Last day of 3 in our family

Family photo, when Anna just turned one year (22 Sep 2013).

Just one more day for the next one to arrive.

My mobile

My mobile phone.

This has been with me since Sep 2011 and has been a useful tool. I enjoy using the following features:

• Talking:)
• Take photos - took thousands and uploaded on this blog.
• Tracking using GPS.
• Listening to messages, songs. 
• Reading Bible. 

Though I use the following, I don't like them really.

• Sending and reading SMS.
• Playing games.
• Taking notes on Memo.

An article I like to remember

10 Things Church Visitors Never Want to Hear

Source: Churchleaders

You’ve been a church visitor at some point, right?
Ever heard something you wish you didn’t hear, right off the bat?
I’ve got a few nobody really wants to hear. Some I’ve heard personally. Others I’ve heard as they were told to someone else.
10 Statements Church Visitors Never Want to Hear:

Best article on childbirth process

This article is very helpful and informative. A sample:

Signs of Labor

No one can predict with certainty when labor will begin  -- the due date your doctor gives you is merely a point of reference. It is normal for labor to start as early as three weeks before that date or as late as two weeks after it. The following are signs that labor is probably not far away:

• Lightening. This occurs when your baby's head drops down into your pelvis in preparation for delivery. Your belly may look lower and you may find it easier to breathe as your baby no longer crowds your lungs. You may also feel an increased need to urinate, because your baby is pressing on your bladder. This can occur a few weeks to a few hours from the onset of labor.
• Bloody show. A blood-tinged or brownish discharge from your cervix is the released mucus plug that has sealed off the womb from infection. This can occur days before or at the onset of labor.
• Diarrhea. Frequent loose stools may mean labor is imminent.
• Ruptured membranes. Fluid gushing or leaking from the vagina means the membranes of the amniotic sac that surrounded and protected your baby have ruptured. This can occur hours before labor starts or during labor. Most women go into labor within 24 hours. If labor does not occur naturally during this time frame, doctors may induce labor to prevent infections and delivery complications.
• Contractions. Although it's not unusual to experience periodic, irregular contractions (uterine muscle spasms) as your labor nears, contractions that occur at intervals of less than 10 minutes are usually an indication that labor has begun.

PDF to Word Converter

This evening I had some files to convert PDF to Word. It was a frustrating experience. After much trial and error, even got virus, I managed to get two  reliable programs. That is # 1 & 6.
Source: Freewaregenius

A list of the free PDF-to-Word conversion tools discussed in this article

We tested 5 desktop apps and 6 online conversion services. The following were the best quality (and/or offered truly free PDF conversion).

Desktop-based apps:	Online Conversion services
Free PDF to Word Converter from SmartSoft Wondershare PDF to Word Free gDOC Creator OpenOffice with PDF import extension Boxoft PDF to Word and 3D PageFlip Free PDF to Word	NuancePDF PDF to Word Free from NitroPDF Convert.Files Zamzar PDFOnline.com Wondershare PDF to Word Online

Removing all hyperlinks

Another good stuff I learned today: short-cut to remove all hyperlinks from a Word Document.
Source: Microsoft

How do I remove a hyperlink without losing the display text or image?

To remove a single hyperlink without losing the display text or image, right-click the hyperlink, and then click Remove Hyperlink. 

To remove all hyperlinks in a document, press CTRL+A to select the entire document and then press CTRL+SHIFT+F9. 

Note Performing this operation converts all fields, not just hyperlinks, to plain text.

Use of Wildcards in Word 2007

Earlier, when I didn't know this function of finding a string of words, it used to take me lots of time. Now it takes just a few seconds. I pasted that instruction below for my easy access in case I forget.

Source: Microsoft

Search by using wildcards to find specific letters
Use wildcards to find and replace text

1. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Find or Replace.

2. Select the Use wildcards check box.

3. Do one of the following:

• To choose a wildcard character from a list, click Special, click a wildcard character, and then type any additional text in the Find what box. For more information, see the table Wildcards for items you want to find and replace.

• Type a wildcard character directly in the Find what box. For more information, see the table Wildcards for items you want to find and replace.

3. If you want to replace the item, click the Replace tab, and then type what you want to use as a replacement in the Replace with box.

3. Click Find Next, Find All, Replace, or Replace All.

Wildcards for items you want to find and replace

• When the Use wildcards check box is selected, Word finds only the exact text that you specify. Notice that theMatch case and Find whole words only check boxes are unavailable (dimmed) to indicate that these options are automatically turned on. You can't turn off these options.

• To search for a character that's defined as a wildcard, type a backslash (\) before the character. For example, type \? to find a question mark.

• You can use parentheses to group the wildcard characters and text and to indicate the order of evaluation. For example, type <(pre)*(ed)> to find "presorted" and "prevented".

• You can use the \n wildcard to search for an expression and then replace it with the rearranged expression. For example, type (Ashton) (Chris) in the Find what box and \2 \1 in the Replace with box. Word will findAshton Chris and replace it with Chris Ashton.

You can use wildcards to search for text. For example, you can use the asterisk (*) wildcard to search for a string of characters (for example, "s*d" finds "sad" and "started").

If you don't see the Use wildcards check box, click More.

To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

 NOTES 

TO FIND	TYPE	EXAMPLE
Any single character	?	s?t finds sat and set.
Any string of characters	*	s*d finds sad and started.
The beginning of a word	<	<(inter) finds interesting and intercept, but not splintered.
The end of a word	>	(in)> finds in and within, but not interesting.
One of the specified characters	[ ]	w[io]n finds win and won.
Any single character in this range	[-]	[r-t]ight finds right and sight. Ranges must be in ascending order.
Any single character except the characters in the range inside the brackets	[!x-z]	t[!a-m]ck finds tock and tuck, but not tack or tick.
Exactly n occurrences of the previous character or expression	{n}	fe{2}d finds feed but not fed.
At least n occurrences of the previous character or expression	{n,}	fe{1,}d finds fed and feed.
From n to m occurrences of the previous character or expression	{n,m}	10{1,3} finds 10, 100, and 1000.
One or more occurrences of the previous character or expression	@	lo@t finds lot and loot.

 TOP OF PAGE

Good quote

There are only two forces that unite men - fear and interest— Napoleon Bonaparte

Arunachal Pradesh – a strange state of India

Map of Arunachal Pradesh (Courtesy: MapsofIndia).

I keep wondering about my own state. Very often it is funny and at the same time strange. Below are my random observations:

• Capital Cities: What in the world Itanagar was chosen as the capital city. It is located on a mountain top, on the extreme west of the state. For those from the east, it is difficult to access. I would think Pasighat is a better strategic location. Look at the headquarters of the Changlang District. It is too on the extreme end of the district. Just to get there is tough: not many transport services, the road is extremely rough, the lodge are difficult to get. Jairampur town is a better location which is in the center and has more access. So it seems to me the strategic decisions in Arunachal Pradesh are made at the whims and wishes of the stronger politicians or community.

• No Road to Criss-Cross the State: Assam is the only link. To travel to other districts of the state, without Assam, we are doom. When Assam declares a bandh, the whole state is paralyzed. Only recently, the initiative for the Trans-Arunachal Highway has been underway. Who knows how long it will take before we can move around the state freely.

• 100% Claimed by Outsiders: About 90% of the State is claimed by China or rather those are disputed areas. No wonder Arunachal people have no way to travel to China because China issues only stapled visa which India would not accept. The people are trapped, with no options. The other 10% is claimed by Naga groups. Recently, Eastern Naga Peoples Organization (ENPO) claimed Changlang and Tirap Districts to be part of their state. Where is Arunachal?

• Larger Refugee Population: Perhaps, Arunachal is the only Indian State where refugee population is very high. Most probably, Chakma forms as a largest single ethnic group after Nyshi, Adi and Apatani.

These are just a few. There are plenty others, among them are the pride of Scheduled Tribe Status which forms as a “caste system” in the state. There are also ethnic oppression, stupid news agencies, very rude people, among others. To be continued near future…

Roads under construction

First: 23 August 2013

Later:

a dead cow

A dead cow being eaten by a dog (7 Sep 2013).

12 cards

May 28, 2013
Sign of a growing organization. I signed 12 greetings card that day. Perhaps the highest in my life till then:)

Local market in Chhattisgarh

Date: 22 June 2010, between Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand border in a weekly market.

Two quotes on reading books

It often requires more courage to read some books than it does to fight a battle -- Sutton Elbert Griggs.

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested -- Francis Bacon.

7 Sisters Project

http://sevensistersproject.org

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/a-phone-call-away/article5084827.ece?homepage=true

Source:Annual Report 1999 – 2000, Indian Council of Medical Research (accessed: Sep 01, 2013). Page 7 – 9.

Study on the Use of Addictive Substances | Create infographics

The 7 Baby Steps - Begin your journey to financial peace

Good one. Need to grow in using money well. This seven steps are good.

http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-steps/

Here's the process:

Baby Step 1

$1,000 to start an Emergency Fund

An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you can’t plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car transmission, and the list goes on and on. It’s not a matter of if these events will happen; it’s simply a matter of when they will happen. Learn more

Baby Step 2

Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball

List your debts, excluding the house, in order. The smallest balance should be your number one priority. Don’t worry about interest rates unless two debts have similar payoffs. If that’s the case, then list the higher interest rate debt first. Learn more

Baby Step 3

3 to 6 months of expenses in savings

Once you complete the first two baby steps, you will have built serious momentum. But don’t start throwing all your “extra” money into investments quite yet. It’s time to build your full emergency fund. Learn more

Baby Step 4

Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement

When you reach this step, you’ll have no payments—except the house—and a fully funded emergency fund. Now it’s time to get serious about building wealth. Learn more

Baby Step 5

College funding for children

By this point, you should have already started Baby Step 4—investing 15% of your income—before saving for college. Whether you are saving for you or your child to go to college, you need to start now. Learn more

Baby Step 6

Pay off home early

Now it’s time to begin chunking all of your extra money toward the mortgage. You are getting closer to realizing the dream of a life with no house payments. Learn more

Baby Step 7

Build wealth and give!

It’s time to build wealth and give like never before. Leave an inheritance for future generations, and bless others now with your excess. It's really the only way to live! Learn more