Science In Action

Science In Action
Scientific Jargon
 

To appreciate the nature of matter from direct observation (concrete operational thinking -Piaget's psychoanalysis) to conceptual thinking (formal operational thinking) scientists use modeling and jargon words.

The approach of a biologist (investigating of biological phenomena) is to develop a  microscope to visualize the small particles that cannot be seen by the naked eye.

This is what Hook did (not Dr.Hook).

The microscope has its own limitations by nature of the optics (lenses) utilized. When one comes to a level where the resolution of the microscope was a handicap scientist with curiosity (in the last century) developed the electron microscope. The electron microscope actually gives a negative image of a sub-cellular structure somewhat similar to a negative of a photographic image before printing. This static pictures taken as serial images in different planes of cutting (tissues have to be cut to very thin sections by embedding into plastic resins) have to be interpreted in a functional way for us to understand the three dimensional impressions ( in a way the human eye can visualize images) of sub-cellular material and at this point the thinking process of the mind takes over the interpretation of the observable but grossly enlarged (out of proportion to the real state of the matter) image. 
 

The image (physical) and impression (thought process) has to merge at some point of our thinking to make meaning out of the non-sensible static image.

There is a big difference between a cartoon and a image of a electron microscope. Even a child could understand the pun involved in the cartoon but to understand the image of an electron microscopic  it has to be interpreted and made into a plane picture perceptible to the eye.

Some degree of imagination and thinking has to be utilized to understand the reality at microscopic level. 

This process of transformation into conceptual image develops over time and in some probably its development is only rudimentary.

From concrete operational (direct experience) thinking  to formal (acceptable to science and teaching of science) operational thinking is a very big step in psychological development.

What is amazing is that children (and many adults too) do not shed their direct experience (and their thinking with it) when the conceptual development is progressing in their development (which has inherent variability).

This is a handicap (in a way blessing in disguise) the children from the age of  8 to 16 years undergo and overcome.

Bombarding with factual knowledge at this stage of development is a serious problem from the point of view of the child. 

It is believed that conceptual development occurs at the age of 16 and many do not develop this even at 30 years of age and even then function at a very rudimentary stage.

There is another barrier that is associated with psychological development. 
It is the language itself. 
 

The language and grammatical structure did not evolve in parallel with science (and its development).

Language development and acquisition pre-dated the development of science by more than 2000 years. 
 

It is only in the last hundred years that the Language of Science started integrating  with the standard languages of the West. 
 

Scientific terms that emerged in the West were not kind to Eastern languages and if not for the Pali Language (specially Abhidhamma terminology) teaching Science would have been much more difficult.

Unfortunately the people who started translating scientific terminology went in tangent to the tenet of Pali which was meant for different purpose. 
 

By doing this they not only destroyed Sinhala and also distorted the proper interpretation of Pali Language with a strong bias on ethical and moral principles based on soteriology (salvation from bondage of Sansara, the repeated cycle of birth).

The end result is that we are producing poor quality scientific thinkers and educators.

Add to this in the last thirty years the Computer Languages took some bearing in the modern world. 
It is called the binary language taking its roots from the property of electricity so that the computer terms can be converted to machine language.

Unfortunately there is a trend in this country where people with limited understanding of computing (but with commercial interest) try to translate computer language into ordinary Sinhala. 

This attempt is going to be a total failure by all standards.

I should make some observations as a Linux Convert (considering that the any stealing including computer software as a form of crime not acceptable in five precepts). 

In a computer shop in Kandy recently, some school going children were making complaints to the shop assistant as regard to a CD they have purchased. They were unable to install the said software package without the password which they had to get from a Colombo address by telephone. I was inquisitive because this was in Sinhala but my gut feelings were that this was a pirated version.

I was right. 

The perpetrator has copied an entire package and had the audacity to suppress (that also possibly a pirated password) the password file and place his own graphic interface in Sinhala with a alphanumeric (English) number of his own as  a password. 

This is cheating at three levels to make a few bucks from poor school children not literate in English.

I told those young boys you better learn Computing in English by doing that you would probably improve your English, too.  
They had an agreeing nod but whether they have the tenacity  for such an endeavour is open to question.
 
This shows how backward our education system is?

I am one who believe that Sinhala is not the stream to learn science in a constructive way form my childhood and I need to be proved otherwise by the learned educationalists in the department of education.

If our planners especially the education specialists do not take heed to this scenario our education will be behind by hundred of years (already lagging behind in comparison to Asian neighbours including Korea).

The scientific and computer jargon is a serious handicap to exchange of information.

Quite oblivious to any national needs the scientist take leaps and bounds in introducing new concepts and jargon in this world.

The latest I learned were transcriptome and proteome (two new words in genetics). 
 

Bit of a hack and a crack at the scientists is worthwhile at this stage of my open communication.

Why the scientists cannot think of some simple terms instead of quantum, quarks, lepton and photon and the like?

Why not use the words like fashion, style, charm, elegance, appeal, quality and the ordinary word like bugs (bed bugs and other bugs)?

Aren't they (scientists) inelegant people?

Only scientific word I love to mention is Chaos especially because we are in chaos in education sense.

Modeling

Modeling is an acceptable way of expressing situations which we cannot observe directly. 
Models help us to understand what we observe and predict what will happen in situations that we cannot observe. Eventually we may become so convinced of the reliability of the model or the security of the model image and that we tend to accept it as total reality without any objection or question. 

The distinction between the model and the reality disappears in our teaching of science and in turn this inhibits the acceptance of new ideas.
 

The atomic model is a good example and everybody accepts it as a good model and almost certain reality but few thinkers deviated from this mode of thinking and went into talk about quarks and antiparticles and the like.

Our educationists in science also have gone into hibernation after the atomic model and canceling the practicals for the advance level examination (due to inherent inability to hold examinations full proof so that some elements can doctor the results) is one example of this squint eye phenomenon.

It is high time at least from "middle school age" the children are brought up looking for both knowledge and wisdom with open mind rather than "programed minds"of the education department.

Restricting them to free books published by the education department which are probably 30 years outdated is not the panacea for a long term problem of updating and "learning on the go".

Butterfly Effect

Butterfly Effect
I am one who vent an air
Of protest that
When a few butterflies
Flutter their wings
On my side of the world
Would ignite a chain reaction
On the other side of the world
In the far corners of the globe
In the Arctic or the Antarctic
Come it may be
In philosophical sense
With a scientific slant
And in an investigative mind
But not to stir up
The potential political undertones


But when I ask myself the question
How clean is the clean air?
And when I get the answer
That there are 1000 minute particles
Of dust in every cubic metre density
On this planet
But not in the clear looking Iceland
Or the Antarctic
Gets the credit for
Such an accolade
In this contemporary world


When somebody asks me
Are you asking the right question?
Lest you get the wrong answer
Of some sort
By the Coal Power Merchants
Of the modern world
Who continue to discover
The latest technology
To clean my air and breath
Sans how to dispose
The vast amount of ashes and sediment
That get deposited
On this tiny Island Paradise


One who was brought up
With the tradition of zero tolerance
In life and matters of discordance
And purity par excellence
Having forced to go
From macro to micro to nano-tolerance
Of the 21st century macroeconomics
Driving me mad
To go to the outer space
For the safety limits of tolerance
In the Dead Space of my lung
But not the Vital Capacity
Which is fast receding
With time and age



But when I think
Of the virulent fungi
That grow endlessly
In the closed tubes
Of the artificial respiratory tracts
Of the Space Station
I wonder
I could be born again
In another Planet
Outside this Solar System
As an alien being of some sort
Bringing the alien wisdom
To this Island Paradise
Is it a wishful thinking of mine?

4th of September, 2006

Doctors and their Bankers

Doctors and their Bankers
When I was writing going bananas, it hit upon me that there are two categories of (excluding psychiatrists who have the highest incidence of suicide and the pathologists and radiologists who have the lowest incidence of depression) professionals who are prone to depression and alcohol. 
Going by my Professor of Psychiatry (and my failing memory) one category was Bankers.

I must deal with the Bankers of our nation first because it gave me blues for the first time in Colombo. 
I was short listed for an interview for the doctor in attendance for the Central Bank. 
Going by the requirements, which I fulfilled adequately I was little surprised (without the retirement of the incumbent) why they had an interview? 
This was in my mind and I decided to raise this issue because the same fate will fall on me. if I decide to join these (yappies) guys.

What depressed me most was that we were asked to come at 11.00 am and were kept there till 3.00 pm. 
Many hours, I spent there kept me reminding that if the Central Bank cannot keep time that it is the last place I should be working. 
However, I decided to wait and did a survey of the last few arrivals (candidates) and realized this is a fake interview and the requirement has been adjusted, to fit a politico's relative.

So I geared up, the ordeal is going to be for the interviewers and certainly not me.
I want privy to what the issues I raised and most of the interviewers were red in their face by the time I finished raising enough queries but politely left the Central Bank without waiting for an outcome.

Few days later Central Bank was blasted and I would have been among the dead (had I been selected) and I gathered the doctor who was to be replaced was injured and had to be reinstated by the C.B.

That was a close call even when I see the Central Bank now, I get blues.
My final analysis the bankers and the doctor (I have all the sympathy) treating them were all but depressed. 
That is the point I need to drive at. Had I joined them in spite of the remuneration I would be depressed by now.

Money does not bring happiness that is what is emerging in the West.

The White Coat Blues, the so called Mood Indigo is prevalent in America and 25% of the first and second year students and majority of the seniors specially when doing clinical work suffer from some form of depression. 
No wonder many of them (read my article on Alcohol the Miracle Cure) consume excess alcohol too. What is worrying is that they deny that they have a problem (depressive or alcohol) and do not get proper advice and treatment. 

If the doctors going to be are not healthy how it is going to improve the standard of health is an open question?

I do not wish to stir a hornet's nest and leave at that with an open ended question but this writing is not over, if I do not project my cyclopic view of all things both normal and abnormal.

The doctors get depressed seeing innocent people sufferings and they go and have a drink and very liberal at that too. They were well trained in their student days. Good liquor is expensive nowadays and they need to do extra hours off duty consultation for pocket full of roses and they get home more depressed than before and go to sleep with a bottle in hand to douche the sorrows. 
This is a vicious cycle and the money earned in this endeavour goes rocket high and they need the banker to help. 
When the money is deposited in the bank the bankers keep on counting them to get the correct commissions and the commissions is always very low compared to the capital in the bank. 
In turn the Bankers get depressed and another vicious cycle ensues.

So do not get the idea of becoming a psychiatrist lest the highest incidence of suicide is among them.

So going bananas is no big deal if one has lot of money.

My vision is always zero growth and not to have any money.

Even then I get depressed so what to do?

This reminds me that there was a MP in the up country who was nick named "What to do MP".

What to do is your business, not mine!

5th May 2006

Injuries and journalists

Injuries
I believe all sportsman especially cricketers (playing five days of test cricket saps and drains one's strength and stamina) should have a diary (logbook) of injuries sustained and this health record should be regularly updated by a panel of medical personal who understand sport injuries.

Some time ago, when I looked into the Oxford's Textbook of Medicine, I found only five pages dealing with sport injuries and this was grossly inadequate. 
In fact most doctors are not taught in depth about sports injuries and their implications to the individual (sportsmen / women).

Jockeys have a logbook why not all sportsman and women?
Before a race, the doctor in attendance has to make an entry to say everything is OK for the jockeys taking part. 
That shows the importance that the horse racing industry places on the individual and jockey's safety.

This is lacking in other sports and some coaches put undue pressure on players to perform when they (players) are actually at break point.

Not only that, sportsmen and women should have a good overall Accident Claim and Compensation Scheme (Insurance Scheme) so that one could claim benefits when out of action due to major injuries. 

They should be paid according to the level of professionalism needed for the game and their ranking (Local and International) in the type of game.

Why sport authorities who spend huge amount of money in propaganda work not looking at this problem is outrageous?

After all sportsmen are human beings and they also have to survive in this competitive world.

They are entertainers who take high risks.

It is easy for the arm chair critics to destroy their career with the pen.

Lemons

 Lemons
The lemon flower is very beautiful but nobody seems to take any notice of it because of its thorns. 
But come to roses people are fascinated by the flower in spite of the many thorns. 
To me lemon is one of the most neglected trees of our soil. 
It loves the tropical sunny weather and grows very slowly and we have many neglected varieties in our country. 
Unfortunately, we only love oranges that are also the imported varieties.  
It is said we love anything foreign including bird's flu.  
 
History
The versatility of lemon has been recognized since its discovery in India more than 4,000 years ago. Egyptians painted lemons on tomb walls. 
In the late 1700s, the British navy made lemons part of sailors' rations to combat scurvy. 
In the 1850s, a scurvy epidemic during California's Gold Rush created a demand for lemons and soon it became a household plant in the state. 
Today, California's arid, coastal climate makes it one of the world's leading lemon producers.
Several countries pay homage to the fruit with lemon festivals, as does Menton, France, a small town on the French Riviera where lemons grow year round. During the Fete du Citron, a two-week celebration held every February, townspeople create murals, sculptures, and parade floats from lemons.
The lemon tree is one of the oldest cultivated fruit and today lemon trees grow all over the world and like pepper and spices all good things originate in the tropics.
The citrus smell of a lemon is refreshing and invigorating. 
For many people a lemon smell has come to symbolize cleanliness. Most major cleaners on the market today have a lemon or a citrus scented version for consumers to enjoy. 
But in this country the lemon is conveniently forgotten for artificial scents are abundant and imported for a princely sum.
Though the fruit has a sour taste the lemon is actually a mild buffer that can reduce hyperacidity in the stomach. 
Lemon juice and peels have an antiseptic effect and the leaves are used as a skin and hair treatment. Lemons are rich in vitamin C and strengthen natural healing power. 
By acting as an antioxidant lemon protects the cells from free radical damage.
Cleaning kitchen Utensils
Lemon juice is ideal to clean pots and pans. 
Copper utensils can benefit from a lemon juice cleaning.
Worktops
Worktop stains can be removed by allowing lemon juice to sit on the stain for a few minutes. Scrub the area with baking soda and watch the stains disappear. But don't leave the lemon juice sitting for too long it can easily overshoot the intended activity.
Drains
Hot water with a little lemon juice poured down a drain will also freshen the drain.
Bleaching
Lemon juice acts as a natural bleaching agent. 
Put lemon juice onto white linens and clothing and allow them to dry in the sun. 
Stains will be bleached away.
Add to Vinegar
Vinegar can be a great cleaning ingredient, but many people dislike the vinegar smell. Adding lemon juice to vinegar when cleaning can help neutralize the vinegar smell.
Common sense
Lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda are the commonest ingredients (naturally occurring cleansing products) in one's own home but often the most neglected in their use except in cooking and flavouring. The lack of common sense has made us to neglect them. Most importantly none of these products is poisonous (cooking ingredients) and lack of understanding of chemistry and biochemistry is the main reason. What our students learn in the class in science (chemistry to be precise) is open to question without common sense practicality.
Forgetting the Roots
Forgetting our roots and losing common sense is a manifestation of the modern age. 
This is true in my home too. Only when everybody was on holiday in India our pantry had a lemon treatment.
Glancing through the web pages, I have noticed the Westerners have missed an important link of this marvelous fruit has to the miracle drink, the alcohol. 
We Sri-Lankan use it as an antidote for the excess consumption of alcohol. 
The citrate salt of alcohol that is formed in the stomach retards the absorption of alcohol. So our housewives are adept at using this lemon treatment when looking after their inebriated living souls. 
This is something probably the BBC missed in its recent broadcast.
24th of February 2006
Edited on the 26th of April

Lemon Treatment
I have not heard
Any lover saying to
To a lover
My lemon
But of course
Sweet heart

But when the sweetness
Takes a ride
And the bitterness
Take it ascends
I have heard loving souls
Calling each other
"You pumpkins"
Or Potatoes
Years later

But in general
To be successful
In life with endurance
The culinary skills
In the home front
Is not the special ingredient?

The lemon treatment
Is not the extraordinary ingredient?
For the inebriated
Soul mate
For
Bringing back
The reality
Both
The sweetness
The bitterness
And the life in general

26th of April 2006

Why Man falls Sick more often than Woman?

Old Piece-Reproduction.

Why Man falls Sick more often than Woman?

This is a very provocative question.

I wonder how many men of the ego species have pondered about this question at least philosophically, I do not know.

If I have a lecture on this topic how many men and women will attend my lecture I do not know but worth a statistical study..

My analysis is that very few men will attend since the men with ego or without ego would not feel comfortable about my vocal comments that would demoralize their ego still further in front of women.

In any case the number of women (they take any gullible facts sitting in front of the TV) will far exceed the number of men would attend since women of the species, might think I might bare few more secrets of men that they could get hold of it to strangle them some more in deadlock of wedlock.

Real reason I thought of writing is not to do with men or women.

It is really to do with the Sir-Lankan Telecoms.

I am currently downloading Katana (for Window Guys) which has all the utilities one needs in an emergency but the last few megabytes of the DVD taking nearly three hours ( OurTelecoms is downloading it at a snail pace of 5 to 10 bytes per second ( less than one megabyte per minute) and I do not like to have a heart attack of some sort, so if I do not stimulate my creative part of the brain, there would be some side effects.

The non-creative automatic part of the brain that causes surge of androgen and anger, jealousy (oestrogens included), aggression and all the animal behaviour which include thrashing the key board and squeezing the mouse so hard that the mouse defecates intermittently on my hand, should have to be avoided if I want the last few of the MiBs to be downloaded,.without any hassle.

Before I talk about the men, I should give a brief account and the modus operandum of a young woman at work..

This particularly applies to a Sri-Lankan woman.

1. She lies adequately to convince the interviewers (generally speaking more males than females in the interview board).
2. Moment she gets the job she prepares for her marriage
3. She will have at least two kids within 3 years
4. Delegate all the work to spinster girls and bachelor boys at the work place since her home according to her is like the devil’s workshop.
5. The next period she is very secretive and there are frequent absenteeism due to sick children but she can be found in the passport office and front of many foreign embassies.
6. Then she attends all the workshops that are available free of charge or on the head’s recommendation depriving all the bachelors.
7. In the last phase suddenly she hands over the resignation to go abroad.
8. Just prior to the resignation she works like a bull to impress everybody.

All these time she does not know how to breast feed, cook or read a book to the kids. and the husband has to do all the work, including washing and cleaning and taking her from embassy to embassy.

Then she goes abroad drops the husband within a year (who has to look after the kids) and get married to a foreigner with white skin to get the (foreign) permanent visa.

This scenario is typical and I have seen many of the kind.

Now to why man falls sick.

The above scenario is enough to get any male of the species without paper qualification to get sick even without taking to alcohol.

But in my analysis I am talking about a perfectly healthy man before marrying and who does not take alcohol as a beverage.

He is a typical nice man totally dependent on his wife for what he eats from breakfast to dinner.

1. He has not done Home Science for ‘O’ Level.

2. He does not know the basic facts about any nutrition.

3. He cannot make a cup of tea.

4. He is a mummy’s boy and spoilt.

5. He follows the trend his mother has laid for him but he now cannot see his mother even secretly.

5. He gets the dogs share but a very large share (left over food of the previous night prepared for the kid) at home and kid gets the priority, especially if he is a boy.

6. Now the wife has acquired a microwave cooker and cooking is just a few seconds of heating left over food, killing and destroying all the vitamins.

For the next ten years all the hallmark of unhealthy habits are laid down.

7. At work place he eats all the junk food since his wife’s cooking is hopeless and no care for healthy food habits are laid down by now.

8. He gets fat by the day and his wife says see how healthy you are.

When your mother was feeding you were thin like a pole.

9. His kids are also fat like him since he brings all the sweets to lure them to his side.

10. Never goes with kids to play since tuition classes are more important than good exercise.

The bottom line is the marriage makes the Sri-Lankan man sick. 

This is warning for any foreigner who thinks of marrying a local girl.

So I have some remedy for the local guys who want to stay healthy.

1. Do not get married. This does not say you should not have sex.
2. At school offer subjects like home science and nutrition.
3. At least have a few friends for you to go on outing or hunting
4. Play at least couple of games at least at weekends
5. Do not buy a cell phone
6. Learn to climb trees. 
   Good exercise and you are the one who will have the first taste of the fruits but not the girls who are down below. 
   Give them the rotten ones or half eaten ones.
7. Only eat the food that your mum gives
8. Read some girl’s magazines (before marriage) on beauty care and slim foods that give all the health care advice one needs (when you eventually get married).
9. Go abroad if you can and work with some girls (preferably white skin but skin does not matter here, you will see the kinds that I have described above and but much more better (worse is perhaps is the better term) examples) to see how nasty they can become if you displace any one of them them in their job or of administration.
   
10. Get some paper qualification to stand a chance of getting a job by beating the girls in the interview.
    
11. There are more girls doing boys jobs now than boys doing girls jobs worldwide. They will never tell you when a new job is in the offing. Our times boys outnumbered girls by 10 to 1.

You may add any of your personal experiences to this list but I have put the bare minimum to get you the picture.

Lost Command and Logical Conclusion

Lost Command and Logical Conclusion

We had a teacher who had been in the Army during World War 11 probably in the voluntary force who became a teacher in subsequent years. 

He was not a good teacher except his good command in English and the ability to command us the way he wanted us to be.

Our assessment was that he was not good enough to be in the Army ranks and that is why he was booted out. 

Even those days education department was the dumping grounds for undesirable characters.

One good thin we learnt from him was time management. 

He was punctual and because he was no good at teaching he used to leave the class in time and sometimes he took French leave too to escape from our minor harassment.

He was particular about our dress code too especially the shoes we wore. Since we came from neighboring villages we did not like wearing shoes. 

One cannot climb a tree with shoes on and ditch into water 3 to 4 feet high to catch guppies (fish) with shoes and stockings.

That was understandable.
Even if, we had a wound in one leg it got to be one slipper and one shoe to wear.
One day we had a plan.

One of us (let’s say it was not me but I was the one with the bright idea got it adopted from a cartoon of those days) wore black shoe and a brown shoe to school.

He was living in the neighbourhood.
Others decided to wear socks of two different colours or not to wear socks at all.

We shared the socks with different colours before entering the school after playing softball cricket.

The plan was that the one wearing shoes with two different colours to come to class bit late and limping as he was injured so that the teacher would notice the obvious.

We also decided to keep mum and not to laugh when this was discovered.
Teacher was visibly annoyed.
He call him what the hell with two colours (like Sinaha regiment wearing Gamunu regiment colours).

The answer was “Sir, I have another one like that at home but left right changed he said”
We started laughing spontaneously.
Go home and change your shoes and come was his answer.
He did,
The plan worked.

Then being stupid enough he decided to check shoes of all of us and discovered that we we wearing multi-coloured attire.

He then realized that this was a platoon’s display of displeasure and chased us to go home and come with proper attire.

We did not go home but went to the playground and had little bit of gamesmanship and exchanged our socks played for while and returned back to the class.

The guy came little bit later with almost the same shoes.
Now more than annoyed.
Why didn’t you change?.
No Sir, I changed.

I left the other pair at home and put on this pair which I left in the first instance at home, was his answer.

Now the ex-officer was red hot.
He could not send him home lest he will repeat the ordeal.

We only knew that he did not go home but stayed with us and was brave enough to play the game straight.

The teacher in his utter confusion got his left and right confused.
He could not remember what he wore in the first place.
The officer lost both his senses and command.
No wonder why he was not kept in the regular force.

We were in total command of ourselves since then and that is why many of us ended up in the university and abroad.

He did not come to school for couple days afterward and we heard that he had a minor heart attack.

The principal who was a senior officer in rank when in service transferred our teacher to another class and the next year he was gone for good and we never saw him again in our lifetime.

Singing Birds

Singing Birds

I wake up to the sound of singing birds.

I have now faced with a problem.

I try to identify them by their chirpy, chippy, churns but cannot.

Let me list the ones I can identify.

Crows caw, quacks of duck, cock-a-doodle-doo of cocks and few more.

But I hate the whine of mosquitoes.

They keep me up all night.

So, when I am up early with a nasty bite of a mosquito, with raging anger, to calm me and get to Metta Mode, I listen to the early birds.

Probably our domesticated fowl is the first to crack and wake up.

Then the jungle fowl and little later and afterwords, there are many more birds whistling which I cannot identify but worth recording on a sonogram.

I can identify the Polkhicha that come and gobble my guppies.

Then the babblers, bul bul and last the Ceylon Oriole and the parrots and musical coucal.

I cannot count ten (ducks are not in my neighbourhood but are in frozen state in a deep freezer) and I give up.

Words of Wisdom, Pick Only the Gems

Words of Wisdom, Pick Only the Gems

My attempt of spreading the "Words of Buddha" is simply an extension of my handling of the written language.

Of course English is handicapped without proper words to express the Sansara and the Beings bounded by Kamma, simply because, English as a language is corrupted by the Word, Soul.

There is no Soul in Dhamma but "Conditional Existence of Aggregates" of five senses and the quintessential Mind.

Mind is the base from which we have to be freed from.

It is not easy and its very nature is bondage or attachment to senses.

The way forward is Meditation.

It is the Dhammanussati (Recollection of Dhamma) that is more important than "Ana Pana Sati".

Ana Pana Sati without the understanding of Dhamma is meaningless to a novice.

Currently Meditation is corrupted by commercial inputs and interests.

Dhamma has to be freed from bondage to money.

So to defuse this commercial inputs, I am following Rev. Shravasti Dhammika's (Born in 1951 and his Australian name cleverly hidden by him) methods of contemplating of Buddha Vacana.

His attempt is pristine.

My attempt is simple and ordinary but verbose in content.

I never state it is mine or Buddha.s.

That is the secret.

They are all hidden in some my verbose poems and verses.

If I put the dogma call religion to these pristine words, their meaning is lost by default.

So read the verbosity but pick only the gems that are hidden in my Web Site, rather Blog site.

Small is Beautiful

Small is Beautiful
Unfortunately the 1st of April fell on a Saturday and not on a week day. In a country where every day life is annotated with mundane lies be that may be in politics or at home. I was relieved of coining a lie of grand desire. But it looks like of all of us are April fools. To begin with we celebrate our local new year on the fool's month just 13 days later which is an irony which number nobody seems to be having a liking. We married on the 13th of a month and when this was raised by a few in the family circles I told them if we celebrate the New Year on the 13th and why not?
On both counts whether after the New Year or after the marriage one is much poorer (broke) money wise but rich in experience of mundane affairs there was no special risk in doing something on a day (13th) when nobody else is interested in doing anything other than wasting time. That leads me to the point of changing time on the stroke of the New Year. For me it another gimmick to keep people's mind away from real things like cost of living but raising a mundane issue which is in any case detrimental to the economy in the long run further escalating the cost of living.
There are few things the real politicians can do but have no inclination.
Think "Small is beautiful".
To begin with increase the purchase value of our money notes.
Another gimmick of JRJ was to print rupees 1000 notes so big that it cannot be put in a purse. It is very big compared to a dollar note it gives a sense of an enlarged image to the owner. At that time parity of a pound note was about 30 rupees and the 1000 rupee note was in fact over 30 pounds. Those days 30 pounds was a big amount of money and one could stay in a cheap motel in London for seven days for 30 pounds with breakfast which I used to do in my short outings. But if you go to London and display a 1000 note at one of the MacDonald's Restaurants one is unlikely to get a shock but not a square meal. This is so even in Another gimmick of JRJ was to print rupees 1000 notes so big that it cannot be put in a purse. It is very big compared to a dollar note it gives a sense of an enlarged image to the owner. At that time parity of a pound note was about 30 rupees and the 1000 rupee note was in fact over 30 pounds. Those days 30 pounds was a big amount of money and one could stay in a cheap motel in London for seven days for 30 pounds with breakfast which I used to do in my short outings. But if you go to London and display a 1000 note at one of the MacDonald's Restaurants one is unlikely to get a shock but not a square meal. This is so even in  that the rupee has gone up (In actual fact depreciated) so much one needs not to write an economic thesis on the very subject.

Proposal 1
So my first proposal for the new regime if they want to appreciate our rupee according to the market value is to reduce its size of the notes especially the 1000 rupee notes so that my small purse can accommodate enough notes of them to do my daily marketing. Since the new regime has no other way of fulfilling the promises and printing notes is the only viable option it will save lot of trees in the rain forest of our own and in the world too.
I am not going to accept the central banks explanation that they need special type of paper and rain forest is not vandalized for the purpose of printing money. This was another megalomaniac (big size notes bigger than dollar notes) thinking of JRJ in addition to the post of presidency.
Anybody who fills this post become megalomaniac whether it is male or female and they never appreciate the concept of small is beautiful. 
So I do not expect to the new regime to change the size of the 1000 rupee note but it will save lot of money to the exchequer supreme of the Central Bank.
Even though the central bank economists want understand my simple erythma (red in the face not arithmetic) that if they print two notes instead of one the paper wastage is reduced by 100%. Since the number of notes printed is not going to go down (in due course) the fringe benefits they get want be reduced. In fact it would be increased by almost 200% in due course by the time urea bill is settled. They should not worry about the perks getting reduced and devalued. In addition this proposal of mine if the central Bank Governor can espouses as of as one of his own original ideas he might even be invited to become the next Governor of the World Bank.
What an upward mobility for a yappy?
I have many such ideas which I would not dispense for economy of words and to portray the beauty of 'small is beautiful'. 
One's prowess has to be dispensed with in small doses lest the upward mobility would be hindered in due course if all the ideas are dispensed all at once.
The Peter Principle comes into operation then.
This is actually a philosophical issue and the philosophers of yesteryear were very economical in their words lest they were beheaded. They also made sure most of the rulers did not understand the contents of the philosophy but only the face value of their utterances. There is no exception in the modern world. President Bush and Prime Minister Blair are good examples that come into my mind. 
Rulers are rulers and few of them had been philosophers.
What has happened to the newest set of presidential advisers is that they dispense new ideas at a rate even the president cannot keep pace with (considering his age coming to power).
Thinking small is beautiful is not a weakness but a strength.
What it means is not bowing down to pressure but to reason. 
What is happening today is we are bowing down to economic pressures leaving the strength of our convictions at bay.
Small nation can be strong only we think in that way.

For Buddhists the selflessness should be the greatest assert which should drive the selfish dreams of individuals out of the mainstream and drive for collective needs and responsibilities of the nation.
 
Sadly this is lacking and we are slowly slipping into the cycle of violence and selfish drives.
Selflessness does not mean bowing down to all the terrorist demands but striking a balance to reach a best compromise.
We must not let the international community dictate terms.
What has happened is that the international community has become part of the problem.
Norway is a good example and it has become part of the problem rather than a solution.
Sooner we realize this better is for a viable solution.
The Peter Principle is explained elsewhere and my email is also there in "Scan the Scum" for use. 
There is of course no guarantee that I would reply immediately.

4th of April 2006.

Philosopher

Philosopher
 
The scientist collects his
Facts, figures and information
In a sun hat of his own
The philosopher look at the facts
Ignoring the fat hat that contains
The information
But consider wearing it
In style and comfort


The scientist analyze the data
Without dropping the irrelevant
In formulating his concepts,
Law and order
The philosopher frees
The facts
From it confined enclosure
Into public domain
Whether it is relevant or not


The concept that he develops
Are contemporary  in content
In time, space and person
So he can wear the hat freed
From constraints
With colourful feathers adorning
It fringes


But the scientist
Who has a hat collection of facts
Cannot wear it
On a sunny day
Unless he decides
To drop all his
Concepts into 
The public or
Dustbin or Domain

Scatter or not to Scatter

Scatter or not to Scatter
Or, well this is not on scattering of light or scattering of rubbish in my neighbourhood but a rejoinder for the scat and scatology I penned sometime ago. 
It is on a subject at hand every one of us have had some problems associated with at some stage in life be that it may be childhood, adulthood or old age.
 Writing on medical subjects is an antithesis to me.  
This is a departure from that line of thinking. Away from clinical work having enjoyed academic activity liberally I have lost count of how many millions of our fellow beings are affected by the mother nature's call and its aberrations. So writing on a commoner garden topic was due for sometime. What I am going to talk about is our scat, the human variety not animal and the difficulty of its elimination first thing in the morning for most of us. 
The topic is constipation not the emotional (I had this at the time of election) variety but the physical variety of all that afflict my fellow beings. First of all this does not affect the animals in the jungle be that it may be an elephant or an ant to any alarming degree. If at all if it affects the animal kingdom it is the domesticated ones, the cats and the dogs that we associate with that have this man’s perennial problem inherited from our bad habits. 
In any case they (animals) do not need any special medication except for changing the diet.
Going back in history I don’t think that humans like animals were made to use toilets. When they were in the jungles when they got the urge they would go furtherest away from their dwellings and would scatter the scat like any other animal. But I don’t think they ever made use of this activity for marking the territories like animals. If they have done that animals would be in real trouble looking for a free space to populate their kind. 
Their nature is to avoid contact with this ambivalent species who have love and hate both at the same time in abundance and instance. 
I believe even our Vaddha’s children enjoy this activity what we call the nature’s call. By becoming domesticated apart from breeding mosquitoes in our cesspits we add complications to our own lives and to me constipation is just one of them.
This bad habit is probably cultivated and originated in early days of toilet training and tends to last our life cycle.
If one looks at a child he has his freedom restricted even in his early days and expected to adhere to a protocol that adults wish him to do. Whereas adults would do what ever they feel like at whatever time they like which applies even to going to the loo or postponing the desire. 
This is the beginning of the story and I have no intention of going into that except briefly stating that any child would use this scattering as a tool (not stools) against adults to score a point or two in their formative years.
I am interested in the adults for the time being and just a few tips for them especially the elderly. But what I say may apply to some but not to all. Intension is to make adult life easy and simple.
First and foremost majority of the people with constipation have no associated medical conditions but have created a bad habit for themselves and unlearning this bad habit is difficult in adult life.
This discussion is for those who are without medical or surgical conditions. 
A simple warning for adults at the outset is due before any further probing on this matter. If one has (his / her) bowel habits altered for no reason it is worthwhile seeing a doctor early lest a bowel cancer may be missed. Bowel cancers when detected early can be treated easily but if missed for a considerable length of time the treatment is painstakingly difficult. 
Constipation can simply be avoided with right understanding of the process. Evacuation when loaded is a physiological process and its frequency and consistency depends on the type of food one eats and the constitution of the individual. There is broad variation and nothing specific can be termed as normal and if the process is automatic with no straining involved one need not worry about this activity. However, if the consistency is hard and needs quite an effort to empty there is a little problem. What one has done is to complicate a simple process into complicated obsession, which needs divine (medical people) intervention.
One should make lifestyle changes gradually and not in an ad hock manner. If one has learnt a bad habit like taking a paper to the toilet (or having a cigarette to while away the time) it is one of the most difficult habits to get rid of. However, these habits automatically disappear when one's personal difficulty improves and his wellbeing is achieved.

1.Take the shortest time as possible to finish one's activity. Think that other people are (home folks) waiting in the queue.

2.First thing in the morning (what ever one has got used to, a cup of tea, a banana or a toast) fill one's empty stomach with something. Moment one fills the stomach it initiates a reflex action call a Gastro-colic reflex that makes one to void almost immediately and answer this call at once without delaying.

3.The voiding is a simple autonomic function and does not need any help from the individual except for relaxing the outlet gate (sphincter) which is the only part under voluntary control.

4.Wait for the automatic process to finish  (relaxing) without any voluntary action.

5.Even if one still feels full do not wait in the toilet just get out. If the next wave of Gastro-colic reflex does not come it would never come on your voluntary effort. Each one has his own rhythm and just make a note of how it comes the next time around and attend to it with the same relax mood.

6. Always talks to oneself that it is an automatic process and needs no help.

7. Beginning of the training may be difficult but once one has overcome the voluntary intervention the battle is won.

Some people think they should have a bowel movement every day. That is not really true. There is no "right" number of bowel movements. Each person's body finds its own normal number of bowel movements. It depends on the food one eats, how much water one drinks and among other things exercise and personal habits.

At one time or another, almost everyone gets constipated. In most cases, it lasts for a short time and is not serious. When you understand what causes constipation, you can take steps to prevent it.

What can one do about constipation?

Changing what you eat and drink and how much you exercise will help relieve and prevent constipation. Here are some steps one can take.

Eat more fiber
Fiber helps form soft, bulky stool. It is found in many vegetables, fruits, and grains. Be sure to add fiber a little at a time, so your body gets used to it slowly. Limit foods that have little or no fiber such as ice cream, cheese, meat, chips and pizza, and processed foods. 
My favorite fibre rich fruit is banana. 
Kohila and Bellie fruits are supplements that have special properties.

Drink plenty of water and other liquids such as soups and vegetable juices.Liquid helps keep the stool soft and easy to pass, so it is important to drink enough fluids. One has to drink at least 8  glasses of water a day and depending on the dryness and heat (tropical weather) even this may have to be increased. I am not in favour of sugary fruit drinks since the sugar is readily absorbed and defeats the benefits of slowing down of absorption of sugars by high fibre diet. The sugar in banana and starch in soy are absorbed slowly over long period of time without a surge in blood sugar upsetting the insulin secretion. This will help soften your stool. Try not to drink liquids that contain caffeine or alcohol. 
Caffeine and alcohol(diuresis) tend to dry out your system.

Get enough exercise.
Regular exercise helps one's digestive system stay active and healthy. One does not need to become a great athlete and little exercise help in relaxing the voluntary muscles which include the anal sphincter. A 20 to 30 minute walk every day is beneficial.

Allow yourself enough time to have a bowel movement.
Sometimes one feels so hurried that one does not  pay attention to the body's needs. Make sure one does not ignore the urge to have a bowel movement.
Use laxatives only if a doctor says you should.
Laxatives are medicines that make stools softer and make one pass a stool easily. Most people who are mildly constipated do not need laxatives. However, if you are doing all the right things and you are still constipated, your doctor may recommend laxatives for a limited time. Your doctor will tell you if you need a laxative and what type is best for you.
Laxatives come in many forms: liquid, chewing gum, pills and powder that you mix up with water.

Check with your doctor about any medicines you take
Some medicines can cause constipation. They include calcium pills, pain pills with codeine in them, some antacids, iron pills, diuretics (water pills), and medicines for depression. If you take medicine for another problem, be sure to ask your doctor whether it could cause constipation.

Points to Remember
Constipation affects almost everyone at one time or another. Many people think they are constipated when really they are not. In most cases, following these simple tips will help prevent constipation.

Eat a variety of foods, especially beans, bran, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Drink plenty of liquids.

Exercise regularly.
 
Don't ignore the urge to have a bowel movement.
 
Understand that normal bowel habits are different for everyone.
 
If your bowel habits change, check with your doctor.
 
Most people with mild constipation do not need laxatives.
 
However, doctors may recommend laxatives for a limited time for people with chronic constipation.
 
Medicines that you take for another problem might cause constipation.
 
It is important to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of fluid a day.

What is Psyllium Husk?
Psyllium husk comes from the crushed seeds of the Plantago ovata plant, a herb native to parts of Asia, Mediterranean and North Africa.Psyllium is rich in soluble fiber. Traditionally, psyllium husk is used as a gentle bulk-forming laxative for constipation.

Psyllium Husk for High Cholesterol
3g to 12g of soluble fiber from psyllium seed husk when included in the diet help to lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.Soluble fiber from psyllium husk forms a gel when mixed with liquid. One needs to eat a small serving to increase the content of soluble fiber to help achieve the cholesterol-lowering effect.
In addition, recent studies also show positive benefits of psyllium in  Crohn's Disease and Colitis. Psyllium acts as prebiotics - aiding to heal the inner lining of the inflamed intestine.  Standard preparations of psyllium are available in dry seed or husk form to be mixed with water as needed.

Warning:
In general, prescription drugs should be taken one hour before or two hours after psyllium, because the absorption and effectiveness of many drugs may be reduced.

Going wild in my neighbourhood

Going wild in my neighbourhood
I am not cynical, if I say in another 50 years from now we would be watching wild life from a roof top garden. With the projected land cover less than 10% in less than half a century and with the rate of expansion of high (property development) rising super markets all over the countryside this scenario is not out of place. The super markets would be running a garden centre (only for the very rich) on the roof top with wild life section for display. The wild (what remain of the wild) life would be fully sustainable on the high-tech biodiversity project housed within the same perimeter of the roof top. The animals would be on a strict diet of large capsules simulating natural food articles developed from the space age know-how. Their natural diet dispensed only on special occasion for human display. I would not count on the number of projected species on any of these locations since my calculation of today would be laughing stock for the then (future) scientists.
This scenario not far away I have some suggestions for the future biologists and naturalists of this country. Do have some field work now itself. The descendents of the present day bio-scientists (not doctors) are the most sort-after job of future world. What can we do to train them?
A lot can be done. A section of the one’s garden could be allowed to go wild without any care except liberal watering to sustain vegetation in the dry season. My belief is that every wild plant would sustain a number of animal and insect species as long as it is left without any attention. We should train the children to watch this section of the garden gone wild and observe and make a careful record of their observations. The young scientists should do this observation in the night. There is lot of activity in the night and watching the discovery channel without knowing what is at hand as far as I am concerned is counter productive. Unless the children watch the bees, the spiders, the butterflies, mud-dauber wasp and the birds nesting learning biology has no meaning. Getting a distinction in biological science is only meaningful if that can be matched with the observation capacity and faculties thus developed in young children’s mind.
In fact, this is what I did for the last 10 years and I am fighting a losing battle with my in laws and neighbours. 
With the Ministry of Health and Education on a war footing against the dengue phenomenon every body is becoming neurotic and chopping every tree in the neighbourhood. 
I have become only a passive watcher in disbelief.
Little science is more destructive than no science at all!
Even though, I have many stories of the garden wild (private) variety that I have observed over the past ten years, I should start with a story from abroad.  We had a lovely back and front garden of our (rented) house with a beautiful hedgerow and a stream running at the edge. 
One summer day with my children in the garden, the topic of lady birds came up and we took turns and started looking for them.  
This is a game we played when we were children. 
Catch them and close the fist and with arms crossed asking the question which one of the fists had the lady birds? 
Then we palm over the lady birds to the winner and release them when we had enough of fun. 
I wonder how many of our children play this game?
Coming back to the story to our amazement we did not find a single lady bird in our garden. Few inquiries later we were out for a long journey nearly 200 kilo meters looking for a patch of safe jungle. Incidentally, I almost dropped to sleep in the driving seat and we had to detour and stopped at a house and beg for some coffee and biscuits from a very old gentleman with a hip problem. He was one of the most charming personalities we met and he was house bound because of his hip problem. No sooner I came back I made arrangements for his hip operation and that was one of the most satisfying days of my clinical career. He of course directed us to the most likely place of all further 50 kilo meters down. We collected bottle full of lady birds for our garden and some wild berries too.
Near at home all the paddy fields are converted into shanty houses there is no room for the small paddy birds to nest. 
We left a little patch of land to go wild because of the distance and the incline and this was the place where successive generations of birds had their nests. This time around a pair decided to built a nest on a slender hanging plant from our balcony (relatively safe from any predators) well hidden. I was more concerned of their stupidity. The plant did not have supporting roots and would not support the weight of the eggs let alone the young ones. True to my prediction the nest collapsed in two days and luckily eggs were not laid. They disappeared and I was happy of their departure. 
My gut feeling was that this may be the last pair in the neighbourhood. I would not see them again (like the humming birds) in the next season. 
Previous season our dog caught (catch them but would leave them when dead) one of the pair and I had to rescue the remaining one who came looking after the companion with great difficulty.
One night my daughter came rushing up to our bed room stating there are four young birds in the sitting room. Having the dog restrained, in about half an hour I managed to catch three of them but the fourth one was smart enough to avoid me and escape. I released them with a threatening gesture lest it would be a prey within my household.
The message is clear I am seeing the last of the Bohemians of nature.
It was with interest that I read an article on “looking for bioindicators”. 
The concept is fine in a scientific sense but be of no value unless comprehensive and without a recorded history. It is high time we look at this problem in an integrated manner. The highest in my list of indicators are the human population growth, activity, mobility, the rain fall and failure of rain. 
With the unusually prolonged rainy spell this time around I saw a single eagle hovering in the sky to my amazement. There were lot of animals and insect activity. The paddy birds also survived because of the abundance of food with the rainy season.
We are looking down the barrel of habitat destruction and changing whether patterns. 
Man is the culprit.
12th of January 2006