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.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
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.....
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.....
Sunday, November 14, 2010
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.
`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.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
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.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
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.
Friday, September 12, 2008
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
"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
"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
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
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
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Google spits out Chrome
The announcement and the release of the new Chrome web browser by Google today is really important to the web. The Cartoon Story is here. The reason is that this company is doing everything in the web, and depends entirely on the web for its business. Therefore when they develop a browser from scratch, they are obviously going to make all their services part of the browser.
The success of Google, and the trust they have earned, is what makes this software uniquely important. This will enable users to do things in a different way, in a stable, truly multimedia enabled browser. Everything Google has developed here and there, will become "One".
Initially, Chrome will seem like competition to other browsers. But eventually it will be something quite different from what browsers were expected to be. Google would be planning to bring the Mobile web service providing devices into the Chrome scene. They have been developing software for this market too. Chrome may enable the dvelopment of a multitude of wholly different third party software for the Mobile platform. At the moment the "forgotten browser", Opera, is making inroads into the mobile market. If Chrome should also enter the mobile market with the platforms already in development by Google, then definitely we will have "The One".
Google's timing maybe just right. Let us watch.............
The success of Google, and the trust they have earned, is what makes this software uniquely important. This will enable users to do things in a different way, in a stable, truly multimedia enabled browser. Everything Google has developed here and there, will become "One".
Initially, Chrome will seem like competition to other browsers. But eventually it will be something quite different from what browsers were expected to be. Google would be planning to bring the Mobile web service providing devices into the Chrome scene. They have been developing software for this market too. Chrome may enable the dvelopment of a multitude of wholly different third party software for the Mobile platform. At the moment the "forgotten browser", Opera, is making inroads into the mobile market. If Chrome should also enter the mobile market with the platforms already in development by Google, then definitely we will have "The One".
Google's timing maybe just right. Let us watch.............
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Teaching
"Sometimes teaching is hard work. A teacher is like a
garbage can that people throw their frustrations and
problems into. The more people you teach,the bigger the
garbage disposal problems. But teaching is a wonderful
way to practice Dhamma. Those who teach grow in
patience and in understanding."
- Ajahn Chah.
garbage can that people throw their frustrations and
problems into. The more people you teach,the bigger the
garbage disposal problems. But teaching is a wonderful
way to practice Dhamma. Those who teach grow in
patience and in understanding."
- Ajahn Chah.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The sermon
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
Blessed are the poor in spirit? What is the meaning of spirit? Is it the fighting spirit? Evil spirit? poor spirited as in humble and quiet? Perhaps, it is the latter.
Who are the meek? perhaps they are those who are selfless, without a big ego. Those who know that they are not "individuals" "self" "special" but simply part of god, to be one with god. This means they are nothing on their own, as when they are one with god, this separate identity of a self is no more.
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, 'Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye,' and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
This is a very important part of the sermon, as people have become habitual in judging people fast, too fast. It is best to remember this is my own life, and not judge others or find fault just to feel i am better.
Blessed are the poor in spirit? What is the meaning of spirit? Is it the fighting spirit? Evil spirit? poor spirited as in humble and quiet? Perhaps, it is the latter.
Who are the meek? perhaps they are those who are selfless, without a big ego. Those who know that they are not "individuals" "self" "special" but simply part of god, to be one with god. This means they are nothing on their own, as when they are one with god, this separate identity of a self is no more.
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, 'Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye,' and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
This is a very important part of the sermon, as people have become habitual in judging people fast, too fast. It is best to remember this is my own life, and not judge others or find fault just to feel i am better.
Hypermethylation of DNA
Hypermethylation of DNA is a common molecular alteration in human neoplasia including renal cancer. Altered methylation has a role in silencing tumor suppressor genes. DNA methylation markers have been found not only in primary tumors, but also in serum, plasma and urine in a variety of cancer types. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) may be an ideal candidate for urine and blood screening because the kidney is at the junction of the circulatory and urological systems. Dalgin et al (page 1126) from Boston, Massachusetts searched the selected DNA regions of 19 significantly down-regulated genes whose expression patterns correlated perfectly with RCC and normal kidney tissue. Methylation patterns were analyzed in DNA extracted from 38 paired RCC normal samples. Seven significantly hypermethylated regions from 6 down-regulated genes were found. The down-regulation of all genes was verified in mRNA and protein level. Overall, the detection of hypermethylation in these highly down-regulated genes suggests that assaying for methylation using cells from urine or blood could provide the basis for a viable diagnostic assay.
Journal of Urology Volume 180, Issue 3, Pages 802-803 (September 2008)
Why do osteodense sclerotic deposits in Prostate Cancer fracture?
This is puzzling. But it seems that this is due to the fact that while osteoblastic activity takes place, there is weak poorly mineralisedwoven bone here as well. Therefore it seems that there is a wide array of lesions. Some are dense; others are lytic.
Torvaldisms
"To me, security is important. But it's no less important than everything *else* that is also important!"
"Be honest -- sometimes painfully honest. Part of that, by the way, is not feeling shy about saying impolite things or showing some emotion. So I'd rather flame people for doing stupid things and call them stupid, rather than try to be too polite to the point where people didn't understand how strongly I felt about something."
"My personal guiding principle is that I try very hard to find people I can trust, and then try to get out of their way as much as possible. I don't mean totally unconditional trust; but on the other hand, once somebody maintains something, he really should be able to make all the normal daily decisions."
Linus Torvalds - the holder of the reigns of Linux.
"Be honest -- sometimes painfully honest. Part of that, by the way, is not feeling shy about saying impolite things or showing some emotion. So I'd rather flame people for doing stupid things and call them stupid, rather than try to be too polite to the point where people didn't understand how strongly I felt about something."
"My personal guiding principle is that I try very hard to find people I can trust, and then try to get out of their way as much as possible. I don't mean totally unconditional trust; but on the other hand, once somebody maintains something, he really should be able to make all the normal daily decisions."
Linus Torvalds - the holder of the reigns of Linux.
Who are the meek?
"...for they shall inherit the earth" - Jesus. Sermon on the mount.
Lots of people have been asked this question - by me. The answers werඑ few. Most did not know quite what to make of it. Why the meek? The scared? of whom? God?
I will come back to this...
the selfless, knowing that one is nothing but part of god.
Perhaps there are similarities here with the damma. Selflessness. Egolessness. No individuality. One is Not.
A Christiandamma.
Our body is impermanent - belongs to nature. Our soul is endless - belongs to god. Our mind is impermanent too, and belongs again to no one.
Then is their a soul of my own? Or is it just part of God? In this case there is no business of my soul and your soul. Individually we do not really exist.......
Lots of people have been asked this question - by me. The answers werඑ few. Most did not know quite what to make of it. Why the meek? The scared? of whom? God?
I will come back to this...
the selfless, knowing that one is nothing but part of god.
Perhaps there are similarities here with the damma. Selflessness. Egolessness. No individuality. One is Not.
A Christiandamma.
Our body is impermanent - belongs to nature. Our soul is endless - belongs to god. Our mind is impermanent too, and belongs again to no one.
Then is their a soul of my own? Or is it just part of God? In this case there is no business of my soul and your soul. Individually we do not really exist.......
Browsing without a mouse
Why on earth? Since the development of WIMP, the mouse has roared! Nobody can do without it, and nobody wants to!!(squeal)
I am not talking about mobile devices where this is thought to be cool!!!
http://mobizinesupdate.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-mobizines-for-mouseless-devices.html
Oh! But so many people hate the mouse. It slows them down. Gives them pain in their hands and forearms. And on laptops - those mice are just awful! See the flat tops you have to caress or the little "gears" stuck in between the keys! Bloody awful.
What can one do?
Use voice! Thats soooo cooool! Heard of Nuance and their DNS? Doesn't quite work in linux and not in Macs, but in windows, it does a wonderful job for $200 or so, until the many windows viruses hit your throat. And of course, everyone hears your password and everything you write and every site you go to.....
:-(
What can one do?
Look at these
Firefox - add on and add on and add on - what the hell do they have in it without the add ons?
http://www.universefirefox.com/add-ons/browse-the-internet-without-using-the-mouse-mouseless-browsing
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/879
http://www.rudolf-noe.de/index.php?/content/view/14/26/
http://mlb.rudolf-noe.de/
Er..! You could just press this comma key and then type in the name of the link you need too...
Opera - part and parcel for years and years - even the uses did not know they had it !
http://www.opera.com/support/tutorials/nomouse/
IE?
just forget it!
There is a FOSS software that can write with a mouse! But here we don't want those sweet creatures....(Sorry Micky and Jerry and all those loved mice from our favourite world of believing)
Using Gmail? mouselessly - http://email.about.com/od/gmailtips/qt/et_keyboard_gm.htm
Eureka! No mice, see? see?
I am not talking about mobile devices where this is thought to be cool!!!
http://mobizinesupdate.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-mobizines-for-mouseless-devices.html
Oh! But so many people hate the mouse. It slows them down. Gives them pain in their hands and forearms. And on laptops - those mice are just awful! See the flat tops you have to caress or the little "gears" stuck in between the keys! Bloody awful.
What can one do?
Use voice! Thats soooo cooool! Heard of Nuance and their DNS? Doesn't quite work in linux and not in Macs, but in windows, it does a wonderful job for $200 or so, until the many windows viruses hit your throat. And of course, everyone hears your password and everything you write and every site you go to.....
:-(
What can one do?
Look at these
Firefox - add on and add on and add on - what the hell do they have in it without the add ons?
http://www.universefirefox.com/add-ons/browse-the-internet-without-using-the-mouse-mouseless-browsing
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/879
http://www.rudolf-noe.de/index.php?/content/view/14/26/
http://mlb.rudolf-noe.de/
Er..! You could just press this comma key and then type in the name of the link you need too...
Opera - part and parcel for years and years - even the uses did not know they had it !
http://www.opera.com/support/tutorials/nomouse/
IE?
just forget it!
There is a FOSS software that can write with a mouse! But here we don't want those sweet creatures....(Sorry Micky and Jerry and all those loved mice from our favourite world of believing)
Using Gmail? mouselessly - http://email.about.com/od/gmailtips/qt/et_keyboard_gm.htm
Define Your Own Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts
To change the default Gmail keyboard shortcuts to more handy keys:
- Follow the Settings link in Gmail.
- Go to the Labs category.
- Make sure Enable is selected under Custom keyboard shortcuts.
- Click Save Changes.
- Follow the Settings link again.
- This time, go to the Keyboard Shortcuts section.
- Edit all desired keyboard shortcuts.
- Use '\' together with the corresponding decimal ASCII code to use non-printable characters. "\27" stands for ESC, for example, and "\127" for DEL (you cannot, alas, use the latter for the text input field only accepts three characters).
- Click Save Changes
Eureka! No mice, see? see?
Opera - the future was here!
The Opera browser has a small user base on the desktop - just less than 2%! That is because it was not given free, initially, like the other browsers. It was arguably the best browser but the others were free. Something like what happened to Apple Mac and the IBM PC race, long long time ago.....
However, it is a great browser with lots of ability built in. Even though other browsers claim certain capabilities as "firsts", in fact they were already in use in Opera. But no one knew, as hardly anyone used the damn thing!
Tabbed browsing - Firefox thingy ? No. Opera had it long ago. Page zooming, Malware protection, phising protection, pop-up blocking, download manager, BitTorrent client, web feed aggregator, speed dial with thumbnails of the many pages - all started here! Others followed..............
Usability and accessibility features were in it during conception. voice control, page zooming, keyboard shortcuts - the works!
email, chat, news!
By the way who supported CSS first? standard compliance?
But, Firefox catches up! Just like Microsoft did to the Apple OS.
Now, it can match all of the above. It is free it is FOSS. It is the standard browser to develop web sites for!
However Opera is going into the mobile market and the games market (Wii is one!) in a BIG way! There it will live, grow and rule! So the story goes, unless the Mozilla Org destroys the ring of course......
However, it is a great browser with lots of ability built in. Even though other browsers claim certain capabilities as "firsts", in fact they were already in use in Opera. But no one knew, as hardly anyone used the damn thing!
Tabbed browsing - Firefox thingy ? No. Opera had it long ago. Page zooming, Malware protection, phising protection, pop-up blocking, download manager, BitTorrent client, web feed aggregator, speed dial with thumbnails of the many pages - all started here! Others followed..............
Usability and accessibility features were in it during conception. voice control, page zooming, keyboard shortcuts - the works!
email, chat, news!
By the way who supported CSS first? standard compliance?
But, Firefox catches up! Just like Microsoft did to the Apple OS.
Now, it can match all of the above. It is free it is FOSS. It is the standard browser to develop web sites for!
However Opera is going into the mobile market and the games market (Wii is one!) in a BIG way! There it will live, grow and rule! So the story goes, unless the Mozilla Org destroys the ring of course......
Friday, August 08, 2008
On Guard!
GUARD YOURSELF LIKE A FORTIFIED CITY
"Like a border city, guarded within and without, so guard yourself. Do not let slip this opportunity (born as a human), for they who let slip this opportunity grieve when born in a woeful state."
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Letting Go
It is an interesting thought in today's world that if one wants true happiness, it is achieved by letting go. But it is still true, and is something for everybody to keep in mind. It is not easy to think in this way, but I think i am getting there, albeit, slowly.....
Slightly different from giving, which is also a good thing to do and more so, a good way to practice before getting to the stage of letting-go. Giving (to others) is of two types; to give expecting something in return and to give something expecting nothing in return except happiness and contentment that the act gives. The latter is by far the better.
Let-go little by little until one can let go of one-self.
Slightly different from giving, which is also a good thing to do and more so, a good way to practice before getting to the stage of letting-go. Giving (to others) is of two types; to give expecting something in return and to give something expecting nothing in return except happiness and contentment that the act gives. The latter is by far the better.
Let-go little by little until one can let go of one-self.
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