On one of the coldest days of the year, a passenger jet carrying more than 150 people was forced to make a water landing in the frigid Hudson River. US Airways flight 1549, with 150 passengers and five crew members, crashed into waters just west of Manhattan after taking off from LaGuardia Airport en route to Charlotte, N.C.
By about 3:30 p.m., news helicopters were capturing compelling images of the jet partly submerged in the water and surrounded by rescue boats and commuter ferries. Numerous emergency vehicles could be seen on the New Jersey shore, responding to the incident. By 4 p.m., the plane had sunk into the frigid waters. MSNBC reported that the pilot had radioed air-traffic controllers shortly after takeoff to say that the plane had collided with a flock of geese. Losing altitude, the pilot reportedly opted for a water landing.
By a little after 5 p.m., the plane had been towed to the Manhattan shoreline. In the few minutes after the crash, all passengers apparently got off safely and only a few had to be hospitalized. All those were in stable condition.
WORD LIST
1. forced
2. flight
3. crashed
4. capturing
5. submerged
6. surrounded
7. numerous
8. vehicles
9. radioed
10. collided
11. towed
12. shoreline
13. apparently
14. hospitalized
15. commuter
ENRICHMENT LIST
1. averted
2. frigid
3. en route
4. compelling
5. opted
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Yes DEAR: 16- 20 Feb 2009 - The rat and the crow
Black ruffles flitted thorough the dark ebony feathers of Ms Sisily, the Crow. She was the cynosure of everyone’s eyes with her beauty although accompanied with very little brains.
Many a handsome crows would try their best to create an impression so that she would wed them. But Sisily was smart, she took undue advantage of all the visiting crows never confirming anyone with any answer. So day in and day out crows would come with a gift of some food to make Sisily aware of them. Hence Sisily did not have much to do, but sit around and wait for a visitor.
Now all the other lady crows were very jealous of her, wanting to divert the men towards them. So they planned a conspiracy. Soon one suggested Smelly the rat. It was well-built, black like a stone but clever as a fox. They all got together and met Smelly requesting him to help them out. Terms and conditions fixed Smelly accepted the deal.
Smelly kept a close watch on Sisily from afar. He did not let the crow know he even existed. Like a shadow he crept around her, jotting down points and drawing his conclusions.
After a week of self-study, he thought it was time to act as planned. He made himself visible to Sisily and blushed whenever their eyes met. He noticed how fat she had grown and utterly lethargic, being used to being served around. Once she was offered a big cheese piece by her patron, the biggest she had ever received. In fact it was big enough to survive on a few days. The entire neighbourhood got the smell of it and went green with envy.
Just then Smelly showed up and said, “Morning Sisily, you looking as beautiful as ever. How about a lovely song from you? Your voice must be as beautiful as you and I want to have a good day. What better to begin it by hearing your voice?
Immediately Sisily flushed began to caw. She did not realise the wobbling cheese piece as she cawed away her noise. The cheese tipped to its edge and with no support fell straight to the ground. Smelly took his share and all the other birds swooped down to take theirs. Sisily became the laughing stock.
Smelly looked up the fat crow and said, let me tell you one thing, never trust flatterers.
Many a handsome crows would try their best to create an impression so that she would wed them. But Sisily was smart, she took undue advantage of all the visiting crows never confirming anyone with any answer. So day in and day out crows would come with a gift of some food to make Sisily aware of them. Hence Sisily did not have much to do, but sit around and wait for a visitor.
Now all the other lady crows were very jealous of her, wanting to divert the men towards them. So they planned a conspiracy. Soon one suggested Smelly the rat. It was well-built, black like a stone but clever as a fox. They all got together and met Smelly requesting him to help them out. Terms and conditions fixed Smelly accepted the deal.
Smelly kept a close watch on Sisily from afar. He did not let the crow know he even existed. Like a shadow he crept around her, jotting down points and drawing his conclusions.
After a week of self-study, he thought it was time to act as planned. He made himself visible to Sisily and blushed whenever their eyes met. He noticed how fat she had grown and utterly lethargic, being used to being served around. Once she was offered a big cheese piece by her patron, the biggest she had ever received. In fact it was big enough to survive on a few days. The entire neighbourhood got the smell of it and went green with envy.
Just then Smelly showed up and said, “Morning Sisily, you looking as beautiful as ever. How about a lovely song from you? Your voice must be as beautiful as you and I want to have a good day. What better to begin it by hearing your voice?
Immediately Sisily flushed began to caw. She did not realise the wobbling cheese piece as she cawed away her noise. The cheese tipped to its edge and with no support fell straight to the ground. Smelly took his share and all the other birds swooped down to take theirs. Sisily became the laughing stock.
Smelly looked up the fat crow and said, let me tell you one thing, never trust flatterers.
Monday, February 9, 2009
PIES 9-13 Feb 2009: Indian Ocean to see solar eclipse
A few lucky people in the Indian Ocean will be treated to a rare event on Monday when an annular solar eclipse will transform the Sun into a dark disc with a blazing ring-shaped corona around its rim.
In solar eclipses, the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow on the terrestrial surface. In an annular eclipse, a tiny shift in distance that results from celestial mechanics means the Moon does not completely cover the Sun's face, as it does in a total eclipse.
Instead, for those directly under the alignment, the Moon covers most of the Sun's surface, and a ring-like crown of solar light blazes from the edge of the disk. For those watching from the fringe of the track, the Sun is partially obscured, as if a bite has been taken out of it.
It will traverse the Indian Ocean and western Indonesia before petering out just short of Mindanao, the Philippines.
It will be the only annular solar eclipse this year. The last was on 7 February, 2007and after Monday, the next one will be on 15 January, 2010. The big event for eclipse junkies this year is on July 22, when a total solar eclipse will be visible from India and China, the world's two most populous countries.
WORD LIST
1.treated
2.rare
3.annular
4.terrestrial
5.celestial
6.alignment,
7.blazes
8.edge
9.partially
10.event
11.junkies
12.visible
13.populous
14.eclipse
15.transform
ENRICHMENT LIST
1.casting
2.fringe
3.obscured
4.traverse
5.petering
In solar eclipses, the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow on the terrestrial surface. In an annular eclipse, a tiny shift in distance that results from celestial mechanics means the Moon does not completely cover the Sun's face, as it does in a total eclipse.
Instead, for those directly under the alignment, the Moon covers most of the Sun's surface, and a ring-like crown of solar light blazes from the edge of the disk. For those watching from the fringe of the track, the Sun is partially obscured, as if a bite has been taken out of it.
It will traverse the Indian Ocean and western Indonesia before petering out just short of Mindanao, the Philippines.
It will be the only annular solar eclipse this year. The last was on 7 February, 2007and after Monday, the next one will be on 15 January, 2010. The big event for eclipse junkies this year is on July 22, when a total solar eclipse will be visible from India and China, the world's two most populous countries.
WORD LIST
1.treated
2.rare
3.annular
4.terrestrial
5.celestial
6.alignment,
7.blazes
8.edge
9.partially
10.event
11.junkies
12.visible
13.populous
14.eclipse
15.transform
ENRICHMENT LIST
1.casting
2.fringe
3.obscured
4.traverse
5.petering
Yes DEAR: 9 - 13 Feb 2009 - Positive Thinking
Read this, and let it really sink in... Then, choose how you start your day tomorrow...
Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.
I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." “What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything.’Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'"
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.
Positive thinking the first step towards a happy life.
Attitude is everything
Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.
I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." “What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything.’Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'"
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.
Positive thinking the first step towards a happy life.
Attitude is everything
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
PIES 2 -6 Feb 2009: Colourless Corals Spell Doom
KOTA KINABALU: Coral bleaching will damage some of the world’s most important marine environments, including those in Malaysian waters in the coming months, international conservation organization WWF has warned.
A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce predicts severe bleaching for parts of the Coral Sea which is adjacent to the Coral Triangle and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
The Coral Triangle, which stretches from the Philippines to Malaysia (Sabah) and Papua New Guinea, is home to 75 percent of all known coral species, with more than 120 million people relying on its resources. It is the most diverse marine region on the planet. It also spans across Indonesia and the Solomon Islands.
Coral bleaching, which is expected to occur between now and February, may have a devastating impact on coral reef ecosystems, killing corals and destroying food chains.
(Adapted From NST)
WORD LIST
1.damage
2.conservation
3.warned
4.predicts
5.severe
6.stretches
7.relying
8.resources
9.region
10.impact
11.ecosystems
12.destroying
ENRICHMENT LIST
1.doom
2.bleaching
3.adjacent
4.diverse
5.devastating
A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce predicts severe bleaching for parts of the Coral Sea which is adjacent to the Coral Triangle and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
The Coral Triangle, which stretches from the Philippines to Malaysia (Sabah) and Papua New Guinea, is home to 75 percent of all known coral species, with more than 120 million people relying on its resources. It is the most diverse marine region on the planet. It also spans across Indonesia and the Solomon Islands.
Coral bleaching, which is expected to occur between now and February, may have a devastating impact on coral reef ecosystems, killing corals and destroying food chains.
(Adapted From NST)
WORD LIST
1.damage
2.conservation
3.warned
4.predicts
5.severe
6.stretches
7.relying
8.resources
9.region
10.impact
11.ecosystems
12.destroying
ENRICHMENT LIST
1.doom
2.bleaching
3.adjacent
4.diverse
5.devastating
Monday, February 2, 2009
Yes DEAR: 2 - 6 Feb 2009 - The Pencil Story
The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.
"There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."
"One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand."
"Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil."
"Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."
"Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside."
"And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write."
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.
Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.
Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.
Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.
"There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."
"One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand."
"Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil."
"Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."
"Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside."
"And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write."
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.
Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.
Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.
Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.
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