Archive for 2007
Have you checked out Wakish Wonderz? It’s a really wonderful site with lots of step-by-step, nicely written and abundantly illustrated practical tips on a wide range of topics. From the realm of IT to writing good English and GP essays Wakish Wonderz brings you in the universe of science, technology, history, health, sports and entertainment with fun time jokes.
Wakish Wonderz is brought to you by Wakish, a professional in IT. He started timidly in February this year with hardly 2 to 3 posts. He exceptionally reached 10 in August to fall down again to 3. At that time, he had a faint idea about the blog world and the need or pleasure to write on the net. But his quest for knowledge and perfection has led him to what I’d call a professional blogger and webmaster.
Wakish has been steadily researching and constantly working on the web tools with a view to updating the design and layout to make it a really dynamic site. In this month alone he has written more than 40 posts! Well, that’s more than one post per day. On some days he posted even more than five articles. “I am never satisfied with where I am, I always aim higher; I want to be more than a niche-specific blogger; a pro-blogger with authority,” cherishes Wakish.
Wakish is always on the look out for new tips and latest tools in order to bring them to you in a simple, easy-to-read and non-technical language so that you have no problem understanding the complicated IT jargons.
Of course here I cannot list all the articles I enjoyed. But I’ll just mention a few posts which I found particularly interesting, in no particular order:
Pregnancy and exercise
Eating the right food for sexual enhancement
Writing the GP Essay – Write to convince!
Is a blog the platform you need?
Should you go with a flash-based website?
Submitting y our website to Search Engines
Did you know how diamonds are cut?
Did you know – Universe edition 1
Incidentally you might also check out the free downloads and free e-books section where you can find free tutorials/guidelines.
Wakish Wonderz welcomes discussion about writing on any topic. Get a FREE linkback from his PR4 blog by simply reviewing his blog now!
Check it out and have a nice time.
Li Changqing, a Chinese journalist, has been awarded the 2008 Golden Pen of Freedom, which is the annual press freedom prize of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN). Mr. Li, was imprisoned for three years on a charge of “fabricating and spreading false information” in January 2006. He had alerted the public to an outbreak of dengue fever before the authorities.
In making the award the Board of the WAN which met in Vienna, said “The Chinese authorities have a long history of covering up events they prefer to keep secret, and Li’s courageous decision to report on this outbreak, knowing the possible consequences, is an inspiration to journalists everywhere.”
* * *
On the other hand a veteran reporter and investigative journalist, Zubair Ahmed Mujahid was shot dead in Pakistan in the southern province of Sindh on November 23. His killer, an unidentified gunman, was traveling on motorcycle when he shot him in his stomach.
Mr Mujahid is said to have been “killed because of his articles criticising the situation of the poor”. He is the seventh journalist to be murdered this year.
Considering Mr. Mujahid’s work as “courageous” and “admirable”, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Asia Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said: “The perpetrators must be punished and learn that silencing journalists with violence is criminal and will not be tolerated.”
When a would-be writer starts writing he is initially interested in writing what he feels he can write about. Any problem? Well, it may be a good starting point if it’s going to be a hobby. But it’d be a whole different thing if the aim is to write for publications.
You want to be a freelancer. You know you can write, Ok? You are done with a nice article, well structured, well researched and very topical. You have high hopes. You send it out only to receive a diplomatic regret note saying “The editor has read it with much interest, but regrets he cannot use it.” Not a pleasant situation, isn’t it? Those who’ve been through it know very well what this means. A huge number of articles are rejected this way; often with no explanation at all. That’s even worse. You are disappointed; you shake your head with a big “WHY?”
If you sit back and reflect you’ll definitely find the answer. Either the publication you’ve sent your work to is not the right one, or your subject is not right, or even if it is you’ve adopted the wrong angle. You haven’t done your homework properly.
A good homework before writing is vital if you want to minimize rejections. That’s what makes the difference between beginners and professionals in writing.
A beginner will look for the article idea first, write it down and send it to the publication with the hope that it’ll get through. He’ll send it to any publication at hand without any analysis.
A professional on the other hand will carefully plan his writing. First he’ll decide for which publication he’s going to write. He’ll make what is called a publication analysis and compile a reader profile. He’ll get all the details of the publication, like its frequency of issue; what the guidelines say. Is it a paying market? What kind of article it features, who are the readers, what is their social status, things like that which will help him decide whether to write for it or not. It is only if he decides to give it a go that he’ll develop the idea for an article and query the editor before writing the article. He’ll target mainly the specialist publications, which value competent writers. He thus stands a better chance.
The above is only a glimpse of some of the aspects you need to consider before settling for writing, especially as a freelancer. Of course there’s a lot more and beyond the scope of this article. Anyway if you want to write for publications look for what the editor wants. You’ll then have a greater chance of acceptance and save your article being binned.
Good luck.
The carnival links are growing as we move ahead.
It’s interesting to note that my “Information Sheet on Diabetes” has been featured in the Carnival of Healing #112 at Tarot by Jacqueline Blog as well as in the Carnival of Life, Happiness and Meaning at Phil for Humanity.
My “Media and trade unions under scrutiny?” is in the composition of the Carnival of cities which is at Go Chicago Card Blog this week. Check the next week’s Carnival of Cities at An American in Oslo Norway.
Should you wish to submit to a blog carnival click here and select a carnival.
Have you ever given any thoughts on lessons learnt about blogging?Or rather the most important lesson? Have you learnt any lesson, by the way? Simple question, isn’t it? Not as simple as that, if you see the wide range of impressions at Skelliewag.
Skellie is running a weekly “Ask the Readers” section at her blog. Every week end she poses a question or discussion topic “to extract some thoughts, wisdom and tips from readers”. She aims at providing “a forum for readers to chat, ask questions, share tips and get to know each other”. She also encourages discussions with other readers and commenters.
The first question or topic of the series started on 11 November 2007. It was about “the art of making time to do the actions that grow your blog or website”, or simply “what strategies do you use to stay productive?”
Last week she wanted to know from readers “whether they think saving content is a worthwhile goal and, if so, how would they go about developing the habit?” Or if you want “What Does Your Writing Budget Look Like?”
With this week’s “Ask the Readers” discussion Skellie aims at “collecting a number of profound lessons in one place”. Her question: “what’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about blogging or being a webmaster?” has attracted quite a number of thought-provoking comments from the blogosphere.
In her “Ask the Readers” series, Skellie will each week pick a favorite comment and spotlight the author and comment on the following week’s “Ask the readers” post. “Skelliewag is a PR 5 blog and the link will be seen by a few thousand people,” says Skellie. Her judging criteria:
(i) Active participation in the discussion.
(ii) Thoughtful consideration of the question.
(iii) Engagement with other commenters and reflection on their answers.
Are you game? So let’s join the discussion at Skelliewag.
Every writer or would-be writer looks for his name in print somewhere at some time, whether he writes for pleasure or for pecuniary benefit. The internet has made it easier for anyone willing to do so. Not that easy, you’d agree.
Many writers promote their writing through blogging, which is one of the means to make you known to others, publishers included. Blogging is most of the time writing for free. Well, almost. There are many professional bloggers out there who make it to the dollars. I won’t dispute.
But there are lots of considerations before we decide whether we’ll write for free or for the bucks. This is the dilemma many writers find themselves in when they start on their writing project. Well, there’s no need to worry.
I just came across an article “The Writer’s Dilemma: Should You Write For Free” by Angela Booth, which I want to share. Angela highlights some of the problems associated with paying writers’ markets and gives an insight into some of the benefits of writing for free. “Writing for free can help you to discover how creative you really are”, she says.
Incidentally there’s another article “7 Reasons You Should be Writing Articles” by David McKenzie. “Writing articles is a very successful internet marketing technique,” David advocates. “It costs nothing and can increase your traffic and sales tremendously.”
I hope these two articles offer some food for thought to those still wondering whether writing for free is a waste of time.
Repression against journalists and trade unionists seems to take a new turn, at least here in Mauritius. On Wednesday three members of the press, the Editor-in-chief of Weekend newspaper and two journalists of Radio Plus, a private radio, were arrested for having allegedly diffused false news. They were brought to court yesterday and released on bail. They have also been charged for alleged defamation. They had published and broadcast a news about a big sum of money supposedly found in the locker of a senior police officer, which was denied by the police department.
A day earlier two trade union leaders were summoned to court for having participated in a union action in June last against the intended closure of the police mechanical workshop as announced in the last budget. However the court has temporarily lifted the objection to their departure to enable them participate in a conference of the International Trade Union Confederation in Ghana. Other trade unionists were questioned by police last week on their participation last year in a demonstration against the closure of the Development Works Corporation, a para-statal organisation.
Are we heading towards a rise of repression in the country? Observers seem to be concerned with this issue at a moment when the country is facing serious economic set back with the end of the sugar protocol and rising prices of basic commodities. Reporters Sans Frontieres reminds us that the last time journalists were arrested in Mauritius dates as far back as thirteen years ago. The Mauritian Premier announced some time ago his intention to bring more stringent laws against defamation and diffusion of unfounded news. What else can be done when the media hurts?
On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, I’m reproducing an information sheet on diabetes from the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life in Mauritius. It gives an insight of the types of diabetes, the situation in the world and at the local level, risk factors, signs and symptoms, and management and prevention of diabetes. I hope you find it useful as it’s becoming one of the most common ailments of the century.
“What is Type 1 diabetes?
Under the influence of the hormone insulin produced by the pancreas, sugar is converted into heat and energy in the body. If too little or no insulin is formed by the pancreas, the sugar is no longer adequately utilized; the sugar content of the blood rises, and the unused sugar is excreted in the urine. This condition is known as Type 1 diabetes and develops frequently in children and adolescents.
What is Type 2 diabetes?
In certain people, enough insulin is produced by the pancreas but the body is resistant to the action of insulin. Again the sugar in the body is not adequately used, the sugar content of the blood rises and the unused sugar is excreted in the urine. This condition is known as Type 2 diabetes, occurs most frequently in adults and accounts for about 90% of all cases.
What is the global situation?
According to the World Health Organization, more than 240 million people worldwide have diabetes. Within 20 years, this number is expected to rise to 380 million. And much of this increase will occur in developing countries.
What is the situation in Mauritius?
The Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Survey carried out in 2004 indicates that 20 % of the adult population aged 30 years and above have diabetes. This amounts to above 110,000 Mauritians who have diabetes. Furthermore, 12% of Mauritians have Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT), that is, borderline diabetes.
Is diabetes a problem among children?
Children are not spared from this global epidemic, with its debilitating and threatening complications. Type 1 diabetes is growing by 3 % per year among children and adolescents, and at an alarming rate of 5% per year among school children. It is estimated that 70,000 children under 15 develop Type 1 diabetes each year (almost 200 per day).
Type 2 diabetes also is growing at an alarming rate in children and adolescents. For example, in the United States of America, it is estimated that Type 2 diabetes represents between 8 and 45% of new-onset diabetes cases in children. In Japan, over a period of 20 years, Type 2 diabetes has doubled in children, so that it is now more common than Type 1.
For this reason, the theme of this year’s World Diabetes Day, usually marked on 14 November each year, is “Diabetes and Children“. The campaign aims to raise awareness on the rising prevalence of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. Early diagnosis and early education are crucial to reducing complications and saving lives. The healthcare community, educators, parents and guardians must join forces to help children living with diabetes, prevent the condition in those at risk, and avoid unnecessary death and disability.
What are the risk factors?
A number of factors are known to be related to the development of diabetes. These are:
- heredity;
- unhealthy eating habits;
- overweight or/and obesity;
- physical inactivity;
- smoking;
- alcohol abuse; and
- stress.
What are the signs and symptoms of diabetes?
The person:
- always feels thirsty, and his/her mouth feels dry;
- feels tired always;
- urinates more frequently than normal, including at night;
- begins to lose weight;
- may not see clearly;
- has frequent itching around the genitals;
- has pins and needles (‘picotements’) in the legs and hands;
- has injuries and infections that are difficult to treat.
What are the complications of diabetes?
If diabetes is not properly controlled, it leads to severe complications of the systems of the body, some of which are:
- retinopathy (affection of the retina), causing visual impairment and blindness;
- neuropathy (affection of the nerves), leading to loss of sensation and injuries to the feet and sexual impotence in men;
- nephropathy (affection of the kidneys), leading to renal failure;
- premature obstruction of the arteries, leading to hypertension, heart attack, stroke and amputation of the leg.
How can diabetes be managed properly?
(i) take the medicine or insulin injection as recommended by your doctor;
(ii) avoid eating fatty/oily foods;
(iii) reduce the intake of sugar;
(iv) eat more vegetables, fruits and pulses;
(v) control your weight;
(vi) avoid alcoholic drinks or take them in moderation;
(vii) avoid smoking; and
(viii) perform daily physical activity.
(ix) examine your feet daily in order to treat injury if any to avoid infection;
(x) check your eyes once a year.
How can diabetes be prevented?
The adoption of a healthy lifestyle is essential to prevent diabetes as well as other non-communicable diseases. Preventive measures include the following:
- moderate consumption of fatty/oily foods;
- moderate intake of sugar;
- consumption of more vegetables, fruits and pulses;
- avoiding or moderate consumption of alcoholic drinks;
- avoiding smoking;
- physical activity for at least 30 minutes daily.”
Courtesy: Ministry of Health & Quality of Life, Mauritius.
IgoUgo Travel Blog did a nice round-the-world tour with the Carnival of Cities: Food Edition. And Family Travel’s link back with Travel links round-up is marvelous.
Have a look at some of the interesting tasty food posts from the various places of the globe. I’m there too with my Indians celebrate Divali. While I’ve dwelt more on the meaning of the Divali festival, the delicious gateau batate has made it to the theme of the carnival.
Thank you IgoUgo and Family Travel.
Government in Mauritius has decided that the Employment Relations Bill and the Employee Rights Bill be referred to a high powered committee. This follows unfavorable remarks from the International Labor Office (ILO) which has noted a number of loopholes in the proposed bills.
The trade unions seem to have it, although the Government had made it clear that it had already sought ILO advice on the issue. They were right in raising concerns at all levels, especially the International Labor Office, on the proposed law reforms to govern labor and industrial relations, which according to them go against employee and trade union rights.
The ILO has just submitted its views after careful scrutiny: quite critical. “The ILO strongly believes that the final say on the appreciation of soundness, fairness and workability of a piece of legislation should belong to the users themselves, not to legal analysts…” Several clauses have been found to be in contradiction with ratified conventions.
The ILO has been particularly critical on clauses regarding the right to strike, collective bargaining, the right to organize and freedom of association and entitlement to maternity leave and compensation issues, which flout Conventions No 87, 98 and 183.
The ILO has detected the virtual prohibition of the right to strike by what may be called a tedious system and “would therefore raise problems with regard to both Article 3 of Convention No 87 and Article 4 of Convention No 98”. Compulsory arbitration is workable only if both parties are agreeable to it, notes the ILO.
The proposal restricting membership to a union only to those having worked for 18 months is in flagrant contradiction with Article 2 of Convention No 87 which provides that “workers without distinction whatsoever should have the right to establish and join organizations.”
The proposed law reforms have been criticized also for their so-called discriminatory provisions with regard to female workers. For instance there’s no provision for “a period of compulsory postnatal leave of at least six weeks”, which goes against the spirit of Convention 183.
The related bills were proposed to be introduced in Parliament this month. Trade unions have been arduously urging Government to review its decision, without much success. The ILO report on the issue seems to be a milestone in their struggle for a law reform that takes into consideration the fundamental trade union and human employment rights. The high-powered committee’s deliberations will under close scrutiny before the reintroduction of the new law reform proposals.
* Notes:
• ILO Convention 87: Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, 1948
• ILO Convention 98: Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, 1949
• ILO Convention 183: Maternity Protection Convention, 2000
Today Hindus all over the world celebrate Divali or Deepavali as it is also called.
It’s a festival of lights, which symbolizes the victory of good over evil, the triumph of light over darkness, justice over injustice and intelligence over ignorance.
Various beliefs are associated with the celebration of this festival. The most common ones relate to:
(i) the return of King Rama to the capital city of Ayodhya after an exile of 14 years in the forest, according to the Epic Ramayana; and
(ii) Lord Krishna’s victory over the demon king Narakashura, if we refer to the Epic Mahabharata.
Anyway, this festival is celebrated on a no-moon day in October-November every year.
On this occasion people of hindu faith renovate their houses by cleaning, washing, painting where required and decorating with colouful lights. But in pure tradition they light what is called a diya, a small lamp made of clay fitted with cotton dipped in oil or vegetable ghee. They also cook sweet cakes and share them among their neighbours, relatives and friends. Here in Mauritius the most popular cake is “gateau batate”, made with flour, batate (sweet potato), coconut and sugar fried in oil or ghee.
Divali is a public holiday here although the festival is celebrated at the fall of the night when lighting of the lamp starts as a gesture to welcome Lakshmi Mata (Mother Lakshmi), the goddess of light, wealth and beauty. Lakshmi Mata is worshipped for prosperity, luck, abundance, generosity and financial well being.
The whole significance of divali resides in the lamp. Lighting the lamp symbolises lighting the Soul.
This day marks the arrival of indentured labourers in Mauritius. After the abolition of slavery the British turned to India to recruit labour for the sugar cane field plantations in Mauritius. The first batch arrived on 2 November 1834 from Calcutta. The place where they landed and stayed near the harbour is known as the Aapravasi Ghat which has been subscribed to the World heritage. Ceremonies with cultural shows are held at that place in remembrance of those who marked the history of this country at the sweat of their hard labour.
But labour was recruited also from other parts of the region, namely China, Madagascar, Mozambique, the Comoro Islands, South-East Asia, Reunion Island and Aden (now known as Yemen). The chinese came between 1837 and 1843, while those from Malagasy Republic came between 1839 and 1857. Others who came were non-indentured.
Alfa King Memories
This week was a short one with only three days’ work. We have two consecutive public holidays: tomorrow is All Saints’ Day and on Friday we celebrate the arrival of indentured labourers in the early colonization period. And of course Saturday and Sunday we are off.
But I am squeezed in between today and tomorrow, between sadness and joy. Usually 31st October is somewhat sad for our family. It’s the death anniversary of one of my sons (he passed away 24 hours after his birth – 23 years ago). 1st November on the other hand is merrier. It’s my wedding anniversary. So we are not sure whether to mourn or to make merry. We got to organise ourselves for both, anyway.
It also happens that my youngest brother, who was on holiday for some three weeks after nearly seven years, is going back to his new homeland in Montreal on 1st November.
Since the Government’s announcement to introduce new laws at the forthcoming National Assembly sittings in November, the trade unions have been on hot ashes. They’ve been maintaining pressure for the withdrawal of these bills which, they believe, go against acquired rights of employees.
While the employers’ federation seems to agree with the new proposals, the unions are adamant on their position to urge Government to put them aside.
Unions both from the private and public sectors met again in a common platform last week. They have unanimously agreed on a strike action on 10 December to protest against Government’s indifference to their views.
Back again after quite a long break. I trust your patience. I really missed you all a lot. Hmmm… hope to catch up with all your postings. Sure a lot of water has crossed under the bridge. Anyway, back in business, again… as usual. Cheers.
on 
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