or she is showing that they are dependable. In the event of data loss or hard drive failure, you�ll want someone who doesn�t waste any time at all.
Another option available to you is software programs. These programs are great to use, although they must be used before you problem. You can�t use them after the disaster has happened, as there is nothing there to install it to. If you install the program before hand and keep it installed, it can help you after the disaster. Most programs keep your previous data and information on file, so just in case something does happen to your hard drive, it will be available
In the event of a hard drive failure, virus, or natural disaster, there are options that you can use to recover your data. The most popular are data recovery technicians and data recovery software. For businesses and corporations, technicians are the preferred way to go. Technicians can recover your files, even rebuild your hard drive if they need to. In the event of a hardware problem, the software won�t be able to do much for you.
Anytime you need help with data recovery, you should always look towards a specialist to help you. They can fix most problems, and more importantly - restore your precious data. No matter where you live, there should be specialists close by who are always on call. Most charge very reasonable prices, and will come to you in the event of an emergency. When you compare specialists to software - the specialists are by far the best option for helping you with your data recovery.
About The Author
For more information on data recovery see the computer section of Quickregister.net Free Search Engine Submission Service at: http://www.quickregister.net/partners/
Why I Love Wine Holders And Wine Caddies!
Why I Love Wine Holders And Wine Caddies!
by Ken Finnigan
Aside from the brief mention here and there with regards to the Wine Bug or Bugus Erectus, very little mention has been made as to how versatile a wine holder or wine caddy really can be! At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, I would like to point out why I love wine holders and wine caddies.
A wine holder is a great way to display that single bottle of wine that you want to set apart from the rest of your collection. Maybe you have a bottle of wine that you bought while on your honeymoon in France, or maybe it�s just a bottle from the market, which you think is fabulous, either way wine bottle holders are a better option to simply standing it on the counter. We all know that bottles should not be stood up because the cork can dry out and spoil the wine, so not only does a wine holder display you favourite bottle, but it also does this the correct way!
Some wine holders also double as a wine server, which makes it even more appealing. Aside from just showing off a bottle of wine, wine servers also are a great way to serve that Chardonnay or Merlot at a dinner party. From traditional to a little more eccentric, wine servers are always a conversation piece as well as a fantastic method for displaying and serving wine.
How often have you been invited to dinner and showed up with a bottle of wine in a plastic supermarket shopping bag or a brown paper sack from the liquor store? I know I have done it many times, and always feel a little awkward showing up at a nice dinner with the bottle in a brown bag that makes you look like a bum. Enter the wine caddy! Able to hold from one bottle to a few, a wine caddy is, in my humble opinion, a much better way of transporting wine. Some even hold wine glasses, which is perfect if you are looking to have a lovely picnic in the park (be aware of public drinking laws before doing this, while it might be acceptable in some places, others you could get arrested).
So this is why I love the wine caddy and the wine holder! So many styles and so many uses, I only wish I had written about them sooner!
About The Author
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Put Pasta Back On The Table
Put Pasta Back On The Table
by Kadence Buchanan
Pasta has existed since the days of the Roman Empire and remains one of the most versatile cooking ingredients, as no storage room or cupboard should be without it. It can be combined with meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, or even a simple herb sauce to create a mouthwatering and nutritious meal within minutes.
Most pasta is made from durum wheat flour and contains protein and carbohydrates. It is a good source of slow-release energy and has the additional advantage of being value for money.
There are as many as 200 different pasta shapes and about three times as many names for them. New shapes are being designed and named allt the time and the same shape might be called a different name in different regions in Itally. Some types of pasta are the agnolotti, anelli, bucatini, cannelloni, capalletti, ditali, elicje, farfalle, fettuccine, fusilli, lasagne, linguini, macaroni, penne, ravioli, rigatoni, spaghetti and tagliatelle. Many can be found in both dried and fresh forms, but unless you have access to a good, Italian delicatessen, it is probably not worth buying fresh unfilled pasta, even from supermarkets that sell high-quality tortellini, capalletti, ravioli, and agnolotti. Best of all is to make fresh pasta at home. It takes little time, but is quite easy and well worth the effort. You can mix the dough by hand or prepare it in a food processor. Pasta may be colored and flavored with extra ingredients that are usually added with the beaten egg.
To cook pasta, first bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and one tablespoon of olive oil, but do not cover the pot or the water will boil over. Quickly bring the water back to a rolling boil and avoid overcooking. When the pasta is tender, but still firm to the bite, drain and toss with butter, olive oil, or your prepared sauce. The cooking times provided here are guidelines only:
- Fresh unfilled pasta: 2-3 minutes
- Fresh filled pasta: 8-10 minutes
- Dried unfilled pasta: 10-12 minutes
- Dried filled pasta: 15-20 minutes
Pasta can be used to make anything, from soups to more substantial pasta-based meals, which are as delicious and unusual starter, or as a quick and easy lunch or light supper. Others are subtle and delicate. Combining vegetables, meat, fish and cheese with every type of pasta, from linguine to lumache, one can enjoy a nutritional and delicious meal from start to finish.
About The Author
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
A Diwali Banquet
A Diwali Banquet
by Liz Canham
Apart from the sweets and savouries which are eaten at Diwali, the main meals vary depending on the region of India.
Traditionally, different foods are eaten on the different days of the festival. On the first day, a sweet similar to fudge, made with semolina, cardamom, saffron, nuts and raisins, is eaten as well as a spicy bean curry. Some Hindus fast all day on the second day and at sunset eat a cracked wheat porridge sweetened with sugar. On the third day lentil fritters and Indian rice pudding might be eaten but on Diwali day itself and the following, New Years Day, huge banquets are prepared.
The women spend many days, prior to the festival itself, preparing food, usually in groups. Much of this time is spent making the snack and sweet foods of which the Indians are so fond but as the actual Diwali day approaches, attentions are turned to the major feast.
A Diwali feast would normally be vegetarian due to the vast number of non-meat eaters, both Hindu and non-Hindu throughout India. Typical dishes might be:
* Channa - chick peas and potatoes simmered in a sauce of saut�ed onions, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, cloves, garlic, fresh ginger, ground coriander and cumin, garam masala, cayenne, mace, nutmeg, turmeric and chopped tomatoes.
* Navratan Korma - a rich mild vegetable curry of paneer, carrots, beans, peas, cauliflower, raisins, cashews and tomatoes, flavoured with bay leaves and coriander.
* Khasta Aloo - cubed par-boiled potatoes fried with cumin seeds, ground coriander, turmeric, fresh green chillies and fresh ginger paste, garnished with lime juice and chopped fresh coriander.
* Malaiwale Subzi Kofta Curry - diced cabbage and spinach flavoured with ground cumin, turmeric, garam masala and salt, bound together with gram flour and fried. This is served with a rich spicy gravy of onions, tomatoes, chillies and thick cream.
* Nariyal Aur Badam Wale Chawal - Basmati rice and coconut pulp cooked in coconut milk, with the additional flavourings of two different pastes. The first is sliced almonds, green chillies, garlic, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamoms, fried in ghee and ground to a pulp with the coconut. The second is mustard seeds, curry leaves and onions, fried in oil.
* Dal Maharani which combines three different sorts of pulses with onions, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger and flavourings.
* Sag Dal - yellow split peas mixed with spinach, fried onion, garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric, garam masala and fresh ginger, garnished with chopped coriander.
* Pooris - wheat flour bread rounds, deep fried until they puff up into a ball.
* Raita - plain yoghurt whisked until smooth and mixed with raw onion, cucumber, cumin and coriander powder and cayenne pepper.
* Various pickles and chutneys
* Kheer - a type of rice pudding made with milk as well as condensed milk and decorated with chopped nuts or mixed with orange zest and chopped orange.
Of course, these examples are not exhaustive. Any dishes not eaten as a normal every day meal would be considered special enough for Diwali.
About The Author
As well as a love of Asian cooking as you can see in her Asian Food and Cookery website, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz website.
http://lizebiz.com/
Types Of Notebook Computers
Types Of Notebook Computers
by Roberto Sedycias
Notebook, notebook computer, laptop, and laptop computer are different terms for a small computer, which is mobile, and weighing about 1 to 6 kg or 2.2 to 18 pounds, depending upon the model. In 1979-1980, Bill Moggridge of GRiD Systems Corp. designed one of the first laptops and named it as the GRiD Compass 1101. It featured the clamshell design where the flat display folded shut on the keyboard. In May 1983, Gavilan Computer Corp. introduced and first marketed as a laptop, known as Gavilan SC. About this same time, Sharp Corp.Ltd., announced their laptop Sharp PC-5000.
In 1989, Compaq introduced Compaq LTE, which was a laptop of a smaller size, about the size of an A4 paper notebook, and it popularly came to be known as a notebook computer or notebook. Thereafter the terms laptop and notebook began to be used interchangeably. Nevertheless, the terms, notebook and laptop are incorrect terms, as due to the heat, many laptops cannot be placed on top of the lap, and most notebooks are not the size of an A4 paper notebook. However, what manufacturers usually call as a notebook, end-users prefer to call it as a laptop; hence both the terms are used.
According to the functions and the models of notebooks, they are generally classified as: Ultraportables (screen is diagonally less than 12 inches, weight is 1.7 kg or less); thin-and lights (screen is diagonally from 12 to 14 inches, weight is from 1.8 to 2.8 kg); medium-sized laptops (screen is diagonally from 14 to 15.4 inches, weight is from 3 to 3.5 kg); and desktop replacement computers (screen is diagonally from 17 to 20 inches, weight is 4 to 6 kg).
The concept of laptop was to make a device that could use the same software of a desktop computer, but much smaller in size to enable mobility and support mobile computing (ability to use the computer while in transit). Thus, further innovations have introduced transportables (which can be moved from one place to another without supporting mobile computing); tablets (which feature touchscreens and support mobile computing); ultra mobile PCs (which are very small and compact tablet PCs); internet tablets (which support internet and mobile computing); personal digital assistants (PDAs), which are pocket-sized and support mobile computing; handheld computers, which represent expensive tablets or PDAs; and smartphone, which is a PDA or a handheld computer with cellphone integration. Over the development phases, these classifications got blurry at times, and many machines fused functionalities of other categories.
Notebooks can be used for various purposes. Commercial purposes like attending phone calls, receiving and sending emails and faxes, typing out letters and printing them, making presentations with pie and bar charts, and taking data from one place to another can be achieved by any standard notebook. However, high fliers prefer thin-and-light notebooks and for regular office work, ultraportable notebooks are preferred. Both are wireless notebooks so they can be remotely accessed. Scientific purposes are best suited with a notebook that features fast computing speed, good 2D and 3D graphics display, and a large memory, like desktop replacement notebook, and a thin-and-light notebook. Artistic purposes require animation, 2D and 3D drawings, interior & exterior designing, arranging music compositions, post-production audio-video work, etc., which can be fulfilled by desktop replacements, gaming notebooks, and mainstream notebooks.
Educational institutions normally do not prefer notebooks due to its high chance of being stolen. Additionally, they prefer that their assets do not move around within the premises in the hands of students who may be careless. However, to keep up with the times, and to be considered as techno-savvy, they do invest in notebooks. The types of notebooks best suited for educational purposes are mainstream notebooks, and desktop replacements. Students need a notebook to do projects, prepare study notes, and to play some games in their spare time. They need to take the notebook wherever they go, hence, size and weight are major considerations. The type of notebook that fulfills student needs is a thin-and-light notebook with locking facility so that they can lock it with their backpack. Most students report late submission of projects due to their notebooks being stolen.
So no matter what the purpose one might have for using a notebook, it seems that mobility will always seem to be the main reason for such a product purchase. Nowadays with so many models being offered with affordable prices, it seems that notebooks will always be a product in demand. After all it is one of the best selling computer hardware for quite some time. And that says it all.
About The Author
This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from page http://www.polomercantil.com.br/notebook.php
The Top Ten Baby Names of the 20th Century - The Mother of All Baby Name Lists
The Top Ten Baby Names of the 20th Century - The Mother of All Baby Name Lists
by Neil Street
We often see "top lists" of baby names -- top ten names of 2005, the trendiest, the coolest, the most popular names of the decade -- and so on. Readers find these lists endlessly fascinating, often using such lists to help them choose a name for their own offspring. But now, in what is most likely the first appearance of this set of data, comes the mother of all names lists: The Top Ten Baby Names Of The 20th Century (USA). For parents who want to know what the really enduring names are, at least in the United States, this is the list to beat all lists.
This definitive compilation of data, spanning the years from 1900 to 1999, is based on my original analysis of birth data. This "best of the century" list, based on Social Security Card applications for births in the United States, determines and ranks the top 10 boys' names and the top 10 girls' names spanning the entire 20th century. It was compiled using the same methodology as used by the Social Security Administration in compiling their most popular names of the decade lists, i.e. by totaling the raw numbers. But in this case, the time period studied is the entire 20th Century.
There are plenty of surprises: Donald in the # 13 all time spot; Dorothy in the # 9 spot for girls, followed by Betty at # 10, to name a few. It may surprise people to see Patricia at the # 2 all-time girl's spot. Plus, there are some fascinating trends revealed by the data, such as the top 10 boys' names accounting for nearly 35 million names over the century, while the top 10 girls' account for only about 15 million names, clearly demonstrating the huge variety of girls' names versus boys' names, going back to 1900.
Just as they do today, Biblical names make a strong showing on the list. On the boy's side, no fewer than six biblical names appear in the all-time top ten; on the girl's side, two names have biblical roots. This discrepancy between boys' and girls' biblical names, with boys' always being more popular, holds true today.
Given the greater volatility over time of girls' names, it is not surprising to see that some superstars of the 20th Century, such as Linda, which ranks # 3 in the century, has fallen precipitously -- all the way to # 416 by 2005. Poor Betty, # 10 in the 20th Century, has fared even worse -- the name has not ranked in the top 1000 since squeaking onto the list at # 918 in 1996.
What names are still hot? Amazingly, five boys' names from the top dozen of the 20th Century - Michael, Daniel, Christopher, Joseph and William - are still in the top twelve today. For girls, only Elizabeth (#12 in 2005) shows that kind of endurance. For more than 100 years, parents have been very traditional in picking boys' names but ready to take a chance on something new when it comes to girls' names.
So what were the Top Baby Names of 20th Century? Here are the top ten for each gender:
Boys:
1 James
2 John
3 Robert
4 Michael
5 William
6 David
7 Richard
8 Joseph
9 Charles
10 Thomas
Girls:
1 Mary
2 Patricia
3 Linda
4 Barbara
5 Jennifer
6 Elizabeth
7 Margaret
8 Susan
9 Dorothy
10 Betty
How are the superstars of the 20th Century, James and Mary, performing today? True to form, the boy's name, James, is still not far from the top. It ranked # 17 in 2005. Mary, while not slumping like some of her sister names, is not doing so well. In 2005, she was # 73. More ominous for Mary, she has been trending downward since she last held the # 1 spot back in 1961. But even if Mary falls out of the top 100, it may only be temporary. Consider the name Emily, the hottest girl's name for the last ten years. 45 years ago, when Mary was # 1, Emily was # 265. Names, like most fashions, ebb and flow with the tastes of the day.
About The Author
He is also the editor of http://www.celebritybabynamesblog.com which tracks the names that celebrities are giving to their children.