New years, as they come

Another new year comes up as the count goes past 365 days. The calendar was invented by the Romans some time ago and now controls our world. It has brought about so many things that are quite useless and wasteful to our lives.

Come to think of it, some days are disliked just because of the fact that holidays end and work begins; like Monday such a stressful day of rush and silent screams and Friday a day to get loose and boozy.

It is worthwhile giving a thought to the fact that thee are some people who do not know the date or day! They are the peaceful ones. Animals do not follow a calendar, in that they do not gaze at a paper or electronic version. But they do seem to have an idea of what time of the year they are in, to migrate for instance.

We all have some type of Biological clock and calendar, and it maybe interesting to find out if it tallies with the calendar or with just the seasonal changes in temperature.

This sexless word called Parthenogenesis

The Komodo dragon lives in little islands and therefore can be quite lonely. If the female does not find a mate, she may die and leave a dragonless island. Therefore this amazing reptile lays eggs which hatch to produce young, without a mate. This is called parthenogenesis. The young are all male. They grow up and mate with her to produce more genetically diverse and sexually fertilized eggs.

Insects, reptiles and fish including sharks make use of this to keep going. With mankind against these creatures, they may all start doing this more often to keep their species going.

It is sad that birds and mammals - the warm blooded creatures, do not have this ability. I wonder why? The answer is blowing in the wind.....

Language

`When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.'

`The question is,' said Alice, `whether you can make words mean so many different things.'

`The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, `which is to be master -- that's all.'

---Lewis Carrol Through the looking glass

Which brings us to the recent propaganda for the development of a local version of English and the ads with popular personalities saying that we can talk "English - our way". This is a good initiative to be supported. But the promotion of our own languages like Sinhala and Tamil is also becoming necessary with all the Montessori schools and the "International Schools" popping up all over the country teaching in English.

Not Mine

When something happens to someone that is unpleasant and distressing, it is difficult to get over it. Why so? Because we think that it happened to - ME. In reality, it was just a happening. It happened and is now in the past. It is because you make it personal that we suffer. It did not happen to me. It was a happening. It has passed. When you think like that you are set free.

Clinging

....And if I should live to be
The last leaf upon the tree
In the spring,
Let them smile, as I do now,
At the old forsaken bough
Where I cling.

Oliver Wendell Holmes' - The Last Leaf

As we are born, we are at death's door. "What day? What time?" we sing.
Laugh and cry, laugh and cry endlessly 'till the end; and 'till the end we cling.
We cling. To what do we cling? To death we cling, for life passes by, such a busy thing.
We cling to that certain thing. That dependable end. Ashes that are immune to life's sting.

Heedfullness

"Just as, of all root fragrances, black aloes-root is reckoned the foremost; in the same way, all skillful qualities are rooted in heedfulness, converge in heedfulness, and heedfulness is reckoned the foremost among them.

"Just as, of all wood fragrances, red sandalwood is reckoned the foremost; in the same way, all skillful qualities are rooted in heedfulness, converge in heedfulness, and heedfulness is reckoned the foremost among them.

"Just as, of all flower fragrances, jasmine is reckoned the foremost; in the same way, all skillful qualities are rooted in heedfulness, converge in heedfulness, and heedfulness is reckoned the foremost among them.

- The Buddha
selection from the Appamada Sutta A.N. 10

Life and Leisure

Leisure

"What is this life, so full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath boughs
And stare as long as sheep and cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
Not time to turn at beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
Not time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare."

Leisure - W H Davies

Electronic Health Records? Not until...

Electronic Health Records have definite advantages. Already implemented in some countries, it has shown its advantages as well as disadvantages. There is also development of Personal health records, putting the responsibility for them to the consumer. That Microsoft and Google seem to be racing each other for this market, shows their ignorance of its complexity. Since both companies are offering the services free, it is a pity that they do not collaborate.

The danger of developing EHRs without collaboration at the international level, behoves that people will have their healthcare in one state or one country for the whole of their life. Yes, even in the same country, different states have developed their own system, based on different commercial software vendors. If a patient moves from one state to another, his wonderful comprehensive medical record becomes rubbish in the new state!

Therefore, EHR should not be developed without international collaboration. We need international open standards to ensure

• interoperability
• machine and software system independence
• free communication of information between different systems
• communication and data transfer, with and to, different hardware devices
• security
• governance
• funding and therefore cost effectiveness

Until then we will only be wasting money and resources. We need to work on a long lasting marriage and not a one night stand.