Category: Day to day

For blogs on the day to day activities

Need motivation to walk? Buy Shape ups from Sketchers

My husband recently bought me Sketchers Shape ups after he was impressed with my walking results. Just when I am lazy to get out for a walk the new sketchers tempt me and motivate me to start. 🙂 Walking is the best exercise for many. But, most lack motivation to carry out the daily walking routine. The latest footwear from Sketchers may add to your result apart from boosting your motivation and confidence.

Sketchers

Sketchers is the popular brand and global leader in lifestyle footwear for children, men and women. They design, produce and market innovative products through out the world. Sketchers has head quarters in California and has retail stores in major cities around the world.

Shape Ups

Shape ups is the latest brand from Sketchers that assists in good body posture and toning muscles while you walk. The regular sports shoes or running shoes will give adequate support to your feet, but Shape ups promise improved posture and reduced stress on back and legs.

Initially, I felt that my walking style has changed and am walking in an unnatural way. But, after couple of days, I noticed that my walking pace has improved and the stress on thighs is increased. The stress on my back is reduced and hope all this will help in improving my posture. In that case its worth the price.

You may wear the shape ups during your normal office wear or for your walking routine. Any walk, the shoe promises results. The shoes are available in multiple models and colors. It comes with an instructional CD for our tech savvy friends. 🙂

Buy Sketchers Shape ups from kuulstuff’s amazon eStore to avail an extra four per cent discount and free shipping!

Moving? Tips and Suggestions

Moving to a new place or just shifting an apartment is most daunting for many. Cost of living, packing, booking a vehicle, taking care of kids schools and further planning can be easy if you are well-informed. Cleaning is also an essential part of moving which is equally tedious. Here are some tips.

Moving

Due to the job market and summer weather conditions, many people prefer to move during summers. While getting a job is difficult, finding an apartment which suits your needs is also impossible. You can use your networking skills and approach contacts and friends to find a new home or an apartment.

Once you finalize the new place and home, you can start preparations for relocation.

Packing

Start packing ahead of the move date so that you take care of all the belongings. Pack the less frequently used clothes, utensils, electronic items, toys and other items. You can leave some essential items aside and pack the rest of the items. It is suggested to take care of all the important documents and jewelry ahead so that you do not mis them during the transit.

If you have stored the boxes of all the electronic or electrical items you purchased, it is better to pack them back in the boxes to avoid damage. For all the remaining items you can use small bags or boxes to pack.

Booking Vehicle

You have to book a vehicle depending upon the number of items in your house. If the items are less, you can ask your friends to help during the move. Else, you may have to seek professional helpers who load and unload the packed items.

Book a vehicle one week ahead of the move date, so that everything goes according to the plan. If you book within a short notice, you may have to pay higher charges.

Move Date

On the move date, start at an early time or during the evenings depending on the weather. Make sure all the big items are loaded and arranged in a secure manner. You need to monitor the loading and unloading even though you have hired professional helpers.

Avoid any injuries or bruises during the move. You can move children and seniors early so that they will not be much disturbed. Complete the loading and unloading process and leave nothing in the vehicle. 🙂

Exit Formalities

If you live in a rental property, you may have to give the stipulated notice to the owner. If you live in a own house, you may have to plan to take care of your house when you are gone to the new place.  If the property is rental and you have paid a security deposit along with the lease agreement, you have to be careful until you receive your money back.

Cleaning all the tiles, windows, bathrooms, carpet, wooden cabinets, closets and everything is mandatory before you leave. You have to handover the property so that the next person can readily move in.

Address Change

Once you move, start changing the address in all the places. Notify all the banks, authorities, insurance agencies of your new address so that your bills reach you in time. Inform the cable and utilities people of the change. You can inform the local post office to deliver the mail to the new address.

It may seem never ending to readjust at the new place. But it will soon get over and you can start enjoy the move. 🙂

Sales Tax Holidays in Quad Cities!!

August 6th and 7th are sales tax holidays in Iowa and August 6th through 15th are sales tax holidays in Illinois. So, shoppers hurry up and rush to the stores to enjoy the benefits. Beware of the exceptions while availing the sales tax holiday benefits. 🙂

Sales Tax Holidays

Every year state government declare certain days as sales tax holidays. Businesses that are open on these are required to participate. However, the maximum cost for which the sales tax is free varies from State to State. The items for which the sales tax is exempted also vary. The sales will boost for businesses during this period at the same time, consumers can enjoy the benefit as well. Businesses can claim this exemption while filing the tax returns.

Illinois

Illinois has declared August 6th through August 15th as sales tax holidays. Five percent of the sales tax will be exempted on all school supplies, clothing, and footwear up to $100. School supplies are not subject to the $100 threshold however, if the product is not used by the student in the course of study, that item is not exempted. For example, crayons are exempted but not the paint brushes and other art supplies.

Iowa

Iowa has declared August 6th and 7th as sales tax holidays. However, the items under this exemption are clothing and footwear only up to $100. Manufacturer coupon do not reduce the sales price of an item. But, store coupon reduce. So, correspondingly tax is adjusted.

Watch out

Notice the following rules while purchasing during the sales tax holidays.

  1. The sales tax exemption is valid for goods exchanged at a later date as well. 🙂
  2. The tax exemption is valid for mail orders during that particular dates.
  3. Clothing or footwear for athletic or swimming do not receive the exemption.
  4. Returns after the tax holiday receive the corresponding tax credit, but not the new item purchased after the dates.

Iowa has complete sales tax off on clothing and footwear while Illinois has 5% sales tax off on clothing, footwear, and school supplies. Happy Shopping everybody. 🙂

Quad Cities Events – August, 2010

For Quad city residents, August is packed with full of local events which are not to be  missed. The Mississippi Valley Fair, River Roots Live Music Festival, Tug Fest are the major annual events apart from the movie in the park. These events make summer a little more exciting and worth celebrating!

Mississippi Valley Fair, 2010

The 91st annual Mississippi Valley Fair is being held at Davenport, Iowa from August 3rd to August 8th. If you have visited the Rock Island County Fair in July, you can expect this fair to be much bigger and with  more events.

The Mississippi Valley Fair has a  line up of celebrity artists from across the country performing live daily. Apart from the grand stand events, the fair is packed with shows from across the country. The animal show, carnival rides, fire guy show, diamonds show, Stiltwalker Todd Lageisse show, sculptors are some of the amazing shows in the fair.

The fair is held at 2815 West Locust street Davenport, Iowa 52804.  They can be reached on (563) 326-5338. The entry fee is $10 per head and $40 for all days with admission to the grand stand.

Tug Fest, 2010

The 24th annual Tug Fest is held across the Mississippi river between Le Claire, Iowa and Port Byron, Illinois. The tug-of-war across the river is held annually along with the Bike show and fire works. The show and events can be seen both the cities and are a ton of fun. Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs and water bottles.

The festival is held on August 12th to 14th and the entry is free. 🙂 Do not miss the annual show with lots of events for children as well as adults. The tug fest for children and the Prince/Princess contests are held for children. For adults, the parade contests, bike contests, Running, Golf tournament are the planned events. The fireworks on  Friday, August 13th are a feast and a must see!

River Roots Live Music Festival, 2010

The sixth annual River Roots Live Music Festival has artists from across the country performing for entertaining the visitors. The festival is a feast for all music lovers with a line-up of popular artists and fun.

The festival will be held in Davenport Downtown on August 20th and August 21st. The timings are from 11am till midnight. Entry is free 🙂 and the shows are held in multiple stages. The music festival is packed with rib fest for you to enjoy mouth-watering ribs. Bring your lawn chairs and water bottles.

Movie in the Park, Moline

Every Friday night in August, Moline Parks department shows a free  movie in the park at Riverside Park. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and water bottles to enjoy the cool summer and a free movie. Concessions are available at the park at an extra charge.

So, finally there are many events in August before school starts and fall begins. Enjoy to your maximum potential and let me know how it went. 🙂

Back to School!

While back to school season means a lot of fun for children, it is a lot of work and stress for most parents. Taking care of the registrations, school supplies, back pack night, day care, transportation among others is easier for some but stressful for other parents.

Registration

American public schools require a child to register every year to enable them to plan the classes. Further, submitting address proof is mandatory so you fall in the same school district. Most schools have posted the registration information on their websites but some have sent the registration packets to all children as well. Some schools have online registration for middle school and high school children.

Physical presence of the parent at the time of registration is necessary in order to fill out the forms, pay the fees, and submit the proofs.

  • The forms include registration form, Language forms, Food forms, Transportation forms, Parent-Teacher-Association forms among others
  • The school fee may be from $40 to $60 for public schools and for private school may be $35.
  • The address proofs may be your most recent rental agreement, gas bill, cable bill, electricity bill, telephone bill , and so on.

Some schools require school physical form filled out from the child’s doctor which can be submitted later.

If you cannot register your child on the specified dates, you may register st a later date but the seat at the desired school may not be guaranteed. Then, it would depend up on the class strength. You may have to send your school to another school in the same school district.

School Supplies

School supplies list have been posted on the school websites and can be collected at the time of registration. Many departmental stores such as Walmart have school supplies list of  all local schools in the store itself. Some schools have the facility of arranging the supplies if you pay the amount to the school directly.

Most of the supplies for all schools are similar but may vary slightly depending on the school. Some of the supplies may be reused from the previous year’s stock. School uniforms and shoes may change and require further shopping.

Back Pack Night

Most schools have a preset date on which children and parents can visit the school before the school reopens. You may need to submit the school supplies and check out your child’s class room and teacher. It will be exciting for some children to meet their friends and class mates but some may feel nervous facing the new teacher.

First Day School

You do not want to miss the first day of school as it will be a lot of fun for the children. There will be introductions and children will get familiar with the class rules and regulations. For the first week, there may not be any serious classes but most adjustments and ice breaking sessions may be in progress.

Some parents may not like sending their children to school, but note that, the American government mandates that every child must receive education, be it public, private or, home schooling. 🙂

Buying a new or used car? Beware of the scams.

With summer around and weather suitable, the car sales are on a high. Most car owners want a new one or an additional car for their spouse or children. This is the best time of the year to buy the cars. But, should you buy a new car or a used one or approach a dealer or buy directly from the owner. These are some of the questions pondering in a car buyer’s mind. Irrespective of the approach, car buyers must be aware of the scams and related risks before buying any vehicle.

Car Dealers

Buying from a dealer is thought to be safe, but not always. There are risks of faulty product, higher APR rates, faulty warranty and service and so on. The agreements we sign must be checked out carefully rather than signing it off in a hurried manner.

Dealer scams are normal if the buyer is not cautious about the terms and conditions. It is always better to consult a known person or reference in approaching a dealer.

Tips

Here are some tips to get a best car deal.

  • Check out the vehicle history
  • Let a mechanic inspect the car
  • Make the agreement full fledged and complete in all aspects
  • Arrange for money before start looking for a car
  • Cross-check all the banks for lower loan interest rates
  • Check the online prices at InvoiceDealers, Yahoo!Autos, Edmunds.com, and CarsDirect

Check out the steps to buy a new car and a used car before attempting to buy a car. Happy Shopping. 🙂

West Lake Park – Davenport, Iowa

The recent get together with friends and family at the West Lake Park in Davenport, Iowa was tons of fun. The park facilities and the beach offer a unique fun experience for adults and children.

West Lake Park

West Lake Park is located by the lake. Its facilities include picnic areas, barbecues, children’s play area, rest rooms, and the beach of course! The park has all the facilities and is perfect for family get-together or birthday parties or casual picnics.

The Beach

The beach is a small area retained for children and adults to enter and play in the water. The lake water may look brown but kids will enjoy anyways. The sand by the lake allow the children to experience a beach environment right in the Quad cities. 🙂 The life guard will be watching the kids to ensure safety. Further, the younger kids get to play in a separate play area with all their personal swim toys and accessories.

Note that they charge $3 for adults and $2 for kids to enter the beach.

The Paddle Boating

This was the first time I paddled a boat. so, it was funny. My son paddled the boat too. Though it all resulted in lot of leg pain the next day, it was a good view of the trees and the lake from the boat. 🙂 The charges include $7 for half an hour and $10 for one hour. They with hold your driving licence and return when you are back.

Summer Vacation and Learning in Children

Summer vacation is half way and school registrations are in progress. So, what happens to the child’s learning during summer vacation. According to the recent article published in TIME Magazine, studies show that summer vacation deprives children of healthy learning stimulation. And, summer learning programs may keep their minds active and sharp. 🙂

Summer Vacation

High temperatures and sun make three months long summer vacation inevitable. The year long learning (?) at schools evaporates during summer vacation. However, children learn sports, swimming, martial arts and other favorite activities during summer. Summer learning may be through travelling, observation, reading, spending time with family and so on.

Some families may afford to send their children to special camps and programs, while some families prefer to keep the kids at home. Some states have extended summer classes, others do not. Children need summer vacation to learn about the world in a new and different perspective.

Summer Programs

Major summer programs at the local library or parks department are available to the general public at reasonable and reduced prices. Some programs and camps are entirely free though some may require prior registration. The summer schools at the public schools are for academically weaker children. Though you may send your child to any private institution to foster academic learning.

In the USA, a child attends school for 180 days, the total class instruction ends up to 1080 hours. However, the typical math scores for fifteen year children is only 474. Whereas, in South Korea, a child attends school for 204 days, the total class instruction ends up to 545 hours and even then, the math scores for a fifteen year child is 547.

Elementary school children may not feel the difference in academics but high school children may feel challenged to learn the advanced concepts after a summer vacation. A child’s learning depends on the individual’s abilities. Modern parents are looking forward to develop their child in all areas to face the global market. 🙂

What men want?

What men really want is not yet known. Why always hooked up to the internet, when beautiful wife and kids are waiting? Why so crazy about sports, when day to day issues are piled up? Why so engrossed in world issues, when home matters are unaddressed? Why always like mother’s dishes, despite wife cooking for years? Why gossip more than women and sound not interested when someone wants to talk?

Women are still trying to solve the mysterious ‘mankind’. Here is an insight of what men really want.

Priorities

A man defines himself by what he is, what he does and how much he earns. The remaining matters are rather trivial. Unlike a woman, a man places himself first ahead of the family and kids.

The career is of utmost importance to a man. The office politics and the urge to grow higher in the career consumes most of a man’s thoughts. The busy schedules and unending meetings and work take priority in life. After a while, some men even forget to celebrate the smallest happiness in lives.

Expectations

So, in their busy work and life, what men expect from a women? The basic needs are love and support which women offer. Apart from these two basic needs, food is the next big thing. Laundry and house hold chores are the next. If you can take care of the driving and all other kids related activities, that’s even better.

Basically, men are happy if left alone with their work and personal stuff. They are so self-centered and occupied that they expect straight questions and answers. Men do not engage in long convoluted discussions, which they can not figure out. As it is they are preoccupied with office stuff, so they expect women to be straight and direct in asking demands.

Special Occasions

So, what about special occasions in the family. There are minimum sentiments and the occasions are thought with practical reasoning. As in how much it costs, what others expect or what is the gift and how much is the budget for the occasion.

Some men even forget their own birthdays and family member’s special days. If someone else can take care of these things, it is really good for them.

Fixing

Men are raised to fix things. So, when there is any problem, men think about fixing the issue and taking care the problem does not reappear. Sometimes, women want to just share and do not expect a solution.  But, most men are good at suggesting and fixing stuff as the quality is inbuilt in them.

In fact, men are simple and equally vulnerable and expect a direct conversation. They are not as complex and as confused they actually seem. 🙂

St.Louis, Missouri – The Gateway to the West

Many friends boasted about their visit to St. Louis, Missouri, which I did not understand until I saw it myself. The Arch, the Zoo and other attractions make St. Louis a popular destination for a weekend. Quad city residents can visit St. Louis in Missouri for a educational and historical trip as well as fun destination.

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is located around 264 miles from Quad cities and takes five hours to get there. The scenic drive takes you through the green Illinois down south through Springfield, the capital of Illinois. St. Louis located on the border of Missouri and is a great trip for adults and children.

The city has great history in civil war, world war period and was home to popular travelers. The city has gret historical importance and is considered as the ‘Gateway to the West’.

The Arch

The Gateway Arch is a National Historic Landmark and is a part of Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. The Arch is an iconic image of the city and stands 630 feet height and 630 feet wide. It is a master piece of engineering as with the other structures. The triangular plates merged to form a hollow structure and offer a unique visiting experience for visitors.

Visitors can get to the top of Arch and view  the city and the Mississippi river from the top of the Arch up to 30 miles on a clear day. The trams leave every ten minutes and carry the visitors up and down the Arch. The stairs built to the top offer a safe route for visitors in case of any emergency in the trams. The ride to the top in the tram is the same as sitting in an elevator.

Other attractions

St. Louis has many popular attractions apart from the Arch. The Forest Park, Zoo, Botanical garden, museums, Anheuser-Busch Brewery among others are worth visiting. The horse ride in the downtown amidst beautifully lit buildings is a unique experience for visitors.

St. Louis has all kinds of activities for children and adults throughout the year. Kids can plan arts, fun, wacky, smart activities in St. Louis. The city has boat tours, guided tours, segway trips and other options for getting around. 🙂

Only child? – No more selfish, spoiled and lonely

I was criticized by most friends and well wishers for my decision to have a single child. The myth that the only child will be selfish, spoiled and lonely is no longer true as the percentage of single child is on the rise. Blame it on the recession or the decreased fertility rate, the onlies are on the rise. The TIME magazine published a recent article on only child, which represents many interesting facts.

Why more?

Most parents chose to have a second child as they love the first child more and have another one. Most quote that the second child will support the first one. The experience of growing up with siblings and sharing cannot be known in single child families. The onlies rely more on friends and cousins for a similar experience. Also, they may not experience the sibling rivalry too. 🙂

Further, the responsibility of taking care of oldage parents can be shared in multiple child families. While the onlies can depend on spouse and friends for taking care of parents. The more kids in the family means more happiness and more support, but it also implies  more responsibilities. 🙂

Why only?

Nuclear families and career-oriented women have limited themselves for a single child. The capability of a couple  to take care of more children changes from one to another. Some can handle and manage more while some cannot. I think marriage is not only for raising children, but for mutual happiness.

According to a recent study, 46% married couples chose to have two as the ideal limit. China has a single child policy due to economic and population problems. Though the law of single child has been relaxed and couples can have more children, most still prefer to have single child.

Why  not only?

Some parents decide to give a long break between children while some may chose shorter breaks. Sometimes, if the gap is less between children, parents can miss the fun of watching the older child, who is still young, while taking care of the younger one.

While some only children have the burden of satisfying their parents expectations. Some only children suffer more attention and depend on parents. Some have more anger built in them and try to rebel.

While Granville Stanley Hall, the popular child psychologist, thinks that only child is a disease in itself. He describes only child as deficient on social side, petted, indulged, humored and spoiled. Alternately, Susan Newman, a social psychologist defines only child as the new traditional family.

Popular onlies

Three-tons family is on the rise. Parents can form informal groups to entertain their only child and foster the growth. The future of any child, single or multiple, entirely depends on how they grow and the values they adopt. I think that a child’s success entirely depends on hard work and discipline in life.

Franklin Roosevelt, Cary Grant, John Updike, Condeleezza Rice, Lance Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Chelsea Clinton, Elvis Presley are some of the successful and popular only children. Now, I see some hope. 🙂

Butterworth Center and Deere Wiman House – Moline, Illinois

The Butterworth Center and Deere Wiman house at 817, 11th Avenue and 1105-8th Street, Moline is a must visit for Quad city residents to explore the history of the place. They were originally owned by the John Deere family but currently serve the community for architectural and historical education.

Deere-Wiman House

The Deere-Wiman house was built by the great John Deere for his youngest son Charles. It was designed by Chicago architect William Le Baron Jenny and the John Deere descendants lived there from 1872 to 1976. The house was renovated and currently offers a unique opportunity to compare the life style of then and now. 🙂

The house has Blue room, Rose room, Green room with rich upholstery, furniture and architecture. The dining hall has big paintings and tea pots. The paintings throughout the house are extraordinary and may take hours to enjoy. The piano hall, guest rooms, library and music room show case the original and renovated architecture.

Butterworth Center

The Butterworth Center, originally called as ‘Hillcrest’, was built in 1892 as a wedding gift for Katherine Deere and William Butterworth from her parents Charles and Mary Deere. Mrs. Butterworth was the grand daughter of John Deere. She was the first president of Deere and Company. She invented the steel plow in 1837.

The Center features rich architecure and paintings. The roof painting in the library is a master piece. The bi-level living room features a music room with grand piano and pipe organ of 26 ranks. These are the one of the foremost residential installations in the Midwest. The house was dedicated for community after the death of Mrs. Butterworth.

Community Service

The Center offer guided tours for school children. Several workshops, tours, summer camps, field trips for teachers and children are conducted every year. The Butterworth trust offers scholarships to outstanding students in the Moline School District. The center conducts different competitions where students can participate and show case their talent.

I liked the Blossoms on the Butterworth event today and enjoyed the tour apart from some free goodies. 🙂 The tent by the WQPT, the free picture, the 1800s games, and balloons were top attractions. The garden tour was pleasant and good for walking! The shows included juggling, Niabi Zoo show, youth bands among others. The car antique display was amazing to watch including the car that featured in Johnny Depp starred movie, ‘Public Enemies’. 🙂

You can reach them on (309) 743-2700 to schedule a guided tour or check the event calendar for a visit.

The Annual Quad City Air Show – Davenport, Iowa

The annual Quad City Air Show is a must watch for the locals. It features top class air planes and amazing feats by the pilots.

The jets and super sonics make a colorful patterns and arrangements in the air. The bomber aircrafts fire the bombs and demonstrate their capabilities. The multiple jet synchronization and the feats are superb.

The aeroplanes twist and drop at a ninety degree angle from top to bottom and bottom to top. the expertise and skill of the pilots is commendable. I wonder how the pilots risk their lives just for the entertainment of the people.

The air show team recreate the Pearl Harbor attack which took place in 1941. In addition, the show features the American Navy Blues Angles. The dedicated top performers entertain and honor the veterans and engage the audience.

Good music and commentary along with food and drinks make a perfect afternoon for kids as well as adults. It costs $15 per head or you can just sit by the green grass by the road side and watch the aero-show.

The air show is conducted annually at the Davenport Municipal airport on the last Sunday in June. It is located at 9010 Harrison Street, Davenport, IA 52806. You can call 563-285-7469 for more information.

Niabi Zoo – The Wild Fest

Niabi zoo in Coal Valley, Illinois is a great outing for children and adults. This Saturday along with the local sponsors Niabi Zoo conducted a ‘Wild Fest’ event. Businesses from Quad cities advertised apart from conducting games and offering cool coupons in the zoo today.

Animals

I got a chance to visit all the dear animals including:

  • Asian elephants – Very huge under a small shade
  • Australian kangaroo – Quietly resting
  • African Giraffes – I love the two baby ones with beautiful stripes. The female giraffe is cute and the male one enjoying getting wet in the water fountain. The giraffe bends its neck and legs to reach the grass on the ground, which is amazing to watch.
  • African Lions – Mustafa, the male lion is gorgeous and beautiful
  • American bald eagle – my son’s favorite
  • Reptiles – Anaconda, pythons and Texas snake which are scary to watch
  • American black Bear – With lots of apples and a swimming pool!!
  • Colorful fishes and turtles
  • Bobcat – Really big ones

There are many other birds and animals which I will see in detail next time when I visit.

Rides

We all took the train ride with a ringing bell. The carousel ride with animals seats was good. My son took the pony ride which I think is painful for the animals. The rides are affordable and I think they are under-priced for the benefit of the people.

The Wild fest today included many inflatable slides and play areas for children. The zoo installed water sprinklers and water fans everywhere to keep the visitors cool. 🙂

Overall, the zoo is worth visiting in the summer when all the animals are grazing around. It was sad to leave the zoo and I wish they had extended the summer hours.

The zoo has special events and free days for children and adults. You could host a birthday party or have breakfast with animals or enjoy a casual picnic or get together with friends. I could just sit and watch the lion whole day. 🙂

25 tips for a happy marriage

The New York post listed twenty five tips for a happy marriage. While I think only one best tip works, ‘Silence’. Enduring the partner’s good and bad requires a lot of patience and the only way to express self is remaining silent.

While exerting your wishes and wants on the partner, it is also important as how far are we prepared to receive the other person’s wants.

The priorities of both the members may vary, but the common goal must be peace and happiness. Enjoying the small moments, while working for the bigger goals is essential to keep the marriage going.

Silence in most of the tense and unpleasant situations avoids conflict and ugly fights in front of other family members. It is better to resolve the issues in private. Or, giving some time to let the matter settle down may help.

Finally, it is not him versus her but it is the overall happiness of the family that is most important consideration in marriage. Regardless of who the bread winner is or who the intelligent person is, all the feelings and needs of the members must be prioritized before establishing individual’s interest.

Father’s Day 2010

Father’s day is celebrated worldwide to honor fathers and their significance in the upbringing of a child. It is the 100th celebration this year, started by a women to appreciate fathers!

Fathers play a very important role in the society. They have a great influence on children. The rules of the house, education, finances and all important aspects are decided by father. Though they play a minimal role in the initial upbringing of a child, fathers do influence and take key decisions on behalf of a child and family. Some families do have single fathers raising children.

Father’s day is celebrated on different dates in different countries. In the USA, it is the third Sunday of June every year. Father’s day celebrations include giving gifts and small cards for the father.

While father’s day is being criticized by single mothers, I think men don’t need any special attention and celebration. They are usually self-centered and contented anyways. 🙂

It is unknown how far they will appreciate the surprises on fathers day or rather enjoy being left alone watching game shows.

Weekend Getaways in Quad Cities – Metropolis, Illinois: The Superman City

Starting June 10th to June 13th, Metropolis Illinois is be celebrating the 32nd annual Superman celebrations. Metropolis is a small city in Southernmost Illinois on the shore of the great Ohio river. While Metropolis is famous in American history for the civil war, it is also popular as the home of Superman!


Superman

Superman is a fictional super hero character of DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1932. The character appeared in comic books, radio and television programs, newspapers, movies and video games. Also known as ‘The Man of Steel’, Superman is popular among public and children.

Though Superman character was born in Smallville he became popular when he came to fictional city Metropolis. While the exact connection between the fictional Metropolis and the real Metropolis is not yet known, the city celebrates ‘Superman’ every year. 🙂

Attractions

Metropolis is fifteen miles away from Paducah, Kentucky. It has a 15 foot statue of Superman at the Masaac county courthouse. The statue is located just five miles of the US 45 highway. Across the street, the Superman Museum, which is a house to the largest collection of Superman memorabilia.

The other attractions in the area:

You can visit the city in between a long journey or during the annual Superman celebrations!

Superman Celebrations


Superman Celebrations attract hundreds of people from across the United States and the world. Visitors across the country participate in the celebrations to keep up the Superman spirit.

The celebration organizes multiple events including concerts, car races, carnival, games, contests, shows, celebrity autographs, and costume contest. The largest people dressed up as Superman gather together in the costume contest!

You can enjoy the trip to Southernmost Illinois as well as participate in the Superman celebrations when you visit Metropolis. 🙂

The Big Oil Spill – Is it the Beginning of the End of the World?

From British Petroleum, to Beyond Petroleum and Now, the Biggest Polluter, BP has proved to be a largest disaster on the face of earth. Is it the beginning of the end of the world or the end of life itself? The big oil spill and the consequences leave us shocked with nothing anyone can do.

Drill, Baby, Drill

Offshore drilling is not allowed in most of the coastal areas. According to the Minerals Management Service, US coasts have billions of oil barrels and trillions of gas sources along the coasts of Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico. Seventy per cent of oil is found under water, where it is most expensive to drill.

The Republicans used the ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ slogan as part of their support for extensive drilling for additional sources of energy. The corruptive authorities and government policies led to large drilling contracts throughout the USA coastline. British Petroleum purchased a large number of energy companies in the USA.

Spill, Baby, Spill


Huge blowouts followed by fire are uncommon during oil drilling but oil spills are common. Some of the reasons of the spills might be oil ships hitting objects or other accidents causing the oil spill. Apparently, as the level of depth increases, the water pressure, oil pressure increases and becomes difficult to control. The strength of the pipes could not withstand the pressure resulting in a major blowout. Despite the technology and computer alarming systems, the blowout became unavoidable.

On April 20, 2010, in the Macondo Prospect oil field, an oil well exploded. As a result, around 1.1 million gallons of oil per day is leaking in to the Gulf of Mexico. The oil slick is spreading and has covered around two thousand miles on the water.

Whose fault is it anyway?

While the oil well is owned by British Petroleum, it is maintained by Transocean company in that area. British Petroleum helds Transocean responsible for the maintenance and hence the blow out. Whereas, Transocean helds British Petroleum responsible for the quality issues. Currently, British Petroleum accepted the responsibility for cleaning up the ocean. But, not sure if how to control the blowout in the first place.

BP is using toxic chemical dispersant such as Corexit 9500 that may clean up the spill but may kill the entire life in the oceans. Further, BP have tried cutting the leaking pipe and putting a cap over it. But, that effort failed too.

Kill, Baby, Kill


Currently, as BP and the entire world remains clueless as what to do to control the current blow out, the oil slick has reached Florida beaches and may reach the east coast within the next month. The slick is reaching the tourists in the Florida beaches in Pensacola.

Further, there are no contingency plans thought of or backup plans laid up in these emergency situations. Also, the President visits pulls in temporary clean up staff on the coasts. The cleanup staff apparently leave as soon as the President leaves the coast!

BP Efforts

BP promises to pay the fishermen a loss of pay but not sure for how manu months. They may clean up the slick, but cannot control the damage already done. The website has toll free numbers for ideas, suggestions and volunteers in this regard.

The containment dome was successful but the cleanup may take even longer time.

Backwater Gamblers – Ski show in Rock Island, IL

Quad cities is home to many popular attractions. Backwater Gamblers is one more must-seeing show for quad city residents and visitors. While I liked the ski show at Wisconsin dells at the Tommy Bartlett show, I am sure people will like the Backwater Gamblers show within the Quad cities itself.

What: Non-proft ski show team
Cost: Absolutely free. Requires your time and presence. That’s it 🙂
Where: 44th Street, Rock Island, IL (309-786-8987)
When: Sundays and Wednesdays 6.30 pm

The Backwater Gamblers are a team of professionals right in the heart of quad cities just for your family entertainment. The team members are volunteers and accept donations. The show lasts for over one hour with ten minutes break in between. I am sure children will like it anyways, but adults will be jumping too. 🙂

Vankai Baaji – Recipe

Vankai baaji is a traditional recipe prepared in India. While there are multiple methods to prepare, here is the one followed by me.

Ingredients

  • Eggplant or brinjal or vankai – 4 small or 1 large
  • Onion sliced – 1 cup
  • Coriander powder – 1 table spoon
  • Red chilli powder – 3 table spoons
  • Salt – to taste
  • Oil – 1 table spoon
  • Coriander leaves or Cilantro – 2 table spoons

Method

  1. Take the raw brinjal and microwave for five minutes. Or, you can roast on stove flame until the it is cooked.
  2. Next, peel the brinjal skin and put the soft part in a bowl.
  3. Mash the brinjals with hands in to a paste.
  4. Add onions, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt.
  5. Mix well with a spoon.
  6. Add oil and coriander leaves at the end.

Serve with hot rice. You can add one tablespoon lemon juice to taste better. You may add tomatoes if you like. This dish also tastes good if you add tadka.

Try this recipe and tell me how it is. 🙂