Sunday, 24 February 2013
Sindhi language
Posted by
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21:26
Sindhi is an ancient language, over seventy percent of the Sindhi words are Sanskrit. The fact that Sindhi is mostly written in the Arabic script, gives some people the impression that it is a Persio-Arabic tongue. Professor E. Trumpp in his monumental `Sindhi Alphabet and Grammar' (1812) writes: "Sindhi is a pure Sanskritical language, more free from foreign elements than any of the North Indian vernaculars."
The Rev. Mr.G. Shirt of Hyderabad, one of the first Sindhi scholars, considered that the language is probably, so far as its grammatical construction is concerned, the purest daughter of Sanskrit. It has small sprinkling of Dravidian words, and has in later times received large accessions to its vocabulary from Arabic and Persian.
Sindhi is a very sweet and melodious language. Writes Dr. Annemarie Schimmel, Harvard professor of Islamics, and versatile linguist: "Since every word in Sindhi ends in a vowel, the sound is very musical."
Sindhi is a very rich language with a vast vocabulary; this has made it a favourite of many writers and so a lot of literature and poetry has been written in Sindhi. Writes K. R. Malkani in "THE SINDH STORY": 'The Sindhi language and literature reflect the rich variety and quality of Sindhi life and thought. Sindhi has 125 names for as many varieties of fish. From Hyderabad to the sea, a distance of less than one hundred miles, the Sindhu river has half a dozen names --- Sahu, Sita, Mograh, Popat, Bano, and Hajamiro --- to reflect its many moods. The camel has a score of names, to indicate its age, colour, gait and character.'
It is the language of Saints and Rishis of ancient Sindh. It has been the inspiration for Sindhi art, music, literature, culture and the way of life. Many great poets and literatis have been profoundly inspired by the beauty of Sindhi language.
The treasures of the ancient Sindhi Literature, of the immortal Sufi poet-saints: "Shah", "Sachal", "Sami" , or the Saints of Modern India: Sadhu T.L.Vaswani, Dada J.P.Vaswani, sung in sweet, melodious, rhythmic Sindhi tunes, fills the hearts and souls of the listeners with sheer rapture, joy and ecstasy.
Dada J.P.Vaswani says: The Sindhis dont have a land, nation or state to call their own. They are a scattered community, spread all over India, and in most countries of the world. If there is one thing that will help us to retain our identity, it is our language. Unfortunately Sindhis have neglected their mother tongue, and if we dont use the language, we will lose it. Language is the root of our community. Language is the Soul of our community. If the soul goes away, how long will can the community last?
Student Life Blog
Posted by
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21:21
1. Cleaning
My parents always tried to convince me that a clean room = a clean mind. Now, I’m not sure if that’s true but cleaning your room does help you to concentrate on work – just because you can find your work under all the empty pizza boxes and beer cans!
Cleaning your room gives you the satisfaction of having achieved something without actually having to think too much which is usually required to do university work. Also, extending this cleaning trend to the kitchen or other communal areas not only has the sense of achievement but also puts you in favour with you housemates – which’ll come in handy next time you need a favour!
2. Bills/Budgeting
Essential for life at Uni. Personally, first year was an economical nightmare in regards to my expenditure. Little by little (and because I have taken time out of my usual work to budget) I have been able to curb my spending by recording how much money I spend on what and where I can cut down if possible. Also checking online banking (for those pesky card payments) and making sure I do this at least once a week is definitely a positive way to spend time – and it does take time if maths is not your strong point.
3. Laundry!!!
This takes up so much time so it’s perfect for avoiding doing work! Also, unless you want to be taking it home every weekend, doing laundry is a good idea – especially if you want to make friends in first year (no one likes a smelly student). The beauty of this is that you don’t actually have to do much; throw it in the washing machine, and then wait around to hang it up – takes up time, gets something done and is very little work…perfect.
4. CV fix
This is always helpful, whether you are looking for a part time job or just stockpiling for a post-uni job – CVs are needed for both. As an English Literature student obvious CV fillers include such things as blogging and writing for the student paper, however other subjects have relevant work experience too which would be a good investment of time; not actually studying but helping your future – now that’s positive.
5. Tea Break
Honestly, this is positive. Making a cup of tea, or just having a sit down doing nothing strenuous helps to rest the brain, boosts moral and improves concentration for when you eventually restart your work. BUT it is only beneficial when relatively short – 15-20 minutes max!
My parents always tried to convince me that a clean room = a clean mind. Now, I’m not sure if that’s true but cleaning your room does help you to concentrate on work – just because you can find your work under all the empty pizza boxes and beer cans!
Cleaning your room gives you the satisfaction of having achieved something without actually having to think too much which is usually required to do university work. Also, extending this cleaning trend to the kitchen or other communal areas not only has the sense of achievement but also puts you in favour with you housemates – which’ll come in handy next time you need a favour!
2. Bills/Budgeting
Essential for life at Uni. Personally, first year was an economical nightmare in regards to my expenditure. Little by little (and because I have taken time out of my usual work to budget) I have been able to curb my spending by recording how much money I spend on what and where I can cut down if possible. Also checking online banking (for those pesky card payments) and making sure I do this at least once a week is definitely a positive way to spend time – and it does take time if maths is not your strong point.
3. Laundry!!!
This takes up so much time so it’s perfect for avoiding doing work! Also, unless you want to be taking it home every weekend, doing laundry is a good idea – especially if you want to make friends in first year (no one likes a smelly student). The beauty of this is that you don’t actually have to do much; throw it in the washing machine, and then wait around to hang it up – takes up time, gets something done and is very little work…perfect.
4. CV fix
This is always helpful, whether you are looking for a part time job or just stockpiling for a post-uni job – CVs are needed for both. As an English Literature student obvious CV fillers include such things as blogging and writing for the student paper, however other subjects have relevant work experience too which would be a good investment of time; not actually studying but helping your future – now that’s positive.
5. Tea Break
Honestly, this is positive. Making a cup of tea, or just having a sit down doing nothing strenuous helps to rest the brain, boosts moral and improves concentration for when you eventually restart your work. BUT it is only beneficial when relatively short – 15-20 minutes max!
Rashid Minhas Story
Posted by
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21:13
A few months back I had the opportunity along with a friend to spend an evening with Group Captain (R) Cecil Chaudry. Obviously the time was spent discussing his experiences. As it turned out Cecil was responsible for investigating the Rashid Minhas crash back in 1971 and told us a some details which are not known publicly.
The episode has become controversial over the past few decades with some people claiming that the Nishan-e-Haider award was politically motivated and perhaps the young Pilot Officer never deserved it. Also the media and school books information/portrayal of this episode has created some factual distortions. In the interest of history I am reproducing here substantially what Cecil told me about the incident. Obviously given that this discussion took place quite sometime back I do not remember his narration word to word but am reproducing the essential information. Also, I do not claim to have done any independent investigation but I believe that Cecil's narration of events is an important input.
Now coming to the story,
It is important to remember that Rashid Minhas was a very young and inexperienced pilot. The crash took place during his second solo flight on T-33 aircraft. In the run up to the 1971 crisis the PAF had grounded all East Pakistani pilots in PAF and had assigned them ground jobs. As part of this Flt Lt Mati ur Rehman was made the Deputy flight safety officer of the base. The Flight Safety Officer was Flt Lt Basit (if I remember the name correctly).
Flt Lt Basit as FSO used to on occasions do surprise checks on the OCU students at the base. As part of this he used to stop these students while they were taxing out on a sortie and check if they had correctly stowed equipment in the cockpit or would query them on emergency checklists etc. As one would expect the student would get reprimanded if he was found wanting on any of this.
On the day of the crash when Rashid Minhas was taxing out on a dusk training sortie and saw Flt Lt Mati ur Rehman (Deputy Flight safety officer) signalling him to stop he naturally assumed that the purpose was to do a similar check. Therefore, he not only stopped but his attention shifted to the cockpit. This allowed Flt Lt Mati ur Rehman to enter the instructor seat and initiate roll for take off. By the time Rashid Minhas realized this the aircraft was well into the take off sequence. On this Rashid gave a call to the ATC saying that the aircraft is being hijacked. Now this was 1971, aircraft hijacking was not considered an imminent possibility that too in Pakistan and at an air force base. The ATC requested confirmation of the call and got one from Rashid. On this fighters on ADA were scrambled to intercept the aircraft Again as hostilities were not imminent at that time the fighters were not at the highest ADA level (I forget exactly the ADA level Cecil mentioned but I think that it was 10 minutes). However given that Mati ur Rehman knew where the Radar gaps were (being till recently an active pilot) and the dusk conditions an interception was not made.
No further information became available till late at night when the PAF base got a call from a police station near the Indian border stating that an aircraft had crashed near a village bordering India. Next morning a team was dispatched to the crash site. Following this an investigation into the incident was launched.
Now coming to the factors that led Cecil to believe that a struggle for control took place and the crash was perhaps intentional.
As the aircraft overflew a number of villages some eyewitnesses were available. According to them the aircraft was not flying straight and level but was banking or pitching up and down. If Mati ur Rehman had been in complete control of the aircraft this would have resulted in a straight and level flight. Only a struggle resulted in an erratic flight with probably Rashid Minhas trying to control the aircraft in one way and Mati ur Rehman counter acting.
Fl Lt Mati ur Rehman’s body was found some distance before the crash site while Rashid Minhas body was at the crash site, had gone through the instrument panel and in the nose of the aircraft. The aircraft had crashed nose first. Mati ur Rehman’s body also had a sand blasting type effect on one side which indicated that he was blown off from the aircraft and dragged quite a bit on the desert surface.
This evidence linked in with the earlier events. The manner in which Mati ur Rehman took over the aircraft did not allow him time to strap on. During the likely struggle for aircraft control he used his greater experience to counter Rashid’s efforts. Also he was sitting on the instructor’s seat and could over ride some of Rashid Minhas’s actions. However, the option to jettison off the canopy in an emergency was available with both pilots. Near the point of crash Rahid Minhas in his efforts, either intentionally or accidentally, jettisoned the canopy. As Mati ur Rehman was not strapped on he was blown off explaining the way his body was injured and the fact that it was found before the crash site.
This resulted in sudden force on the controls of the aircraft in one direction, as force applied by Mati ur Rehman to control the aircraft was removed. This along with perhaps the effect caused by the loss of canopy, low level and Rashid Minhas’s inexperience resulted in the crash of the aircraft.
I hope this clarifies some of the issues regarding this incident. Personally I would like to get hold of the PAF‘ official investigation report into the incident which should be more detailed and should also shed more light into the incident.
The episode has become controversial over the past few decades with some people claiming that the Nishan-e-Haider award was politically motivated and perhaps the young Pilot Officer never deserved it. Also the media and school books information/portrayal of this episode has created some factual distortions. In the interest of history I am reproducing here substantially what Cecil told me about the incident. Obviously given that this discussion took place quite sometime back I do not remember his narration word to word but am reproducing the essential information. Also, I do not claim to have done any independent investigation but I believe that Cecil's narration of events is an important input.
Now coming to the story,
It is important to remember that Rashid Minhas was a very young and inexperienced pilot. The crash took place during his second solo flight on T-33 aircraft. In the run up to the 1971 crisis the PAF had grounded all East Pakistani pilots in PAF and had assigned them ground jobs. As part of this Flt Lt Mati ur Rehman was made the Deputy flight safety officer of the base. The Flight Safety Officer was Flt Lt Basit (if I remember the name correctly).
Flt Lt Basit as FSO used to on occasions do surprise checks on the OCU students at the base. As part of this he used to stop these students while they were taxing out on a sortie and check if they had correctly stowed equipment in the cockpit or would query them on emergency checklists etc. As one would expect the student would get reprimanded if he was found wanting on any of this.
On the day of the crash when Rashid Minhas was taxing out on a dusk training sortie and saw Flt Lt Mati ur Rehman (Deputy Flight safety officer) signalling him to stop he naturally assumed that the purpose was to do a similar check. Therefore, he not only stopped but his attention shifted to the cockpit. This allowed Flt Lt Mati ur Rehman to enter the instructor seat and initiate roll for take off. By the time Rashid Minhas realized this the aircraft was well into the take off sequence. On this Rashid gave a call to the ATC saying that the aircraft is being hijacked. Now this was 1971, aircraft hijacking was not considered an imminent possibility that too in Pakistan and at an air force base. The ATC requested confirmation of the call and got one from Rashid. On this fighters on ADA were scrambled to intercept the aircraft Again as hostilities were not imminent at that time the fighters were not at the highest ADA level (I forget exactly the ADA level Cecil mentioned but I think that it was 10 minutes). However given that Mati ur Rehman knew where the Radar gaps were (being till recently an active pilot) and the dusk conditions an interception was not made.
No further information became available till late at night when the PAF base got a call from a police station near the Indian border stating that an aircraft had crashed near a village bordering India. Next morning a team was dispatched to the crash site. Following this an investigation into the incident was launched.
Now coming to the factors that led Cecil to believe that a struggle for control took place and the crash was perhaps intentional.
As the aircraft overflew a number of villages some eyewitnesses were available. According to them the aircraft was not flying straight and level but was banking or pitching up and down. If Mati ur Rehman had been in complete control of the aircraft this would have resulted in a straight and level flight. Only a struggle resulted in an erratic flight with probably Rashid Minhas trying to control the aircraft in one way and Mati ur Rehman counter acting.
Fl Lt Mati ur Rehman’s body was found some distance before the crash site while Rashid Minhas body was at the crash site, had gone through the instrument panel and in the nose of the aircraft. The aircraft had crashed nose first. Mati ur Rehman’s body also had a sand blasting type effect on one side which indicated that he was blown off from the aircraft and dragged quite a bit on the desert surface.
This evidence linked in with the earlier events. The manner in which Mati ur Rehman took over the aircraft did not allow him time to strap on. During the likely struggle for aircraft control he used his greater experience to counter Rashid’s efforts. Also he was sitting on the instructor’s seat and could over ride some of Rashid Minhas’s actions. However, the option to jettison off the canopy in an emergency was available with both pilots. Near the point of crash Rahid Minhas in his efforts, either intentionally or accidentally, jettisoned the canopy. As Mati ur Rehman was not strapped on he was blown off explaining the way his body was injured and the fact that it was found before the crash site.
This resulted in sudden force on the controls of the aircraft in one direction, as force applied by Mati ur Rehman to control the aircraft was removed. This along with perhaps the effect caused by the loss of canopy, low level and Rashid Minhas’s inexperience resulted in the crash of the aircraft.
I hope this clarifies some of the issues regarding this incident. Personally I would like to get hold of the PAF‘ official investigation report into the incident which should be more detailed and should also shed more light into the incident.
Cinderella Second Story
Posted by
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20:55
THE CHAPTER KNOWN AS THE SECOND
Downstairs things went rather differently for Cinderella. At first she wore the same rough clothes as the rest of the servants, and if she yearned for the finery her stepsisters were given she was careful to say nothing about it. She got little enough to eat, mainly vegetables and lean cuts of meat, and she was often hungry. The other servants made sure she had a fair helping of milk and other things necessary to a growing girl, so she grew straight and strong; but she was usually hungry, and never had a chance to accumulate any fat. As she passed ten and eleven she began to change and to look like her mother; which was a great advantage to any girl, as her mother had been one of the Court’s finest beauties. Her hips remained slim and her stomach flat, but she began to develop signs of that magnificent bust with which her mother had driven grown men to distraction. Her hair grew out straight and soft, very dark, and her eyes were enchanting. The old cobbler watched her growing up, and smiled; and on her twelfth birthday he brought her a present, a bundle wrapped in cloth.
"What is it, Godfather?"
"Open it and see."
Cinderella unwrapped the package. Inside was a strange thing: a garment made of soft brown leather, almost conical in shape, heavily stiffened in one direction with bones ingeniously sewn into a smooth cotton lining. There were two straps, evidently designed to pass over the shoulders, and fastened with ribbon bows so that they could be adjusted. It was slit open up the back, and on either side of the gap holes had been punched into the leather: a sturdy lace zig-zagged back and forth among them, with a knot near the bottom. She turned it over carefully, admiring it, enjoying the way it was stiff in one direction but flexible in the other, its combination of elegant lines and obvious yet subtle strength…
"Godfather, it’s lovely! What’s it for?"
"This, child, is your very own corset. All ladies wear corsets to give themselves the figures they need. You’ve seen your stepmother’s, surely?"
"Yes…I never really knew what it was. But that’s different—it’s not made of leather."
"Corsets have to be very strong, Cinderella. Your stepmother can afford the finest work and the highest quality of material. I’m not so fortunate, and the strongest fabric I can get hold of is leather. Besides, that’s what I work for a living. If I’d tried to build it out of something else, you might not be able to trust it. With leather, I know how to make things that are strong enough to stand up to anything and tough enough to last for years. This corset will be standing by you for a long time to come."
Cinderella looked at the corset again. It was beautiful, certainly, but…"Godfather, why have you given me a corset?"
The old cobbler gave a sigh, and sat down on one of the rough kitchen chairs, looking at her grimly. "Cinderella, you’ve been robbed of the childhood of a lady, which you deserve, by your stepmother’s venom and your father’s foolishness. I can’t give that back to you, but I can give you part of your birthright. A young lady is always corseted from the moment she leaves childhood, night and day if possible, to make sure that her figure develops into the lines that fashion requires. Your two stepsisters are a very good example of how a young lady can grow up if her figure is left to run wild. You may not have fine gowns to wear, but if you put this corset on, lace it tight, and keep it tight all the time except when you have to wash, then your figure will develop in just the way that it should, and you’ll look like a lady for the rest of your life. ‘Manners makyth Man,’ some old philosopher said, but in my opinion Lacing makyth Lady, and as long as your stays are tight you will have the graceful figure and elegant poise of a lady of the court. One day you’ll be as beautiful as your mother, perhaps even more so, and if you’ve kept your figure in mind too, then nobody will compare to you."
Cinderella looked back at him in silence for some time, thinking about this. Finally she said "That’s very kind. Thank you."
It was a different voice: not the voice of an enthusiastic girl, but the voice of a young lady who had considered the issue and knew it was important. Already she was coming to understand. The old cobbler smiled, wiping his eyes a little, and said "Don’t thank me yet, child—you haven’t even tried it on. Come on, let’s get you laced up."
He pulled out the laces down the back of the corset and untied the ribbons that secured the straps; then, after checking that nobody was about, Cinderella took off her outer clothes and slipped into it. She clasped it to her chest and smiled avidly, feeling the rigidity of the bones and busk beneath the leather.
Putting on a corset in those days was a very complicated business. Even now, of course, it takes time to do it right, but the design of corsets has changed—for the better, in my opinion. If you ever see Mummy taking her stays off at the end of the day you’ll see that there is a series of hooks down the front of her busk, which she can unfasten once the laces have been slackened to release herself quickly; and in the same way when she dresses in the morning she passes the corset round herself and hooks up the busk again, and then Daddy or the maid tightens her laces. In Cinderella’s time, though, nobody had found a way of fastening a corset which could be opened and closed quickly but was strong enough not to burst open when the laces were pulled really tight; so the laces were the only fastening her new leather corset had. Before Cinderella could get the corset on the cobbler had to loosen the laces a terribly long way, and then of course once she was in it he had a very long way to pull them back in before they began to have any effect. For a long time she just stood there, proud to be a young lady, but wondering what all the fuss was about.
Then the corset came close to the size of her own figure, and things started to happen. She became aware of the sturdy fabric surrounding her on all sides, the tough bones that held it stiff pressing into her body. It was a strange sensation, like nothing she’d ever experienced before, slightly frightening, but the more exciting for it. She gasped and gently rubbed her hands down her sides.
The cobbler stopped pulling. "Starting to pinch, are they?" he asked. "You want me to give up?"
"What? No, no! Tighten me in more, tighten me in more!"
He laughed. "That’s what your mother was like—her maid told me about it. Well, now. Breathe in, and we’ll see what we can do for you here."
Cinderella did as she was told, taking a deep breath and holding it. The cobbler pulled hard; the new leather of the corset creaked quietly as it grew tighter. From inside there was now no doubt as to what was going on: the corset was determined to keep her under control, to impose its will on her. She had a sudden image of a prison with walls of leather and bars of whalebone, and laughed.
"Don’t do that!" the cobbler grunted. "You breathe, you’ll put me off."
"I’m sorry." Cinderella took a deep breath again—or as deep a breath as she could manage, for the corset was now beginning to cut into the space she normally used for breathing down at her waist. She held her breath as long as she could while the stays grew tighter, then let it out with a gasp and panted heavily. "How are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.
"I think that’s tight enough for now," the cobbler said, and began tying off the laces.
"No, no! I can stand it tighter than this! Please!"
"Now, don’t be silly. If you lace too tight first time you’ll only get uncomfortable and put yourself off. You take my advice." He finished tying the laces—"There. That won’t slip!"—and then turned Cinderella around to face him. Her budding bosom was heaving steadily above the low neckline of the leather corset; her face was flushed but happy.
"Oh, thank you, Godfather! It’s lovely!"
"It does suit you," the cobbler said, trying not to look proud. "Now, are you comfortable? Tell the truth, mind," he added, as he saw Cinderella’s mouth open.
She thought a bit, came up with an answer, looked him in the eye, revised it, and finally said "Not quite."
"Not quite. That’s good. You’re trying to develop your figure, Cinderella, and that means you have to keep demanding more of yourself. If you ever find you’re comfortable in your stays that means they’re too loose and you should lace them tighter."
She nodded. "I can remember that."
"Mind you, this pair won’t go much tighter—I didn’t realise quite how tight you’d be able to lace when I made them. You’ve obviously quite a talent for this. Just like your mother, again…" he trailed off, and gave a heavy sigh. "Well, I hope you’re pleased with it, anyway."
"Oh, I am, Godfather! I did tell you!"
"Good. Well, you take care of those stays now. Here’s a spare lace," and he passed her a neatly rolled length of leather cord, many feet long. "Remember to keep working at it—any time you no longer feel your stays are putting pressure on you, that means it’s time to lace them tighter. And today you must lace them tighter still after a couple of hours, because they stretch."
"I will. Oh, Godfather, they’re just so lovely!" She pirouetted into the middle of the kitchen, and for all the drabness of her clothes with her full skirt spinning out below her tiny waist she looked almost like a noble young beauty at a ball—like her mother, in fact. The cobbler shook his head at the cruelty of what had happened and rubbed at a tear which was threatening to come out.
"They suit you. Now come to me if you need another lace, and of course I’ll alter the corset for you if it ever gets too loose. Good luck, and be beautiful."
"I will be, Godfather. I’m going to be the tightest-laced maid in the house!"
Downstairs things went rather differently for Cinderella. At first she wore the same rough clothes as the rest of the servants, and if she yearned for the finery her stepsisters were given she was careful to say nothing about it. She got little enough to eat, mainly vegetables and lean cuts of meat, and she was often hungry. The other servants made sure she had a fair helping of milk and other things necessary to a growing girl, so she grew straight and strong; but she was usually hungry, and never had a chance to accumulate any fat. As she passed ten and eleven she began to change and to look like her mother; which was a great advantage to any girl, as her mother had been one of the Court’s finest beauties. Her hips remained slim and her stomach flat, but she began to develop signs of that magnificent bust with which her mother had driven grown men to distraction. Her hair grew out straight and soft, very dark, and her eyes were enchanting. The old cobbler watched her growing up, and smiled; and on her twelfth birthday he brought her a present, a bundle wrapped in cloth.
"What is it, Godfather?"
"Open it and see."
Cinderella unwrapped the package. Inside was a strange thing: a garment made of soft brown leather, almost conical in shape, heavily stiffened in one direction with bones ingeniously sewn into a smooth cotton lining. There were two straps, evidently designed to pass over the shoulders, and fastened with ribbon bows so that they could be adjusted. It was slit open up the back, and on either side of the gap holes had been punched into the leather: a sturdy lace zig-zagged back and forth among them, with a knot near the bottom. She turned it over carefully, admiring it, enjoying the way it was stiff in one direction but flexible in the other, its combination of elegant lines and obvious yet subtle strength…
"Godfather, it’s lovely! What’s it for?"
"This, child, is your very own corset. All ladies wear corsets to give themselves the figures they need. You’ve seen your stepmother’s, surely?"
"Yes…I never really knew what it was. But that’s different—it’s not made of leather."
"Corsets have to be very strong, Cinderella. Your stepmother can afford the finest work and the highest quality of material. I’m not so fortunate, and the strongest fabric I can get hold of is leather. Besides, that’s what I work for a living. If I’d tried to build it out of something else, you might not be able to trust it. With leather, I know how to make things that are strong enough to stand up to anything and tough enough to last for years. This corset will be standing by you for a long time to come."
Cinderella looked at the corset again. It was beautiful, certainly, but…"Godfather, why have you given me a corset?"
The old cobbler gave a sigh, and sat down on one of the rough kitchen chairs, looking at her grimly. "Cinderella, you’ve been robbed of the childhood of a lady, which you deserve, by your stepmother’s venom and your father’s foolishness. I can’t give that back to you, but I can give you part of your birthright. A young lady is always corseted from the moment she leaves childhood, night and day if possible, to make sure that her figure develops into the lines that fashion requires. Your two stepsisters are a very good example of how a young lady can grow up if her figure is left to run wild. You may not have fine gowns to wear, but if you put this corset on, lace it tight, and keep it tight all the time except when you have to wash, then your figure will develop in just the way that it should, and you’ll look like a lady for the rest of your life. ‘Manners makyth Man,’ some old philosopher said, but in my opinion Lacing makyth Lady, and as long as your stays are tight you will have the graceful figure and elegant poise of a lady of the court. One day you’ll be as beautiful as your mother, perhaps even more so, and if you’ve kept your figure in mind too, then nobody will compare to you."
Cinderella looked back at him in silence for some time, thinking about this. Finally she said "That’s very kind. Thank you."
It was a different voice: not the voice of an enthusiastic girl, but the voice of a young lady who had considered the issue and knew it was important. Already she was coming to understand. The old cobbler smiled, wiping his eyes a little, and said "Don’t thank me yet, child—you haven’t even tried it on. Come on, let’s get you laced up."
He pulled out the laces down the back of the corset and untied the ribbons that secured the straps; then, after checking that nobody was about, Cinderella took off her outer clothes and slipped into it. She clasped it to her chest and smiled avidly, feeling the rigidity of the bones and busk beneath the leather.
Putting on a corset in those days was a very complicated business. Even now, of course, it takes time to do it right, but the design of corsets has changed—for the better, in my opinion. If you ever see Mummy taking her stays off at the end of the day you’ll see that there is a series of hooks down the front of her busk, which she can unfasten once the laces have been slackened to release herself quickly; and in the same way when she dresses in the morning she passes the corset round herself and hooks up the busk again, and then Daddy or the maid tightens her laces. In Cinderella’s time, though, nobody had found a way of fastening a corset which could be opened and closed quickly but was strong enough not to burst open when the laces were pulled really tight; so the laces were the only fastening her new leather corset had. Before Cinderella could get the corset on the cobbler had to loosen the laces a terribly long way, and then of course once she was in it he had a very long way to pull them back in before they began to have any effect. For a long time she just stood there, proud to be a young lady, but wondering what all the fuss was about.
Then the corset came close to the size of her own figure, and things started to happen. She became aware of the sturdy fabric surrounding her on all sides, the tough bones that held it stiff pressing into her body. It was a strange sensation, like nothing she’d ever experienced before, slightly frightening, but the more exciting for it. She gasped and gently rubbed her hands down her sides.
The cobbler stopped pulling. "Starting to pinch, are they?" he asked. "You want me to give up?"
"What? No, no! Tighten me in more, tighten me in more!"
He laughed. "That’s what your mother was like—her maid told me about it. Well, now. Breathe in, and we’ll see what we can do for you here."
Cinderella did as she was told, taking a deep breath and holding it. The cobbler pulled hard; the new leather of the corset creaked quietly as it grew tighter. From inside there was now no doubt as to what was going on: the corset was determined to keep her under control, to impose its will on her. She had a sudden image of a prison with walls of leather and bars of whalebone, and laughed.
"Don’t do that!" the cobbler grunted. "You breathe, you’ll put me off."
"I’m sorry." Cinderella took a deep breath again—or as deep a breath as she could manage, for the corset was now beginning to cut into the space she normally used for breathing down at her waist. She held her breath as long as she could while the stays grew tighter, then let it out with a gasp and panted heavily. "How are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.
"I think that’s tight enough for now," the cobbler said, and began tying off the laces.
"No, no! I can stand it tighter than this! Please!"
"Now, don’t be silly. If you lace too tight first time you’ll only get uncomfortable and put yourself off. You take my advice." He finished tying the laces—"There. That won’t slip!"—and then turned Cinderella around to face him. Her budding bosom was heaving steadily above the low neckline of the leather corset; her face was flushed but happy.
"Oh, thank you, Godfather! It’s lovely!"
"It does suit you," the cobbler said, trying not to look proud. "Now, are you comfortable? Tell the truth, mind," he added, as he saw Cinderella’s mouth open.
She thought a bit, came up with an answer, looked him in the eye, revised it, and finally said "Not quite."
"Not quite. That’s good. You’re trying to develop your figure, Cinderella, and that means you have to keep demanding more of yourself. If you ever find you’re comfortable in your stays that means they’re too loose and you should lace them tighter."
She nodded. "I can remember that."
"Mind you, this pair won’t go much tighter—I didn’t realise quite how tight you’d be able to lace when I made them. You’ve obviously quite a talent for this. Just like your mother, again…" he trailed off, and gave a heavy sigh. "Well, I hope you’re pleased with it, anyway."
"Oh, I am, Godfather! I did tell you!"
"Good. Well, you take care of those stays now. Here’s a spare lace," and he passed her a neatly rolled length of leather cord, many feet long. "Remember to keep working at it—any time you no longer feel your stays are putting pressure on you, that means it’s time to lace them tighter. And today you must lace them tighter still after a couple of hours, because they stretch."
"I will. Oh, Godfather, they’re just so lovely!" She pirouetted into the middle of the kitchen, and for all the drabness of her clothes with her full skirt spinning out below her tiny waist she looked almost like a noble young beauty at a ball—like her mother, in fact. The cobbler shook his head at the cruelty of what had happened and rubbed at a tear which was threatening to come out.
"They suit you. Now come to me if you need another lace, and of course I’ll alter the corset for you if it ever gets too loose. Good luck, and be beautiful."
"I will be, Godfather. I’m going to be the tightest-laced maid in the house!"
Cinderella Story
Posted by
Unknown,
on
20:52
Cinderella used to spend long hours all alone talking to the cat. The cat said, . Miaow. , which really meant, . Cheer up! You have something neither of your stepsisters has and that is beauty.. It was quite true. Cinderella, even dressed in old rags, was a lovely girl. While her stepsisters, no matter how splendid and elegant their clothes, were still clumsy, lumpy and ugly and always would be.One day, beautiful new dresses arrived at the house. A ball was to be held at the palace and the stepsisters were getting ready to go. Cinderella didn't even dare ask if she could go too. She knew very well what the answer would be: . You? You're staying at home to wash the dishes, scrub the floors and turn down the beds for your stepsisters. They will come home tired and very sleepy.. Cinderella sighed, . Oh dear, I'm so unhappy!. and the cat murmured . Miaow..Suddenly something amazing happened. As Cinderella was sitting all alone, there was a burst of light and a fairy appeared. . Don't be alarmed, Cinderella,. said the fairy. . I know you would love to go to the ball. And so you shall!. . How can I, dressed in rags?. Cinderella replied. . The servants will turn me away!.The fairy smiled. With a flick of her magic wand Cinderella found herself wearing the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. . Now for your coach,. said the fairy; "A real lady would never go to a ball on foot! Quick! Get me a pumpkin!. . Oh of course,. said Cinderella, rushing away. Then the fairy turned to the cat. . You, bring me seven mice, and, remember they must be aliveCinderella soon returned with the pumpkin and the cat with seven mice he had caught in the cellar. With a flick of the magic wand the pumpkin turned into a sparkling coach and the mice became six white horses, while the seventh mouse turned into a coachman in a smart uniform and carrying a whip. Cinderella could hardly believe her eyes.Cinderella had a wonderful time at the ball until she heard the first stroke of midnight! She remembered what the fairy had said, and without a word of goodbye she slipped from the Prince. s arms and ran down the steps. As she ran she lost one of her slippers, but not for a moment did she dream of stopping to pick it up! If the last stroke of midnight were to sound... oh... what a disaster that would be! Out she fled and vanished into the night.The Prince, who was now madly in love with her, picked up the slipper and said to his ministers, “Go and search everywhere for the girl whose foot this slipper fits. I will never be content until I find her!”
So the ministers tried the slipper on the foot of every girl in the land until only Cinderella was left.. That awful untidy girl simply cannot have been at the ball,. snapped the stepmother. . Tell the Prince he ought to marry one of my two daughters! Can't you see how ugly Cinderella is?. But, to everyone. s amazement, the shoe fitted perfectly.Suddenly the fairy appeared and waved her magic wand. In a flash, Cinderella appeared in a splendid dress, shining with youth and beauty. Her stepmother and stepsisters gaped at her in amazement, and the ministers said, "Come with us Cinderella! The Prince is waiting for you." So Cinderella married the Prince and lived happily ever. As for the cat, he just said "Miaow!"Once upon a time there lived an unhappy young girl. Her mother was dead and her father had married a widow with two daughters. Her stepmother didn't like her one little bit. All her kind thoughts and loving touches were for her own daughters. Nothing was too good for them - dresses, shoes, delicious food, soft beds, and every home comfort.But, for the poor unhappy girl, there was nothing at all. No dresses, only her stepsisters’ hand-me-downs. No lovely dishes, nothing but scraps. No rest and no comfort. She had to work hard all day. Only when evening came was she allowed to sit for a while by the fire, near the cinders. That’s why everybody called her Cinderella.
So the ministers tried the slipper on the foot of every girl in the land until only Cinderella was left.. That awful untidy girl simply cannot have been at the ball,. snapped the stepmother. . Tell the Prince he ought to marry one of my two daughters! Can't you see how ugly Cinderella is?. But, to everyone. s amazement, the shoe fitted perfectly.Suddenly the fairy appeared and waved her magic wand. In a flash, Cinderella appeared in a splendid dress, shining with youth and beauty. Her stepmother and stepsisters gaped at her in amazement, and the ministers said, "Come with us Cinderella! The Prince is waiting for you." So Cinderella married the Prince and lived happily ever. As for the cat, he just said "Miaow!"Once upon a time there lived an unhappy young girl. Her mother was dead and her father had married a widow with two daughters. Her stepmother didn't like her one little bit. All her kind thoughts and loving touches were for her own daughters. Nothing was too good for them - dresses, shoes, delicious food, soft beds, and every home comfort.But, for the poor unhappy girl, there was nothing at all. No dresses, only her stepsisters’ hand-me-downs. No lovely dishes, nothing but scraps. No rest and no comfort. She had to work hard all day. Only when evening came was she allowed to sit for a while by the fire, near the cinders. That’s why everybody called her Cinderella.
Personal Blogs
Posted by
Unknown,
on
20:36
Personal blogs, like professional and business blogs, require some thought before you jump in and start throwing words on the screen if you don’t want your blog to be a flash-in-the-pan. While many bloggers are itching to start creating content (Hey isn’t that why you want to blog?), there are factors to consider first to ensure you don’t get blindsided once your information’s publically available. Here are twelve such factors.
1. Host your own blog. While there’s a cost to this approach, it can help you in the event that your blog grows into something bigger. Understand that no matter how stable a blog hosting platform is now, it can disappear. A self-hosted blog (on your own URL) enables you to broaden your audience and gives you greater control. You own the content you create and have greater freedom to publish what you want.
2. Anticipate and budget for technical support. Regardless of what you think when you start, there’ll be something you want to do requiring more technical experience than you have. Therefore, create a small budget for this purpose.
3. Brand your blog. Before you tell me you’re not a company or organization, understand that if you don’t brand your blog that will be your brand. Determine blog formatting, color use, typefaces, media, voice and other elements to ensure they’re consistent.4. Set blog category structure. What major topics will your blog cover? Think in terms of the keywords your audience will use to search for your content. Stay away from cute titles don’t mean anything to robots.
5. Plan for your blog’s future. Where do you see the content on your blog leading? Think 1 year, 2 years, 3 years out, while this may seem like the distant future, time passes quickly. This influences what you’re writing. Even if it’s only for one short term event such as your wedding, training for a marathon or dealing with a disease.
6. Determine terms of use. How are you going to allow others to use your blog content? Many people assume anything that appears on the Internet can be freely reused. (In reality, this isn’t the case.) So it’s best to protect yourself and make your terms of use public.
7.Watch your language. This isn’t restricted to four letter words but also encompasses your grammar and usage. It’s important because it reflects on your blog and brand.
8. Take the mini-skirt approach to blog post length. Blog posts should be long enough to cover the topic but short enough to stay interesting. (Here’s the research on blog post length.)
9. Don’t forget the blog eye candy. Think beyond text. Use photos, graphics, video, audio and presentations. These formats are often at the heart of personal blogs. Make sure you have permission to use photographs of people you know. This is particularly important when it comes to children.
10. Publish consistently. Remember that a blog is a media entity. Before you remind me that it’s your personal thoughts, it’s important to think about your readers. To this end, mind your editorial calendar. Research has shown that it’s best to publish two to three times a week. If you don’t do this, at least be consistent in when you publish.
11. Be selective in where you share your content. Don’t’ plaster your posts on every possible social media platform. Give thought to who’s on each platform and their interests. Consider where your topic makes sense.
12. Determine how you want to handle comments. Do you want them closed, moderated or open? When you start getting comments is too late to get a policy out. (Need help? Here are blog comment guidelines.)
1. Host your own blog. While there’s a cost to this approach, it can help you in the event that your blog grows into something bigger. Understand that no matter how stable a blog hosting platform is now, it can disappear. A self-hosted blog (on your own URL) enables you to broaden your audience and gives you greater control. You own the content you create and have greater freedom to publish what you want.
2. Anticipate and budget for technical support. Regardless of what you think when you start, there’ll be something you want to do requiring more technical experience than you have. Therefore, create a small budget for this purpose.
3. Brand your blog. Before you tell me you’re not a company or organization, understand that if you don’t brand your blog that will be your brand. Determine blog formatting, color use, typefaces, media, voice and other elements to ensure they’re consistent.4. Set blog category structure. What major topics will your blog cover? Think in terms of the keywords your audience will use to search for your content. Stay away from cute titles don’t mean anything to robots.
5. Plan for your blog’s future. Where do you see the content on your blog leading? Think 1 year, 2 years, 3 years out, while this may seem like the distant future, time passes quickly. This influences what you’re writing. Even if it’s only for one short term event such as your wedding, training for a marathon or dealing with a disease.
6. Determine terms of use. How are you going to allow others to use your blog content? Many people assume anything that appears on the Internet can be freely reused. (In reality, this isn’t the case.) So it’s best to protect yourself and make your terms of use public.
7.Watch your language. This isn’t restricted to four letter words but also encompasses your grammar and usage. It’s important because it reflects on your blog and brand.
8. Take the mini-skirt approach to blog post length. Blog posts should be long enough to cover the topic but short enough to stay interesting. (Here’s the research on blog post length.)
9. Don’t forget the blog eye candy. Think beyond text. Use photos, graphics, video, audio and presentations. These formats are often at the heart of personal blogs. Make sure you have permission to use photographs of people you know. This is particularly important when it comes to children.
10. Publish consistently. Remember that a blog is a media entity. Before you remind me that it’s your personal thoughts, it’s important to think about your readers. To this end, mind your editorial calendar. Research has shown that it’s best to publish two to three times a week. If you don’t do this, at least be consistent in when you publish.
11. Be selective in where you share your content. Don’t’ plaster your posts on every possible social media platform. Give thought to who’s on each platform and their interests. Consider where your topic makes sense.
12. Determine how you want to handle comments. Do you want them closed, moderated or open? When you start getting comments is too late to get a policy out. (Need help? Here are blog comment guidelines.)
Internet
Posted by
Unknown,
on
20:16
The internet in simple terms is a network of the interlinked computer networking worldwide, which is accessible to the general public. These interconnected computers work by transmitting data through a special type of packet switching which is known as the IP or the internet protocol.
Internet is such a huge network of several different interlinked networks relating to the business, government, academic, and even smaller domestic networks, therefore internet is known as the network of all the other networks. These networks enable the internet to be used for various important functions which include the several means of communications like the file transfer, the online chat and even the sharing of the documents and web sites on the WWW, or the World Wide Web.
It is always mistaken said that the internet and the World Wide Web are both the same terms, or are synonymous. Actually there is a very significant difference between the two which has to be clear to understand both the terms. The internet and World Wide Web are both the networks yet; the internet is the network of the several different computers which are connected through the linkage of the accessories like the copper wires, the fiber optics and even the latest wireless connections. However, the World Wide Web consists of the interlinked collection of the information and documents which are taken as the resource by the general public. These are then linked by the website URLs and the hyperlinks. Therefore World Wide Web is one of the services offered by the whole complicated and huge network of the internet.
The use of IP in the Internet is the integral part of the network, as they provide the services of the internet, through different layers organization through the IP data packets. There are other protocols that are the sub-classes of the IP itself, like the TCP, and the HTTP.
Internet is such a huge network of several different interlinked networks relating to the business, government, academic, and even smaller domestic networks, therefore internet is known as the network of all the other networks. These networks enable the internet to be used for various important functions which include the several means of communications like the file transfer, the online chat and even the sharing of the documents and web sites on the WWW, or the World Wide Web.
It is always mistaken said that the internet and the World Wide Web are both the same terms, or are synonymous. Actually there is a very significant difference between the two which has to be clear to understand both the terms. The internet and World Wide Web are both the networks yet; the internet is the network of the several different computers which are connected through the linkage of the accessories like the copper wires, the fiber optics and even the latest wireless connections. However, the World Wide Web consists of the interlinked collection of the information and documents which are taken as the resource by the general public. These are then linked by the website URLs and the hyperlinks. Therefore World Wide Web is one of the services offered by the whole complicated and huge network of the internet.
The use of IP in the Internet is the integral part of the network, as they provide the services of the internet, through different layers organization through the IP data packets. There are other protocols that are the sub-classes of the IP itself, like the TCP, and the HTTP.
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