Interesting Sites

Quran Explorer
Free Rice
Wizardy

I am trying to figure out how the spooky wizardy one works :O

Salat al Hajah --The Prayer of Need

Salat al-Hajah is a prayer offered for the accomplishment of a particular purpose or need. It consists of a fresh ablution done carefully, followed by a calm prayer of two rak'ahs, then a sincere supplication that states what one wishes to be accomplished and requesting Allah Ta'ala's help in its accomplishment.

Abu Darda (RA) relates that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "Whoever performs ablutions well and offers two voluntary rakahs and completes them to perfection will be granted by God whatever he prays for, either immediately or in God’s good time."
[Ahmad - Sahih]

La ilaha ilAllahul Halimul Karim. SubhanAllahi Rabbil 'rshil adheem. Alhamdulilahi Rabbil 'alameen. As'aluka mujibaati rahmatik. Wa aza'ima magh-firatik. Wal ghanimata min kulli birr. Was salamata min kuuli ithm. La tada' li dhamban illa ghafartah. Wa la hamman illa far-rajtah. Wa la hajatan hiya laka ridan illa qadaytaha. Ya arhamar rahimin.

"There is no god but Allah the Clement and Wise. There is no god but Allah the High and Mighty. Glory be to Allah, Lord of the Tremendous Throne. All praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds. I ask you (O Allah) everything that leads to your mercy, and your tremendous forgiveness, enrichment in all good, and freedom from all sin. Do not leave a sin of mine (O Allah), except that you forgive it, nor any concern except that you create for it an opening, nor any need in which there is your good pleasure except that you fulfill it, O Most Merciful!"

The inward manners of supplication is exhibiting our neediness and absolute slavehood to Allah, consigning one's matters to Allah, and knowing that the only one who gives or benefits is Allah Most High. With this, one should be certain that Allah Most High answers our duas, but in the way He knows is best for us.

Source: Mutmainaa & Sunnipath

The seven great medical myths

Reuters: - Reading in dim light won't damage your eyes, you don't need eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy and shaving your legs won't make the hair grow back faster.

These well-worn theories are among seven "medical myths" exposed in a paper published Friday in the British Medical Journal.

Despite frequent mentions in the popular press of the need to drink eight glasses of water, researchers found no scientific basis for the claim.

The other six "myths" are:

*Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight

The majority of eye experts believe it is unlikely to do any permanent damage, but it may make you squint, blink more and have trouble focusing.

*Shaving makes hair grow back faster or coarser

It has no effect on the thickness or rate of hair regrowth, studies say. But stubble lacks the finer taper of unshaven hair, giving the impression of coarseness.

*Eating turkey makes you drowsy

It does contain an amino acid called tryptophan that is involved in sleep and mood control. But turkey has no more of the acid than chicken or minced beef. Eating lots of food and drink at Christmas are probably the real cause of sleepiness.

* We use only 10 percent of our brains

This myth arose as early as 1907 but imaging shows no area of the brain is silent or completely inactive.

* Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death

This idea may stem from ghoulish novels. The researchers said the skin dries out and retracts after death, giving the appearance of longer hair or nails

*Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals

Despite widespread concerns, studies have found minimal interference with medical equipment.

My Cat is a Mechanic, Yours?

* that's not my cat, nor my car.

Scientists create Fearless Mouse

By tweaking genes to disable certain functions of the olfactory bulb (the area of the brain that receives information about smells directly from olfactory receptors in the nose) researchers have used genetic engineering to create a “fearless” mouse that does not try to flee when it smells cats, foxes and other predators.

The research indicates that behavior in the mammalian brain is determined both by instincts coded into the genes and by “associative circuitry” that allows responses to be learned through the environment.

Read More

This recent discovery reminded me of a movie I watched ages ago in which humans were genetically engineered to show no signs of failure and mercy and hence serve as lethal weapons in war. Lets hope that the discovery is not misused.

Who is Your Ismail?

Most of us are aware of the famous true story of Hazrat Ibrahim's (A.S) sacrifice.It was a test of his faith and he passed it with flying colors.

Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), instructs that we should owe absolute duty only to God, and it is our relationship to God which ought to transcend and determine our relation to family/nation and not vice-versa. The Ismail of Ibrahim was his son. But for you, who is your Ismail? What is it? Your degree? Your reputation? Your position? Your money? Your home? Your car? Your beloved? Your family? Your knowledge? Your title? Your dress? Your fame? Your soul? Your spirituality? Your beauty? Your strength? Your career?

How does one know? Well, you know this yourself. One can only give its signs to you.

Whatever is in your eyes, which holds the place of Ismail in the eyes of Ibrahim! (Hazrat Ibrahim was Hazrat Ismail's beloved son, the fruit of his life, the joy of his heart, the meaning of his living and staying)

Whatever weakens you on the way of faith!

Whatever stops you in your movement! (movement in the light of Islam, in accordance with Islam)

Whatever brings doubt to your responsibility! (responsibility as imposed by Islam)

Whatever has enchained your freedom!

Whatever leads you to compromise and justification! (justification of a wrong action)

That very thing which deafens your ears before the Message of Truth!

Whatever calls you to remain with yourself! (away from Allah)

Whatever causes you to flee from your duty! (duty as imposed by Islam)

Whoever or whatever keeps you behind (faith) in order to remain with her/him or it!

Brothers and sisters, these are the signs of our Ismail's. Let us search for them in ourselves and let us slaughter them to move towards Allah Almighty and to remove the real knife from the throat of the oppressed Muslims the world over.

Let us revolt against the heartless worshippers that we have become. Remember, our Eid is not an Eid of victory. It is the Eid of sacrifice (Azha).

Click here to read complete article from the Iqra Islamic Magazine
*editors note-- Added a few words to original article.

Numb hands, Numb heart

Last night my hands were frozen and stiff due to the cold.It was probably below zero outdoors.I couldn't flex my fingers at ease.My fingers had gone bluish and kinna numb. They felt heavy and hard.So I put them under a shower of warm water.The water was really hot, I could sense it because of the steam around the sink. But to my surprise my hands felt more cold.The warm water stinged initially and it hurt more. Ouch!!! A bit later my hands soothed up, went through a melting effect and my sense of touch was back. Phew!
Extraordinary,Is it?
Sometimes life takes dangerous turns and we end up being in an emotional imbalance.The depression seems to be life long.Nothing seems to make us happy.We keep hurting,and all we feel is pain. We become numb to all feelings except sorrow. But if we keep exposing ourselve to the good, to the care, to the love, and continously try to fight the negative forces eventually the emotions will stop stinging.The good shall win.
InshahAllah.

On Establishing Peace

"To make peace between two individuals (in comparison) is worthier than one's entire prayers and fastings."

~ Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H)

If you see old Indian movies, plenty of the story lines would involve two die-hard best friends turning into aggressive enemies and a common third party who would continously litter the relationship, add to the bitterness and exploit the situation to their advantage. And as the story proceeds generations pass, the culprit is unvieled and towards the end of the movie the friends turned foe turn friends again and to the joy of everyone all is good in the end.

What is depicted in the reel life is actually what does happen to some in real life.Sadly, all real life stories don't have happy reunions.And also, although there is an entire possibility that a crooked third person exists to break the friendship\relationship apart, sometimes there is no third party adding fuel to the firey situation but the twosome themselves. Rather there could be a common well wisher who attempts to restore peace but in vain. Ego,anger or any other element stops either of the two from restoring friendship. Or maybe one of the two people tries to make harmony but is shunned by the other.Life goes on and the close friends turn into strangers and die with perhaps lots of regret at heart.

People are important, relationships are important but then what is so important that it holds back two people from restoring peace amongst themselves. I understand situations can get intense,extreme and seriously offensive but I fail to understand where does the love go? Where does the care go? Where does the good go?. How can somebody chose to be at unrest with another for life, be it somebody close or not?

No matter whose fault it is, and who is wrong, why doesn't one be the first to extend the hand of peace? Does it degrade ones honor, self esteem or pride? I don't think so. No body is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes.It's inevitable.But sadly everybody doesn't have the capability to accept a mistake and take responsibilty for his actions. Also no body likes to be criticized. I personally feel criticism in the right manner is totally healthy and helps one nurture himself. One of the Imam's said : "The most favorable friend to me is that who shows me my flaws"

Coming to the hadith, it simply stunned me. It's incredilble. Just look at the reward for establishing peace between two individuals. 'worthier then one's entire prayers and fastings' It massive.It's worth an effort.The Hadith speaks for itself.

So next time if somebody honors us by confiding in us and shares with us an upsetting situation apart from saying words of comfort and offering some advice we should encourage our friend to initiate peaceful talk.And if we happen to be a mutual friend, then it would be a good idea to hear both sides of the story and try to get both parties talking and sorting their issue out in a just and fair manner.

Normally we feel we would be interferring in anothers personal issue or don't want to take such a responsibility or an added burden Sometimes we are least bothered about another's fight and just like hearing the details for the sake of gossip. Not good!
I believe if we happen to be a sincere mutual friend of two friends in distress we'll be driven to help out our friends out of care, even if there is no incentive of reward. We wouldn't be concerned about our person gain. Would we?

I find this saying of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) relevant :

"Someone who possesses knowledge on a subject but conceals it when he is asked will be bridled with reins of fire."

(Therefore, if a person possesses information that would help a bewildered person and improve his situation but he remains silent, he has surely committed a great sin.) Mapping this to the topic, if we are somebody with adequate information about a disturbing situation, we shouldn't wait to be asked for help, rather come forward on our own and save the day for our friends. If we feel, our friend is wrong, we should correct him politely with lots of humbleness and offer our guidance and not hold back out of the fear of offending him.

When we hear about disturbance between two people the least we can do it make a little prayer of peace for them. May Allah guide us all. Ameen

Peace 2 All.

Strong words from Hazrat Umar Farooq (R.A)

After receiving the surrender of Jerusalem and completing the tour of Syria when Caliph Umar was returning to Madina he led the prayer at Jabiah. On this occasion he delivered an address which is preserved in history. The major part of his address was:

"O ye people I counsel you to read the Qur'an. Try to understand it and ponder over it. Imbibe the teachings of the Qur'an. Then practise what the Quran teaches. The Qur'an is not theoretical; it is a practical code of life. The Qur'an does not bring you the message of the Hereafter only; it is primarily intended to guide you in this life. Mold your life in accordance with the teachings of Islam for that is the way of your well being. By following any other way you will be inviting destruction.

Fear Allah (The One True God), and whatever you want seek from Him. All men are equal. Do not flatter those in authority. Do not seek favors from others. By such acts you demean yourself. And remember that you will get only that is ordained for you, and no one can give you anything against the will of God. Then why seek things from others over which they have no control? Only supplicate God for He alone is the sovereign.

And speak the truth. Do not hesitate to say what you consider to be the truth. Say what you feel. Let your conscience be your guide. Let your intentions be good, for verily God is aware of your intentions. In your deeds your intentions count. Fear God, and fear no one else. Why fear others when you know that whatever sustenance ordained for you by God you will get under all circumstances? And again why fear when you know that death is ordained by God alone and will come only when He wills?

Allah has for the time being made me your ruler. But I am one of you. No special privileges belong to ruler. I have some responsibilities to discharge, and in this I seek your cooperation. Government is a sacred trust, and it is my endeavor not to betray the trust in any way. For the fulfillment of the trust I have to be a watch-man. I have to be strict. I have to enforce discipline. I have to run the administration not on the basis of personal idiosyncrasies; I have to run it in public interest and for promoting the public good. For this we have the guidance in the Book of God. Whatever orders I issue in the course of day to day administration have to conform to the Qur'an. God has favored us with Islam. He sent to us His Messenger (Muhammad, pbuh). He has chosen us for a mission. Let us fulfil that mission. That mission is the promotion of Islam. In Islam lies our safety; if we err we are doomed."

Source: Glimpses into the life of Umar Farooq

A potential solution to sleep problems

BusinessWeek: Forget taking pills or counting sheep. Just make sure you can answer yes to five simple questions, and you're on your way to a restful night

This evening before you go to bed, ask yourself the following five questions:

1. Did I avoid causing harm?

2. Did I make things better?

3. Did I respect others?

4. Was I fair?

5. Was I compassionate

If you can answer yes to all five questions, you will be almost guaranteed to have peaceful, uninterrupted slumber (assuming, of course, you have no physical problems preventing you from sleeping well). You will deserve this pleasant reward, because you took the high road when it might have been easier to take the low one. Read On

She must carry out that mission or go mad

Found this extract to be intense:

I' m only happy when I think that God exists and is listening to me; but that isn't enough to go on living, when nothing seems to make sense.I pretend a happiness I don't feel; I hide my sadness so as not to worry those who love me and care about me. Recently, I've even considered suicide. At night, before I go to sleep, I have long conversations with myself, praying for this idea to go away;it would be such an act of ingraditute, an escape, a way of spreading tragedy and misery over the Earth. In the mornings, I come here to talk to St Therese and to ask her to free me from the demons I speak to at night. It's worked so far, but I'm beginning to weaken.
I know I have a mission which I have long rejected, and now I must accept it. That mission is to be a mother I must carry out that mission or go mad. If I don't feel life growing inside me, I'll never be able to accept life outside me.

The Witch of Portobeloo
~Paulo Coelho

Some Words from Ethereal

Ethereal shares a memory to reflect upon humanity, respect for our fellow beings and how everyone is special in their own way:

So many people lose someone close to them at an early age. There are wars in this world that leave traumatized children. Sometimes it can be depressing but it can also make you stronger. Such people usually rise above others when it comes to showing compassion and love. They have lot of respect for lives around them.

I had a friend in class 3. He was sort of forced upon me as our seats were fixed, front row center, by the class teacher. I was in another section before 3rd class so I didn't know him much and also didn't like him because he was a bit disorganized and mediocre at studies. In the beginning I wouldn't talk to him and would shun him if he tried so. All the while infront of the teacher so that she'd get my message. But she'd only let out a sweet little smile that would further frustrate me. I thought I wouldn't stand sitting with him. I was wrong. I don't know how it happened but after a few days I started to accept him in my life. I don't believe he ever had any problems with me, though. We started to talk. And then we got to know each other a bit. And then we started cracking jokes and doing funny stuff like mock fights during a class. We started to influence each other. We learned from each other. Before we met he was disorganized. I was a crackpot when it came to organization. I would get irritated and at times scold him for little things such as not drawing straight lines. Silly things these seem now. I used to get extremely incesed if things wouldn't go right... or straight. He taught me patience... by example. There were times when I would tease him. True he would give in and would tell me to stop but he'd never ever hit back. Never started anything unruly. Never teased or mocked me in return. I can still remember him calmly enduring all the scolding for not doing his homework. When we were promoted to 4th class only our classrooms changed. We even dragged our old desk from our old classroom because we got used to it. We spent one and a half years together. On the very first day after summer vacations I met a girl from my class with a worried look and she told me that he had died during vacations. In death he had taught me the greatest reality of life, death.

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Also outward appearances are deceiving. It also shows how quick we are at judging others just by their outlook. Believe me one lesson I've learned in my life over and over again is to always to talk to people before making an opinion about them. I'll narrate a little story here:

In 7th class there was a boy in my class who was much taller than me. I thought of him as a bully who would sometimes tease me. In the summers I went on a week long trip and we had to live in tents. He also came along and were in the same tent as mine which I obviously disliked. As it happened I fell sick and he was the only one who cared for me. Later, in front of everyone he would pretend as if nothing happened. I didn't mention it to anyone but I'm sure he would have denied any knowledge of his good deed.

Hearts can change. They change. Even your enemies become the most faithful friends. Maybe the best deduction from this would be that it is wrong to hate any human.

~Ethereal

Gratitute, Expectations, Uncertainity

Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human. Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate.
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You gotta wonder why we cling to our expectations. Because the expected is just what keeps us steady, standing, still. The expected is just the beginning. The unexpected is what changes our lives.
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To often the thing you want the most is the thing you can't have. Desire leaves us heart broken, it wears us out. Desire can wreck your life. But as tough as wanting something can be, the people who suffer the most are those who don't know what they want.

~Grey's Anatomy

Passion & Persistance

A combo to my liking

10 Useless Matters

There are 10 useless matters:

1. Knowledge that is not acted on.

2. The deed that has neither sincerity nor is based on following the righteous examples of others.

3. Money that is hoarded, as the owner neither enjoys it during this life, nor obtains any reward for it in the hereafter.

4. The heart that is empty of love and longing for Allah Almighty, and of seeking closeness to Him.

5. A body that does not obey and serve Allah Almighty.

6. Loving Allah Almighty without following His orders or seeking His pleasure.

7. Time that is not spent in expiating sins or seizing opportunities to do good.

8. A mind that thinks about useless matters.

9. Serving those who do not bring you close to Allah, nor benefit you in your life.

10. Hoping and fearing whoever is under the authority of Allah and in His hand, while he cannot bring any benefit or harm to himself, neither death, nor life, nor can he resurrect himself.

However, the greater of these matters are wasting the heart and wasting time. Wasting the heart is done by preferring this worldly life over the hereafter, and wasting time is done by having incessant hope. Destruction occurs by following one's desires and having incessant hope, while all goodness is found in following the true path and preparing oneself to meet Allah.

How strange it is that when a servant of Allah has a (worldly) problem, he seeks help of Allah, but he never asks Allah to cure his heart before it dies of ignorance, neglect, fulfilling one's desires and being involved in innovations. Indeed, when the heart dies, he will never feel the significance or impact of his sins.

Source: IQRA Islamic Magazine

Nature 2

SubhanAllah

Photographer: Waqar Azim

K.I.S.S

During an Engineering Project Management lecture I recently attended the professor asked the class to define the term "variance". Let me describe the class first.It's a post-graduate class.It contains students of varying ages and excluding my self the class is a class of geeks.It's an evening program so most students are professionals. They come from different engineering backgrounds with plenty of experience in their respective domains.Some are PhD students, while some of the others already have a masters degree under their belts. So discussions turn out to be a war of words between nerds.
Coming back to the question. Everybody raised hands in a jiffy. One by one the students gave a comprehensive definition of the term variance, some adding mathematical description and application details. I was trying my best to make sense out of every bit of what all of my learned class mates were saying. Clueless I sat and listened.
Amidst the discussion the Professor moved towards the board, picked the marker and wrote "K.I.S.S". Then he turned towards the class.
The whole class subdued.
A moment later the Professor exclaimed
"Keep It Simple Stupid"
While others made surprised faces,one student was rather amused by the remark. Hehe..that would be me.

Isbah's Anatomy on Love

"Love Happens, and when it does, it gets you whether you want it or not, like it or not. And when it leaves, it never looks back at you, no matter how hard you try. Love is tempting, it is rebellious, but we all must learn to stop, even when we are in love, stop for our integrity and self respect, because love might leave you one day, but you will never leave yourself. And when you are left with yourself, all you are going to need is that self respect & integrity that u lost a while ago for the love that left you standing still.

Boundaries don't keep others out, they fence you in, and so it would be terrible thing to say that people should aspire not to fall in love anymore. Its a natural and most humanly act to follow. Just remember that there's a line that separates you from everything else in this world. Even love. And when someone tries to cross that line, you either let them, or you don't. If you let them, you risk too much, so just be sure that its worth it. If you don't, just remember that it wasn't worth you.

Sometimes, we want something to be true just because we waited very long for it to be true, dreamed too much for it to happen, but the other person might not feel the same way. It is quite possible that you cant love someone back the way they love you. So the right thing to do is to let them go. Depriving them of your love will not be as bad as pretending to love them back.Plus, remember that the ones that really disserve giving up your honor for will never ask for it in the first place."

~Isbahz
On the Post I hate love

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"There comes a point in your life when you realize who matters, who never did, who wont any more, and who always will. So don't worry about the people from your past, there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future" BUT "You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories" and there's a reason for that too !

~Saira Andleeb
On the Post I hate love
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I would like to add this quote:

"But true love is a durable fire,

In the mind ever burning,

Never sick, never old, never dead,

From itself never turning."

~ Walter Raleigh

And the best of love is the love of Allah, and all love that is a means or part of this true love.

"And those who believe are overflowing in their love of Allah." (Qur'an, 2.165)

Traffic Jam Boss

Chalo Tau Sahee

To those who are lost, To those who are about to surrender to difficulties and retreat, To those who are refusing to carry on the journey just because there are foreseen thorns on the path to their dreams, To those who are giving up hope too soon,to those who are turning their backs to their beloved who is asking them to hold on, To you, my friend.
Don't bury your dreams, don't give up, be strong, have faith. Ten years down the road you don't want to look back and regret not trying harder, not fighting harder, turning your companions down and not making your dream come true.

Kya huwa agar zindagee
Zara bhoulsey gayey
socho to zara,
Jungulon mein bhee raastey to hain
Humey bhee koyee milhee jayey ga
Chalo to sahee, chalo to sahee

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Put Nightmares to bed

Health Day: Nightmares can be triggered by factors including stress, medications, fear, sleep disorders, or a recent loss.

Here are suggestions to help conquer bad dreams, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

• Reduce stress by talking to friends and relatives about what's bothering you.
• Try relaxation techniques to reduce stress and anxiety.
• If you started having nightmares after starting a new medication, talk to your doctor to find out if it could be causing your sleep problems.
• If you're taking illegal drugs or drinking alcohol to excess, join a support group to help you stop using these substances.
• Get regular exercise.
• Start a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day may help prevent nightmares.

Sameer's thoughts on Balance

On my way back from office, I've experienced several incidents where the cars right behind me or the ones coming from the opposite side would have their lights set at high beam, blinding me and probably many other drivers. Countless times, I've thought of giving such people a piece of my angry mind. There are many such examples in our daily lives where anger seems to want to take charge over us. Some people give in to this feeling, while others simply want to be the better person and just let it go. I talk about this incident here to stress the importance of balance. 'Always ignoring' or 'always getting' angry are both wrong choices to make.

Taking the side of the apparent positive, at first, seems to be the right choice. That is a debatable concept in my opinion. For extremism in any shape or form is something to avoid. It is the art of balance that helps us to lead a steady life. Balancing one's work and play, one's love and hate, one's anger and kindness, one's heaven and earth, one's dark and light. For only God knows what's best for us. We just have to try and find the middle road.

The concept of balance is in everything. That is also why it has been stressed as such in our religion as well. Everything in this life has a negative counterpart. This is described in Chinese philosophy as Ying and Yang

I just found a very interesting article googling about these thoughts of mine :). It's not a short article but if someone is interested in the concept of Yin and Yang with respect to Islam, one must read this.

~Sameer Aziz Mirza

I Hate Love?

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.”

~ Neil Gaiman

"Often it is the most deserving people who cannot help loving those who destroy them"
~Hermann Hesse

If love is hate-able then what's love-able?
I hate, hate.

This I believe too

Love is trust and faith, in all circumstances. Love is never giving up. Even in the most devastating conditions, never doubt the power of will, never doubt the human capacity for great change. This I believe, I believe that people must love, unconditionally.

Sometimes things seem difficult and impossible. I tend to go with the tagline "Where there is a will, there is a way".If the will is strong and is coupled by love (trust+faith) and persistence, and if one is sure that his\her path is correct and if one is ready to fight the good fight and face the challenges laid down the unachievable may actually become achievable. Do you believe so?

Brutus! U 2?

The chameleon is a master of disguise. It can change color to blend in with its surroundings.The chameleon’s ability to change color is its primary defense against predators.By changing colors a chameleon survives.A chameleon is expected to disguise.It's in its nature, and it does exactly that.We humans are more complicated.
All religions and any code of life teaches us to be loyal and trustworthy to each other. In our circle of trust we are expected to be faithful to each other.But sadly, some of us humans are able to bear a heart,mind and nerves to change loyalties and betray. Some of us plan and deceive others by choice, some of us blame the circumstances, we don't intend to betray or break another's trust, but we end up doing so.Instead of giving a helping hand when expected of us we turn our cold backs and disappear. Sometimes due to insensitivity, some times due to lack of courage to help, sometimes due to selfishness or what ever the reason
And we justify our behavior or blame it on fate! But at the end of the day there is no justification for betraying, no excuse for deceiving another, and no good reason to break somebody's trust. It's a grave sin and an inexcusable act.
During happy and smooth days everybody will seem to be our well wisher and friend.They will claim of their bond ship and extend their hand of friendship. But it is only during the hard times in life that we get to see the true color of our well wishers.Everybody is wearing a mask and the mask is unveiled during difficult times. History is full of examples of humans who have camouflaged and changed skins from friends to foe to gain power, out of greed or to gain love.
In my eyes the saying "A friend in need, is a friend indeed" carries huge weight age.So readers chose your friends wisely and be careful of whom you let into your circle of trust.It's a cruel world,God forbid, the true face of somebody very close to you may turn out to be very ugly.

One shot away

"Things usually are one shot away but it takes one to play that shot" ~A friend

Some say life is a game, so if life is a game and things are one shot away why then why do we delay and lack courage to play that one shot that will get the job done.Sometimes we don't know that we are one shot away from being victorious.Sometimes it requires careful planning to play that one final shot.We don't know if we will succeed.But being victorious doesn't even matter. Playing that shot matters.Wanting to play matters.Wanting to win matters. Not giving up matters.Not quitting matters.Having the heart to play that one final shot and putting all the energies behind it matters.Giving it your best shot and leaving the result to Allah matters.The results may not go in your favor but at least you tried your best, that's what matters.Doesn't It?

In the game of life, sometimes you have to struggle over and over again and keep playing the shots until the task is done.Quitting is not an option.Others may want you to quit and give in to wrong.The opponents will try to bribe you. Your own team mates or coach may turn against you or lure you into false play.You have to know what is right and keep playing.You have to beware of who is on your side and whose team you are in.Are your team mates sincere to you?Are you sincere to your team?Are you in the right team playing the right game?Sometimes it takes team work to win. While you are playing your shots, are your team members doing the same? Is your partner backing you up? Or are they double crossing you?

You may feel out of form and want to retire from the game. But why not keep playing the shots and get back to form.

One should build the innings tactfully but sometimes the game of life can be tight.You may need 6 runs of the last ball to win.The opposition will make every effort to knock you down. You are to hold your nerves, take a look at the field placing, make a prayer, get into position and swing your bat. You may completely miss and the crowd will boo. But as long as you didn't panic, and carried the courage to make that last shot, never mind you didn't score a 6.You scored way more.You had what it took to play the last shot.You tried and that's what matters. You prayed and thats what mattered. Maybe God was testing you. And maybe moments later you will hear the crowd cheering because the umpire will signal a no ball. God may give you another chance. And this time you can close your eyes and swing blindly. God is on your side and you will succeed.

It takes one to play that shot. And it takes another to pump another to play the shot.But one has to make the shot for oneself.Do you have what it takes to play the shot?

Difference

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.' The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.' They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, 'I don't understand.'

It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.'

No room for empty chairs

Alas, my office timings resume to 9am - 6pm from 8am - 5pm.The change in timings was levied on a particular few, but now the timings have been restored. Once again it feels good to walk into a bright corridor filled by people instead of walking into a dull room full of empty chairs.The sound of the floor being mobbed and desks being cleaned is replaced by folks conversing at a distance, and sharing some humour over a cup of tea. It feels good to meet colleagues on the way and greet them and hear a w'salam in return instead of passing by empty cabins. It also makes me think that every morning I greet certain people who are familiar faces but mere strangers.Apart from the daily exchange of salam, we barely ever converse and know nothing about each other.I don't even know the names of most. But they have a place in my life.They are a part of my morning routine. They fill in the empty chairs .
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Here walks in Tayyaba with her full of life, cheerful melodious salam, and here walks in my boss so I end the post and prepare to get cracking with work.

Quotes from Grey's Anatomy

"They say, Forgive and don't forget. Old scores are never settled. Old wounds never heal. And the most we can hope for is that one day, we'll be lucky enough to forget."

-Dr. Meredith Grey

"I believe that believing we survive is what makes us survive."

-Dr. Izzie Stevens

Do I look like a salesman eh?

I was at a cosmetic store looking for a particular body spray.A huge collection of perfume-sprays was exhibited there. Unable to find the one I wanted, I looked around for the salesman. I spotted one nearby. He was sorting and organizing body sprays on the rack. So I asked him to guide me to the Impulse series. He gave me a confused embarrassed look and said "main khud dhoondh raha hoon, may salesman nahee hoon"

so i was like....Oops!
I apologized and shared a giggle with my brother.

Dua--Seeking Health

1. O Allah! Grant me health in my body. O Allah! Grant me good hearing. O Allah! Grant me good eyesight. There is no god but Thou. (Allahoumma ghafini fii samami, Allahoumma ghafini fii basari, Allahoumma ghafini fii badani, La illaha illa ant)
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood, #2408, on the authority of Abubarakah. This narrator of this hadith stated that this dua is to be repeated three times in the morning and three times in the evening.

2. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would say the following during his prayers: “O God, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, heal me, and provide for me.“
Source: Sunan of Abu Dawood, Hadith 323

Mice don't like cheese

To date, Tom and Jerry is my favorite cartoon. Jerry always manages to sneak away with the cheese. Anyhow, here is an interesting find : Mice, contrary to popular belief and cartoons like Tom and Jerry, don't actually like cheese. But they do like cheese cake (kidding)

A study made by the Manchester Metropolitan University has found that mice really don't like cheese, debunking the myth that was popularized in the cartoon show "Tom and Jerry."

Dr. David Holmes of the university said studies found that mice prefer foods with lots of sugar like chocolates and cheese does not fit that.

He said, "Mice respond to the smell, texture and taste of food. Cheese is something that would not be available to them in their natural environment and so not something they would respond to."

According to their findings, a mouse diet is usually made up of grains and fruit that were both high in sugar. The study were part of a wider findings into what foods attract and repel animals.

They say a real mouse would turn its nose up at something as strong in smell and rich in taste as cheese.

SairaStar Day

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lots to say...
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=)
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...moments...memories...thoughts...reflections.....
...fears...challenges...future...past...present.........
...innocence....immature...grown-up....lies............
...truth..reality....illusion...intuition...dreams........
...deception...masks..wicked...betrayals................
...sorrows...tears...pain...defeats...victories...........
...turns...uncertainties...ambiguities...dejavu........
...control...wrong...right..forgive...forget...............
...happiness...hate....hurt.....hell...heaven.............
...bonds....trust.....faith...family....friends..unity....
...celebrations...sentiments...colors...rainbow.........
...rain....storm....clouds...wind......sunshine...........
...prayers...Allah...peace...pure.....hope................
...joys...goals.....ambitions.....inspirations.............
...rhymes...rhythm...cheers...joy...warmth...love......
...Life or something like it...................................

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friends...cakes...icecream...candies...balloons...gifts....celebrations...jokes...cheers.....=)

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My sweet little 9 year old cousin called me to wish a happy birthday and he also said "Saira baji, app ko birthday bumps millay? mainay app ko birthday bumps dainay hain" That's the cutest thing I have heard since a very long time. To save myself from birthday bumps I talked my cousins into a new ritual: took 24 ringa ringa roses round with them :p
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Birthday Cake 1: Mahrukh sweety (cousin) baked me a birthday cake. Plain cake with chocolate icing.Yum. Thank you Mahrukh.

Birthday Cake 2: Had a little celebration with my co-workers. A special thanks to Tayyaba, Memoona and Saira for the double fugde chocolate cake.

Birthday Cake 3: With my family and close friends. That's a chocolate mousse cake.

Alhamdulillah.

The Butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

Author Unknown

The 99 club

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content. One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much joy. The King asked the servant, "Why are you so happy?"

The man replied, "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies."

The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club."

"The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired.

The advisor replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep."

When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins!

He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, "What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!"

He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.

From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.

Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club."

He continued, "The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra 1 telling to themselves: "Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life."

We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires. That's what joining The 99 Club is all about."

Author: Unknown

Live Your Life So That You Will Have No Regrets

"Everyone is dying all the time. Everyone is also living all the time. It's all in your perspective which one you're experiencing! Choose wisely."

~Nancy Yucius

All thanks to Allah,I believe in living my life. Do you?

Dua--The Steering Wheel

I received an SMS which said:

Dua is not the "spare tyre" we pull out when we feel life has gone flat. Dua is the "steering wheel" that helps direct our life in the right path! Keep Praying

Source: Unknown

Nature

Wild Bully Cat that beats up all the kitties in the neighborhood

Anthood

Photographer: Waqar Azim

Star of the Month--October 2007

"Bad times should be welcomed, they are there for reasons beyond our understanding! Knowing that (the apparent) bad is not negative ... what can be more positive than that! feeling bad is inevitable and that is for a reason too! don't let it overwhelm you :) the state of happiness is not something to be longed for; peace is something that outweighs it!"

~ Saira Andleeb Kiani
On the post This I Believe

Body's Clock Never Adjusts to Daylight Savings Time

You can't fool Mother Nature, experts say

Health Day: Changing to daylight savings time may give people an hour more of sunlight, but it appears that their internal body clocks never really adjusts to the change, German researchers report.

In fact, daylight savings time can cause a significant seasonal disruption that might have other effects on our bodies, according to the report in the Oct. 24 online edition of Current Biology.

"When you change clocks to daylight savings time, you don't change anything related to sun time," explained lead researcher Till Roenneberg of Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. "This is one of those human arrogances -- that we can do whatever we want as long as we are disciplined. We forget that there is a biological clock that is as old as living organisms, a clock that cannot be fooled. The pure social change of time cannot fool the clock."

People's circadian rhythm -- the body's internal clock -- follows the sun and changes depending on where you live. It actually changes in four-minute intervals, exactly the time it takes for the sun to cross one line of longitude, Roenneberg explained. Read On

Brain Study: Sleepy, grumpy and...primitive

Reuters: A few nights without sleep can not only make people tired and emotional, but may actually put the brain into a primitive "fight or flight" state, researchers said on Wednesday.
Brain images of otherwise healthy men and women showed two full days without sleep seemed to rewire their brains, re-directing activity from the calming and rational prefrontal cortex to the "fear center" -- the amygdala.
"It's almost as though, without sleep, the brain had reverted back to more primitive patterns of activity, in that it was unable to put emotional experiences into context and produce controlled, appropriate responses," said Matthew Walker of the University of California Berkeley, who led the study. Continued....

Unbreakable Laws

LAW OF QUEUE: If you change queues, the one you have left will start to move faster than the one you are in now.

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LAW OF TELEPHONE: When you dial a wrong number, you never get an engaged one.

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LAW OF MECHANICAL REPAIR: After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.

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LAW OF THE WORKSHOP: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

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LAW OF THE ALIBI: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the next morning you will have a flat tire.

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BATH THEOREM: When the body is immersed in water, the telephone rings.

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LAW OF ENCOUNTERS: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

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LAW OF THE RESULT: When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will!

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LAW OF BIOMECHANICS: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

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THEATRE RULE: People with the seats at the furthest from the aisle arrive last.

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LAW OF COFFEE: As soon as you sit down for a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold

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LAW OF RUGS\CARPETS:The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

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BROWN'S LAW:If the shoe fits, it's ugly.

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DOCTOR'S LAW:If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better. Don't make an appointment and you'll stay sick.

Time of Your Life

This one is for Saira Andleeb, for our countless arguments on destiny, her spooky link to the song and for reasons only she will understand =)

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

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So make the best of this test, and don't ask why.
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time.
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It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
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;)

Content

In the picture, just look at the family's condition.There is no place to sleep, still they have made some space for the cat n the dog. Water is pouring from the roof but still each one of them have a peaceful smile on their face. Simply amazing!!!!!

The happiest people in the world are not those who have no problems, but those who learn to live with things that are less than perfect.

Do you dare to try?

"A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that till tomorrow, he said, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying.”

-Dr. Meredith Grey
from the T.V show Grey's Anatomy

Faith

“When you have come to the edge Of all light that you know And are about to drop off into the darkness Of the unknown, Faith is knowing One of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or You will be taught to fly”
~ Patrick Overton

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”
~Gail Devers

“Scepticism is the beginning of Faith.”
~Oscar Wilde

"You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.”
~ Mary Manin Morrissey

"Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof. Faith is an oasis in the heart which can never be reached by the caravan of thinking"
~ Kahlil Gibran

"There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

"Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.”
~Oswald Chambers

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”
~Martin Luther King

"Faith makes all things possible.... love makes all things easy.”
~Anonymous

"Faith isn't faith until it's all you're holding on to”
~Anonymous

"Fear can keep us up all night long, but faith makes one fine pillow.”
~Anonymous

Tee-M - Suji Ka Halwa

Inspired by his mom's cooking, Tariq Mirza(Tee-M) came up with this song.It has the feel of nursery rhyme meets folk meets country meets pop meets fusion meets all sorts of other things I know nothing about. I dedicate it to KhanyStar who is a huge fan of his mom.Well, aren't we all.Moms are the best =)

The Other Side Of You

I was watching Grey's Anatomy last evening, Season 1-episode 2. I thoroughly enjoyed this dialog

"At some point you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out.They fence you in.Life is messy.That's how we are made.So you can waste your life drawing lines, or you can live your life crossing them.But there are some lines that are way too dangerous to cross. Here's what I know, if you are willing to take the chance,then the you from the other side is spectacular."

Thanks to Isbah, for introducing the show to me. I am growing fond of it.

Qasida Burda-The Poem of the Cloak

The Burda, or the Prophet's Mantle or Cloak, is a qasida (poem) composed by Imam Sharafuddin Muhammad Al-Busiri, may Allah have mercy on him. Imam Busiri was born in Egypt in 608 A.H. and died in 695 A.H. (corresponding to 1212 C.E to 1296 C.E.).

Imam Busiri composed the qasida after suffering from a stroke which left him partially paralysed. He prayed to Allah for a cure then fell asleep. In a dream, he saw himself reciting the qasida to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, who then touched the paralyzed part of his body and threw his mantle or Burda over him. On awakening, he discovered he had been cured of his paralysis.

The verses of The Burda have since been learned by heart and inscribed on the walls of mosques and madrassas all over the Muslim world, and it is congregationally recited all over the world.

More than 90 commentaries have been written on this qasida, and it has been translated in Persian, Urdu, Turkish, Berber, Punjabi, French, and German, to name but a few languages.

The Burda is in 10 parts and has 160 verses all of which end with the Arabic letter Meem.

I like it in Junaid Jamshed's voice the best. To Listen, click here.
Wear your headphones(full volume),sit back, relax, close your eyes, and listen to it. It's immensely soothing.

Disappearing Ink

TimesOnline: Scientists have unveiled a new kind of 'ink' that disappears from a page 24 hours after printing, allowing paper to be re-used.
Mission Impossible-style self-destructing messages may soon cross from the realm of fiction into the wilds of the nine-to-five office, according to scientists who have developed printer ink that vanishes after 24 hours.
When a document is printed on the reusable paper, the text initially appears similar to normal printed text – only in a shade of dark purple, rather than black.
Eight hours later, however, the image is a shadow of its former self and after a day – much like the McFly family photograph in Back to the Future – it is gone completely.
The blank page can then be put back in the printer.Read On

More Random Pics

I transferred pictures to my pc again. Here are the one's I picked to share.Happy viewing.

Caught red-handed, muHahaHa. Teeba is pretending to work. =)
Deeply involved in playing milkshake

Tazeen made me lasagne

Look at the pearl drops at the bottom of the needle like leaves

Ramadan Full Moon

Ramadan Moon-before iftari time during early Ramadan days

A Falcon up the sky

A Bad Marraige Can Break Your Heart...Literally

Wired News: A lousy marriage might literally make you sick. Marital strife and other bad personal relationships can raise your risk for heart disease, researchers reported Monday.What it likely boils down to is stress - a well-known contributor to health problems, as well as a potential byproduct of troubled relationships, the scientists said.
In a study of 9,011 British civil servants, most of them married, those with the worst close relationships were 34 percent more likely to have heart attacks or other heart trouble during 12 years of follow-up than those with good relationships. That included partners, close relatives and friends.Read On

Futuristic car makes reversing obsolete

Reuters: For all those drivers that hate parallel parking and anything else that requires the reverse gear, Nissan could one day have the car for you.

The leading Japanese carmaker recently unveiled the Pivo2, a battery-powered concept car with a fully rotating cabin that makes going backwards obsolete, since the driver can turn to face the direction they need to go. Its wheels also turn 90 degrees, making parking easier. "With this easy-to-handle car, you can feel comfortable while driving," said Masahiko Tabe, senior manager of the advanced vehicle development group at Nissan Motors.

"You can go everywhere without worrying about your driving skills." The car is as yet not for commercial sale.

The futuristic, three-seat car also comes with a robotic device that Nissan said monitors the driver's expression using censors and tailors its conversation accordingly.

The device, able to converse in English and Japanese, can help an angry driver overcome road rage or wake you up if you're prone to dozing behind the wheel, the car makers said.

"Are you sleeping? There's a cafe 500m ahead," the device said during a demonstration of the car last week. The Pivo 2 will be showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month.