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awesome video. short n' sweet. really enjoyed it. thank you!

well, the guy who sold them out was called "mohammed" anyway, I'm so horrifed at this documentary. It's just going to cause more tension and every gorah is going to be thinking "send them back". Frankly, these people work harder than any ingeninous person in the UK and any second generation indian here too. legalise them, tax them, protect them. Everyone says "our borders are full" etc but they don't realise, without these people doing such jobs, the economy would suffer so much it's crazy. it is because of people like this that the UK can just about compete with places like China and India. I felt so sad that there were images of singhs without their pugha on national TV. Challo, it happens. Good luck to them tryin' to get them out

GurFateh Ji, I agree, cheating doesn't warrent imprisonment at all. But that isn't what they'd be going to prison for. The Muslim student would be going away for hacking and installing spyware software into a government computer server. I hope to Waheguru that the judge/jury have the sense to understand that it wasn't a governmental hack but rather a school one and thus sentence him accordingly (hopefully he won't go to prison at all). The Sikh student ISN'T facing jail time for cheating, nor for assisting Mr Khan in the hack. He's in trouble for breaking into the school - i.e. breaking and entering. I mean, even if you are going to break into the school you certainly don't send a txt message to someone as proof. I hope they both get suspended sentences or community service or something as opposed to prison. That'd just be awful

the sentence is blasphemy. the Khan dude is plain damn unlucky. Probably they have discriminated against him because he is muslim. No i completely disagree. The laws in america are particularly harsh because they want to protect against people hacking government computers, which could potentially cost many lives through terrorist activities. They said the sentence could be more than 38 years, but I seriously doubt that any judge or jury would allow that to happen to a student who simply tried to change his grades. But perhaps they may wish to make an example of him to deter other would-be hackers. lets hope not. And lets hope that Tanvir Singh gets the slapping of his life from his parents

I'm very very glad that the committee for this gurdwara aren't involved in this. otherwise the hypocrisy would be astounding

I can't believe a Sikh student would be so stupid - his parents must be so proud http://spikedhumor.com/articles/157577/Tee...or-Hacking.html Two Orange County, California, teenagers have been charged with breaking into high school offices and using stolen usernames and passwords to change lackluster grades to A's. Omar Khan and Tanvir Singh, both 18, are facing multiple felony charges following a series of break-ins at Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. Khan was arrested Monday, and Singh was expected to turn himself into court on Tuesday for arraignment. According to prosecutors, Khan changed the D's and C's he was receiving in Spanish, Calculus and English to two A's and a B+. He's also charged with stealing tests before they had been given and using a stolen username and password to break into school computers and change the grades of 12 other students. He is also alleged to have installed spyware software on the computer hosting the school district's grades database so that he could remotely access this system. The police were called in after Khan requested a copy of his transcript and school officials noticed his stellar grades, the Orange County district attorney's office said. If convicted, Khan could be sentenced to more than 38 years in prison. Singh, who faces fewer charges, faces three years in prison. He's charged with breaking into the school with Khan in order to steal an English test on May 19. According to court filings he sent a text message to Khan around 4 p.m. planning the crime. "Hey wana go to the school tonight," he wrote. "I need someone with b***s there with me."

Although I understand why people make the distinction between being Sikh and being Indian, I must admit, if someone who's white asks me where I'm from, I do say India (despite being born n' bred in the England) Am I correct in assuming that everyone who has objections to being called indian answers "Khalistan" when asked said question?

hmmm

ok, i gotta admit, this one wins by a mile

this is horrific. I'm not surprised that people haven't replied to this thread though. it is one of those topics that most people are against but...just not enough to write about it. I can't wait until my first daughter is born - i'll be so damn proud

i'm so glad you made this point before I did...i've never understood why Guru Ji cannot be translated if it was already done under the command of Dasveh Paathsha Ji. before everyone does interject i think if the ruling from Akal Takht is not to then fine, but I think the translations and phonetic translations ought to be made. I know that had they not have been, I would never have learned paath and probably wouldn't care about sikhi today. I believe the translated versions should be in Gutkeh or Sehnchiya but not the embodiment of Guru Ji and people ought to treat them with infinate respect but bow only to the one true Guru. I feel that many of the worlds problems could be solved and also think that if sikhi is to survive it must expand. people who would otherwise never have heard the words of our Guru ought to be afforded the same opportunities as we have been.

do you have greasy skin in general or is it only affecting the scalp? do you suffer from acne at all? are you suffering from excessive hairloss at all? how long has this been happening for? (months, weeks, years, ever since u can remember?) you *may* have a fungal infection that could cause dandraff (not greasy scalp though). if this is the case, go to your pharmacist and get some shampoo with Ketoconozole in it. it may help but follow the instructions carefully. if that doesn't help, dry a shampoo called Dermax (buy it online as it is difficult to get in the shops no matter how hard u look. note, don't buy dermac which is an anti-lice shampoo!). leave this shampoo in your hair for about 20minutes-1hour (it is perfectly safe, just cover your hair in a towel and come out of the bath) and then rinse it out (don't follow instructions on the packet in this one, listen to me). if none of these tips work, it could potentially be normal for you if it is long-standing. but it could also be due to a medical reason which woud be v.difficult to judge and diagnose from a history alone. please please see your gp/physician and if they can't help ask for a referral to a dermatologist.

The pessimist always sees the glass as half empty, never half full! The Gurdwaras are not failing anyone, we are failing to understand what the Gurdwara can give us! I disagree completely. The elected committee have a duty to those who elected them. The gurdwara ought to be the focal point of every sikh's life, but it isn't these days. usually, it is just a place that the vast majority of ppl go, do matha thek and leave. These are a few things I think they could do: stop charging people for things like funerals (going to someone's house and doing kirtan sohila) stop letting ppl gossip chill n' chat in front of guru ji - instead, have someone there explaining paath to anyone who'll listen. organising free legal advice for the panth. There are plenty of sikhs out there who'd give their time up for seva, but the imputus must be on the central point of the sikh community to arrange and organise this start running health campaigns. how many of u know know that thalassaemia is found in 1/15 sikhs? how many of u know that because of this, every (and i mean EVERY) sikh couple should be having a blood test to detect it prior to having a baby? (the advert has run on zee tv for a very long time but i don't think many ppl listen to it). another health promotion, the gurdwareh ought to be encouraging healthy eating in the langar hall and be giving advice on diet and health by again getting the panth who are qualified in health to come in and give this advice. holding punjabi classes by people who can teach and who can teach well (not just an aunty who thinks she'll have a go!) i'm aware that a lot of gurdwareh already do this by having transparent elections and not competing with neighbouring gurdwareh for sangat and donations (>coughs< southall gurdwareh...>coughs<) arranging sikh youths and adults to do community work. even if it is picking up local litter i think it is important and i know that if my gurdwara ran a scheme i'd be happy to do it. taking a stand in domestic violence and alcohoism - two issues which plague sikh communities use the skills of the panth to help the panth (e.g. if there is a family who're poor and feel they've been screwed over by a builder or electrician, get a member of the panth who's a professional to make sure their house is safe, or to fix the odd leak etc) there are some amazing gurdwareh out there from what i've experienced, but i'm just intrigued as to how they can be improved. tbh, i've volunteered some of these suggestions and would even like to organise some, but i feel like they're not welcomed by my local gurdwara. once i qualify i will 100% be offering my skills as a medic to the panth any more ideas on improvements?

Can I just say, this has been a really interesting thread to read! one of the few I've actually sat through and read all the pages! Thought I'd add my two cents worth on the topic: 1) Whereas I don't trust the authenticity of the Bible, having been written several years after the death of Christ, I do think that Jesus, what he embodies and the message he spread were admirable. I'm not certain whether he existed just like the parables suggest he did, but I think the ideal that is Jesus Christ ought to be respected by all - what he did and what he said are noble attributes that I think many people lack. 2) Celebration of Christmas...why not? It is thought that Jesus was probably born around Spring, but December was picked several hundred years after his death because it fell on the winter solstice. Thus, by changing the date to this the Church would become more acceptable to the Pagan who celebrated the Solstice and thus convert them too. I don't exactly celebrate Jesus in all his glory...I simply use the opportunity to chill with my family. It's nice. But I didn't even consider that the date coincided with our Shaheeds. Good point...thanks for that! 3) Someone mentioned how Christians shouldn't be the yard stick we use to judge Jesus by. I couldn't agree more. One thing that does annoy me is their refusal to accept anyone elses' belief systems' right to exist! But I'd hate for our Gurus to be judged by the actions of most of us 'Sikhs'. What a terrible yard stick that'd be to the greatness of what is being measured 4) Hitler was not Christian in any shape, but I think the Catholic Church was hardly Christian during WWII either. Their track record on slavery, the inquisitions, civil rights and persecution of Jews, homosexuals, gipsies etc was nothing short of disgusting. I'd hate to imagine what Jesus would have thought about all this being done in his name. 5) I choose the follow the path of our Guru. But I respect respect the thoughts of all. Although I don't always follow this ideal perfectly, it is something I feel Sikhs should. Thus, Jesus was indeed a G, he or his teachings shouldn't be belittled or ignored. Listen to all, read all, contemplate on Waheguru and trust in Waheguru to keep you on the right path Fateh

Gur Fateh, I have a question to which I'm seeking an answer - I've tried to research it but I'm not satisfied with most of the answers I've come across! I randomly looked up Buddha on Wikipedia (Sidhartha Gautama) and I started reading about Buddhist philosophy. I was wondering on whether some people could point out differences between Buddhism and Sikhi. Before we start I thought I'd save some people time by suggesting a few rather simplistic similarities and differences I already know of. Similarities: Both believe in meditation, Both believe in controlling inner desire to rid oneself of pain and suffering, Both believe in charity and simplicity in life. Differences: Buddhists don't follow a God per se, and different sects see Buddha as either an embodiment of God or just an enlightened being. Buddhists have ordained monks etc They're fond of shaving their heads...us, not so much I've also come to discover that although Buddha did undergo a period of self deprivation when he lived like a hermit (not in keeping with our rehit), he did come to realise that this was not the way after coming across a musician who apparently was telling someone that if you have the string too tight it'll snap but too loose and it won't play. He came to realise that he couldn't seek enlightenment in the extremes. Thus he embarked on a "middle-way" which is common in Buddhism. I was thinking, Buddhists are kind of like Sikhs in certain ways and in other ways quite different. Your thoughts?

how much are you down by?

Hi, I'm really happy you've done so well. But as a medic may I suggest you read the developmental chapter in any good paeds text book (Lissauer is good) and then reflect on the advice you just gave above.

howdy, ok, if your knees are locking get a referral to an orthopaedic surgeon (they're the bone specialists, let them check you out). Your local health care trust may have a policy to refer to a physiotherapist first, but that's fine too because they know what they're doing - it could be something that could be helped by a few exercises to alter your gait. I do have a few more questions I would like to ask. It may seem long but you gotta remember if we were having this conversation in person it'd be done and dusted within ten minutes! However, I don't think I could add to the solution or formulate a diagnosis without examining you myself and without a few key tests, so I feel it'd be a tad pointless to continue probing your medical history and clarking you further! it sounds to me like you've been putting up with these problems for quite some time now and you're getting sick and tired of them - and rightly so. I wouldn't pay any attention to people who say it's nothing and you ought to learn to live with it - it may be something you could get help with (potentially). I do think you ought to change GPs and see if they can help. Try the flakseed oil or the Omega 3. I'd definately 100% recommend the Glucosamine. It's relatively inexpensive and I can recall at least one patient who said it significantly helped her. I'd try this for 2-3 months and in that time change your GP. if after 2-3 months the supplements haven't helped, seek an appointment. If you're in pain taking an Asprin/Ibuprofen/Neurofen could help (not paracetamol). It is important to read the leaflet inside and to speak to your doctor if you're asthmatic or have a stomach ulcer. Follow the instructions on the packet for maximum dose and if you know you're going to do an activity which often makes your joints worse (hypothetically running) take some an hour before you commence that activity. Just a few suggestions. Best of luck with this - keep us informed if you make any progress

following on from the above post, it would be useful to know your country of origin. if your sister does have problems no matter how great or small I think seeking help from the medical and teaching profession will only help your sister, not hinder her. Taking a hukumnama is fantastic yes, but ultimately the people advising you base their advice on the experience of many many other cases where they have seen what works and what doesn't. if you're in the UK I'd suggest you ask your doctor for a referral to a Paediatrician. Also, have a chat with your sister's teacher too to see what she would recommend. If your sister isn't developing socially as much as your doctor/her teacher thinks she ought to be then her having extra help would only be a good thing. In the grand scheme of things in an average 80 year life spending one more year at school is a small price to pay if it means she can keep up or be more secure socially and academically. Ultimately the decision rests with your family, but making the decision blind without expert opinion won't do your sister any good. If they do think there is something wrong then lets investigate it as opposed to experiment. I hope this advice finds you well and best of luck to your sister whatever decision your family make

Hi, just had a quick read through your answers. I forgot to ask a few pretty important question - which joints hurt? answer yes/no: Hips, Knees, ankles, toes, fingers, hands, wrists, shoulders, neck. lower spine (note, not a sore back but something that does feel like bone not muscle!). Do you feel as if your joints are stiff? If no then fine but if yes, are they stiffer in the morning or evening? or constant throughout the day? Do you feel that your knees 'lock'? Do you feel any of your joints are swollen? The very fact that you can walk long distances is reassuring because it does make it unlikely that it is osteoarthritis. The clicking is caused by relatively lax joint capsules, that allows more than a usual amount of movement. It sounds to me like you're not happy with your GP. your GP *may* have done the appropriate thing based on examination/history, but clearly it was ineffective as you're still concerned. I'd suggest you either change GP sooner rather than later or go back and visit again. If it is every joint then it may be harmless nitrogen gas coming out of solution from various body fluids - this can cause clicking. Although there isn't a scienfitic basis, in most cases the symptoms you've suggested are usually harmless if not annoying. exercises to help stabilise joints may help, including yoga. If i were your doctor I'd order another blood test to check to see if you're anaemic just because you've complained of being tired a lot of the time. girls of your age are susceptable to blood loss from heavy periods. most women aren't affected by anaemia even i they do bleed heavily, but it would be reassuring to rule it out. taking iron supplements without tests is a bit overkill because iron supplements can make you very constipated. i'd suggest eating plenty of green vegetables (Esp. saag) with a glass of orange juice (acidity helps increase iron absorption). with regards to your joints, if it is only one joint (e.g. your knees) i'd want an x-ray to rule out any degenerative causes such as juvenile arthritis (rare) and rheumatoid arthritis (rare in your age too). oseoarthritis is so rare in your age too. if your knee locks etc it could be a damaged meniscus or ligament (cruciate ligaments). this could cause the clicking and locking/stiffness. an x-ray wouldn't be able to detect this, but a physical examination of your knee could (something called McMurray test and draw test/lachman's test would check for a meniscus injury and a ligament injury respectively. Vitamin D deficiency is quite rare so long as you're out and about once in a while (i.e. you get some sun!). It wouldn't hurt to have it checked however but if you were my patient I probably wouldn't. vitamin D allows you to absorb calcium. vitamin D deficiency could affect your bones in that you would have thinning of the bones as your body would try to take calcium from bones to make up for the low calcium in your blood. this means mostly your bones would be thin and may result in bowed legs (osteomalacia) or easy breaks (osteopenia resulting in a pathalogical fracture). it wouldn't affect your joints. I very much doubt this is the case in you however. if you'd like flakseed oil which is rich in omega 3 could be a good supplement, but another one is Glucosamine. it is available from most health food stores and although it hasn't been proven medically to be antiarthritic, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence for it and medical evidence for it improving symtoms. i'll check back on wednesday (UK time) to see if you've answered any questions or indeed have any :o )

An impressive array of replys. I shall answer: To Guest who seems to have had such a tough time - I fully appreciate why my excuses/reasons would elicit the reaction they did from you. I'm not planning on arguing. I do however think I should clarify the reasons for the creation of this thread. It was mainly to let those who had open heartedly congratulated me know, that their praises were misplaced. I had hoped it was implicity clear I didn't ask for answers, advice or opinions. It was simply to share. I am, however, slightly taken aback at the magnitude of your response. Each to his own, good luck to you. I see little point in commenting further. To everyone else, thank you for your kind words. My sisters pretty much raised me so after 22 years the respect has been earned and is ingrained. If they were so vehemently against my decision and placed all these tasks for me to complete, then fine, I will complete them and earn the right to move forward. I will try my very best to do more paath now, especially when I need it. As Guru Ji said: Jeh sukh deh, ta tujeh aaradhi, Dukh bhi tujeh diyai Bad things happen, but by definition, if they're from God they cannot be bad. Again, as Guru Ji Says: Kitiyeh dookh, bookh sad mar, Eh bhi daat, teri dataar. So fine, if i had to go through this then I will. I'll figure it out, and concede that my path will be what it is. With this, I'm going to do Kirtan Sohila, go to bed and probably forget about this thread. Thanks for the kind words and support once again Fateh

So, I decided I was going to keep a pagh about two weeks ago. Told family, they seemed fine. I was happy. Turns out I apparently said "I'm *thinking* of keeping a pagh" when I told them. Must have been nerves. I meant that I was going to proceed. They assumed it was open for discussion. I told all my friends etc. Was recounting this to my older sister, who looked stunned. Turns out, they're VERY much against the idea. Has caused a lot of issues, made my older sister cry, has upset me in turn. They keep on asking me to wait. Talk of how it'll affect their lives, how the pressure on them from family and mum to keep hair when they're not ready for it/don't want it will be insurmountable, How it's all pakhand as i'm not amritdhari (i explained that this was the path i was hoping to take, and that I already do paath etc), how I should learn gurmukhi first and change myself on the intside before i change myself on the outside, and how I'm "like every other Punjabi Man who only keeps a pagh for 'identity'" I don't have much of a choice. I was incredibly upset because the next morning, I had to go shave. I feel awful. In one motion I've: - upset my sisters who I treat like my mum, - shown how little backbone I actually have, - feel ashamed when I think about shoteh Sahibzadeh, what they were strong enough to go thru and how weak I am. - feel slightly dead inside, - feel disconnected from my family as a result. Guess I'm not looking for answers. Just wanted to share. Thanks to all those who congratulated me. I actually felt like a part of the Panth

instead of the generic wedding card, worrying about what gifts to give etc, why not just make it more personal? If you've got a decent camera and Nero/other software, record a personal message and burn it onto a DVD (bulk buy, they're cheaper that way). Send it out. Because each message will be something like "Sat Sri Akal Mama Ji..." or something they'll know that one message was recorded just for them. No need for the pakhand of sending a gift just because it's tradition! Also, anyone notice right at the end when bride n' groom are sitting down and everyone lines up and gives them blessing + some cash? Notice how the camera fixes on the note so everyone can see how much was given and by whom? When did we become so materialistic?!

Thank you so much! I love this shabad! I really want this exact version but I can't find it in audio (i do have another version but I love this one!). I had a chat with my closest friend. Man, it's shocking how much everyone tries to convince you that you're taking the wrong step. Challo, with Guru Ji's kirpa this will be the first step of many I take towards my Guru