REALISE IT...IF YOU CAN

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body - the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avant-garde on my patio. I am entitled to overeat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 am, and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love.. I will I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the bikini set. They, too, will get old!

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten, and I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when a beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver. I can say 'no', and mean it. I can say 'yes', and mean it

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day

Today, I wish you a day of ordinary miracles.

CARA BERSANGKA BAIK

Perasaan hasad,dengki,ujub dan riyak adalah perasaan kotor yang ada di dalam hati manusia kecuali Rasulullah SAW yang telah dicuci hatinya semasa peristiwa Israk dan Mikraj.

Berikut adalah tips dari Syeikh Abdulkadir Al Jailani untuk sentiasa bersangka baik sesama insan.

Jika engkau bertemu dengan seseorang, maka yakinilah bahawa dia lebih baik darimu. Ucapkan dalam hatimu :
"Mungkin kedudukannya di sisi Allah jauh lebih baik dan lebih tinggi dariku".

Jika bertemu anak kecil, maka ucapkanlah (dalam hatimu) :
"Anak ini belum bermaksiat kepada Allah, sedangkan diriku telah banyak bermaksiat kepadaNya. Tentu anak ini jauh lebih baik dariku"..

Jika bertemu orang tua, maka ucapkanlah (dalam hatimu):
"Dia telah beribadah kepada Allah jauh lebih lama dariku, tentu dia lebih baik dariku."

Jika bertemu dengan seorang yang berilmu, maka ucapkanlah (dalam hatimu):
"Orang ini memperoleh kurnia yang tidak akan kuperolehi, mencapai kedudukan yang tidak akan pernah kucapai, mengetahui apa yang tidak kuketahui dan dia mengamalkan ilmunya, tentu dia lebih baik dariku."

Jika bertemu dengan seorang yang kurang pandai, maka katakanlah (dalam hatimu) :
"Orang ini bermaksiat kepada Allah kerana dia bodoh (tidak tahu), sedangkan aku bermaksiat kepadaNya padahal aku mengetahui akibatnya.
Dan aku tidak tahu bagaimana akhir umurku dan umurnya kelak. Dia tentu lebih baik dariku."

Jika bertemu dengan orang kafir, maka katakanlah (dalam hatimu) :
"Aku tidak tahu bagaimana keadaannya kelak, mungkin di akhir usianya dia memeluk Islam dan beramal soleh. Dan mungkin boleh jadi di akhir usia diriku kufur dan berbuat buruk.

POINTS TO PONDER

The toughest lesson in life that you will have to learn is to know when to keep your mouth shut, and when to walk away.

No matter how right you think you are, no matter how wrong you think they are.

Because you could be wrong, and they could be right.

Choose which fights are worth it and avoid as many as you can.


The toughest lesson in life that you will have to learn in life is that you can't change people.

People won't change unless they want to.


The toughest lesson in life that you will have to learn is to not care about things that do not concern you.

If you believe in karma, if you believe in God,

If you believe that everyone will get what's coming to them,

and accept that only Allah can play God,

then you will let it go.



The toughest lesson in life that you will have to learn is

patience.

THE FAMILY SKUNK

A mother skunk and her litter family lived underground in a clean and well ventilated, as you would suppose, hole. Her family was made up of two boys who, like all young boys, were mischievous and scampered around constantly. However, the difference with these two boys was that they rarely scampered around together. One of them would, at every available opportunity, run outside to play and the other would not. In fact the other was so hesitant to go outside that his Mum feared that he had agoraphobia. Both boys had names that their Mum had given to them in their infancy but, because of their individual peculiarities, they had developed nicknames. One of them was called 'In' because he liked to stay inside the home all the time and the other was called 'Out' for the entirely apposite reason.

All was well in the family in the family Skunk household until, one fateful day in late August. Mum was busy, as ever, making a delicious dinner for them all when she heard one of her boys calling out.
"In! In! Are you in In?"
"Why are you calling In, Out? In will be in - why aren't you out,Out?"
"In's not in, Mum, I came in from out to find In to take him out for a change."
"But if In's out and you're in, Out, then In will get lost out because In stays in all the time - he never goes out."
"Don't worry, Mum. I will go out to find In and bring In in from out."
"Please go out, Out, at once and bring In in - In can't stay out without you, Out, he'll be lost out."
"I'm going out now, Mum."
So Out went out to bring In in from out. Mum stayed in and worried about Out finding In out.
In just a moment, Out came in with In from out.
"Out came out to bring me in, Mum."
"But how did you find In so quickly out, Out?"
"Instinct!"

"

MY ENVIRONMENT

LEARN SOMETHING

SURFACE HEIGHT GAUGE
A surface gauge is a measuring tool used to transfer measurements to work by scribing a line, and to indicate the accuracy or parallelism of surfaces.

a. Description. As shown in figure 3-45, the surface gauge consists of a base with an adjustable spindle to which may be clamped a scriber or an indicator. Surface gauges are made in several sizes and are classified by the length of the spindle. The smallest spindle is 4 inches long, the average 9 to 12 inches, and the largest 18 inches. The scriber is fastened to the spindle with a clamp. The bottom and the front end of the base of the surface gauge have deep V-grooves. The grooves allow the gauge to measure from a cylindrical surface. The base has two gauge pins. They are used against the edge of a surface plate or slot to prevent movement or slippage.

b. Adjustment.
The spindle of a surface gauge may be adjusted to any position with respect to the base and tightened in place with the spindle nut. The rocker adjusting screw provides for the finer adjustment of the spindle by pivoting the spindle rocker bracket. The scriber can be positioned at any height and in any desired direction on the spindle by tightening the scriber nut. The scriber may also be mounted directly in the spindle nut mounting, in place of the spindle, and used where the working space is limited and the height of the work is within range of the scriber.


c. Setting Height on a Surface Gauge.
To set a surface gauge for height, proceed as follows:

(1) Wipe off the top of a layout table or surface plate and the bottom of the surface gauge.
(2) Place the squaring head of a combination square on a flat surface as shown in figure 3-46.

NOTE : If a combination square is not available, use a rule with a rule holder. A rule alone cannot be held securely without wobbling, and consequently an error in setting generally results.

(3) Secure the rule in the squaring head so that the end of the rule is in contact with the surface.
(4) Move the surface gauge into position, and set the scriber to the approximate height required, using the adjusting clamp that holds the scriber onto the spindle.
(5) Make the final adjustment for the exact height required with the adjusting screw on the base of the gauge.


d. Care of Surface Gauge.
Observe the following practices for the care and upkeep of surface gauges:

(1) Coat all metal parts of the gauge with a light coat of oil to prevent rust.
(2) Carefully store the gauge in the separate container provided by the manufacturer.
(3) Do not drop any surface gauge. Small nicks and scratches can result in inaccurate measurements.
(4) Protect all pointed parts from damage.

JET LAG SITUATIONS

DO YOU KNOW?

Bend Allowance

When a piece of material is formed around the nose bar of a bending brake, the inside of the material (next to the nose bar) becomes compressed, and the outer surface is placed in tension. The actual amount of material used in the bend, or the rounded portions of the material only, is the Bend Allowance. Each end of the bend allowance is bordered by the Bend Tangent Lines.

When we are calculating the amount of material required to form a bend, we should consider each of three parts of a bend. There are two “Flat Leg” sections on either side of the bend, and in between is the “Bend Allowance” portion. The points at which the Bend Allowance meets the Flat Leg section becomes the Bend Tangent Line, or the point at which the bend straightens out to become flat.


A common formula for calculating the amount of material consumed in the bend is:

Bend Allowance = 2 x 3.14 (R + T/2) / 360

This allows us to calculate the amount per degree of bend.

In another form, if our bend is required to be 90°, the formula can be simplified to:

Bend Allowance = 2 x 3.14 (R + T/2) / 4

In both these formulae, R = Radius, and T = Thickness of material.

GLASS COCKPIT