Know your Screw-heads

It’s amazing how many Punjabi tradesmen don’t know the proper names for tools. It would put me to shame asking for a ‘minus’ bit at the Home Depot. Sure.. the sales rep will understand what I want, they’d also want to laugh at me for not knowing the proper name. Even ‘professional’ mistris have a hard time identifying common tools most of the time. I just how one person who knows all his tools by the proper names, the difference is he went to school where they taught him everything properly.

Most people wake up one day and decide they want to become an electrician. So with dreams of making a pile of money they jump into a van and they become electricians just like that. It’s the same for drywallers, plumbers, gas fitters, and all other trades in the lower mainland. You wouldn’t believe how poor the construction job is at some sites. It’s good to know it’s like this only here, in this part of BC. Would you feel safe living in a home built by some of these guys? I try not to think about it…

Anyway, if you don’t anything to do with construction even remotely it’s always good to know the proper terminology for a few things. Screws are the most common thing used around the house, it’s good to learn the basic head types for a screw:

A comprehensive list of Screw heads can be found here...
If you’re really eager to master every single variation of the screw click here and here...

The Robertson(square) head screw is by far the best one to use for any job, it’s also the least expensive and easiest to drive. It can be handled just by the bit most of the time without any need to guide it. This also produces the most torque compared to anything similar and never slips. It was the first alternative to the slotted(AKA minus) head invented by Peter L Robertson, a Canadian back in 1908.

Guru Teg Bhadhar Jee & Dhir Mal

A wise man once wrote about three rules of conduct, the iron rule, the silver rule and the golden rule. The ones who follow the iron rule always return evil towards anyone who does good to them. Followers of the silver rule do good to those who do good to them. The ones who are morally strong follow the golden rule and do good to others no matter what they do to them in return.

After Guru Har Gobind Sahib passed away Teg Bahadhur Jee went to Bakala village with his wife and mother. For many years he stayed in a basement and meditated there day and night. Before Guru Har Krishan Sahib Jee passed away they said the next guru would be from Baba Bakala.

Hearing this many fake sants and relatives of the guru set up their thrones at Bakala and claimed to be the true guru.

At the same time a merchant Sikh Makhan Shah Lubana from Gujrat was sailing in the ocean when he ran into a fierce storm. His crew was at the mercy of the great waves, their end seemed inevitable. He did ardass to the current Guru on Guru Nanak’s throne that he would offer 500 gold coins if his ship and crew survived the big storm. In a little while the ship had cleared the path of the storm and they were saved.

When he reached shore he headed straight to Bakala to offer the coins he had promised the guru. When he got there he was surprised to find so many gurus sitting on thrones. He decided to give each of them two coins each. As he put the money in front of them they each blessed him a long and prosperous life. After he was done with all of them he didn’t feel completely satisfied and asked if there was any other holy person in the village.

Someone told him of Teg Bahadhur who lived in a bhora (basement) Makhan Shah decided to pay him a visit too. When he put two gold coins in front of Guru Teg Bhadhur Jee he asked Makhan Shah “what happened to the 500 gold coins you promised? You only offered me two.” Guru Sahib showed him the fresh wound on his shoulder and told him it was with this shoulder that I moved your ship out of the path of the storm.

Hearing this Makhan Shah was overjoyed and started to shout: ਗੁਰ ਲਾਧੋ ਰੇ! ਗੁਰ ਲਾਧੋ ਰੇ! “I have found the guru, I have found the guru!”

Dhir Mal was a relative of the Guru and because Guru Teg Bhadhur Shaib was finally revealed to the Sikhs he became very jealous. He wanted Guru Sahib out of the picture and he plotted to kill the guru. Men were sent and they opened fire, even with a heavy hail of fire none of the bullets fatally struck the Guru. Amidst all the confusion most of the valuables were looted by Dhir Mal’s men.

Without the Guru’s permission, some Sikhs wanted revenge and they attacked Dhir Mal’s Dera captured everyone inside, tied their hands behind their back and brought them in front of Guru Sahib . They also recaptured all of Guru Sahib’s looted property and all of Dhir Mal’s possessions as well.

Even after all Dhir Mal had done Guru Sahib decided to let them go without punishment. All their property was returned to them as well. All the Sikhs were shocked when this happened. Guru Sahib told them “it’s better to forgive an enemy than to go on a pilgrimage.” Guru Sahib indeed followed the golden rule.

Bhagat Freed Jee writes:
ਫਰੀਦਾਜੋਤੈਮਾਰਨਿਮੁਕੀਆਂਤਿਨ੍‍ਾਨਮਾਰੇਘੁੰਮਿ॥
ਆਪਨੜੈਘਰਿਜਾਈਐਪੈਰਤਿਨ੍‍ਾਦੇਚੁੰਮਿ॥੭॥
and:
ਫਰੀਦਾਬੁਰੇਦਾਭਲਾਕਰਿਗੁਸਾਮਨਿਨਹਢਾਇ॥
ਦੇਹੀਰੋਗੁਨਲਗਈਪਲੈਸਭੁਕਿਛੁਪਾਇ॥੭੮॥

Wescana...

June 6, 2005:

October 7, 2005:

Do you see anything wrong with these pictures?

Babar attacks Aminabad

Bhai Lalo was a carpenter who lived in the city of Aminabad. He was also a devout sikh of Guru Nanak Dev Jee. When Babar the mughal emperor attacked Aminabad Guru Sahib and Bhai Mardana were visiting Bahi Lalo. Babar’s armies pushed through and took over village after village, killing many, torching houses and looting. They also plundered Aminabad and the neighboring villages. Initially Guru Sahib escaped but were later captured along with Mardana.

Babar took them prisoner and made them work like slaves in extreme conditions. Guru Sahib was told to carry loads on his head and Bhai Mardana had to look after the horses of the army. Despite the great hardship both Guru Sahib and Mardana and Guru Sahib remained in chardi kala doing kirtan and immersed in naam all the time. One of the guards observed the container guru sahib carried he floating on top of their head without any effort and the horses weren’t giving any trouble to Mardana either.

This was reported to Babar. Babar came to his senses and realized it was wrong for him to attack a city which had great people living in it like Guru Sahib and Bhai Mardana. Babar wanted to see Guru Sahib himself.

As Babar went to the prison where Guru Sahib was kept, he saw many women grinding corn in stone mills with their hands in great misery and a look of sadness in their eyes. He also saw Guru Sahib in a trance absorbed in naam and the mill turning by itself without any effort from the Guru. Babar could not believe what he saw. He bowed down to guru sahib and sat there…

Guru Sahib then sang a shabad in talang raag:
ਤਿਲੰਗਮਹਲਾ1॥
ਜੈਸੀਮੈਆਵੈਖਸਮਕੀਬਾਣੀਤੈਸੜਾਕਰੀਗਿਆਨੁਵੇਲਾਲੋ॥
ਪਾਪਕੀਜੰਞਲੈਕਾਬਲਹੁਧਾਇਆਜੋਰੀਮੰਗੈਦਾਨੁਵੇਲਾਲੋ॥
ਸਰਮੁਧਰਮੁਦੁਇਛਪਿਖਲੋਏਕੂੜੁਫਿਰੈਪਰਧਾਨੁਵੇਲਾਲੋ॥
ਕਾਜੀਆਬਾਮਣਾਕੀਗਲਥਕੀਅਗਦੁਪੜੈਸੈਤਾਨੁਵੇਲਾਲੋ॥
ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨੀਆਪੜਹਿਕਤੇਬਾਕਸਟਮਹਿਕਰਹਿਖੁਦਾਇਵੇਲਾਲੋ॥
ਜਾਤਿਸਨਾਤੀਹੋਰਿਹਿਦਵਾਣੀਆਏਹਿਭੀਲੇਖੈਲਾਇਵੇਲਾਲੋ॥
ਖੂਨਕੇਸੋਹਿਲੇਗਾਵੀਅਹਿਨਾਨਕਰਤੁਕਾਕੁੰਗੂਪਾਇਵੇਲਾਲੋ॥1॥
ਸਾਹਿਬਕੇਗੁਣਨਾਨਕੁਗਾਵੈਮਾਸਪੁਰੀਵਿਚਿਆਖੁਮਸੋਲਾ॥
ਜਿਨਿਉਪਾਈਰੰਗਿਰਵਾਈਬੈਠਾਵੇਖੈਵਖਿਇਕੇਲਾ॥
ਸਚਾਸੋਸਾਹਿਬੁਸਚੁਤਪਾਵਸੁਸਚੜਾਨਿਆਉਕਰੇਗੁਮਸੋਲਾ॥
ਕਾਇਆਕਪੜੁਟੁਕੁਟੁਕੁਹੋਸੀਹਿਦੁਸਤਾਨੁਸਮਾਲਸੀਬੋਲਾ॥
ਆਵਨਿਅਠਤਰੈਜਾਨਿਸਤਾਨਵੈਹੋਰੁਭੀਉਠਸੀਮਰਦਕਾਚੇਲਾ॥
ਸਚਕੀਬਾਣੀਨਾਨਕੁਆਖੈਸਚੁਸੁਣਾਇਸੀਸਚਕੀਬੇਲਾ॥2॥3॥5॥
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close translation:
As the Word of the Forgiving Lord comes to me, so do I express it, O Lalo. Bringing the marriage party of sin, Babar has invaded from Kaabul, demanding our land as his wedding gift, O Lalo. Modesty and righteousness both have vanished, and falsehood struts around like a leader, O Lalo. The Qazis and the Brahmins have lost their roles, and Satan now conducts the marriage rites, O Lalo. The Muslim women read the Koran, and in their misery, they call upon God, O Lalo. The Hindu women of high social status, and others of lowly status as well, are put into the same category, O Lalo. The wedding songs of murder are sung, O Nanak, and blood is sprinkled instead of saffron, O Lalo. 1 Nanak sings the Glorious Praises of the Lord and Master in the city of corpses, and voices this account. The One who created, and attached the mortals to pleasures, sits alone, and watches this. The Lord and Master is True, and True is His justice. He issues His Commands according to His judgement. The body-fabric will be torn apart into shreds, and then India will remember these words. Coming in seventy-eight (1521 A.D.), they will depart in ninety-seven (1540 A.D.), and then another disciple of man will rise up.Nanak speaks the Word of Truth; he proclaims the Truth at this, the right time. 235
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Babar was moved by this and offered Guru Sahib gold and other riches as a present. Guru Sahib refused to take anything from him because Babar imprisoned innocent people without any reason. Babar realized his mistake and released all the captives and reimbursed them with money so they could get on to rebuilding their lives.

Babar asked Guru Sahib to bless him. Guru Sahib told him his empire will remain strong and prosperous if the rule would be just and fair for all, everyone would be treated equally, and if they gave up wine and gambling. Guru Sahib also told him to treat everyone in the captured territories humanely and always remember God.

Babar's decedents were in power for as long as they followed these rules. When they started to oppress people they lost power.

Nice Vaja!

A few months ago we drove up to Prince George for the raensbayee. The newly built Gurdwara was completed just a few months ago. This is the smartest design for any Punjabi building. It’s quite similar to Kalgidhar Darbar Abbotsford.

Anyway when we got tired we went upstairs into the second hall to stretch. There we saw the most eye-catching vaja ever.

It was PINK!! Yes! Pink. And worse it had a sticker that said ‘specially made’ the person who bought this didn’t buy it because they didn’t have a choice, they got it ‘specially made’ because they liked pink so much!