ज्ञापन पत्र !

एकल महिला समूह,क्षेत्रिय कार्यालय पश्चिमांचल, कास्कीले नेपाल सरकारद्वारा एकल महिलाहरुलाई प्रदान गरिने मासिक रू५०० भत्ता ६० वर्ष या सो भन्दा बेसी उमेरका लागि मात्र दिने निर्णय संविधान प्रदत्त नभएको भन्दै उमेरको हदबन्दी हटाउने माग राख्दै यो ज्ञापन पत्र प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारीलाई बुझाएको हो । सो को एकप्रति मलाई ईमेल मार्फत प्राप्त भएकोले मेरो ब्लगमा राखेको छु ।

एकल महिलाहरु हाम्रो जस्तो समाजमा अझै पनि संघर्ष गरिरहेछन आफ्नो हक, हितका लागि । न उनिहरुका लागि बोलिदिने कोही हुन्छन न त सुनिदिने नै । यस्ता एकल महिला आफ्नो घर परिवारबाट मात्रै होइन माइती र समाजबाट पनि अपहेलित भएको मैले देखेको छु । बुहारी नभए वर्ष दिन पनि नकुरी छोराको अर्को विहे गर्ने हाम्रो समाजले, छोरा नहुँदा झन बुहारीले सकस मात्रै पाउँछिन । न बुहारी को कुरा सुनिदिन्छन, न उनको इच्छा जान्ने कष्ट नै गरिन्छन । उमेर छँदै दोस्रो विवाह् संभव भए पनि समाज लाई पचाउन गाह्रो छ । यस्तोमा सरकारबाट चालिएको सानो तर सकारात्मक कदमको समर्थन सँगसँगै उमेरको हदबन्दी जस्तो भेदभाव भने हटाउनु उचित हुन्छ भन्ने मेरो ठम्याइछ । यि यावत कुराहरु बरु म अन्य बेला लेखुँला । अहिलेलाई चैं एकल महिला दिदीबहिनिहरु को मागको समर्थन मात्रै ।

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE! I REMEMBER THE SONG 'LAST CHRISMAS' WHEN I WAS KID; I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT SONG. IT IS SO SOFT, I LISTEN SO MANY TIME. THIS SONG IS STILL POWERFUL, WHOEVER WANTS TO WISH MERRY CHRISTMAS TO SOMEONE SPECIAL!

ENJOY!!!

LIFE BEFORE COMPUTER

# Memory was something that you lost with age
# An Application was for employment
# A Program was TV show
# A cursor used profanity
# A keyboard was a piano
# A web was a spider's home
# A CD was a bank account
# A hard drive was a long trip on the road
# A mouse pad was where mouse lived
# And if you had a 3 1/2 inch floppy
..........you just hoped nobody found out.

EVOLUTION OF DANCE!

This is one of the most watched video of all times in You Tube, more than 100 million hits. The dance is unbelievable itself. May be you like it too.



Another evolution of dance by Mr. Bean.

भउतेको चर्तिकला-५!

१. बाबाजी

भउते साधु बाबासँग सल्लाह माग्दै थिए,"बाबाजी, मेरो पत्निले मलाई साह्रै हैरान बनाउँछे, दु:ख दिन्छे, गाली गर्छे । सहनै नसक्ने भैसकें । लौ न छुटकारा पाउने कुनै उपाय भए बताइदिनु पर्‍यो । "
बाबाजी झोंक्किदै भने,"तलाईं पटमूर्ख, यदि त्यो उपाय मलाई थाहा भएको भए म किन यसरी भौंतारिदै हिंड्थे र ?"

२. कसम
भउते सानो हुँदा शिक्षकले उसको कक्षामा विद्यार्थीहरुलाई कसम खुवाउँदै थिए ।
शिक्षक: विद्यार्थी भाइहरु हो, तिमीहरु कसम खाउ, जिन्दगीमा कहिल्यै रक्सी, चुरोट, मासु खान्नौं ।
विद्यार्थी: खान्नौं सर ।
शिक्षक: कहिल्यै केटीहरुलाई जिस्काउँदैनौं ।
विद्यार्थी: जिस्काउँदैनौं ।
शिक्षक: जुवा तास खेल्दैनौं ।
विद्यार्थी: हुन्छ सर ।
शिक्षक: देशको लागि ज्यान दिन्छौं ।
विद्यार्थी: दिन्छौं सर दिन्छौं, केहि गर्न नपाइने यस्तो बेकारको जिन्दगी केका लागि साँच्नु छ र?

३. पसलमै
भउते : साहुजी, एउटा राम्रो सर्टको कपडा देखाउनुस् ।
साहुजी: प्लेनमा देखाउँ कि ?
भउते : प्लेनमा होइन पसलमै देखाउनुस् न ।

४. बस
भउते रत्नपार्क जानको लागि कलंकीमा बस कुरिराखेको थियो । जति हात ठडाए पनि कुनै बस रोकिएन । अब बामदेवको आदेश नमानेर भो त डाइबर दाइलाई पनि आपत । एउटाले रोकुंला जस्तो गर्‍यो, भउते तेस्को पछि पछि दगुर्दै २०० मिटर तल पुगेको बसलाई भेट्टायो । भउते रिसले डाइबरदाइ सँग झोंक्कियो,"गुरुजी, यो गाडी तिम्रो आमा हो?"
डाइबरदाइ नम्रताका साथ पेस आयो," होइन हजुर ।"
भउते: "तेसो भए दिदी बहिनी हो कि?"
डाइबरदाइ अझ विनम्रतापूर्वक नै भन्यो," त्यस्तो कोइ होइन हजुर । "
भउते:"त्यसो भए, तिमीहरु मलाई किन चढ्न दिदैनौ?"

५. गर्भपतन
भउतेले आम्लेट बनाउनको लागि अण्डा फोर्‍यो । अण्डा भित्र खोक्रो थियो । भउते छक्क पर्दै भन्यो,"के जमाना आयो, हुँदा हुँदा कुखुरिले समेत गर्भपतन गराउन थाले बाइ । "

Amazing video!

THIS IS AN AMAZING VIDEO OF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. I HAD SEEN SIMILAR TO THIS LAST YEAR, BUT THIS ONE IS DIFFERENT THAN REST OF ALL.





SOURCE:EMAIL
LOCATION:UNKNOWN

A land of glorious rumours!

Tara Nath Sharma


A famous poet wrote the poem “Ours is a country of rumors!” and it became so popular that everyone in the educated Nepali circle began to refer to it day in day out. Today when I look at it with a cool mind I feel that there is indeed a great deal of truth in the expression that the Nepali people are completely given to rumors. There are ample instances to prove this fact even from a cursory review of some of our current happenings and we can dig the past as well. Rumors are never true nor can they be supported on any emotional or national grounds. Yet all the people from the so-called democratic leaders to the common citizens run their daily activities and shape their thought patterns on silly rumors all the time.

As recently as a year or so ago, a crazy beggar spread a cruel rumor saying that the whole of South Asia starting from Myanmar and covering Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Pakistan would envelop our Motherland under a terrible natural disaster of earthquake followed by epidemics, famine and untold human misery. The beggar for an easy acquisition of alms for him and his wife and children wore a fanciful hairy hat stuck in and around with tridents as he went around the town of Kathmandu. As we know the trident is a sacred weapon held by Shiva, one of the Hindu Three Forms of God, the cheat had in mind that the people would easily offer him food, clothes and other necessities of life if he wore the symbols of Shiva on his head. This rumor-monger thought of a plan to get more well-known through gimmicks to increase his income and, therefore, he devised a rumor of natural disaster and distributed pamphlets to the effect. He predicted the disaster to overwhelm the South Asian people on June 22, 2007, which didn't happen as predicted.

Political maneuverings currently going on in Nepal follow the same kind of strategy. Like the trident holder's prediction fiasco, there are a few interesting instances from the pages of history but because of the rumors originating in remote past they are still held to be true superstitiously by the general public. One such fallacious belief belongs to the time when Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked Kirtipur in the Kathmandu valley. The valiant people of Kirtipur naturally gave a stiff resistance to the well-trained army of the Gorkha king proving the invader's fallacious belief that he would easily run over any small kingdom like Kirtipur as he did Nuwakot, Tanahun and others.

As he attacked Kathmandu during the festival of Indra Jatra when the local people were merrily engaged in religious and social festivities, the people of Kirtipur drove the attackers back many times over. This enhanced their prestige but the Kirtipur people could not hold longer in the face of the Gorkha soldiers who were more numerous and more experienced. Kirtipur fell and came under the dominance of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Before the conquest of the whole valley by the Gorkha army a Christian mission was working in Lalitpur. The mission had to quit after the unification of Nepal by Prithvi Narayan Shah.

One of the members of the mission knowingly or unknowingly interpreted a Nepali idiom the wrong way when the local people expressed their dissatisfaction at the defeat of the Kirtipur people saying that “they let their noses cut” which in Nepali means “they lost their prestige” or “they couldn't maintain their dignity” by letting the Gorkha fighters overrun them. Neither had Prithvi Narayan Shah ordered his men to cut the noses, nor the ears of the fighters of Kirtipur, he would never do that as there is no other historical instance that he ever did that kind of heinous thing with the people he defeated. It was the Christian missionary who being angry to be sent away either without understanding the implication of the special Nepali idiom or by following the habit of the British Empire's usual policy of “Divide and rule” left behind an account of the Kirtipur defeat. And this rumor has stayed on to create an unnecessary animosity among the ethnic communities of our nation.

Another very interesting historical blunder has defied all logic and the so-called nationalists have become a total slave to this rumor. It concerns with the currency of the Nepal Era. The era began when the number 8 from the Shak era was dropped as inauspicious when the Shak era of 801 and 802 brought untold human misery to the people of the Kathmandu Valley with a devastating earthquake followed by terrible famine due to lack of rain and dreadful diseases. That was the time when a later Licchavi king named Raghav Dev ruled the valley. When the king asked the people to drop the number 8 and only take the numbers 1, 2, 3 and so on the new system was named the Pashupati Bhattarak era to make it auspicious by naming it after the God Pashupati or Shiva (the Pashupatinath Temple is the seat of the national deity of Nepal). This name continued for almost half a century. Slowly because of its long name the people called it just the Pashupati era which later began to be popularly known as the Nepal era.

But most people today think and strongly believe that the Nepal era was started by a civilian named Shankhadhar Sakhwa and the man has achieved a great legendary fame. The belief has no historical basis whatsoever.

The name of Shankhadhar Sakhwa began to appear only as late as when a representative of the British Empire began to be deputed to Kathmandu. One of such British officials, Daniel Wright, has for the first time referred to Shankhadhar Sakhwa as the founder of the Nepal Samvat (era) in his History of Nepal. He says that the source he quoted was the Gopal Chronology, a native document, but the imaginary story was asked by Wright to his two local assistants to include (to interpolate?) in the chronology.

A fairy tale type of episode has been found in the reference of Shankhadhar Sakhwa which no scientific explanation can uphold. It is described that an expert astrologer after calculating the exact movements of the stars and planets predicted that the sand collected at a particular point in time would turn into gold. He hired some workers and sent them to the bank near the confluence of the Bagmati and Vishnumati rivers to the south of Kathmandu in order to collect and bring some sacks of sand on an exact time. The generous Shankhadhar Sakhwa then distributed the gold to those who were in debt to repay their loans. To commemorate the unusual event, the rumor continues, he started the new era calling it the Nepal Samvat or the Nepal Era.

The fairy tales of any country would be filled indeed with such interesting events but such occurrences have never been seen in reality anywhere and there is no scientific reason why it should in Kathmandu. But the rumor has persisted so much so that the legendary generous Shankhadhar Sakhwa has been declared a National Hero.

As for the inauspicious nature of the number 8, Prithvi Narayan Shah defeated the valley and unified the country exactly in 888 Nepal era! Isn't that historically interesting?


(The writer is a visiting professor of Michigan State University)

Some Jokes!

1. LOTTERY!

A man runs into his house and says to his wife, "Honey, I just won the lottery! Pack your bags!"

His wife replies, "Pack my bags? For the beach or for the mountains?"

The husband says, "I don't care! Pack your bags and get the hell Outta my house!"

2. BAD LUCK

conversation between a bartender and a man:

Bartender: What happened? You look wrecked!

Man: I had it all - Money, A beautiful house, The love of a beautiful woman…..

Bartender: Then… what went wrong?

Man: Well, then my wife found out!

3. SECOND OPINION!

A woman tells her doctor, 'I've got a bad back.'

The Doctor says, "It's because of old age."

The woman says,'Doctor, I want a second opinion.'

The doctor says,"Sure,- you are ugly too."

4. NAMES

Robert had twins and comes to the "Boss"…..

Robert: Boss, what do you suggest the name of my twins..

Boss: Let's see, first name Peter….

Robert: and second one?, asked with delightly

Boss: Repeater.

5. BIRTHPLACE

Teacher to Student: "Where were U born?"

Student: In Tiruvanantapuram.

Teacher: Spell it?

Student: (after thinking) I think I was born in GOA

घर को सम्झना !

फोटो सौजन्य "Reena"

यी गह्रा, कान्ला, झुपडी, नदी नाला, पहाडले
घरको सम्झना ताजा बनाइ दियो ।
हिजो सम्मन त्यहीं खेले जस्तो लाग्ने
आज त्यसै त्यसै बिरानो भइसक्यो ।

न त छुन सक्छु त्यो मेरो धरती लाई
त्यो त अब पराइ भईसक्यो ।
न त पोख्न सक्छु यो वेदनालाई
त्यो त अब स्‍मृतिमै बिलाईसक्यो ।

सानो छँदा खेलेको यो माटोले
जिस्काइ रहे जस्तो लागि सक्यो ।
बुढेसकालको सहारा खोज्दै छु म
अब पुर्खाको घर पनि भत्काइ सक्यो ।

- "बागी"

विजया दशमी २०६५

सम्पूर्ण पाठकहरुलाई यो विजया दशमीको हार्दिक मङ्गलमय शुभकामना !

यसपालिको दसैंमा लबक,टेक्ससमा बस्ने नेपालीहरुको जमघटको सानो भिडियो यहाँ राखेकोछु । पहिलो पटक क्यामरा चलाएकोले भिजुअलाईज मैले सोचे जस्तो राम्रो हुन सकेन । तर पनि यो गीत मलाई साह्रै मन परेकोले यसमा टाँसेको छु ।



HAPPY DASHAIN ONCE MORE!!!

दीपेन्द्रको सम्झना !

I was amazed after I saw this video. I did not know Late Dipendra was interested in music and sang himself. This is rear footage from Vienna, Austria; date unknown.second clip is more interesting than 1st one to me. I found out at sajha.com first. I still can't believe that he was the real killer. I think he was the victim of great murder mystery in our history. What do you think people???

Part I

Part II

Jeff Dunham, Funny Video!!!

I'm quite a busy these days. I'll try to update my blog often. For now enjoy with is funny video!!!

Vacation

Two priests decided to go to Hawaii on vacation.




They were determined to make this a real vacation by not wearing anything that would identify them as clergy. As soon as the plane landed they headed for a store and bought some really outrageous shorts, shirts, sandals, sunglasses, etc.



The next morning they went to the beach dressed in their 'tourist' garb. They were sitting on beach chairs,



enjoying a drink, the sunshine and the scenery when a 'drop dead gorgeous' blonde in a bikini came walking straight towards them. They couldn't help but stare.



As the blonde passed them she smiled and said 'Good Morning, Father ~ Good Morning, Father,' nodding and addressing each of them individually, then she passed on by.
They were both stunned. How in the world did she know they were priests?

So the next day, they went back to the store and bought even more outrageous outfits.



These were so loud you could hear them before you even saw them! Once again, in their new attire, they settled down in their chairs to enjoy the sunshine.



After a little while, the same gorgeous blonde,wearing a different colored bikini, taking her sweet time,came walking toward them. Again she nodded at each of them, said 'Good morning, Father ~ Good morning, Father,' and started to walk away.
One of the priests couldn't stand it any longer and said,
'Just a minute, young lady.'
'Yes, Father?'
'We are priests and proud of it, but I have to know, how in the world do you know we are priests, dressed as we are?'

She replied,
'Father, it's me, Sister Kathleen.'

Are Doctors in Need of Treatment by Patients?

We love to refer friends to doctors we feel safe to highly recommend. Usually, our references are based on a combination of great bedside manner and medical expertise.

However, the doctor-patient relationship has reached a new level of discontent, according to the New York Times.

Research is showing us that patients are starting to not trust doctors. Data from a Johns Hopkins study published in 2008 states that patients are concerned that their doctors are exposing them to unnecessary risks. Patients are refusing to take their medication if they do not trust their physician.

Contributing to this distrust is the appearance of myriads of health books in local bookstores which are claiming to provide information "your doctor won't tell you." These books offer natural remedies to health problems instead of traditional medications.

Here are some of the major concerns that are creating a strain between doctors and patients:

The patient would prefer the doctor admit he does not know everything. Patients expressed that they are frustrated with medical staff that offer a quick "off-the-line, glib diagnosis" rather than admit "I don't know." It is better for a doctor to admit that the medical condition of his patient is beyond his own field of expertise and recommend another physician as an alternative.

The patient would prefer that doctors not act so rushed. Haven't you ever waited 15 minutes in the waiting room, and then another 40 minutes in the examination room to see the doctor. Finally, the doctor arrives and he seems rushed, preoccupied, checking his pager, unsure of your medical condition and gives you the impression he has not reviewed his notes concerning your case. I've also been with physicians who have spent more than 45 minutes providing me a thorough exam after a detailed interview about my medical condition.

The patient is dealing with a doctor also facing difficult times. To take the doctor's side for a moment, they are facing declining reimbursements and higher costs. Some medical facilities are now charging the patient for use of the examination room.

Doctors are also facing the reports coming out of the news media about medical errors and drugs once meant to help the patient, but now these same meds are causing liver damage or some other medical malady.

The patients are more medical savvy than ever before. Thanks to the Internet, I can do my own medical research. There are some incredible medical websites like webmd.com and medscape.com that provide you up-to-date information about new medical treatments, the latest pharmaceuticals and additional data on whatever illness you're dealing with. When I need to see a doctor after being diagnosed with a medical condition, I'll show up at my next appointments armed-to-the-teeth with the latest information I've downloaded from the Internet about my condition.

The downside of this surge of medical information from the Internet is that it can make the patient distrustful and skeptical of his physician. The patient wonders if doc is keeping up on the latest news on how other hospitals are dealing with kidney stones or whether he's a skeptic when it comes to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The patients are at a loss with the language being spoken by doctors. The New York Times article points out that when a student attends med school, he or she is removed from the world of people for a period of time. One liver transplant surgeon at UCLA said of her patients, "We don't even speak the same language anymore." No wonder patients go to the Internet to figure out in plain English what is wrong with them.

Furthermore, many doctors, especially surgeons, are fearful of making any diagnosis that is not based on diagnostic imaging. Patients are suffering with chronic pain and doctors lack the courage to take bolder steps to help the patient through exploratory surgery or some equivalent unless backed up by evidence from diagnostic imaging. Let's bring medicine back to the place where doctors feel the freedom to make more diagnostic decisions based on their experience, research and years of medical wisdom.

Source: email from john tesh blog

भाषिक स्वतन्त्रता ?

मेरो विचारमा आफूले चाहेको भाषामा लेख्न, बोल्न पाउनु, आफ्नो अवधारणा पोख्न पाउनु भनेको भाषिक स्वतन्त्रता हो । चाहे त्यो आफ्नो मातृ भाषा होस् या नहोस्; अथवा चाहे त्यो आफूलाई मनपर्ने भाषा मात्रै किन नहोस् । मेरो संसारको एउटा लेखमा मैले हिन्दी भाषा प्रयोग गरें भनेर धेरै साथीहरुबाट कमेंटहरु आए। सरसर्ती हेर्दा मलाई अचम्भित गरायो ती कमेंटहरुले। मानिस अझै पनि १९औं शदिमै छन् कि भन्ने पनि लाग्यो मलाई । उनिहरुका सोचाइ र विचार कति सम्मन् भने मैले हिन्दीमा लेख्नु ठूलै पाप गरे सरह भयो, मेरा अभिभावकले के सोच्छन् भन्न सम्मन् भ्याए । यसमा मलाइ कुनै टाउको दुखाइ छैन, मेरो त्यसमा मात्र 'वाक स्वतन्त्रता'को कुरो उठाएको थिएँ। हिन्दी बोल्दैमा कसैको केहि जाँदैन, व्यक्तिलाई जे सजिलो लाग्छ त्यहि बोल्छ भनेर तर पनि मलाइ चित्त बुझेन आफैंसँग । आजकल फेरि उप-राष्ट्रपतिद्वारा हिन्दिमा सपथ खाएको विरोधमा चर्को आवाज उठेपछि भने सान्दर्भिक लागेर यो लेख लेख्न बसें । त्यसो भन्दैमा मैले यहाँ उप-राष्ट्रपतिको समर्थन गरेको भने नठान्दिनु होला । उनी न्याय सेवामा धेरै वर्ष काम गरेको मान्छे, नेपाली राम्रैसंग बोल्न जान्दछन् होला भन्ने म अनुमान गर्न सक्छु । तैपनि उनले गैर नेपाली भाषाको प्रयोग गरे, जुन समय परिस्थिति अनुकुल थिएन । यसमा मेरो पनि विरोध छ । यहाँ राष्ट्रीय भाषाको सम्मान किन गरिएन भन्दा पनि अरु भाषाको औचित्य नै नभएको झैं ठानिएकोमा आपत्ति हो । यहाँ मैले कुनै व्यक्ति विशेष या पार्टीको समर्थन भन्दा पनि समय अनुसार चल्न नसक्ने हाम्रो बानिको विरोध मात्र गर्न खोजेको हो । मेरो दृष्टिकोणसंग सबै जना सहमत हुनुपर्छ भन्ने छैन । सबैजना आफ्नो विचार पोख्न र आफ्नै खाले धारणा बनाउन स्वतंत्र हुनुहुन्छ । म चाहन्छु मात्रै विरोधको लागि विरोध नहोस् ।

जब जब भाषिक स्वतन्त्रताको कुरो आउँछ तब तब मलाइ यहाँको चलन मनपर्छ । हुन त मलाई धेरै भाषाको ज्ञान छैन तर पनि ३-४ भाषाहरु राम्ररी नै बोल्छु, बुझ्छु । म त्यस्तो ठाउँमा आइपुगें जहाँ मानिसहरु जे बोले पनि गुनासो गर्दैनन्। उनिहरु एक अर्काको भाषाको सम्मान गर्छन् । हुन त अँग्रेजी बाहेक स्पेनिश बुझ्नु बोल्नु यहाँको सबल पक्ष हो, तर पनि ती बाहेक अन्य भाषा बोल्दैमा यिनिहरु खिसि गर्दैनन् । मेरो प्रसंगलाई कोट्ट्याउनु पर्दा चैं, केहि समय अगि मैले एउटा ब्लगमा हिन्दिमा लेखेको कमेण्टले धेरैको ध्यान तान्न पुग्यो र मलाई नानाभाँतिको आरोप, गाली गलौज सम्म गरे । मलाई अनौठो लाग्यो, मानिसहरुको संकुचित भावना, सोचाइ अनि खोक्रो राष्ट्रियता देखेर । धेरैले मलाई भरतीय दलाल, 'र' को एजेन्ट अनि इण्डियाको पुच्छर आदि देखे। मलाई त्यसमा खासै गुनासो छैन। म मानिसहरुको सोचाइ, विचार र भावनालाई कदर गर्छु, तर पनि उनिहरु किन यसरी घृणा गर्छन भारतीयहरुलाई थाहा छैन मलाई। शायद उनिहरुको रिस म माथि पोखे होलान् । मेरो लागि यो पनि सैह्य छ । मैले बुझ्न नसकेको चैं के हो भने, जुन देशका मानिसहरु सामान्य आधारभूत आवश्यकताका वस्तुहरुको लागि समेत अरु देशको भरमा पर्छ त्यो देशका नागरिक कसरी स्वतन्त्र भएर बाँचेका छन् भनेर भन्ने । सियो नबन्ने देशमा प्राक्रितिक श्रोत परिचालन गरेर देशलाई २० बर्षमा सिंगापुर बनाइदिन्छु भनेको भरमा नेपालीको अस्तित्व छ भनेर कसरी व्याख्या गर्ने? भारतीय परराष्ट्र नीतिले नेपालमाथि आँखा गाडेको दशकौं भैसक्यो, तर पनि हामी चुपचाप दर्शक भएर बसि रहेकाछौं न कुनै आन्दोलन, न कुनै बहस या छलफल नैं चलाउन सकेका छौं। भारतीय थिचोमिचोको, राजनैतिक हस्तक्षप अनि उनिहरुकै हालिमुहालीबीच चलिरहेको नेपाली भाषी भारतीयले इण्डियन आइडल जित्दा खुशियाली स्वरुप दीपावली गरिन्छ, भने हाम्रा नेताहरु जो कति त भारतमै जन्मिए, हुर्किए र त्यहाँकै संस्कारमा रहेकाले हिन्दीमा बोल्दा नेपालीको मन दुख्छ किन ? उनिहरुलाई पीडा हुन्छ किन? के नेपालमा भाषिक स्वतन्त्रता गुमिसक्यो? भारतले नेपालीलाई क्षेत्रीय भाषाको रूपमा मान्यता दिएको पनि धेरै भइसक्यो, नेपालले चैं आफ्नै देशका भाषाहरुलाई मान्यता दिन आन्दोलन गर्नु पर्ने हुन्छ, खोइ त नेपालको अनेकतामा एकता?

राजा वीरेन्द्रले नेपाललाई शान्ति क्षेत्र घोषणा गरेको बर्षौं पुग्दा, भारतले कहिल्यै समर्थन गरेन। उनी मरेर गए, माओवादी युद्धले देशलाई तहसनहस बनायो,हजारौं नेपालीले अकालमै ज्यान गुमाउनु पर्‍यो, खोइ त मूल्यांकन? नेपाललाई बिगार्ने भारतीय स्वार्थ कति छन् कति, तर त्यसो भन्दैमा हाम्रो ऊ जुनि देखिको रिस हिन्दी भाषा, या हिन्दीभाषी मानिसहरुमाथि खन्याउनु कति न्यायोचित होला, तपाईं आफै विचार गर्नुस्। लोकतान्त्रिक शासनपद्धति अपनाउनका लागि हाम्रो देशलाई धर्म निरपेक्ष नेपाल भनेर घोषणा समेत गरियो, तर भाषाको कुरो आउँदा चैं हामी निरपेक्ष हुन जरूरी रहेन या ठानिएन, किन? के हामी पक्षपाति भएनौ र यस अर्थमा ?

वास्तवमा भाषा एउटा कम्युनिकेसनको माध्यम मात्र न हो । भाषामा सामाजिक, साँस्कृतिक र रहनसहनको छुट्टै महत्व राख्छ । संसारमा हजारौं किसिमका भाषाहरु छन; कसैले एउटा मात्र जानेको होला, कसैलाई धेरै भाषाको ज्ञान होला। बहुभाषिक व्यक्ति, जहाँ जुन भाषा उपयुक्त लाग्छ उसले त्यहि भाषाको माध्यमबाट आफूलाई ढाल्दछ। उल्लेखनीय कुरो चैं के छ भने चाहे जोसुकै होस्, नेपाली बोल्नु, हिन्दी बोल्नु, फ्रेंच, स्पेनिस या अँग्रेजी भाषा जे सुकै होस, त्यो एउटा माध्यम मात्र हो। अब हामी यो छुट्याउँ कि नेपाली हुनुको नाताले हामी नेपाली मात्रै बोल्नु पर्छ भन्ने छ र? के हामीले उर्दू , हिन्दी या अँग्रेजीमा कुरा गर्न हुँदैन? अँग्रेजी बोल्दा गर्व गर्ने हामीले हिन्दी बोल्दा चैं किन तल्लोस्तरको सम्झिने? त्यो एउटा संकुचित मानसिकता बाहेक अरु केहि होइन। १ अरबभन्दा बेसि जनसंख्या भएको मुलुकका ४० प्रतिशत मानिसहरु हिन्दी भाषी छन् । नेपालका कयौं तराइ जिल्लामा मानिसहरु हिन्दी बोल्दछन् । चाहे त्यो सम्पर्क भाषाको लागि नै किन नहोस् । अझ चाख लाग्दो कुरो के छ भने हामी पहाडबासी समेत केहि बोल्नु बाहेक अधिकाँश शहरिया हिन्दी राम्ररी बुझ्दछौं । आजका युवा जगत त झन् एक कदम अगाडि बढ्न सफल छ भाषिक स्वतन्त्रताको कुरामा, उनिहरु नेपाली भन्दा अँग्रेजी बढी बोल्छन्। नेपाली विषयमा फेल होलान्, तर अँग्रेजीमा राम्रा अंक ल्याएर पास हुन्छन् । अब अर्को कुरो नेपाली संस्कार, कला, संस्कृति भन्दा पनि विदेशी संस्कार, कला, संस्कृतिलाइ बढि मान्यता दिने र त्यस्तै जिवनयापनको कामना सहित आफूलाई ढाल्ने प्रयत्न गर्नेहरुको संख्या पनि कम छैन। त्यसलाई चैं हामीले कसरी व्याख्या गर्ने हो कुन्नि हेर्नै बाँकी छ। राजनीतिको चुरीफुरी जल्ले जति लगाए पनि विदेशी हस्तक्षेपलाई हामी सबै नेपालीले प्रत्यक्ष अनुभव गरेको कुरो हो। हुन पनि नेताहरु देशलाई आत्मनिर्भर बनाउने भन्दा पनि आफ्नो दुनो सोझ्याउने तर्फ लागे पछि, जुन तन्त्र आए पनि पुरानो संस्कार र मान्यतालाई शिरोधार्य गरे पश्चात् हामी नेपाली तलको तलै परिरह्यौं। हाम्रै एसियाका विभिन्न मुलुकहरु १०-२० वर्षमा प्रगति गरेर कहाँबाट कहाँ पुगे। हामी भने सामान्य भुटानी शरणार्थीको समस्या समेत हल गर्न नसकेर अरुको मुख ताकेर बस्यौं। के नेपाली भाषी हुनुको पीडा होइन त्यो? यदि हिन्दी भाषी भएको भए भुटानीले यसरी खेद्न सक्थे? अथवा भारतीय आफैंले सल्टाउँथे होलान् त्यो समस्या। अब त नेपाली भाषी हुनु को गर्व गर्ने अवस्था पनि गुमायौं। भाषाको दृष्टिले नेपाल कहिल्यै पछाडि रहेनौं, विविध भाषाभाषी, अनेक जाति र संस्कृतिको धनी भनेर चिनिएको नेपाल माओवादीको जातीय अनि क्षेत्रीय राजनीतिले लथालिङ्ग बनायो। शायद त्यसैको उपज हो, यो पनि कि हामी हिन्दी भाषीलाई घृणा गर्ने। उनिहरुले हामीलाई यस्तो पाठ सिकायो, म आफू मात्रै जान्ने, मेरो कुरा मात्रै सहि हो, अरुको कुरो सुन्नु पर्दैन आदि इत्यादि। अनि हिन्दी भारतीयहरुको मात्र भाषा हो, हामीले बोल्नु हुदैन ।

तराइतिर को कुरा छाडि दिउँ, हाम्रै काठमाडौंका हलहरुमा नेपाली भन्दा हिन्दी सिनेमा बढि चल्छन्। शहरी क्षेत्रमा अधिकांशको घरमा केबल को पहुँच छ, त्यहाँ नेपाली च्यानल भन्दा बढि हिन्दि च्यानल हेर्ने चलन् छ। युवा पुस्तालाइ नेपाली फिल्मका हिरो हिरोइन लाई चिन्दैनन् होला तर भारतीय सिनेमाका हिरो, हिरोइन देखिन् लिएर सबै गायक, गायिका अनि संगीतकारहरुको नाम कण्ठस्थ होला। त्यसलाई हामीले के भनेर बुझ्ने? विवाह,व्रतबन्ध,भोज भतेरमा रमाइलो गर्न पर्‍यो भने हिन्दी संगीत गुन्जन्छ। पन्चै बाजाको स्थान बैण्ड बाजाले लिइसक्यो। तैपनि कोइ कोइ खोक्रो आडम्बरी बनेर नेपाली भाषा र संस्कृतिको बारेमा प्रवचन दिन चुक्दैनन्, घरमा चैं श्रीमती र छोराछोरीहरु हिन्दी सिनेमा र टेलिसिरियलमा मस्त भएको कुरो बिर्सन्छन्। त्यस कुरालाइ कसरी मूल्याङ्कन गर्ने? के त्यसको मतलब हिन्दी भाषा बोल्ने, हेर्ने, रुचाउने सँगको पूरै नाता तोडिदिने? के यस्तो संभव छ? न त कसैले यी भाषीलाई हेलाँ गर्न नहुने हो, होइन र? एउटा नेवारी उखानमा मदिसेलाई मान्छे नै नभन्ने "मनु मखु मडिस्या ख:" प्रवृति सबैले लिए भने यो देशको हालत के होला, सोच्नु पर्ने बेला भए जस्तो लाग्छ। मेरो प्रसङ्गमा यहाँ मैले हिन्दी भाषाको वकालत गर्न लागेको होइन कि भाषिक स्वतन्त्रताको कुरो उठाएको मात्र हूँ। जसरी हामी नेवारी, गुरुङ्ग, मगराँति, किराँती, तामाङ्ग, मैथिलि, अवधि, भोजपुरी, थारुवान आदि सबैलाई नेपालीले स्थान दिएकोछ, त्यसरी नै हिन्दीलाई पनि सम्मान गर्न जरुरी छ भनेको मात्रै हो। यसलाई गलत अर्थ नलगाइयोस्, मेरो ब्रम्हले देखेको चैं के हो भने अँग्रेजी बोल्दैमा गर्व गर्ने हाम्रै नेपाली समाजमा हिन्दी लाई चैं तथानाम भनेको पनि सुनियो, यस्तो फरक(?) किन? के भरतीयले हेप्यो भन्दैमा हामीले उनिहरुले बोल्ने भाषालाई नै बहिष्कार गर्नु पर्ने जरुरी छ र? उनिहरुको संस्कार देखि लिएर फेशन र पहिरनको नक्कल गर्नलाई भने हामीलाई लाज लाग्दैन। के यी सबै हामी त्याग्न तयार छौं? यदि संभव छैन या सक्दैनौं भने किन हिन्दी भाषालाई अपहेलना गरेको हामीले, म बुझ्न सक्दिन। के यो फोहोरी राजनीतिको परिणाम हो, या हाम्रो संकुचित भावनाको मलाई खुट्याउन गाह्रो परिरहेछ।

म कुनै भाषाविद् होइन, न त यसमा कौशलता नै राख्छु । एउटा सामान्य नागरिकको हैसियतले भन्नु पर्दा पनि मैले नेपालमा भाषिक स्वतन्त्रता गुमिसकेको ठानें । भ्रममा नपर्नुस्, हामी तिनै हौं जसले केही वर्ष अघिसम्मन् 'अतिथी देवो भव:' भनेर मान्ने, उनिहरुको सम्मान गर्ने । तर लाग्छ त्यो अब इतिहासको एक अंश भैसक्यो । एउटा सामान्य हिन्दी भाषाको मूल्यांकन गर्न नसक्ने हामीले अरुको सम्मान कसरी गर्ने ? भाषिक न्याय कहाँ खोज्ने? कसरी खोज्ने? केका लागि खोज्ने? हामी अर्काको भाषालाई कदर गर्न जान्दैनौं भने उनिहरुबाट मात्रै हामी किन सम्मानित हुन चाहने?

कन्गोको लुजी !

के तपाईं विश्वास गर्नु हुन्छ एउटा अफ्रिकन केटो नेपाली बोल्छ ? हामी पनि ऊबाट केही सिक्ने कि, आफ्नो भाषालाई माया गरेर ।

What in the World is "Male Menopause"?

With the phrase "male menopause," I've got the attention of every female reader, saying, "So that's what's wrong with my husband!"
Male menopause? What is it? Some doctors call it "andropause." Both terms conjure up images of men with hot flashes, guys crying for no reason and more mid-life crises than we can possibly handle.
There are hormonal changes that are a natural part of aging for men. But these hormonal changes are nothing like the plunge women take during menopause. The male hormonal changes are much more gradual, occurring over a period of many years.
For those men who are concerned with andropause here's the major issue: low or declining testosterone. Like most guys, those are fighting words. I want to go out and do something to prove my manhood by hiking up Mt. Whitney or ride a Harley motorcycle at 90 miles an hour down some LA freeway. I'll show you I still got it!
Before you start getting punchy, here are some stats you need to know: older men have lower testosterone levels than do younger men. After age 40, testosterone levels in the blood begin to decline gradually - about a rate of 1% a year. However, Mayo Clinic doctors also tell us that these dropping levels are rarely significant enough to be noticeable in men younger than 60. When you hit your 80's . . . it's another story.
What are the symptoms of male menopause? Let me warn you some of these these symptoms are not pretty:
Reduced sexual desire
Infertility
Loss of body or pubic hair
Height loss and thinning bones
Hot flashes and sweats
Decreased energy and motivation
Feeling sad or depressed
Poor concentration or memory
Most guys read the first symptom about "decreased sexual desire" and blank out . . . then wonder where to buy a tube of testosterone cream.
How do you treat low testosterone? Answer: Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). Some physicians claim the benefits of TRT are unclear. It might raise your Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) or increase your risk of prostate cancer or it may not. More studies need to be done. But from the many websites I read, any man who uses TRT should have frequent PSA tests to make sure there is not a rise in the PSA count.
If you suspect you're a candidate for male menopause, the first thing you should do is get a blood test for an objective testosterone count.
If you want to go the herbal supplement route, there are many products that make all kinds of claims to raise aging-related low testosterone. One of the most common supplements to treat this condition is DHEA, which could also raise your PSA level. Speak with your doctor before taking any kind of herbal supplements.
Of course, with a doctor's prescription, you can also purchase a testosterone cream to be applied in measured amounts.
I'll leave you with some steps you can take to prevent or improve some of your symptoms.
Watch what you eat. Exercise and maintain a healthy diet to keep you strong and energetic. Exercising is a big factor when it comes to improving your moods as well.
Speak to your doctor about any suspected sexual problems. You cannot watch a football, baseball or basketball game without watching ads about erectile dysfunction (ED) or prostate related problems. So the cat is out of the bag when it comes to sexual problems. There are many medications and lifestyle changes you can utilize to help your condition.
Seek help if you are emotionally distraught. Many older men suffer from depression --become irritable, isolated or withdrawn - and are often left untreated. But if you take steps for treatment, it can make a major difference in how you feel.

Source:MayoClinic.com

Marriage Counseling-3!!

WHY AM I MARRIED?

You have two choices in life:
You can stay single and be miserable,
or get married and wish you were dead.
***************
A lady inserted an ad in the classifieds:
"Husband Wanted".
Next day she received a hundred letters.
They all said the same thing:
"You can have mine."
***************
When a woman steals your husband,
there is no better revenge than to let her keep him.
***************
A little boy asked his father,
"Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?"
Father replied, "I don't know son, I'm still paying."
***************
A young son asked,
"Is it true Dad, that in some parts of Africa a man doesn't know his wife until he marries her?"
Dad replied, "That happens in every country, son."
***************
Then there was a woman who said,
"I never knew what real happiness was until I got married,and by then, it was too late."
***************
Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
***************
If you want your spouse to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say -- talk in your sleep.
***************
Just think, if it weren't for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults at all.
***************
First guy says, "My wife's an angel!"
Second guy remarks, "You're lucky, mine's still alive."
***************
"A Woman's Prayer:
Dear Lord, I pray for: Wisdom, To understand a man , to Love and to forgive him , and for patience, For his moods. Because Lord, if I pray for Strength I'll just beat him to death"
***************

CHICKEN STORY

A farmer rears twenty-five young hens and one old cock. As he feels that the old cock could no longer handle his job efficiently, the farmer bought one young cock from the market.


Old cock to Young cock : "Welcome to join me, we will work together towards productivity.


Young cock : What you mean? As far as I know, you are old and should be retired.


Old cock : Young boy, there are twenty-five hens here, can't I help you with some?


Young cock : No! Not even one, all of them will be mine.


Old cock : In this case, I shall challenge you to a competition and if I win you shall allow me to have one hen and if I lose you will have all.

Young cock :

O.K. What kind of competition?


Old cock: 50 meter run. From here to that tree. But due to my age, I hope you allow me to start off the first 10 meters.


Young cock : No problem ! We will compete tomorrow morning.


Confidently, the following morning, the Young cock allows the Old cock to start off and when the Old cock crosses the 10 meters mark the Young cock chases him with all his might.


Soon enough, he was behind the Old cock back in a matter of seconds.


Suddenly, Bang! ...... before he could overtake the old cock, he was shot dead by the farmer, who cursed, "Hell ! This is the fifth GAY chicken I've bought this week !"

What do you know about Texas?

If someone in a Lowe's store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Texas ;

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Texas ;

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Texas ;

If "Vacation" means going anywhere south of Dallas for the weekend, you may live in Texas;

If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Texas;

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Texas ;

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Texas ;

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Texas ;

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody's passing you, you may live in Texas ;

If you find 60 degrees "a little chilly," you may live in Texas ;

If you actually understand these jokes, and share them with all your Texas friends, you definitely live in Texas

Need to be cheered up?
Happy, Texas 79042
Pep, Texas 79353
Smiley, Texas 78159
Paradise, Texas 76073
Rainbow, Texas 76077
Sweet Home, Texas 77987
Comfort, Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530

Love the Sun?
Sun City, Texas 78628
Sunrise, Texas 76661
Sunset, Texas 76270
Sundown, Texas 79372
Sunray, Texas 79086
Sunny Side, Texas 77423


Want something to eat?
Bacon, Texas 76301
Noodle, Texas 79536
Oatmeal, Texas 78605
Turkey, Texas 79261
Trout, Te xas 75789
Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Salty, Texas 76567
Rice, Texas 75155
Sweetwater, Texas 79556

Why travel to other cities? Texas has them all!
Detroit, Texas 75436
Colorado City, Texas 79512
Cleveland, Texas 77327
Dayton, Texas 77535
Denver City, Texas 79323
Klondike, Texas 75448
Nevada, Texas 75173
Memphis, Texas 79245
Miami, Texas 79059
Boston, Texas 75570
Santa Fe, Texas 77517
Tennessee Colony, Texas 75861
Reno, Texas 75462

Feel like traveling outside the country? Don't bother buying a plane ticket!
Athens, Texas 75751
Canadian, Texas 79014
China, Texas 77613
Dublin, Texas 76446
Egypt, Texas 77436
Ireland, Texas 76538
Turkey, Texas 79261
London, Texas 76854
New London, Texas 75682
Paris, Texas 75460

No need to travel to Washington D.C.
Whitehouse, Texas 75791

We even have a city named after our planet!
Earth, Texas 79031

And a city named after our State!
Texas City, Texas 77590

Exhausted?
Energy, Texas 76452


Cold?
Blanket, Texas 76432
Winters, Texas

Like to read about History?
Santa Anna, Texas
Goliad, Texas
Alamo, Texas
Gun Barrel City, Texas
Robert lee, Texas


Need Office Supplies?
Staples, Texas 78670

Men are from Mars, women are from Venus, Texas 76084


You guessed it..it's on the state line..
Texline, Texas 79087


For the kids...
Kermit, Texas 79745
Elmo, Texas 75118
Nemo, Texas 76070
Tarzan, Texas 79783
Winnie, Texas 77665
Sylvester, Texas 79560

Other city names in Texas, to make you smile.....
Frognot, Texas 75424
Bigfoot, Texas 78005
Hogeye, Texas 75423
Cactus, Texas 79013
Notrees, Texas 79759
Best, Texas 76932
Veribest, Texas 76886
Kickapoo, Texas 75763
Dime Box, Texas 77853
Old Dime Box, Texas 77853
Telephone, Texas 75488
Telegraph, Texas 76883
Whiteface, Texas 79379
Twitty, Texas 79079

And last but not least, the Anti-Al Gore City
Kilgore, Texas 75662

And our favorites...
Cut n Shoot, Texas
Gun Barrell City, Texas
Hoop And Holler, Texas
Ding Dong, Texas and, of course,
Muleshoe, Texas

Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas .

1. Beaumont to El Paso : 742 miles
2. Beaumont to Chicago : 770 miles
3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas
4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, July 4, 1883.
5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.
6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston.
7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.
8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of No. America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.
10. The worst natural disaster in U.S history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane, in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island .
11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was " Houston "
12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island .
13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.
14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. Flag, and may divide into 5 states.
15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.
16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.
18. Dublin, TX has the oldest and only Dr Pepper bottling company that is still working and producing the original Dr Pepper.
19. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington -on- the Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin .
20. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).
21. The name " Texas " comes from the Hasini Indian word "tejas" meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas .
22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo (an interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.).
23. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston .

Cowboy's Ten Commandments posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Fairlie, Texas :
(1) Just one God.
(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa.
(3) No telling tales or gossipin'.
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meeting.
(5) Put nothin' before God.
(6) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal.
(7) No killin'.
(8) Watch yer mouth.
(9) Don't take what ain't yers.
(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff

10 Wonders of the New China !

It's a hotbed of innovative architecture, from diaphanous theaters to buildings heated and cooled by water


International Design

China's current building boom is doing more than sucking up the world's supply of steel -- it's creating a stage for some of today's boldest architecture and engineering. Take a tour of the 10 of the most intriguing examples.


Beijing International Airport , Beijing

Foster & Partners. Under construction, to be completed in late 2007
According to the U.S. Embassy to China , the country will be building 108 new airports between 2004 and 2009 -- including what will be the world's largest: the Beijing International Airport, designed by Foster & Partners. Set to open at the end of 2007, in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the airport terminal will cover more than 1 million square meters, giving it a bigger footprint than the Pentagon.

It's designed to handle 43 million passengers a year initially and 55 million by 2015, figures that will probably push the new facility into the ranks of the top 10 busiest airports, going by the 2004 numbers from the Airports Council International. Given the scale and traffic, Foster & Partners focused on the traveler's experience, making sure that walking distances are short, for instance.


Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai

Kohn Pederson Fox Architects. Under construction, completion scheduled for 2008
Rising in the Lujiazhui financial district in Pudong, the Shanghai World Financial Center is a tower among towers. The elegant 101-story skyscraper will be (for a moment, at least) the world's tallest when completed in early 2008.

One of the biggest challenges of building tall is creating a structure that can withstand high winds. The architects devised an innovation solution to alleviate wind pressure by adding a rectangular cut-out at the building's apex. Not only does the open area help reduce the building's sway but it also will be home to the world's highest outdoor observation deck -- a 100th-floor vista that will take vertigo to new heights.


National Swimming Center, Beijing

PTW and Ove Arup. Under construction, completion scheduled for 2008
The striking exterior of the National Swimming Center, being constructed for the 2008 Olympic Games and nicknamed, the "Water Cube," is made from panels of a lightweight form of Teflon that transforms the building into an energy-efficient greenhouse-like environment. Solar energy will also be used to heat the swimming pools, which are designed to reuse double-filtered, backwashed pool water that's usually dumped as waste.

Excess rainwater will also be collected and stored in subterranean tanks and used to fill the pools. The complex engineering system of curvy steel frames that form the structure of the bubble-like skin are based on research into the structural properties of soap bubbles by two physicists at Dublin 's Trinity College . The unique structure is designed to help the building withstand nearly any seismic disruptions.


Central Chinese Television CCTV, Beijing

OMA/Ole Scheeren and Rem Koolhaas. Under construction, scheduled for completion in 2008
The design of the new Central Chinese Television (CCTV) headquarters defies the popular conception of a skyscraper -- and it broke Beijing's building codes and required approval by a special review panel. The standard systems for engineering gravity and lateral loads in buildings didn't apply to the CCTV building, which is formed by two leaning towers, each bent 90 degrees at the top and bottom to form a continuous loop.

The engineer's solution is to create a structural "tube" of diagonal supports. The irregular pattern of this "diagrid" system reflects the distribution of forces across the tube's surface. Designed by Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren and engineered by Ove Arup, the new CCTV tower rethinks what a skyscraper can be



Linked Hybrid, Beijing

Steven Holl Architects; Li Hu, lead architect. Groundbreaking on December 28, 2005 , scheduled for completion in 2008
Linked Hybrid, which will house 2,500 people in 700 apartments covering 1.6 million square feet, is a model for large-scale sustainable residential architecture. The site will feature one of the world's largest geothermal cooling and heating systems, which will stabilize the temperature within the complex of eight buildings, all linked at the 20th floor by a "ring" of service establishments, like cafés and dry cleaners. A set of dual pipes pumps water from 100 meters below ground, circulating the liquid b etween the buildings' concrete floors.

The result: The water-circulation system serves as a giant radiator in the winter and cooling system in the summer. It has no boilers to supply heat, no electric air conditioners to supply cool. The apartments also feature gray-water recycling -- a process that's just starting to catch on in Beijing in much smaller buildings -- to filter waste water from kitchen sinks and wash basins back into toilets.


Dongtan Eco City, Dongtan

Masterplan by Arup, for the Shanghai Industrial Investment Corp. In planning stages, first phase to be completed in 2010
Developed by the Shanghai Industrial investment Corp., Dongtan Eco City , roughly the size of Manhattan , will be the world's first fully sustainable cosmopolis when completed in 2040. Like Manhattan , it's situated on an island -- the third-largest in China. Located on the Yangtze River , Dongtan is within close proximity of the bustle of Shanghai .

By the time the Shanghai Expo trade fair opens in 2010, the city's first phase should be completed, and 50,000 residents will call Dongtan home-sweet-sustainable-home. The goals to be accomplished in the next five years: systems for water purification, waste management, and renewable energy. An infrastructure of roads will connect the former agricultural land with Shanghai .


Olympic Stadium, Beijing

Herzog & de Meuron. Under construction, to be completed in 2008
Sports stadiums have long followed the enduring design of one of the original wonders of the world, Rome's Coliseum. Herzog & de Meuron's National Stadium in Beijing is an attempt to rethink the classic sports-arena layout for more ecologically correct times.

The Swiss architects (of Tate Modern fame) wanted to provide natural ventilation for the 91,000-seat structure -- perhaps the largest "eco-friendly" sports stadium designed to date. To achieve this, they set out to create a building that could function without a strictly enclosed shell, yet also provide constant shelter for the audience and athletes alike.

To solve these design problems, they looked to nature for inspiration. The stadium's outer grid resembles a bird's nest constructed of delicately placed branches and twigs. Each discrete space within the facility, from restrooms to restaurants, is constructed as an independent unit within the outer lattice -- making it possible to encase the entire complex with an open grid that allows for natural air circulation. The architects also incorporated a layer of translucent membrane to fill any gaps in the lacy exterior.


Donghai Bridge, Shanghai/Yangshan Island

China Zhongtie Major Bridge Engineering Group, Shanghai # 2 Engineering Co., Shanghai Urban Construction Group. Officially opened in December, 2005
A key phase in the development of the world's largest deep-sea port was completed when China 's first cross-sea bridge -- the 20-mile, six-lane Donghai Bridge -- was officially opened in December, 2005. Stretching across the East China Sea , the graceful cable-stay structure connects Shanghai to Yangshan Island , set to become China 's first free-trade port (and the world's largest container port) upon its completion in 2010.

To provide a safer driving route in the typhoons and high waves known to hit the region, Donghai Bridge is designed in an S-shape. The structure, reported by Shanghai Daily to have cost $1.2 billion, will hold its title of China's -- and one of the world's -- longest over-sea bridge for only a couple of years, though. In 2008, the nearby 22-mile Hangzhou Bay Transoceanic Bridge , which also begins (or ends, depending on your journey) in Shanghai , will earn the superlative.


National Grand Theater, Beijing

Paul Andreu and ADP. Under construction, to be completed in 2008
Located near Tiananmen Square , the 490,485-square-foot glass-and-titanium National Grand Theater, scheduled to open in 2008, seems to float above a man-made lake. Intended to stand out amid the Chinese capital's bustling streets and ancient buildings, the structure has garnered criticism among Bejing's citizens for clashing with classic landmarks like the Monument to the People's Heroes (dedicated to revolutionary martyrs), the vast home of the National People's Congress, or Tiananmen Gate itself (the Gate of Heavenly Peace).

French architec t Paul Andreu is no stranger to controversy -- or to innovative forms. A generation ago, in 1974, his untraditional design for Terminal 1 of Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport was criticized for its unusual curves, yet Andreu's groundbreaking, futuristic building later was seen to distinguish de Gaulle from more generic European and international air hubs. (The same airport's Terminal 2E, also designed by Andreu, gained attention in 2004 when it collapsed, tragically killing four people.)

Beijing's daring National Grand Theater is as much a spectacle as the productions that will be staged inside in the 2,416-seat opera house, the 2,017-seat concert hall, and the 1,040-seat theater. At night, the semi-transparent skin will give passersby a glimpse at the performance inside one of three auditoriums, a feature that highlights the building's public nature

National Wildlife's 35th annual photo contest winners

MORE THAN 4,000 images were submitted during the past year to National Wildlife's 35th annual photo contest. Selected by the editors on the basis of originality and execution, the winners appear here.


National Wildlife's 35th annual photo contest winners

GRAND PRIZE
Kim Steininger
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
"I took this picture right before I ducked," says Steininger. On a bird-watching trip in Ontario, Canada, last winter, the network administrator noticed that one of the great gray owls she was photographing was staring back at her. "I didn't think anything of it until it started flying at me," she says. Before getting out of the way, Steininger captured this digital photo with a 500mm telephoto lens.


Victor S. Lamoureux
Vestal, New York
Lamoureux, a high school biology teacher, knows frogs. So when he went frog-watching with his son and niece at a nearby pond and spotted two male green frogs clinging to each other, he knew it was something unusual. "Then my son said, "Dad, Dad, look -there are three frogs" says Lamoureux. As it turned out, there actually were four: three males in a conga line behind one put-upon female. Lamoureux raced back to his house with the kids in tow, and returned to take this digital image with a 180mm macro lens.


Ray G. Foster
Salem, Oregon
Ducks, not hummingbirds, were on Foster's mind when he settled down behind a photo blind near a pond in southern Oregon. "I wasn't having any duck luck so I decided to focus on this hummingbird," says the paper mill worker. He used a 300mm lens to take this unusual photo of a rufous hummingbird collecting fibers from a cattail - presumably to build a nest.


Kevin Doxstater
Port Orange, Florida
While photographing water birds in Florida's Fort DeSoto Park, Doxstater spotted a long-billed curlew hundreds of feet away in the middle of a tidal marsh. Doxstater took off his socks and shoes and slowly waded into the marsh, making digital photos along the way using a 500mm lens and a 1.4x teleconverter. In the end, he was rewarded with this close-up shot of the curlew in the middle of a crab lunch.


Craig Hilton
Lakewood, Colorado
On a trip to Utah's Bear River, Hilton was surprised to see a pair of hungry American white pelicans herding several carp-bigger than the birds bills-into the shallows. Hilton captured the moment with a digital camera and a 200-400mm zoom lens. "What I love about the picture is the expression on the pelicans faces. You know they're having a good time," he says.


Hira Punjabi
Maharashtra, India
On a frigid winter morning at India's Tal Chappar animal sanctuary, Punjabi came upon two male blackbucks battling for dominance against a glowing backdrop of dust and light. The graceful animals, once overhunted, can now be seen in herds throughout India. Punjabi made the photograph with a 500mm telephoto lens.


Bill Yeaton
Dover, New Hampshire
Yeaton was working as a physician on a small cruise ship in Mexico's Sea of Corts when, at breakfast one morning, the passengers noticed that several dolphins were swimming alongside the boat. "Then more and more dolphins came up, until there were hundreds surrounding us," says Yeaton. He took this photo with a digital camera and a 28-300mm zoom lens.


James Shadle
Valrico, Florida
Last spring, Shadle headed to Tampa Bay to photograph a spoonbill rookery there. The salesman jumped out of his boat, lowered his tripod and, using a digital camera and a 600mm lens, photographed this roseate spoonbill just as it came in for a landing.


Christopher C. Barry
Huntington, West Virginia
Perched on a bright yellow lily, a Scudderia katydid nymph caught Barry's eye as he strolled through a Huntington public park. Using a digital camera with a 38-76mm zoom lens, Barry captured a close-up of the insect looking like it climbed the flower just to enjoy the view.


Joshua D. Henson
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
One night during a late-October camping trip in Yellowstone, Henson was driven out of his tent and into his car by the cold. The next morning, the freezing temperatures awoke the seasonal park ranger before dawn-just in time for him to capture this frosty, foggy field at sunrise. He used a 28-80mm lens to make the photo.


Adam Schallau
Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico
Scouting for wildflowers near Crested Butte, Colorado, Schallau hit a gold mine: a field of mules ear against a backdrop of the Anthracite Range and a glorious sunset. To capture the golden moment, the retail account manager used a 12-24mm zoom lens and a tripod to hold his digital camera steady for the quarter-second exposure.


Edsel L. Romero
Cavite, Philippines
While visiting Singapore Botanic Gardens in July 2004, Romero spotted two pairs of mating daylight-flying moths on a single blade of grass. To take the digital photo, the computer programmer lay flat on the ground, inches away from the brightly patterned moths, and used a 180mm macro lens.


Robert M. Palmer
Milliken, Colorado
A young swift fox makes a dash for its den, a kangaroo rat clenched tightly in its teeth. Earlier this year, Palmer stumbled upon the kits mother and followed her back to her den in eastern Colorado-a rare find, since swift foxes have vanished from 90 percent of their historic range in the United States. Over the next month or so, Palmer, a product manager, returned often to the site, taking hundreds of photos of the young fox family. "Once they got used to having me there, they acted like I was part of the family," he says. Palmer made this digital photo with a 500mm lens and a 1.4x teleconverter.


Jerry Horowitz
Marlboro, New Jersey
Horowitz photographed this brown bear on Alaska's Kodiak Island. The retiree used a 70-200mm zoom lens.


Nick J. Dunlop
Sebastopol, California
Dunlop photographed this belted kingfisher near his home. The real estate appraiser used a 600mm lens and 1.4x teleconverter.

Inside the Pyramid!

There has been always mystery about the pyramid, how did they build up. It is almost impossible to build such huge structure by using latest technology and world's largest crane. Take a closer look inside the pyramid. You will be amazed to see the mixture of art and engineering inside it.