Old sayings are still heard around the country. One insists that 'Burgher buggers became beggars buying brandy bottles' while a Sinhalese doggeral goes :
Kaapalla, beepalla, jollikarapalla,
Heta marunoth hithata sapai
Ada jollikaralla
Which, in homespun Sinhala means:'Eat,drink and be merry and even if we must die tomorrow, don't let it worry because you're having a good time today.'(Who said Shakespeare had no Sinhalese blood in him ?)
Carl Muller, "The Jam Fruit Tree", Penguin 1993
9 November 2002
19 October 2002
--------------------+ Bizarre Phobias +---------------------
Dextrophobia- Fear of objects at the right side of the body.
Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens.
Olfactophobia- Fear of smells.
Eurotophobia- Fear of female genitalia.
Politicophobia- Fear or abnormal dislike of politicians.
Anablephobia- Fear of looking up.
Cypridophobia - Fear of prostitutes or venereal disease.
Medomalacuphobia- Fear of losing an erection.
Phronemophobia- Fear of thinking.
Dishabiliophobia- Fear of undressing in front of someone.
Mycophobia- Fear or aversion to mushrooms.
Octophobia - Fear of the figure 8.
Rhytiphobia- Fear of getting wrinkles.
Spacephobia- Fear of outer space.
Urophobia- Fear of urine or urinating.
Dextrophobia- Fear of objects at the right side of the body.
Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens.
Olfactophobia- Fear of smells.
Eurotophobia- Fear of female genitalia.
Politicophobia- Fear or abnormal dislike of politicians.
Anablephobia- Fear of looking up.
Cypridophobia - Fear of prostitutes or venereal disease.
Medomalacuphobia- Fear of losing an erection.
Phronemophobia- Fear of thinking.
Dishabiliophobia- Fear of undressing in front of someone.
Mycophobia- Fear or aversion to mushrooms.
Octophobia - Fear of the figure 8.
Rhytiphobia- Fear of getting wrinkles.
Spacephobia- Fear of outer space.
Urophobia- Fear of urine or urinating.
Quote : "All arguements about the last war apart, I believe Hitler was a lunatic. I believe his astonishing grip on the german and other people was due mainly to the radio.His shrieking was compulsive, and many a time i listened to him myself. His contagion was infective.
But how many of the other lies and fancies...are due to the newspapers? I feel the true answer is : Not a few. Reckless newspapers in search of circulation and notoriety can incense bodies of readers to the point of causing a war which would not otherwise, from economic reasons, happen at all.
I think the record of the press of this country is clean enough, though it may be mainly because we are a small country and our capacity for originating mischief is small. Still, I think the point I have been trying to make is worth making." End quotes.
flann O 'brien, "Myles away from Dublin", Paladin.Grafton Books, 1990.
But how many of the other lies and fancies...are due to the newspapers? I feel the true answer is : Not a few. Reckless newspapers in search of circulation and notoriety can incense bodies of readers to the point of causing a war which would not otherwise, from economic reasons, happen at all.
I think the record of the press of this country is clean enough, though it may be mainly because we are a small country and our capacity for originating mischief is small. Still, I think the point I have been trying to make is worth making." End quotes.
flann O 'brien, "Myles away from Dublin", Paladin.Grafton Books, 1990.
15 October 2002
musings from madras and ramblings from the ramans ? close but no coconut. this is from bangalore for starters. well though i am not a raman i guess i have spent so much time at the raman's that i guess i qualify for the honour of being part of this blog. so here goes.this stuff about madras and bangalore got me thinking about the cauvery issue. pretty strong emotions have been raised. i like to just add that karnataka is right. an upper riparian state has got the right to collar all the left over water in a bad rainfall year. that is as much the law of physics as gravity.if the small qty of water is left to flow - most will be wasted in 100 Kms of evaporation. better to be used by a few.
16 September 2002
Ball Lightning
And never heard of this either: lightning comes in a ball too!!! yep its the rarest form of lightning and its called, u guessed it: ball lightning. Some dude in Palm Beach, Florida, says he saw this freaked out sight:
"It was a bright, glowing orange ball about the size of a basketball. It entered my house through the glass in the front door. It went right past me or possibly even through me into the living room. Then, it left the house through a large window where it hit a tree in the backyard."
A scientist says the bright spheres, or ball lightning, seem to appear out of nowhere. They've been seen in buildings, coming through solid walls and in airplanes.
Lyons says science may never be able to explain ball lightning -- all researchers know is that it's real.
"It was a bright, glowing orange ball about the size of a basketball. It entered my house through the glass in the front door. It went right past me or possibly even through me into the living room. Then, it left the house through a large window where it hit a tree in the backyard."
A scientist says the bright spheres, or ball lightning, seem to appear out of nowhere. They've been seen in buildings, coming through solid walls and in airplanes.
Lyons says science may never be able to explain ball lightning -- all researchers know is that it's real.
Some weird, yet interesting facts:
* Sharks can sense a drop of blood in 25 gallons of water.
* A weddell seal can hold its breath for 7 hours.
* Mosquitoes are attracted to people who have just eaten bananas.
* A cockroach can live for several weeks without its head. It only dies of starvation.
* A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
* Chimps live in groups that each have their own culture.
* Killer Whales capture fish by slapping them.
* A male moth can smell a female from 7 miles away.
* Sharks can sense a drop of blood in 25 gallons of water.
* A weddell seal can hold its breath for 7 hours.
* Mosquitoes are attracted to people who have just eaten bananas.
* A cockroach can live for several weeks without its head. It only dies of starvation.
* A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
* Chimps live in groups that each have their own culture.
* Killer Whales capture fish by slapping them.
* A male moth can smell a female from 7 miles away.
19 August 2002
Did anybody know (or care) that
AUGUST IS...
August is National Catfish Month
August is Romance Awareness Month
August is Foot Health Month
August 1 is...National Raspberry Cream Pie Day
August 3 is...National Watermelon Day
August 4 is...Twins Day Festival
August 6 is...Wiggle Your Toes Day
August 7 is...Sea Serpent Day
August 8 is...Sneak Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night
August 10 is...Lazy Day
August 13 is...Blame Someone Else Day
August 15 is...National Relaxation Day & National Failures Day
August 18 is...Bad Poetry Day
August 25 is...Kiss-And-Make-Up Day
August 28 is...World Sauntering Day
August 30 is...National Toasted Marshmallow Day
August 31 is...National Trail Mix Day
AUGUST IS...
August is National Catfish Month
August is Romance Awareness Month
August is Foot Health Month
August 1 is...National Raspberry Cream Pie Day
August 3 is...National Watermelon Day
August 4 is...Twins Day Festival
August 6 is...Wiggle Your Toes Day
August 7 is...Sea Serpent Day
August 8 is...Sneak Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night
August 10 is...Lazy Day
August 13 is...Blame Someone Else Day
August 15 is...National Relaxation Day & National Failures Day
August 18 is...Bad Poetry Day
August 25 is...Kiss-And-Make-Up Day
August 28 is...World Sauntering Day
August 30 is...National Toasted Marshmallow Day
August 31 is...National Trail Mix Day
10 August 2002
Was watching the England-India second test and felt really sad seeing Sachin struggle while Sidhu set my ganglions all a jangling. His mixed metaphors may have sounded cute in the beginning, but now they are are just plain ugly and irritating.
But overall it was Sachin's state that moved me. He is, or was till the other day, a master craftsman and committed to doing his best every single time he stepped out (he still is ferociously committed today too). We have succeeded in forcing him further into the mire of medicority with the enormous weight of our expectations. Its obvious to even a non-cricket fanatic like me that his impatience scripted his end at Trent's Bridge just as it did at Lord's.
One can literally see the poor chap's frustration at not being able to fulfill his desire to score big, (and he's not thinking of chicks).
Anybody who can help the poor sod suss out his hassles will be doing all of us a huge favour especially if he has managed to have the Garrulous Surd yanked out of our ears' range.
8/9/2002
Starting Webexperiment # 4. Here's hoping that this lasts longer and has a bigger reach than # 1 & # 2 (No: 3 underway currently). Here's to the Ramans who are going online.
But overall it was Sachin's state that moved me. He is, or was till the other day, a master craftsman and committed to doing his best every single time he stepped out (he still is ferociously committed today too). We have succeeded in forcing him further into the mire of medicority with the enormous weight of our expectations. Its obvious to even a non-cricket fanatic like me that his impatience scripted his end at Trent's Bridge just as it did at Lord's.
One can literally see the poor chap's frustration at not being able to fulfill his desire to score big, (and he's not thinking of chicks).
Anybody who can help the poor sod suss out his hassles will be doing all of us a huge favour especially if he has managed to have the Garrulous Surd yanked out of our ears' range.
8/9/2002
Starting Webexperiment # 4. Here's hoping that this lasts longer and has a bigger reach than # 1 & # 2 (No: 3 underway currently). Here's to the Ramans who are going online.
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