TIGblogs - siddiqua's TIGBlog

finally

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:41:00 -0400

finally, some progress. No more low quality products, and no more middlemen.

Tree Frog Has a Family

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 05:39:00 -0500

It looks like our lonesome tree frog now has two more tree frogs for company. And the two have occupied positions next to it on the window. Among the two new frogs, one is about the same size as the original. And the other is relatively small, like a baby frog.

Its still such a huge mystery to us. Where did they come from ?

The Last Emperor

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 01:39:00 -0500

My mother always told us stories about dictators or eccentric political leaders. She made the news sound like one interesting story after another. Who needed fiction. Most of our childhood she told us stories about PapaDoc duvalier, Ceausescu, PolPot, Hitler, the holocaust... There are rumblings that babyDoc D. , back in Haiti, is eyeing a position of power once more. If it indeed comes to pass, I would have added one more story about another eccentric leader to tell my children.

These dictators, they usually have wives to match. A perfect example is Imelda Shoes Marcos, notorious for amassing shoes.

The surprising thing is that there are even supporters of BabyDoc Duvalier in Haiti now. Our collective memory is either short-term, or the crimes of despots are gradually erased and have little bearing or consequence on the next generation.

Its a Common Tree Frog

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 05:05:00 -0500

generally found in reserves.

Tree Frog

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 09:03:00 -0500

on the window. I didnt know this area had tree frogs. What a surprise.

What A Difference...

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:38:00 -0500

...a good husband makes. Neelammas husband, who died due to excessive alcohol consumption like many other husbands who squandered their joint meagre earnings and left their widows struggling. On the other hand, her daughter Duggammas husband never drinks, they take joint decisions, he has never abused her physically, and like she says, they make sure they dont deprive their children of anything. Shes such a picture of happiness. Too shy to call out aloud while selling vegetables, she would meekly follow her mother everywhere with her basket. Because she was unable to sell anything on her own, she joined her husband to work at the puffed rice factory.

Frog in Shoe

Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:41:00 -0500

This isn't the first time its happening. When I insert my foot into my shoe, there's a frog inside ! I wonder why they chose my shoes to snuggle into. Maybe it means I should kiss one.

rmndr

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:26:00 -0500

Underground Railroad
Nuer traditions
Tommy Smith John Carlos

suu kyi

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:35:00 -0500

nov14,free

The Monarch's Crown

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:12:00 -0400

If you've ever wondered why some insects have the names they have, most of the time its to do with the way they appear.
I saw a pale pink pupa on the wall near the Asclepias plants, in between two tiny snails which had glued themselves to the wall. The afternoon sunlight hitting the wall made the pupa coruscate in a golden brilliance I've rarely seen. On close inspection, there was a golden ring around the top portion of the pupa, and it resembled a crown, a crown befitting a monarch.

L’Histoire m’acquittera

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:54:00 -0400

« Condamnez-moi, peu importe; L’Histoire m’acquittera. »
L’Histoire m’acquittera
16 octobre 1953,f.castro

Tea Box Mouse

Sat, 08 May 2010 15:16:00 -0400

It was late at night. The only light in the room was from a lamp in a far away corner dimming with every minute. And I was asleep. Well, I was actually praying the night prayers when I was overcome with a wave of intense sleep and fell into deep slumber while prostrating. I dont know for how long I was asleep, but I awoke with a start because suddenly I felt something chewing or trying to chew the top of my head. I screamed and jumped up on the bed, and in that confusion I saw something dart out of sight into the darkness at the other end. Because I have a mortal fear of lizards, I didnt move a muscle, not sure if that thing was still on my head. Fortunately, my sister ran upstairs to my rescue after hearing me scream. All the lights were switched on, and the investigation began in all earnest. I didnt help because I was standing upright on the bed, terrified. After sometime I head my sister say oh, its you !. It turned out that that thing was a wee garden mouse who used to live with us. We had named him Peppino. We had also made him a little house in a teabox and carved out a little door with a home sweet home sign on the door. Garden mice are different from rats. They have soft brown fur and live in fields. Peppino was so tiny , and neevr came out of his teabox house. Eachtime we put a slice of a fruit, after a few seconds, that slice would slowly be pulled inside through the door and there would never be any sign of a hand or a body. One day, Peppino was missing and we knew that it ran away. I just didnt know that opening the balcony door that night would bring him inside after so many months. Slowly, we diverted Peppinos attention to the open door, and it scurried towards freedom once again. The last we saw was his dashing jump onto the rope that was used to grow climbers, swing to and fro and escape into the dark night on the ground.

Lesson

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:06:00 -0400

" When you're doing stuff online, you should behave as if you're doing it in public - because increasingly, it is."

- Jon Kleinberg, professor of computer science at Cornell University.

That's a lesson for all of us.

Alice Pleasance Liddell

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:52:00 -0500

This is my most favorite poem and will remain so for all time to come. It was written by Lewis Carroll.

A boat beneath a sunny sky,
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July -

Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear -

Long has paled that sunny sky:
Echoes fade and memories die:
Autumn frosts have slain July.

Still she haunts me, phantomwise,
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.

Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.

In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:

Ever drifting down the stream -
Lingering in the golden dream -
Life, what is it but a dream?

~~~

My Favorite trees

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:02:00 -0500

Millingtonia longifolia

Acacia

Australian Pine

Rain Tree

via blogger

february

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:02:00 -0500

I love february because

~it always reminds me of preliminary exam days in school when we had to come home by 12 noon

~its always the start of hot summer and the time to eat ice candies all day long

~the promise of summer rains is never too far >

~something good always happens in february

~the rain tree sheds its leaves in feb and everywhere there is a carpet of its leaves, they fly shimmering through the air, fly in through the bathroom windows, sometimes land in my hair like decorative hairpiece with every hard wooosh of the wind they fall like a golden rain and i always miss the chance to stand under the tree at that time.

The Worst Job in the World

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:01:00 -0500

The worst job in the world. A video on manual scavengers in India.

via blogger

Verse

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:53:00 -0400

As salt resolved in the ocean
I was swallowed in God's sea,
Past faith, past unbelieving,
Past doubt, past certainty.

Suddenly in my bosom
A star shone clear and bright;
All the suns of heaven
Vanished in that star's light.

- Jalal ud din Rumi.
(Translated by AJ Arberry)

mamma pigs

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:03:00 -0400

its so soothing the soft grunts they make when communicating with their litte piglets and calling them. i wish i even could go and join them,..hehehe.

A Day

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:06:00 -0400

can be so long...

Seymour Hersh

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:26:00 -0400

Vietnam, My Lai massacre, journalist

L'Aquila Initiative

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:24:00 -0400

One of the proposals of the recently concluded G8 summit in Italy is the l'Aquila Initiative which aims to reduce world hunger, especially after last year's terrible hunger wave in many countries. The proposals include boosting agriculture using genetic engineering, liberalisation of agriculture, etc.

The problem is that over the past decades, genetic engineering hasn't contributed to increased food production. But it is mired in all kinds of
controversy. Moreover, free trade, agricultural subsidies by rich nations and free trade that has flooded markets of poor and developing countries has only served to deepen food insecurity and increase hunger.

being grateful for food

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:22:00 -0400

i feel its important to be grateful not just to god, but also to the animal whose meat you eat, the plants whose grains you consume.

Documentary on Wild Boars

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:35:00 -0400

This is a photo of a young pig.

Two days ago I saw a documentary on wild boars on Animal Planet. It was very interesting because I found the behaviour of wild boars very very similar to the Indian pigs- how boars tend to move around in isolated groups, how one female takes charge of young of other females too, how sow are agressive when protecting the young.

I guess I've been observing them for too long. Last month near my home I saw a pregnant sow build a nest to give birth. It used its mouth to pull out or cut parthenium weeds and other herbs and piled them up in a safe corner. And once the piglets were born, another younger female sort of started to live with this 'family'. It wasn't a nurse, but I'm not sure why it made its appearance. Maybe as additional protection.
Once when a herd of buffaloes accidentally ventured near where these very young teeny weeny piglets were huddled (because they tend to move together when they are so very young), the sow got into a vicious stance challenging the herd who backed away very quickly.

One Tree

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:15:00 -0400

'I saw death cut down a thousand men
In that tall lovely legacy of wood' - poet Clifford Dyment on seeing an old tree being cut down.

An Australian pine tree grows in our home. Everyday I see so many birds perching on its tip or flitting from one branch to another. I made a note of the all the kinds of birds that have visited this tree in the past. They are -red ringed parakeets, bush chats, tailor birds, wren warblers, sometimes flower peckers, grey tits, crow pheasants, crows, a golden oriole, and a bird like an osprey. Just one tree can support so many birds, so many insects, so many microscopic life forms... Amazing!

Cut down just one tree, and its like you're cutting off the oxygen supply bit by bit for these life forms.