In Love with a Friend
Attracted by the headline, are you? If you are attracted by the headline, I take it for granted that you are in a thankless position of being in love with a friend, probably your best friend. I say thankless only for people who do not enjoy the pleasures of reciprocation in this matter. For those lucky people who have a healthy romantic relation with their best friend, no one is in a more joyous position than them. I think the number of such people fall short when compared to the vast numbers of people who fall in love with their friend and then can neither take a step forward, nor come back and start afresh.
Friendship has always been the base of any stable relationship, even if the relation is that of a parent and child. Love relations bloom best when the couples are each others’ best friends and have the level of comfort that takes them to the next stage; and then subsequently they tide over life’s hurdles, keeping the love and friendship alive in them. But what happens when you fall in love with your friend who loves some one else? Then you are faced with a very peculiar dilemma – on one hand you want your friend to be happy with the person he or she is in love and on the other hand, you want your friend to get that same happiness, but with you.
Then the angel and the demon in you start their conflict. One part of you cannot get over the friendship and move on and the other part of you cannot accept your friend with his or her love and stay a friend. You want to stay by your friend’s side but the moment he or she talks about the greatest happiness of their life that is their love, you feel the pangs of envy. That is when you start hating your friend as well. That is when the friendship suffers. That is when you choke the friendship to bring alive the emotion of love that would not come in the next thousand years.
Your friend looks for your support when he or she has a problem in their love life. But you cannot sympathize genuinely with your friend because you are inwardly happy. You want their relationship to end; you want to step in. What is most amazing is that you are too ashamed to admit it, even to yourself. You stand by the side of your friend, offer your support. Then things turn out well between the lovers and you are back to the dungeons of your dark, shameless self. You are back to being the lonely person that you were.
‘Gracefully depart’ – is what agony-aunts tell you. But you can’t do that. Your love is your life. You can’t hang around; it’s too painful. In this wide spectrum of emotions have you thought of your friend? What he or he might be feeling? Your friend is in no less of a torture. He or she can’t love you; the heart cannot be forced or directed. Your friend needs your support; your friend wants you to accept the love of his or her life. But the adamant you, you do not understand that. You are forcing her to choose. The split will bleed her heart, the heart of the person you love. Were you not ready to set fire to the world before he or she suffered the slightest scratch?
Ask Me Why I Love America – Unfolding Fourth of July History
“America is a country that doesn’t know where it is going but is determined to set a speed record getting there,” quotes Dr. Laurence J. Peter. Yes, that the reason that we are on the top of the show!
Well, with 4th of July surging in softly, yet fast, the web is seen abuzz with the all patriotic thoughts and searches are increasing for inspirational Fourth of July greetings to reach out to friends. This shows that the love for the country still exists in the hearts of the fellowmen; respect for the ’stars and stripes’ is still there. That’s good news obviously! But, to be very candid, I am sure that if I was there in a solitary confinement inside that barbaric enemy camp, I can’t say what thinking I would have come out with in my mind. It’s certain that great men like John McCain and others, who have gone through the similar circumstances, have proved it well, what the love for the nation actually mean.
Fourth of July reveals tons of opportunities to celebrate the love for the nation through celebration of the nation’s birthday. It is an opportunity to show the world that you love America…. an opportunity to show the world how much you love America. It is, therefore, something more than just an opportunity to enjoy the sizzling BBQs and the galore of glory amidst the dark sky. It’s an opportunity to spread the aura of patriotism all around in the air and amidst the morning mist.
Let us unfold the facts regarding the history of Fourth of July – the history of the nation’s birthday, although everybody knows that. Independence Day of America is an annual holiday to commemorate the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on 4th of July, in Philadelphia. The signing of the Declaration of Independence was not completed until the month of August, yet still 4th of July was accepted as the official anniversary of U.S. Independence and all states and territories of the U.S has been celebrating the nation’s birthday on this day each year since then.
The holiday was first observed officially in Philadelphia on July 8th in the year 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was read aloud for the first time and the celebration was made in the most royal manner with ringing of the city bells and playing the bands. However, 4th of July was not declared a legal holiday until 1941. Days of struggles have gone! Sacrifices made by the bunch of heroic leaders who, at the cost of their lives, struggled to unite a young nation – today’s America! Today we are citizens of a peaceful America.
Ask me why I love and my answer will be, ‘I love her because I love her’! Where can you find a nation that gave birth to great minds and great souls like those heroes who devoted their lives in the name of the mother land? Where can you find the gorgeous sunset of Kansas? Where can you find the glory of Arizona shower? Can you ever expect the breathtaking experience of getting drifted in the chilling fog anywhere else on the planet other than the paradisiacal San Francisco Bay? I am sure that the thrilling echo of the magnificent Niagara will splash off your soul every throbbing moment if you are away from your fellowmen.
Summer Solstice – Bask In The Golden Hue
Summer Solstice, which is on June 20, is essentially a geographical phenomenon. Before we delve into the depths of the whys and the hows, it would be worthwhile to make it clear at the very onset that it has a lot of other aspects that must be taken into consideration if we are to understand the vast gamut of associations that can be linked to this annual event. These aspects can be cultural, traditional or merely symbolic. If we are to fully comprehend the significance of the term ‘summer solstice’, let us begin by the geographical explanations.
The sun is directly overhead a particular latitude in the north and south of the equator every year. It is the latitude of twenty three and a half degrees on either side. When the sun is on that particular latitude in the north, it is called summer solstice. Similarly, when the sun is on the same degree in the southern hemisphere, it is called winter solstice. In Latin, solstice means ‘to stand still’. This is the last latitude to have the sun directly overhead. Then on, the degrees recede and the sun is directly overhead the equator and finally, into the southern hemisphere. This is the cycle. Therefore, June 20 is the longest in the northern hemisphere and consequently, the night is the shortest.
Summer solstice is the peak of summer. Snow begins to thaw in places where they had not budged previously. That is why the summer solstice is looked upon as the ‘beginning of something’ in many cultures. There are festivities and events in many regions.
It can also be interpreted as a new dawn in terms of relationships. If you had been going through a rather rough patch in with your love, this is the time to let the sun pierce through the veils of darkness that have lately accumulated between the two of you. Studies suggest that people are in their cheerful best when the weather is good and breezy. The warm glow of the lovely weather does a lot of good to evaporate the drudgery that had rusted your soul during the long, dull and monotonous winter. It is time to throw of the shackles and disperse the gloomy fog.
Summer Solstice is the time for celebrations galore. Anyway, you do not need an excuse to bask in the warm sunlight. Just go out and revel in the myriad colors of summer. It is a shot-lived joy that Nature herself offers us. This is the time for people who love outdoor activities. Since your energy levels are on a high, you also feel like doing work that you have been pushing around through the year! The length of the days being long, you also get a lot of time to spend outdoors.
A special mention must be made of the setting sun, as Shelley put it – ‘In the golden lightning/ Of the sunken sun’. Its one of those rare pleasures in life that come to you irrespective of your social or economic status. You just need to have a heart that appreciates beauty. Make sure you have a field day!
A Birthday To Celebrate
Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest. ~Larry Lorenzoni
Birthday celebrations are childhood memories. Yes, I do not deny the fact that people do celebrate their birthdays when they are grown up. But birthday celebrations in the later stages of your life have a lot of other tags attached to it: for some its social networking, for some it’s showing off their riches while for some it is an occasion of coming together after a long time. However, birthday celebrations in childhood have a charm of their own and that cannot be replicated however lavish your celebrations may be.
Remember your fourth or fifth birthday? How mom and dad planned everything to the T? Mom took a lot of effort going to the neighbors, inviting the children over. They planned everything so that you can have a time that remains etched in your memory. And they are successful. They give you memories that go beyond a lifetime.
No matter who or how old you are, birthday is always a very special day. It’s a day which is special for many different reasons to many different people. I often feel that to my mother my birthday is more special than her own, maybe because I am her firstborn. Ever wondered, that there are so many people to whom your birthday is far more important than it is to you. In our busy lives, we can afford to not notice the significance of the day but our near and dear ones never fail. They always remind us in the most memorable ways exactly how much they care.
Hence, when it comes to celebrating the birthday of someone we love and care for, all the special moments shared are remembered and an earnest urge to reach out grows. Surprise parties, gifts and wishes galore are the highlight of the day. But what if you are forced to miss the birthday of your mother, brother, wife or father or maybe your boyfriend’s for some pre scheduled business meeting? In this high tech age, very few questions remain unanswered for long. For such unfortunate souls, ecards are a boon! A pre planned effort to schedule an ecard to be sent every hour with an appropriate message attached can work wonders to ease the guilt. This is also a good way to make a long work day interesting and exciting till the evening comes with showers of gifts, food and drinks. After all, the manner of giving is known to be worth more than the gift.
Remember the first hundred years are the hardest and so lets all make it a point to be there to make the passing of each one memorable.
But after all said and done, like the saying goes, the best way to remember your wife’s birthday is to forget it once.
Celebrate Delicious Lobsters on Lobster Day
“The world is my lobster.” – Henry J. Tillman
Who doesn’t like digging into the pulpy interiors of a lobster after waging a difficult, but satisfactory crusade against its crusty exterior? Lobsters present to the crusader a whole new world of flavor, filling his senses with rapture. It’s not for nothing that bulky lobsters have spilled over from regional plates to the wider bowl of the world. Lobsters have emerged as one of the world’s favorite seafood in the last few decades. Lobsters are being exported in droves from areas ranging from the Gulf of Maine to the Gangetic plains of India.
Lobster Day is celebrated on June 13. It’s the official date for the world to raise a unanimous voice in support of this ubiquitous seafood. Lobster-lovers take extra trouble to ensure that the best lobster that they can possible poke their forks into, find its way onto their plate. Though Lobster Day is not an official holiday, lobster lovers do not cringe in making that difficult and time consuming trip to the supermarket to fish a live lobster out of the water tank, or selecting it on a menu.
The history of lobsters stretches to those days when they were exceedingly cheap. It was considered a poor man’s fare. Servants and poverty-stricken people were treated to lobsters. In Massachusetts, some of the servants rebelled and they had it put into their contracts that they would not be forced to eat lobsters more than three times a week. Since then, due to depletion of resources, lobsters have gone on to have one of the highest price tags on the menu! The reasons are numerous.
Lobsters may have a hard shell to protect themselves, but they cannot be expected to survive the sloppy transport system that is utilized to take them places. They give up before they make their way into the kitchen. So the best idea for dining on fresh lobsters in my opinion would be to order it online, and have it delivered to your front door fresh. Though I’m not sure about the process of transportation involved in this case, this seems to be the best possible bet.
Other than the inevitable miseries in transport, lobsters also have to fight a lot of other problems before they get entangled in the lobster trap. Lobsters are cold-blooded. The recent ascent of world temperature, courtesy Global Warming, has dealt a telling blow on the lobster population. Add to it the upward surge of the pollution graph. Oil leaked from vessels that interfere in the habitat of lobsters has not helped matters either.
Another important issue against lobsters is the fact that people who inhabit lobster-breeding areas, do not get to savor the best of them. The rising demands of export are responsible for this rather unfortunate phenomenon. We, people who live in areas that are situated far away from lobster-breeding waters, have raised the demand by our insatiable love for this crustacean. Well, no one is complaining!
All said and done, Lobster Day is here to bring us together, irrespective of geographical distances, to bask in the alluring taste of lobsters. Make sure to have plenty of them! Unlike many other food items which have a day marked for themselves, lobsters are rated highly by dieticians as well. This is one food that you can have without any nagging guilt. So go ahead and have a ‘Lobsterful’ Day! Happy digging!
Chocolate Pudding Day
The increasing percentage of people diagnosed with diabetes notwithstanding, people take to chocolate pudding as sunflowers take to sunshine. Describing chocolate pudding as popular with the masses is an under statement. These goodies made of mouth-watering chocolate are a favorite of children and adults alike. Chocolate pudding’s popularity is definitely on an upswing, even though several decades have passed since it’s creation.
The alluring taste of the product led to chocolate pudding being considered a staple food of teenagers. Adults have not been able to keep their hands off them, though they have strongly voiced their dissent against a grub that has a high sugar quotient. Let’s put it that chocolate pudding is a necessary evil for many. They want to get away from it because of the high calorie content; at the same time, they want to savor the strange tingling sensation that spreads to your brain when you take the first delicious spoonful. Really, the stuff temptations are made of!
Chocolate pudding owes it origins to the chocolate custard. Chocolate pudding is a variation of the more traditional chocolate custard. The dish was invented by Meredith, Helenna and Mary. During the early years of chocolate pudding, it was considered a food item suitable for children who have a weak physical disposition. It was so because of the high calories, and therefore energy, quotient contained in chocolate. Later it became an item that found mention in the dessert menu of all self-respecting eateries. General Foods introduced the chocolate pudding mix in 1934 and it became famous as “Jell-O Chocolate Pudding” in 1936.
With health food adapting to the demands of the modern world and its holier-than-thou diet charts doing the round of every health clinic, gulping down dollops of chocolate pudding is no longer a trend that anyone wants to follow or start. People have woken up to the fact that one spoonful of chocolate pudding translates to roughly half-an-hour of exercise. So they try to keep the extra calories away by depriving themselves of one of the most alluring tastes that one can provide to one’s taste buds. There are some exceptions of course, like yours truly! We strongly vote in favor of our dear chocolate pudding, no matter how many hours we need to fight it out at the gym to get the redundant calories off our systems!
Celebrate Chocolate Pudding Day on June 26th with a lot of fanfare, as the day definitely is a toast to one of the most popular fast-food items. Trivial it may seem to the purists when they hear of days being named after food-items which to their perception are sold in the back-streets, but they have always been the same. You and I need not be burdened by their learned views. We go out there on Chocolate Pudding Day, have plenty of them and plan when to have them next. Calories and critics can keep up their fret and fume!
Party Invitation on Fathers Day
Fathers Day is just a few more days away I am sure you are going to enjoy the spirit of being both a father and son, if you are a father. If you are a son or a daughter, it’s really important to understand how important it is to make your father feel special. Hey… it’s the time to make that man feel special who taught you how to walk. You might remember those special days when you used to go for hiking, cycling and fishing with your father. Now the time has come to add a silver line to his days; put a bright curve on that wrinkled face. Show him the loving image of what a son should be like. Fathers Day — June 15th is his day and you might be looking for the best way to add to the Fathers Day celebration. Just throw a surprised party; call over his pals and see how the bash goes! Make this Father’s Day the perfect opportunity to say thank you to your father.
It’s the right time you need to let his friends know that you are launching a party this Fathers Day. Invite them over the party and let them know that the party is going to be a surprise for your father. Send them emails and online invitation cards and ask them to be present to share your joy of showing gratitude to your father in the Fathers Day party this June 15th.
Remember that first impression is the last impression and there’s no better way to make your guests happy than by reaching out to them with the most elegant invitation. Invitation must be nice with the full details of time, venue and dress code. Remember that almost all the guests are of your father’s age; they are naturally quite old to be smart enough to rush behind time. Your choice of venue and the Fathers Day invitation should be made so that the guests can get enough time to reach the venue in time and without haste.
The invitation we are talk about here is a bit different from the ones you made for your birthdays or for calling your peeps over your son’s graduation party. The Fathers Day party invitation should reflect your love and respect for your father. It must give an impression about your soulful appreciation for that great person who launched several parties on your birthdays and children days. Picking the right invitation card is what is the most essential part that you must keep in mind. You can find Internet over flooding with Fathers Day invitation ideas. Remember that not all of them may be perfect for you. Your choice of invitation card is the most important thing, because it’s the first step to let the world know how much you think of your father and how much you respect him.
What are the salient point to be kept in mind while picking an invitation card for Fathers day party? This is a question that I faced multiple times… not once. Very simple!
Pick the one that suits your personality
Pick the one that suits your mood
Pick the one that conveys your message the best
Pick the one that has the appropriate color
Pick the one that has the appropriate wordings
Pick the one that you can personalize in your way.
World Environment Day 2008: Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy
World Environment Day, which is commemorated each year on June 5th, is one of the most significant mode through which the United Nations stimulates the global awareness of the environment. It is by this way that the United Nations attract political attention and enhances action to shape a better global environment. Each year the World Environment Day is celebrated in recognition of unique theme. Norway was honored to host International World Environment Day 2007 celebrations in recognition of the theme — ‘Melting Ice – The Hot Topic’. Over a hundred nations across the globe celebrates the World Environment Day with highly relevant theme each year.
The slogan for World Environment Day 2008 is ‘Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy’. With an understanding of the fact that the change in climatic condition is gradually becoming one of the most defining issue of the age, UNEP is requesting the nations, companies and communities to put special focus on the greenhouse gas emissions and to put spare thought over how to reduce them. The World Environment Day 2008 is going to highlight resources and focuses on promoting low carbon economies with a view to shape a better and healthier future. Promoting a low carbon economy involves steps towards improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption. The chief international celebration of the World Environment Day 2008 is going to be held in New Zealand.
The Heads of State, Prime Ministers and Ministers of Environment deliver statements and commit themselves to care for this only green planet of the universe. Serious pledges establish sound and non-transitory governmental policies related to environmental management and economic planning. bicycle parades, tree planting , recycling campaigns, clean-up campaigns, street rallies, school level essay and poster competitions etc. are organized all over the world on June 5th to celebrate the World Environment Day.
Here are some information on World Environment Day for the last ten years regarding where the WED celebration was held at and what were the respective themes each year:
Places of celebration:
World Environment Day 2007 – Tromsø, Norway
World Environment Day 2006 – Algiers, Algeria
World Environment Day 2005 – San Francisco, U.S.
World Environment Day 2004 – Barcelona, Spain
World Environment Day 2003 – Beirut, Lebanon
World Environment Day 2002 – Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
World Environment Day 2001 – Torino, Italy and Havana, Cuba
World Environment Day 2000 – Adelaide, Australia
World Environment Day 1999 – Tokyo, Japan
World Environment Day 1998 – Moscow, Russian Federation
Themes of celebration:
World Environment Day 2007 – Melting Ice – a Hot Topic?
World Environment Day 2006 – Deserts and Desertification – Don’t Desert Drylands!
World Environment Day 2005 – Green Cities – Plan for the Planet!
World Environment Day 2004 – Wanted! Seas and Oceans – Dead or Alive?
World Environment Day 2003 – Water – Two Billion People are Dying for It!
World Environment Day 2002 – Give Earth a Chance
World Environment Day 2001 – Connect with the World Wide Web of Life
World Environment Day 2000 – The Environment Millennium – Time to Act
World Environment Day 1999 – Our Earth – Our Future – Just Save It!
World Environment Day 1998 – For Life on Earth – Save Our Seas
Co Workers Birthday Cards and Party Ideas
Everything I know, I learned, after I felt the thirst! Yes, guessed right… I feel almost exactly like Georges Benjamin Clemenceau – the famous French statesman. It was not until I was a 22-years old woman when I showed my urge to celebrate my birthday day after I became an adult. It was the first time I remember, I celebrated my adulthood birthday and I came to know how much different it was from celebrating a kid’s birthday. It is obviously — that everybody knows! But what was really memorable in my party, was the way my colleagues came up in a very unique way.
If you are planning to throw a birthday party or if you are invited in your co-worker’s birthday party, this article on co-worker’s birthday party ideas might come to a great help for you to create a perfect bash. Starting from the decoration to food recipe and birthday gift ideas, things are all entirely different from the way we celebrate birthdays of our brothers, kids and other family members.
Let’s start off with the Birthday Invitation
The first impression is the last impression – this is what I believe in. So when it comes to invitation it must hold the right spirit of the party. You can make your own birthday invitation card, if you have ideas. But that would claim a lot of your precious time and no one can afford to invest time out of the daily hectic schedule of life. Why do so, when there are loads of awesome online birthday invitation cards to let your co-workers know that you are ready to chill the drink. Some of them are absolutely free! Picking the right one is all you need to do. Remember that calling over your peeps and inviting your colleagues on your birthday party are different. The co worker birthday cards are different in their style too.
Your Birthday Menu For Your Co-workers
This is again another significant aspect to spare a thought on. Cake is an obvious item to be included in the menu. But you would also want to delight your special guests with some really special dishes. Remember that this is your birthday party where you have invited your colleagues and co workers. The choice of food must match the age group and mood. It all depends on the type of guests invited and your choice too. But don’t forget to include drinks! So go ahead and have fun to the full swing and if you haven’t yet tried Budweiser or Johnnie Walker in your birthday party, it’s the right time to strike your guests with a shriek of surprise with big treats like these! So just keep walking with Johnnie Walker and make your guests rock around with the beats. Try to create a sexy atmosphere with great music and a good bar. Doesn’t matter whether you keep a smart bartender – self help would be more appreciated!
Co worker Birthday Gift Ideas
If you are invited in your colleague’s birthday party, the first thing that might strike your mind is the birthday gift. This is one really toughest decision to make for some people. If your colleague is a beer drinking champion, you can delight him or her with a beer sampler pack. There is no better way you can reach out to him or her than by giving a gorgeous 6-pack sampler of California Microbrews that come in 12 ounce bottles each. This will surely be a fantastic birthday gift and will keep your colleague warm around the campfire immediately after the party will be over.
Any other gift may be fine if that matches the aura of his or her personality. Pick something that will add some “mojo” back into your office. A dollar-sign paperweight, gold push-pins and personalized mouse pad may put smile on his or her face.
