The United Nations has declared 2012 the Year of Sustainable Energy for All. Not so hard to understand that the target of this declaration is to ensure natural energy for the whole humanity. The year is also declared as the year of cooperatives but that is not a point to discuss here. However an energy summit will be held on 16-19 January 2012 in Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates. This is an annual summit for alternative energy, clean technology and environment industries ultimately a call for ‘going green’ which is being made popular day by day.

What are sustainable energies?

According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary sustainable energy is that energy which involves the use of natural products and energy in a way that does not harm the environment. It sounds very ethical that everyone on the earth will have access to the energy. No one will have to pay for other’s development. The first-generation sustainable energy sources include hydropower, biomass combustion, and geothermal power and heat. Some of these technologies are still in widespread use.

Second-generation technologies include solar heating and cooling, wind power, modern forms of bioenergy, and solar photovoltaics. These are now entering markets as a result of research, development and demonstration (RD&D) investments since the 1980s. The initial investment was prompted by energy security concerns linked to the oil crises (1973 and 1979) of the 1970s but the continuing appeal of these renewables is due, at least in part, to environmental benefits. Many of the technologies reflect significant advancements in materials.

Third-generation technologies are still under development and include advanced biomass gasification, biorefinery technologies, concentrating solar thermal power, hot dry rock geothermal energy, and ocean energy. Advances in nanotechnology may also play a major role.

First- and second-generation technologies have entered the markets, and third-generation technologies heavily depend on long term research and development commitments, where the public sector has a role to play.

A 2008 comprehensive cost-benefit analysis review of energy solutions in the context of global warming and other issues ranked wind power combined with battery electric vehicles (BEV) as the most efficient, followed by concentrated solar power, geothermal power, tidal power, photovoltaic, wave power, coal capture and storage, nuclear energy, and finally biofuels.

Colonial mentality

From 1757 to 1947 we were in the British colony and after their quits we owed to them for our post-colonial mentality and they owed to us for the resources— kohinoor, mayur singhason etc — they plundered from the subcontinent. So still we value everything foreign, viz. certificate, idea, thought, food and activities. We aren’t in a position to buy local goods, have the least love for the country. We go abroad for shopping or during different festivals. We treat their near or dear ones in Singapore or America or Britain hospitals and our female members often talk about the amount they spent over there for treatment. It’s a token of class and superiority.

War for Energy

When the world is struggling to cope with energy crisis, the automobile factories are racing against time. Gadget companies are competing with thousand others to fund the research of gadgets every day. Don’t talk about arms race and arms producing countries. Energy hungry states are invading resourceful countries one after another under lame excuses.

Car or curse?

In the early years of life most of Bangladeshi kids have heard from their elders reciting ‘those who study can afford a car and those who don’t, can’t. Ignorant and uneducated people, usually thought to be poor, have to hire cars or ride on other’s vehicles.’ This oft-quoted small poem further reads that ‘those who don’t attend school most likely to be run over by a motor car’. These lines never failed to inspire the people of the post colonial era particularly those who are the puppets of masters abroad and their dependants. As people tend to toe the lines of the ruling class, follow their fashion, life style they want naturally to live the life of the upper class no matter whether the upper class people are upright or not. Most of the business tycoons or the greedy corporate or the rulers lead the same extravagant life with paucity, power, and pelf. Spacious house certainly with costly and foreign fittings, luxurious car more often more than one etc are the tokens of the people of the upper class.

This rich section of the society can’t guess or think what will happen to the energy-hungry earth if everyone of the planet affords a car. Can the planet afford 700 crore cars? With the ever depleting petroleum reserves the earth can’t afford the present 1 billion cars let alone 7 billion. You might have known that the world has now over 99 crore 99 lakh 99 thousand cars. In 2011 in the US there were 23 crore cars with 1.3 persons having a car and in China there are over 7.8 crore cars. With one billion cars around 1.2 billion go to bed hungry. If everyone wants to have a car run by biofuels, everyone of the planet will have to go to bed hungry. The more the cars the more the planet will be cursed.

Energy for All: Possible or impossible?

Without coordinated effort the ‘international communities’ are trying to mitigate the energy crisis and looking for sustainable energy for everyone. Doing nothing to contain consumerism, hedonism, extravaganza and tendency to lead posh life the policymakers are repeatedly calling for an end to energy scarcity. Whereas the energy hungry countries are invading one country after another to ensure the supply of gas, oil, uranium and so on. Not only that with the Breton Woods Institute diktat the countries are still building dams and barrages to satiate power hunger ultimately changing the course of nature. There are now as many as 45000 dams and barrages which have done lots of damages to the mother earth.  And the World Bank is responsible for these dams. But is it possible to purify water of a well without removing the dead and rotten rat which is stinking the water there.

We are familiar with quite a number of animals living around us. There are also some animals that are either completely extinct or about to be lost. Today I tried to take a glimpse into the lives of those lost animals. First I tried to look into the lives of animals that were once found in abundance in Bangladesh. I have also talked about animals across the globe.

Sumatran Rhinoceros
They had a weight of about 1000 kilograms. It had two horns; the horn on the nose was larger. They had a lifespan of about 30 to 45 years. They once lived in the rainforests and cloud forests of Myanmar, India and Bangladesh. They liked to live alone except for mating and child rearing. They were herbivorous, lived on leaves, fruits and twigs.

Pink Headed Duck
It was a large diving duck once found in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. It was declared extinct in the 1950’s. It was about 41 to 43 centimeter long with a long bill, long neck and a pink head. The male was darker than the female. It used to breed in tall grass jungles. It laid spherical, creamy white eggs, about 6 to 7 in a clutch. The reason of their extinction is habitat destruction.

Painted Stork
A large wading bird in the stork family, found in the wetlands of the plains of Tropical Asia. It has a heavy yellow bill and an orange or reddish head. They feed in groups in shallow wetlands. They nest in trees. Breeding season begins in mid August and continues till February.

Asian small clawed Otter
It is the smallest Otter species in the world. It lived in the mangrove swamps and freshwater wetlands of Bangladesh. It lived on small non vertebrate creatures, crabs and other water animals. Very active in the remote areas free of human disturbance, they are seriously threatened by hunting and rapid habitat destruction.

Dhole
The Asiatic wild dog was once found in all the areas of Bangladesh. Their ears were large and round and also filled with white hair. It was also called the whistling hunter. They had reddish fur, and were carnivorous.

Asiatic Black Bear
It has a white crescent marking on its chest. It has large rounded ears. They live in hilly areas and eat nuts, buds and insects. They also eat leftover prey killed by tigers which builds in fat before winter. They live alone, except for mother and child. Females give birth to two cubs after about seven to eight months of pregnancy. It used to be found in Bangladesh in large numbers, but now it is marked endangered and is found in Pakistan and Iran only.

Asian Elephant
It is also known as the Indian elephant and has body and ears smaller than the African elephant. They have flat foreheads and curved backs. Only some of the males have tusks, females never have them. They eat mostly plants, also grass, twigs, barks and leaves. It needs large forest area as habitat and a permanent water supply.
Bengal Florican
Bengal Floricans are 66 to 68 cm long. The male has black feathers from head and neck. The female is larger than the male and is brownish. It has two types, one in the Indian subcontinent, and another in South East Asia. They use grasslands near the lake to breed. They live in open tall grassland habitats with bushes. They are critically threatened, because land is needed for agriculture, especially for rice production.

Bengal Slow Loris
It is the largest species of slow loris. It has large, bulging eyes and heavy, wooly fur. It is a good climber, a nocturnal mammal. This used to be found in large numbers in Bangladesh, but now it is a vulnerable species. It is a seed dispenser and pollinator. It is already locally extinct in some places, because of being used as a pet. It is one of the most common animals sold in local animal markets.

Black Soft shell Turtle
This was once found in large numbers in the Bramhaputra River, but now it only lives in the Bayazid Baustami mazar in Chittagong. For this reason, it is also called the “Mazari” turtle.

Sri Lanka Lion or Ceylon Lion
Prehistoric subspecies of lion extinct at 37000 years BC. This lion is only known from two teeth found in deposits of Kuruwita, a town 120 km from Colombo.

Steppe Bison
Was a bison found on steppes throughout Europe, Central Asia, Beringia and North America. People believed that it evolved somewhere in South Asia at the same time and region as the Aurorchs. It became extinct almost 11700 years ago.

Wooly Rhinoceros
It is an extinct species of rhinoceros that was common throughout Europe and Asia. The external appearance of these animals is known from mummified individuals from Siberia as well as cave paintings. An adult was 3 to 3.8 meters long and 2 to 3 tons heavy. It would grow up to be 2 meters tall. Two horns on the skull were made of Keratin, a fibrous protein. It also had a smaller horn between its eyes. It had thick, long fur, small ears, short thick legs and a large body.

Aurochs
It was the ancestor of modern cattle. It was large wild cattle which resided in Europe Asia and North Africa. It survived in Europe till 1647. The bulls were taller than the cows. They had wide, pointed horns, small legs and a thick coat. They were herbivorous animals. They lived in the hot and dry areas of India about two million years ago.

Javan Tiger
They lived in the Indonesian island called Java till the mid 1970’s. They were very small compared to the other Asian tigers. They lived on Rusa deer, Banteng and wild boar and occasionally on reptiles.

Bonin wood pigeon
They were extinct in Spring 1889, and had a average length of 45 cm. The upper part of its body was grayish black; crown was green-purple, a greenish yellow bill and red legs. They were last seen in Japan.

Cave hyena
An extinct species of spotted hyena. It is only known from prehistoric cave paintings. The main difference between the spotted hyena and cave hyena is the difference of the lengths of the limbs. They mainly fed on a type of horses and reindeer.
The Great Auk
A bird similar to the penguin which became extinct in the mid 19th century. Despite being flightless, it was a very good swimmer. It lived mostly on fish. Its main enemies were white tailed eagles, polar bears and humans. They nested in highly populated areas, mated for life.

Labrador Duck
It was a black and white sea duck which became extinct in North America in 1500. It had a flat beak and lived on marine sea animals. The reason of its extinction is still unexplained. Though hunted for food, it still tasted bad.

Eastern Hare Wallaby
An extinct marsupial that lived in the New South Wales Victoria, and the Murray River region of South Australia. It could have become extinct for extensive agriculture and the red fox.

Like these, there are many other animals including the Royal Bengal Tiger, which are almost lost from the jungles. These animals are needed to keep the natural balance of the wild. We should try our level best to save as many animals as we can and make the world a better place to live in.

Go for good enough
One pretty big issue for me in the past was that I wanted to polish everything until it was “perfect”. The problem is just that such thinking often leads to many things not ever being finished.
So you have to find a balance for yourself where you do good work and don’t slack off but at the same time don’t get lost in trying to improve and polish something too much.
I have found that balance through experience.
It is also very important to be aware that nothing will ever be perfect. Striving for perfection can be pretty dangerous. Because you will never feel like you are good enough.
You have set the bar at an inhuman level. And so your self esteem stays low even though your results may be very good.
So just focus on gradually being more consistent instead trying to be perfect.
Realize that good enough is good enough. And that goes both for your work and for you.
Set a deadline
Last year I set a deadline for when my second e-book should be finished. I had realized that just working on it and releasing it when it was done would not work. Because I could always find stuff to add to it. So I had to set a deadline. Sure, I still missed it by a few days but finally I did the last part of the work and was done with it.
Setting a deadline gave me a kick in the butt and it is generally a good way to help you to let go of a need to polish things a bit too much.

Use limits and rituals to keep your focus during the home stretch
The last part of a project or a task can often feel pretty hard and it is easy to get lost in procrastination. By setting limits for how often you check email each day, how much time you spend on social networks and forums, how much time you take to make small everyday decisions you can over a month or two develop these things into habits that run automatically most of the time.
I limit my own checking of email, Facebook, blog statistics etc. to one ritual at the end of my workday where I just string all the checking together into one 20-30 minute session. This allows me to get the creative parts and the most important tasks of the day done early in the day when I am rested and focused and it prevents me from getting lost in everything else.
By incorporating limits like these into your lifestyle you are less likely to get distracted during the last part of the work and you can keep your eye on what’s important.
based on a writing by
Henrik Edberg

More about words often confused

to cry  to sob  to wail  to whimper  to weep
To cry is the most general word for producing tears when you are
unhappy or hurt.
The baby is crying because it is hungry.
We cry when we are in pain.
To sob means to cry noisily, taking sudden sharp breaths.
The girl is sobbing because she has been rebuked by her mother.
Mina’s mother has been sobbing all morning because Mina is    seriously  ill.
To wail means to cry loudly:
Mrs Huq has been wailing because her husband is dead.
We wail when disaster strikes us.
To whimper means to cry making a low  weak  noises:
Dogs whimper when they are beaten.
The child is whimpering because his mother refused to give him chocolates.
To weep means to cry quietly for a long time:
She has been weeping all day because there has been no food at home.
The nation wept when the leader passed away.
All these verbs can be used like ‘say’:
“I don’t like you to leave me alone,” she cried/ wailed/sobbed.
To be in tears means to be crying.
To burst into tears means to begin to cry suddenly.
To cry your eyes out means to cry a lot for a long time because you are very sad.

fat  overweight  large or heavy  plump  chubby  tubby  stocky  stout  flabby  obese
Fat is the more common and direct word, but it is not very polite to say to someone that they are fat. Instead of using the word fat, it is better to say:
He has put on weight.
Overweight is the more neutral word:
He is a bit overweight.
To avoid being overweight, you should cut down on calories
Large or heavy is less offensive than fat.
Mrs Ali is a large woman.
Big describes someone who is tall as well as fat.
His sister is a big girl.
Plump means slightly fat in an attractive way, often used to describe women.
Ms Hena is a plump woman.
Chubby is used mainly to describe babies, children who are fat in a pleasant healthy-looking way.
Mr Hasan’s youngest child is chubby, isn’t he?

Tubby is informally used in a friendly way to describe people who are short and round especially around the stomach.
His friends call him tubby.
Stocky , a neutral word, means fairly short, broad and strong.
Hasan is a stocky young man.
Stout is often used to describe older people who have round and heavy appearance
My friend Jamal is a stout man with a bald head.
Flabby describes flesh that is fat and loose and sounds offensive.
My uncle does not take exercise and he looks flabby.
Obese is used by doctors to describe people who are so fat that they are unhealthy.
If you eat too much and don’t take exercise, you will look obese.
Note that it is not considered polite to refer to a man’s size or weight when you talk to him

mistake  error  inaccuracy slip  howler
These are all words for a word, figure or fact that is not said, written down or typed correctly.
Mistake a word or figure that is not spoken or written correctly.
Non-native speakers often make mistakes in using English.
Make sure that you don’t make gross mistakes in pronouncing  words.
Error, (rather formal), a word, figure, etc. that is not said or written down  correctly;
There are a lot of grammatical errors in your composition.
Errors are very common in students’ writing.
Error is a more formal way of saying mistake.
Inaccuracy (rather formal) a piece of information that is not exactly correct.
Your article is marred by inaccuracies.
It is important to avoid inaccuracies when you are sending an article for publication.
Slip, a small mistake usually made by being careless or not paying attention.
While reading proof, one should pay close attention to possible slips.
Slips are always irritating.
Howler (informal, especially British) a stupid mistake especially in what it says or writes:
The report of the Enquiry Committee is full of howlers.
A howler is usually an embarrassing mistake which shows that the person who made it does not know something that he ought to know.
There are a number of howlers in the essay.

Patterns and collocations
a(n) mistake/error/ inaccuracy/ howler/ slip
a common mistake/error
a spelling/grammatical mistake/error
to make a mistake/error/ be full of mistakes/errors
to correct the mistakes/errors

storey  floor
You use storey(British) or story (American)  when you are talking about the  number of levels a building has.
I live in a 3-storey building
This building is 18-storey high.
Floor is used mainly to talk about which particular level in the building someone lives on or goes to etc.
My office is on the 6th floor of this building.

Secy-Gen of the United Nations,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, I wish to extend my congratulations to Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on his assumption of the Presidency of the Assembly for this session, and wish him all success.

I reaffirm my sincere congratulations, on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinians, to the government and people of South Sudan for its deserved admission as a full member of the UN, wishing them progress and prosperity.

I also congratulate the Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on his election for a new term at the helm of the UN. This renewal of confidence reflects the world’s appreciation for his efforts, which have strengthened the role of the UN.

Excellencies,

The Question Palestine is intricately linked with the UN via the resolutions adopted by its various organs and agencies and via the essential and lauded role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East – UNRWA – which embodies the international responsibility towards the plight of Palestine refugees, who are the victims of Al-Nakba (Catastrophe) that occurred in 1948. We aspire for and seek a greater and more effective role for the UN in working to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in our region that ensures the inalienable, legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people as defined by the resolutions of international legitimacy of the UN.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A year ago, at this same time, distinguished leaders in this hall addressed the stalled peace efforts in our region. Everyone had high hopes for a new round of final status negotiations, which had begun in early September in Washington under the direct auspices of President Barack Obama and with participation of the Quartet, and with Egyptian and Jordanian participation, to reach a peace agreement within one year. We entered those negotiations with open hearts and attentive ears and sincere intentions, and we were ready with our documents, papers and proposals. But the negotiations broke down just weeks after their launch because Israeli government refuses to commit to terms of reference — the core issue — for the negotiations that are based on international law and UN resolutions, and that it frantically continues to intensify building of settlements on the territory of the State of Palestine.

Settlement activities embody the core of the policy of colonial military occupation of the land of the Palestinians and all of the brutality of aggression and racial discrimination against our people that this policy entails. This policy, which constitutes a breach of international humanitarian law and UN resolutions, is the primary cause for the failure of the peace process, the collapse of dozens of opportunities, and the burial of the great hopes that arose from the signing of the Declaration of Principles in 1993 between the PLO and Israel to achieve a just peace that would begin a new era for our region.

The reports of UN missions as well as by several Israeli institutions and civil societies convey a horrific picture about the size of the settlement campaign, which the Israeli government does not hesitate to boast about and which it continues to execute through the systematic confiscation of the Palestinian lands and the construction of thousands of new settlement units in various areas of the West Bank, particularly in East Jerusalem, and accelerated construction of the annexation Wall that is eating up large tracts of our land, dividing it into separate and isolated islands and cantons, destroying family life and communities and the livelihoods of tens of thousands of families. The occupying Power also continues to push them away from their ancestral homeland and to undertake excavations that threaten our holy places, and its military checkpoints prevent our citizens from getting access to their mosques and churches, and it continues to besiege the Holy City. In addition, orders have been issued to deport elected representatives from Jerusalem.

The occupation is racing against time to redraw the borders on our land according to what it wants and to impose a fait accompli on the ground that changes the realities and that is undermining the realistic potential for the existence of the State of Palestine. At the same time, the occupying Power continues to impose its blockade on the Gaza Strip and to target Palestinians by assassinations, air strikes and artillery shelling, persisting with its war of aggression of three years ago on Gaza, which resulted in massive destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, and mosques, and the thousands of martyrs and wounded.

These are just a few examples of the policy of the Israeli colonial settlement occupation, and this policy is responsible for the continued failure of the successive international attempts to salvage the peace process. This policy will destroy the chances of achieving a two-State solution upon which there is an international consensus, and here I caution aloud: This settlement policy threatens to also undermine the structure of the Palestinian National Authority and even end its existence. In addition, we now face a threat to the future of a million and a half Christian and Muslim Palestinians.

Excellencies,

In 1974, our deceased leader Yasser Arafat came to this hall and assured the Members of the General Assembly of our affirmative pursuit for peace, urging the UN to realize the inalienable national rights of the Palestinians, stating: “Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand”. In 1988, President Arafat submitted the Palestinian peace program adopted by the Palestine National Council at its session held that year in Algeria.

When we adopted this program, we were taking a painful and very difficult step for all of us, especially those, including myself, who were forced to leave their homes and their towns and villages, carrying only some of our belongings and our grief and our memories and the keys of our homes to the camps of exile and the Diaspora in the 1948 Al-Nakba.

Yet, because we believe in peace and because of our conviction in international legitimacy, and because we had the courage to make difficult decisions for our people and we agreed to establish the State of Palestine on only 22% of the territory of historical Palestine – on all the Palestinian Territory occupied by Israel in 1967.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I confirm, on behalf of the PLO which will remain so until the end of the conflict in all its aspects and until the resolution of all final status issues, the following:

1. The goal of the Palestinian people is the realization of their inalienable national rights in their independent State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on all the land of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, which Israel occupied in the June 1967 war, in conformity with the resolutions of international legitimacy and with the achievement of a just and agreed upon solution to the Palestine refugee issue in accordance with resolution 194, as stipulated in the Arab Peace Initiative which presented the consensus Arab vision to resolve the core the Arab-Israeli conflict and to achieve a just and comprehensive peace. To this we adhere and this is what we are working to achieve. Achieving this desired peace also requires the release of political prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons without delay.

2. The PLO and the Palestinians adhere to the renouncement of violence and rejection and condemning of terrorism in all its forms, especially State terrorism, and adhere to all agreements signed between the PLO and Israel.

3. We adhere to the option of negotiating a lasting solution to the conflict in accordance with resolutions of international legitimacy. Here, I declare that the PLO is ready to return immediately to the negotiating table on the basis of the adopted terms of reference based on international legitimacy and a complete cessation of settlement activities.

4. Our people will continue their popular peaceful resistance to the Israeli occupation and its settlement and apartheid policies and its construction of the racist annexation Wall, and they receive support for their resistance, which is consistent with international humanitarian law and international conventions and has the support of peace activists from Israel and around the world, reflecting an impressive, inspiring and courageous example of the strength of this defenseless people, armed only with their dreams, courage, hope and slogans in the face of bullets, tanks, tear gas and bulldozers.

5. When we bring our plight and our case to this international podium, it is a confirmation of our reliance on the political and diplomatic option and is a confirmation that we do not undertake unilateral steps. Our efforts are not aimed at isolating Israel or de-legitimizing it; rather we want to gain legitimacy for the cause of the people of Palestine. We only aim to de-legitimize the settlement activities and the occupation and apartheid and the logic of ruthless force, and we believe that all the countries of the world stand with us in this regard.

I am here to say: We extend our hands to the Israeli government and the Israeli people for peace-making. I say to them: Let us urgently build together a future for our children where they can enjoy freedom, security and prosperity. Let us build the bridges of dialogue instead of checkpoints and walls of separation, and build cooperative relations based on parity and equity between two neighboring States – Palestine and Israel – instead of policies of occupation, settlement, war and eliminating the other.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Despite the unquestionable right of our people to self-determination and to the independence of our State as stipulated in international resolutions, we have accepted in the past few years to engage in what appeared to be a test of our worthiness, entitlement and eligibility. During the last two years our national authority has implemented a program to build our State institutions. The reports issued recently by the UN, the WB, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) and the International Monetary Fund confirm and laud what has been accomplished, considering it a remarkable and unprecedented model.

Excellencies,

It is no longer possible to redress the issue of the blockage of the horizon of the peace talks with the same means and methods that have been repeatedly tried and proven unsuccessful over the past years. The crisis is far too deep to be neglected, and what is more dangerous are attempts to simply circumvent it or postpone its explosion.

It is neither possible, nor practical, nor acceptable to return to conducting business as usual, as if everything is fine. It is futile to go into negotiations without clear parameters and in the absence of credibility and a specific timetable. Negotiations will be meaningless as long as the occupation army on the ground continues to entrench its occupation, instead of rolling it back, and continues to change the demography of our country in order to create a new basis on which to alter the borders.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a moment of truth and my people are waiting to hear the answer of the world. Will it allow Israel to continue its occupation, the only occupation in the world? Will it allow Israel to remain a State above the law and accountability? Will it allow Israel to continue rejecting the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations and the International Court of Justice and the positions of the overwhelming majority of countries in the world?

I come before you today from the Holy Land, the land of Palestine, the land of divine messages, ascension of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the birthplace of Jesus Christ (PBUH), to speak on behalf of the Palestinian people in the homeland and in the Diaspora, to say, after 63 years of suffering of the ongoing Nakba: Enough. It is time for the Palestinian people to gain their freedom and independence.

At a time when the Arab peoples affirm their quest for democracy – the Arab Spring – the time is now for the Palestinian Spring, the time for independence.

My people desire to exercise their right to enjoy a normal life and democracy like the rest of humanity. They believe what the great poet Mahmoud Darwish said: Standing here, staying here, permanent here, eternal here, and we have one goal, one, one: to be.

I say: The time has come for my courageous and proud people to live like other peoples of the earth, free in a sovereign and independent homeland. I would like to inform you that, before delivering this statement, I submitted, in my capacity as the President of the State of Palestine and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the PLO, to Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the UN, an application for the admission of Palestine on the basis of the 4 June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, as a full member of the UN.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I call upon Secretary-General to expedite transmittal of our request to the Security Council, and I call upon the distinguished members of the UNSC to vote in favor of our full membership. I also call upon the States that did not recognized the State of Palestine as yet to do so.

Your support for the establishment of the State of Palestine and for its admission to the United Nations as a full member is the greatest contribution to peacemaking in the Holy Land.

I thank you.

(Abridged)

Here are 5 simple and effective tips which help you own a beautiful healthy skin that not costly by using any cosmetic productions.

1. Drinking enough water

Water is an important role in the elimination of toxin from the body. Drinking enough water not only helps you improve your general health but also well for skin. Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.

2. Keep skin cleanly

In addition to drinking enough water, one necessary thing is hygiene your skin regularly. You should clean your skin with some gently with the cleanser that contain natural ingredients after waking and before bed. If not kept clean the skin regularly, you may well boil or pimple.

3. Sleep well

A good sleep is also very important to remain a healthy skin. Follow the recommend of the doctors, we should sleep at least 7-8 hours per day, our skin will be more lighting after waking up in the morning

4. Sunbathing in the morning

You just need 5-30 minutes for sunbathing in the morning to your skin can receive Vitamin D form the sunshine. Vitamin D is one of important vitamin which help skin can receive canxi and also for a healthy skin.

5. Do exercise in the morning

This thing is not only good for health benefit but also help the body can eliminate the toxin. In addition, it will increase blood flow to provide oxygen to the skin. You can choose some simple and easy exercise such as walking, swimming, aerobics.

First, here is an analogy of Ramadan which I would like everyone to ponder over:

Suppose you were a student and there was this particular subject in which you hadn’t been doing well at all. Now, when the year is about to end, the professor comes to you and tells you that I know that you’ve been slackening in this subject throughout the year but I’ll make a deal with you. There is this test that will be conducted and if you manage to score an A grade or more, I’ll consider that your grade for the whole year and discard all the other test results. What would you do? Throw the offer back at his face or thank him and spend all the remaining time preparing for that test. Similarly, Allah SWT has given us all such an option. This could be our last Ramadan. Only 30 days to work hard and you could be free from Hellfire, all your sins from the past 20, 30, 60 or whatever number of years you’ve been living!

Hope we have a great Ramadhan, insya Allah!

Personal worship tips:

1. Make sure your intentions are only for Allah’s regardless of what you’re doing, may it even be work!

Intentions are very important for every action. Scholars say that the person will not be rewarded if he does not have the right intention. The best intention would be to please Allah SWT.

2. Put sincerity in your Salat!

Don’t treat your Salat like something you hate and you’re forced to do it. This perspective will usually get you late at the mosque. Put love and sincerity in it and perform it as perfectly as you can.

3. Wake up early in the morning, or rather, late at night, for Tahajjud!

Calculate the time between Maghrib and Fajr. Divide it by 3. The 3rd part will be the one in which the Ajr for Qiyam ul Lail is greatest. Calculate the likely times for you to wake up considering in mind the sleep cycle time. Choose the multiple of the sleep cycle time which is nearest to the Tahajjud time that you calculated. Tune your alarm clock for that time. Wake up and pray as many rakahs (in 2s) as possible before you start Sehr.

4. Make sure that you do not miss even a Sunnah! In fact, add a few nawafil too!

According to one Hadith, in Ramadhan, the reward of a nafl reaches the reward of a Sunnah, the reward of a Sunnah reaches the reward of a fardh and the reward of a fardh is increased by 70 times. Now, I don’t think any sensible person would want to miss out on such a profitable business!

5. Make sure you make it to the mosque 5 times a day!

If you don’t usually go to the mosque, start getting regular. If you are already regular, try making it to the very first row every time. If you are already able to reach to the first row every time, try being the one who stands directly behind the Imam or if the Muezzin stands there, aim for the position next to him.

6. Read the Quran and understand it!

Not everyone gets enough time for memorizing passages but most can take out enough time for reading those passages. Leave your books, especially the fiction ones, stop watching useless programs on TV and pick up the Quran for a month, at least. If you follow what you read, the reward might exceed much more than the 10 words per letter method.

7. Remember to make dhikr!

Remembering Allah SWT through dhikr is the one thing which the people of Paradise will regret not doing enough. Find out the adhkar to which the Prophet Muhammad (S) attached special importance, reciting and keep on reciting them as much as possible whenever you remember. You do not have to take out a specific time for it. Just do it whenever you’re doing something which doesn’t require talking whether it’s at work or at school.

8. Go for Shalat ut Taraweeh!

Most of the mosques arrange for Shalat ut Taraweeh after the Isha Shalat. Try making it there every night.

9. Spend more on the needy!

In every community, there are poor and needy people. Buy them food and surprise them by making it an anonymous gift. It is narrated that many of the Salaf (pious predecessors) used to provide food to the needy of their community without them finding out who it was who was helping them. They would only find out when that person died and they stopped receiving food.

Some random tips for daily life

1. Get rid of your music and songs!

If you’re addicted to music, now’s the best time to leave it.

2. Plan your day hour by hour!

When you know that you’ve got to finish a few tasks in this hour, you’ll realize that you’ve got less time to complete it and so you won’t delay it.

3. Review yourself every day!

Specify a certain time of the day when you review what you’ve done in your day, what you need to improve and what mistakes you need to correct.

4. Don’t be undecisive!

Plan your activities and prioritize them beforehand.

5. Avoid evil company!

Make sure that you don’t sit with people who are not pious or do not try to become pious.

6. Leave your bad habits!

Are you addicted to smoking or some other drugs? Now’s the best time for you to get rid of it.

7. Remember not to neglect your studies and work!

Try to strike a balance between your activities in Ramadhan and your work load. Don’t sacrifice a fardh for the sake of a recommended action.

8. Do the more important stuff early, in the morning!

Since you would have recently eaten Sehr, you would be the most energetic early in the morning. Try doing the more important activities at this time.

9. Be consistent!

10. Keep in mind that this is only a training period!

Be determined and remember that Shaytan won’t gain access to your hear unless you allow him and that verily, Allah is sufficient as a Helper.

Source: Internet

Exercise
Balance in all things is critical to maintaining health, not only physical health, but emotional and spiritual health as well. In the hectic drive of today’s world, many women forget to take care of their most important asset, themselves. In an effort to help people of all ages learn to take care of and nurture themselves, here are some easy ideas you can use to bring balance and harmony into your life, starting with exercise.

For years, we have heard how exercise is an integral part of achieving and sustaining good health. Exercise does more that keep your heart healthy and toned. Exercise improves the performance of your lungs. It improves your circulation by increasing the exchange rate of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. Exercise activates many internal mechanisms, which help to cleanse and tonify the body.

Exercise is not only aerobics, weight lifting, cycling or jogging. This level of exertion isn’t necessary to have and maintain balance in our lives. Simple acts such as walking, yoga and even stretching can have a beneficial effect on your body and spirit. Incorporate one of these activities into your daily routine. Pick a specific time of day. Give yourself 5 or 10 minutes a day to work on your physical well-being. As you become comfortable with the activity, increase its length. Add another 5 minutes every week or two. Is this asking too much for yourself?

Eat Right
Eating right is another key toward having and maintaining health and balance in your life. As our society changes and the basis of life becomes accelerated, many of us get trapped in the idea that faster is better. How many times have you found yourself getting frustrated as you sit in your car waiting in line at a fast food restaurant? Or watch as the clock ticks away, counting down the seconds until the microwave announces that your food selection is ready?

In order to fuel the fires of our being, we need to consume the right blend of nutrients in order for our bodies to function correctly. Would it surprise you to find out that many of the fast and convenience foods available today lack many of the vitamins and minerals we need? In fact, the main components of many of these foods include white flour, saturated or hydrogenated fats and sugar. While they may taste good and fill our non-discriminating stomachs, they lack nutritional value. They are just empty calories looking to be consumed.

Eating healthy is easy. Reduce or eliminate processed or convenience foods from your diet, replacing them with whole grains, chicken and fish. Try to incorporate a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables into your food regimen, looking to eat a leafy green salad and a piece of fruit daily. Even with these small changes in your diet, I think you will find a healthier, happier you.

Reduce Stress
Stress is a word we are all too familiar with. If it is not the job, it is the kids. If it isn’t the kids, it is some unexpected expense you haven’t budgeted for. Let’s face it, stress is accepted as a basic part of our lives.

When we are whole in body, mind and spirit, we do not experience stress. We experience stress when we choose to hold onto energies and emotions as opposed to accepting them and allowing them to flow through us, or “to roll off our backs.” Many times, fear is the underlying emotion that traps us. While we may not think it is on a conscious level, there is always some part of us that is afraid. We are afraid to let go or afraid to make changes in our lives, even if these changes will bring us a sense of peace and harmony.

Stress reduction is an integral part of bringing balance back into your life. Stress has been identified with burnout and fatigue, a lowered immune system and an increase in free radical damage. There are a number of simple things you can do to help reduce or eliminate the stress you are experiencing in your life.

There are times, however, that the only way to eliminate stressors from our lives is by making behavioral or lifestyle changes. These changes can include quitting an undesirable job, ending a failing relationship or even saying “No” to a needy friend or relative. While these changes may seem radical, in the end many woman find them freeing.

Meditate
Meditation is a great technique to use for stress reduction. Meditation can be either active or passive. Active meditation includes exercise, drawing or dancing. Even activities such as doing the dishes or raking the lawn can have a relaxing therapeutic effect. Meditation can also be passive utilizing techniques such as concentration, breath control and even creative visualization. Each of these activities distracts the conscious mind and allows unwanted thoughts and emotions to drain away.

Find Your Bliss
Through my work, I have found countless men who do not know what they want, need or desire. They have spent a majority their lives “taking care” of someone else. When asked what they want, many of them just don’t know. They have never taken the time to ask themselves these important questions. They were not taught to take care of themselves or the importance of honoring their needs or their needs and desires are just as important as everyone else’s. Why should they? It is not part of our society.

So how do you figure out what your needs and desires? I have found journaling to be an excellent way to help you clarify your thoughts, needs and desires. Journaling gives you the opportunity to separate out your feelings from those around you. It gives you the opportunity to figure out who you really are.

Journaling
Journaling is an easy technique to master. Buy yourself a blank writing book, staple together some scrap paper or sit in front of your computer, taking a few minutes each day to write to yourself. As yourself questions like: What do I want? What do I need? What kinds of things make me happy? Where am I going in my life? Where do I want to go? As you start to explore some of these questions, take the time to listen to your answers. Be honest with yourself. What is the point of lying, you will only be deceiving yourself.

Once you have completed this stage, give yourself permission to have it, get it or work toward it. Create goals and work toward them. Ask your friends and families for their support and blessings. With each and every step you take, no matter how large or small, you are creating more and more balance in your life. That’s right, give it a try. You might be surprised.

Have Fun
That’s right, just go ahead and do it. You never know, you may enjoy yourself. Take the time to give to yourself daily.

Giving to yourself, honoring yourself and loving yourself is important. As you take the time to eat right, exercise, meditate or fulfill your own need, you will begin to experience a sense of empowerment, peace and harmony. Each step that you take will help to bring the scales back into balance.

Did you ever think that a mere 30 minutes a day could give you so much?

Adequate Sleep
Sleep is an important step that offers rest and revitalization.

Keeping to a routine sleep schedule is the best way to give yourself the adequate sleep your body needs. Some people require eight or nine hours of sleep each night, whereas other people function quite well with a little as five hours. Allow your body to teach you what its needs are. But no matter how much time your mind and body need it is recommended that you set a bedtime and an awake time and do your best to stick with them. Going to bed at the same time and awakening at the same time each day will help to balance your awake time.

Computer can store any information for long but humanity always tends to forget. For that reason human mind goes on collecting as well as forgetting information and oblivion is a human quality though not great. Otherwise the proverb — to err is human — would have proved wrong. But where do they archive them? For this reason the idea of a museum comes into being. A museum helps to know about their human being’s past and the present. Long after conceiving the idea in 1985 the postal museum was established by one Farid Uddin Ahmed. He was then the chief of postal department.

Perhaps, most of the dwellers of Dhaka city don’t know about the existence of postal museum. And the GPO building houses the museum on its 2^nd floor. It is a two-room museum sprawling on a 2160-square-feet. One of the rooms is decorated with postal tickets. Various types of tickets are available in the collection. This room spreads on about 660 square feet. These tickets epitomize the culture, history, natural beauty of Universal Postal Union including those of our country. Another room is decorated with the used instruments that represent the history of postal department.

Entering the museum, you can see the realistic model of postal service. Beside these, there are four circular models of general postmaster department. If you visit the museum, you will witness the symbol of a runner that represents village postal service.

The oil painting of the prominent persons from home and abroad is hung on the museum wall. They were involved directly or indirectly in postal services all around the world. They are dramatist Dinbondhu Mitra, Mohakobi Kaikobad, Sir Ronald Hill, Montgomery, C.V. Ramon, Henry Von Stephen and Sheikh Shofir Rahman (who worked hard to be postmaster to packer).They are various types of letterboxes that were used in time of Queen Victoria. A nine-maund letterbox of 1890s is showcased in the museum.

Here you will see various types of equipment such as, metal stamp pad, leather bag, watch, franking machine, uniform, cap those were used post guard in 1870. Beside these you can see various types of key, lock, stamp box, postcard, envelop etc.

Very important information related to magazine is compiled here. Going throw this you can learn about the first time of twenty century when quinine was used as medicine of Malaria. Once when a large number of persons were afflicted with Malaria, the members of postal department served this quinine home to home because postal department was the only one communication.

The authorities have collected very important information of sea postal services. You can know about the 1^st sea post established in1633.1^st post service established in 1774,1^st stamp published in 1840,1^st Railway Post Service established in 1830, 1^st published envelop in 1830, 1st post money order established in 1838, and 1^st airway post established in 1911. This information is very important for everyone. Collecting information purpose you can go there.

]]> http://www.youthwavebd.com/postal-museum-looking-back-at-the-runners/feed/ 0 http://www.youthwavebd.com/building-vocabulary-25/ http://www.youthwavebd.com/building-vocabulary-25/#comments Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:21:55 +0000 Youth Wave http://www.youthwavebd.com/?p=1367 More about Words Confused

look  glance  gaze    stare    glimpse    glare

These are all words used as nouns for an act of looking when you turn your eyes in a particular direction

look: an act of looking at somebody or something: Have a look at the flowers

glance: a quick look: He stole a glance at the girls.

gaze: a long steady look at somebody or something: We gazed at the sunset.

stare: a long steady look at somebody or something, especially in a way that is unfriendly

or that shows surprise: She stared at the unknown young man when he greeted her.

glimpse: a look at somebody or something for a short time when you do not see the person or thing completely:  We caught a glimpse of the leader in the crowd.

glare: a long angry look at somebody or something: The manager fixed the demonstrators with a hostile glare.

Patterns and collocations

• a look/glance/gaze/stare/glare at somebody or something
• a glimpse of somebody or something
• with a look/glance/stare/glare
• a long penetrating piercing look
• a brief look/glance/glare
• to give somebody a look/glance/glare
• to have/get/take/steal/sneak look/glance
• to avoid somebody’s look/glare/glance

look watch  see  view  observe  regard

These words used as verbs all mean to turn your in a particular direction.

look: to turn your eyes in a particular direction.

If you look carefully, you will see a  new moon shimmering in the western sky,

watch: to look at something for a time paying attention to what is happening:

They are watching television.

see¨ to watch a game, television programme, performance, etc.

I saw an interesting film on television last night.

view(formal): to look at something, especially when you do it carefully:

People came from all over the country to view the exhibition of his paintings.

watch  see  or view ?

You can watch/ see / view/programme, but you cannot see/view television. View is more formal than see and is used especially in business context.

observe (formal) to watch somebody or something carefully, especially to learn more about them/ it.

The patient was observed over a period of time.

regard: to look at somebody or something, especially in a particular way:

He regarded the man suspiciously.

Patterns and collocations

*to look/watch for somebody or something

* to watch/observe what /who/how

* to look/watch/view/regard somebody or something with amazement or surprise

*to look at/watch/observe somebody or something carefully/closely/intently

*to watch, see ,view a programme

To watch/see/view a game/fight

old elderly  aged  long-lived  mature

These words describe somebody who has lived for a long time or that usually lives for a long time.

old: having lived for a long time; no longer young:

He is getting old. He will be seventy next year.

elderly(rather formal) used as a polite word for ‘old’:

These seats are reserved for elderly people.

aged (formal)very old:

Having aged relatives in the house can be stressful.

long-lived: having a long life; lasting for a long time:

Everyone in his family is long-lived.

mature used as a polite or humorus way of saying that someone is no longer young.: This shop sells clothes for mature men.

Patterns and collocations

*(a)an old/elderly aged/long-lived man/woman

* (an)old/ elderly/long-lived gentleman/lady/couple

*a fairly/quite/old/elderly man/woman

post  mail

In British English the official system of sending and delivering letters, parcels, etc. is called the post. In American English it is called the mail.

I ‘ll send you an application form in the post tomorrow.

Send me a copy of your book by mail/post

In British English post is also used to mean letters, parcels, packages, etc, that are delivered to you. Mail is the usual word in American English. Sometimes it is also used in British English.

Has the post/mail arrived morning?

Exercise

1. Correct the following sentences:
   1. We see television in the afternoon.
   2. He is watching the flowers.
   3. My father is an old man. He is 75.
   4. The patient is watched for a period.
   5. Choose the correct option:
   6. We (looked at/gazed at) at the sunrise. It was gorgeous.
   7. We (saw him/had a glimpse of him in the crowd.
   8. The police (saw him/regarded) him  suspiciously
   9. She was angry at his remarks. She looked at him/She glared at him.
   10. She observes television/watches television at night.