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Upgrade a SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance (Setup)
You can upgrade a SQL Server failover cluster to a SQL Server 2012 failover cluster by using the SQL Server Installation Wizard or a command prompt.
During the failover cluster upgrade, downtime is limited to failover time and the time that is required for upgrade scripts to run. If you follow the failover cluster rolling upgrade process, your downtime is minimal. Depending on whether you have all the prerequisites on the failover cluster nodes, you might incur additional downtime while you install these prerequisites. For more information about how to minimize the downtime during upgrade, see the Best Practices Before Upgrading Failover Cluster section on this page.
For more information about how to upgrade, see Supported Version and Edition Upgrades and Upgrade to SQL Server 2012.
For more information about sample syntax for command prompt usage, see Install SQL Server 2012 from the Command Prompt.
Before you begin, review the following important information:
Setup installs .NET Framework 4.0 on a clustered operating system. To minimize any possible downtime, consider installing .NET Framework 4.0 before you run Setup.
To make sure that the Visual Studio component can be installed correctly, SQL Server requires you to install an update. SQL Server Setup checks for the presence of this update and then requires you to download and install the update before you can continue with the SQL Server installation. To avoid the interruption during SQL Server Setup, you can download and install the update before running SQL Server Setup as described below (or install all the updates for .NET 3.5 SP1 available on Windows Update):
If you install SQL Server 2012 on a computer with the Windows Vista SP2 or Widows Server 2008 SP2 operating system, you can get the required update from here
If you install SQL Server 2012 on a computer with the Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 2008 R2 SP1 operating system, this update in included.
.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 is no longer installed by SQL Server Setup, but may be required while installing SQL Server on Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008. For more information, see SQL Server 2012 Release Notes.
For local installations, you must run SQL Server Setup as an administrator. If you install SQL Server from a remote share, you must use a domain account that has read permissions on the remote share.
To upgrade an instance of SQL Server to a SQL Server 2012 failover cluster, the instance being upgraded must be a failover cluster.
To move a stand-alone instance of SQL Server to a SQL Server 2012 failover cluster, install a new SQL Server 2012 failover cluster, and then migrate user databases from the stand-alone instance by using the Copy Database Wizard. For more information, see Use the Copy Database Wizard.
Rolling Upgrades
To upgrade a SQL Server failover cluster to SQL Server 2012, you must run setup with upgrade action on each failover cluster node, one at a time, starting with the passive nodes. As you upgrade each node, it is left out of the possible owners of the failover cluster. If there is an unexpected failover, the upgraded nodes do not participate in the failover until cluster resource group ownership is moved to an upgraded node by SQL Server Setup.
By default, Setup automatically determines when to fail over to an upgraded node. This depends on the total number of nodes in the failover cluster instance and the number of nodes that have already been upgraded. When half of the nodes or more have already been upgraded, Setup causes a failover to an upgraded node when you perform upgrade on the next node. Upon failover to an upgraded node, the cluster group is moved to an upgraded node. All the upgraded nodes are put in the possible owners list and all the nodes that are not yet upgraded are removed from the possible owners list. As you upgrade each remaining node, it is added to the possible owners of the failover cluster.
This process results in downtime limited to one failover time and database upgrade script execution time during the whole failover cluster upgrade.
To control the failover behavior of cluster nodes during the upgrade process, run the upgrade operation at the command prompt and use the /FAILOVERCLUSTERROLLOWNERSHIP parameter. For more information, see Install SQL Server 2012 from the Command Prompt.
Note If there is a single-node failover cluster, SQL Server Setup takes the SQL Server resource group offline.
Considerations when Upgrading from SQL Server 2005:
If you specified domain groups for the cluster security policy, you cannot specify service SID on Windows Server 2008. If you want to use the service SID, you need to perform a side by side upgrade.
When you select Database Engine for upgrade, full-text search is included in the setup regardless of whether it was installed in SQL Server 2005.
If full-text search was enabled in SQL Server 2005, Setup rebuilds the full-text search catalog regardless of the options available to you.
Upgrading to a SQL Server 2012 Multi-Subnet Failover Cluster
There are two possible scenarios for upgrades:
SQL Server failover cluster is currently configured on a single subnet: You must first upgrade the existing cluster to SQL Server 2012 by launching Setup and following the upgrade process.After completing the upgrade of the existing failover cluster, add a node that is on a different subnet using the AddNode functionality. Confirm the IP address resource dependency change to OR in the cluster network configuration page. You now have a SQL Server multi-subnet failover cluster.
SQL Server failover cluster is currently configured on multiple subnets using the stretch V-LAN technology: You must first upgrade the existing cluster to SQL Server 2012. Because stretch V-LAN technology configures a single subnet, the network configuration must to be changed to multiple subnets, and change the IP address resource dependency using the Windows Failover Cluster administration tool and change the IP dependency to OR.
Best Practices Before Upgrading a SQL Server Failover Cluster
To eliminate unexpected downtime caused by a restart, preinstall the no-reboot package for .NET Framework 4.0 on all the failover cluster nodes before you run the upgrade on the cluster nodes. We recommend the following steps to preinstall the prerequisites:
Install the no-reboot package for .NET Framework 4.0, and upgrade only the shared components starting with the passive nodes. This installs .NET Framework 4.0, Windows Installer 4.5, and SQL Server support files.
Restart one or more times, as required.
Fail over to an upgraded node.
Upgrade the shared components on the last remaining node.
After all the shared components are upgraded and prerequisites are installed, start the failover cluster upgrade process. You have to run upgrade on each failover cluster node, starting with the passive nodes first and making your way toward the node that owns the cluster resource group.
You cannot add features to an existing failover cluster.
Changing the edition of the failover cluster is limited to certain scenarios. For more information, see Supported Version and Edition Upgrades.
To Upgrade a SQL Server Failover Cluster
To upgrade a SQL Server failover cluster
Insert the SQL Server installation media, and from the root folder, double-click Setup.exe. To install from a network share, move to the root folder on the share, and then double-click Setup.exe. You may be asked to install the prerequisites, if they are not previously installed.
For more information about steps 3 and 4, see the Best Practices Before Upgrading Failover Cluster section.
After prerequisites are installed, the Installation Wizard starts the SQL Server Installation Center. To upgrade an existing instance of SQL Server, click Upgrade from SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, or SQL Server 2008 R2.
If Setup support files are required, SQL Server Setup installs them. If you are instructed to restart your computer, restart before you continue.
The System Configuration Checker runs a discovery operation on your computer. To continue, click OK.
On the Product Key page, enter the PID key for the new version edition that matches the edition of the old product version. For example, to upgrade an Enterprise failover cluster, you must supply a PID key for SQL Server Enterprise. Click Next to continue. Be aware that the PID key that you use for a failover cluster upgrade must be consistent across all failover cluster nodes in the same SQL Server instance. For more information, see Editions and Components of SQL Server 2012 and Supported Version and Edition Upgrades.
On the License Terms page, read the license agreement, and then select the check box to accept the license terms and conditions. To help improve SQL Server, you can also enable the feature usage option and send reports to Microsoft. Click Next to continue. To end Setup, click Cancel.
On the Select Instance page, specify the SQL Server instance to upgrade to SQL Server 2012. Click Next to continue.
On the Feature Selection page, the features to upgrade are preselected. A description for each component group appears in the right pane after you select the feature name. Be aware that you cannot change the features to be upgraded, and you cannot add features during the upgrade operation. To add features to an upgraded instance of SQL Server 2012 after the upgrade operation is complete, see Add Features to an Instance of SQL Server 2012 (Setup).
The prerequisites for the selected features are displayed on the right-hand pane. SQL Server Setup will install the prerequisite that are not already installed during the installation step described later in this procedure.
On the Instance Configuration page, fields are automatically populated from the old instance. You can choose to specify the new InstanceID value.
Instance ID - By default, the instance name is used as the Instance ID. This is used to identify installation directories and registry keys for your instance of SQL Server. This is the case for default instances and named instances. For a default instance, the instance name and instance ID would be MSSQLSERVER. To use a nondefault instance ID, select the Instance ID check box and provide a value. If you override the default value, you must specify the same Instance ID for the instance being upgraded on all the failover cluster nodes. The Instance ID for the upgraded instance must match across the nodes.
Detected instances and features - The grid shows instances of SQL Server that are on the computer where Setup is running. Click Next to continue.
The Disk Space Requirements page calculates the required disk space for the features that you specify, and compares requirements to the available disk space on the computer where Setup is running. For more information, see Disk Space Requirements.
On the Full-Text Search Upgrade page, specify the upgrade options for the databases being upgraded. For more information, see Full-Text Search Upgrade Options.
On the Error Reporting page, specify the information that you want to send to Microsoft that will help improve SQL Server. By default, options for error reporting is enabled. For more information, see Error Reporting.
The System Configuration Checker runs one more set of rules to validate your computer configuration with the SQL Server features that you have specified, before the upgrade operation begins.
The Cluster Upgrade Report page displays the list of nodes in the failover cluster instance and the instance version information for SQL Server components on each node. It displays the database script status and replication script status. In addition, it also displays informational messages on what will occur when you click Next. Depending on the number of failover cluster nodes that have already been upgraded and total number of nodes, Setup displays the failover behavior that happens when you click Next. It also warns about potential unnecessary downtime if you have not installed the prerequisites already.
The Ready to Upgrade page displays a tree view of installation options that were specified during Setup. To continue, click Upgrade. SQL Server Setup will first install the required prerequisites for the selected features followed by the feature installation.
During upgrade, the Progress page provides status so that you can monitor the upgrade progress on the current node as Setup continues.
After the upgrade of the current node, the Cluster Upgrade Report page displays an upgrade status information for all the failover cluster nodes, features on each failover cluster node, and their version information. Confirm the version information that is displayed and continue with the upgrade of the remaining nodes. If the failover to upgraded nodes occurred, this is also apparent on the status page. You can also check in the Windows Cluster administrator tool to confirm.
After upgrade, the Complete page provides a link to the summary log file for the installation and other important notes. To complete the SQL Server installation process, click Close.
If you are instructed to restart the computer, do so now. It is important to read the message from the Installation Wizard when you have finished with Setup. For more information about Setup log files, see View and Read SQL Server Setup Log Files.
To complete the upgrade process, repeat steps 1 to 21 on all the other nodes on the SQL Server failover cluster.
To upgrade a SQL Server Multi-Subnet Failover Cluster
To upgrade to a SQL Server multi-subnet failover Cluster (Existing SQL Server cluster is a non multi-subnet cluster).
Follow the steps 1 through 24 described in the To upgrade a SQL Server failover cluster section above to upgrade your cluster to SQL Server 2012.
Add a node on a different subnet using the AddNode Setup action and confirm the IP address resource dependency to OR on the Cluster Network Configuration page. For more information, see Add or Remove Nodes in a SQL Server Failover Cluster (Setup).
To upgrade a multi-subnet cluster currently using Stretch V-Lan.
Follow the steps 1 through 24 described in the To upgrade a SQL Server failover cluster section above to upgrade your cluster to SQL Server 2012.
Change the network settings to move the remote node to a different subnet.
Using the Windows Failover Cluster management tool, add a new IP address for the new subnet set the IP address resource dependency to OR.
Next Steps
After you upgrade to SQL Server 2012, complete the following tasks:
Register your servers
Upgrade removes registry settings for the previous SQL Server instance. After you upgrade, you must reregister your servers.
Update statistics
To help optimize query performance, we recommend that you update statistics on all databases following upgrade. Use the sp_updatestats stored procedure to update statistics in user-defined tables in SQL Server databases.
Configure your new SQL Server installation
To reduce the attackable surface area of a system, SQL Server selectively installs and enables key services and features. For more information about surface area configuration, see the readme file for this release.
See Also
Install SQL Server 2012 from the Command Prompt


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We're about 28 hours away from being able to wear white without getting dirty looks, and Mercedes-Benz has dropped official production data on its new SLS AMG Roadster. Does that mean we can break out the seersucker suit two days early?
Naturally, the SLS AMG Roadster recalls the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster of the 1950s. As the company notes in the press materials, the 300 SL Roadster arrived after the original gullwing 300 SL, but unlike the SL's of the 1950s, both AMG models are available simultaneously. Also, and obviously, the Roadster has conventionally-opening doors instead of the wing'd type.
Merc says the Roadster's fabric soft top — backed by a structure of magnesium, steel and aluminum — can open and close in eleven seconds, and can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph. The Roadster also gets the company's AirScarf neck-warming system along with a glass wind-breaker and roll bars covered in leather.
One new-tech note. The Roadster introduces AMG Performance Media, a multimedia system that can display a number of motorsports-related data points, including engine oil, coolant and transmission fluid temperature, engine output, torque and accelerator position, individual tire pressures, acceleration time from 0-60 mph or quarter-mile time and lateral and linear acceleration combined with braking performance and accelerator position — all in real time. It can also record and remember lap times.
It also comes with a new espresso-brown interior color, which matches the new metallic paint finish AMG Sepang brown. As you already know, brown is this season's silver.
In all other areas, the Roadster is a veritable hardware double of the SLS AMG coupe. Expect its arrival this Fall, also known as off-white season.

subset: commoncrawl


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16 Masons Drive
North Parramatta, New South Wales
Phone: 61288388940
Connect to: Library Web Site✔ Online Catalog
Library details: Camden Theological Library is a Theology library.
This library is affiliated with United Theological College (view map) .
Other Info: Camden Theological Library is the library of the Uniting Church in Australia, NSW Synod. It is based at the Centre for Ministry, North Parramatta. The library is an integral part of the mission of the Centre for Ministry, which is to educate persons for the various forms of ministry in the world and to provide theological leadership on issues facing the church and the world.
Permalink: https://librarytechnology.org/library/33900
(Use this link to refer back to this listing.)
Administration: The director of the library is Moira Bryant .
|Technology Profile
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|Year Contracted
|Current Automation System
|WorldShare Management Services
|Previous Automation System
|Previous Automation System
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|EBSCO Discovery Service
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|EBSCO Discovery Service
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|The library's automation system is hosted by the vendor through an Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) arrangement.
|This library is responsible for the procurement of the library automation system.
Automation Survey: We are conducting a study on the automation systems used in libraries. This survey should be completed by a person familiar with your libraries use of WorldShare Management Services.
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Record History: This listing was created on Dec 9, 2007 and was last modified on Jan 30, 2020.
Updates: Corrections or Updates? Registered members of Library Technology Guides can submit updates to library listings in libraries.org. Registration is free and easy. Already registered? login. Or, you can report corrections just by sending a message to Marshall Breeding.


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ahahahaha this was my point!! When I've heard "Whats your dope" so fast.. (and the trak is already like 160bpm in its original) and hearing the trasnformed... "dope...dope...dopee" but as if a hellium baloon was swolen, i was already dying from laughing, on the floor. poor Shenz... ufff...P.s.2. I, also, don't like the last part of the set, to pitch such tracks so much is just noncence, they're braincrushing as they are.
thanks Kiri for your exelent statemant, I think 100% the same. I prefer jumping like crazy and really dancing on 155, 4 me is much more "outta this world", than just waving my head on 200bpm! for this i can hear Typo O Negative ehehehehe but the rebellion kids need always something diferent, no? .. as the punk was againt the mainstream rock maybe???
...so for me its just an experiment... as be a lil high and look at DVD on doublespeed ehehehehehehehehe, jsut 4 fun eh?


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Earth from Space: Mediterranean Pearls
This Envisat image shows the island of Elba off Italy's north western coast. To the east is the Italian mainland and region of Tuscany, while the small island of Pianosa is visible in the lower-left corner.
According to legend, the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago appeared when Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, emerged from the sea. Seven pearls slipped from her neck, forming the seven islands of the archipelago.
Elba is the largest of this chain. Covering an area of over 220 sq km, the terrain ranges from high mountains in the west to lower hills in the east, with a small flat area in between.
Mining for iron on Elba dates back to the ancient Ligurians and the Etruscan times. After 480 BC the Romans invaded the island, taking over the iron industry and discovering the curative mud baths. Today, visitors continue to use the baths for therapeutic purposes.
The island of Pianosa was the site of a maximum security prison until 1998. Today, prisoners who are still serving time work at the island's hotel in a programme designed to help re-integrate them into society. The rest of the 10 sq km island is now a wildlife sanctuary.
This image is a compilation of three Envisat radar images acquired on 29 November 2008, 7 February 2009 and 21 August 2010. Each image is given a colour - red, green and blue - and combined to produce this representation.
Colours reveal changes between the satellite's passes. In fact, the populated areas on Italy's mainland appear very colourful. This shows that the land, buildings and roads changed over the three-year period. Changes in the sea surface are also evident.
View the full resolution image.
Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)


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Fusing together poetry, music, and story in a mesmerizing live performance, Kunqu is a classic and elegant form of traditional Chinese theatre, included on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Carefully curated by Kunqu Society, the program showcases a colorful and entertaining selection of music, singing, and dramatic pieces from the Kunqu repertoire to celebrate the season of fall. Subtitles in English.
Tickets: $16/$10 FTH and Kunqu Society Members & Students
Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts dba Flushing Town Hall is a not for profit organization which receives major support from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Mayor Bill de Blasio; Queens Borough President Melinda Katz; New York State Assembly Members Ron Kim, Ed Braunstein and Nily Rozic; New York City Council, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and Council Members Costa Constantinides, Daniel Dromm, Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, Peter Koo, Karen Koslowitz, and Paul A. Vallone; Howard Gilman Foundation; and the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.
Support is also provided by Astoria Bank, Bijoux Image, Cathay Bank, Celestial Love Foundation, Michael Cheng / Epos Development, FTH's Chinese Cultural Committee, Chinese Radio Network, Dr. Hsing-Lih Chou / New York Institute of Culture and the Arts, Con Edison, Crossings TV, Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York (Flushing), Fook Funeral Group, Barbara Garii / St. Joseph's College, Simon Gerson, the Glow Foundation, Howard Graf & Kathy Donovan, Hakka Association of New York , Heather Harrison / Farrell Fritz, David M. Hunter, Raymond D. Jasen, JoAnn She & Co. Ltd., Siu Mui Lau, Nelson Lee / Flushing Bank, Susan Lee, James S. Liao, Steven Lii / New United NY Corp, Linden Arts Fund for Children, the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Materials for the Arts, William McClure / Queens College, New York Shandong Association, the NYC & Company Foundation, Queens College, Georgiana Reese-Benatti / New York Community Bank, RUDANCENY Ballroom Dance School / Asian American Dance Sport Corp, Mike Sperendi & Jan Schneider, Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York (Manhattan), Veronica Tsang, and Tony & Tai Wang/WAC Lighting.
Our work is also supported by gifts made in the memory of Irene Seligman.


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To Condi with Love. Special Indian mangoes presented by the Prime Minister 's media advisor. I really admire Condoleeza.
Saturday, 30 June 2007
Mango Diplomacy
Posted by Amrita at Saturday, June 30, 2007 5 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: news
Mama 's gonna sow some oats
This morning I served Quaker Oats to Mama and Aunt Sybil.Ma liked them so much that she wants to plant some oats in the garden
Posted by Amrita at Saturday, June 30, 2007 4 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Soul Searching
Friday, 29 June 2007
The Tie that Binds the Grrr...
Posted by Amrita at Friday, June 29, 2007 9 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Animal Planet
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Allahabad, my city is one of the largest cities of Uttar Pradesh(state).It is situated on the confluence of two rivers;Ganga and Yamuna considered to be holy by the Hindus.The meeting point of these rivers and another mythological river called Saraswati is supposed to possess sin-washing powers.Those who drink its sacred waters and bathe in it during auspicious times and festivals are assured of salvation or least a higher level of reincarnation.Millions of Hindu pilgrims come here each year for sin cleansing.
Posted by Amrita at Thursday, June 28, 2007 3 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Soul Searching
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Women of substance
My friend Janet wrote on her blog about her Mom 's cook breaking chairs because of her large size.
Yesterday I went went to a salon to have my eyebrows done and this richly endowed, wealthy lady was having her body waxed.Every time the beautician pulled the wax cloth off her arms the poor gal 's chair (adjustable kind) would sink lower. And we all gasped, but the lady had a good sense of humour and she didn 't mind.She was well aware of her magnitude.
I am not making fun of overweight people because I battle with the bulge too, its just that all this makes life more colourful and musical.
My friend Kate tagged me for 8 facts about myself, so here goes...
1.My birthday is on August 1st.
2.During my early teens I liked wearing boys clothes, like jeans and shirts.
3.I like savoury snacks more than sweet ones.
4.When I was born,my Dad 's workmate who was an astrologer predicted that I would learn the English language very well. Well I have a Masters in English Literature, but I 'm not sure if my English is noteworthy.
5.I learnt German in school.Got a prize for pronunciation. A German nun taught us.Sister JoAnna was a very strict lady, still remember her draconian rules.
6.I like international accents. My favourites are Irish, Scottish and German and of course Australian.When I speak to people from other countries I tend to switch on their accents, (not entirely tho).
7.I like fashion jewellery. A whole load of my jewellery was stolen from my apartment when I was teaching in Woodstock school.Now I 'm into hoops, danglers and earrings with crosses.
8.I wear a mix of Indian and western clothes, so my clothes don 't wear out easily. I like cotton fabric. Synthetic clothes make me hot. Silks and synthetics are for cooler weather.
Posted by Amrita at Tuesday, June 26, 2007 8 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Fun-o-matics
Sunday, 24 June 2007
Cyber Jitters
My computer is giving me the jitters. I was almost reduced to tears last night. This morning i prayed real hard and at least i could log on. Hope it mends itself and there is no virus inside.professional help is so costly.
On a brighter note. last night after Mama cut her birthday cake I asked her which song would she like us to sing ;Happy Birthday or Nearer My God To Thee (as she keeps telling people maybe its my last birthday). We had a good laugh, she choose Nearer My God To Thee, but we sang Happy Birthday!
Sonia left this morning,Abner didn 't want to leave.
Posted by Amrita at Sunday, June 24, 2007 11 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Family
Saturday, 23 June 2007
Sunita Williams and I
Left-Kalpana Chawla right- Sunita Williams
Posted by Amrita at Saturday, June 23, 2007 4 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Happy Birthday Mama
Posted by Amrita at Saturday, June 23, 2007 5 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Family
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Tent(ative) Housing
Sorry folks this is not a self portrait.
"we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away,they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven-God-made not handmade-and we 'll never have to relocate our "tents" again.Sometimes we can hardly wait to move-and so we cry out in frustration.Compared to what 's coming,living conditions round here seen like a stopover in an unfurnished shack,and we are tired of i! We have been given a glimpse of the real thing,our true home,our resurrection bodies!The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what 's ahead.He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we 'll never settle for less.
That 's why we live with such good cheer.You won 't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don 't get us down.They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead.It 's what we trust in but don 't yet see that keeps us going.Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us?"
The Message 2 Cor 5; 1-7
Got my cholesterol report. Normal level 200 mine 's 244.2 . Doc 's prescribed me pills which pulled the rug off under my feet because they are so expensive. $ 2 for 10 of them and I have to take one a day. Extra weight on my pocket and mind. But I 'm going to take herbal medicines and switch to a low fat diet so I guess I'll be OK.my blood pressure and sugar level is OK...thank you Jesus.
Posted by Amrita at Tuesday, June 19, 2007 8 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: news
Days of the Weak
If we don 't have God in our lives our days can turn out to be
Posted by Amrita at Tuesday, June 19, 2007 4 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Sunday, 17 June 2007
Father 's Day...Out ?
Posted by Amrita at Sunday, June 17, 2007 5 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Saturday, 16 June 2007
Pass the Salt Please
The most wanted rains usher some unwelcome guests inside the house.Last night I discovered a leech clinging on the bathroom wall.it must have entered through the drain.I got into my pest control mode and sprinkled it liberally with salt.The blood-sucking,Dracula minion melted away in no time. Allahabad has a very low leech population so our pest control works.
Salt is the best ammunition against leeches, this I discovered in Mussoorie, up in the Himalayas.During the monsoon season the whole mountain-side was crawling with leeches and we were cautioned against them.One evening while taking off my shoes I discovered a large patch of blood on my socks.I knew it was a leech, and since it was my first encounter I wanted I scream, and do a tribal leech dance but I restrained myself as I was all alone in my apartment and no one would rush in to rescue me. Further examination revealed that the vampire had had its dinner and left.So I cleaned my foot and applied a Band Aid. At least I had a story to tell to the nations.
Later on when I took my students for a hike in leech country we stuffed our shoes and socks with salt.Kids are very good at spotting leeches,specially when they want to scare their teacher.Anyway we took it all in our stride.
My Iranian friend 's mother (living in Mussoorie) invited leeches to bite her as a remedy for arthritis.That 's ancient medicine.I could never try that.
We are happy that the monkey did not return, maybe it prefers pop-corn to corn on the cob.
Its global, but in India you encounter wild life up so close that it brings out the 'national geographic ' in you.Makes life interesting.
Posted by Amrita at Saturday, June 16, 2007 6 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Animal Planet
Friday, 15 June 2007
Silver Lined Clouds
The monsoon rains have arrived in North India. We 've had a good bit of rainfall since yesterday A welcome respite. Although its very humid, the temperature has come down.And we had a very long power cut.
Our construction workers are worried as the rain washed away some of their concrete work.The garden looks bright and green. Our handyman, Juggernaut (Jags for short) is putting down seeds in the garden.
Aunt Sybil 's (84 yrs) feet are swollen so I 've asked a pathology technician to come and do her blood work and mama 's too.You just ring up the lab and these people come and take your blood etc. samples, test them in their labs and send you the report.Then you can go to your physician with the report.
You can do it the other way around. First consult a doctor then have the tests done.But to save time I 'm doing this, as I have a transport problem.
I 've got my Dad 's old car, but I can 't drive. During emergencies we get someone to drive it for us. But maintaining it is quite a hassle and expense.The car is dead right now and to get it going would be too hard on our pocket.
Praying that the test results would be OK. Every cloud has a silver lining.
Posted by Amrita at Friday, June 15, 2007 3 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: news
Thursday, 14 June 2007
Romeo is on the move
Rhesus and Langur monkeys.
Romeo is one of the langur monkeys hired by the administration of the Delhi University to keep a host of rhesus monkeys away from its main campus.the rhesuses are bold enough to march around the campus and lounge in buildings, damage car windows and scare students. A bunch of them jumped into the Science library and tore up periodicals and books.
Romeo and his brothers have been hired for 6 months at a fees of $4914 to clear the campus of his offending cousins The simians have a guest room on the university campus where they live with their keepers. After a hearty breakfast of fruit and vegetables Romeo and co. are taken round the campus. They strut around moving on buildings and in the corridors and parking lots.The scent of the langurs is enough to keep their rhesus cousins away as they are scared of them.
Yesterday a rhesus entered our garden and made off with a bunch of corn growing just behind our kitchen.Now from where am I going to get a langur to guard my corn and bananas.We have covered the bananas with a cloth, hope he is not clever enough to remove it!
Once I was attacked by a rhesus on my morning walk.He attached himself on my leg, biting it through my pants and socks.I shook it off and came back again.When the other joggers came to rescue me, he got away. Might is right...law of the jungle.
I am happy to tell you that since yesterday the weather has improved. Its cloudy and rained a bit. The Lord has sent us respite from the dry heat.These are our pre-monsoon showers.
Posted by Amrita at Thursday, June 14, 2007 3 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Animal Planet
Tuesday, 12 June 2007
Weathering Heights
With the scorching sun above and the baked earth below a girl searches for grass to feed her goat.
Posted by Amrita at Tuesday, June 12, 2007 4 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: A taste of India
Friday, 8 June 2007
(L -R) Niece Mahima with Abner, younger sis Namrita and adopted sis Sonia (Aug. 2006)
Today I got a call from Sonia saying she is coming with Abner tomorrow.She will stay for at 2 weeks till after my Mom 's birthday on June 23rd. Had to get the house ready and do some shopping before that.Since the past 2 days we hardly got any electricity during the day. Couldn't watch an interesting episode of Indian Idol (it was the first time I was watching). Today was better but the broadband snaps because of fluctuating voltage.Anyway its all a part of life, so no use complaining.Helps to make you more patient.When we look at those worse off than us we count our blessings.
Posted by Amrita at Friday, June 08, 2007 5 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Family
Palak Paneer
My e friend Kate asked for a recipe of Palak Paneer which is a very popular dish in India.It is made with cottage cheese and spinach.
Spinach.....2 large bunches (abt. a pound)
Cottage cheese (paneer)...half a pound (200gms)
Garlic 8-10 cloves (if you don 't like garlic you can reduce the amount)
Cooking oil.....3 tablespoons
Cumin seeds....half teaspoon
Salt as per taste
Lemon juice....one tablespoon
Fresh cream.....Four tablespoons
Method of Preparation
1 Remove stems and wash spinach under running water.Blanch it in salted boiling water for 2 minutes.Refresh in chilled water.Squeeze out excess water.Grind into a fine paste in a food processor.If you are using tinned spinach you can prepare it likewise.
2. Dice paneer into 1"x1"x 1/2" pieces. Chop garlic and keep aside.If you want you can deep fry the paneer pieces until they are golden brown like I do, to give colour and added taste.
3 Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When they begin to change colour add chopped garlic and saute for half a minute. Add the spinach puree and stir.Check seasoning. Add water if required.
4 When the gravy comes to a boil, add the paneer pieces and mix well. Stir in lemon juice. Finally add fresh cream.
5 Serve hot with rice, or Indian nan bread, or any type of bread, even pita will do.
Paneer is available in Indian shops but if there are none around you can make it at home (or substitute it with a non melting cheese)
Milk....1 litre
Plain unflavoured yogurt or curd...3 tablespoons
1 Heat milk when it begins to boil add lemon juice.
2 If you want to make the cheese softer,add 2 or 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt to the boiling milk along with the lemon juice.
3 Remove from fire when cheese separates from the whey.
4 Put the cheese in a muslin cloth and hang it up for an hour till all the whey is drained out. I save the whey to use in soups or any gravy dish.
5 Put the cheese on a chopping board and put some weight on it.
6 When it sets cut in small pieces as desired.
Paneer is low fat and we like it a lot. You can cook it with green peas, tomatoes, bell peppers, baby corn, mushroom etc. Or pop it in rice. I make pizza topping with it. In fact for Sunday dinner I am going to make paneer Chinese style with bell pepper, onions and tomatoes and seasoning it will go well with pea pulao (fried rice)
Posted by Amrita at Friday, June 08, 2007 7 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: A taste of India
Project Nehemiah-Pray for us
Posted by Amrita at Friday, June 08, 2007 2 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Vision
Thursday, 7 June 2007
Nehemiah Project
Pictures of modern Hindu temples in India
roofing. We were hoping
Posted by Amrita at Thursday, June 07, 2007 1 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Vision
Smarty (P)ants
Two nights in a row when i got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom my butt was stung by a million ants 'sleeping ' on the
Posted by Amrita at Thursday, June 07, 2007 5 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: Animal Planet
Sunday, 3 June 2007
This is the way the cookie crumbles
Got up early in the morning to bake chocolate chip cookies to serve after church this evening. I have to finish all my electricity related chores before 10 am when the power goes off till 1 pm or after. Got everything ready only to discover that my chocolate wouldn 't stay chipped, it melted. I don 't have the correct chocolate, I just bought the ordinary chocolate slab thinking it would work. So I made some iced cookies and some choc. cookies. The chips are missing...cry...cry.I was doing this because the chocolate chip cookies available in the shops are so expensive , I thought I 'd make my own to economize.But this is the way the cookie crumbles.
Posted by Amrita at Sunday, June 03, 2007 8 Fertilize my soul Links to this post
Labels: The Blues
Saturday, 2 June 2007
The biggest loser
The top picture is a view of room coolers fitted in windows (ones on the right side) This picture is a close up of a window cooler (American one) but we have similar ones.This is a portable room cooler which we have in our living room. We have a window cooler too.
It was 43*C close to 110*F today and the hot wind called loo was blowing making everything dusty. The evaporative window cooler also sucks in dust
Little Artist
This is my younger sister Namrita and her sons Rayguel and Myshell (named by their north eastern Dad...the north east people have ridiculous names BTW)
Ray (6 yrs) won a painting competition and got Rs 100 as a prize.He is a budding artist. Myshell likes to write stories and jokes and sports activities.
Posted by Amrita at Saturday, June 02, 2007 2 Fertilize my soul Links to this post


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Kris Jenner keeps up with Kardashians via Twitter
- Kardashians have over 30 million followers on Twitter
- Jenner loves her church app for catching up with the sermon
- Goes unplugged for just one hour a day
LOS ANGELES — How does Kris Jenner keep up with her Kardashians?
By following them on Twitter, of course.
The reality TV star and "momager" of Kim, Kourtney, Khloe and Rob has 3 million Twitter followers; her kids have a combined 30 million, and all post dozens of tweets daily. Jenner, who makes her debut in her own The Kris Show talker on Fox TV stations and YouTube on Monday, says social media is the best way to find out what her kids are doing.
"I can't always be there, so it helps a lot," says Jenner, in an interview at her home here. "It's amazing."
We sat down with Jenner recently to talk about her tech, favorite apps and why she will occasionally respond to online comments.
With 18.1 million followers, daughter Kim, who recently topped headlines when she gave birth to baby North with partner Kanye West, is the 17th most followed celebrity on Twitter. She "taught the rest of us how to use it, what hashtags were. … It started as something fun to do. Now I will Instagram a picture and within seconds you can have as many as 10,000 likes. That's kind of remarkable."
Jenner is a big fan of Keek (free; multiple platforms), an app for making short video messages. "You get snippets of what someone is experiencing." She's a big user of Instagram (free; Apple, Android), with over 400 photos posted to her 1.7 million followers. "I like going on Instagram or Keek and seeing what someone has posted. Especially if I'm working all day long. At the end of the day to check in and see what people are doing, it's fun." She likes magazine apps from Vanity Fair, Us Weekly and TV apps from ABC and Fox, and also enjoys the local California Community Church app. "If I can't get to church, I just click on my app and listen to the whole sermon."
"Kim will throw tips at us whether we want to hear them or not. I learned quickly from Kim that you don't want followers to think you're hawking all of these products. I learned to be a little more social than business-oriented. I tend to go to the business side, to talk about things I enjoy or like, but people want a glimpse into your personal life."
When mean comments come in from people, Jenner will sometimes try to engage with them. "There's that group of people that feel like they can say whatever they want and not have to be accountable. But … the minute I engage ... they kind of instantly are nice. I realized there are a lot of lonely, unhappy, miserable people that have nothing to do but make nasty remarks."
"Because of the nature of my business, I have to stay connected constantly. Sometimes I'm offline for 60 minutes while working out at 6 a.m. I'll go back to my phone and be like, 'Oh my God? What just happened?' You just never know."
"I use the BlackBerry for e-mails and text, the iPhone for pictures and e-mails. I also like the phone service on the iPhone."
"The Kris Show is a one-hour show. There's a lot that goes on between each show, and I think that's one way to let the audience stay connected." She'd like to let fans see other parts of her life, "not just 60 minutes sitting on the set." For starters, the show is running an online contest offering the opportunity to join her family for a day. Contestants upload video submissions (one minute, tops) at The Kris Show's Facebook page.


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