Wednesday, October 14, 2009

A little ruthless laughter – Medical jokes:

“A little ruthless laughter clears the air as nothing else can do; It is good for us, every now and then, to see our ideals laughed at, our conception of nobility caricatured; It is good for solemnity’s nose to be tweaked, for human pomposity to be made to look ridiculous.” - Aldous Huxley

1. “I do like your uniform,” said the young Mrs. Laxman, “Tell me, what do you do exactly.”
“I’m a naval surgeon.”
“Really? Said Mrs. Laxman. “How you doctors specialize…………..

2. “That osteopath swore he’d have me walking within six months.”
“And did he?”
“He certainly did. He’s sent me three bills so far and I’ve had to sell my car!”

3. Referal letter from G.P. to specialist: “This patient, Mrs. H…….. has been married for two years but has never achieved satisfaction. I wonder whether you can help her.”


4. She was a sweet young thing; he was a fast rising account executive with a well known advertising agency. Everyone thought it was an ideal marriage. But alas, there was a problem……with sex. The honeymoon hadn’t even begun.
“B-b-being an advertising man,” she sobbed to a friend, “ all he does every night is sit on the edge of the bed and tell me how wonderful it’s going to be!”

5. Instructor: “Outline the steps to be taken in the rescue and resuscitation of a drowning man.”
Keen pupil: “One- get the man out of the water. Two- get the water out of the man.


6. Dyspepsia is the remorse of a guilty stomach.

7. A 75 year-old woman visited her doctor. Her major complaint was that she was finding it hard to sleep.” Please doctor; give me a prescription for some of those birth control pills. Then I know I’ll sleep.”
The doctor answered, but Mrs. Patel, the birth control pill has nothing in it that will affect sleep. It’s for a different purpose entirely.
“I know, I know. Believe me; I know it will help me. She replied.
More to humor the old lady than anything else, the doctor wrote out a prescription for a month’s supply of the pill. A month passed and there she was back again at the doctor’s office. “Oh doctor,” she beamed, “those pills were wonderful! The best rest I’ve had in ages! Give me another month’s supply.”
“Look Mrs. Patel,” answered the doctor,” there is absolutely nothing in the pill that can help you sleep. Believe me, I’m a doctor and I know.”
Retorted the old lady. “So you’re a doctor; Well, I’m a grandmother and my 18-year-old grand –daughter lives with me. Every morning I put a pill in her orange juice, and YOU believe me. I sleep better!”


 8. Advertisement in medical journal: “Vacancies exist for two female physiotherapists, preferably with some experience. Varied work embracing in-patients and out-patients…”

9. “Everybody I meet is so irritating,” a tense, nervous patient complained to her doctor. He prescribed a tranquilizer and told her to come back in a week and let him know how she was feeling.
“Have you noticed any change in your mental attitude?” he asked on her next visit.
“None at all,” she replied. “I feel just the same – but I’ve noticed that other people are acting a lot better.”

10. A pretty young lady brought an under-weight baby to be examined by the doctor.
“Hmm,” said the doctor, after looking at the baby,” very undernourished I’m afraid. Excuse me, madam…….”
He undid the lady’s blouse and examined her breasts with care.” Just as I thought!” he announced. “You’re not producing any milk!”
I should hope not, doctor!” she beamed. I’m his maiden aunt.

11. Advertisement in a newspaper:
“Wanted: A Gentleman, preferably with medical knowledge, to undertake sale and promotion of patent medicine. The advertiser guarantees it will be profitable to the undertaker.”

12. Doctor to call Girl: “You look run down. My advice is that you stay out of bed for a week or two.”


Content courtesy: Himalaya drug house, Bombay, India product catalogue launch souvenir, Titled “Laughter the best medicine” Year 1970. 

Saturday, October 10, 2009

A day at Wonder La: Bangalore, India

Not all days are same. Yesterday wasn’t all that good at Bannarghatta. But today our luck and stars favored us as the whole day we spent our time at Wonder La, a theme and amusement park near Bangalore that turned out to be the most refreshing and entertaining day for all of us.

 

 I was much thrilled because the day was a different kind of experience in photography. The whole day I was clicking around more than 200 snaps and never took part in any of the mind blowing rides or other attractions. It was for others to enjoy and to me the very purpose of the trip was photography and enjoyed their enjoyment through my lens. Here you can see some of them.



On entering the park, I found that it is well maintained. Signboard and displays were very informative and were put up in a thoughtful manner and the well  planned cloak room facility was immensely useful. The lawns and walk area all around the theme park, the restaurants, and the toilet facilities were perfect in all aspects.  To say in one two words, spick and span. You can easily spot Wonder La if you are driving from Mysore to Bangalore. They have a huge Giant Wheel mounted on a tower.


While in queue for tickets I heard someone whispering from behind, Oh, so costly Rs.520 per head. I too felt so but on our way back after 8 hours of non stop entertainment had the feeling that it was worth the money. If you ever happened to be in Bangalore, India, make sure you visit this place, especially with family and friends.



In all there are more than 40 types of rides and some of them are really high thrill rides. The rides are both water as well as dry ones. Shake a leg at the Rain Disco or scream your guts out on the dizzying dry and wet rides.

 

A day at Wonder La will have your bones rattling and mind spinning. Highly recommended is insanity, a dry ride that will drive you insane as it twists, turns and throws you around at a height. The Boomerang is wild and wet - definitely not for the faint hearted.

The younger ones can enjoy fun rides like Jumping frogs. For kids there are many smaller versions of rides including vertical drop, toy train, trains in caves and crazy cars and many other attractions.



Refuel at any of the five restaurants offering good vegetarian and non-vegetarian food and once again get on to business as many times as you want in any of the  rides as there is no entry fee at each ride entry point as it’s all included in main entrance ticket cost.

 

Take part in Rain Disco, with 10,000 watts of hi-fidelity sound, psychedelic laser lights choreographed showers of warm water. Sea wave pool with warm water is one of the main attractions as you can see in the image the atmosphere is typical beach like ambiance with a lighthouse in background and waves are turned on at regular intervals for hundreds to mock a swim against tides.

 

At exit you come across laser and water fountain show auditorium like a bonus package here. After you get tired of all the rides, you can actually come here and enjoy the impressive laser and water show that lasts for about 30 minutes.

 
 
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Thursday, October 8, 2009

Palm leaf inscription – Digital version

Apart from coin collections, ancient, old, and new coins and currency notes of various countries, my prized possession with some real antique value is a bundle of palm leaf inscription. I don’t know the origin from where and how did it come to my house and all, I am quite sure its from my great grand parents, but all that I can say is that in our childhood days these palm leaf bundle was our playing cards for me, my brothers and sisters. But then we were kids and never knew the value of this master piece.

Now, nearly after 40 years, it’s with me well preserved and protected. Now I know the value of these and did a research even on that by contacting many scholars and found that the inscription is all about Hindu religion and practice. From the script even the scholars couldn’t determine as how old it is!!


In ancient days, oral transmission was the only means of spreading knowledge. Later, when knowledge in all fields diversified and also to store these vast amounts of knowledge for the future generations, the need for recording arose and different types of easily available materials were used for recording purposes. Palm leaves were the traditional inscribing materials of India. Leaves of two species of palms were in use. Borassus flabellifer.linn and Corypha umbraculifera.linn there were indigenous techniques to produce and preserve such materials.

The instrument used for inscribing on palm leaf sheaves is an iron spike of various lengths, shapes and weights. Some are about 24cms long and weighing nearly 500 grams.


Fine soot from traditional firewood burned hearths is rubbed on to the inscribed surface to highlight the text. Palm leaf books are of various sizes, as small as 10 cm to 60 cm and the usual length is 45 cm. The palm leaf books will remain intact for many years by proper preservation techniques.


The word, Palm Leaf, was chosen as it was a popular medium of writing in India for almost two thousand years. Letters were written on a dried, smoothed, smoke treated leaves of palm trees using a stylus. These were then blackened with vegetable juice and lamp black. Major literary works like the Mahabharata were originally inscribed on palm leaves. Even the later copper plate inscriptions were first etched on palm leaves.

It is Interesting to note that more than 55% of the epigraphical inscriptions, about 55,000, found by the Archaeological Survey of India in India are in Tamil language, my mother tongue.


Through these images you can see on this photolog the Digital and electronic version of those palm leaves.

The Images are my own and posted a few of them in Flickr too.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Look at it any way, Rose is a Rose:

A symbol of Love and eroticism, roses are the perfect gift, simply to say I care, Rose does it all for us. The true essence of nature, the everlasting beauty of Rose flowers blesses every soul.



"What's in a name?
That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." – William Shakespeare

Throughout the World for centuries, Rose has been the fantasy, subject interest and inspiration of many poets and artists for its beauty, love, sacrifice and selflessness. Rose the "queen of flowers" has been the inspiration of great works of art, literature, and music.

Ask any photographer, whether amateur or professional, rose in floral subject would have been his/her primary interest and particularly the fine and intricate macro details are real treat to watch and the joy doubles when it’s from your own lens. I am no different and have many close shots of roses in different colors in my collection and posted a few of them in my Flickr album.


Does any one know why such a beautiful flower on earth should have thorns?



Wikipedia explains - While the sharp objects along a rose stem are commonly called "thorns", they are actually prickles — outgrowths of the epidermis (the outer layer of tissue of the stem). Rose prickles are typically sickle-shaped hooks, which aid the rose in hanging onto other vegetation when growing over it. Despite the presence of prickles, roses are frequently browsed by deer. A few species of roses only have vestigial prickles that have no points.



Here is a beautiful & inspirational heart touching story- PARABLE OF THE ROSE:

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, He examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?"

Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and before it was ready to bloom, it died.

So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God like qualities planted in us at birth growing amid the thorns of our faults.
Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects. We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us.

We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies.

We never realize our potential. Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them.

One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns and find the rose within others.

Lesson from the Inspirational Story:

This is the characteristic of love -to look at a person and know their true faults. Accepting that person into your life, while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Help them to realize that they can overcome their faults. If we show them the rose, they will conquer their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over.

Our duty in this world is to help others by showing them their roses and not their thorns. Only then can we achieve the love we should feel for each other; only then can we bloom in our own garden.