Thursday, January 15, 2009

Its Chilly!

Its cold out here in Delhi. After a long summer season, we delhities wait for this winter season to come at large and welcome it whole heartedly. I love the winter season because at least we don't have to sweat it out. Winters are cool, no need of switching ACs on, and no need of fans either. But, everything has its disadvantages and advantages. While the advantage I have already told you, the disadvantage is that you don't like to come out of the mattress. But, in this chilly winter season, I can see some people sweating it out, trying hard to earn a penny. Those people are cycle rickshaw pullers, rag pickers, flower vendors, and those who live on the footpath. They too feel the chill in this season but still they cant help it. They have to work it out, and do their job otherwise they wont survive. So, when I think of them, I realize, at least I am better of them because I have got a better education from my parents. I pray to god and thank my parents to have given me such good education, and that they have given me a roof over my head in this chilly season. So many people are there who curse everyone (and everyone including God) to have created too much of hot weather or cold but fail to realize that at least they have some protection. So, next time, when you curse GOD about the weather, think of someone who doesn't have any protection and you wont feel any hot or cold either. You wont even feel the wetness when it rains heavily.

Think about it!

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Comma: Has it been underrated?

"The older I grow, the less important the comma becomes. Let the reader catch his own breath.” -- Elizabeth Clarkson Zwart

Hello everyone, I am the Mr. Comma, which you use while writing any document such as magazines, journals, user manuals, and so on. I have been used differently by various authors, and not only this, different cultures use me in an entirely different fashion. That’s the irony of a poor little me that I have been used in various number of ways in so may people’s writings. Sometimes, I wonder that where did I originate from, and who was my godfather?

How did comma originate?

I am the most commonly used punctuation mark used by several writers around the globe, and I have a similar shape of my fellow-mate ‘apostrophe’ and ‘single closing quotation mark’. As per Oxford English dictionary, I came from a Greek word called komma (κόμμα), which means something that is cut off or a short clause. However, my origination can be dated back to 3rd century BC when Aristophanes of Byzantium invented a system of single dots also called distinctiones that separated verses and indicated the amount of breath needed to complete each fragment of text when reading aloud. As I mentioned earlier and want to repeat it again that I can be used to solve various purposes while writing any form of document. I can be used in separating the list items or I can be used to separate the clauses. For example, generally, in English language people use me to separate a dependent clause with the independent clause if the dependent clause comes first. In addition to this, I may also be used while enclosing the parenthetical words and phrases within a sentence. Let us take an example to illustrate this. A simple example to this will be, Once upon a time, there existed a Shalom dynasty.

I may also be used while separating the different adjectives within a sentence or to separate parts of geographical references, such as city and state or city and country. Thus, I can be used in numerous ways and the sky is the limit. Yet, I am used differently in different cultures. Let us understand few such differences in the following section in the widely used English such as American as well British English.

Differences between American and British usage

Comma, though seems a simple punctuation mark, but is used differently in both the American as British English. For instance, comma is placed inside the quotes when using American English while it is placed outside the quotes in the British English.

Last but not the least

Finally, I am the most wisely-used character, and I can be found in all the bestsellers of well-known authors. But, still, I am not known to everyone.

References

Thursday, January 01, 2009


And, finally, 2009 is here...



Its celebration time because 2009 is here, and its the first morning of the new year. I wont indulge much now but just wish all the readers of this blog a happy and prosperous new year, and wish this new year brings a lot of freshness and happiness in your life!
6.5 hrs to go...

Another 6.4 hours to go for the sun to set down last time on this year..another 6.5 hours to go for the new rays to enlighten the earth that would bring peace and prosperity the lives of each one of us.

Lets all stand together with holding hands, and pray for solidarity, and wish we live in peace and healthy environment.

Amein!

Its time to create resolutions!

31st Dec is here to stay today, and it is today that there will be talk of creating resolutions for the year 2009. Though, there are very few people who follow their own resolutions that they have created. I, myself, do not really believe in creating one that needs to be fulfilled for the entire year. It is believed that “New Year” is perhaps a good time to create a resolution. A resolution is basically a commitment that people usually make mostly to themselves (or to others as well sometimes) towards the coming year. A commitment can be related to a habit or a lifestyle change or it could be related to the family like you make a resolution to spend more time with your family. But, the question arises, do we really follow the resolutions that we create for our own benefit. Recent research of resolution conducted on several participants has shown that nearly 52% believed that they do not really need to create resolutions. Ands, that’s a quite high percentage. I also do not really believe creating any resolutions for the entire year; instead, I believe in creating the resolutions for each day. Take each day as if it was a new year. This will rejuvenate you and bring fresh energy within yourselves. Some people do have a habit of creating resolutions because it gives them a direction to lead the coming year. Some of the most common ones of the resolutions are losing weight, paying your debts, having a healthy diet plan, investing a good amount of money for the future, and spending enough amount of time with your loved ones. If you really want to make resolutions, then it is always advisable to make those which you can follow easily, i.e. always make “realistic” resolutions for the coming year, and don’t “expect” too much from yourself.

So, have you made a resolution for the year 2009?

Approximately, 14 hours to go…

So, finally 31st December is here to stay. Few hours from now, and we will bid farewell to the year 2008 and welcome the New Year i.e. 2009 with excitement. Few hours from now, and we will all hope that tomorrow when the sun rises on a New Year, it will bring prosperity and peace. It will be approximately 14 hours from now or even less as I publish this content on my blog.