The man with the shotgun

The man with the gun

It was a felicitation meeting in the village Town Hall. An official was retiring after fifty years of dedicated service. A guest speaker was invited, to give the farewell speech. He started on his speech and described the services done by the official. Then he started reminiscing about the events in his – the speaker’s - personal life, drawing parallels with the officials. The allotted time for the guest speaker was one hour. The speaker got carried away, relating experiences in his own life, that the speech was nearing two hours. Then the speaker saw a man with a shotgun entering the hall. He walked across in the space between the speaker and the large audience. The speaker stopped his eulogy and asked the man with the shotgun why he came carrying a gun. The man carrying the gun replied ‘Do not worry. Please carry on with your speech’. The speaker was nonplussed and asked the man carrying the gun ‘Why are you carrying a gun?’ The gun-carrier replied ‘I am looking for the man who made arrangements, for you to be the guest speaker in this occasion. Please carry on’.

email from Dawood

Hi Phillip,

you may enjoy the following!

Rgds
Dawood

Prayer for Senility:

God grant me the senility
to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do,
and the eyesight to tell the difference.

I'm Fine, How are You?

There's nothing the matter with me,
I'm just as healthy as can be,
I have arthritis in both knees,
And when I talk, I talk with a wheeze.
My pulse is weak, my blood is thin,
But I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.

All my teeth have had to come out,
And my diet I hate to think about.
I'm overweight and I can't get thin,
But I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.

Arch supports I need for my feet.
Or I wouldn't be able to go out in the street.
Sleep is denied me night after night,
But every morning I find I'm all right.
My memory's failing, my head's in a spin.
But I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.

The moral of this as the tale unfolds,
Is that for you and me, who are growing old.
It is better to say "I'm fine" with a grin,
Than to let people know the shape we are in.

I'm fine, how are you ?

Day care centre for husbands.

Banner advertising services at Wattala, Sri Lanka.

email from Derwyck

DEAR DEAR BUDDY, THANKS A MILLION FOR THIS MESSAGE.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS, WHEN I SEE A PRETTY GIRL AND
WANT TO GET AT HER, HOW DO I GET OVER THIS CAR ALARM THING ????

LOTS AND LOTS OF GOOD WISHES,

DERRYCK

email from Nana

Dear Philip

Another Reunion- when, where and why ?

1960 medical Batch had several Reunions over the years. The last 2 Events held at Habarana were very successful and had very similar format- Most likely due to

a. the same Organising committee who put in so much of effort, energy and time

b. the choice of a superb location with excellent service and facilities.

c. The keenness and the enthusiasm of the participants spread across the various continents & Sri Lanka.

Thanks to the facility of an interactive and lively internet forum maintained by Philip Veerasingham at no extra cost to others, members have the opportunity to watch all the updates,express and share their feelings and personal opinions. No statistical details are available as to how many of the batch mates read the blog but my impression is that many members do seem to check the blog contents (silent observers) but only a few will make any comments. (mostly bouquets and hardly any brickbats so far).

The fact that app. 90 of our batch mates attended each of the last 2 Reunions ( totalling app. 160 with the spouses) is ample testimony to the enormous efforts taken by the Organising committee combined with the keenness and the enthusiasm of those batch mates who were able to attend- to meet & greet and show their camaraderie and fellowship.

Do we have the energy, ability and the enthusiasm to carry on with similar Events in the future? Is it viable and practical and appealing to the majority?

Just by chance and with no specific motives, several of us met at Makuls residence in Chichester very recently, where we had a wonderful time enjoying the superb company and the hospitality of the host family. During the chatter, reminiscences of the good old medical college & hostel days and the varied gossip, the Batch Get Together was also discussed.

I would like to share our collective thoughts on the ‘Batch Get together’ on behalf of the Group ( I must confess that this was not deliberately planned, randomised, not a double blind cross over sample by any means and may not be statistically significant):

1.It would be really nice if another ReUnion is planned preferably in 3 years time in Sri Lanka.

2. The excellent expertise of the Organising Committee should continue

3. Even though Habarana is a superb location and a wonderful venue, we feel the need for a change of location/venue preferably to a location within 30 miles from Colombo.

4. The basic format should be simple and not elaborate so that the Organising committee will not have to spend so much of time and energy.

5. If any financial difficulties, we should be able to offer a reasonable financial contribution purely on a voluntary basis to tide over the initial difficulties.

(Following were present: Keerthi Makulolluwa, M.G.S .Karunanayaka, Pearl & Sidney Hettiarachchi, Milroy De Silva,Lakshman Karalliadde, Nihal Gunaratna, C.S.Nanayakkara ( and their spouses)

Best wishes & food for thought.

Nana

email from Buddy - car keys

What to take to bed with you - not a joke
Pretty neat idea. Never thought of it before.
Put your car keys beside your bed at night
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbours, your parents, your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
This tip came from a neighbourhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this:
It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it.
It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.
It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around.
After a few seconds all the neighbours will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that.
And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
P.S.
Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.

email from Sidney & Pearl

Karals,
Yes, we agree with you. Sidney & I are aware of the outstanding contribution made to Sri Lankan Cricket by Daya & Ranjini not just in the 90's but well before. Our recollections go back to the early 80's when the " Panita- Gunawardena " household was a buzz with activity for SL cricket. We joined in those early years in the many events organised for fund raising, celebrating & get togethers!
Daya carefully nurtured & supported the team & ofcousre this was enabled by Ranjini. Yes their generosity, dedication & determination to see our cricket team attain great heights & thereby our motherland gain international recognition is highly commendable.
They continue to support SL cricket 3 decades on. Well Done "Padita-Gunawardena " team.
Long may it continue!!
Sidney & Pearl