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As I promised in the last issue of RSK, we are starting detailed "How to write Poetry Lessons" from this issue. And we urge all parents/teachers/guardians to encourage children to write poetry for this page. We wish  to add pages to this section of the magazine through more contributions, contests, audio/vedio recitals and poetry forums.

How to Write Funny Poetry - Chapter 1
Writing Poetry

You can do it. I promise you, you can write wonderful, exciting, funny poetry that will amaze your parents and teachers, and have your friends falling down laughing. Everything you need, except for a pencil and a piece of paper, is in this article right here in your hands. I know you don”t believe me yet, but keep reading and I will show you lots of simple methods you can use to create your own original, hilarious poetry. You will soon find it is simpler than you thought and people are going to wonder how you got so talented.

Getting Started

Maybe you have thought about writing poetry, but don”t know how to get started. Or maybe you are already writing poetry, but want to learn how to make it better. Whatever your reasons for reading this article, get ready to have some fun! Just by reading a few chapters of it, you will be able to write funny, exciting poetry. By learning a few specific tricks and techniques, you will soon be amazed at your own poetic skill. Most importantly, you will have a lot of fun doing

But what if you fail? What if you find can”t write poetry? Or worse, what if you write a poem and someone tells you it isn”t any good? I swear to you, cross my heart, if you can read this article, you can write poetry. In fact, you will soon find that it is nearly impossible to fail. I say “nearly” because there is really only one way you can fail when it comes to writing poetry: to not write at all. If you have written a poem, you have succeeded, even if someone else tells you they don”t like it.

Let me give you an example. If you want to be a runner, you don”t run a four-minute mile the first time you try. Even if it takes you 20 minutes to run a mile the first time you try, you will have succeeded if you complete the goal you set for yourself. If someone tells you, “you”ll never be a runner because it took you 20 minutes to run a mile”, pay no attention. Just run another mile and another. Soon you”ll be running 15-minute miles, and 10-minute miles, and 8-minute miles, and faster.

Writing poetry works the same way. Each time you do it, you get a little bit better. If someone tells you “your poem isn”t any good”, pay no attention. Each poem you write makes you a better poet. If you write a new poem every day for a month, you will be a better poet at the end of the month than you were when you started.

Tip: You become a good poet by writing lots of poems. Each time you write a new poem, try to make it as good as you can and your skill will improve with each poem you write.

The reason that you become a better poet by writing poems is because, no matter what skill you want to learn, you always “learn by doing”. After you have written your first poem, you will know something that you did not know before, even if it is just that you can write poetry. After you have written your second or third poem, you will know even more, perhaps you will have learnt something about rhyming or the rhythm of poetry. By the time you have written twenty or thirty poems, you will find it both easy and enjoyable.

At each step of the way, I will be here to guide you. I will be with you to show you how to make people laugh and enjoy your poetry. I will give you the tools and the knowledge you need to make your poems as good as they can be. Although this article contains a fair bit of “technical” information about poetry, I have tried my best to make it as easy to understand and fun to learn as possible. I have also included plenty of helpful tips, examples, and fun exercises to help you learn to write your own original funny poems.

In this first chapter, I show you how to get started writing poetry and offer some general advice for the new poet.

Rest in the next January 2007 issue…keep rhyming till then kids…A very Happy New Year…Anurag.


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Teething troubles are common to all babies. In India every problem such as diarrhoea, cold, fever or loss of weight that a child has is attributed to teething.

When a baby cuts a primary milk tooth, the gums become red and sore thus the child gets irritable and may not even wish to suck the nipple because of the pain. In such cases he needs to be cheered up by cradling, carrying, etc. during this teething stage, homeopathic treatment has won laurels. Even allopaths prefer homeopathic treatment for their kids as the medicine as this does not have any side effects. We have the following medicines which take care of the majority of cases and save a mother from worry:

CHANONILLA
CALCAREAPHOS
PHYTO LACCA
PODOPHYLLUM

For general information the 1st teeth appear between sixth and ninth month of age. These are called lower incisors. Over the next 3-4 months the teeth erupt with great rapidity. Sometimes this pattern of cutting teeth undergoes a change; the outer incisors erupt before the central ones. A mother should not get disturbed with this phenomenon. The entire set of 20 teeth (10 upper and 10 lower) erupt within two and a half years. These are called PRIMARY TEETH.

There is one disease i.e., caries or cavities which is commonly found in small children and that milk teeth are going to fall off in due course and need not be taken care of is a mistaken notion. Caries can lead to infection of the permanent unerrupted teeth so it requires proper treatment. Generally toffees, chocolates and sweets are responsible for it. It is therefore advisable to discourage the in take of sweets in excess. A mother should ensure that the child”s mouth is cleaned or rinsed especially at the bed time and after every meal. Following medicines can be used for caries:

KREOSOTE
CLACAREA FLOUR
CALCAREA PHOS.

Homeopathy, as most of us know, is the system of treating diseases by minimum doses of drugs. Symptomatology is the main guiding factor so one should not forget that a medicine by which a person is treated for his/her ailment may not be affective for the another the ailment is the same, By my own experience it is the young women, specially the newly married ones and the infants, I think require a doctor”s utmost empathy and care. Through this column I want to reach other women and her family specially young ones who cannot express themselves and they are free to ask or discuss their problems as my main purpose is to prepare every mother in the family to treat herself and her little ones at home(without rushing to the doctor) for their minor ailments. Cheap but effective, simple in administration gentle and permanent in effect. I hope home medicine would find wide acceptance. In this issue we will discuss about ADENOIDS, a common problem of young ones.

ADENOIDS in layman”s language are a mass of enlarged lymphatic tissues between the back of the nose and the throat which often hinders breathing because nose gets blocked.

ADENOIDS cannot generally be seen by a layman. The child affected by ADENOIDS generally breathes through his mouth making him look add, funny and stupid what are called as ADENOIDS faces. In allopathy a child is to be operated upon but in Homeopathy many need. Can be used like

AGRAPHIS
BACILLINUM
CALCAREA CARB
HYDRASTIS

A thorough case taking is required for such cases for immediate relief especially at night a mixture of HYDRASTIS 9- 10 drops and PURE GLLYCIRINE 60 drops soaked in cotton may be introduced into the nose.

Dr. Dipika Dabas
99101-52262 (Between 1200-1400 & 1800-2000 hours)


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Q My nine year daughter wets the bed sometimes. She's afraid to go to sleep-over parties in case it happens there.

A Your daughter is not alone - lots of kids (and even some adults) wet the bed. The medical term for this is enuresis, and it usually runs in families., Most people who wet the bed do so because they are very deep sleepers. The important thing to remember is that no one wets the bed on purpose. It's something your daughter can't help. But it's something she can get help for. Your child's doctor can help solve the problem (and tell her not to be embarrassed - doctors see lots of people with this problem each year!) .The good news is that most people with enuresis outgrow it, and many do not have the problem when they are at someone else's house or in someone else's bed.

Q My daughter swims year round and has recently been getting ear infections. Can they be prvented?

A Swimmer's ear, or the otitis externa, is a common childhood infection that often occurs in children who swim or dive for long periods of time. The good news is that outer ear infections can frequently be prevented.
For starters, your daughter should avoid putting ear plugs ans cotton balls into her ears unless otherwise directed by the doctor She should also avoid cleaning her years with cotton swabs or sharp objects (like bobby pins), which could scratch the skin and allow bacteria or fungi to enter. And talk to your daughter's doctor about using alcohol drops like SwimEar at the end of a swim to prevent infection.

Swimmer's ear can be treated with antibiotics. Your daughter's doctor will probably recommend that she stay out of the pool while she's recovering.

Q My four year old isn't a big candy eater, but he does drink lots of juice throughout the day. His front teeth are starting to become discoloured. Could the juice be to blame?
A Yes. Studies have found that the sugar in fruit juice can eat away at tooth enamel, especially if children
Are allowed to drink juice from bottels, cups or at bedtime. Decay results when juice pools around a child's teeth for extended periods of time Babies who are allowed to fall asleep with milk bottles in their mouths can experience the same thing. It's best to limit juice and sugary beverages - and avoid putting your child to bed with a bottle

Q My son always cracks his knuckles. Can it affect him later in life?

A The medical literature isn't completely clear on this point. The answer may depend on the frequency (and perhaps the force) of the knuckle cracking. Although knuckle cracking generally is not shown to cause arthritis, as some people have thought, habitual knuckle cracking may result in some functional hand impairment later in life. Still, the habit seems to annoy many people - and that might be reason enough to give it up!

Q My child's doctor has recently suggested my child to get a tonsilectomy. Will removing his tonsils make him more susceptible to other throat infections?

A The main job of the tonsils is to help stop bacteria in their tracks before they get farther down into the throat. However, removing the tonsils does not mean your child will be at risk for more infections. Other tissues in the body function as tonsils do, producing antibodies to prevent infection.


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Phew…

"It was a real crowd puller"
Reshma Bilal (Short film Director)

"The show must go on; the best is yet to come"
Dilip Pathak (freelance reporter)

"I wish I could be a child again"
Rajat Tiwari (upcoming model)

"It's what India's been waiting for"
Hemant Sharma (writer)

"I never knew my child was so talented"
Madhur Munjal (Parent)

"It was soulful and exciting"
Roxy Periera (Media Professional)


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PS 3 Console

"Future Proof." That's the concept Sony Computer Entertainment had in mind while designing its high-definition next-generation video game system, the PlayStation 3. Boasting 512 MB of RAM, a Blu-ray disc drive, backwards compatibility and the cutting edge Cell processor, Ps3 os the most advanced gaming console ever created.

The clear black 20GB version of the system retails $499, while the black and chrome 60GB version goes for $599. Out of the box, PlayStation 3 ships with the console, a single SIXAXIS controller, composite cables and a power cable.

Sony officially revealed the PlayStation 3 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo during its press conference on May 16th, 2005. The system and a prototype controller were shown along with various tech demos and game trailers, though most of the trailers were CG “approximations” of what developers were aiming their gameplay experiences to be like.

On the 20GB system, you”ll find four USB 2.0 ports on the front of the system. On the back there are connectors for gigabit Ethernet, an optical audio output, HDMI output and an AV multi-out (which appears to be exactly the same as on the PS2). The 60GB system will also include inputs for Memory Stick, SD and Compact Flash cards inside a flip-up door on the front.

Its layout looks virtually identical to the Dual Shock 2, but there are some major differences. First, the SIXAXIS is wireless (via Bluetooth 2.0 technology) and the system will be able to support seven controllers at once. Next, the L2 and R2 buttons are now triggers, making the button layout similar to that of the Xbox 360″s controller. The triggers are wider and don”t have as long of a throw, but it”s a definite improvement over simple buttons.

What is the Cell?
The Cell processor was co-designed by IBM, Toshiba and Sony. Configurations can differ, but here”s what the PS3″s Cell chip will be like:
PowerPC-based Core @ 3.2GHz 7 SPEs @ 3.2GHz 512KB L2 Cache 7 x 256KB SRAM for SPEs
Basically, a single Cell processor is designed to act like multiple processors working together, or even independently. A Cell processor has a single PowerPC Architecture Unit (PAU) and multiple Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs). A Cell”s PAU dolls out instructions to its various SPEs, which can then independently work on tasks. So for instance, one SPU might be programmed to run a game”s AI while another handles physics. Since each one acts independently, multiple calculations can be done simultaneously. In other words, it”s very powerful. In fact, it”s powerful enough to perform 218 GFLOPS.

Tell me about the graphics chip…
NVIDIA”s chip is codenamed RSX. The chip runs at 550MHz and is capable of rendering video natively at 1080p, or 1920×1080 progressively (non-interlaced). It”s touted to hit 1.8 TFLOPS of floating point performance and can perform 100 billion shader operations per second, or 136 shader operations per cycle. The RSX uses 128-bit precision for enhanced color definition, making the system capable of High Dynamic Range rendering. Programming-wise, it”s based on OpenGL and NVIDIA”s CG language.
NVIDIA recently released its GeForce 7900 series GPUs for the PC, which provides a reasonable real-world approximation of what sort of effects the RSX and PlayStation 3 can handle.
The system will support resolutions up to and including 1080p. Yes, as in 1920×1080(HD) progressive, not interlaced. 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i are, of course, also supported.


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Homework: Five Tips For Parents.
Homework! Every child has it, so there”s no getting around it. Try these tips when dealing with this after school ritual.

Recess First:

Children spend the entire day in a structured environment. Why not let them relax once they get home. Allow them to lay on the floor in front of the television for a time with a snack or play outside with their friends. After this recess from school their minds will be clearer and more receptive toward tackling homework.

A Comfortable Place:

Let your children discover what works best for them when completing homework. Most parents don”t allow their children to watch television, or they expect them to sit at table or desk. Classrooms have constant interruptions therefore, children learn to tune out noise. If your child can complete his homework assignments laying in front of the television or listening to music then why worry about it. Of course, if the music or television interferes then turn it OFF!

Make A Time for Homework:

Kids today are involved in sports, music lessons and other activities. Make sure their schedules aren”t overloaded after school. The general rule for homework is: first grade 10 minutes, second grade 20 minutes, third grade 30 minutes, and so on. The amount of homework your child receives should be commensurate to their grade level. If your child is having difficulty with homework then they”re probably having trouble at school as well.

Help them Become Independent:

Many times young children come home excited with homework and are eager to get started. You want them to  become independent learners - encourage their enthusiasm. Leave them alone and don”t interfere, even if they”re completing an assignment wrong. They”ll figure this out later and know when to ask for help. On the other hand, if you know your child usually has homework and fails to get started, help them get organized and started. Provide a choice of times and places for them to do homework.

Avoid Punishment:

Disciplining your child for not completing homework usually doesn”t work. Creating a reward system is usually more effective. Realize that many kids see homework as a waste of time - busy work, especially if it”s too easy. Other reason could be: its too difficult, there are problems at school with the teacher or other students. Find out why and go from there.

Parents are their children's first teachers. They can send the message that school is important, when they help with homework.


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Kids Can Clean, Too!
Are we too easy on our kids these days? Certainly even very young children can learn to be helpful around the house…

There”s a pattern in Indian households that”s been emerging and it”s harmful for kids. Kids have essentially gone from being contributors to the household, to being waited on hand and foot. Too many moms see household duties as being outside the realm of their child”s responsibilities  and their ability. It”s not only sad, it”s also untrue.

In fact, if kids are fully capable of contributing to the mess of a house, why can”t they be expected to contribute to its cleaning? The problem rests with moms. As mothers we often look at housework as the old saw "if you want it done right, you”ll have to do it yourself." But, that”s defeating for everybody.

Kids quickly learn that the "auto-mom" will handle all the messes, laundry, cooking, cleaning, and other household jobs if they can prove their incompetence. And Moms get something out of "being the only one" who cleans the toilet right, or folds the towels like they do in department stores. But this has to stop. Otherwise, trying to keep home and hearth together will be a 24-hour-a-day job and we”ll end up with children who”ll leave the home one day and not have the vaguest clue about how to handle household duties.

Have the expectation that kids will do the jobs you”ve assigned them. One of the things that can undermine the process of kids helping out around the house is a parent”s expectation that they won”t do it. Expect that they will do the jobs, check on their progress, and assign appropriate rewards and consequences to the job, and it”s amazing how well kids will perform.

Parents have to realign their minds that kids are fully capable - and often willing - to participate in the running of the household and the housekeeping that goes with it. As an example, if you asked your son to take out the trash before dinner, remove the video game privilege until it”s done. Yes, it is easier to just do it ourselves,

But that”s not practical and it sets a bad example, showing kids that in the real world, there”s someone there to clean up after you. As anyone will tell you, the real world demands that you pick up after yourself. However, not all kids are ready for every household task.

Training kids to clean properly also relies on giving them age-appropriate jobs around the house — and not expecting perfection. That doesn”t mean they should be allowed to do a sloppy job, either. But, I don”t expect my kids to have the same standards that I do. But, I expect them to be able to do an acceptable job appropriate to their age and abilities. When my kids do a poor job, I simply tell them the shirt needs to be refolded, for example, and have them correct the situation to the best of their abilities.
                                                            
The whole family pitches in when we need to go somewhere and have to clean in a hurry or when we need to do a thorough cleaning. Having kids clean the house teaches them responsibility, appreciation and care for their surroundings, and self-pride in a job well done. That”s something every child should experience for themselves.

Ages 3 to 5:

Help straighten a room
Help make their bed
Bring items from one room to another
Help set or set the table
Help clear or clean the table
Bring towels to the laundry
Swiffer
Gather trash

Ages 6 to 10:

Sweep
Make their bed every day
Do dishes
Straighten and pick up
Load/unload dishwasher
Vacuum
Fold & put away laundry
Dust
Clean baseboards window sills
Take out trash

Ages 11 to Until they”re out of the house:

Sweep, Vacuum
Make their bed every day
Straighten and pick up
Operate Washer/Dryer, do laundry
Clean bathrooms
Dust
Clean windows
Do dishes/load and unload dishwasher


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