WORLD TAMIL SOCIAL FORUM

OH MY FELLOW HUMANS..!!! WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU..? READ THIS.!!! YOU REALISE THAT.!!!

2011-10-13T04:32:00.001-07:00

OH! MY MOTHER! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR MILK,FOOD,CLOTHS,PROTECTION &LOVE IN NEED!
OH! MY FATHER! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING ME EDUCATION,GUIDANCE,ADVICE AS YOUNG!
OH MY SISTERS &BROTHER! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR AFFECTION,TRUE CRITISM &HAPPINESS!
OH MY WIFE! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR AFFECTION,CARE,PROTECTION,TOLERANCE&TASTY FOOD
OH MY CHILDREN! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR LAUGHTER,PROGRESS,AFFECTION & COURTECY!
OH MY UNCLES & AUNTS! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVICE,LAUGHTER,FRIENDLINESS&SMILES!
OH MY FRIENDS &RELATIVES! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR JOKES,LAUGHTER,HOSPTALITY,SMILE!
OH MY POLITICAL,RELIGIOUS,SOCIAL,SPRITUAL,MENTORS!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE!
OH MY VILLAGE! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVELY NATURE,GREEN VIEWS & LOVELY TEMPLES!
OH MY JAFFNA! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT-HISTORY,EDUCATION,CULTURE&HOSPITALITY!
OH MY LANKA!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR NATURAL-BEAUTY,SEA,NICE FOOD & WARM CLIMATE!
OH MY NORWAY! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME&MY FAMILY PROTECTION,SAFETY,LIFE& CARE!
OH MY WORLD!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR REGULAR DAY&NIGHT;SUMMER&WINTER CIRCLE SAFELY!
OH MY SUN!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR LIGHT/HEAT FOR ALL!NOT COME CLOSER OR GO FAR AWAY!
OH MY UNIVERSE!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING HARMONY!NOT DESTROYING LOVELY WORLD!
OH MY GOD!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR THIS LOVELY WORLD/UNIVERSE&MY HEART WORKING SO FAR!

SHAN NALLIAH...DRAMMEN, NORWAY 13-10-2011

Rathika Sitasabaiesan is a rising MP and the standard bearer for young women in Canada’s a male- dominated political culture.!!!

2011-10-02T05:05:00.000-07:00

Jaffna-born Canadian Tamil MP in a Photoshop controversyOctober 1, 2011, 7:25 pmBY S VENKAT NARAYAN Our Special CorrespondentNEW DELHI, October 1: A Jaffna-born Tamil woman, Canada’s first Tamil parliamentarian, is at the centre of an embarrassing Photoshop controversy.Conservative Canadian politicos apparently decided that 29-year-old Rathika Sitasabaiesan’s cleavage in a photograph appearing along with her official parliamentary profile too hot to handle.They thought the photograph was inappropriate for a workplace as formal as Parliament, and put out a modified version by retouching it to edit out her feminine curves.According to political blog "Contrarian," a reader performed an image search for the Tamil MP and discovered on the Canadian Parliament’s website a modified version of her headshot, which covers up her cleavage.Sitasabaiesan is a rising MP and the standard bearer for young women in Canada’s a male- dominated political culture.But angry critics argue that the alteration made to her photograph is anti- feminist, and that the cleavage has been removed to make Sitsabaiesan appear less womanly.It is not known if the editing was requested for by her party, her own office or on the parliamentary website’s own authority.Sitsabaiesan is only in her first year on the job, but has already earned praise for her confidence and poise. A first-time candidate, she won the Liberal stronghold of Scarborough with 40.62% of votes, beating Conservative Marlene Gallyot 18,935 votes to 13,935.She was born in Jaffna on 23 December 1981. When she was just five, her family migrated to Canada. She studied at Toronto University, and later transferred to Carleton University, where she completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree. She then did her Master’s in industrial relations at Queen’s University.Sitasaiesan is the first person of Tamil origin and also the youngest to be elected to the Canadian Parliament, and the first woman to be elected an MP in Scarborough.She has been heavily involved in community and advocacy work as a parliamentarian and as a student. She was subsequently appointed critic for post-secondary education (human resources and skills development) in the official opposition Shadow Cabinet in the 41st Canadian Parliament. www island.lk

I know many children who have neglected their parents and do not wish to keep their parents even for a day, although as grandparents they always love to spend their last days with their grandchildren.!!!

2011-09-30T03:03:00.000-07:00

Elders Homes in Sri LankaSeptember 29, 2011, 8:30 pmThe International Year for the Elders falls on 1St October. Let us give a little thought on this day, remembering our aged parents and elders who are suffering in silence in our country.When we are young and healthy, we never for a moment gave serious thought that we will one day grow old and feeble and that we would need the assistance of someone to look after us in the autumn of our life.In Sri Lanka prior to World War II children were very attached and loved their parents and although they were married and had family responsibilities and settled down in life, they never neglected to look after their parents in their old age, whether they had wealth in abundance or otherwise.With times, there have been changes in Sri Lanka. Children feel that it is a burden to look after their parents in their old age, when they are sick and feeble, perhaps due to financial strains and with the escalating cost of living. In these circumstances some would prefer that their parents die early.I know many children who have neglected their parents and do not wish to keep their parents even for a day, although as grandparents they always love to spend their last days with their grandchildren.In Sri Lanka, several years ago, I met an old couple near the Pettah Bus Stand (exposed to the elements) which is now their home, far away from home. They appear to be in their early 80s and partially blind. The old man related a very pathetic story to me. He was an educated person, spoke fluent English and had lived his life in Kandy. He had eight children and has sufficient wealth, which he divided amongst the eight children equally. He gave them in marriage and expected they would look after them in their old age. As time went on the children had taken up the position among themselves as to why the other brother or sister could not take the responsibility of looking after their parents in their old age. Everyone evaded the real issue of taking responsibility of looking after their parents and nothing was done to make the parents happy.One day, a son who could not bear the parents being neglected and suffering any further decided to bring the parents to Colombo from Kandy with the idea of entering them to an Elders Home in the city. Having failed in his mission, he just left the parents at the Pettah Bus Stand and disappeared. Never was the son seen again. What this son did was really shocking. The aged couple had to beg for their livelihood.In another case concerning the parents of a boy and a girl whom were given in marriage, the parents had to look after their grandchildren. However, when they became old and feeble the two children refused to keep their parents and started to ill-treat them. The children although affluent and educated in leading schools in Colombo, tried to get them into an Elders Home but failed. Meanwhile, the mother died. It was a great relief to them. The father lived with the daughter. But after a week’s stay she put the old man into a three-wheeler (having pre-paid the fare) and sent him to her brother’s house. Again, after a week or so the son sent the old man back in a three-wheeler (having prepaid the fare) to his sister’s house. The old man was suffering. Since he could not bare this anymore, he went to a relative’s place with his problems. They refused to keep him or put him in an Elders Home, because the children could well afford to put him into a fee-paying Elders Home. These are a few isolated cases but many old people are suffering in silence today.Is this not a "cruel world" that we are living in today to desert our parents at a time they really need the children’s assistance.In developed countries like Australia, children leave their parents at an early age of 16 years and live by themselves. When it comes to old age the State looks after them and provides them with social security and free public transport passes, Senior Citizens and Concession Cards to enable the elders to purchase pharmaceutical items etc., at a discounted price.Several religious organizations in our country, Sri Lanka, with limited financial resources and donations have provided for the old and feeble. But this is a far cry compared to the real needs of the neglected elders-in Sri-Lanka.I was pleased to hear recently that the Old Girls Association of Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena have opened an Elders Home at Mabole, Wattala for the aged past pupils of Good Shepherd Convent who have become destitute. This is a worthy project. Perhaps, past pupils of other schools and colleges should start similar projects and will gain "merits" if they help aged past pupils who are sick and feeble and are unable to look after themselves in the autumn of their lives.Our politicians have debated many matters in Parliament but never for a moment have given serious thought to the matter of opening more elders home throughout the country. Perhaps when the time comes they can count on their pensions after five years in Parliament, and fall back on their financial resources. But what abut the thousands of helpless old people who continue to suffer in silence? Politicians should give serious thought to the elderly people who have now become deadwood and whom society has also neglected.The Government may not have the money to finance the building of Elders Homes in the country for those who have been discarded in the autumn of their lives by their loved ones due to the prevailing war like situation in the North/East of the country and having won the war two years ago and now have to find money for rehabilitation and infrastructure the people. Perhaps the Department of Social Services should undertake to launch a fortnightly lottery to find the money for the maintenance and upkeep of these Elders Homes. People will no doubt support a worthy cause since they may also one day seek admission to these Elders Homes.I have visited several Sri Lanka homes in Australia and have seen for myself that much food is wasted and thrown into the bin, while our countrymen are suffering in silence. Nearly 50% of the population are living below the poverty line.I would appeal to our dear Sri Lankans living in this great country, Australia, where all ethnic groups live in peace to think for a moment of our Elders who are presently neglected in Sri Lanka.I know of a Sri Lankan who is a Banker, living in California, who had built an Elders Home and a Childress Home in Negombo and also helps to maintain these Homes.Perhaps there are several Sri Lankan philanthropists who could build Elders Homes in memory of their parents in Sri Lanka, presently there about 20 Billionaires in Sri Lanka according to the media.There are several Elders Homes in Sri Lanka that depend solely on voluntary contributions to maintain these Homes. It is a very sad fact, but the reality is that many of these Homes do not know how or where to find their next meal!The first Mother Teresa Elders Home was built in Sri Lanka in 1965 at the former Mission House, St. Anthony’s Church, Madampitiya, Colombo 14. It is presently known as the "Home of Compassion" and managed by the Apostolic Carmelite Sisters.There are many Elders Homes run by several religious organizations in Sri Lanka. The list of these Homes may be obtained from the Department of Social Services, situated at 76/1/1, Duminda Building, Galle Road, Colombo 4. Any financial assistance and items of clothing may be given to these elders Homes direct. By doing so, you will gain "merits".Let us leave this world better than it was found and let our parents feel that they have not been neglected by their loved ones in the loneliness and also by the society to which they once contributed their "mite".Fred Rodrigo-Sathianathen,Melbourne,Australia. www island.lk

How to get to grow up safe & form a balanced personality? The author identified three fundamental pillars: the affection, stability and constancy.!!!

2011-04-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Safety and responsibility
April 19, 2011, 6:25 pm

In a book of child psychiatry learned that an emotional issue for many children is the lack of self-confidence. And how to get to grow up safe and form a balanced personality? The author identified three fundamental pillars: the affection, stability and constancy. The child needs to feel loved by their parents and educators and agree with their virtues and weaknesses.

he environmental and regulatory framework must be stable. The rules of conduct in the family can not change overnight, as the mood of the father, or if you are tired or have things gone wrong at work. The rules must be agreed by both parents and can not be changed without a good reason. This is stability.

Those operating norms must be constant, i.e., for all days alike. The boy can guess what will happen tomorrow remembering what happened yesterday and the day before. With these three things a child will have a reference framework that will give you security.

But often are their own parents and educators who create insecurity in their children through" pedagogy wobbly." It will be formulated rules of conduct for today and tomorrow are no longer valid. A teacher said that "school is where more laws are given and where they are least fulfiled." Educators, who behave like that, provoke insecurity in the learner and, indirectly, they push to them to defy with a haughty behaviour, to their parents and teachers.

Children need loving parents, stable and consistent in its rules and decisions, that today reacting as they did yesterday and will do the same thing tomorrow and the day after. It needs to set limits with love for the sake of your child and insist on respect each other. Kids need strong parents who do not hesitate or falter, but they must know exactly what they want for themselves and their families. With such kind of educators, learners feel safe, welcome and happy.

Sometimes we remember the visit of a relative or friend with a child unfriendly, angry, tyrannical, used to always call the attention and failing to obey when called to order. In these situations, older people do not know whether imposed or compromise to avoid a scolding that leaves matters more uncomfortable to the parents than the child.

In conclusion, we could say that a boy that could not find around himself a signage and demarcation reasonable and reasoned it becomes unsafe or nervous.

Arturo Ramo
Independent Forum of Opinion
http://indeforum.wordpress.com

www island.lk

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : The future of Asian cities

2011-04-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : The future of Asian cities

Be kind to yourself, be proud of yourself, get comfortable being who you are because you will be ‘that’ a long time.!!!

2011-04-05T01:37:00.001-07:00

- Lional Wijesiri

My Dear Son,

I suspect most people are never 100 percent happy with themselves and that is a good thing. A little self-criticism goes a long way. But in general be kind to yourself, be proud of yourself, get comfortable being who you are because you will be ‘that’ a long time. I think you are a great guy and tell you so often.

We spend so much of our time waiting to be loved, hoping love will find us, searching, yearning for that special love, feeling empty and lost without it, wanting someone to give us love and fill us up. Unfortunately, that’s not usually how life works. You will draw exactly what you create in life and what you believe you are worthy of. So loving yourself can create love in your life.

When you expect love from an external source and someone or something does not fulfil your void and fantasies, then you will feel worse than before.

The guy who is calm, cool, tidy, modest and strong is the one who has his internal act together. He knows who he is and he’s comfortable with it. He may work on making it better or even changing himself in some ways but only to advance, not because he doesn’t like what’s there now.

That wasn’t me for the first three decades of my life. I didn’t like who I was and I didn’t have control of my life. I’m still not wild about me but I’ve got used to me. My life is pretty good but it would have been so much better if I’d got it together twenty years sooner. Perhaps I can save you going the long way around.

Post this affirmation up someplace where you will see it each and every day; ‘I have the courage to believe that I am worthy of love.’ Read it out loud, every day, at least once.

Do three things a day, to change yourself into your dream person: if it is gaining or losing weight, then take a step by exercising or swimming for 20 minutes. If you want to ace your midterms, study harder.

If you need to become more organized and stop procrastinating then start cleaning and maintaining a place for every single item. Do what is on your to-do list by scheduling yourself.

Those are examples of three things to do in one day, to further a goal of someone becoming more fit, working towards a great career and gaining the mental clarity from the liberation of clutter! Achieving your goals, can make you love yourself much more because you are building a foundation for your own life and character

Learn to let go. There are a lot of people out there that have had hard lives or bad beginnings. It is important to let go of all the pain that is still inside you from that bad experience. This is often the hardest part of the journey, but once you’ve done it, you will really benefit from it.

Yours forever, Thaththi/FATHER

It’s a bit of a cliche that women settle down for love, and men for regular sex. But scientists are claiming it’s true..!!!

2011-03-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

Latest from the University of the Bleedin’ Obvious: Couples stay together because women want love and men like sex
March 19, 2011, 2:24 pm

It’s a bit of a cliche that women settle down for love, and men for regular sex. But scientists are claiming it’s true. A study shows that women agree to cohabit because they view it as a stepping stone to marriage. Yet men move in hoping for more sex and to ‘test drive’ the relationship to see if it is worth sticking around.

Crossed purposes? A survey has found couples often move in with one another for differing reason The findings are likely to raise doubts about whether cohabitation carries the same degree of commitment from both partners as marriage.

An estimated four million Britons live together outside marriage. They account for 14 per cent of couples, up from 9 per cent a decade ago, while marriage rates have declined by a third in 30 years.

The study, published in the Journal of Family Issues, showed that men and women agree on many benefits of moving in together – such as spending more time together and sharing the cost of living.

But Professor Penelope Huang, who led the research, said: ‘The notion that cohabitation allows for more frequent opportunities for sex, compared to dating, was emphasised much more by the men in our study than the women.

‘Men also linked living together far less strongly to marriage than women. They tended to view it as a "test drive", without specific connections to marriage, whereas women tended to discuss it as a short interval on the way to marrying their partner.’

Professor Huang and other researchers from the University of California Hastings in San Francisco questioned around 200 men and women in their late 20s on reasons for and against moving in with a partner.

Women volunteered love as a reason to live together three times as often as men. But men mentioned sex four times more often than the women.

When asked about the biggest disadvantages of cohabiting, women said they were concerned it had less legitimacy than marriage.

But men were more worried that it signalled an end to their bachelor lifestyle.

Professor Huang said: ‘Some men expressed remorse over the loss of future sexual opportunities with other women. Men and women may well be entering cohabitation with different levels of commitment. Woman may want marriage and men may just want to "rent" one.’

Dr Pauline Rennie-Peyton, a psychologist specialising in relationship problems, said: ‘Living with someone is not necessarily a commitment. If women think it’s a stepping stone to marriage, then they need to be clear about it from the beginning.’

-Daily Telegraph

Heartbroken dog dies after seeing his master killed in action..!!!

2011-03-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

Heartbroken dog dies after seeing his master killed in action

We know that the dog is man's best friend and that a dog is most often the saviour of humans in war ravaged areas. One could not help but be amazed at the courage of military and police dogs that run during gunfire and save people, walk on explosives and find them, or spot enemies.

Thousands of military and police dogs are working all over the world in war-affected areas, including Sri Lanka. A heartbreaking story emerged recently from a war zone, about an unusual true love between a soldier and his military dog.

The British Military working Dog Regiment plays a key role in counter insurgency and improvised explosive device (IED) detection; searching and helping to clear routes, buildings and vehicles in Afghanistan and helping to guard and patrol key installations to assist and enhance security.

United in death: Lance Corporal Liam Tasker with his dog Theo. They died within hours of each other. Both their bodies are to be paraded together through the streets as a hero’s farewell.

It also provides a range of other capabilities wherever its skilled force is needed in the rest of the world.

This regiment comprises 284 soldiers and officers and about 200 dogs. While the number of American Military dogs working in Afghanistan is about 50.

Army dog handler Liam Tasker, a Lance Corporal in the British army, was said to be inseparable from his 22-month-old spaniel, Theo. Liam Tasker was shot dead while on patrol north of Nahr-e-Saraj in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

Theo, who was trained to search for bombs, survived but, seeing his handler dying, on returning to the British base at Camp Bastion, died of a brokenheart.The two best friends were united in death through tragedy.

The dog and the soldier were stars in the Army, as they had uncovered 14 home-made bombs and hoards of weapons in just five months - a record for a dog and his handler in the conflict.

The 26-year-old soldier recently spoke about his friendship with Theo to the Ministry of Defence website saying: 'I love my job and working together with Theo. He has a great character and never tires, he can't wait to get out and do his job and will stop at nothing.'

Theo has always been the 'front man' in Army missions, sniffing out any hidden IEDs, weapons and bomb-making equipment.

The British military also has released a statement saying that Theo's and L/Cpl Tasker's work have helped save thousands of lives.

Recently they took part in a mission in the Nahr-e-Saraj district in Helmand, but a shooting broke out with the Taliban and L/Cpl Tasker was shot dead.

After his body was flown back to Camp Bastion, his beloved Theo, who was healthy and strong is thought to have died of a broken heart (from a heart attack.).

L/Cpl Tasker joined the Army in 2001 as a vehicle mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers but after learning about the dog unit and seeing a video of them in action, the animal lover transferred to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in 2007.

He has spent 15 weeks on a handlers' course with Theo, where they learned to work as a team and developed their bond.

Theo was very successful at detecting explosives and his tour of duty at the war zone was due to be finished in a month.

Unfortunately, neither he nor his handler ever could leave Afghanistan alive.Animals like Theo save thousands of lives around the world. One could not help but pay tribute to such noble animal heroes that save the lives of cruel and flawed humans.

- Chamari Senanayake

sundayobserver.lk

Ex.husband with an ulterior motive - to get rid of his ex-wife Shanthini who had divorced him in India.!!!

2011-03-12T14:54:00.000-08:00

Husband’s white van ploy backfires in wife’s killing
*Suspects apprehended due to timely detection by Security Forces

*Attempt to discredit Government thwarted

By Ananth PALAKIDNAR

With the end of the three -decade conflict, a large number of Tamils living abroad is arriving daily to see their native places in the Jaffna peninsula.

Most of the Tamil expatriates are returning to their birthplace to renew their relationship with their kith and kin and to assess the state of their assets which had due to the three- decades of terror that gripped the country.

Tamil expatriates
The current influx of Tamil expatriates into the peninsula has created an atmosphere of family reunion and healthy interactions among foreign returnees and their friends and relatives in the region.

Unlike the other returnees, forty-two-year-old Selvathurai Kuhadhas came to his native home town Chavakachcheri in Jaffna a few weeks ago with an ulterior motive - to get rid of his ex-wife Shanthini who had divorced him in India, three years ago.

Kuhadhas and Shanthini have a fifteen-year-old son, Ruban who lived with his mother most of the time when his father was in Canada. Shanthini and her son Ruban were in South India until she got her divorce from Kuhadhas.

An alleged extra marital affair Kuhadhas developed with his brother’s wife’s sister, is believed to have led to the divorce between Kuhadhas and Shanthini.

Since the break-up of his marriage, Kuhadhas was planning to take the woman whom he was involved with to Canada.

Returned
A few weeks ago, Kuhadhas who is said to be a qualified engineer returned to Colombo from Canada with a malicious plan to fulfil his intention of taking the woman whom he was involved with him to Canada and to acquire the assets he and Shanthini owned before their divorce.

Soon after arrival in Colombo, Kuhadhas got in touch with a person called Raja who is alleged to have links with the underworld.

Driver of the white van, Raja

Kuhadhas’s plan to kill his wife was two-pronged. He had worked it out with his new-found allies in Colombo to execute it in such a way in order to get rid of his wife on the one hand and to create an impression on the other, that the killing was committed by the Security Forces, he used the `white van’ ploy to abduct Shanthini.

To go ahead with his plan Kuhadhas had hired a white coloured van bearing the number 253-3852. He obtained the van in Wellawatte, Colombo.

With the end of the conflict in the North certain vicious elements spearheaded rumours to discredit the Security Forces saying that `white vans’ were used by them to abduct civilians. However, the Security Forces Command in Jaffna had countered these vicious rumours on several occasions in the past and even apprehended criminals who were involved in criminal activity by creating an adverse impression on the Security Forces personnel in the North. But Kuhadhas who was not aware about the precautionary measures and the alertness of the Security Forces personnel in the North, embarked on his `crafty’ plan by using a `white van’ which he had hired from Colombo.

On that fateful day on March 6, Sunday he went to his ex-wife Shanthini’s house in Meesalai East in the Chavakachcheri district.

Kuhadhas got down from the van and dragged Shanthini and their son Ruban forcibly into the van.

Cries raised
Despite the cries raised by the neighbourhood, Kuhadhas’s `white van’ whisked the two victims and disappeared from the scene. The incident took place around 3.30 pm.

Shanthini’s neighbours who attempted to prevent the abduction had rushed to the Chavakachcheri police and made a complaint about the incident.

Police then alerted the 523 Brigade and got into action immediately along with troops of the Brigade.

Within a couple of hours, the Security Forces personnel were able to locate the place where Shanthini was hidden by Kuhadhas.

However, the Security Forces personnel were only able to recover Shanthini’s body which was brutally disfigured and partly buried in the compound of a deserted house near a temple in an isolated place called Kirampuvil in Chavakachcheri.

It has been found that Kuhadhas had used a bicycle chain to strangle Shanthini’s neck to kill her. Before strangling Shanthini, he had brutally disfigured her face beyond identification.

The Security Forces personnel and the police who continued with the search operation, later found Shanthini’s son Ruban at a lodge near the Jaffna Government Secretariat. The owners of the lodge who have been taken into custody have told police that Ruban was brought there by his father Kuhadhas.

Ruban, son of Kuhadhas and Shanthini

The Security Forces personnel who continued with the search operation later apprehended the suspect, the `white van’ he had hired in Colombo and its driver Raja.

Apprehended
The woman suspected to be involved with Kuhadhas has been apprehended by police and is in remand custody.

Meanwhile, District Judge of Chavakachcheri C. Ganesharaja visited the scene of the crime and ordered the suspects to be remanded till March 18.

Swift and timely action by the Security Forces have prevented the suspect fleeing from the Peninsula and thrashed the sinister motives of the suspect.

A senior attorney-at-law and first woman President’s Counsel in Jaffna, Ms. Shantha Abimanyu recently commenting on the present State of the social structure of the Jaffna Peninsula regretted that marriage and divorce rates in the region were now on the increase among young couples.

“We never heard of this in the past.

Jaffna was a highly cultured and conservative society.

The people were very spiritual, academically sound and did not give room to problems and divorce and separation were taboo sjubejcts.

Apart from the effects of the three decades of conflict in the North, foreign influence and new-rich tendencies have made inroads into the social structure of present day Jaffna,” Shantha Abimanyu said.

Reports from countries where Lankan Tamil expatriates live also indicate that the divorce rate and domestic violence among families were on the increase.

Some Civil Society members in the Jaffna peninsula commenting on last week’s horror in Chavakachcheri said that the incident had instilled fear on the social structure of Jaffna society which is likely to be influenced by the fast track lifestyles of these elements with all types of notoriety.

sundayobserver.lk

There has been a sharp increase in child molestations the world over..!!!

2011-03-12T14:51:00.001-08:00

Facebook, an open sesame for child molesters ?
by Omar RAJARATHNAM

There has been a sharp increase in child molestations the world over to ascertain what it was like in the city, the Sunday Observer interviewed a cross section of youngsters and met a girl who was willing to recount her bitter experience about her childhood. Her identity has been withheld.

This now grown up girl said that she was fond of her paternal uncle (Ravi) because he regaled her with amusing anecdates. "He narrated jokes and I used to sit and laugh out loud until one day he attempted to touch me. I felt like the doors of joy just closed on me for eternity. Those funny moments I shared were taken over by inexplicable confusion, a feeling that she still finds difficult to come to terms with after the six- year-long molestation which ended nearly eight years ago.

Aged 24 now the girl is working for a reputed organisation, but was shocked beyond words recently to see her uncle having a "Facebook" profile that had a list of friends who were not familiar to many family members, a situation which she thinks can make many other young girls fall prey to his tactics." I do not want another innocent child to fall victim to this man. These children will not talk to their parents about the trauma they have undergone because of the simple reason of confronting an adult.

Facts are stubborn says, Chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), Anoma Dissanayake as they have evidence that almost 92 percent of reported molestation cases are where a known relative is the culprit, a figure that is extremely high. Children are not willing to talk about it to their parents because it is considered taboo."We are in the habit of disregarding what children say, I call upon all parents to ask their children to bring it to the notice of any other adult so that appropriate measures can be taken. This could be an uncle, aunty, cousin, neighbour or grandparents. No one should touch a child in a manner which makes them physically or virtually uncomfortable through inappropriate cyber activity" she said.

Facebook or other social networking sites such as Hi5, Twitter and dating websites does not have a method of verifying the age of subscribers and local technology is not equipped to provide sufficient parental control methods either, if the facility to control is ever introduced, there is enough software available for downloading on the internet to unlock the restriction.

Even a six-year-old child can enter a manipulated date of birth and have access to the site impersonating someone else. A paedophile can follow the same method to have access to a child too. A fake profile can be set within a matter of seconds and the first friend request he sends your child can be the foundation to the destruction of their childhood. "Why can't parents be more vigilant" asks Anoma,"If parents are not responsible of what they are up to on the internet then who is"? she queries.

All parents must be applauded for working hard to provide their children with a good education and any facilities they may like to have as a child, but can they justify compromising the child's sexual safety to provide all the luxuries that are expected when a child is small?

"I am a mother of three children, I know the difficulty in striking a balance between a job and family life, but no excuse can be given for negligence on the part of parents. As parents it is our duty to ensure and provide children sufficient security. Most children know that they will be uninterrupted from 7-9pm because mothers are busy watching television serials. This is the time children can get up to anything on the internet. This way they are being a given guaranteed two hours to satisfy their curiosities. Keep the desktop in the house in the most prominent and public place, why should children be alone opposite a computer. If they are not up to mischief they can always surf the net or do whatever they want in the presence of other elders. There is nothing wrong in parents being curious about their child for their own safety," says Anoma.

Popular shopping malls in Colombo are very popular for strange meetings too, many opt to meet in these airconditioned malls these days instead of Galle Face or any other open park. The public toilets in these malls only have Janitors who charge shoppers before they enter them but the Sunday Observer learns that these cubicles are now being used for sexual activity by offeing a bribe of a mere Rs 20, making it a convenient location for child molesters to misuse children that they meet on social networking sites or otherwise. There are thousands of children who meet in these places and the lack of vigilance means that they too run the risk of being subject to some type of molestation. The situation is dangerous but the NCPA is not unaware of the extent of the damage it has caused and no official complaints have been made", Anoma Dissanayake said.

"Since our 24-hour-child line 1929, was set up on July 22, 2010, we have received 26,929 calls up to February 28, 2011 of which we lodged 3,694 complaints and action was taken against the perpetrators. I call upon the public to be extra vigilant too, although parents must be held accountable for their children, it is our social responsibility to safeguard all children, make use of our help line and we will do all in our power to stop these acts" she said.

Although an authority could take action against a fugitive as a reactive measure, we certainly need to focus on having proactive strategies to fight child molestation too. Be it cyber molestation or physical molestation, the time taken from the authorities being informed to them reporting to the scene, is ample for the culprit to finish his task. The offender might be taken to Court or convicted, but a lost childhood means irreparable damage to adulthood.

sundayobserver.lk

When it comes to substance abuse, girls appear to have a positive effect on boys, but boys have a negative effect on girls.!!!

2011-03-12T05:59:00.001-08:00

Teen boys benefit from female friends, but reverse is not true: study
March 11, 2011, 7:21 pm

Parents of teen girls who fret over the intensification of girl culture have every reason to wish for a little co-ed influence in their daughters’ lives. But a new study suggests they should be careful what they wish for.
In a new wrinkle to the common wisdom that peers have a big impact on behaviour, it turns out that male and female peers can operate very differently.

When it comes to substance abuse, girls appear to have a positive effect on boys, but boys have a negative effect on girls.

Girls who initiate friendships with boys in early adolescence are more likely to develop substance-abuse problems later in their teens, compared to the boys and girls who initiate those friendships later, according to new research by François Poulin of the University of Quebec at Montreal.

His study appears in the current Journal of Research on Adolescence.

Prof. Poulin and his colleagues followed about 400 adolescents (58 per cent of them girls) aged 12 to 18 for seven years, and regularly asked them about their friendships and their use of alcohol and drugs.

He found that unlike girls with male friends, boys who become friends with girls in early adolescence were not more likely to develop substance-use problems as older teens.

The reason? It may, paradoxically, have something to do with the emotional support girls offer. Boys who are friends with girls benefit; the girls lose out.

"Boys reported receiving higher levels of emotional support from their other-sex friends, whereas girls receive more support from their same-sex friends," Prof. Poulin said in a statement. "It is possible that having other-sex friends is protective for boys because they gain emotional support and are therefore less likely to engage in problem behaviour."

Among girls, antisocial behaviour and early puberty were also linked to the increase in the proportion of male friends they had. (G&M)

DAD-SON RELATIONSHIP IS UNDEFINEABLE! UNEXPLAINABLE! UNFORGETTABLE! OH!

2011-03-03T00:49:00.000-08:00

OH MY DAD! WHAT A LOVE YOU SHOWED ME! WHAT A CARE YOU TOOK ABOUT ME!
YOUR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! UNAVOIDABLE ADVICES! UNVALUABLE FRIENDSHIP!
ALL TOUCHING MY HEART! EVENTHOUGH WE FIGHT SOMETIMES,YOU MY BEST FRIEND!
YOU NEVER LET ME DOWN FROM CHILDHOOD! YOU DEFENDED ME UNTIL LASTMOMENT!
I SAY THANK YOU DAD! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!THIS IS THE UNIVERSAL WORD! VOICE!
DAD-SON RELATIONSHIP IS UNDEFINEABLE! UNEXPLAINABLE! UNFORGETTABLE! OH!
I REMEMBER YOUR PASSION & COMPASSION TOWARDS FELLOW HUMANS & NATURE!
I MISS YOU DAD! I ALWAYS DO UNTIL I GET INTO MY COFFIN! THAT IS A UNISERSAL BOND!

SHAN NALLIAH, NORWAY
http://worldtamilsocialforum.blogspot.com

NOTE:
OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES TO OUR BATCH-MATE:SIVAPATHAM JEYARATNAM'S FAMILY & FRIENDS REGARDING HIS FATHER:SIVAPATHAM'S DEATH AT NSW IN AUSTRALIA ON 03.03.2011.
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE! UNDER THE FEET OF GOD SHIVA OF UNIVERSE DURING THE HOLYNIGHT OF SHIVARATHRI/SHIVA NIGHT.!!!

The Hindu : Opinion / Open Page : MBAs, you can learn from Mani Mama, the master chef

2011-02-28T06:09:00.000-08:00

The Hindu : Opinion / Open Page : MBAs, you can learn from Mani Mama, the master chef

Golden rules for happiness,,,,!!!

2010-12-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

Golden rules for happiness

It is very important for us to secure happy life (married or unmarried). Even if a sacrifice is made for the benefit of others you should be happy (for example blood donation).

An employee who is sincere in his work earns job satisfaction and make his life interesting.

Money, social status, high positions, comforts etc are not the symbols of happiness. As the time goes on, they lose their glamour. It could be seen that people from low-income group are happy as their expectations are low and limited. On the contrary, even millionaires are not happy as they have ever-increasing urge which results in mental depression.

They take liquor, smoke, narcotic drugs etc, to control mental depression. Some commit suicide also.

I quote below seven golden rules to secure happiness.

Balanced life
Money is not everything though its importance could not be denied. Healthy life is better than wealthy life as you could enjoy the comforts earned by you. Adequate exercise, good eating habbits, proper rest (both body and mind) sound sleep, meditation, avoidance of liquor, smoke, drugs, fatty animal foods, unsafe sex etc. make your life interesting. Create a good sense of humour which is very important. Laughter is the best medicine.

Illegal matters
Never get involved in illegal matters. Dealing in smuggled goods, bribery, forgery, frauds etc have to be avoided. Tax evasion is also a criminal offence. A fear would be planted in your mind and to escape from legal consequence you may get involved further.

Goodwill earned by you for the past several years will vanish and your image would be tarnished. Have a clear and open mind when approaching your problems.

Clear conscious
Please be true to yourself. Do not betray your own mind. Take decisions after consulting others, experts etc if necessary. But decision-making should be in your hands with a clear mind.

Past mistakes
Never regret for the past mistakes. You may have missed good education, job opportunities, good habits etc in the past. Once you realize your mistakes please take corrective actions and create a new life. It is better to light a candle than cursing the dark forever.

Affection
Please show more affection than what you receive from others. Kindly look after your employees, family members, parents and those who depend on your assistance. This attitude itself creates happiness.

Enjoying
Whenever you have opportunities please enjoy in a proper way which makes others also happy. Share your pleasure with others. They say in India, Punjabis enjoy their life the most as they always have celebrations. New year, weddings, birthday festivals etc. They wait for an opportunity to celebrate. This is the secret of their happiness. A smiling face is equal to thousand roses.

Expectations
Please give more than what is expected from you. It need not be money but includes services as well. In your workplace your output should be more than what is expected from you. It gives job satisfaction and secures positions, increments etc. Spend some time on charity.

You could visit an orphanage regularly and look after the inmates by offering meals, sweets, clothes and entertainments.

Late John F Kennedy once said "Do not think what America can do for you but think of what you can do for America". Please be a patriotic by an action and not by your words only.

Once you leave this world, people could fondly remember your good deeds and definitely not your money. It is better to do a service to all and be happy.

I sincerely believe that this message is acceptable to all concerned.

I look forward a happy and prosperous Sri Lanka 2011.

S R Balachandran

Council Member

The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka

DAILYNEWS.LK

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children.!!!

2010-12-15T01:53:00.000-08:00

Nalayini THARMARAJ,B.Sc.AGRIC,...AUSTRALIA

GOD CREATED CHILDREN (AND IN THE PROCESS GRANDCHILDREN)

To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students... here is something to make you chuckle. Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was

' DON'T !'

'Don't what ?' Adam replied.
'Don't eat the forbidden fruit.' God said.
'Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit?'
'Hey Eve..we have forbidden fruit! '

'No way! '
'Yes way! '
'Do NOT eat the fruit! ' said God.

'Why ? '
'Because I am your Father and I said so ! ' God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants.

A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked!

'Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit? ' God asked.

'Uh huh,' Adam replied.

'Then why did you? 'said the Father.

'I don't know,' said Eve.
'She started it! 'Adam said.
'Did not! '
'Did too! '
'DID NOT! '

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own.
Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself.

If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT!

1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.

2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own children.

3. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.

4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said .

5. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own .

6. We childproofed our homes, but they are still getting in.

ADVICE FOR THE DAY:

Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home one day.

AND FINALLY:

IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TENSION AND YOU GET A HEADACHE, DO WHAT IT SAYS ON THE ASPIRIN BOTTLE:

'TAKE TWO ASPIRIN' AND 'KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN'!!!!!

JOKES FROM....SRILANKA..!!!

2010-10-23T23:34:00.000-07:00

From: Bas Baskaran
Date: Sun, Oct 24, 2010 at 3:24 AM
Subject: Enjoy .....!!!
To: chelvadurai@gmail.com

AMDA RETURNS
Boss: Where were you born?
Amda: Sri Lanka ..
Boss: which part?
Amda: What 'which part'? Whole body was born in Sri Lanka .

2 Amda were fixing a bomb in a car.
Amda 1: What would you do if the bomb
explodes while fixing.
Amda 2: Dont worry, I have one more.

Amda: What is the name of your car?
Lady: I forgot the name, but is starts with 'T'.
Amda: Oh, what a strange car, starts with Tea. All cars that I know start with petrol.

Amda joined new job. 1st day he worked till late evening on the computer. Boss was happy and asked what you did till evening.
Amda: Keyboard alphabets were not in order, so I made it alright.

Museum Administrator: That's a 500-year-old statue u've broken..
Amda: Thanks God! I thought it was a new one.

At the scene of an accident a man was crying: O God! I have lost my hand, oh!
Amda: Control yourself. Don't cry. See that man. He has lost his head. Is he crying?

Amda: U cheated me.
Shopkeeper: No, I sold a good radio to u.
Amda: Radio label shows Made in Japan but radio says this is 'Radio Ceylon! '

NOW THE LAST TWO ULTIMATE:
In an interview, Interviewer: How does an electric motor run?
Amda: Dhhuuuurrrrrrrrrr. .....
Inteviewer shouts: Stop it.
Amda: Dhhuurrrr dhup dhup dhup....

Tourist: Whose skeleton is that?
Amda: An old king's skeleton.
Tourist: Who's that smaller skeleton next to it?
Amda: That was same king's skeleton when he was a child.

Survey conducted by local charity 'Bio Parents Locate' in Colombo, revealed that over 35,000 SL-children are being adopted by foreigners.!!!

2010-10-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

Lankan-born children meet biological parents here
by Ananda KANNANGARA

Gunawathi and daughter Kristina Somalatha

Although a close rapport between children and parents should exist we hear of incidents where mothers abandon their children at bus halts, hospitals, under lamp posts and by the side of roads. Some parents throw their infants into rivers, while others send their children into employment at a tender age.

Some parents give their children away for adoption to foreign nationals.

A recent survey conducted by a newly formed local charity 'Bio Parents Locate' in Colombo, revealed that over 35,000 Sri Lankan children are currently being adopted by foreign nationals.

According to many adopted children who contacted Bio Parents Locate via internet and the website, they were given away to foreign foster parents by their biological parents in Sri Lanka at a tender age.

President, Bio Parents Locate, Dr. Rohan Ratnayake in an interview with the Sunday Observer said the main objective of forming the association was to facilitate the adopted Sri Lankan children to locate their biological parents in Sri Lanka and also to facilitate the biological parents to locate their children given in adoption, years ago. The association has received over 35,000 requests from Sri Lankan children in foreign countries such as Norway, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany and Holland to locate their parents in Sri Lanka.

Kristina Somalatha, husband Palsson Magnus and their daughter

Kristina feeds her mother a piece of milk rice

Dr. Rohan Ratnayake and Ariyasiri Arangallage

Kristina Somalatha with her family and relations at Bulathkohupitiya
'Bio parents locate' Treasurer, Ariyasiri Arangallage said the Association was formed two months ago. During this short period they were able to reconnect eight Sri Lankan children who are presently in foreign countries with their biological parents in Sri Lanka. "Our Association is a Colombo based international non profit charity. It was established under the Companies Act No. 7 of 2007 with the aim of assisting adopted Sri Lankan children to locate their bio parents here,"

He said judges, doctors, engineers, lecturers, lawyers and owners of business enterprises are the prominent members of the association and they financially help the association to carry out its activities. Many of their attempts in the search for biological parents here were not successful due to lack of proper information given by the children on their parents. A recent visit was made by a media team to Bulathkohupitiya in the Sabaragamuwa Province to meet two Swedes of Sri Lankan origin, (a female and a male) who met their biological parents and also relatives.

The story of W.D. Gunawathi (56) of Palanpitiya at Bulathkohupitiya is pathetic. When she was 26-years-old she had an affair with a man in the area and had given a birth to a baby girl without being legally married.

"Four months into my pregnancy, he left me for no reason and after the baby Somalatha (now Kristina) was born I faced numerous difficulties.

I had to work at a house in Ratmalana and a Swedish couple who visited the house requested me to give Somalatha who was only four-years-old at that time for adoption," she said.

Although at first she refused to part with the baby, during their second visit to Sri Lanka she changed her mind and gave the child for adoption.

Somalatha who born on May 5, 1976 is now 33 years old. She was named Kristina Somalatha by her adopted parents. She is employed in a travel agency in Sweden.

"I went on the internet and informed Bio Parents Locate and found my parents after 32 years.", Kristina said.

"I met my husband Palsson Magnus (36 years) who is a Technical Engineer in Physics in Sweden. My foster parents in Sweden are divorced. My husband and I have a baby girl,"

Krishantha now Peter Martensson (30) of Moratuwa said that his mother died and he was given away for adoption to the Good Shepherd Convent, Dehiwela when he was only four months old.

"Thereafter, I was taken away by my foster parents to Sweden. I presently live in Gothenborg, Sweden"

He had his entire education was in Sweden and he is now employed as a marketing co-ordinator,"

"I came to Sri Lanka in 2006, but I couldn't get the accurate details of my parents, However, now I have found some of my relations in Moratuwa," he said.

He is unmarried and wishes to marry either a Swedish or a Sri Lankan girl,"

Bio Parents Locate Secretary, Dharshani Dissanayake requested any Sri Lankan parents or Sri Lankan children adopted by foreigners to contact their organisation.

She said informations received by them will not be disclosed to a third party and they assure 100 percent confidentiality.

She also thanked the Sri Lankan Government for their assistance extended towards the organisation.

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2010 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Facebook has reached 500 million users and growing. Its meteorite rise entwined a collective web culture that has blossomed.!!!

2010-09-09T04:52:00.000-07:00

Facebook users click to connect cheerfully....Philip Fernando

Facebook has reached 500 million users and growing. Its meteorite rise entwined a collective web culture that has blossomed. Eloquently put, millions on-line are telling each other “we felt blessed meeting you.”

Born : May 14, 1984 (age 26)

Nationality: American

Occupation : Co-founder, CEO & President of Facebook

Facebook’s co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook posted more than 30 billion photographs, links to Web sites and news articles to be shared through the site. Every month its members spent roughly 700 billion minutes there, a favourite ‘place’ to hangout for those wearing their interests on their sleeves. No whispered scenarios here-everything is in the open.

The first movie on Facebook titled ‘Social Network’ would be in the theatres on October 1. The founders reportedly had several meetings negotiating strategies trying to get their input unscathed.

Birthdays, weddings, graduations, promotions, anniversaries and such personal events are gobbled up like hot cakes by online users every minute. Photos and personal info are exchanged and the chitchats generated an inexorable swap of pleasantries about family doings.

Over 1.7 million Sri Lankans use the Internet and over a third joined the Facebook. In Canada, USA and Scandinavian countries over 40 percent are avid members of the site.

Facebook has commanded serious attention - social values are being shaped in many ways as people exchange ideas. The climb from a few hundred, mostly in Harvard dormitories initially to half a billion had energized others like Google, Apple, Yahoo and Microsoft to woo web users frenziedly.

Facebook’s co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his ex-Harvard friends have changed people’s perspectives with a pro-active devotedness to make them share more information with each other.

It is a cultural force shaping our collective ethos. Even if you have no desire to ever set up a profile in the Facebook, you can’t ignore it and you are now oddly defined in the negative and left out of the zeitgeist-the German term for the world of normal happenings.

Collective conscience
Collective consciousness was a term coined by the French sociologist Emile Durkheim hundred years ago to refer to the shared beliefs and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within society.

Many called it collective conscience as a superior translation in part due to the busy association of the word ‘consciousness’ with both Marxist and Freudian thought. It undoubtedly connoted a concept preeminently embedded in sentiments and representations close to the heart.

Sri Lankans are familiar with the concept of consciousness expressed as a way of sharing, something that seemed second nature to most of them.

Those in the West are striving to a grasp consciousness in the context of representations of arguments, circumstances and feelings. Some try to provide almost a sexual connotation to consciousness.

Fuller consciousness
Some have called Facebook an attempt to reinvent full blown consciousness as depicted by appreciation of friendship, charm, marriage, separation, fidelity, even licentious behaviour in order to depict life’s diversity in all its traits.

Behind that is the use of situations, scenes, images and ideas as vehicles towards reaching the higher understanding of human nature: the self and society. It is the sharing of the new language of body that employs a full exposure of body and mind.

Physicality in 3D
Exchanging photos and personal news indicate closeness or physicality which transcends mere conversation through a telephone call. Most users are enamoured by the ability to be expressive. Facebook has overcome the vicissitudes of web-connections by cutting through the complex alignments.

Net users are notoriously fickle and the web’s short history showed that sites that were once prospering have either since died (Geocities), lost their luster (Yahoo) or faded into irrelevance (Friendster). Facebook has reached a high level and even if it had reached a plateau it would not disappear soon.

The changes in perspectives take their course slowly creating a new world with power of minds and hearts.

It is followed with a passion and joy that encompass kind words, smiles and prayer: social activism via websites marked by random acts of kindness expressing ourselves through special ways, gifts and talents.

Some have philosophized that it was slow work but gained momentum when meticulously pursued like the formation of mountains, not even visible at first glance. And yet with it entire tectonic plates knitted together to form a wholesome landscape - a growing mass of inter-social habitat. .

Could the Facebook lose it in one sweep? There are competitors in college dorms knocking out computer code with a vengeance. Some sites have appeared: OneSocialWeb, the Appleseed Project and WebFinger, the same way the Facebook began.

From the abode they called home, people seemed poised to become the coordinators of social networking - where their social profile lives wherever they want it to (as your e-mail does) and can interact with any other profile around the net, on their own terms.

While it sounds far-fetched, studies suggested that people are as happy with the Facebook as they are with their morning cup of tea, even if they do find it similarly indispensable, that is no surprise.

dailynews.lk

Every Social Problem Needs a Solution,But a practical solution can be arrived only through an intelligent understanding of nature,extent & rootcauses!

2010-08-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

Beg to live or live to beg?
Lionel Wijesiri

Every social problem that we encounter demands a solution, but a practical solution can be arrived at only through an intelligent understanding of the nature, extent and root causes of the problem.

Beggary has become a social problem

The beggar question is no exception to this rule. While the beggar in Sri Lanka has always been an object of charitable attention, the problem as such has seldom been a subject of rigid scientific inquiry.

Of course, there have been a few local studies, (for example, Professor Nandasena Ratnapala’s ‘The Beggar in Sri Lanka,’) but no definite research has been conducted on the problem in its entirety and proper perspective.

In 2006, Social Services Department of the Social Service and Social Welfare Ministry conducted a research study titled, ‘Action Research on Social Integration of Street People in Colombo City’.

The University of Sri Jayewardenepura and University of Colombo also made a couple of research studies during the past few years.

Conservative figures indicate that from 55,000 beggars in Sri Lanka in 1995, it has risen to 85,000 at present. A recent study done by a research group of the Colombo University has revealed that 79 per cent beggars in Sri Lanka are physically sound and most of them are free of chronic diseases. Nearly half of them are against granting houses or lands for them to settle in and nearly 84 per cent are against providing them an employment while 90 per cent are against social benefits.

These are startling revelations and truly projects the behind-the -screen picture of the problem.

It is obvious that, beggary has become a social problem of great magnitude and grave concern in Sri Lanka. Begging is no longer limited to a few stray beggars driven to seeking alms as a last resort. It has become a profession for some, a way of life for others, and more horrific still, a lucrative racket for unscrupulous and ruthless operators, who have spawned a virtual ‘beggar mafia’, using destitute and helpless as commodities.

Performers
Present beggars of Sri Lanka are much superior to their previous generations. In simple words, we can say that they have brought corporate professionalism in their jobs. In some of the big cities turnover from the begging is millions of rupees every day and number of big shotguns of the society are managing this business.

It is very easy to see these beggars performing various new and old tricks for begging in buses, busy markets, and parks and around public places.

Some of the beggars of Sri Lanka are so intelligent that they use all kinds of the psychological and emotional tricks to make people feel sympathetic towards them. It is said that an average beggar earns around rupees 500 per day and some expert ‘professional’ even fetch a four-figure income.

There is American word known as panhandle, which means ‘beg by accosting people in the street and asking for money.’ There is also “aggressive panhandling.” Its definition may vary. In the USA, aggressive panhandling generally involves the solicitation of donations in an intimidating or intrusive manner.

Examples may include, extending the head and both arms, or even the hand, into a car window to solicit, approaching individuals from behind, as they are exiting their vehicles, to solicit, refusing to take “No” for an answer or following an individual, soliciting near Super markets, Banks etc. It is quite obvious that what we find here in Sri Lanka most of the time belongs to this aggressive panhandling.

Due to these reasons, in most of the advanced countries in the world begging in public is restricted. For example, in many provinces in Canada, the Safe Streets Act has been introduced to restrict specific kinds of begging.

In 2001 this law survived a court challenge under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The law was further upheld by the Court of Appeal for Ontario in January 2007.

In many larger cities in the USA, panhandling has been banned.

In May 2010, police in the city of Boston started cracking down on panhandling in the streets, and were conducting an educational outreach to residents advising them not to give to panhandlers. In the UK, begging is illegal under the Vagrancy Act. In Japan begging is illegal under the Article 1, 22 of Minor Offense Law.

Impact on Tourism
Meanwhile, the Tourist agencies maintain that the increase in beggars will have a negative impact on the tourist industry.

While the industry, at present, is on an upward trend, begging from tourists has increased proportionately, with the increase in beggars, which tourist experts say will have a negative impact on the growing industry. Begging will also give rise to yet another deadly phenomenon - the sexual abuse of children by tourists, which has an impact on child prostitution in the country, Tourist agencies add.

They say that these children are ‘hired’ at a price and the ‘agents’ who are go-betweens of the parents and the foreigners, make huge profits.

Solution
Beggary can be practically eliminated or at least controlled to a great extent if there is will and determination to do so. The Government must stop the farce and act to bring about real change on ground. The important steps in these would be creating awareness among the public, building the necessary infrastructure, and by appreciating the links between poverty, unemployment, disabilities, destitution and beggary, and devising suitable solutions.

Distinguish destitution from professional beggary

The present system makes no effort to distinguish destitution from beggary. Quite a few of the beggars are old aged and physically disabled.

Treating all beggars as criminals does not help. Only the lazy and the professional may be subjected to Correctional sentences.

We should have full sympathy with people hit by bad circumstances but zero tolerance to professional money-makers through begging.

The public and government have to think very seriously about methods of providing relief to the abandoned (supportless) old aged citizens, presently without any social security. The approach of the system should be supportive and corrective. It should be sympathetic to the whole issue of destitution and must alleviate the condition of citizens slipped into destitution.

Raise/Widen the security net
There should be a social safety net to provide relief and rehabilitation to sections of society or individuals struck by misfortunes in their lives, calamities, handicaps, disabilities or familial, social or economic trauma.

The government along with the civil society has to take comprehensive steps to provide these strata the basic amenities and alternative life support systems so that they can also be discouraged from begging and thereby have their share in the development of the country.

Eliminate escape avenues
Offenders who have made begging a profession have to be punished by making them work. Simply putting them behind bars is not going to make an effect on them. Innovative ways like employing the inmates in maintenance of gardens, roads, and upkeep of civic amenities.

Educate citizens
Steps must be taken to educate people not to help beggars in the wrong direction by giving them alms. The authorities should organise sensitising programmes for the citizens, police, and in schools and issue messages through Hoardings, Newspapers, Internet, and other mass media.

Most of us would not like to accept it, but the cause for the pathetic situation of beggary lies on us. We, as citizens, have failed in three ways : 1., in not holding the administration accountable for so long a period; 2., in encouraging beggary by providing alms even while a relief system is in force. 3., by failing to debate and push establishment of a broader destitute relief and rehabilitation system and Social Security mechanism.

It’s time we wake up from our slumber.

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2010 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

The majority of the Tamils never forgets or overlooks their language and their rites, rituals, customs & manners. The Sinhala Buddhists waste...!!!

2010-08-01T18:22:00.001-07:00

News

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Growing old causes heartache
By Galaboda Siri Gnanissara Nayaka Maha Thera (Podihamuduruwo – Gangaramaya)
Mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, beware of growing old! In Myanmar (former Burma) growing old is a reason for respect. The situation in Sri Lanka is totally different. Let me tell you an authentic story.

A gentleman, a driver by profession related as follows: "Venerable Sir, may you get much merit. My grandson is very young and just begun to lisp. He is not of school-going age. But, when he is angry, he calls me "Old Fellow". My only child is my daughter, my wife has passed away. I wondered how my grandson came to call me "you old fellow." It could have been acquired by him either from his mother or his father. I thought of a strategy. When I come home from work, I brought two toffees and gave him one and showed the other. My grandson then threatens me to get the other toffee and would call me "You dirty old fellow." I take delight in that expression because it gives my daughter and son-in-low a sharp pain."

Everyone should understand this situation. Even the state cannot prevent people growing old. If one tried, he can lead a healthy life. The Buddha’s word is "Arogya parama labha" (Health is the greatest benefit.) This was a sacred statement, uttered nearly 2500 years ago. Each one must look after one's self, so that one can attend to one's own task, until one passes away. Today, a situation has arisen when people cannot get their children to take care of them even if they are wealthy and educated.

Homes for the aged have mushroomed. But, how many can afford that? Do they not have the good fortune to get the support of their own children, raised by them? In "Vasala Sutta" (the Discourse on the Outcasts) several causes of downfall are given. One is the neglecting of one's aged parents. Parents amass wealth for their children without taking adequate food, undergoing much suffering. How many of the younger generation appreciate this suffering of parents? You have to look at both sides. It is no use raising children without inculcating in them a sense of virtue, values and responsibilities. All those who bring up children must keep this in mind. It is futile to curse or find fault with others.

The majority of the Tamils never forgets or overlooks their language and their rites, rituals, customs and manners. The Sinhala Buddhists waste a vast amount of money, for weddings, funerals, ceremonies, celebrations etc. The Teachings of the Buddha emphasize that falsehood, deception, pride etc. are negative qualities. The Buddhists are in the majority and should set an example to the other races and communities. What is meant by deference is treating all races, communities and followers of all religions, with equanimity. That is true felicitation. Felicitations held by collecting subscriptions are futile exercises.

Many are the occasions, when the Kings of this country, offered their land to the Venerable Brotherhood of Monks. This gesture enabled the Sacred Brotherhood of Monks to receive the respect and honour of the people of the country. Land, property, wealth etc. were offered to Sacred Monasteries, to enable the monks to perform their duties, without becoming helpless. Where there is contentment, simplicity, humility and a sense of charity, there is no downfall. There will be no lack of followers and admirers. This nation should live in utmost comfort. As one grows older that person should enjoy the assets and comforts with a sense of happiness. Charity should be practised not merely to show others, but with a conscience, truly and honestly.

In Europe e.g. the child is a treasure. Parents need not save for them. They have social security systems, Medicare facilities and Homes for the aged which are like luxury hotels. Since they have a systematic lifestyle they can lead their lives enjoying the assets they possess and be generous.

Today, millions of Rupees are needed to counter the illnesses and diseases that affect us. There is no awareness at all about Insurance Systems and Social Security measures. Even, where parents save for the children they do not have the good fortune to divide those amicably and live happily.

The parents have no way to divide their wealth among the children, while they live. This is due to excessive greed. People in our country today seem to lack the wisdom to understand what should be done and what should not be done.

Parents must clearly realize that the main reason why they do not receive the love and affection of their children is due to their own fault. They must instantly take steps to remedy this situation.

© Copyright 2010 | Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka.

Poisoning is the seventh top cause for deaths in Sri Lanka. In 2008 there were 63,742 cases of poisoning and 1,247 deaths.!!!

2010-05-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

Poison, seventh killer in Lanka
Nadira GUNATILLEKE

Poisoning is the seventh top cause for deaths in Sri Lanka. In 2008 there were 63,742 cases of poisoning and 1,247 deaths.

Around 70 percent of those poisoning was caused by drugs and other chemicals. Poisoning cause due to lack of knowledge and ignorance. This was revealed during a seminar at the Health Education Bureau recently. According to latest statistics issued during the seminar around 30 percent of the poisoning cases reported in 2008 were due to insecticides. Fifty eight persons out of the total number had died due to snake bites. According to the findings, the majority of the victims of poisoning are children and youth.

Children get poisoned due to the negligence of parents. Careless use of insecticides and excessive use of drugs cause most of the poisonings in rural areas.

The National Week on 'Poisoning Prevention' organised by the Health Ministry is being held from May 17 to 23 under the theme 'Let us take precautionary measures to prevent poisoning at home and in the community caused by ignorance.

dailynews.lk

Body language: how to encourage respect ...!!!

2010-04-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

Body language: how to encourage respect
By James Borg, leading expert in body language

What an unusual commodity respect is. It is almost impossible to quantify, and yet it forms a crucial part of most human interactions. It can be unclear what constitutes respect, beyond recognising the integrity of another individual.

Mostly, respect is engendered by self-respect. If you see that somebody is taking themselves seriously, then you are much more likely also to take them seriously, too. So with your body language you should concentrate on projecting your strong sense of self. Done successfully, this body language will let those around you relax in your company. Imagine you’re watching a play and the actor forgets his lines – it’s always fine as long as the actor has the confidence to deal with the situation.

Dress to impress

Nothing says "I command respect" like good dress sense. It doesn’t have to be flashy or showy – it’s not a catwalk – and clothes that are too outlandish can convey the sense that you don’t take yourself seriously. But if you are well turned out, many people will find it that much harder to dismiss you out of hand.

Be deliberate

Hold yourself well – straight back, chin up, deliberate arm gestures. Imagine what you look like from the outside – do you give off the impression that you are worried about being yourself? You can practise in the mirror – even if you’re put in a situation you’re terrified of, you can at least look like you know what you are doing. If you stand up, or change your posture, do so with an equal sense of purpose. Keep the palms of your hands facing outwards, and try to smile. It makes you seem friendly and open, which combined with confidence lets people respect you as being both approachable and self-assured.

Are you leaking respect?

Negative body language, or "leakage", is one of the most surefire ways to eradicate any respect you inspire in others. These little signals betray your insecurities, and let your audience know you are wavering or uncertain of what you are saying. Excessive fidgeting – particularly playing with your hair, face or clothes – is an obvious warning that our faith, or respect, might be misplaced. Particularly avoid covering your mouth or face with your hands; this is a classic gesture of nervousness, and indicates that you might be lying.

This is especially true if you fear you are in a position of weakness – raising an issue at work, such as a pay-rise or mistreatment by a boss, or dealing with an awkward social situation, like a break-up with a partner. When you need to be taken seriously, you need your body language to support the words you’re saying. Respect helps in every aspect of life: the right body language can help you go a long way to achieving it, professionally, socially and romantically.

(c) The Telegraph Group
London 2010

www island.lk

An inaugural International Tamil Sports Awards event was held at famous Brit Oval, London on 10-4- 2010 to recognise&reward the best sporting talents!

2010-04-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

International Tamil Sports Award Event held in London

2010-04-15

An inaugural International Tamil Sports Awards event was held at famous Brit Oval, London on 10th April 2010 to recognise and reward the best sporting talents within the British Tamil Diaspora Community.

Event was orgnised by Tamil School Sports Association (TSSA UK) the oldest Tamil Sports body in the UK, with the support of other leading Tamil Sports organisations with the vision of creating world renowned sports personnel and teams within the Tamil Community and contribute to world sports. President of TSSA, UK Mr. Arunachalam Thiruketheeswaran in his inaugural welcoming address claimed this event as the first of this kind within British Tamil Community and marks a beginning of a new era in Tamil Sports for the Tamil diaspora all over the world.

The event was attended by Hon. Minster Ms. Dawn Butler MP Minister for young Citizen and Youth engagement, British Parliamentarians, Sports personalities and Well wishers. In her key note address, the sports minister paid tribute to the enormous

contribution that Tamil Community made for the British Sports for the last many years and congratulated the finalists and the winners. She also praised the resilience of the Tamil Community and their thrive to create international sporting talents. She wished and hoped to see young British Tamil athlete in the forth coming London Olympics. She quoted lyrics of a powerful song,” The higher you build your barriers, The taller I become..” by Labi Siffre. The Minister referring the song, said, it is because your (Tamil Community) inside so strong I know that you can make it.

British Parliamentarians Barry Gardiner MP and Siobhain McDonagh MP also praised the mental focus and physical strength of young talents within the community and congratulated the finalists and event organisers. Message of support also received from Hon Minister Gareth Thomas, Shadow Foreign Minister from Liberal Democrat Ed Davey, Former London Mayor Ken Livingston, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and British Member of Parliament, John Denham. Everyone who spoke admired the progress of Tamil Sporting Talents at National Level and International Level.

The event recognised the Tamil sporting talents in 5 different sports - Cricket, Football, Volleyball, Netball, and Athletics and in male, female, junior and senior categories. A Life Time Achievement award was presented to an international sporting hero who also contributed his life to the promotion of Tamil Sports. The event also awarded scholarships to promote young Tamil Sporting Talents within the community especially in North and East of Sri Lanka.

Event Organising Committee and TSSA Secretary, Joy Pooranachandren in his address explained the future plans of adding more sports categories and reaching out to broader audience. He further said, though this year's event was primarily led by TSSA with the support

of other organisations, a team from all other organisations will lead the event from next year. He envisioned that similar sporting events are to be organised at different country level among Tamils and to be evolved as a global event one day. He appreciated the support from British government, sporting personalities and organisations, sponsors and other well wishers for their continuous support for promoting sports within Tamil community.
In every category, nominations were called publicly and the final 3 were selected through an independent panel appointed by the Sports Awards Committee. Winner among the finalists were then selected through a secret ballot and announced at the event. Awards night was inaugurated with British National anthem and Tamil Thai Vanakkam sung by Manchari Kalamohan and with the British Junior Sports minister's award presentation of Junior Cricketer of the Year. Event was also entertained by the Traditional Barathanatya dance by Lavina and her friends. The solo dance by Lavina Suthanthiran – a leading journalist caught the attention of whole audience.

Following were the Winners
Junior Cricketer of the Year – Nishanth Selvakumar

Cricketer of the Year – Arun Harinath

Junior Footballer of the year - Vinothen Sathyamoorthy

Footballer of the year - Similan Anandajeyaraja
Volley Ball Player of the year - Thayalan Sinnathurai

Junior Male athlete of the Year - Madushanth Jude Ronil

Male Athlete of the Year - Navajeevan Pararajasingham

Junior - Netball Player of the Year - Natalie George

Net Ball Player of the year - Rathkalathevy Ananthavadivelu

Female Athlete of the year - Kaniseya Nadarasa

Junior - Female Athlete of the year - Natalie George

Life Time Achievement ( International ) - Nagalingam Ethiveerasingham

© IT Division - Lanka News Web.COM

I leave home around seven in the morning and walk ..!!! Jak the bread winner..!!!

2010-03-16T04:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 16 March 2010

Jak the bread winner
Jayanthi Liyanage

Ariyadasa brings Jak in his wheel barrow

Gone are the days when Jak (kos) fruit was regarded as "the poor man's food". As a local delicacy, Jak has crossed gourmet boundaries, adorning the affluent dining tables with equal aplomb.

But the messy and sticky process of cutting Jak fruit and cleaning up Jak gum (Koholla) has made him sell only the Jak fruit - a poor man's livelihood. This is a blessing for Hewavitharanage Ariyadasa . So every morning he trudges many a mile to gardens where he knows jak fruit to be thriving and fills his wheel barrow with the fruit he buys, usually around Rs.40 per fruit.

"I leave home around seven in the morning and walk to areas like Koswatte and Malabe where I know Jak to be growing," said Ariyadasa, explaining the exhausting process of gathering jak fruit to be sold every day. The morning we met him he had been to Udahamulla and Batapola and returned around 10.30 am to Lenat Perera Mawatha in Battaramulla where he lives, pushing his wheel barrow filled to the brim with Jak fruit.

By the main road in front of this lane, his wife Thamara Kusum awaits him and assists him in cutting and packing into sili bags about two kilos of Jak fruit each and placing them on array to lure Jak-loving customers. The moment the array is ready, customers begin trickling in. A bag of Jak fruit changes hands at Rs. 50.

"Some of my customers have Jak trees at home but they buy from me as they don't want to go through the hassle of cutting and cleaning Jak fruit," Ariyadasa smiled. "Some times they let me pick fruit from their gardens without even charging money."

"Jak fruit is rather scarce these days," he says with disappointment. "I have to go a longer distance in searching for it. By the month of May, the situation should

Thamara sells Jak fruit

"
Thamara sorting out Jak fruit

be better."

When there is a scarcity of Jak fruit in home gardens, Ariyadasa goes to Pettah and buys Jak at Rs.150 a fruit from lorries brining Jak to Colombo from distant areas such as Kandy. His is a life of constant effort and physical exhaustion, spurred on by having to support three sons and two daughters, four of whom are still school going.

Ariyadasa used to be a mason. When his work began to reduce, he changed from masonry to selling jak. Originating from Aparekka, Matara, where his father of 98 years and mother of 85 years are resident, he says, "It is my parents you should ask about Jak fruit. They know all about it. When there wasn't enough food to eat, they used to have Jak for all three meals."

Being a Samurdhi recipient, he obtained a loan from his allowance and for short while managed a vegetable cart.

That venture turned out to be not profitable and Ariyadasa gladly stuck to his business of selling Jak fruit in which he has been engaged for the last eight years.

The income of not less than Rs.650 a day he earns from selling Jak fruit goes to educating his children and covering household expenses.

Ariyadasa's eldest son (21) works as an accountant at a lottery agency, having passed his advanced levels with three credits in the commerce stream.

The other four attend school. Being a Christian, Ariyadasa says that his church helps him with class fees of one of his daughters. When he was a child, his foster parents gifted him the land where he now lives with his family.

Selling Jak fruit is Ariyadasa's trade now. This courageous man and his family so dependent on Jak fruit deserves help from any interested persons who can uplift them to a more comfortable living.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Craftsmanship

Ariyadasa with his wood carving. Pictures by Saman Sri Wedage

Ariyadasa couldn’t continue to be trained in wood carving and furniture making at the National Youth Services Council because “I didn’t have money to buy wood”, he said. He showed us a sofa he had made from neem wood with decoratively carved arms. The Council asked him if he would prefer a training overseas or locally. He opted for local training and seemed interested in making use of this knowledge but financial difficulties keeps him occupied only in selling Jak (kos) fruit.

A warning after three incidents in which mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fueling operations..!!!

2010-03-01T22:59:00.001-08:00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: FW: STATIC ELECTRICITY --This could save a LIFE!!!
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:23:33 -0500
From: NagaRa@familyservicetoronto.org
To: lalitha.brodie7@hotmail.com

Subject: Fwd: STATIC ELECTRICITY --This could save a life!!!

STATIC ELECTRICITY

Shell Oil Comments - A MUST READ!

Safety Alert!

Here's some reasons why we don't allow cell phones in operating areas, propylene oxide handling and storage area, propane, gas and diesel refueling areas.

The Shell Oil Company recently issued a warning after three incidents in which mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fueling operations

In the first case, the phone was placed on the car's trunk lid during fueling; it rang and the ensuing fire destroyed the car and the gasoline pump.

In the second, an individual suffered burns to their face when fumes ignited as they answered a call while refueling their car!

And in the third, an individual suffered burns to the thigh and groin as fumes ignited when the phone, which was in their pocket, rang while they were fueling their car.

You should know that:

Mobile Phones can ignite fuel or fumes

Mobile phones that light up when switched on or when they ring release enough energy to provide a spark for ignition

Mobile phones should not be used in filling stations, or when fueling lawn mowers, boat, Etc.

Mobile phones should not be used, or should be turned off, around other materials that generate flammable or explosive fumes or dust, (i.e., solvents, chemicals, gases, grain dust, etc.)

To sum it up, here are the: Four Rules for Safe Refueling

1) Turn off engine

2) Don't smoke

3) Don't use your cell phone - leave it inside the vehicle or turn it off

4) Don't re-enter your vehicle during fueling

Bob Renkes of Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to try and make people aware of fires as a result of 'static electricity' at gas pumps. His company has researched 150 cases of these fires.

His results were very surprising:

1) Out of 150 cases, almost all of them were women.

2) Almost all cases involved the person getting back in their vehicle while the nozzle was still pumping gas. When finished, they went back to pull the nozzle out and the fire started, as a result of static.

3) Most had on rubber-soled shoes.

4) Most men never get back in their vehicle until completely finished. This is why they are seldom involved in these types of fires.

5) Don't ever use cell phones when pumping gas

6) It is the vapors that come out of the gas that cause the fire, when connected with static charges.

7) There were 29 fires where the vehicle was re-entered and the nozzle was touched during refueling from a variety of makes and models. Some resulted in extensive damage to the vehicle, to the station, and to the customer.

8) Seventeen fires occurred before, during or immediately after the gas cap was removed and before fueling began.

Mr. Renkes stresses to NEVER get back into your vehicle while filling it with gas.

If you absolutely HAVE to get in your vehicle while the gas is pumping, make sure you get out, close the door TOUCHING THE METAL, before you ever pull the nozzle out. This way the static from your body will be discharged before you ever remove the nozzle.

As I mentioned earlier, The Petroleum Equipment Institute, along with several other companies now, are really trying to make the public aware of this danger. You can find out more information by going to Once here, click in the center of the screen where it says 'Stop Static'.

I ask you to please send this information to ALL your family and friends, especially those who have kids in the car with them while pumping gas. If this were to happen to them, they may not be able to get the children out in time Thanks for passing this along.

AFTER YRS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINSIS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVES..!

2010-03-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

நல்லதையே நினைத்து என்றும் நல்லதையே செய்!

Bas Baskaran

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINSIS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY ...

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc., and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

WHAT CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.

To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water--best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.

Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

(PLEASE FORWARD IT TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT)

He struggled to release the car door & free the unconscious woman from seatbelt,but managed to pull her to the bank & put her in a recovery position!

2010-01-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

France honours hero for saving pregnant woman Friday, 08 January 2010 18:26 1 2 3 4 5 ( 1 Vote )

A French man has earned a bravery medal for diving into an icy river and saving a pregnant woman who was trapped inside a crashed car in northeastern France.

The woman had been in a collision with another car which sent her car into a river in Amiens on Wednesday evening.

The woman - eight months pregnant - and her husband were submerged when the car flipped over.

The husband cried for help and Eddy Devauchelle, 42, dived in, pulling the unconscious woman to safety.

Police and fire crews soon arrived at the scene and the couple were rushed to a hospital in Amiens, where the pregnant woman is being kept under constant observation.

"A firefighter came to see me and said 'the baby and his mother are safe!'" Mr Devauchelle told a local paper, Le Courrier Picard.

Describing the rescue, he said he had first seen "a man in the river, with water up to his neck" and some people watching on the river bank.

"He cried 'Please save my wife!' I got out of my car, took off my jacket and got in, up to my neck - it was freezing," he said. "The husband was rooted to the spot - I told him, 'Let's get going!'"

Mr Devauchelle said he struggled to release the car door and free the unconscious woman from her seatbelt, but managed to pull her to the bank and put her in the recovery position.

Acknowledging the rescue, the prefect of the Picardy region and Somme, Michel Delpuech, "awarded this man the silver medal of bravery and dedication," the prefecture said in a statement.

The capital of the Somme department in Picardy, Amiens is 120km (75 miles) north of Paris.

dailymirror.lk

Severe winter weather continued to cause transport chaos across EU ,while days of heavy snow and plummeting temperatures plunged EU into deep freeze!

2010-01-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

Arctic blast sends temperatures plunging across Europe Friday,
08 January 2010 18:12

London, England (CNN) -- Severe winter weather continued to cause transport chaos across much of the UK Thursday, while days of heavy snow and plummeting temperatures plunged Europe into a deep freeze.

More than 100 flights have been canceled at London's Gatwick airport and British Airways warned of lengthy delays at both Gatwick and Heathrow.

A Eurostar train from Brussels to London was delayed in the Channel Tunnel, but a spokesman could not confirm if it was because of the weather.

Last month, thousands of Eurostar passengers were left stranded on either side of the English Channel after services were suspended following a series of train breakdowns.

Meanwhile, motorists across Britain were also dealing with lengthy delays, closed motorways and hundreds of accidents because of heavy snow and icy conditions.

The Automobile Association reported a dramatic increase in the number of emergency calls because of the severe weather.

"Yesterday we had more than 16,000 breakdowns which was nearly double a normal Wednesday," AA spokesman Peter Barnao told CNN.

As parts of the UK were digging out from as much as 40cm of snow, much of the country shivered under a blast of arctic air that saw temperatures plunge to -18 degrees Celsius in some areas overnight.

The Met Office warned that icy conditions would continue over the next few days and that exceptionally low temperatures would cause widespread ice and transport disruptions.

The rest of northern Europe was also gripped by one of the coldest nights in decades as temperatures plummeted to below -40C in some places.

The central Norwegian town of Roeros recorded an overnight temperature of -41C -- one its coldest recorded temperatures.

In Poland, freezing conditions claimed more lives as the death toll climbed to more than 120 people, according to a spokesman for the Polish National Police. Overnight temperatures dropped as low as -20C.

Germany continued to deal with heavy snowfall and temperatures were as low as -20C in some areas.

The latest Arctic blast is set to continue over much of northern Europe over the next few days.

dailymirror.lk

One third of all pregnancies in Sri Lanka end in abortion, with an estimated 600 to 700 abortions carried throughout the country daily...!!!

2009-12-09T03:22:00.001-08:00

A shocking 700 abortions a day in Lanka
Dulshani GUNAWARDENA

Approximately one third of all pregnancies in Sri Lanka end in abortion, with an estimated 600 to 700 abortions carried throughout the country daily.

Addressing the joint commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the 40th Anniversary of the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), UNPF Representative for Sri Lanka, Lene K. Christiansen, said while the population trends in Sri Lanka were mainly positive, abortion is an area holding major concerns.

Abortion being illegal in Sri Lanka, hard data is unavailable. However according to a report released at this occasion, studies reveal that the majority of abortions were among married semi-urban and urban women of the ages of 25 to 39, with two or more children.

dailynews.lk

VAW: all forms and acts( verbal, non verbal, physical, sexual, psychological, social, cultural and political) which violate the rights to life...!!!!

2009-12-07T12:25:00.001-08:00

Break the silence...

Sumana (her name has been changed to maintain confidentiality) who had been married for the past eight years was facing severe marital problems due to her husband’s addiction to drugs. In addition to this he also suspected her of having an extra marital affair and she was mercilessly beaten up on several occasions.

One day while she was washing clothes he threw a white substance at her from a bottle. She felt a burning liquid running down her neck to her chest. Little did she realize that he had thrown acid at her. She was rushed to the hospital by her neighbors where she was warded for three months where the doctors performed several skin grafts. Meanwhile, her husband who was taken into custody was granted bail within two weeks. After returning from the hospital Sumana decided to stay with her mother in Dambulla. Her husband came to her mother’s home and forcibly brought Sumana to Colombo and started battering her again...

Sumana is not alone...this is not the story of one woman....but of many like her, who suffer in silence

What is violence against women?

The scope of violence against women (VAW) includes all forms and acts whether verbal, non verbal, physical, sexual, psychological, social, cultural and political, which violate the right to life, liberty, dignity, equality and bodily integrity of women and girls.

Most women have become used to tolerating violence due to the prevailing social system within our country. They prefer to endure the violence and do not come forward to find ways and means to minimize it, as they believe that taking action could destroy the family foundation and would be deemed as being disloyal towards the family. However, this behaviour ironically erodes the strong foundation of the family unit, as it negatively affects a woman’s mental, physical well being and affects her relationship with her children and everyone else around her. There are quite a few instances where the acceptance of this behaviour results in irreparable physical damage or even death.

While the term "gender-based violence" includes violence against women and men, most of the victims are women. This is a reality, not only in Sri Lanka, but in many parts of the world. In Sri Lanka the most prevalent types of violence against women are rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence, forced prostitution and trafficking. These crimes are not particular to a certain region, but are widespread and cut across class, race, religion, ethnicity, etc. In many cases these violations are hidden, this is especially true of domestic violence, which according to the UN Rapporteur on Violence against Women is reported to have been experienced by 60% of the Sri Lankan women (Wijayatilake, K., 2004, Study on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in selected locations in Sri Lanka, Colombo: CENWOR and UNHCR).

Official records reflect that the levels of violence against women has consistently risen, particularly over the past two decades. Whether this is due to increased reporting or to an increase in the crimes themselves has not been established, but it is probably a combination of the two factors. Service providers to survivors of domestic violence have alarmingly observed that the types of violence are becoming more brutal.

16 days activism against gender-based violence

The efforts of several agencies working together to end violence against women has enabled women to break the silence and access services and resources that could enable them to live a life free from violence. One such national effort, "the Forum against Gender-based Violence", was set up in 2005 in order to facilitate greater coordination, understanding and sharing of information and resources and strengthen multi-sectoral responses to GBV and includes local NGOs, International NGOs, UN agencies, donor agencies and Government representation. The Forum seeks to create public awareness and advocate on the issue of GBV specifically during the 16 days of Activism against gender-based Violence which begins on 25th November, the UN designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) and ends on 10th December which is International Human Rights Day. This year, the forum’s theme is : We CAN end violence against women: Commit – Act - Demand

The light at the end of the tunnel

An important step in the right direction was taken in 2005 when the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act was passed. The act provides victims with recourse to protection orders against those who mete out violence to them within the household. Recourse is also available to women within relationships to those who are married and to even children living at home. Other legislation such as the Penal code and the Torture Act also provide relief for women who face violence not only at home but within society including the workplace in the form of sexual harassment.

Women can seek free support and care from Women and Children’s desks that have been established at police stations across the island and from other service providers, such as Women in Need (WIN) and Women’s Development Centre (WDC). These organizations provide counselling, legal support and shelters for those experiencing domestic violence, or any form of violence. The bottom line however is that it is up to the individual to seek help for themselves.

Fortunately, Sumana’s story does end with hope. After deciding enough was enough, Sumana reached out to WIN to obtain relief for the constant abuse she was facing. She is at present living at the WIN shelter receiving counselling from the WIN counsellors. The WIN lawyers are also preparing papers under the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act to obtain a protection order from Court. Sumana now has hope of living a life free of violence and humiliation.

Violence against women can be reduced significantly if victims and society take a strong stand against it.

We CAN end violence against women: Commit – Act - Demand

24 Hour Helpline : 011 4718585

Kamani Jinadasa,

Facilitator- Forum against gender-based violence,

UNFPA

...........................dailymirror.lk......................

Murderer Mohideen who killed Mary Welikala had been stabbed to death by a fellow prisoner five months back over an argument whilst he was in prison!

2009-12-03T01:52:00.000-08:00

Passionate desire led him to gallows

Ananda JAYASENA Senior Supdt. of Police (Retd.)

From Wadduwa, I was transferred as OIC Aluthgama Police and took charge of the station from Inspector Carlyle Dias who after retirement from the Police was killed in a bomb in Jaffna, whilst he was working for a private organization.

I liked Aluthgama very much because it was only 38 miles to Colombo and 12 miles to my home at Ambalangoda.

Two friends of Aluthgama Police right-throughout were Bawa brothers, Bevis and Geoffrey. They visited the Police Station at least once a week and took OIC and his Sub-Inspector to their home for a chat and a beer.

On 12th February 1967, which was a Sunday and when I was at the Police Station, around 10.30 a.m. a case of a double murder was reported from a village close to Kalawila. The deceased had been the lady of the house and her maid servant.

The lady was Mary Welikala.

Beautiful lass
Mary Welikala, a very fair, beautiful lass of eighteen years had met a young planter Harold Jansz. He was 12 years older to her and the meeting had been at the Sacred Heart Church, Elpitiya. Both of them attended the 7.00 a.m. Sunday mass together. Harold had first thought that Mary herself was a Burgher. Time went by and after a long standing love affair they both said "I do" in the same Church ten months later.

Harold Jansz was a very hard working planter and rose fairly fast in his profession. At fifty he became the Visiting Agent for a group of tea estates in Badulla. With the passage of time Harold and Mary had two sons and a daughter. Both sons were employed abroad and were doing extremely well, and the only daughter Wilma was happily married to a planter named Ebert Kretser and lived in an estate at Maskeliya.

After retirement Harold bought two acres of land close to Major Bevis Bawa's "Brief", built a beautiful house, laid an equally lovely flower garden and both of them lived here very happily for over eight years.

Heart attack
At the age of sixty eight Harold Jansz suffered a massive heart attack one night and died before admission to a hospital.

Mary was now fifty six years of age. She was well off even after her husband's demise. She had plenty of free time and helped poor villagers, started a Montessori School free of charge for the small children in the village. She also helped the poor neighbours who needed help. Her daughter Wilma wanted the mother to come and stay with her, but she was reluctant. So Wilma sent her a nanny named Charlotte to be with her.

Charlotte was in her mid-thirties, a spinster and a buxom woman.

Mary was a methodical woman. She did everything to a plan. She got up at 5.30 a.m. daily and said her prayers for thirty minutes. Had her breakfast attended to her daily needs and left to the market with the maid in her car driven by her chauffer. She always bought things from traders known to her. After marketing she went to the beef stall, every other day and bought beef from a butcher named Mohideen.

Mohideen was a young, aged about 30 years strong and well built.

Lonely area
On receipt of this information of the double murder I left the Station on inquiry with Sgt. 4777 Ariyadasa.

This house was situated in a lonely area in the village and the closest house was about three hundred yards away and was of one Shelton Perera who was a widower.

The main door was found forced open Charlotte's body was in the second room which was said to be her's. The body was sprawled on the ground head turned to side. She was dressed in a plain skirt and a loose jacket. She had bled profusely. There were no marks of a disturbance in the room or on the bed. The body of Mary Welikala was in her bedroom. The bed had been disarranged indicating that there had been a struggle. The pillow had been fallen off the bed. There was a noticeable cut mark on her night dress on the centre of the chest. She too had bled profusely.

The culprit or culprits had entered the house by forced opening the main door.

Medical evidence
I kept Sgt. Ariyadasa at the scene and went and met my Magistrate in his residence at Kalutara North. I explained to him the nature of the double murder and requested of him to order Juridical Medical Officer, Colombo to hold the post-mortem examination on both bodies as a lot of this case will have to depend on medical evidence as there appears to be no eye witnesses.

Magistrate allowed this application and he directed Mr. Vernon Fernando J. P. U. M. to hold the on the spot inquest.

Same afternoon Mr.Fernando visited the scene and gave a verdict of "homicide" and told us to remove both dead bodies to the office of the JMO at Colombo for him to hold post-mortem examinations.

Same evening we dispatched both bodies to the General Hospital Morgue under Police escort.

By this time Registrar of Finger Prints visited the scene of murder in consequence to message given by me that day morning.

They dusted the entire place but there were no prints found in the room where Charlotte's body was found. But there were two prints found in Mary's room, a finger print and a palm print.

The palm print was on the electric torch used by Mary and the finger print was on a three quarter empty shampoo bottle which was in Mary's bathroom kept on the window still.

Both these objects were photographed by the CID Photographer.

Injuries fatal
Dr. Chandra Amarasekara Deputy JMO held the post-mortem examinations on both bodies. He stated in his report on Mary Welikala that she had been raped before her death.

With regards to Charlotte the AJMO indicated that there was no evidence of having had a sexual intercourse. Her private parts had been washed and cleaned.

A stab injury had been traced by the Doctor and the back of the chest and this had damaged the heart.

Injuries of both women would have been caused by one and the same weapon and both injuries were necessarily fatal.

Time went by. There was no information forthcoming in this double murder.

P.C. 229 Alwis who had served Aluthgama Police for five years had now gone on transfer to Maradana and had come to Aluthgama to attend one of his earlier cases, and he had met one Sirimal who had been an informant of his and Sirimal had told Alwis that butcher Mohideen was seen riding a pedal cycle on the night of this murder and when he questioned him he had told that Mohideen had gone to see some heads of cattle for slaughter.

He did not believe him as the time was just past mid-night, also Alwis told me that on the first or the second month of his arrival at Aluthgama Mohideen was convicted for a case of stabbing and was bound over for a period of six month by the Magistrate Kalutara.

I contacted the Office of the Registrar of Finger Prints and told them to compare the finger prints of Mohideen accused in M. C. Kalutara case No. 21691 convicted on 17/3/62, with the finger prints found at the scene of double murder at Aluthgama on 11th night of February 1967.

Identical prints
Two days later R. F. P. reported that finger prints of accused Mohideen was compared with the prints found at the scene of double murder on February 11th, and both prints are identical.

Accused Mohideen was arrested and he admitted having killed both women. Also he admitted that he hid the weapon of offence in his house amongst the coconut thatched leaves of the root.

According to Mohideen both the lady and the maid servant came to his stall every other day and he noticed that maid was giving him the glad eye. But he wanted to have sex with the lady of the house, and this was tormenting day by day. He also stated that he went to the house in question around 11.00 p.m. and the front door was locked.

He quietly broke opened it and entered the second room on the left. He found to his astonishment that it was Charlotte's room and she was fast a sleep. He put her up and she told him that lady sleep in the bedroom which was third from the right.

He had set with her came tip-toed to madam's room and found her reading a book. He went back to Charlotte's room and waited till she came out to the bathroom stabbed her once killed her and left the room. He entered Mary's room and on seeing him Mary raised cries. He went to the bed tried to stop her shouting by keeping his cupped hand on her mouth. In the meantime, her torch fell down.

He picked it up and kept on the bed. He had sexual intercourse forcibly with her twice and stabbed her too, to death.

When he went to her bathroom to wash he saw an expensive bottle of shampoo on the bathroom window sill. He wanted to give this to his wife and when he lifted it he saw a very little amount of shampoo hence he did not take it home.

Knife recovered
After recording his statement I went to his house with him and recovered the knife in consequence to the statement made by him.

On the following day I produced the accused in Magistrate's Court Kalutara and got him remanded to fiscal custody for 12 days and filed plaint against accused Mohammed Mohideen under Section 296 for committing a double murder.

After four months of non summery proceedings the Magistrate committed this case to be heard in Supreme Court.

In the latter part of 1968 this case came up for trial in Supreme Courts Kalutara before an English speaking Jury.

At the commencement of the trial the State Counsel explained to the Jury, Section 27 of evidence Ordinance where it says, any production recovered in consequence to a statement made by an accused is admissible in law if the police officer had not used force, threat or intimidation or no promises had been made.

The first witness to be called by the prosecution was Dr. Chandra Amarasekara Deputy J. M. O Colombo. His evidence was brief and to the point. He emphasized that the knife produced would have caused all three injuries on both Mary Jansz and Charlotte.

Accepted fact
The second witness to be called was Registrar of Finger printer. He stated that no two people in the world has identical finger prints and the finger print and the palm print found on the shampoo bottle and the torch respectively was of accused Mohammed Mohideen.

The Defence did not cross examine the R.F.P.

The third witness to be called was Sirimal. His evidence was very short.

The fourth witness to be called was yours truly. The Defence Counsel tried to excite me but I had put in about nine years of Police service and had sufficient maturity to face a cross examination.

The Defence tried to show Court that I had introduced the weapon of offence. At this stage Lordship the Judge asked the accused Counsel, in a lighter vein whether finger prints too were introduced.

The Defence did not call the accused to the witness box as if he gives evidence from the witness box he could be subjected to cross examination by the Prosecution, State Counsel.

At the conclusion of the trial the Jury brought the unanimous verdict of guilt and as the death sentence had been abolished the accused was sentenced to twenty years and fifteen years for murder and rape respectively.

After about ten years when I went to attend Kandy Courts I met Ebert Kretser in Kandy.

He recognized me and told that murder suspect Mohideen who killed Mary Welikala had been stabbed to death by a fellow prisoner five months back over an argument whilst he was still serving the sentence.

Names of the two deceased persons and the accused are fictitious.

dailynews.lk

Just how big is the issue of child abuse in Sri Lanka?

2009-12-02T10:32:00.000-08:00

Let us stand up against child abuse

Yearning for protection and love. File photo

Just how big is the issue of child abuse in Sri Lanka? Obviously, a topic like this will always be in the shadows and one may have even look at the definition of ‘child abuse’ before giving an answer. But the figures are startling. According to the Head of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), reports of child abuse and infringements of child rights in Sri Lanka have tremendously increased in the past few years. Another recent report said that over 4000 cases are currently pending in courts for child abuse.

What does this mean? Does it mean that our moral structure is breaking down?

Let us face the reality. Authorities believe that child abuse may actually be more prevalent in Sri Lanka than in USA. There are valid reasons for this assumption. In Sri Lanka the child abuse is carefully hidden from outsiders by both abusers and victims. The victims are afraid to speak about their abuse because of the shame it will bring to them and their families, and therefore the abusers continue to get away scot-free.

At least in the Western world, victimized children today are more and more encouraged to speak out, and society is more apt to take their accusations at face value rather than automatically condemn such victims. This action is opposed to the situation in our country where family tradition is more prominent, and the words of children more often ignored.

For instance, I know of one Sri Lankan woman born over forty years ago into a very highly-respected family. In our discussions about child abuse, she told me that she had been a victim of abuse; she had been sexually molested as a child by a close relation of the family.

This was not something that she casually revealed to me; it was a terrible secret between her and her abusers which gave her great pain and torment, even 30 years after the event had ended. She knew she wouldn’t be believed by her parents or elders if she revealed what happened. And this woman was not born into a poor family; no, her family members were university-educated high-society people who became quite prominent and influential.

When we talk about child abuse, generally we mean physical and sexual abuse. We forget about emotional abuse, which is the cruelest and most destructive of all types of abuse. It means, ridiculing and verbally abusing a child, ignoring a child’s emotional needs or isolating a child from the family.

Government Action
These abuses generally do not end up at courts but the child grows up with an inferior complex or destructive tendencies or with mental disorder. Recent research has found that more children suffer from emotional abuse than from physical and sexual abuse combined.

What have successive Governments done about the child abuse? Two decades ago, we ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its optional protocols. 36 percent of Sri Lanka’s population is children under 18 years of age. 20 percent of the population is of school going age.

Thanks to the free education policies from the primary to university levels, we have a literacy rate of 93 percent comparable with developed countries.

Today, we are already on par with the MDG’s for primary education, school gender parity and reproductive health services. Yes, we can be happy of our progress.

The Government has implemented many programs to combat abuse of children. For example, the Children and Young Persons Ordinance create offenses and imposes heavy penalties for exploitation of children for pornography, sexual exploitation, begging and trafficking. The Penal Code has been amended to provide for enhanced punishments in respect of offences involving sexual exploitation of children. A strict legal procedure exists to protect children’s rights upon adoption.

Sri Lanka as a State party to the Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoptions has put in place the necessary substantive and procedural safeguards to prevent any abuse of the process.

Our criminal justice system is geared towards the rehabilitation of child offenders. The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) was established a decade ago to serve as the apex body that focus attention and provide institutional leadership to the efforts on preventing child abuse, prosecuting offenders, fostering national awareness of children’s rights and providing advice to the government and in assisting victims of abuse.

We have also strengthened our laws in child trafficking by electronic media, in accordance of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons.

Mistakes
So, what went wrong? Why is child abuse increasing?

Although, there are lawyers and child rights activists who are ready to spell, explain, and act against child abuse, they are still not a critical mass and their views are not strong enough to be able to impact consciousness of the policymakers, police, lawyers, judges, teachers, schools, mental, physical and sexual health professionals, and all those who could take up the issue.

Although the issues of shame, family honour and plain depravity mean that not enough statistics are available, it also means that every statistic available speaks not just for itself but for a lot many others in the shadows. Eventually the children who are invisible will, because of the abuse and betrayal they have faced, retreat further into the darkness and possibly out of reach of help.

Apart from the legal dimension, child abuse also has pronouncedly psychological and emotional elements. Worldwide surveys point out that such abuse negatively impacts a child’s physical, emotional and mental well-being, leading to severe behavioral and psychiatric disorders. Suicidal tendencies and drug abuse are common long-term effects.

Solution
A World Health Organization survey also points out that there is an unambiguous behavioral and emotional pattern in the abused. Usually the child hardly talks about the incident. And, even if he or she does, no one takes it seriously. That in turn triggers feelings of self doubt and guilt, worsening the child’s feeling that it is his or her fault. As the child matures, compulsive behavior reinforces this guilt.

So, where does the solution lie? If we first talk about the physical child abuse, most sociology experts advocate of a total ban on physical punishment against all forms of punishing children. In fact, the use of any kind of force against children as a disciplinary measure is illegal in 24 countries around the world.

Until such time the Government makes a decision, I believe that, NCPA with the cooperation of law enforcement and other government agencies should implement firm protocols that commit those agencies to activate four important functions.

First, to conduct prompt and thorough investigations of child physical abuse, endangerment and neglect cases, secondly, to reduce trauma to victimized, thirdly, to cooperate effectively to prosecute and prevent physical abuse and neglect to the children and finally, to train the staff on scientific investigation of child physical abuse. These actions will definitely help.

On the subject of sexual abuse, educating and enlightening children about such issues, helping them distinguish between “good” and “bad” touch is a partial answer. Children also ought to be made aware of impulsive decisions they may make under pressure from peers, bullies and abusers. Sex education in schools is also productive.

The Netherlands, a country where teenage pregnancy rates plummeted from 60 per cent to about 25 per cent through aggressive sex information campaigns in schools, is an example. In our country, I remember how a nationwide furor resulted after somebody’s suggestion to introduce sex education in schools.

The subject has divided opinion between camps who felt such a step would lead to unnecessary experimentation by curious teenagers and others who believed it would help whittle down cases of sexual abuse by creating widespread awareness.

We also have to talk about emotional abuse of children. At some time, most parents or teachers, find themselves feeling frustrated and angry with children. This is normal. Occasionally they say things they regret - to the children.

This, too, is normal. But if they find that they are routinely having angry outbursts or that whenever they are frustrated they lash out at those around them in abusive ways - then they need professional help. There is nothing to be ashamed of.

The family Doctor, psychotherapist, or mental health professional will suggest some ways to begin helping calm down.

Child abuse is attracting so much scrutiny and public debate today. It is time the government begin to adopt strong and unequivocal measures to contain these heinous crimes. For a country with over a third of its populace consisting of children, such measures are long overdue.

dailynews.lk

Cooking in aluminum utensils is one of the main reasons for the increase in kidney patients...!!!

2009-12-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

Use clay pots to prevent kidney ailments

Cooking in aluminum utensils is one the main reasons for the increase in kidney patients in the North Central Province, the Information Department website said, quoting the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine.
The Ministry has warned NCP residents to refrain from using aluminum utensils and instead to use clay pots which are to be provided to them from Ministry funds.

At present some 10,000 kidney patients seek treatment at government hospitals.

Meanwhile the government has allocated Rs.2.5 million to carry out research on kidney ailments and 151 ayurvedic specialists have been assigned the task of treating serious kidney patients.

dailymirror.lk

Thousands of brides in India are being abandoned by their British Indian husbands after they are married....!!!

2009-11-29T04:36:00.000-08:00

New Indian brides abandoned by British Asian husbands.......By Poonam Taneja
BBC Asian Network

Thousands of brides in India are being abandoned by their British Indian husbands after they are married.

Despite this, there is evidence to suggest that Indian women are continuing to fall for British suitors.

In a dusty village in the Jagraon district of Punjab, northern India, 35-year-old Suman (which is not her real name), lives with her widowed mother in a small room in a crumbling building.

Four years ago, the secondary school teacher married a British man in a wedding arranged by relatives.

Shortly after the ceremony, her husband, who is in his 50s, left for London with the promise he would send for her. At first all appeared to go well.

"He would visit two to three times a year.

"Whenever he came to India, we had a good time," she said.

However, on one visit he claimed her application for a spousal visa to the UK had been refused.

"He told me he had applied for an appeal.

"But he has never shown me a copy of that appeal. He’s never shown me any documents."

The visits and calls ended, and for the past six months Suman has had no contact with her husband.

"In hindsight, it was like being a prostitute you take along and have a good time with and then leave behind.

"When he returned to England, there would be no communication. A month before he was due to come back, he established contact again.

"Many a time I let that pass, thinking he might be busy, but now I get the feeling that I was being used all this time."

In the bustling city of Chandigarh, lawyer and women’s rights activist Daljit Kaur has dealt with many similar women who have been deserted by their husbands who live in the UK, Canada and the US.

"There are 15,000 to 20,000 abandoned brides in India," she said. In India these women are called "holiday brides" and Mrs. Kaur believes British grooms account for a third of all such cases.

In the village of Rurka Kalan, in the Doaba region of Punjab, an area that has strong links to Britain’s Indian community, I was taken to a local community centre, a bare single-storey concrete building.

There I was staggered to discover up to a dozen women huddled together, clutching their marriage documents and wedding photographs.

The youngest of these "holiday brides" were barely out of their teens.

A pretty girl dressed in a shalwar kameez (tunic and trousers) had married a man from Coventry, central England.

She said: "He did not give me any reason, why he did this.

"I came to know later through relatives that he did not want to stay married to a girl from such a poor background."

The eldest was a 41-year-old lady who was deserted by a Glaswegian man more than 20 years ago.

She handed me a scrap of paper with an address scrawled on it, urging me to trace him for her.

Not one of these women had re-married. They said their lives had been ruined in this socially conservative part of India, where divorce is frowned upon. Many are forced to depend on relatives for financial handouts.

But Indian women are still falling for British suitors.

Jassi Khangura, a businessman from London and now a politician in the Punjab Legislative Assembly, says Indian families are obsessed with immigrating to the UK.

"People are desperate to migrate, because they don’t think this land gives them the opportunities they need, particularly for girls," he said.

Rani (not her real name) is one such 25-year-old is hoping for a better life in the UK. She got married in January.

"When the marriage date was fixed he asked for around £12,000 so my parents sold our house, to give him the money," she said.

In India, paying and accepting a dowry - a centuries-old tradition where the bride’s parents present gifts of cash, clothes and jewellery to the groom’s family - has been illegal since 1961.

But the practice still thrives in rural areas, and a British Indian groom can command a dowry of up to £20,000 in Punjab.

After Rani’s marriage, her in-laws demanded more cash, but her parents could not pay, and she was dumped.

"After marriage, they physically and mentally tortured me.

"He made me abort my baby, then they threw me out of their house."

Rani still wears her wedding bangles in the hope that she will one day be reunited with her husband in England.

I managed to trace Rani’s husband in England. He claims to have left her after discovering she had a boyfriend who she continued to see after they were wed.

Another "runaway groom" I located in England claimed he was duped by his Indian bride, who only married him for a British passport.

UK matrimonial expert Tahir Mahmood helps arrange marriages, and believes British men are the victims.

"Anyone from back home (India), they want British, British, British... the girls over there, don’t care if someone has been married twice before, they don’t care how he looks like or what his background is."

The British government’s Forced Marriages Unit says it has been dealing with a rising number of forced marriage cases involving British men.

In India, legal action against missing British grooms is a complex and lengthy process.

Clampdown sought

Inspector General Gurpreet Deo, from the Punjab police force, said: "If the person is residing abroad, one has to seek recourse through the extradition treaty.

"The expertise and knowledge of the police officers themselves in this area is so restricted, I don’t think any case would reach that level."

But politician Balwant Ramoowalia, of the Lok Bhalai party in Punjab, believes both India and Britain should clamp down.

He said: "If there is any misconduct, cheating or fraud, the husband should be sent back to India.

"There should be a provision that maintenance should be given to the girl till the case is final."

The Home Office in the UK says it has not received a single extradition request in relation to abandoned Indian brides.

Meanwhile the Indian government has set up a department to provide assistance to the thousands of women who live in hope of being reunited with their husbands.

www island.lk

When I think of my dad on this day the 100th anniversary of his birthday...!!!

2009-11-29T04:32:00.001-08:00

J. Willie Aiyadurai (Dec.1909-Jan. 1998):
An Appreciation on his 100th Birth Anniversary

When I think of my dad on this day the 100th anniversary of his birthday, many vivid memories come into my mind. I remember most of all his great sense of humor when he was with people. He was the convivial raconteur par excellence. He regaled us with stories of his school days at Trinity College, Kandy, where he excelled in cricket (won his Trinity Lion and captained in 1928 and 1929), in rugby (won his colors) and in college athletics, and served as head prefect. But the best school stories were about his antics when boarding at Napier House at Trinity, where he caused flutters by his penchant for pranks that left his dorm mates (some of whom were co-conspirators) laughing even decades later.

Many of these antics are recounted in his article that appeared in the Ceylon Observer July 30, 1995. I am happy that they were published, for the sake of my own three sons who were growing up physically distant from their grandpa when I chose to live permanently in Canada in 1974. No one could help but feel at ease in dad’s presence because of his wit and genuinely affable manner. He taught me that friendliness begets friendliness and that genuine interest in a neighbor invites reciprocal interest. The friends he made remained his friends for life.

I also remember him for his writing talents that had taken him into journalism when he left school. In my growing years in Sri Lanka, the Ceylon Observer, Times of Ceylon and Sunday Observer were the platforms for his story telling. I remember especially the weekly serials on his unique street characters like Pasthol Moosa or the king of beggarland that put smiles on our faces. Early in his journalistic career he had shown a knack for poetry in the several years that he courted his "Princess Golden Heart," my Mom, via the columns of the Times and Observer using the pen name Wilver Arden. And the clippings of these poems filled a locked cabinet in his bedroom as I discovered one day.

Then there was his fine poetic piece "The Kandyan Love Song" that he dedicated to Mom (and to "Romance that sweetlier grows with Time") which was set to music by Alesandra Castilleno. Ruth, my wife enjoys playing it today on the piano. And in those courtship years before their marriage, he systematically showered Mom with beautifully bound classics of English Literature which filled the bookcases of our home in Schofield Place, Kollupitiya, and which I avidly read in my teenage years. Each book was inscribed in his bold hand on the inside cover "To Princess Golden Heart from Prince G.H"; those initials my Mom told me stood for "Great Heart". He was a prince of a man to her.

Their long romance was the prelude to a solid and happy marriage. A related memory is a family home constantly open to a steady stream of friends, relatives and even former domestic servants who tasted of my parents’ warm hospitality whenever they dropped in to visit. It must also be said that my Dad who was openly given to joviality had a manly reserve to openly showing grief. The prime example was when Mom died suddenly following complicated surgery for a bad hip fracture in April 1983. My brother-in-law, Hubert Aloysius, told me of Dad spending many a moment, several times inside the home bathroom, shedding tears for her during that fateful time.

Today, I keep and re-read his letters to me and to my children written in their early primary and secondary school years in Canada before he passed away in 1998. All his letters were hugely positive and inspiring. He encouraged my children on to self-accomplishment and to having good character qualities, a reflection of his own mould formed during his school days at Trinity College. So also were his letters to me encouraging me to complete my graduate studies and later to move on in life when I decided to settle permanently in Canada.

Looking back, although in my early teen years I did not follow in his large footprints and show prowess in sports at school (for which I was teased at Royal College by teachers who knew my dad), I still feel I have many bits of him in me— especially the importance of being positive and resilient, of cultivating good friendships, of having a sense of humor and the gift of community with anybody you meet. I do also keenly follow the game of cricket which he played and was an ardent lover of; his enthusiastic interest affected me in my growing years as we discussed matches and players together.

It was super having him as my dad and I love him always for the wonderful memories he has left me.

Mark Aiyadurai
Victoria BC, Canada

www island.lk

Why Suicide.....???!!!

2009-11-25T14:27:00.001-08:00

Suicide

At present in Sri Lanka, the increasing number of suicides is a major social problem. Intellectuals, millionaires, politicians, poets etc have committed suicide all over the world. The main reason for this is as follows:

a. Frustration

b. Fear of punishment

c. Fear of insult, abuse etc

d. Fear of torture, rape etc

e. Poverty

f. Scandals

g. Continuous torture (sexual or otherwise), mental agony

h. Neglect (old and sick people)

i. Not wishing to be a problem to others

j. Incurable disease

k. Financial loss, inability to settle debts

l. Death of a beloved relation

m. Self pity - punishing themselves for sins committed.

I give below some signs that parents of young people should watch out for.

1. Watch your children's change in behaviour (silence, sudden anger, refusal to eat, preferring to stay alone especially in a dark room)

2. Never compare your children with others and insult them in public.

3. Discuss things with your children. If necessary, obtain proper medical treatment or counselling.

4. If he is an addict (liquor, drugs etc) extra affection should be shown. If necessary take him to a suitable asylum.

5. Teach your children about the importance of a balanced life. Please discipline yourself so that you could be an example to your children. This is important.

S. R. Balachandran

www island.lk

The most common things couples argue about are money, sex, work, children and housework ...!!!

2009-11-24T10:08:00.001-08:00

What are you arguing about?

Common conflicts

The most common things couples argue about are money, sex, work, children and housework - roughly in that order.

Most rows start because of differences of opinion, but with patience and basic communication skills you should be able to negotiate a compromise.

If you find the same old issues come up over and over again, or as soon as one issue's resolved another crops up, then there's more going on than meets the eye. Below are some common reasons.

Unresolved issues

Sometimes people find they're fighting battles that have far more to do with the past than the present. Feelings of rejection or betrayal in childhood can create hot buttons that partners press without realising. For example, a partner who's parent left suddenly in childhood may find themselves overreacting to a hastily arranged business trip. Or a partner who was always forced to do gardening as a punishment when a child may become irrationally angry when asked to mow the lawn.

Sensitive subjects

If there are taboo subjects in your relationship that always cause a storm, you need to mention them more often. If you don't, they can become time bombs.Taboo subjects can include things such as a forgotten birthday or a time when you felt your partner wasn't there for you. Often it's something that represents a serious breach of trust such as an affair or a breaking of confidence. Burying old relationship problems is OK, but you have to make sure they're dead first.

Fighting for your deeper needs

Couples often use topics such as money, sex or housework to fight for their deeper needs within a relationship.For example, an argument over who should pay for what may really be about where the responsibility lies and who's got the power in this situation. Rows about housework are often about unfilled needs for respect and worth. And arguing about how often to have sex is nearly always about feeling loved and cared for and deeper needs for connection and affection.

Hidden pay-offs

For some couples arguing actually plays a beneficial role, as it may be the only time they get to share their feelings. It can also add excitement to a relationship or be a way of getting attention.

Arguing can be worth the pain because of the joy of making up.

dailymirror.lk

What is Child Abuse............???

2009-11-19T00:35:00.001-08:00

What is Child Abuse?

Child Abuse consists of any Act or Failure to Act that endangers a child's Physical or Emotional Health and Development.

No matter what the abuse the result will be an imbalanced scarred individual who would in the long term pose serious problems to oneself and society.

As in the slogan "Today's Abused become tomorrow's Abusers"

Taking society as a whole who is most accountable for child abuse?

•Parents are responsible for at least 80% of child abuse and negligence. •Reporting is done by only a few who have the courage to do so. For each abuse reported thousands go unreported.
•Taking children as a whole majority of the victims are children under six years who account for at least 85% of abuse, negligence or abandonment.

What are the root causes and contributing factors for Child Abuse?

There are many different underlying causes ranging from individual to social factors.

•Marital Discord and Separation. •Domestic Violence
•Alcoholism or Drug addiction
•Unemployment and Poverty
•Low levels of Tolerance and Frustration
•Unable to control Anger or Stress
•Lacking necessary Coping Skills •Immaturity of adults or Caretakers
•Unrealistic Expectations of Children
•Isolation from Family or Community
•Physical or Mental Health Issues
•An adult’s own negative childhood experience
•Absence of a Strong Religious Foundation
What message do you have for those guilty of abuse?

•Seek necessary help - Professional, Medical, Religious, Counselling etc.

What are the reasons and failure to report abuse?

There are many reasons that could outweigh the decision to report abuse

•Victims may be unaware that they are being abused.
•Victims may feel responsible for the abuse.
•Fear of possible repercussions and retaliation from the perpetrator •Fear of consequences could be even worse than being victimized again. •Fear of dealing with law enforcement authorities. •Fear of embarrassment, Discrimination, Stigmatization and Shame
•In the case of child prostitution - many are bought over by material things and parents who are paid for the services of their children most often condone the abuse.
Actions one may take to help

•The most important action is to report abuse even if you suspect it, keeping in mind that just one phone call could save a child's life.
Physical Abuse

•Any act which results in a non-accidental trauma or physical injury" •Is the most visible form of abuse (an injury resulting from physical aggression) •This represents unreasonable, severe corporal and unjustifiable punishment. •It usually happens when a frustrated or angry parent, care giver, teacher etc. unaware of the magnitude of force strikes a child.
Involves:

•Frequent acts of physical violence - burning, biting, beating, kicking, punching etc.
Consequences:

•Injury or death
•Lifelong health problems
•Delinquency (criminal behaviors)
•Antisocial behavior
•Substance abuse
•Aggressive behavior
•Spousal and child abuse later on in life
Sexual Abuse

•Any sexual act between an adult and a child and or any misuse of a child for sexual pleasure or gratification.
•Is the most under-reported form of child maltreatment because of the secrecy or "conspiracy of silence".
Involves:

•Indecent exposure or exhibitionism
•Exposing children to pornographic material
•Sexual intercourse and its deviations
•Incest or rape
•Engaging a child for the purposes of prostitution
•Using a child to film, photograph or model pornography.
Consequences:

•Behavioral problems
•Posttraumatic stress disorder
•Over compulsive behavior
•Development of fears and phobias
•Development of tension symptoms (stomach aches and skin disorders, excessive bathing etc)
•Deep depression
Emotional Abuse

•The systematic tearing down of another human being" •It is the cruelest and most destructive of all types of abuse. It leaves hidden scars that manifest themselves in numerous ways.
•Due to the absence of marks or other physical evidence, this becomes the most difficult form of child maltreatment to identify and stop.
•Many times the parent is physically present but emotionally unavailable.
Involves:

•Displaying terrorizing acts •Ignoring a child's emotional needs
•Ridiculing, criticizing, verbally abusing •Manipulating a child for selfish motives
•Depriving a child from own family
Consequences:

•Mental Disorders
•Poor self-esteem and self confidence
•Destructive, angry and cruelty acts
Neglect

•Type of maltreatment which fails to provide needed age-appropriate care" •More children suffer from neglect than from physical and sexual abuse combined. •Neglect is a type of abuse that is an act of omission (of not doing something) •It is usually an ongoing pattern of inadequate care and is detected by individuals in close contact with the child.
Involves:

•Child abandonment
•Depriving a child of school and education
•Displaying extreme spousal abuse in the child's presence
•Neglecting a child's medical needs or withholding medical care
•Inadequate Supervision
Consequences:

•Severely impacts a child's development
•Compounded medical problems . Injury or Death
•Low self-esteem or suicide . destructive behaviour
•Repeat negative behaviours as an adult

dailymirror.lk

Learning a lesson from nature....!!!

2009-11-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

Learning a lesson from nature
V. Santhanam

The undergraduates of today will be our nation builders of tomorrow. Our educational processes, therefore, should mould them into thinking, responsible citizens, capable of living in peace and harmony and solving our Motherland’s multitude of problems. Our curriculum should, therefore, be holistic, instilling in them knowledge, skills and attitudes that will equip them to make the right decisions at the right time.

Nevertheless, what do we experience in reality? Disgruntled and unemployed graduates are clamouring for jobs, taking to street violence, becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol, losing their traditional values and, in-short, leading a meaningless life, feeling frustrated and hopeless. Instead of being the cream of our society, they turn into mindless reactionaries and desperadoes, throwing our country into chaos and turmoil.

University system
We, as teachers, will, therefore, be failing in our duty if we do not take the initiative to stop this present trend of events. As a lecturer in Zoology for about fourteen

Educational system should help children make right decisions at right time. File photo

years in the university system, I have been noticing with growing concern the lack of interest on the part of our students in offering Biology as a major subject for their degree.

Living in a materialistic world which is used to weighing all its decisions in terms of costs and benefits, our students are, perhaps, made to view Biology as a subject meant only for those living in ivory towers, far removed from the demands of the present age of knowledge based economic societies.

This article is, therefore, an appeal to our undergraduates and future nation builders, to change their perspectives of life and to understand the manifold lessons Biology can teach us. The study of Biology, I feel, can certainly create an awareness of the goal and purpose of life on earth, making our strife torn life a little bit easy to bear with!

The ubiquitous tree stands testimony to one of the most important, interesting and practicable lessons in life to be learned from nature - ‘The philosophy of life.’ Conventionally, the biologist defines the tree as a living organism with true roots, erect woody trunks, branches and leaves. It grows and reproduces, bearing in most cases, flowers and fruits which leave behind seeds that sprout into a new generation.

Recycling energy
The tree is also a habitat, offering a variety of homes (niches) to insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals which through the food webs they create help in the recycling of energy on earth. To the conservationist, the tree is a part of the forest ecosystem that contributes to the maintenance of ecological balance on our planet. The tree is a cornucopia of limitless supply of economically valuable products to both the agriculturist and the industrialist.

However, to the common man, be he a road weary traveller or vendor, the tree provides shade and shelter from the harsh weather. It offers a soothing sight to their tired eyes, lulling them to sleep with the gentle breeze produced by its ever fluttering leaves. From time immemorial, the trees have also been a source of inspiration to both the artists and the scientists, producing thought provoking works of art and, at times, ideas which have given birth go great theories such as the world famous theory of gravity!

Spiritual realization
In religious scriptures and practices too, the tree has assumed a prominent role as an object or place of worship and meditation. It is a well known fact that the Buddha attained Nirvana (spiritual realization) under the sacred Bo tree. Furthermore, in every nook and corner of most Sri Lankan and Indian villages, it is very common to see, under the trees, statues of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom.

It is very likely, therefore, the tree has been, over the ages, whispering somehow the secrets of the philosophy of life to our psychic spiritual teachers.

The vedantic philosophy of life as extolled to the world by Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and his disciple Swami Vivekananda, simply states that our life is a constant struggle to realize and bring out the god (or super-consciousness) within us, in order to develop a worldview on life. We may achieve this, according to our talents, through four major pathways or margas as follows: selfless action (karma yoga); unselfish devotion (bhakti yoga); soul searching pursuit of knowledge (gnana yoga) and intense spiritual practice and meditation (raja yoga).

These four yogic practices serve to calm down and discipline our minds so that we can listen to the voice of our atman or conscience which guides us to make the right decisions at the right time. To a discerning person, this philosophy of life can be seen to be reflected in the functioning of a tree as it grows from a sapling in to a mature fruit bearing plant.

Good values
Just as the sapling tree absorbs nutrients and water from the surrounding soil through its ramifying network of roots, a growing human child absorbs good values, morals and virtues from his/her society through a network of relatives and friends.

Just as the conducting system of the tree serves as a vehicle to distribute the absorbed nutrients and water throughout the plant, making it grow a heavy truck covered with a protective bark, the values a child absorbs are established through the constant performance of his/her duties to himself/herself, his/her family and the society. This act concentrates the human child’s mind, developing as he/she grows, the power of discrimination which helps to ward off the company of evil people and evil thoughts.

Having developed a healthy trunk with a protective bark, the tree begins to support a network of sprawling branches carrying innumerous leaves that flutter constantly in the air and obtain oxygen and food to the growing tree. Likewise, the adult human being too is expected to choose, with discrimination, a ranch of life or occupation in which he/she is supposed to be active constantly both mentally and physically in order to lead a productive life.

Mature human being
As the tree matures it develops buds which blossom in to often attractive, colourful and pleasant smelling flowers full of nectar. In a mature human being with a disciplined and discriminatory mind too intellect buds and later flowers into wholesome personality. Just as bees flock to the flowers in search of nectar and in the process facilitated the cross fertilization of gametes, wise men are automatically attracted towards persons of great virtues and intellect. The cross fertilization of minds that follows gives birth to a new born person with great wisdom and creativity.

Such a new born mature and wise person continues to serve the world just as the fruit serves as a source of food to many and at death, like the fallen fruit, disappears from earth leaving behind only seeds of great thoughts to be immortalized in the following generations.

If a person fails to acquire good virtues of fails in his/her duties, he/she will develop in to a mentally indisciplined and confused person with no power of discrimination. Without a goal in life his/her intellect will be blunted and his/her personality will be stunted and uncreative.

The rapid rate at which forests are being wiped off the face of our planet may be symbolic of man’s refusal or inability to understand the philosophy of life embedded in the so called tree of life. The ensuing global climatic changes may be a harbinger of doom that will very soon fall on a decadent immoral society driving itself to the brink of its own extinction.

Hence, its time for us to wake up and learn a lesson from Mother Nature before it is too late!

The writer is a Senior Lecturer in Zoology

dailynews.lk

World Science Day - November 10: Peace and Development....!!!

2009-11-09T13:34:00.001-08:00

World Science Day - November 10:

Peace and Development
Dulshani Gunawardena

In 2001 UNESCO declared November 10 as the World Science Day for Peace and Development. Today, eight years later, with the world plagued with a multitude of disaster and destruction, we have to look back and wonder how much we have come, and how far we have to go... This context could not be more timely to Sri Lanka today, where the blossoming of peace heralds the potential and opportunity for development.

Defining Science:

The ABCs

In today's world both science and technology is often taken as synonymous, yet they could not be more different!

Research and Development (R&D) Statistics of Sri Lanka (2007)

Percentage
GDP 0.00-0.25
Researchers per million 0-100
Female researchers 30.1-40.0
Funding received

Govt. 65
Private 20
Foreign 5
Other 10
R&D conducted by
Government 50
Higher Education 30
Business Enterprises 20

The UNESCO Institute of Statistics

Science

Is knowledge gained on a particular subject through observation, study, and experimentation carried out to determine the nature of what is being studied

Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Geology
Ecology

Technology

Is putting the knowledge gained through science to practice

Engineering
Nuclear Science
Medicine

The Scientific Method

How did all these laws and theories we hear of today come to existence? It all starts with a simple question and develops through the scientific method into a conclusion.

The steps of the scientific method are to:

Ask a Question

Do Background Research Construct a Hypothesis (Assumption)

Test Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment

Analyze Data and Draw a Conclusion

Communicate Results

It is important for an experiment to be a fair test. A "fair test" occurs when you change only one factor (variable) and keep all other conditions the same.

Mathematics: the blood of science

Mathematics is essential to the sciences. One important function of mathematics in science is the role it plays in the expression of scientific models. Observing and collecting measurements, as well as hypothesizing and predicting, often require extensive use of mathematics. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus, for example, all are essential to physics. Virtually every branch of mathematics has applications in science.

Statistical methods, which are mathematical techniques for summarizing and analysing data, allow scientists to assess the level of reliability and the range of variation in experimental results. Statistical analysis plays a fundamental role in many areas of science.

Whether mathematics itself is properly classified as science has been a matter of some debate. Some thinkers see mathematicians as scientists, regarding physical experiments as inessential or mathematical proofs as equivalent to experiments. Others do not see mathematics as a science, since it does not require an experimental test of its theories and hypotheses.

Science in the Ancient Indian Subcontinent
Any science textbook today would teach us that Galileo first declared the earth as round, that gravity was discovered by Newton: but these facts held no novelty to the Indian subcontinent as far as four millenniums ago!

Computer labs in schools, play an important role in advancing science education

As far as the second millennium BC, the Rig Veda stated that the Earth was a globe and the Yajur Veda that it circled the sun.

In the eight century BC, the mathematician Baudhayana in his Baudhayana Sulba Sutra, contained the general statement of the Pythagorean Theorem as well as many Pythagorean triples (3,4,5/ 5,12,13/ 8,15,17).

Indian fifth century astronomer and mathematician Aryabhata, in his Aryabhatiya and Aryabhata Siddhanta, worked out an accurate heliocentric model of gravitation, including the circumference of the earth, and the longitudes of planets around the Sun. He also introduced a number of trigonometric functions, (including sine, cosine and inverse sine), trigonometric tables, and techniques.

In the 7th century, Brahmagupta recognized gravity as a force of attraction He also lucidly explained the use of zero as both a placeholder and a decimal digit, along with the Hindu-Arabic numeral system now used universally throughout the world.

Furthermore, the systems of Ayurveda, mining and irrigation of the ancient days continue to amaze experts in the field today.

Science: Where do WE stand today?

Sri Lankan forestry students researching bio diversity. Research needs much developement in Sri Lanka.

The quality of science education and technological development vary widely worldwide. While developed countries have more resources for an extensive science education and facilities for technological development, developing countries suffer from a great lack of resources, further isolating them from the development process.

The UNESCO Institute of Statistics measure the quality of Science worldwide through R&D (Research and development). It basically measures the amount of GDP devoted to science and the number of researchers.

According to 2007 statistics, Sri Lanka shows a great lack of researchers, being in the range of 0-100 researchers per million. In developed countries this figure counted as more than 2000 per million. However, Sri Lanka has a significant number of female researchers, in par with developed countries.

The percentage of gross domestic expenditure allocated in Sri Lanka is also extremely low, ranging 0.00 to 0.25 percent. This figure ranges between 2.01 percent and above in the USA, Canada, Australia. Considering the Indian subcontinent, Pakistan and India both show figures of 0.51 to 1.0 percent.

Sri Lanka's R&D is basically funded through the Govt., though there is a significant proportion of private funding. The research conducted by the private sector and for business needs is considerably low, with Govt. and higher education institutions taking the limelight.

Science for Peace and Development
Science is a double edged sword: either to kill or to save. Scientific development today cannot be interpreted as 'development' for humankind in general, as today's wars finely justify. While the manufacture of nuclear and bio weapons have become a topic of much debate today, it is essential to build up a sustainable policy in that regard. Starting at grassroots levels, its essential for the public in general to be more informed on the aspects and destruction of advanced war technology.

Development can be held synonymous with Science and Technology.

Developed countries have better access to the monetary funds needed to conduct and implement research. Developing countries should focus more on cost efficient research. Moreover research should be directed to find cost efficient supplementary technologies.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Science through the ages:

Inventions
BC

5 million Tools from pebbles in Africa
1 million Discovery of fire
200 000 first weapons-stone hand axes
13 000 weaving and leather making, oil lamps
10 000 sickles, mud huts
8 000 plough and flail, pictorial writings
6 000 weaving looms, scales
3 000 discovery of the wheel, metal articles, calendar
2 600 glassware, soap in Babylonia
2 250 Maps in Mesopotamia
2 000 Abacus in China
1 200 Iron and steel tools, first ocean going ships
250 Archimedes screw, gun in Greece
47 First Encyclopaedia by Marcus Terentius Varro

AD

105 Chinese paper making
150 Water clocks
400 Numeral zero in India
600 Windmills in Syria
725 Mechanical clocks in China
800 Wood block printing
900 Optical lenses
1202 Modern method of counting
1250 Glass spectacles in Spain
1300 Spinning wheel, cross staff for navigation
1350 Printing with metal type in Korea
1550 Quadrant for navigation
1590 Microscope-Janssen, Netherlands
1600 Thermometer, sheet glass for windows and mirrors
1608 Telescope in Netherlands
1712 Practical steam engine in Britain
1745 Chemical battery (Leyden jar)
1769 Steam powered car in France
1792 Volta's first electricity battery, gas lighting
1795 Pencil-Conte, France
1796 Smallpox vaccination-Jenner, UK
1810 Canning process for food-Appert, France
1816 First photographic image on metal plates in France
1820 Mechanical calculating machine-Babbage, Britain
1829 Typewriter-Burt, USA
1831 Electric generator and transformer-Faraday, Britain
1837 Electric telegraph and code-Morse, USA
1838 Photography on paper-Talbot, Britain
1843 Underground railway-Pearson, UK
1844 Anaesthetics for surgery-Wells, USA
The basic tool of evolution

1845 Safety match-von Schrotter, Germany
1849 Safety pin, glider(first winged aircraft to carry a person)
1851 Elevator-Otis, USA
1855 Refrigerator-Harrison, UK
1859 Asprin-Kiolbe, Germany
1860 Pasteurisation of milk
1866 Dynamite, fire extinguisher
1868 plastics, traffic lights, stapler
1870 Antiseptics for surgery
1872 Electric typewriter, jeans-Levi Strauss, USA
1876 telephone, microphone
1877 gramophone, Edison, USA
1879 Electric bulb-Edison, USA
1882 Skyscraper, electric iron
1884 Fountain pen, large steam turbine, heat resistant glass
1887 electric heater, Contact lenses-Fick, Germany
1888 Alternative current electric motor
1889 photographic film, automatic telephone exchange, electric oven
1892 vacuum flask, diesel engine cash register-Burroughs, USA
1895 radio broadcasting, cinema, electric drill, safety razor
1897 cathode ray tube
1900 loudspeaker, paper clip
1901 vacuum cleaner
1905 X-ray machine
1907 fax machine, electric washing machine
1916 detergents
1920 long distance air travels
1925 Motorways, TV camera-Baird, UK
1928 Tape recording
1931 Radio telescope, electric guitar
1932 electron microscope
1938 photocopier, ball point pen
1945 Atomic bomb, microwave oven
1946 electronic computer
1950 Human kidney transplant, credit card
1956 video recorder
1967 First human heart transplant
1970 Factory robots, genetic engineering
1975 Desktop computer, USA
1979 ultrasound scanning
1988 genetic fingerprints
1990 first gene transplant on a human
1997 cloning of Dolly

-----------------------dailynews.lk

Those who think well and clear would survive and prosper while those who can not, will perish and decay...!!!

2009-11-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

Thinking Cap

Thinking as the weapon of survival

Palitha Senanayake

Man is a ‘thinking animal’ and hence the world today is what man thought what it should be, a few centuries ago. It is due to these faculties of reasoning in man that mankind has been able to assume control of affairs in this planet and regulate it the way it wishes. But having accepted that, the question then is, is the world today the ideal place the human civilization would have wished it to be?

There is enormous physical development, unimaginable prosperity, technology beyond belief in this world. Yet simultaneously there is mayhem, devastation, abject poverty and sheer helplessness in this same world. It is a bipolar world of ecstasy and agony. But then should things be so if it is human thinking that brings this about? Should part of humanity gloat with unbridled consumerism while the rest should languish for want of basics? Is it because some have been thinking well while the others have not been able to think just as well?

Scientific investigators, often in the teeth of ignorance, suspicion, prejudice and even persecution, have, by their laboured thoughts during the past three centuries, immeasurably increased our knowledge of the resources and powers that rule this planet. Moreover this knowledge has been ingeniously and empirically applied in the service of mankind to an extent where we have now taken the benefits of science for granted.

The irony however is that we have not witnessed progress in the same scale as in science, when it comes to a host of other social and economic issues that the world is besotted with. Poverty, internal strife, and catastrophes have been rampant and what is strange is that these have never been successfully addressed with the same logic of reasoning and tenacity.

The important thing to remember of science is that scientists, over the years have been unflinchingly probing into the ultimate truth in their chosen sphere. There is no room for conjecture in science and even a hypothesis will have a limited life. That is to say that there has been clear and purposeful thinking in science and therein lay its secret of rapid success. That then explains why science has progressed while other issues stagnated.

Clear and analytical thinking therefore is the need of the hour if we are to comprehend the nature of a problem, national or global, with the view of overcoming it. What then prevents these decision makers from viewing these issues from a clear and non tendentious perspective? The answer to that will probably explain the difference between the scientists and a politician. It is simply that those leaders who can not solve their own problems are the ones who are incapable of thinking clearly because they allow prejudices, interests, pathos, and ethos to bear and cloud their thinking. That is to say that they bringforth the ‘animal’ part of this ‘thinking animal’ into focus.

Just observe these countries that are mired in some problem or the other; they are led by leaders who are selfish, myopic, whimsical and petty in their thinking. They just can not see beyond the confine of their self, family and friends. That then is the difference between some countries reaching their development goals whereas the others not.

What then of the ‘international problems’ that persist with no end in sight, such as global warming, arms proliferation and cross boarder terrorism? Aren’t those clear thinking leaders of advanced countries capable of solving those for the good of mankind? The irony is that even these ‘global leaders’ do not stretch the limits of their clear and analytical thinking beyond the borders of their nations. When it comes to thinking on international issues they too are prejudiced, suspicious and tie themselves down with their own vested interests. They think nationally and act globally whereas the right thing should have been to think globally and act nationally.

What is even worse is that these ‘international leaders’ are so obsessed in preserving the current world status quo, that they, with the enormous power of propaganda, aid and trade at their command, would not hesitate even to twist the arms of less powerful nations to prevent them from thinking clearly and acting accordingly.

The recent terrorist problem in Sri Lanka is a cogent example in sight. They would rather have you in their fold than to let you prosper and become independent.

Therefore, for all that talk about ‘human civilization’, it is the law of the jungle that still reigns in the human world.

The difference is that because the humans out-think the others they have created a concrete jungle for themselves where the weapon of survival is ‘thinking’. Those who think well and clear would survive and prosper while those who can not, will perish and decay.

DAILYNEWS.LK

Laboratory Screening of Diabetes....!!!

2009-11-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

Laboratory Screening of Diabetes
by Prof. Upali Gunasekara

Diabetes is considered to be one of the commonest diseases to affect mankind causing a significant number of deaths and debility. It is so common that it causes a death every five seconds some where in the world and each second a new patient is diagnosed. There are nearly 300 million patients with diabetes world wide and in Sri Lanka it could be about a million. Common symptoms of diabetes include loss of weight, thirst, passage of large amounts of urine and skin problems. The complications of diabetes include heart attacks, strokes, ulcers in the legs, amputations, kidney failure and loss of vision.. An important feature in this illness is that in nearly 50% of those affected by it have no symptoms by the time the diagnosis is made some of these patients would be exhibiting the above complications. Therefore it is crucial to identify these patients who do not exhibit symptoms of diabetes so that the dreaded complications could be prevented.. The purpose of this letter is to discuss some important aspects of screening for diabetes to commemorate the World Diabetes Day which falls on the 14th of November . This is the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, the co-discoverer of insulin, the life saving drug used in patients with Diabetes.

There are in fact two types of screening in diabetes. It could be "Screening for Diabetes" and "Screening in Diabetes".

Screening "for" diabetes

This indicates the use of tests for the diagnosis of undiagnosed diabetes. A large number of people who don’t have symptoms of diabetes are not bothered to test for it as they consider themselves healthy or indifferent to their own health. Suitable tests are available for screening and it could be carried out in the whole population (universal screening) or screening when the opportunity arises (opportunistic screening) or screening in high risk individuals (high risk screening). Universal screening is expensive and impracticable to carry out and is therefore not practiced even in highly developed countries such as the United States. However opportunistic screening is more practicable and is the type of screening carried out when a person presents to a doctor or a hospital for any other reason The screening done at medical examinations for insurance policies and employment purposes too could be considered as types of opportunistic screening. However the type of screening that brings about a diagnosis in a large number of patients is high risk screening where a person who is at a high risk of developing diabetes is screened. Those who are at high risk of developing diabetes in the future are shown below.

1. Those with a family history of diabetes

2. High blood pressure and high cholesterol values.

3. Sedentary occupations

4. Over weight persons

5. Those who have been fat (more than 3.5kg) and those who have been very thin (less than 2.5kgs) at birth.

6. Those on diabetes producing medications.

The presence of a family history confers a very high risk for the development of diabetes. Family history includes parents, children, siblings and paternal and maternal uncles and aunts. The risk of a child developing diabetes if both parents have the condition is nearly 60% whereas if only one parent is affected it is about 40%. It is therefore advised that all those who are more than 30 years old with a family history of diabetes should be screened at least once a year.

High blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol are very common among Sri Lankans. Previous studies have revealed that nearly 40% of adults over the age of 30 years have high blood pressure (There is some recent evidence to indicate that those who are just below the blood pressure levels designated as high blood pressure called "prehypertension" too are prone to develop diabetes).

Most white collar occupations in our country are sedentary. There is hardly any exercise carried out by these workers, a fair number of whom become diabetic.

Even though the problem of over weight (measured by an index called body mass index) is not common in Sri Lanka a significant number of our people have increase of weight around their waists and this is called ‘central obesity’. Central obesity is caused by the deposition of excess amounts of fat around the waist. A simple measurement of the waist could identify these people. A non elastic tape held around the waist at the most protuberant part of the abdomen indicates waist size. In a healthy male it should be less than 90cms whereas in a female it should be less than 80cms. All those who have waist measurements above this range should therefore undergo testing for diabetes.

Birth weight of individuals have a profound affect on health. New born babies whose birth weight is less than 2.5kgs or more than 3.5kg are more prone to develop conditions such as diabetes and heart disease in adult life. Since at present most people have their birth weight records all those at the above ranges should be tested for diabetes.

The over use of drugs such a predisolone which could cause diabetes is rampant in Sri Lanka. This drug is used in the treatment of conditions such as asthma and skin conditions. All those who have taken these drugs on a long term basis should be tested for diabetes.

Tests used in screening for diabetes

The commonest test used is the fasting blood sugar where a sample of blood is taken after an overnight fast of 8 to 10hours. An abnormal result does not necessarily indicate the presence of diabetes until the person is re tested three days later. The other tests used include a blood test done 2 hours after ingesting some glucose-This test is done in certain special situation. A urine test for sugar is of no value in the diagnosis of diabetes.

Screening "in" diabetes

Screening in diabetes means identification of complications of diabetes. The patient may or may not exhibit the symptoms of complications. Of these complications now a days nearly all patients are screened for high cholesterol, kidney disease and, eye disease at the time of diagnosis of diabetes. High cholesterol is diagnosed by a blood test called the ‘lipid profile’ and the likelihood of kidney -involvement by a simple urine test called ‘microalbumin’. Eye screening is carried out by an instrument called the ophthalmoscope.

In addition during the course of time some patients need screening for unsuspected heart disease, kidney disease and disease of blood vessels.

A very close association exists between diabetes and heart disease A is mandatory that all patients with diabetes are screened for heart disease under the following circumstances.

1. A typical chest pain. A patient may not exhibit the typical symptoms of a heart attack but instead would manifest with other types of chest pain.

2. Difficulty in breathing

3. High cholesterol and high blood pressure

4. Diabetes of more than 5 years duration

5. An abnormal ECG

The tests used include ECHO cardiography, stress ECG and some times even coronary angiography where a dye is injected into the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle (called coronary arteries) and an Xray taken to identify which vessels are blocked.

Screening for kidney disease is indicated in situations where there is protein in the urine and uncontrolled blood pressure. The tests include urine tests, blood tests as well as X rays and scans-Tests used to determine the condition of the blood vessels supplying the legs include Doppler and arteriography where as in the case of the heart a dye is injected into the blood vessels of the legs to determine their patency.

www island.lk

Ministry of Justice and Law Reform has taken measures to amend the Thesawalame law with necessary changes in line with the present requirements...!!!

2009-11-09T06:11:00.001-08:00

Justice Ministry to amend Thesawalame law

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda

Ministry of Justice and Law Reform has taken measures to amend the Thesawalame law with necessary changes in line with the present requirements. The Ministry has appointed a committee headed by Justice Siri Pawan to look into the new provisions of the Thesawalame law. The Media Secretary to the ministry of Justice and law Reform Gamini Sarath Godakanda told the Daily Mirror.

Thesawalame law is applied to inhabitants of Tamils in the Northern Province and has been subjected to many controversies. According to this law, property can be divided into three categories, such as inherited property of the man from his parents; inherited property of the wife from her parents and the acquired property of the man and wife during their lifetime together.

According to this law, daughters inherit the property of the mother and sons inherit the property of the father. The acquired property is divided equally among the sons and daughters.

Critics say that some provisions of the Thesawalame law have not been able to evolve with time and social changes in society.

The Media Secretary said that the recommendations of the committee into the amendment of Thesawalame law had not still been received. He further said that Ministry had also appointed a committee to replace the archaic Prisons Ordinance and to introduce a new act to suit the present requirement. It is aimed at rehabilitating prisoners and to bring a more efficient prison administration structure.

Thesawalame is a territorial customary law of Sri Lanka. Thesawalame, in Tamil literally mean the customs of the land. It is ancient in its origin and has prevailed in Northern Sri Lanka.

Because of its popularity among local inhabitants, the Dutch first codified it in 1706 and the British gave it legal validity by the Thesawalame Regulation No 18 of 1806, Ordinance No 5 of 1869 and the Matrimonial Rights and Inheritance Ordinance of 1911.

The Thesawalame Pre-emption Ordinance of 1948 amended and consolidated the law of Pre-emption relating to the lands affected by the Thesawalame.

This is widely spoken for its recognition to the necessity of women’s ownership to land property for the security of their future.

Thesawalame is still a customary among a good proportion of the Jaffna Tamils.

Fact box

•Thesawalame is a territorial customary law of Sri Lanka.
•Thesawalame, in Tamil literally mean the customs of the land. It is ancient in its origin and has prevailed in Northern Sri Lanka
•The Dutch first codified it in 1706 and the British gave it legal validity by the Thesawalame Regulation No 18 of 1806, Ordinance No 5 of 1869 and the Matrimonial Rights and Inheritance Ordinance of 1911.
•The Thesawalame Pre-emption Ordinance of 1948 amended and consolidated the law of Pre-emption relating to the lands affected by the Thesawalame.

dailymirror.lk

Cruelty in Srilanka: A group of persons attacked an unidentified man on the Bambalapitiya beach killing him on the spot. ..!!!

2009-10-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

Police look on
as stone thrower clubbed to death

by Shiran Ranasinghe and Akitha Perera

A group of persons yesterday afternoon attacked an unidentified man on the Bambalapitiya beach killing him on the spot.

Police said that the attackers had prevented the man from coming out of water and attacked him with clubs. A senior police official told The Island last night that he had been targeted after he threw stones at a passing train and some vehicles.

Sources said that he had also thrown stones at a military vehicle. Sources said that the police had not intervened to save the man though they were present at the scene. The man had struggled for about one hour in the water and pleaded with those who surrounded him to allow him to come ashore, sources said.

Police spokesman Senior DIG Nimal Mediweka told The Island that the CDB had been directed to investigate. He said that investigators could obtain video evidence as a TNL cameraman had recorded the incident.

www island.lk

STROKE-THE SECOND DEADLIEST KILLER WORLDWIDE...!!!

2009-10-29T23:04:00.001-07:00

STROKE-THE SECOND DEADLIEST KILLER WORLDWIDE

By Olindhi Jayasundere

It is little known fact that strokes account for 5.7 million deaths a year worldwide and ranks second to ischemic heart disease as a cause of death. Due to the ignorance and negligence the disease has been and continues to be a danger to the lives of humans.

At an event yesterday commemorating World Stroke Day, Dr. Padma Gunaratne, President of the National Stroke Association of Sri Lanka (NSASL), said that strokes are the second most common cause of death in the world and is the fourth highest cause of death in the country. “This is a very serious matter which we have to address the causes effectively,” Dr Gunaratne said.

WHO Country Representative, Dr. Firdosi Mehta said that there are three important things to look for when a person is on the verge of a stroke. Firstly, if you ask a patient to smile when you suspect someone is about to suffer a stroke you can tell immediately because a stroke victim cannot smile. The second symptom you should look for is the inability to speak. A stroke victim cannot speak. And finally you must check the tongue as often the tongue hangs side ways or curls up. If all these symptoms are present in a person then you can be certain that he/she is a stroke victim,” Dr. Mehta said.

There is no known drug that can be used to eliminate the possibility of a stroke, nor is there a guaranteed cure. However, early diagnosis and quick action can reduce the severity of a stroke. For patients suffering from speech loss, movement or other disabilities rehabilitation is possible with the assistance of physical and speech therapy, according to NSASL.

Dr. Mehta explained that strokes are caused by smoking, lack of nutrition and physical inactivity. “If you want to eliminate the chances of getting a stroke, then you must take precautions.” Dr. Mehta explained that this can be done by consuming fresh fruits and vegetable as opposed to excessively oily foods, reducing the consumption of sugar and taking up some sort of daily physical exercise that will ensure good health and the prevention of heart attacks and strokes.

In order to highlight the impact of the rising rate of strokes in Sri Lanka, several stroke victims were invited to an event yesterday to create awareness amongst people on the severity of the issue. They received cash donations of Rs.10, 000 and wheelchairs which were presented to them by the Social Service and Welfare Ministry Secretary, V. Jegarajasingham.

Health Ministry Secretary, Dr.Athula Kahandaliyanage, who was also present at the event, said that his ministry will undertake strategies to reduce the ever-increasing number of stroke victims in the country. “We have already taken several policy decisions with regard to this issue and hope to implement them in the near future. It is a challenge of great magnitude, but it is one that must be achieved,” he said.

dailymirror.lk

REVELATIONS ON COLOMBO CITY....!!!

2009-10-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

REVELATIONS ON COLOMBO CITY

CMC , WHO release report on 'Urban Heart' project

By Yohan Perera

The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) said that there was a low rate of enrolment in primary education, high rate of tuberculosis, dengue and highest number of road accidents being reported in the city compared to the rest of the island.

These were revealed by the Chief Medical Officer Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam who released a report of 'Urban heart project' which had been prepared jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday.

According to the data by Dr. Kariyawasam the enrolment ratio in primary education are less than 50 in most of the areas in the Colombo city compared to 97.5 which is the national rate.

He said most of the children studying in schools in the Colombo city are not residents of the city.

When it comes to tuberculosis 42 persons in every 100,000 are having the disease in Sri Lanka while in Colombo City an average of 65 persons out of 100,000 have this disease.

The number of dengue cases in the city is also reported to be high 32 out of 100,000 persons are infected while 50 out of every 100,000 are infected within the city. In some areas over 100 persons out of every 100,000 are affected with the disease in the city.

Another staggering disclosure was the high rate of road traffic accidents compared to the average.

In Sri Lanka 10 persons out of 10,000 meet with road accidents while in the Colombo City more than 30 persons out of 10,000 meet with road accidents. In some areas in the city 100 out of every 10,000 persons meet with accidents.

The aging population is low in the city compared to other areas. Dr. Kariyawasam said a large amount of people within the city might be dying young or might be moving out of the city to spend their retirement.

The population density in most of the other cities in Asia is said to be 6,000 to 7,000 persons per square km while the population density in Colombo is said to be 17,250 persons per square km.

dailymirror.lk

Turmeric:One of the most powerful antioxidants you can consume with amazing health benefits...!!!

2009-10-29T21:36:00.001-07:00

C.S Baskaran

The Most Potent Super-Spice Antioxidant in Your Cabinets

Hi everyone: have you ever eaten curry? That yellow color in curry is attributed to a spice called Turmeric, and it is one of the most powerful antioxidants you can consume with amazing health benefits.
Turmeric has been used in India for thousands of years as a dye, as a spice for dishes, and also in traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine. Turmeric has some of the world’s most powerful fat-burning and healing qualities of any food or spice. It is a potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial substance.
What is turmeric?
Turmeric grows as a shrub in India and tropical parts of Asia. The roots are ground up to make turmeric. Its active ingredient is a substance called curcumin and it is bright yellow. This bright yellow spice has medicinal properties as well as adding its pungent color and taste to many delicious dishes.
Ayurvedic medicine has used this spice as a whole body cleanser, an aid for digestion, and in treatments for fevers, infections, liver and gall bladder problems and arthritis. It may even help to burn fat, and is also very effective as a preventative for heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.
The rich stores of antioxidants are very effective against the free radicals which contribute to premature aging, disease and cancer. Many natural practitioners actually recommend turmeric when a potent antioxidant is needed.
A digestion aid and fat-burning compound
Turmeric helps to digest fats by stimulating the flow of bile in the gall bladder and therefore is very effective as a digestive aid and fat-burning compound. Studies also show it is highly effective at reducing the inflammation from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease.
For the heart, it contains strong anti-platelet substances which help prevent the blood from clotting too easily, and so is very effective against heart attacks and strokes. In addition, homocysteine, a chemical component in the body, which is one of the primary predictors of heart attacks, is significantly lowered in the presence of curcumin.
The curcumin in turmeric also has been shown to lower and reduce the oxidation of plaque on the artery walls.
As an anti-inflammatory it has been used effectively for a treatment for all types of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and for joint pain.
Turmeric and cancer-risk reduction
Turmeric is a powerful weapon against cancer cells as well. Studies show that this super spice can actually prevent cancer tumors from growing and in those who already have cancer, turmeric slows the growth and spread of cancer. In a research study done with mice injected with cancer cells, the curcumin in turmeric was proven to be more than twice as effective as the cancer drug paclitaxel (Taxol).
The curcumin in turmeric is also highly effective when combined with the anti-oxidant quercetin (found in red onions, apples and cherries) against pre-cancerous polyps in the colon. Studies show that polyps were reduced by 60% and the average size of existing polyps were reduced by 50%.
Turmeric and Alzheimer's disease
One of the most exciting new studies has shown turmeric’s value against Alzheimer’s. Studies of the Indian population who have a high intake of turmeric in their curry dishes show a very low incidence of Alzheimer’s and dementia in the elderly.
Alzheimer’s victims have a buildup of a certain type of plaque in the brain and turmeric is highly effective at breaking down this plaque and protecting brain health.
Ways to get turmeric into your diet:
One way to get high concentrations of curcumin is to use the spice turmeric in some of your cooking and recipes.
Curry contains turmeric, but is usually a combination of several spices and you may not get as much turmeric as you would using pure turmeric. That's not to say there aren't benefits to curry too, since it is a blend of several spices.
Try to get creative and test using turmeric and/or curry on various foods so you can benefit as much as possible from this potent super-spice...
Turmeric is very yellow and can stain so be careful when using it. This spice doesn’t have to be used just for curries. It is delicious on sautéed apples, or steamed cauliflower, green beans and onions, or any of your favorite veggies.
Try it with raw cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower or broccoli, or with celery, sweet pepper, jicama or radishes. Turmeric is also a great spice to complement recipes that feature lentils. Give salad dressings an orange-yellow hue and a little extra flavor by adding some turmeric powder to them.
Once you start using turmeric on a regular basis, it's fun to find new ways to use it in healthy recipes.

Increase of cadmium in Drinking water, use of pesticides, excessive use of fertilizer & the use of Aluminum vessels contributed to Kidney failures.!!

2009-10-15T04:23:00.000-07:00

President orders to open ‘Kidney Centre’ immediately

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva to make arrangements to open the ‘Kidney Transplant and Research Centre’ built at a cost of Rs. 450 million at Maligawatte immediately.

Though the construction and installation of machinery and equipment had been completed at the facility more than six months ago the opening had been delayed due to a dispute between the GMOA and the Consultants over the allocation of space at the Centre.

The GMOA vehemently opposed Professors and Consultants using the facility for research work while thousands of patients with renal failure were denied treatment at the state-of-the-art facility.

The Ministry spokesman W.M.D. Wanninayake said as a result Minister De Silva had a meeting with President Rajapaksa on the issue, after which the President has instructed the facility to be opened immediately.

The North-Central, North-West and Uva are the most affected provinces of renal failure with more than 30,000 cases reported.

Medical studies conducted so far have failed to pin point the exact single cause for this health issue.

However, it is believed that the increase of cadmium content in drinking water the use of pesticide, excessive use of fertilizer and the use of aluminum vessels have contributed to cause renal failures.

The new seven-storied centre at Maligawatte is equipped with all modern facilities including surgeries, transplant and dialysis equipment, Mr. Wanninayake said.

DAILYMIRROR.LK

The Miracle Tree! - MURUNGAI MARAM!

2009-09-24T23:39:00.000-07:00

The Miracle Tree! - MURUNGAI MARAM!
|C.S Baskaran

Moringa Oleifera : The Miracle Tree

Moringa is known in 82 countries by 210 different names, but the one name that fully encompasses all its attributes is "the Miracle Tree".
The indigenous knowledge and use of Moringa Oleifera is
referenced in more than 80 countries and known in over 200 local
languages. Moringa has been used by various societies (Roman, Greek,
Egyptian, and Indian to mention a few) for thousands of years with
writings dating as far back as 150 AD.

Botanical Name: MORINGA OLEIFERA

Family Name: MORINGACEAE

Common Name: MORINGA, HORSE RADISH TREE, DRUMSTICK TREE, SAHIJAN

Part Used: ROOTS, SEEDS, LEAVES

Habitat: Found Through out India.

Uses: The roots are acrid, digestive, antihelmentic, constipating,
anodyne, bitter alexipharmic stimulant and vesicant. They are useful in
paralysis, inflammations, fever, cough, cold, bronchitis, pectoral
diseases, epilepsy, hysteria. its leaves are useful in scurvy, vitiated
conditions of kapha and vata. The seeds are acrid, bitter, anti
inflammatory, purgative, and are useful in neuralgia, inflammations and
intermittent fever.

Moringa Oleifera Nutritional Facts

7 times the vitamin C found in oranges
Vitamin C strengthens our immune system and fights infectious diseases
including colds and flu. Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons are
full of vitamin C. Moringa leaves have even more.

4 times the calcium found in milk
Calcium builds strong bones and teeth, and helps prevent osteoporosis.
Milk provides a lot of calcium, but Moringa leaves provide even more.

4 times the Vitamin A found in carrots
Vitamin A acts as a shield against diseases of the eyes, skin and heart,
diarrhea, and many other ailments. Carrots are very high in vitamin A,
with Moringa leaves even higher.

3 times the potassium found in bananas
Potassium is essential for the brain and nerves. Bananas are an excellent
source of potassium. Moringa leaves are even better.

2 times the protein found in yogurt
Proteins, the building blocks of our bodies, are made of amino acids.
Usually only animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy contain all
the essential amino acids. Amazingly, Moringa leaves also contain them
all.

75 times the iron found in spinach
Iron is an essential nutrient because it's a central part of hemoglobin
in blood which carries oxygen to all parts of the body. Spinach is well
known for its iron content. Moringa leaves also contain iron.

BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS.....!!!

2009-09-12T23:31:00.000-07:00

Sep 13, 2009 at 8:25 AM, Sithamparapzillai Kathieravelu :

BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS

1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2 . Overeating
It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our 20 body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6 . Sleep Deprivation
Sleep allows our brain to rest.. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells..

7. Head covered while sleeping
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain

by Sithamparapzillai

An open letter to all those dealing with Human Rights, Workers’ Rights and Women’s Rights...!!!

2009-09-10T09:57:00.001-07:00

An open letter to all those dealing with
Human Rights, Workers’ Rights and Women’s Rights

In 2003 Women’s Education & Research Centre (WERC) did a survey of the Domestic Servants employed in Colombo. And having realised the injustice done to them by the System of Recruitment and the general treatment given to them by their employers, we met a host of people including the Ministers of Labour and other concerned groups and brought to the attention of the ILO and some Trade Unions.

However, no one except the National Workers Congress paid any attention to the issue, and the system continues till today without any amelioration procedures or processes. The general apathy of the political and the civil society continue unashamedly. And what is the consequence?

Today we hear of the deaths of the two under-aged domestic servants.

How many more deaths do we have to count?

Will the authorities who have the power to make and amend laws listen to us at least now? We reproduce below what we published in the media and sent to persons and organisations in 2003.

* Registration of Domestic Aides with the Department of Labour by employers, who shall keep the department informed of changes in the place of employment of those registered, to be made compulsory with a fine of Rs. 20,000/= for failure to do so.

* Domestic Service to be regulated by contract as full, part-time or on hourly basis with social benefits accruing to each category.

* EPF and ETF to apply to Domestic Aides

* Leave entitlement of Domestic Aides should be determined. E.g:

1) One Day a week/total of 30 days per annum

2) Sick/medical leave

3) Maternity leave

* Minimum wage of Rs. 3,500= per month, subject to higher actual wage negotiated between employer and Domestic Aides leading to a contractual agreement as envisaged at 2 above

* If employment is full-time, a rest period of 2 hours, twice a day should be provided

* Privacy ensured – provision of separate sleeping area and bath and toilet facilities

* Employers permit normal interaction with visiting family members, provided the letter has indicated their relationship and frequency of visits mutually agreed upon.

The age of the domestic servants, we feel, should be the concern of any authority and institution that have to monitor the recruitment procedures.

We have now two Ministers in the present regime who are from the Left Movement of the Old Left. Do they still want to help the working class of their country or have they abdicated working class interests and want to reform the Capitalist System?!

Dr. Selvy Thiruchandran
On behalf of WERC

www island.lk

Animals mourn loss of near and dear ones....!!!

2009-09-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Animals mourn loss of near and dear ones

Imagine your child dead or lost. The shock, horror, the feeling of helplessness and grief.

Grief is a reaction to the absence of something or someone who caused happiness, comfort. The continued absence of that person or thing can lead to stress. In the context of bereavement, this stress is termed grief. Charles Darwin, the great scientist, wrote that animals share our emotions including grief.

People like to believe that animals have no sense of their mortality and are unable to comprehend the concept of death. This allows us not to feel remorse when we eat them, hunt them, separate their families, massacre thousands in the name of preventing pandemics, keep them in cages or kill them in slaughterhouses.

Grief is something that those with a memory feel. An animal’s memory is like yours. If you an animal can love or fear, he/she can certainly grieve for the same reasons - following the death of an owner, relative or friend.

How do animals express it ? Many vocalize pain or distress and show changes in their behaviour. Some, like elephants, even shed tears. When my dog Milly’s puppy was killed in front of her by another dog she howled and ran round the house for 3 days, refusing to eat. It took months to get her to interact with us.

The most obvious example of grief in animals has been observed in elephants. If an elephant dies, the troupes who knew her/him will go to where the body is and touch or pass around the bones. They will stay in the area for days to mourn returning to the grave time and time again. Even the calves in the herd will limit their play to show the same respect as adults.

Kenyan elephant expert, Joyce Poole describes the griefstricken expressions in their eyes, the way they carry their ears, their bodies. They pause for several minutes when walking past a place where a companion died. They stand guard over a stillborn baby for days with their head and ears hung down. Young elephants who witness the death of their mothers often wake up screaming. In one incident, a female having lost a calf stayed next to the corpse for several days and left reluctantly with a herd and fifty kilometers away, turned back and went back to her calf.

In Lucknow Zoo Damini befriended a younger elephant called Champakali. who was brought in pregnant from Dudhwa National Park. The two elephants became inseparable. When Champakali died in childbirth, Damini stopped eating. She cried over her friend’s body, and then stood in her enclosure for days. Over the next month she nibbled her food until she collapsed. She lay still, crying, and gradually stopped drinking water. Vets tried to save her by pumping gallons of glucose and vitamins into her veins but could not save her. "In the face of Damini’s intense grief, all our treatment failed," said Dr Utkarsh Shukla, the zoo vet.

When the elephant Kaveri died in Chandigarh’s Chhatbir Zoo, a trumpeting of other elephants filled the air. Defying their mahouts, the elephants repeatedly turned and moved towards Kaveri’s shed whenever taken for a walk

The story of Hoku and Kiko, a pair of Pacific spotted dolphins at Sea Life Park is well known. Kiko died of a kidney ailment. Hoku swam for days with both eyes shut. The keepers gave him a young spotted dolphin female named Lei, who immediately liked Hoku. Hoku was polite; he allowed her to swim with him, he was not aggressive and he even began to look around again. But he kept one eye shut on whichever side Lei was swimming on.

When a dolphin passes away, the others of the group mourn by stopping eating and swim around with loud whistles. If a child dies, the grief of the mother dolphin is intense. She weaves round the body, propping it up to the surface and trying to revive it for hours. Dolphins keep the bodies of their dead afloat by supporting them with their own until all members of the group have shared in the grieving process.

A French documentary film showed a crocodile killing a female hippo and dragging it onto a sand dune. Soon after, hippos are seen coming out of the river to lick the body. They lie down in a circle around the cow as if it’s a fallen friend, and stay there for hours before wading back into the water .

Every dog owner knows that they mourn the death of loved ones - companion or master. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals conducted a project entitled Companion Animal Mourning .The study found that 36% percent of dogs ate less after the death of a companion; 11% stopped eating completely; 63% of dogs vocalized more than normal or became quieter. The study found that dogs changed their sleep patterns and location of their sleep. 55% became more affectionate and clingy with their caregivers. And 66% exhibited four or more behavioral changes after their loss..

If a cat loses a friend, they will stop eating and playing for some time and stay near the scent of the lost one. Mother cats whose kittens are taken away look for them for many days, pacing and crying out. Larry Lachman, author of "Cats on the Counter", says grieving in cats may last up to three years, with the most visible signs in the first year. They include loss of appetite or overeating, chronic meowing or howling, searching for the person or animal, spray-marking and self- mutilation. A sudden refusal to use the litter box and attacking owners or family members can also signal bereavement. Sometimes cats wait at the window, or sit on a gate-post, waiting for the absent one to return. Some owners have even noticed their surviving cats taking on behaviour patterns of the missing cat. Some fast and became critically ill. Post mortems show no sign of disease except for that caused by failure to eat. Some have repeated nightmares after the death of their owner in the cat’s presence waking whimpering and fearful for months until the trauma fades.

Apes and monkeys display the characteristic behaviour we associate with grief. Grieving animals withdraw from their group, sit in one place and stare into space as if paralyzed. They remain unresponsive to attempts by others to interact or console them. They may stop eating, and become obsessed with the dead individual. Some even try to revive the corpse or carry it around until it decomposes.

Jane Goodall, the world famous primatologist narrates the incident of an eight year-old male chimpanzee named Flint in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, who when his mother died, went into deep grief. Flint stopped eating, stopped traveling with the troop. He died shortly where his mother had died.

Koko, the gorilla at the Gorilla Foundation in Northern California was taught sign language and has mastered more than 1,000 signs and English words. At one point she cried, describing the moment she was taken from the forest. She said, "Men came ... big bang ... mother dead.",describing the poachers shooting her mother and taking her away.

Her keepers gave her a kitten whom she mothered. The kitten died and the keeper had to tell her. As soon as he entered her cage, she asked where the kitten was. The keeper signed that it had died and the gorilla turned away, cuddled herself, dropped her eyes to the floor and wailed loudly in a corner.

Chimpanzees show great emotion upon the death of one of their group, screaming, charging, and whimpering. A mother will carry for days the limp body of an infant who has died till it becomes a dessicated strip of fur. Only then will she leave it.

Primate babies born in research labs are snatched from their mothers within three days of birth—leaving the babies depressed and unable to develop normal relationships throughout their lives. Laboratory animal caretaker Nancy Megna writes about what they witnessed at the Yerkes Primate Research Center: "The mother emits either lost calls, waiting in vain for a response from her stolen baby, or she makes a mourning type of crying . She does this constantly, sometimes sitting far from the group at the edge of the compound, sometimes sitting near the door to her quarters. If an employee walks by, the mother will often follow along the whole distance of the fence of her enclosure, looking directly at the employee as she emits her lost call. Babies, too, make plaintive calls, in hopes of being reunited with their mother. " Cows behave the same way when their babies are taken for slaughter.

From horses and rabbits to deer, animals mourn the loss of another. Even rats who play together care for each other and grieve , protecting the body of a loved one that has passed away.

In most animals ,symptoms of grieving include diminished interest and energy , absence of play , listlessness , reduced social interactions , increased daytime sleeping , weight loss/loss of interest in food ,coarsening of fur and loss of sparkle in eyes . Sometimes they die soon after the loss of a companion.

Sharon Crowell-Davis, an animal behaviorist at the University of Georgia, has scientifically proven that animals have emotions just like us, by the use of PET [positron emission tomography] scans. This instrument provides an evaluation of mental states based on brain changes in response to specific stimuli. It was noted that both humans and animals react to a certain stimuli in a similar way. "When animals are recorded showing the same patterns of brain activity and the same brain chemical changes that correspond to a particular human emotion or mood state, it would not be logical for us to assume that they are not experiencing similar feelings," Crowell-Davis says.

Next time you eat a lamb or a calf, you leave a mother who is crying her heart out.

To join the animal welfare movement contact gandhim@nic.in

www island.lk

NCP records over 2,000 kidney cases yearly! 15,000 kidney patients have been discovered from the affected region since the mid nineties.!

2009-08-25T03:38:00.000-07:00

NCP records over 2,000 kidney cases yearly
Nadira Gunatilleke

Nearly 2,000 kidney patients are registered at the Anuradhapura Renal Care and Research Centre to attend regular clinics and at least 40 new patients are diagnosed every week, the Medical Officer attached to the Centre Dr. A.P. Sampath said. A large number of new young patients are registered and some are in the last stages of the disease, Dr. Sampath said.

He said 2,000 kidney patients from different parts of the region have been registered with the centre and attend clinics. Kidney patients above the age of 40 are the most affected because they do not receive free dialysis. Only patients below the age of 40 receive free dialysis from the Centre.

According to Dr. Sampath, some times more than one member of the same family suffer from kidney disease. "Then it becomes more serious because of the unbearable cost of treatment," he said.

The majority of the patients above the age of 40 are breadwinners of their families and it is a huge burden for their families. The centre has to address the problems of the kidney patients as well as their families, Dr. Sampath said.

Anuradhapura Hospital Director Dr. W.M.T.B. Wijekoon said about 15,000 kidney patients have been discovered from the affected region since the mid nineties and 305 kidney patients were admitted to hospital in 2008 out of which 130 of them died.

Eight hundred and thirty four kidney patients were admitted to the hospital in 2007 and 208 of them died. The number of kidney patients' deaths in 2006 is 181, he said.

dailynews.lk

Don't send children as domestic servants...!!!

2009-08-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

Don't send children as domestics - S. Kanapathiraja
by P. Rajaratnam in Nuwara Eliya

Vice President of the Ceylon Workers' Alliance S. Kanapathiraja alerted estate workers not to send their children as domestic servants and let them become victims of all sorts of abuses and violence.

Kanapathiraja was speaking at the funerals of the two young girls whose bodies were found in a canal at Baudhaloka Mawatha, Colombo. The two victims who were from Maskeliya were working as domestic servants at a house in Colombo.

Making his speech amidst the large gathering Kanapathiraja said that he has brought the issue to the notice of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"The estate workers should protect their children by not sending them as domestic servants. The innocent estate children are treated brutally and made to labour in pathetic conditions.

"Therefore the estate workers should not send their children as servants to overcome their poverty and financial difficulties," he said.

He also pointed out that there were several middlemen and brokers who are involved in misleading the innocent estate youngsters.

sundayobserver.lk

SVINE-FLU...HOW TO PREVENT IT...???

2009-08-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

AIDS: ANOTHER KILLER IN SRILANKA...!!!

2009-08-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

Smile is priceless........!!!

2009-08-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

Smile is priceless
Words are what we use most often to communicate, but we transfer a lot of ideas from one person to another using other means. For example, we smile.

A smile is a complex way of indicating what we think because there are so many ways to smile. We smile to indicate we're amused. We smile to indicate we are pleased. If we wish to let a person know that we agree with what he or she said, we smile as a mark of affirmation.

Some people have compulsive smiles. Even when they tell a sad story, they smile. I frown more than most people and smile less often, but I don't think my reaction to the world is any less positive than anyone else's. Smiling just doesn't come naturally.

The best smiles come unbidden. You don't always decide to smile. Often your mouth widens and the corners turn up slightly without you deciding to do it. That's why smiles are so good. The best ones are unplanned.

Smiling is such a great way to create a positive in your days. Smile can be defined this way:

Sensitivity

Maturity

Insurance

Leverage

Emotion

These are some of the things one can find in a smile.

Sensitivity - When you smile at the someone you are conveying a number of things. Several of them I'm going to expand on here. For S stands for Sensitivity. A smile lets the person you are having a conversation with know that you are sensitive and in tune with what they are saying.

Maturity - Smiling conveys a sense of maturity because if you can smile during those times that you least feel the desire to smile, you show maturity and growth as a person. You are letting people know that even in the hard times a positive attitude is valued above the irrational.

Insurance - A warm smile tells people that you value them and lets them know that you are in fact listening to what they have to say. So smile and be genuinely interested in the people around you.

Leverage - Leverage sounds a bit manipulative but I don't mean it in that sense. A smile makes you much more approachable and therefore you are more likeable.

If closer relationships with the family or the people you work with is what you desire, then try smiling more openly.

Emotion - Lastly, but definitely not least, your smile conveys love. Everyone likes to feel loved and can use more of it in their lives. So love them with your smile.

Believe it or not smiling takes less effort to wear than a frown so save yourself the energy and smile often.

The benefits of having the smile returned and the positives of a warm attitude are well worth it.

Bestlife.typepad.com

Swine flu symptoms...!!!

2009-08-11T23:08:00.001-07:00

What are the symptoms?

Swine flu symptoms are similar to the symptoms of regular flu and include fever of over 100.4°F, fatigue, lack of appetite, and cold. Some people with swine flu have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Nearly everyone with flu has at least two of these symptoms.

So, how do you know if you have flu or just cold?
There is one clue: when you have the flu, you feel flu symptoms sooner than you would cold symptoms, and they come on with much greater intensity.. With the flu, you may feel very weak and fatigued for up to 2 or 3 weeks. You'll have muscle aches and periods of chills and sweats as fever comes and goes. You may also have a stuffy or runny nose, headache, and sore throat.

Can I compare flu symptoms with cold symptoms?
Yes. The following chart can help you compare flu symptoms with cold symptoms. Use it to lean the differences and similarities between flu and cold symptoms. Then, if you get flu symptoms, call your doctor and ask about an antiviral drug.

Symptoms Cold Flu
Fever Rare Characteristic, high 100-102 degrees F); lasts 3-4 days
Headache Rare Prominent
General aches, pains Slight Usual; often severe
Fatigue, Weakness Quite mild Can last up to 2-3 weeks
Extreme Exhaustion Never Early and prominent
Stuffy Nose Common Sometimes
Chest Discomfort,Cough Mild to moderate; hacking cough Common; can become severe

You cannot confirm if you have swine flu just based on your symptoms. Like seasonal flu, pandemic swine flu can cause neurologic symptoms in children. These events are rare, but, as cases associated with seasonal flu have shown, they can be very severe and often fatal.

Doctors may offer a rapid flu test, but what you need to understand is a negative result doesn't necessarily mean you don't have the flu. Only lab tests can definitively show whether you've got swine flu. State health departments can do these tests.

What should you do immediately?

Those of you who have travelled from the affected countries in the past ten days and show symptoms swine flu like fever, cough, sore throat and difficulty in breathing should immediately contact the telephone number given below or visit the nearby Government Hospital.

Important contact numbers:
Outbreak Monitoring Cell (Control Room, NICD): 011-23921401

Websites: www.mohfw.nic.in and www.nicd.nic.in
You can also contact a toll free number 2392 1401 at the National Institute of Communicable Disease

Contact number for each cities:
Bangalore

BIAL Swine Flu Center - 91-80-22001490

SDS TUBERCULOSIS & RAJIV GANDHI INSTITUTE OF CHEST DISEASES(Govt. of Karnataka), Hosur Road, Bangalore - 560029
Helpline No: 91-80-26631923

Chennai
Communicable Disease Hospital, 87, T.H. Road, Tondiarpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Hyderabad
Govt. General and Chest Diseases Hospital, Erragadda , Hyderabad
Hospital Helpline Number - 040-23814939

Kolkata
Beliaghata Infectious Diseases Hospital, 57, Beliaghata Main Road, Kolkata

Mumbai
Kasturba Hospital, Arthur Road, Sane Guruji Marg, Mumbai 400011
Ph: 022- 23083901 / 23092458 / 23000889

New Delhi
Yellow Fever Quarantine Centre, Near AAI Residential Colony, New Delhi
Ph: 91-11-25652129

Influenza Ward, Ward no 5, Second Floor, New Building, RML Hospital, Delhi-1
RML- 91-11-24525211,23404328,23365525- Ext 4328

Who is at risk?

Those who are more at risk from becoming seriously ill with swine flu are people with:

chronic (long-term) lung disease, including people who have had drug treatment for their asthma within the past three years,
chronic heart disease,
chronic kidney disease,
chronic liver disease,
chronic neurological disease (neurological disorders include motor neurone disease, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis),
suppressed immune systems (whether caused by disease or treatment),
diabetes,
pregnant women,
people aged 65 or older, and
young children under five.

What precautions should one take at schools?

Avoid close contact with people who are sick
People who are sick with an influenza-like illness should stay home and keep away from others as much as possible, including avoiding travel, for at least 24 hours after fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Fever should be gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine). Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing
Wash your hands often
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
Is it safe to travel?

Avoid traveling unnecessarily. However, if you must travel, check how the country you're going to handles swine flu. Although, the WHO doesn't recommend travel restrictions, many countries have set up their own H1N1 policies, and some travelers have been screened or quarantined in other countries because of swine flu concerns.

How does it spread?

The new swine flu virus is highly contagious, that is it spreads from person to person. The virus is spread through the droplets that come out of the nose or mouth when someone coughs or sneezes. If someone coughs or sneezes and they do not cover it, those droplets can spread about one metre (3ft). If you are very nearby you might breathe them in.

Or, if someone coughs or sneezes into their hand, those droplets and the virus within them are easily transferred to surfaces that the person touches, such as door handles, hand rails, telephones and keyboards. If you touch these surfaces and touch your face, the virus can enter your system, and you can become infected.

Can it be prevented?

Influenza antiviral drugs also can be used to prevent influenza when they are given to a person who is not ill, but who has been or may be near a person with swine influenza. When used to prevent the flu, antiviral drugs are about 70% to 90% effective. When used for prevention, the number of days that they should be used will vary depending on a person’s particular situation.

Follow this general procedure to reduce the risk of catching or spreading the virus, you should:

Cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, using a tissue
Throw the tissue away quickly and carefully
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water
Clean hard surfaces (like door handles and remote controls) frequently with a normal cleaning product
Keep away from others as much as possible. This is to keep from making others sick. Do not go to work or school while ill
Stay home for at least 24 hours after fever is gone, except to seek medical care or for other necessities. (Fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
Drink clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for infants) to keep from being dehydrated
Wear a facemask – if available and tolerable – when sharing common spaces with other household members to help prevent spreading the virus to others.
What precautions should one take at home?

Two things - soap and water can reduce the chance of infection by 30 per cent. All you need to do is keep washing your hand with soap and water frequently. Wash hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand cleaner when soap and water are not available. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

Eat healthy: Proteins are essential to help your body maintain and build strength. Lean meat, poultry, fish, legumes, dairy, eggs, and nuts and seeds are good sources of protein.

PROINDIANBLOGGER.BLOGSPOT.COM

“I know him so well…?”

2009-08-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

“I know him so well…?”

By Krishni Gunawardena- Counsellor/Therapist

The song from "Jesus Christ Super Star" came into the mind of yours truly, trying to pen some ideas about how well a person knows his/her spouse.

Honestly, how well do you know your partner? It may sound a stupid question but think about how you would answer; Do you know their favourite music? What makes them laugh? What they dislike to see happening around the house? Their childhood memories? Their best topic to chat? Or do you know what attracts them to you?

We all like to think that we know our spouse better than anyone else. But most of us don’t know them as well as we think we do. In fact at times we don’t even really know ourselves, do we?

Although we think we are impartial judges, the truth is we hardly see a full and accurate picture of us and our relationship. That however is very natural.

In a relationship we cannot assume all is well with our partner. We cannot speak for our spouse’s opinion unless we find out first. Many husbands speak for their wives. Is it a Sri Lankan thing?

Nuwan 35 is a CEO of a company and his wife Tharindi is a sweet girl, eleven years junior. When a friend asked Tharindi whether she was happy about a certain situation, the husband butts in and says " Oh! She is happy about it" Tharindi wears a blank face, so much as to say " What is he talking about?"

If we are too complacent about our relationship we run the risk of losing all perspective and making it far easier for things to go wrong.

In a relationship- obviously- it is healthy and lovely for both to be truly happy and satisfied, than one being so.

One of the most common judgment errors that most of us make is in how we assign blame. Blame is of course at the centre of most conflicts and if we are judging our spouse by a very different standard, then arguments become more difficult to resolve.

Logan, who’s father was a principal and a mother a teacher grew up, constantly being reminded of the pluses of punctuality. When he married Maheshwari –a carefree girl- he found it difficult to understand her nonchalant attitude and behaviour. Logan says "When I have promised to go to my friend’s place at 8 pm, it has to be 8 pm" His wife- much to his annoyance- is late most of the time! Why does he want to be there at 8 pm on the dot? Is it because of his friend or because of the stubborn notion that he has to stick to his usual pattern?

Well, it all depends on how important the function is and other facts as well. However, isn’t it lovely to strike a balance between the couple? Ah! Compromise. That’s the word!

Each one of us brings a pre-existing script to our relationship. Most of them are formed in our childhood. They sometimes determine how we think about ourselves and other people. Sometimes it drives us to interpret other people’s behaviour in a way that suits our script.

Kamani, 28 thought she was reserved and felt she needed an outgoing guy to bring her out of her shell. This is how her parent’s relationship had worked. Her mother too was reserved. "When I met Gayan at a party, I thought he was ‘The One’ for me" They got engaged and for the first few months it was one big party! Every night they were going out. She soon realized she hardly had any time with him alone. She would say "I felt I wasn’t in a relationship, it was all about being supportive to all his ‘out going’ plans.

I was only thinking of fitting him in just one aspect and didn’t consider whether he was right for me in other aspects."

After we get over the first flush of romance we know our relationship better, but some of us engage in self-deception.

Looking at things from a different angle could help us to know and appreciate our spouse more deeply. Understanding our partner’s perspective rather than our own assumptions, gives us the chance to change the way we react and it can lead to a better relationship.

dailymirror.lk

Green Tea helps lower stroke risk......!!!

2009-08-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

SL Green Tea helps lower stroke risk

Further study needs to be carried out on SL Black Tea also

A research study carried out by Dr. Ranil De Silva from the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Prof. Y. Z. Zhu, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), has revealed that the active ingredient in Ceylon Green Tea helps prevents stroke.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability. A stroke results from reduced blood supply and oxygen to the brain. In the study carried out by the two scientists, purified flavonoids extracted from Ceylon Green Tea were analyzed for their antioxidant scavenging properties, preventing cellular damage after cerebral ischemia.

The tea used for the study was Ceylon Green Tea planted in Sri Lankan highland areas. Liquid tea was freeze dried into powder according to standard procedures and the prepared solution was analysed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The tea extracts showed a significantly antioxidant effect.

“Previously, the health benefits of Green Tea in preventing diseases like heart disease and cancer were attributed to its vitamins and microelements. There is, however, evidence that these beneficial effects are largely due to its antioxidant properties, ” states the research paper.

“A certain degree of damage to brain cells during ischemic stroke is caused by increased production of oxygen free radicals. Cerebral protection could be helped by the active consumption of Ceylon Green Tea as a form of prevention of stroke. Antioxidant therapy could complement a regime of western drugs during treatment for the prevention of stroke,” the research papers states.

The therapeutic value of tea, a wonderfully refreshing beverage, has been recognised from time to time, but this study has resulted in highlighting an aspect that is little known and tested – that Ceylon Green Tea can definitely contribute in helping to treat ischemic disease, or stroke, with its debilitating aftermath that often scar patients for life.

Considering that Black Tea is produced in significantly large volumes in Sri Lanka, Dr Ranil de Silva intends conducting similar research in collaboration with Prof. Y. Z. Zhu on Ceylon Black Tea.

Such a study will certainly be beneficial to the tea industry, especially as consumers are being more and more health conscious He hope that the study will be funded by the stakeholders in the tea industry.

dailymirror.lk

TUPH SCHOOL.ORG.....!!!

2009-08-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

Is there anyone out there for you........???

2009-07-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Is there anyone out there for you?

Asks Sirohmi Gunesekera

Janine was a dreamer. At twenty four, she dreamt of meeting Mr.Right who was somewhere out there in the world. It was only a matter of time, she felt, before she would meet him, fall in love, marry and live happily ever after.

How many Janines are there and men too who secretly or openly think of meeting someone special who would become their lifelong partner? And how many are there who give up an existing relationship and look forward to someone coming to them out of the blue? Or what about those who are dissatisfied with the eligible suitors they know and are waiting for someone they don’t yet know?

So is there anyone out there for each person? Or is life an empty dream?

For once, I have no straight answers.

Have you read the series of books titled "Chicken Soup for the Soul"? They are best sellers and many of the stories are culled from real life. One is amazed by the coincidences and even miracles that take place every day, according to the authors.

There are stories of lost loves and old flames who re-surface years later. Then there are the strangers who turn out to be loving friends.

So if one has hope in humanity, one is likely to come across a kindred spirit somewhere along the way. After all, if the average person lives to be sixty or seventy, the chances are many of finding someone out there with whom you click.

So are we talking of finding a soulmate? Or merely someone who will come to you and look after you because he or she loves you?

Yes, one must never give up on love. You may be sixteen or sixty, there is still the possibility that you may meet someone who makes your heart beat faster. The sad thing is that if you meet someone late in life, the chances are that he or she is already married or in a relationship with someone else. Never mind, without encouraging a married man, you can continue to dream of your lover. After all, everyone has the power of the imagination and no-one can penalise you for a fantasy which exists only in your own mind!

Oh yes, in your waking hours you can dream of Mr.Special even if you can only give him secret longing looks since he is already hitched to another! No, no, there must be no breaking up of an existing relationship unless both of you are dead sure that you want to marry and that you will be happy together!

Often, the idea of Someone Out There is little more than an idea and a way of escaping from the monotony of everyday relationships and routine. It is rarely that a woman especially goes off with a stray tramp as in the play by J.M.Synge, the Irish playwright. As she herself says, "And then, stranger, I got used to being lonely."

Yes, most of us get used to being lonely but that does not stop one from dreaming of Someone Out There who will come and sweep you off your feet!

It’s good to dream but one must face reality. According to feminist Germain Greer, in her book "The Whole Woman", there is no-one out there for a woman.

This is good realistic thinking and must be practised, shelving the idea of a Dream Man. That way you can be content with your own husband in spite of his shortcomings.

Yes. When you live with someone day in day out, the romance is often lost and the faults loom larger than life. Remember that your present partner too was once Someone Out There before you became a couple! It’s easy to romanticise from a distance and the magic is often gone with familiarity. The trick is to look for something special in your existing partner.

But if you are young, you can continue to look out for someone special. Not that older people should give up hope. I heard of a couple in America who were both in their eighties when they married, obviously for companionship.

Yes, I believe firmly that even a day or a year of happiness is worth waiting for, so do look around you and wait for Someone Out There who will come to you one fine day!

DAILYMIRROR.LK

Healthwatch...vegetarianism...walking...sprituality...!!!

2009-07-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

A healthy basket of vegetables

Healthwatch
- Compiled and coordinated by Edward Arambewala

The vegetarian athlete
Dr. D. P. Atukorale

“Users of low-protein and non-flesh dietaries have far greater endurance than those who are accustomed to the ordinary American diet,” Prof. Irving Fisher, Yale University 1906.

For centuries people believed that meat was important for athletes and the 19th century German Chemist Liebig proposed that the energy for all muscular movement came from protein.

But by 1850, scientists knew that the important fuels for physical activity were actually carbohydrate and fat not protein at all. Despite these findings, the protein and meat continued to be favoured by athletes well into the twentieth century.

As recently as 1970, the meals of choice for Sri Lankan athletes included meat and eggs.

Even in the schools I was educated in 1950s our teachers used to advise the athletes to consume eggs and meat.

Long before meat based diets fell out of favour for athletes, there were successful vegetarian athletes.

Prof. Irving Fisher of Yale University was intrigued with physical endurance of “meat-abstainer” athletes. Prof. Fisher studied three groups (a) meat eating athletes. (b) vegetarian athletes and (c) a group of sedentary vegetarian nurses and physicians in Michigan. His results showed a remarkable superiority of vegetarians in all the tests of endurance. The vegetarian athletes and sedentary vegetarian nurses and physicians were superior in all endurance tests to meat eating athletes (Yale Med. J. 13, 205-21, 1907).

Early vegetarian
Early vegetarian athletes were excelling outside the laboratory as well. (a) The London Vegetarian Society athletic and cycling club led by James Parsley won the competitions over meat eaters in the 1890.

Parsly himself won the most prestigious hill climbing race in England (J.C. Whorton, “Crusaders For Fitness”, (Princeton, N. J. Princeton University Press, 1982).

Around the same time, West Ham Vegetarian Society formed a tug-of-war team that set records in that sport. Vegetarian American cyclist Will Brown thrashed all records for 321 km race in the 1890.

In the 1893 walking race from Berlin to Vienna, the first two competitors to finish were vegetarians. A turn-of-the-century 100 km race in Germany attracted international attention because 11 of 14 competitors who finished the race were vegetarians.

In 1912, a vegetarian was the first man to complete a marathon in less than two hours and thirty minutes.

Today some of the best athletes continue to defeat the idea that meat is essential for strength.

Six time Triathion winner Dave Scott who reportedly trains eight hours a day eats a diet that contains mainly brown rice, tofu, low fat dairy foods and a large amount of fruits and vegetables providing more than 6,000 calories a day. (N. Pritikir, Veg. Times, Feb. 1974, 60-63).

Vegetarian Super-athletes
Other vegetarian super-athletes are (1) Suriya Bonaly, French Olympic skater (2) Andres Cahling, champion body builder (3) Chris Campbell Olympic medallist in wrestling (4) Desmond Howard, Heisman Trophy winner and professional football player (5) Billie Jean King, tennis champion, (6) Bill Manetti, power lifting champion, (7) Martina Navoratilova, tennis champion, (8) Parvo Nurmi, long distance runner with 20 world records and (9) Bill Pearl, four time Mr. Universe.

As you see the number of super-athletes who eat a meatless diet is proof that vegetarians can support athletic performance.

A number of research studies (N. Hanne et al, J. Sports Med: 26, 180-185, 1986, J. E. Cotes et al, J. Physiol, 209, 30-33, 1970) showed essentially no difference in strength, aerobic capacity, blood iron levels, lung capacity and exercise performance and muscle development between vegetarian athletes and non-vegetarian athletes.

These studies showed that there is certainly no disadvantage from a vegetarian diet for athletes. There may be clear advantages to going meatless for competitions as will be shown later.

Vegetarian Diet better than Western Diet
The specific nutrient needs of the athletes depend on how rigorously he or she trains. Generally speaking vegetarian diet carries closer to the recommendations for an athletes than a standard Western diet.

Both American and the Canadian Dietetics. Associations recommend that the ideal diet for adult athletes includes no more than 30 percent of calories from fat and between 60-70 percent of calories from carbohydrates (M.S. Pionden and D. Bernadot, J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 93, 691 96, 1993). Therefore vegetarian athletes have to make liberal use of plant foods.

Muscle is mostly water, but it does contain about 25 per cent protein. The amount of protein consumed varies widely among athletes. Two surveys found that football players and tri-athletes consume more protein than the typical non athletes - about two and half times the RDA for proteins (J.R. Brotherhood, Sports Med. J. 350-81, 1984).

In endurance sports, amino-acids are catabolized (used up) at a faster rate. Based on nitrogen balance studies, it seems that 1.5gm of protein per kilogram of body weight would be adequate for most athletes.

To get these proteins athletes don’t need any protein drinks or supplements and it is perfectly reasonable to meat these needs on a vegetarian diet. Discussion of protein needs and how to obtain these in different types of athletes is beyond the scope of this article. Athletes who boost their protein intake by eating more soy products have certain advantages over those who take animal proteins.

Excess protein intake may be a factor in kidney disease. However, plant proteins such as soy don’t have the same adverse effects as animal protein on kidneys (P. Kontessis et al, Kd. Int. 38, 136-44, 1990)

Courtesy: The Vegetarian Way by Virginia and Mark Messina

....To be continued

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health benefits of walking
Dr. Viraj Peramuna

The queen of exercises ‘brisk walking’ helps a person to gain a package of health benefits including:

* Keeping diabetes under control

* Reducing blood pressure

* Keeping heart much stronger

* More fulfilling in sex life and

* Enhanced life expectancy by many years.

These were highlighted in a recent issue of exercises for good health, magazine sent for doctors use in their health advices for patients.

* It is the “Queen” of exercises. You can’t go wrong with it.

It is an easy, inexpensive and enjoyable way to reduce fat.

* Ideal aerobic exercise for all ages. It is practically an injury free exercise. Can be done anywhere and at any time? Doesn’t require any special equipment and teaching.

* There must be something about walking that gets the brain stirred up. Great thinkers and diplomats, who loved to walk, include Hippocrates, Aristotle, Harry Truman and Charles Dickens.

* Walking should be brisk and non-stop. We should be slightly huffed up, but not out of breath.

Hard but not too hard.

* Ideally, should be done on an empty stomach or three hours after a major meal 5 to 6 days a week is good enough.

* If You are ready for a bigger challenge, turn your walking into hiking by heading for the nearest hills, you will lose fat-real fast!

* If you cannot walk fast, walking longer has the same effect. Our body is used to walking for millions of years. Go ahead and enjoy it!

* ”You will have better endurance, better sleep at night and you will probably perform better in bed and have better, overall personal health,” said Newman, a true believer in walking.

Lose 10kg of fat

Let us assume your weight is 80 kg. You brisk walk for an hour a day for 300 days a year. At the end of the year, 10kg of fat! is gone forever! A reduce waistline by 3-4 inches is another bonus.

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When should you take vitamins?
People often ask when they should take vitamins. There are no rules about the best time of day to take supplements, except to take them when they most agree with you. Because vitamins and mineral supplements can occasionally cause stomach upset, heartburn and other gastric disturbances, especially when taken on an empty stomach, it is generally recommended that they be taken with food.

Many people prefer to take their vitamins with breakfast, as part of a morning routine, but feel free to experiment with taking your supplements with lunch or dinner. For best absorption and the least irritation to the stomach, take your supplements with a meal containing some fat. This is particularly important for the fat-soluble micronutrients (mixed carotenoids, vitamin D and vitamin E). And be sure to read the labels - they will give you specific instructions on interactions and absorption.

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Spiritual side of mind
Man has contributed a lot to create material wonders. The human mind is highly intelligent, yet its very intelligence is tainted by weakness. Spiritual side of mind is ever degrading. Time has come for man to seriously and very seriously focus on the very survival of earth.

What we watch on T.V. and read in news papers show the results of this madness. The unprecedented violence that humans are inflicting on other life forms, destroying oxygen, reducing forests, ill treatment of animals, poisoning the rivers and oceans without understanding their connectedness to the whole, cannot be forgiven. If continued unchecked, this would only result in their own destruction .The islands are submerging and many more are under threat. Many spiritual leaders have predicted the destructive changes in climatic upheavals yet to come.

Fear, greed and desire for power not only behind warfare and violence between nations have become the cause of conflicts in personal relationships too. You

Promoting vegetarianism

misinterpret every situation leading to wrong action to satisfy your need for more.

You can not be good by trying to be good but finding the goodness that is within you and allowing that goodness to flower within you .But that can only happen, if something fundamental, changes in your state of consciousness.

This is where the greatest philosophy on earth, the Dhamma can help us by taking us in our own inward journey cleansing what ails our mind with a technique that is universally acceptable and 100 percent scientific.

Greatest achievement
The greatest achievement of humanity is not what man can materially achieve but recognizing his own weakness. Concentrating on breathing in and out (Anapanasati meditation) can bring about calmness to the mind and help man to recognize his own insanity which is of course the arising of sanity.

According to various predictions a fare amount of earth’s population will soon realize that we are now faced with the stark truth of Evolve or Die. Here Evolve means is to respect Mother Nature and its beings and a mind that sheds all evil thoughts for a better world.

The current climatic upheavals going on in many parts of the planet, some of which are already happening is due to the folly of man misusing the planet earth. Human minds have conflicting wants, restlessness and dissatisfaction.

They are the results of unfulfilled wanting. Nature, animals and people are no more than digits in a balance sheet in many large trading organizations in the world.

Try to understand ego for what it is the insanity of human mind. It helps you to remain non-reactive to it. You do not take it personally and complain or blame. You understand that it is the ego of someone. Compassion arises when you understand that all are suffering from the same sickness of the mind. Reactivity is fuel to thrive on ego. You need to learn not to fuel this situation any more.

As Shakespeare said, a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing is the explanation of each and every situation in this egoist game.

People experience discontentment for no specific reason. Many people spend a large part of their lives in this state. They are immersed in it that they cannot stand back and see it.

The following example show how you let resentment to be alive in your mind and life. There is something that needs to happen in my life before I can be at peace (happy). The ego does not know that your only opportunity for being at peace is now, and that has to be making peace with the present moment. The secret of happiness is to be one with life. Being one with life is being one with NOW - the present moment.

Reality of things
The Buddha advocated us to be aware of each and every moment (be in sathi) to realize the reality of things.

But ego creates negativity. It thrives on unhappiness that it loves. In this way you make yourself unhappy and others suffer and do not even know that you are doing it. You are making hell on earth to create suffering without recognizing it. This is the essence of unconscious living. You will defend with clever arguments, self justifications, to distort the facts.

To end this misery that has afflicted this human condition that has lasted for thousands of years, you have to start with yourself and take responsibility for your inner state, at any given moment. Ask yourself, is there negativity in me at this moment. Then become alert be attentive to your thoughts and emotions. Watch out the state of being fed up, your discontentment or nervousness.

All you need is to be aware of thoughts and emotions as they happen. This is not really a doing but be alert and see things as they are. What Lord Buddha described as Yatha butha nature is do not let insanity dominate your mind

Identify negativity as it arises and be with the present moment bringing sanity under the light of compassion to yourself and the whole world as The Buddha preached in the Dhammapada: Mano Pubbaga ma dhamma mano setta mano maya.

In Zen they say “Do not seek the truth Just cease to cherish opinions”. May this analysis of mind enlighten you to realize the true state of things based on The Buddha’s and other modern philosophers.

Sunanda Paranagama Weerasinghe, Promoter of vegetarianism and
President elect for Sri Lanka Food Processors Association

How to minimize the risk of heart attacks...!!!

2009-07-23T14:15:00.001-07:00

How to minimize the risk of heart attacks...............by D P Atukorale

1) All Sri Lankans especially those above the age of 40 years should get a medical check-up;

(a) If you have a strong family history of heart disease;

(b) If you you are a smoker;

(c) If you consume excessive amounts of alcohol;

(d) If you you are obese or overweight;

(e) If your blood pressure is over 130/80

(F) If you your fasting blood sugar is over 110mg per dl and;

(g) If you have too much of stress.

(2) Avoid Following. Items Of Food as Far as Possible

(a) Deep-fried food items especially if vegetable oil has been used for deep-frying;

(b) Cheese , butter and ghee and cut down the amount of full cream milk;

(c) Red meat;

(d) junk foods such as hot-dogs and hamburgers

(e) Do not consume too much, of sugar and sweets

(f) Avoid food items with excessive amounts of salt;

(g) Do not consume excessive amounts of alcohol and

(h) Do not use vegetable oils for repeated frying (deep frying)

3) Consume Following Food Items

(a) Consume plenty of vegetables and fruits

(b) Take complex carbohydrates. Avoid polished rice

(c) Take garlic in moderations ;

(d) Drink three to five cups of tea a day

(e) Take dhal and soya products (which are full of essential amino acids vitamins and minerals) regularly;

(4) You must see your family physician at least once in two years.

(5) You must take regular exercises such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming or jogging. Do these exercises at least four times a week.

(6) If you are obese or overweight take dietary advice from your family physician or dietitian.

(7) If you have stress reduce your stress by keeping yourself active in mind and body. Avoid tension - forming situations causing fear, anxiety, jealousy and anger. You must ‘recognize and withdraw from stressful conditions.

(8) If your blood lipids (fats) such as L.D.L. (bad) cholesterol and serum triglycerides are elevated follow the advice of your doctor or your dietitian. Your stomach no longer can continue as a garbage bin for uncontrolled appetite. You can minimize the risk of getting a heart attack by observing above simple precautions. A good proportion of heart attacks among Sri Lankans can be prevented. It is useless trying to put out fires after they have started. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

www island.lk

Stress...A slow killer....!!!

2009-07-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

Stress...A slow killer.......... by Dr. R. A. R. Perera
Clinical Psychologist

The pressures of daily life - jobs, relationships, money, raising children, have become such a constant part of our lives, that many of us operate with ever present pressure, anxiety or burnout.

The stress can be so unflagging that many people have accepted it as a standard part of life. Although we may try to ignore its presence, stress does not go away. It just goes to work inside the body. Prolonged stress contributes to many physical and psychological ills. It overrides natural defences against viruses that cause AIDS, chickenpox and the common cold. It also encourages the production of inflammatory hormones that can lead to heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. It can flare up arthritis and digestive disorders, creates depression and ages the brain.

Unchecked stress sends out complex signals that unleash a cascade of activity throughout the body.

When someone is confronted with stress - whether physical or psychological - the brain is the first part of the body to respond, reacting in two distinct ways.

In one of the reactions, a part of the brain called the hypothalamus sends signals through nerves to the adrenal glands, commanding them to release the stress hormones. These hormones gird the body for action. They boost heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and blood flow to the muscles and the brain, providing an extra surge of energy in times of danger. They also can keep athletes, entertainers and others on their toes, keeping them alert and productive when performance counts.

But chronic stress opens floodgates to stress hormones, regardless of whether there is a threat, allowing viruses, bacteria or tumours to flourish and making blood more prone to clotting.

The brain’s other reaction comes through the pituitary gland, which sends signals through the bloodstream instructing the adrenal glands to release the stress hormones and other steroids.

In the right amounts, stress hormones (cortisols), help the body to recharge, enhances disease resistance, fights inflammation and improves the memory.

In excess, however, these stress hormones promote the accumulation of abdominal fat, suppresses immunity, shrinks brain cells and impairs the memory.

Over time, body become less sensitive to the protective effects of these stress hormones and inflammation can happen.

Stress can give you butterflies or a stomach ache, but chronic stress can trigger flare-ups of irritable bowel syndrome, an intestinal condition that includes cramping, gas, diarrhoea and constipation.

Although stress is no longer believed to cause ulcers (they are caused by a bacterium called , H. Pylori), it can worsen the symptoms.

Stress can cause, to people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease of the joints), to intensify the pain and create more physical limitations.

In eastern countries like Sri Lanka and India, people who suffer from stress do not inform their physicians or their psychologist about this situation, unlike in developed countries.

So most of these people suffer without knowing that there is a definitive treatment for their condition.

As their understanding of the biochemistry of stress increases, scientists are developing and testing ways to protect the body from its effects, using yoga and meditation, psychotherapy and medications and even experimental devices.

Among the simpler interventions that hold the most promise is tai - chi a centuries old Chinese exercise often described as ‘meditation through movement’.

In a study done in 2004 by researchers at the University Of California, on adults older than 60 years, they found that one type of tai - chi improves immunity to Shingles, a painful nerve disease caused by the re-emergnce of the chickenpox virus. Medications may also prove effective at blocking the destructive effects of stress hormones. Drugs which are used to lower the blood pressure (Beta blockers), are sometimes used in reducing the harmful effects of stress hormones.

Other medications, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, can be used effectively to reduce the harmful effects of stress related diseases.

Stimulating some nerves (Vagus nerve) through a pace maker like device is another method of reducing the stress hormones.

Researchers at several institutions in the US (University of New York,) are experimenting with rapid transcranial magnetic stimulation, which delivers electromagnetic waves through a device placed against the roof of the mouth to treat anxiety attacks and the manifestation of chronic stress.

www island.lk

More thoughts on how to develop resilience....!!!

2009-07-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

Dealing with a problem makes you stronger...

By- Krishni Gunawardena Therapist/ Counselor

Life now and again will throw challenges at us, so developing resilience is essential to fight the times of crisis.

Setbacks should never be seen as a failure, but instead as a valuable lesson that can only make us stronger. Roshi, 38 who shone with confidence through University and building her academic career, found herself reeling when she had to face her husband’s infidelities and the marriage break-up.

"My husband and I divorced after 3 years and I felt devastated and stupid for not seeing it coming". She says all sorts of negative thoughts kept coming into her mind. "I started seeing myself as I felt others saw me; a failure. Not only in my marriage but in everything I did." She used to think "if I got one thing so very wrong, how could I do well in other departments?"

To avoid this trap therapists say it’s important not to see things in black and white. They say not to assume that if something is not a total success that it must be a total failure.

Even in a problem there are aspects which can be worked well and aspects that cannot be worked well. There can be many causes beyond our control. So it’s important not to judge ourselves that harshly.

According to research women are particularly prone to taking things personally and to allow setbacks to shake their sense of self.

Cognitive behavior techniques can be an effective way of challenging the increasing negative emotions. With each set back we must question our responses.

"If you think that you are a failure, is it as a wife? A mother? A colleague? Or a boss? Always think of the better perspective.

We must concentrate more and learn from the better perspectives in life. It’s important to get inspiration from people who have had setbacks and come out stronger than ever. Being seen as someone who can and have the strength to overcome difficulties and challenges can be useful.

Five years after her divorce Roshi has indeed come out stronger. "The divorce did lead me to re assess myself and my life and I ended up making some changes. She was happy knowing that she gave her marriage the best shot but realized that certain things were beyond her control.

"I don’t blame myself, but I’ve recognized my part and taken some of the responsibility. She says, "The relationship I am in now feels much more honest, more committed kinder than my marriage ever did"

Roshi is planning to marry her partner next year. Roshan-her partner- too has had a painful break-up before. They both are very positive this time around partly because ‘we have both experienced a painful breakup and know what is at stake’ they say, they also know that whatever happens-if something goes horribly wrong-they can survive.

This whole learning process, going through pain is a reason to be more confident, not less.

We must nurture characteristics of resilience including being able to bounce back from adverse situations and having a ‘can do’ attitude to life.

One way of improving your resilience is to identify a confident, resilient role model from the past or present who exemplifies the quality you admire and would like for yourself. When your confidence is slipping think of your role model and how she/he coped. This way you can get inspiration to tap in to your resilience and step into a more positive attitude to see you through the challenges you face.

More thoughts on how to develop resilience;

• Try to see problems as opportunities
• It’s always good to avoid problems, but some are beyond your control. But once you are faced with it, focus and give it your best shot.
• Be flexible in different situations
• Make the most of what comes your way.
• Do things that give meaning to your life.
• Most importantly, have a warm and nurturing friendship-support net-work.

dailymirror.lk

FREE HEART SUGERY FOR CHILDREN AT SAIBABA MEDICAL INSTITUTE, BANGALORE...!!!

2009-07-20T07:59:00.000-07:00

MANGOES ARE PART OF GREAT TAMIL LIFE STYLE/FOOD TRADITION/ FINE CULTURE ...!!!

2009-07-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

To celebrate growing older.....!!!

2009-07-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

Written By: Regina Brett , 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion Today is special.
22. Over prepare, and then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
Its estimated 93% won't forward this. If you are one of the 7% who will, forward this with the title '7% I'm in the 7%.

Very useful for -HOW TO AVOID HEART BLOCK..!!!

2009-07-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

a person working in a Software Company‏
Fra: Maravanpulavu K. Sachithananthan (tamilnool@gmail.com)
Sendt: 14. juli 2009 16:44:31
Til: arans@rocketmail.com
--------------------------------------
Sharing is Caring.

Very useful for - HEART BLOCK

Dear All,

Natural therapy for heart vein opening

Please pass it to your colleagues or friends.

For Heart Vein opening

1) Lemon juice 01 cup (6)
2) Ginger juice 01 cup (400g)
3) Garlic juice 01 cup (600g)
4) Apple vinegar 01 cup

Mix all above and boil in light flame approximately half
hour, when it becomes 3 cups, take it out and keep it
for cooling. After cooling, mix 3 cups of natural honey
and keep it in bottle.

Every morning before breakfast use one Table spoon
regularly. Your blockage of Vein's will open
(No need any Angiography or By pass)

This is e-mail received from a person working in a Software Company

Dear colleagues, I am working in Blore Software City ........ I wanted to share an incident of my life with you, hoping that it may be an eye opener to you so that you can live more years.

On 27th October afternoon, I had severe heart attack symptom and I was rushed to the hospital.

After reaching to the hospital, the doctors prescribed a test called angiogram. This test is basically to identify blood flow of heart arteries. When they finished the test they found a 94% block in the main artery, please see the image below with red circle.

If you go to the market, you can see the pig's heart and from the heart, cut it layer by layer and you can see the arteries exactly like the humans

At this point, I wanted to share my living style, which has caused this block in my heart arteries Please see the below points of my life style, if any of these points are part of your life style then you are at risk, please change yourselves.

1. I was not doing any physical exercise for more than 10 years , not even walking 30 minutes a day for years.

2. My food timings are 11:00 AM Breakfast or no Breakfast, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM Lunch and dinner at 11:00 PM to 12:00 AM .

3. Sleeping in very odd timings, going to bed between 12:00 AM and 3:00 AM . Waking up at between 9:00 AM and 10:30AM ........ Some times spending sleepless nights.

4. I used to eat heavily because of long gaps between lunch and dinner and I used to make sure that Non-Veg is available most of the time, there were times when I did survey on city hotels to find delicious Non-Veg dishes. I was never interested in vegetable and healthier food.

5. Above all I was chain smoker from years.

6. My father passed away due to heart problems, and the doctors say the heart problems are usually genetic.

Once they identified the major block they have done immediately a procedure called angioplasty along with 2 Stints, mean they will insert a foreign body into the heart arteries and open the blocked area of arteries. Please see the below image after the procedure.

I learnt from the doctors that 60% people will die before reaching the hospital,20% people will die in the process of recovering from heart attackand only 20% will survive .. In my case, I was very lucky to be part of the last 20%.

Doctors instructions:

1. Need to have physical exercise for minimum of 45 minutes daily.
2. Eat your food at perfect timings, like how you eat during your school days. Eat in small quantities more times and have lot of vegetables and boiled food, try to avoid fry items and oily food Fish is good than other non-vegetarian food.
3. Sleep for 8 hours a day, this count should complete before sun rising.
4. Stop smoking.
5.. Genetic problems, we cannot avoid but we can get away from it by having regular checkups.
6. Find a way to get relived from the stress ( Meditation etc).

please avoid getting into this situation, it is in your hands to turn the situation up side down, by just planning / changing your life style, by following simple points above.
If you find it's useful you can forward this mail to your friends and loved ones.....

--
Tharma
CEO
BNetworks Sdn.Bhd.
DID: +603-7958 3118
| Fax: +603-7958 7118
| http://www.bnetworks.com.my/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
மறவன்புலவு க. சச்சிதானந்தன்
Maravanpulavu K. Sachithananthan

Married life is not a fairytale....!!!

2009-07-14T03:38:00.000-07:00

Are marriages made in heaven?

Krishni Gunawardena- Therapist/Counselor

However much we are clever and know that married life is not a fairytale we tend to live in a dream world especially at the time we fall in love until the wedding celebrations are over.

The beautiful images of the wedding, romantic visions of Cinderella and Prince Charming lurk in our hearts and minds. The romance, passion, glamour, and all the attention in the world is on you. Isn’t that the best time of our life?

The answer is a resounding "Yes"

However…let’s face it, in real life how smooth is marriage life? We think that our pure love will pull us through. Actually it does, but not that smoothly.

Sometimes it’s not the most romantic parts but the least romantic parts in our marriage that help us to learn about ourselves, our love for each other and the reality of marriage.

Nirasha, 26 thought she found ‘Mr. Right’ when married Shiran, an Accountant by profession. She thought they were going to be happy together until ‘death us do part.’ But one year into her marriage problems started. In fact she wondered "is this the guy whom I was in a mighty hurry to get married?" Actually he was.

What she didn’t realize, at the time she was cramming wedding cake into his mouth, having buttly and dancing away, was that the sameness of the day in and day out togetherness can sometimes get you down, if you don’t work on your marriage.

When Nirasha’s parents talked about "marriage takes work" Nirasha assumed it was all about keeping a lovely home and tolerating Shiran’s few bad habits at home. But it wasn’t that simple for her!

Human beings are complicated creatures by nature. It’s a good thing to study each other constantly. Each time we think "oh! I know him so well and I’ve mastered is ways" he has changed a little bit more!!

As two people grow and evolve the real work of marriage is finding a way to relate and nurture each other in the process.

Most of us don’t realize that marriage is not a destination but a journey filled with equal parts of excitement and difficulties.

Nimshi and Naresh a loving couple- second year into their marriage- confessed to me that they have heated arguments mostly after coming from work. They start from petty issues and end up insulting each other’s family and relatives.

Contrary to the saying "never go to bed angry" [meaning resolve it, kiss and go to bed!] the appropriate thing to do is just ‘sleep on it’ not forgetting to say "I am a little tired right now, let’s talk about it tomorrow"

You need this break to calm down, gain perspective and to give it a rest. It will allow you to figure out why you were angry and hurt. Probably you were too stressed out at work and wanted to unload it on someone. Without this ‘time out’ a good argument can lead to irrelevant and damaging words being used to spoil the relationship.

Getting your way always, is not an achievement, what is important is finding a way to work it out together.

Darshi, 49 who holds a prestigious position as a Judge felt that a lifetime of life experience has taught her that in most areas, at most times, she was right about most things. She says, "What shocked me after many years of marriage was that the more ‘right’ I was the more discontented my husband and I were as a couple"

"I realized that in certain disagreements there is no ‘right’ or no ‘wrong’. It’s simply his way and my way of looking at things"

There was time I thought things were "either black or white" but now I’ve realized there is more ’grey’ in life.

Most of us have this belief that we can change a person we love-make him closer to ‘perfect’. We may use nag, sympathy or shouts and tantrums but changing a full grown person-stripping her/him of age old habits and beliefs are truly impossible, especially when you have known her/him for a year or two.

It may be good to realize that it is much easier to change the way we respond to them.

These realizations- if they come to us sooner than later- are great bonuses in a marriage.

Though marriage has hard times and lessons that no one can ever prepare you for, at the end of the day, those are the things that give us the powerful moments, richness to our life together and make our love even deeper and stronger than when it began.

DAILYMIRROR.LK

DANGERS OF MOBILE PHONE RADIATION....!!!

2009-07-10T00:52:00.000-07:00

True Story

This morning I heard a true and sad story from a colleague of mine. She told me one of her friends is always having abortions.

When the foetus gets to be 2-3 months old she loses it. This happened several times over. The couple went to check with many doctors and at last one of the doctors examined the dead baby and found that the baby's body cells kept dying as the baby was growing in the womb until he/she could not survive. This was because her uterus was affected by Handphone Radiation.

The doctor told her, she now has no chance to give birth to a healthy baby because the radiation has affected her uterus so that the major portion of the cells in her uterus have already died.

This happened because she has been keeping her hand phone in her working jacket so that the phone rested against just on the right spot of the uterus. She had been wearing it like this for a few years.

Please beware of this and take note if you don't want what has happened to this woman to happen to you.

Dearest friends, email contacts & family members,

Please do not ignore hand phone radiation which will damage our health or body organs. Please put away your hand phone whenever you don't need it much.

Guys, Please do not keep your hand phone near to the kidney position and pants pocket .

The other doctor also advised another friend to keep her hand phone away from her new born baby to avoid radiation damage to the baby's brain cells.

Do not let the baby or toddler play with the hand phone. This is because the small young baby or toddler is still very fragile and growing, so he/she is much more vulnerable to radiation damage.

Please remember not to sleep together with your hand phone or put it next to your bed.

Keep any other electronic goods (such as tvs) which also give off radiation away from your bedroom to reduce risk as we have to sleep a few hours every day in our bedroom at night.

Further, do not imagine that if you switch off the TV there will be no radiation. Actually it is still around in your room.

It is not advisable to have even a small digital alarm clock close to your head while sleeping.

To be frank of course most of us can’t lead a normal life without usage of mobile phones and also other electronic gadgets. SO the BEST SOLUTION will be to get a prevention measures or item to protect our self…one of it of course to use fractal tools with Amized Fusion Technology.

Even this Amzied fusion technology tools also can do some miracles things like energizing and giving a shield to human being, even for someone with sickness/diseases also have recover tremendously by using or applying this tools technique…

Take Care of yourself and your loved ones.

.........................................
Remark:- To get the details of the best prevention measure or info bout the fractal tools feel free to get back

to me then…you have to see for yourself personally to fully convinced that these tools really works

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The ills of a ‘fixed posture’.....!!!

2009-07-02T04:54:00.001-07:00

The ills of a ‘fixed posture’

After scribbling on ‘political posturing’ of the UPFA constituent parties yesterday, especially the fickle nature of the SLFP, it is a relief to pen something more useful to the general public – those who suffer due to ‘fixed postures’.
A throbbing pain in chest and heaviness and a running pain in the left arm are generally identified as symptoms of a heart attack. However often there are times when somebody with such symptoms is given a clean sheet by the doctor at the end of a series of tests. Daily, dozens and dozens of students, bankers, accountants, young professionals mostly between 25-45 are rushed to hospitals only to be told that nothing amiss.

This has been quite a recurring grievance and they end up feeling miserable having failed to figure out what exactly is wrong with their bodies. A fortunate few get to know the truth behind their aches and pains. Tell the story to a professional physiotherapist and the first question he or she would ask is ‘do you use computers for long hours?’ If yes then comes the second question ‘do you keep you head bent while using its key board?’

Yes.

The physiotherapist would then treat the patient with a combination of therapy and would ask the patient to correct the posture, lower the computer chair and do a few exercises everyday.

Now how many computer users in this country are enlightened about the fact that one is likely to develop ‘a sort of a heart attack’ symptoms including chest pains if one keeps the head bent for long hours since the posture strains the nerves that head towards chest and arm.

It is indeed unfortunate that Sri Lanka, which has hundred thousands of computer users, lacks a proper awareness programme on the computer related illnesses. It has also been found that there are thousands of Sri Lankans who suffer from Repetitive strain injury (RSI) a variation of the same condition where tissue damage can trigger distress and depression. It may start off with a pain in the arm due to overuse of key board, then followed by fatigue, lack of confidence, an eternal sense of foreboding that something is wrong and many others.

A nearly half a million computer users in the US and about two hundred thousand in the UK are reportedly suffering from RSI related conditions.

The history of the RSI is traced to ‘writer’s cramps’ before the advent of computers and Leonardo da Vinci is among the many high profile personalities who have suffered from the illness. However the condition is not limited to writers or computer users. Anybody who performs repetitive movements for long hours in a poor fixed posture and work under stress can succumb to the illness.

While there is an assortment of treatments for the illness including relaxation techniques, diagnosing the condition and accessing the best treatment still remains a challenge for many Sri Lankans due to poor awareness.

dailymirror.lk

Women are at their happiest at the age of 28....!!!

2009-06-30T14:14:00.001-07:00

Women ‘happiest at 28’
Women are at their happiest at the age of 28, a study has found.

Researchers discovered women feel most confident and happy with their love life and body shape shortly before they reach 30.

It is also the period in their life when they enjoy the best sex – but the happiness is relatively shortlived.

Because by the time they have turned 30 they start worrying about growing old and developing grey hair and wrinkles.

A spokesman for home hair colour brand Clairol Perfect 10, which carried out the study of 4,000 women, said: "Everything in life hits its peak at some point, and nearly reaching your thirties isn’t so bad now.

"The age of 28 has been pinpointed as the time in a woman’s life their hair looks the best, body shape is at its peak and confidence is at an all-time high.

"The security of your job, having a steady income, being in a relationship and having strong friendships all help create the perfect point in our lives when everything comes together.

"Reaching and surpassing your twenties no longer triggers the downward spiral of your looks and self-confidence.

"And a little time put aside in hectic schedules for self-pampering and the odd beauty product can help keep you feeling young and looking your best."

The survey of 25-65 year olds recorded the age at which women were most content in 12 key areas of their life.

According to the results, women are happiest in their career at 29 and most content with their relationships one year later at 30, despite having the best sex at 28.

But all is not lost for the over 30s, as women feel most content with their financial situation at 33 and at ease with their home and family life at 32.

The research found two thirds of women feel they age more quickly than men, and the women polled rated their appearance a measly five out of 10.

It also emerged that 56 per cent of women worry about losing their looks as they get older

But drinking from the fountain of youth doesn’t come cheap as the average woman will spend £600 every year, or more than Â£49 a month, on beauty products in a bid to stay looking young.

The research also found women spend over five days a year on their beauty routine – an average of 22 minutes every day.

Psychologist Corinne Sweet added: "Having a good hair day is essential to success both at work and in love, as many women still feel their hair is their crowning glory

"Considering it was found that women have six bad hair days a month, anything women can rely on to improve their hair at home, in the minimum of time with guaranteed results can mean a huge lift in well-being, confidence and self-esteem.

"This can help women feel they are in the driving seat in their lives, despite the challenging times of modern life and always being on the go."

© The Telegraph Group London 2009

www island.lk

SL: Dengue patients top 12,387 with 151 deaths...!!!

2009-06-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

Dengue patients top 12,387 with 151 deaths:

Control programs in full swing
Nadira GUNATILLEKE

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has released latest statistics on dengue. The number of persons affected by dengue so far is 12,387 while 151 persons have died from the disease.

The number of dengue patients reported within this year is 12,387 and 146 is the highest number of persons to die from dengue since 2000.

In 2004, the highest number of dengue patients were reported from Sri Lanka and it was 15,463 but only 88 dengue deaths were reported in the same year.

This year 52 deaths were been reported during last month (May) alone.

The highest number of deaths have been reported from Kandy (25) and Gampaha (25). The highest number of dengue patients have been reported from Kandy (1765), Colombo (1734) and Kegalle (1634).

The Ministry introduced a hotline (0112665329) to report mosquito breeding sites. Under the Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Act Number 11 of 2007, persons who keep mosquito breeding sites within their properties will have to either pay Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 25,000 fines or be imprisoned for six months.

The Ministry has already identified 68 high risk MOH areas and the Ministry’s dengue control program will be active in those areas from June 27 and 28 at a cost of Rs.6.8 million.

The Ministry’s dengue control program was reviewed and found out that it has brought good results.

The Ministry has appointed 10 officials to supervise the dengue control program in 10 districts where the identified 68 MOH areas are located. The program will be implemented by the Civil Defence Committees, Grama Niladharis, Samurdhi animators, MOH officers, PHIs and all the other health officers in the relevant area.

The dengue control program consists of educational programs, shramadana campaigns, inspections and taking legal action against persons who do not cooperate with the authorities to destroy mosquito breeding sites.

Ministry Additional Secretary Dr.Nihal Jayatilleke will coordinate the entire dengue control program.

dailynews.lk

Top 10 Ways to Kick Depression.....!!!

2009-06-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Ways to Kick Depression‏
Fra: Maravanpulavu K. Sachithananthan (tamilnool@gmail.com)
Sendt: 22. juni 2009 11:16:44
Til: Sasirekha (tamilnool@tamilnool.com)

Top 10 Ways to Kick Depression
by Rachel Fleischman MSW, LCSW

"My mind is like a bad neighborhood. I try never to go there alone."
~Ann Lamont; author

Depression sucks.

No doubt about it.

Having treated dozens of individuals with depression over the years, while reading countless books on the treatment of this "noonday demon", I still believe that the number one factor that really enables me to get to the heart of this malady is my firsthand experience with it. That's right. Not only am I a psychotherapist, I am also a bonafide client as well.

Depression started tugging at my heels by the time I was 8 years old. By 16, the dean of my high-school would call me each morning to make sure I got out of bed and showed up at school, instead of sleeping all day. By 30, I had two boyfriends; Ben and Jerry. Today, I still have low moments, but they are far less often, and last far less long. When my clients tell me that they are surprised that I really "get them", I often share that I have had my personal struggles with depression.

"The mind is a terrible thing to watch." ~Ann Lamont

I agree. Imagine if we had a scribe in our heads, even for a day.
I know I would be ashamed to think of what mine might write.

Having done a great deal of research on depression, I have heard many expert opinions regarding its etymology, hypothesizing everything from environmental, historical, genetic, energetic, past-lives, DNA-related, trauma-based, kharmic law. One thing is for sure; when we got it, we got it, and it can be crippling.

What folks may not know is that there are very useful tricks we can use to alleviate a sour mood. The brain is plastic. It is the last part of our body to really know something. When we tell our brain that life is awful and we are doomed, our brain tends to agree. In fact, I have noticed that when we when I experience a bout of depression, it is often triggered by events where I feel exposed as a "failure". My way out usually begins with a decision. A decision to feel better.
So, I decided to compile my "Top 10 Tricks to Kick Depression out of Bed, and Snuggle up with Joy Instead."

Write these down, stick em on your wall, and put them in motion.

First trick:
Get out of your head and into your feet
The body craves movement. Exercise really works. Let's not think of it as exercise though. Nothing is gnarlier to the depressed person than imagining him/herself at the gym in ill fitting sweats, panting on the stair master while svelte athletes are bopping around in all directions.

As Woody Allen says, 90% of success is showing up. Once we've got our walking shoes on, once we get endorphins cooking, the doldrums have less power to penetrate .

Second trick:
Turn on music! Now!
I recommend that my clients have an arsenal of inspiring and fun music at their fingertips.
I have even been known to make CD's for my clients. When we're depressed, the smallest task feels overwhelming. If I can kick-start someone's joy, then I am thrilled.

Third trick:
Turn on the light and sit in the sun.
Many of us work in windowless cubicles or offices, and wonder why we feel blue.

This time of year, when the sun sets earlier, we must 's dark out in autumn and winter, get a light, get some sun, get some more sun. And if there is no sun in your world, then buy a full-spectrum light. Get one cheap on E-bay.

Fourth trick:
Hang out with 4-leggeds. (Unless of course, you're allergic)
Having an animal companion near can instantly relaease oxytocin, that magical hormone that we secrete when we fall in love, give birth, or are nursing. It releases a feeling of goodwill, or trust in the world.
OK, so not all of all are blessed to be in love all the time, or be breast feeding, so I recommend my clients find other ways to bring on the joy chemical. Read on.

Fifth trick:
Change your thoughts. Right now.
We have around 60,000.00 thoughts per day. 87% of them are negative and are the same thoughts we had yesterday.

Experiencing joy is a deliberate choice. Joy takes practice. Joy is hardcore.
I use realistic affirmations, which, at times are posted all over my room. Notice I said realistic.

We must remember that affirmations don't make something happen, they make something welcome.
People tell me, "I put an affirmation up on my bedroom wall, saying:"I am ready to meet a gorgeous, successful, charming man who will adore and worship me." It's been 3 months. Where is he?" I tell them; "You have made yourself more open to meeting this human. Finding him is another story. Sorry."

Sixth Trick:
Follow a joyous lifestyle. Choose joyous entertainment.
find a class, a workout, anything that gets you in your body, preferably sweating a bit.

Seventh Trick:
Affirm joy with words.
Rudyard Kipling said "I am by calling a dealer in words. And words are by far the most powerful drug in the world". It may seem trite, but changing the way we speak can be extremely influential in changing our moods.

Eighth Trick:
Grab hold of a goal.
Make it a do-able one. Happiness and joy come from goals. We mustn't put off our lives.

Ninth Trick:
Cultivate a relationship with the divine.
We are whom our higher self wanted to experience.
There is some truth to the pithy phrase: There's no aetheists in foxholes.
Have a smidgens of faith and the world can be a gentler space.

Tenth Trick:
Choose joyous companions.
When we are depressed, we take our bored, sluggish selves wherever we go. We need distractions. We need company. We need intimacy. It is very important to be around authentic people. We need someone who believes in us. No nay-sayers!

Posted by Rachel Fleischman, MSW, LCSW

Labels: depression, exercise, happiness, healing, joy, life-coaching, mood, women's health, yoga

Author's Bio
Rachel Fleischman, MSW, LCSW is a highly-skilled psychotherapist and dynamic workshop leader, based in San Francisco. Throughout her career, Rachel has pioneered the combination of traditional psychotherapy with movement, body awareness and spirituality.

Embodying 20 years of expertise, Rachel's body of work synthesizes a vast repertoire of movement and healing arts.

Rachel's fascination with spirituality, soul, mood disorders, and movement, has led her to develop a movement system called Dance Your Bliss, a playful powerful and highly original movement form which she leads across the globe.

http://www.dancingyourbliss.com

--
மறவன்புலவு க. சச்சிதானந்தன்
Maravanpulavu K. Sachithananthan

Dengue:Over 10,000 patients and 125 deaths are recorded so far..!!!There are 2,000 dog bites recorded per day..!! Swine flu, dengue, IDPs’ health-!!!

2009-06-21T16:42:00.001-07:00

Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva

Pic: Kavindra Perera

Health Minister asserts:

Swine flu, dengue, IDPs’ health my top priorities
by Panchamee HEWAVISSENTI

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva highlighted his priorities on dengue and the swine flu control with emphasis on health of IDPs and the development activities in the Uva.

Q: The first person diagnosed with the swine flu has already been found. The public is panicked as the virus is likely to spread all over and create a dangerous situation in the country. How does the swine flu spread from one person to another?

A: Influenza is quite common in pigs. Yet the 2009 flu outbreak is due to a new strain of subtype H1N1 which was not previously found in pigs. Although the strain can be transmitted from human to human, direct transmission of swine flu from pigs to humans is occasionally possible.

Therefore, it is our responsibility to inform people to maintain their personal health habits, such as washing hands, using a handkerchief when sneezing or coughing, to be careful not to touch things with bare hands so that they could avoid infection as far as possible.

When the virus enters a human body, high fever resulting in coughing continues. When a person coughs the virus comes out with mucus and saliva and thus it enters another person.

Another important point is that when a patient is diagnosed with swine flu such a person should be separated. It is not at all advisable to let him or her mingle with ordinary people because of the high probability of the disease spreading to another.

It has infected 36,000 people in 76 countries and claimed 163 lives according to latest WHO figures. Naturally the fatality rate of infants and old people are high due to the intensity of the sickness.

People put their lives at risk when they neglect symptoms of the disease. People should be cautious if they detect any changes in them such as high fever. It is imperative to obtain treatment before it would be too late because unlike dengue, swine flu can be cured with medicine. If the patient receives treatment at the right time there is nothing to fear about swine flu.

Q: Is the Health Ministry prepared for any eventuality? Is the Government ready with its plans to contain the spread of swine flu?

A: The Government has already made necessary arrangements to treat all the people afflicted with swine flu. We have made special arrangements in the structure of the hospitals to treat those patients. I have obtained sufficient amounts of medicine for swine flu from the WHO and distributed them among 20 main hospitals in the country. So, there is hardly any reason to fear over swine flu. Swine flu is not as fatal as dengue.

When the swine flu was first detected in Mexico in late April, the Government initiated action to prevent Sri Lankans becoming victims to the flu. When the WHO signalled the outbreak of the swine flu, the Government being conscious that it would come from abroad, immediately implemented special `flu detective systems’ at the Katunayaka Airport.

If a passenger with high fever arrives at the airport, the scanning machines indicate that with red colour. Then special arrangements are made to keep the patient away from others till he or she fully recovers.

It doesn’t mean that each and every passenger infected with swine flu can be detected. The machines only detect the persons with high fever. There is a high possibility of missing those who are diagnosed with swine flu but without any symptoms of a high fever.

So such people might develop high fever later as in the case of the boy who has arrived from Australia. He contacted the swine flu while he was in Australia and has developed high fever and cough after several days of arriving in Sri Lanka.

Q: For a government which crushed the world’s most ruthless terror outfit, keeping dengue at bay is simple but over 10,000 patients and 125 deaths are recorded so far. How confident are you to claim that dengue can be overcome as you got rid of terrorism?

A: As terrorism was not eliminated over-night, we cannot get rid of dengue in one or two days. It took three decades to fully get rid of terrorism. Likewise it may require three or four months since there is no brisk way of getting rid of dengue fully. It should be done systematically on step by step basis. It takes time to change people’s attitudes and lifestyles.

That cannot be achieved over-night. So we have a huge responsibility to organise and educate the public on the ways and means which can be made use of to destroy dengue breeding places. With the support of the public in full measure, I strongly believe that we would be able to fight the battle against dengue successfully.

Q: How long will it take to eliminate dengue fully?

A: That is to say if we receive the cooperation of the public in full, elimination of dengue could be achieved within a short period as of a month. It all lies in the hands of the public.

Q: How can the public contribute to the elimination of dengue? The major part of the elimination of dengue is the responsibility of the public. It is beyond the achievement of the Government to go from house to house of a population of 18 million people and destroy the places where dengue mosquitoes breed.

A: It is the collective responsibility of the people to destroy dengue. It should be done at various levels. The disposal of garbage should be done in the most suitable way.

Since dengue mosquitoes breeds in clean water, those areas where the water collects such as tins, plastic containers etc should be destroyed. It is not a difficult task to keep one’s surrounding clean. The mosquito which carries dengue virus can only fly a distance of 500m. Therefore the person who does not care to clean his surroundings and destroying places where mosquitoes breed has to face the repercussions himself.

Q: How much has the Government allocated for the dengue elimination program?

A: It is hard to give the exact figures. Nevertheless the Government spends a huge sum of money for various activities connected with eliminating dengue, such as distribution of leaflets, PHIs and, other public health officers to treat those who voluntarily attend `Shramadhanas’ etc. and also for other related things. The financial aspect of this is negligible. What is most important is the public support.

Q: What punishments are imposed on those who help breeding dengue?

A: According to `Dengue Elimination Act’, a 6 months imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 25,000 can be imposed. Considering our cultural norms, it is not advisable to go to the extent of imposing above punishments.

We should first warn them and if they do not respond favourably, we have no option but to take action against them. Already over 300 persons have been found guilty. By imposing punishment it is hoped the people could be motivated towards elimination of dengue.

Q: How successful is the `dengue eliminating project’ launched at schools and work places?

A: The success of those projects cannot be measured immediately. It may take a few months to assess the outcome because those who become dengue patients at present are those who were stung by mosquitos couple of weeks ago.

If the density of mosquitoes was reduced by those projects as expected, the result would appear in another couple of week’s time. Thus we would be able to analyse how many schoolchildren or employees became victims to dengue before these projects and after that. We could conclude that those projects are highly successful if the rate of the schoolchildren or employees infected with dengue is found to be comparatively lower over time.

Q: The huge piles of garbage has its unpleasant effect on the public. Some hold a strong view that the dengue cannot be eliminated merely by keeping one’s surroundings clean unless otherwise providing a workable solution to get rid of garbage.

Moreover, it causes various other health problems too. Of the Panadura, Navinna and Bloemendhal “garbage mountains”, the last alone has a volume of 3 million metric tons of garbage. When small tins and plastic containers are filled with water, they provide the ground for breeding dengue. Has the Health Ministry found solutions to the ever increasing garbage problem?

A: We have identified that the failure to ensure proper disposal of garbage results in spreading dengue. Health Ministry held awareness programmes with the Local Government Commissioners and Members and requested their assistance for the proper disposal of garbage to ensure healthy surroundings. We organised several `Shramadana’ programs in collaboration with civil defence committees.

It is imperative to dispose the garbage on a regular basis. Here too the ministry requires the public support to a great extent. If I were to cite an example, when the Ministry found a bare land to dump garbage, at Kolonnawa the dwellers rose against the `Colombo garbage’ being brought to their areas.

So, people should not entertain such narrow views on public issues. We have to dispose garbage in a least harmful manner to the environment. It is high time for people to treat the disposal of garbage as a matter of national importance and be flexible and broad minded to assist the Government in solving the problem.

Q: Poorly maintained public lavatories, drainage systems, and damaged roads are highly susceptible to breeding of dengue. If you carefully observe, you could still find such places. What action has the health ministry taken for the proper maintenance of those places?

A: I must mention that it is beyond the scope of the Health Ministry to repair the damaged roads, clean public toilets, or household surroundings. Many mistake it to be a responsibility of the health ministry. What the Health Ministry can do is to guide and direct the public on what should be done.

There are responsible bodies who should take action against those things and it depends highly on public cooperation. Due to lack of commitment in cleaning surroundings and public areas dengue has spread at rate more than we could imagine. I should reiterate that eliminating dengue is a collective responsibility which a single body alone cannot cope with.

Q: Have you come across any persons with dengue at IDP centres?

A: No patients or deaths due to dengue are reported at IDP centres.

Q: How has the health ministry executed its role in uplifting the health sector in Northern and Eastern areas including IDP centres?

A: The Health Ministry has launched a huge project to uplift the health of those areas which were formally struck by terrorism. We have employed a large number of health officials in those areas who work under not so comfortable conditions. A special unit has been in operation temporally to fulfil health needs of IDPs. AT the moment we bring doctors and nurses daily from Anuradhapura to IDP centres. We have developed Chettikulam and Vavuniya Hospitals. We also admit patients to other hospitals as well.

I am proud to claim that we were able to provide all facilities to IDPs without depriving them of even the most elementary health requirements. Among the IDPs there were approximately 300 expectant mothers who were about to deliver. We identified that these special patients should not be kept at common IDP centres so that we arranged separate wards for them at Chettikulam hospital.

We also built an operation theatre to cater to their needs. I am glad to be present at the time the first baby was born at a specially arranged ward, after we rescued them from the clutches of LTTE. We have provided all facilities for IDPs on par with Colombo hospitals. We launch program at various levels such as on nutrition, Oral health and preliminary health etc. We have also launched a program to uplift the psychological health of the IDP’s as well.

At the initial stage we received assistance from health staff who came from abroad. There were Indian and French hospitals in the area and the majority of them have now gone back to their countries.

There was a huge rush at IDP centres earlier, because thousands of people escaped from LTTE cultches were injured due to terrorist attacks. At that time the doctors who came here from various countries rendered a great service and now there is no need of such foreign staff because the ministry is strong enough to provide the necessary facilities for our brethren at IDP centres.

People who were critically injured by terrorist attacks are still receiving treatment and those with minor injuries have already recovered. Now we have to provide solutions for their day-to-day health problems.

I recently obtained financial assistance from the WHO to build quarters for 100 medical doctors in the North and East and by now we have already built 50 quarters for medical doctors and another 50 quarters for nurses.

We plan to build another 500 quarters for some more medical staff besides doctors and nurses, in future, so that they would be able to serve the people on fulltime basis. The ministry has estimated to provide 250 medical doctors, 200 nurses, 50 additional staff and other required human resources permanently in those areas.

Q: People complain that some restaurants where long distance buses stop for meals hardly maintain a healthy atmosphere and the foods sold at a higher price too are well below the standard. Many of the restaurants have observed the public health rules in the breach. How often are PHIs supposed to conduct investigations and produce unbiased reports?

A: The ministry has instructed PHIs to pay special attention to the condition of food sold at such restaurants. We have given priority to those problems which should be addressed with immediate effect such as dengue and IDP health. A large number of PHIs has been sent to IDP centres especially tasked to eliminate dengue. I admit that there may be shortcomings in handling problems you referred to due to aforementioned reasons. Yet, we will not turn a blind eye to such issues. They will be immediately addressed as soon as we provide solutions to dengue and IDP health problems. Local bodies are responsible for issuing trade licences to such restaurants. And they should take action to cancel the licence if those restaurants do not abide by the rules.

Q: How do you face the challenge of fighting rabies which has claimed 235 lives from 2005-2008?

A: There is little possibility to prevent all deaths caused by rabies because the dog population in our country exceeds 2 million. It has to be controlled in the interest of public health. We have to introduce the method of `Responsible dog ownership’ in Sri Lanka because a person interested in a puppy keeps them at home when she is young and chases her away when she grows old. This should be avoided because it is as responsible as rearing a child. The dog should be given proper vitamins, and injections on time for rabies and so on.

The number of stranded dogs is high in the country. The Government has allocated a huge sum of money for rabies treatment. There are 2,000 dog bites recorded per day in the country. The Government has to spend Rs. 36,000 for the necessary vaccines for a patient and nearly 50000 - 100000 rupees are spent on a single patient.

I do not recommend the method of killing dogs to prevent rabies. Many countries, however use that method. If you carefully examine you would never be able to get rid of dogs by killing, because if you kill 10 dogs soon another 10 will be there!I have implemented an effective method of controlling the dog population in a responsible manner, such as sterilisation of dogs, which would not involve killing of dogs.

Q: You once mentioned that Sri Lanka ranks No. 1 in `storing blood safety’. On what basis do you say that?

A: There are less than five incidents reported in the history of blood transfusion in which a patient died of HIV or other diseases.

It is a good record in comparison to the deaths connected to blood transfusion reported in other countries. So, I proudly proclaim that Sri Lanka has such systems of safe storage of blood. We obtain blood only from donors. The Government spends a huge amount of money to check for any germs in the blood obtained. The most advanced and reliable blood transfusion centre in South East Asia is in Narahenpita.

Many authoritative bodies including WHO have inspected the centre and claimed that our blood transfusion centre has high quality blood samples more than anywhere in the world. So we are extremely proud of that.

Q: It is a great achievement that a Sri Lankan Minister became the President of the World Health Assembly and the Chairman of the Executive Committee for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka. A stamp too was issued to mark the event. How will the Sri Lankans be benefited from that?

A: I could gather a vast spectrum of experience in that post. And I was also able to closely associate with other Health Ministers and Heads of States in various countries. I got an important opportunity to make the world aware of the current situation in Sri Lanka when I attended conferences.

Apart from that I received Rs.2.3 billion as a grant for the development of the Anuradhapura Hospital. That was possible because I maintained friendly terms with Japanese Health Minister for a quite long time since I met him at the WHO. Likewise I maintain close relationships with health ministers in other countries such as India and China. When I scaled the WHO ladder I was able to strengthen the bonds of friendship which helped the country a great deal. For example when the government needed to build quarters for the medical staff who work at IDP centres, I requested the WHO to assist us in building the required quarters. It was done within a couple of weeks.

Also we were able to send many doctors abroad for training and take part in conferences organised by WHO. Sri Lanka receives numerous opportunities and benefits by its Health Minister holding a responsible position .

When I hold the position at the WHO it is Sri Lankans who should be proud of it because they recognise me as the Health Minister of Sri Lanka not as a person.

It is a privilege for me as well as for the Sri Lankans. Many countries spend huge sums of money to get such position at WHO. They canvass for years for that. But in my case, I didn’t even spend a cent to get that position. It is the good faith and the image I have built in people.

Q: How do you refute the allegation thrown at you by the Opposition that your inefficient management has caused health problems such as dengue. They also argue that if you had taken action at the initial stage, deaths could have been prevented. They are of the view that you should resign?

A: If that is the case, all the Health Ministers in countries which were affected by dengue should resign. The Dengue Type 3 which is a genetically modified version of dengue is found in many tropical countries. Dengue is a problem which is created as a result of climatic changes.

The Opposition throws allegations at me with little knowledge on scientific facts. They narrate that the scientific mutation of dengue is my fault. I sympathise with those who issue such baseless statements based on their ignorance.

Moreover, countries like Mexico, Australia, USA, Switzerland too suffer from swine flu. Have the Health Ministers of those countries resigned merely because the country is infected with swine flu?

Everyone in the country should get together to overcome those diseases without capitalising on the situation to get political mileage.

I would like to ask a question from those who bring such allegations, that hadn’t they faced problems with infectious diseases like cholera and dengue during their time? And does the colour of the government matter for such diseases?

It is obvious that the Opposition have become jesters. This is a fine example for people to assess the level of intelligence of those who issue such utterly baseless allegations.

Q: What are the infrastructure developments implemented by government to uplift Uva?

A: We have implemented massive development projects in Uva Province. People in Uva have numerously benefitted by the `Pubudamu Vellassa’ concept initiated by myself.

Roads and underdeveloped villages have been developed under `Maga Neguma’, ‘Gama Neguma’ and ‘Pubudamu Vellassa’. Roads were developed to provide the easy accessibility to and from Uva. Previously it took 6 or 7 hours to reach Badulla from Colombo. Now it only takes less than five hours.

An efficient road system have been built across Uva such as Badulla, Bandarawela, Nuwaraeliya and the road extends up to Chenkaladi.

It provide easy access to areas like Colombo, Galle and Hambantota which facilitates easy dispatch of goods produced in Uva.

Health sector is highly developed in Uva. The Mahiyangana Hospital received an international award for its high standard. Clinics and community halls, water supply systems, concreted roads etc., were among the other development projects completed.

We launched special projects to uplift the economic standards of Uva. As an encouragement for those who cultivate yams, the government imposed a tax of Rs. 25 for a kilo of imported yams.

So that the local farmer would be able to earn a good profit. Providing necessary facilities, we have uplifted the standard of people in Uva.

Q: Nominations have been called already for the Uva Provincial Council elections. How is your preparation for that despite dengue crisis and allegations by the Opposition?

A: We are to give nominations on the 24 this month for the elections. We are preparing for a historical victory for which there is not the slightest doubt.

There is a different election structure in Uva Provincial Council.

There are 125,000 Tamils and 40,000 Muslims. Our aim is to strengthen bonds among other communities who support the government vision and gear up in achieving a great victory at the election.

sundayobserver,lk

LEPROSY : ONE IN 10000 HAVE THIS DISEASE IN THIS WORLD!

2009-05-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

SL: 5500 Tsunami orphans still languish in shelters....!!!

2009-05-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

Tsunami orphans still languish in shelters

By Hemanthi Guruge
More than 5,500 tsunami affected orphaned children still remain in shelters around the country, the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) revealed yesterday adding that it would launch a programme to seek guardians for these children.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, NCPA Chairman Jagath Wellawatta also said that more than Rs. 10,000 has been allocated for the welfare of each child who had lost both parents during the tsunami while Rs. 5,000 had been allocated for a child who has lost a single parent.

He further said that there were at least 422 orphaned children in the Jaffna peninsula out of which 355 children still remain in tsunami camps.

Some of these children are faced with the dilemma of being unable to obtain a death certificate of their parents and as a result the Ministry of Justice has now come forward to provide the necessary assistance.
dailymirror.lk

DENGUE FEVER: RED ALERT IN SRILANKA!!!

2009-05-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

Countrywide red alert on dengue

By Sandun A Jayasekara

The Health Ministry yesterday declared a national red alert on dengue through all its MOH offices as the number of deaths from the dengue outbreak continued to rise sharply with more patients seeking hospital treatment.

Government Epidemiology Unit’s Dr. Hasitha Tissera told the Daily Mirror the number of deaths this year from dengue had risen to 63 by yesterday in comparison to 27 deaths last year.

“This is alarming. We see a sharp increase in deaths and dengue cases from almost all parts of the country,” Dr. Tissera said. From January to April 2008 the number of dengue patients reported island wide were

728, 838, 598 and 601 respectively while in 2009 it increased to 1,247 in January, 948 in February, 868 in March and 1031 in April, he said.

A significant increase of dengue cases have been reported from Colombo, Gampaha, Kandy, Kalutara, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Matale, Puttalam, Hambantota, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts.

“Patients must seek immediate hospital treatment if fever continues for more than three days. There is a possibility of patients developing hemorrhagic shock if they do not seek hospital treatment after three days,” Dr. Tissera warned.

The main culprit for the spread of not only dengue but almost all communicable diseases is the public themselves who do not keep their households and immediate environment clean and tidy thereby creating ideal breeding places for mosquitoes, he said.

The health ministry is conducting awareness programmes through MOH offices to educate the public and school children in particular on dengue and its prevention, he said.
DAILYMIRROR.LK

Robin Tampoe 'Last of the big ones'......!!!

2009-05-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

Book review:

Robin Tampoe 'Last of the big ones'

Robin Tampoe
'Last of the big ones'
Author: Vilasnee
Tampoe Hautin
Pages: 236
Tower Hall
Theatre Foundation
Price: Rs.750
Though he was one of the pioneering filmmakers of the island, many are not aware of facts about the life and times of Robin Tampoe. Thus his daughter Vilasnee had taken up the much needed task of scripting a volume on his yeoman service to the reel as well as some interesting escapades from his personal life.

The book titled 'Robin Tampoe: 'Last of the big one' along with another book Gewee Giya Yugayaka Antima Tharuwa was launched at the Sri Lankan Foundation Institute some months back. The event which was put together by RT Films coincided with the 78th birth anniversary of the veteran filmmaker. Dr. Tissa Abeysekara, Sumitra Peries and Dr. D.B. Nihalsinghe graced the occasion.

The son of W.M.S Tampoe, another filmmaker, who made a few Tamil films in India and gained a named as Ceylon Thambu before breaking into the Sri Lankan cinema industry with Sepali.

Growing up in a background filled with cameras and cinema equipment molded the character of young Robin and formed a part of the success he gained through his work.

Penned with sensitivity, the book is scripted to pay homage to a father, who also happened to be an iconic figure in the cinema industry. With 22 films such as Sudu Snade Kaluwa, Sulalitha Sobani Sathutai Kandulai, Sudo Sudu, Landaka Mahima, Sanasili Suvaya, Ruhunu Kumari and Manushatwaya to his name he made his mark in the entertainment film category.

He entered the scene when the movie industry was in its twilight days and made Sinhala films at a time when the flames of ethnic conflict were threatening to shadow the land. He did not hesitate to experiment and mix techniques borrowed from Indian films thus resulting in a number of sentimental melodramatic creations. Though some of his productions were not recognized for their artistry, one cannot help noting that they continued to bring in money which is much needed for the survival of the industry.

Another special feature of the artiste is that he was an all rounder in the industry. He was not only a director but also a producer, studio owner, exhibitor and importer. He had come into contact with many of the pioneers as well as iconic figures in the industry and some like Dr. Lester James Peries, Tissa Abeysekara and Dr. D.B. Nihalsinghe had even taken pains to pen a few paragraphs in the book as a dedication to a filmmaker who had been a friend, ally and colleague to them during the prosperous age of Sri Lankan cinema.

- Ruwini Jayawardana

dailynews.lk