Monday, December 1, 2014

Bhopal's toxic legacy lives on, 30 years after industrial disaster

On December 2, 1984, the factory owned by the U.S. multinational Union Carbide Corp accidentally leaked cyanide gas into the air, killing thousands in the city of Bhopal.
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30 November 2014

Sunday, November 30, 2014

A review of 'Tales of an enchanted Boyhood' by Dr.C S Nannayakkara.





To purchase the book click on the web-link below to see the details:-

http://1960medicalbatchcolombo.blogspot.com/2014/08/tales-of-enchanted-boyhood-alupola-to.html

“History, like the drama and the novel grew out of mythology, a primitive form of apprehension and expression in which – as in fairy tales listened to by children or in dreams dreamt by sophisticated adults - the line between fact and fiction is left undrawn. It has for example been said of the ILIAD that anyone who starts reading it as history will find that it is full of fiction but, equally, anyone who starts reading it as fiction will find that it is full of history.
            All histories resemble the ILIAD to this extent that they cannot entirely dispense with the fiction element. The mere selection, arrangement and presentation of facts is a technique belonging to the field of fiction…”
“A study of History”

Arnold J. Toynbee.
Arnold J. Toynbee
Historian
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian, philosopher of history, research professor of International History at the London School of Economics and the University of London and author of numerous books. Wikipedia
  
 BornApril 14, 1889, London, United Kingdom
 DiedOctober 22, 1975, York, United Kingdom

A Silver/Gold-smith at work, Puwakpitiya, Avissawella, Sri Lanka

Please click on the web-link below with speakers on:-


Muhammad Ali can't remember his third world title, daughter reveals

Ali, who has been fighting Parkinson's Disease for 30 years, cannot remember beating Leon Spinks in Las Vegas in 1978 to regain his heavyweight world title, his daughter said.
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28 November 2014

Secret £3billion bunker to protect former Yugoslav leader Josip Tito

The complex is dug into a mountain outside Konjic, 25 miles south of Sarajevo in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina and was built to protect former leader Josip Tito from nuclear attacks.
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28 November 2014

Saturday, November 29, 2014

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.

Email from Kamalini Kanapathippillai :-
 

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days. 

"Jack, did you hear me?"
 

"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said..
 

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
 

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
 

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said
. 

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," Jack said & "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.
 

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
 

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.
 

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly...
 

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
 

"The box is gone," he said
 

"What box?" Mom asked.
 

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
 

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
 

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
 

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died
, Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read. 
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago.. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
 

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter.
  His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. 

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:
 

"Jack, Thanks for your time! -
 Harold Belser." 

"The thing he valued most was...my time"
 

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.
 

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
 

"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"
 

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away,"
 

Think about this. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.
 


1. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way..
 

2 A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
 

3 Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
 

4. You mean the world to someone.
 

5. If not for you, someone may not be living.
 

6. You are special and unique.
 

7. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you trust God to do what's best, and wait on His time, sooner or later, you will get it or something better.
 

8. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it.
 

9. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.
 

10. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
 

11.. Always remember the compliments you received.. Forget about the rude remarks.
 

12 . Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know and you'll both be happy .
 

13. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.
 

Send this letter to all the people you care about, if you do so, you will certainly brighten someone's day and might change their perspective on life...for the better.
 
To everyone I sent this to
 "Thanks for your time.