Nature's Engineers - email from Gallege De Silva.

ENGINEERS WITH NO DEGREE

An Engineer with Sri Lankan roots, in Canada.

Dr.Arulpiragasam was ENT Surgeon in the General Hospital in Kandy when I was training in Surgery there. 'Senior Makuls' was his Senior House Officer. Dr.Arulpiragassam had described a branch of the tympanic nerve and published it. He was still working in the private sector when I was in Colombo in the 1990s.

> She is the 12th president of the University of Alberta, one of Canada's
> most respected research-intensive universities. Building strong
> international partnerships is a signature feature of her leadership.
> The International aspect involves German Research Centres, the Aga Khan
> University, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) apart from others.
>
> Indira Samarasekera is probably the first Tamil to become the president
> of a major North American university. Samarasekera began her career at
> the University of British Columbia as a professor in the Department of
> Materials Engineering. Using her knowledge of heat transfer and stress
> analysis, she researched new processes of steel production involving a
> major emphasis on continuous casting and hot rolling. Samarasekera has
> also consulted for companies all around the world. Prior to her coming
> to the University of Alberta, Samarasekera, for five years, served as
> Vice-President Research at the University of British Columbia.
> She was born in 1952 into a Tamil family in Sri Lanka, though her
> earliest memories are not of Ceylon, as it was then called, but of
> England. When she was three, her father, a surgeon, took his young
> family to the United Kingdom for a period of post-graduate work.
> Consequently, her early impressions were very different from those of
> her peers back home: ballet, English gardens, very proper schooling,
> and the full gamut of Western technology, including television. But
> with this worldliness came challenges. Returning home three years
> later, she had to become trilingual in order to reintegrate into
> post-colonial Sri Lanka's complex and divided society.
> At the time, the country was drifting toward a lengthy civil war that
> would displace nearly 500,000 people and leave an estimated 70,000
> dead. After the first countrywide riots broke out in 1958, permanently
> dividing the nation, Samarasekera's family fled to the city of Jaffna,
> in the Tamil-dominated north, nearly losing their lives in the process.
> We felt it would be safer for us in the north, she says. It was an
> incredible place to grow up: culture, hard-working people, extreme
> climate — it reminds me a little bit of Alberta. However, the influx of
> Tamils attempting to escape violence meant that her young world was
> complicated:There was a growing political tension, although there was a
> great deal of goodwill at the population level. My best friends are
> Sinhalese, and I [eventually] married one.
> She was the eldest of four children, and while none of the women in her
> family had ever been to university, it seemed clear early on that her
> father, in particular, was absolutely determined that his daughters for
> sure — obviously his sons — four of us would receive a university
> education. She excelled at math and physics, and became fascinated with
> the notion of developing technology to improve her world amid the
> strife of politics and religion. What would the world be without
> airplanes that never fall out of the sky? she wondered. After prep
> schooling in Colombo at the Ladies College, which featured debating and
> athletics, she enrolled at the University of Ceylon, and in 1974 became
> the first woman in her country to become a mechanical engineer. But she
> had to push her way forward: and wanted to do mechanical, and they
> hadn't allowed any women up to then,and she says. I went in and said, I
> want to do mechanical, and you are going to have to let me. I think
> that helped me overcome natural fears of operating at the frontier, of
> pushing boundaries.
> At about this time, Sri Lanka passed laws making it more difficult for
> Tamils to enter university and find public employment. That, she says,
> was when young Tamils began to mobilize around the notion of having to
> fight for their rights and for their independence — which to me was
> writing on the wall.
> An early incarnation of the Tamil Tigers had emerged in the early
> 1970s, and they were already experimenting with bombings and other
> tactics that would help define modern terrorism. Samarasekera loves her
> country — she still returns at least once every three years — but she
> knew she had to leave. After a brief stint as a maintenance engineer at
> a Shell oil refinery.It was very boring, when she was awarded a
> Fulbright scholarship.So I got married at age twenty-three to a fellow
> mechanical engineer, and we came to the United States. To the
> University of California at Davis, to be precise, and then on to the
> University of British Columbia for her doctorate. Along the way, she
> had two children, one of whom grew up to study law, and the other,
> medicine.
> She became a Canadian citizen in 1980, amid a challenging period of
> balancing her young family and a demanding career. At one point, she
> was on the brink of quitting her doctorate studies, until her thesis
> adviser pulled her aside.You have no right to do that,he said. You have
> been given all these talents. Don't waste them
> Upon graduation, she could only find a temporary teaching
> contract at UBC, but in time it led to a tenure track position, and she
> became only the second woman appointed to the university's engineering
> faculty. Her marriage eventually failed, but her career thrived: she
> went on to have a major influence on the international steel industry,
> using mathematical models to predict and correct subtle defects, which
> facilitated major advances in quality and efficiency.
> Under her administration, many initiatives have been
> achieved at the University of Alberta, among them the development of a
> renewed vision and mission in Dare to Discover and new academic plan in
> Dare to Deliver; the establishment of the Killam Research Fund for the
> Social Sciences, Humanities, and Fine Arts and the Li Ka Shing
> Institute of Virology; the redevelopment and opening of Enterprise
> Square ($86M); and the formation of the Schools for Energy and the
> Environment and Public Health. During her tenure, the university has
> completed and opened the Canadian Centre for Isotopic Microanalysis
> ($15M), the National Institute for Nanotechnology ($60M) and Health
> Research Innovation Facilities ($300M) and has initiated construction
> of the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science ($400M) and the
> Edmonton Clinic ($950M) in partnership with Alberta Health Services
>
> Serving. the wider community in several ways, Dr. Samarasekera sits on
> several local and national boards. She is Chair of NINT (the National
> Institute of Nanotechnology), sits on the Board of Directors of the
> Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank), the Public Policy Forum of Canada,
> and STIC (Science, Technology and Innovation Council). She was part of
> a group of special advisors to the Canadian Minister of Environment at
> the 2009 Copenhagen Summit, has been moderator, presenter and
> facilitator at the 2010 and 2011 World Economic Forum, and was a part
> of the Prime Minister's roundtable on Canada-India higher education
> cooperation. She also participated in the 2008 and 2009 G8 summits of
> university presidents in Hokkaido and Turin respectively.
>
> A sought-after speaker, Dr. Samarasekera has addressed local, national,
> and international audiences on various issues in post-secondary
> education and research. She has been invited to speak to the National
> Science Foundation in the US, the Science and Technology Forum in Japan
> and to the Canada-UK Chamber of Commerce in London.
>
> Over a professional career spanning three decades, Dr. Samarasekera has
> distinguished herself as one of Canada's leading metallurgical
> engineers. She was awarded the Order of Canada in 2002 in recognition
> of outstanding contributions to steel process engineering. Dr.
> Samarasekera has been a consultant to steel companies around the world.
>
> Dr. Samarasekera is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Fellow
> of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Canadian
> Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIMM). She has received
> honorary degrees from the University of British Columbia, Queen's
> University Belfast and the University of Waterloo.
>
> Dr Samarasekera is also kept busy outside the University of Alberta.
> Her numerous activities include being a member of the Prime
> Minister’s Advisory Committee on the Public Service and sitting on
> the Conference Board of Canada. She is also involved with the Public
> Policy Forum of Canada, the Canadian Health Industries Partnership, the
> Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, and the Visiting
> Committee for MIT.
>
> Her international experiences and especially her deep ties to Sri Lanka
> have shaped Samarasekera's view of the world and strengthened her
> humanitarian consciousness. She is passionate about eradicating
> violence and promoting equality, and she strongly believes in the value
> of education as a means of achieving prosperity and well-being.
>
> COURTESY:SOUTH
>
>Old Obituary notice.
>
> ARULPRAGASAM - ALBERT CHELVARAJ (RAJU) MB FRCS August 9th 1924 -
> November 24th, 2006, (Senior ENT Surgeon - General Hospital, Colombo
> 1968-1979, Consultant ENT Surgeon, General Hospitals, Galle, Jaffna and
> Kandy, Post-Doctoral Hays Fullbright Scholar 1974-1975) (passed away
> peacefully after a brief illness. Beloved husband of Balasundari Cooke,
> son of the late Dr A.R. Arulpragasam and Bertha (Chellappa), loving
> father of Dr Indira Samarasekera (Canada), Dr Ayesha Muthuveloe (UK),
> Amalraj Arulpragasam (Canada) and Ajit Rohan Arulpragasam (Canada),
> affectionate father-in-law of Harindra Samarasekera (Canada), Dr Sam
> Muthuveloe (UK) and Heather Arulpragasam (Canada), loving grandfather
> of Dinesh, Anjalika, Mayani, Theruni, Asia and Hunter, loving brother
> of Aruljothy, Chandra and Jega Arulpragasam, affectionate
> brother-in-law of Mohini Thambyah, Dr Raja Cooke, Lohini Arulpragasam
> and Emily Arulpragasam. His Mortal Remains will be at his residence at
> 77/5, Ward Place, Colombo 7 from 10.00 a.m. on Tuesday 28th November,
> 2006. Celebration of life service will be held at St. Michael's Church,
> Polwatte at 10.00 a.m. Wednesday 29th November, 2006 followed by burial
> at General Cemetery, Kanatte.
                                        

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Sri Lanka for the tourist.

Click on link below:-

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/travel/397231/Heavenly-Sri-Lanka-Rocks-sands-and-herds-of-fun

Learning Psychology and Law.

A guy asked a girl in a university library: "Do you mind if I sit beside you?”

The girl replied with a loud voice: "I DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE NIGHT WITH YOU!"

All the students in the library started staring at the guy; he was truly embarrassed.

After a couple of minutes, the girl walked quietly to the guy's table and said: "I study psychology, and I know what a man is thinking. I guess you felt embarrassed, right?”

The guy then responded with a loud voice: “$500 FOR ONE NIGHT? THAT'S TOO MUCH!”
All the people in the library looked at the girl who was now in shock.

The guy whispered in her ear: "I study law, and I know how to screw people."

Best regards

Danny Boy

Movie of California, 1906 - email from Sunil Liyanage.

105 YEAR OLD FILM CLIP

This film was "lost" for many years. It was the first 35mm film ever that has come to light. It was taken by camera mounted on the front of a cable car as it`s traveling down the street. You feel as if your really there, standing at the front looking down the street, amazing piece of historic film.

The number of automobiles is staggering for 1906. Absolutely amazing! The clock tower at the end of Market Street at the Embarcadero wharf is still there. ... How many "street cleaning" people were employed to pick up after the horses? Talk about going green!This film, originally thought to be from 1905 until David Kiehn with the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum figured out exactly when it was shot. From New York trade papers announcing the film showing to the wet streets from recent heavy rainfall & shadows indicating time of year & actual weather and conditions on historical record, even when the cars were registered (he even knows who owned them and when the plates were issued!).. It was filmed only four days before the Great California Earthquake of April 18th 1906 and shipped by train to NY for processing. Amazing, but true!

No wonder there had to be laws created to regulate driving habits. This is insane. Good thing they couldn't go very fast.

This is a fascinating movie. A camera on the front of a street car 104 years ago. I watched it a couple of times. Look at the hats the ladies were wearing and the long dresses. Some of the cars had the steering wheels on the right side, I wonder when they standardized on the left? Sure was still a lot of horse drawn vehicles in use. Mass transit looked like the way to get around. Looks like everybody had the right of way.

Perhaps the oldest "home movie" that you will ever see!

Great historical film! Click on link below:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k

WHEN INSULTS HAD CLASS - email jksw

These glorious insults are from an era before the English language  became boiled down to 4-letter words.

A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows 
or of some unspeakable disease."

"That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies 
or your mistress."

"He had delusions of adequacy." 
- Walter Kerr

"He has all the virtues I dislike and 
none of the vices I admire." 
- Winston Churchill

I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." Clarence Darrow.

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas.

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent 
a nice letter saying I approved of it."
-Mark Twain.

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.." - Oscar Wilde.


"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." 
-Stephen Bishop.


"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." -Irvin S. Cobb.

"He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others." 
-Samuel Johnson.

"He is simply a shiver looking for a
spine to run up." - Paul Keating.

"In order to avoid being called a flirt, 
she always yielded easily." 
- Charles, Count Talleyrand.

"He loves nature in spite of what it did 
to him." - Forrest Tucker.

"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" 
- Mark Twain.

"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.." - Mae West.

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." 
- Oscar Wilde.

"He uses statistics as a drunken man 
uses lamp-posts... for support rather 
than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912).


"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." 
- Billy Wilder.

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." – Groucho

"Palan Choru"- Tamil, "Heel Bath" - Sinhalese - Nutritional benefits.

> பழைய சாதம் Previous day's cooked rice soaked in plain water overnight
> is excellent food
> During the good old days, there was no special practice of preparing
> hot morning break-fast, as we do now, among most South Indian families,
> except that, previous day's cooked rice that was soaked in plain water
> the previous night was consumed the next day morning with some
> nutritious supplements such as fresh buttermilk, slightly-salted onions
> or other non-spicy pickles such as goose berry or lemon. This is an
> excellent, rich and the most nutritious food. This is known as "
> Pazhaya Saadham" (meaning old rice) in Tamil, "Saddhi Annamu" or
> "Saddhennamu" (meaning cold rice) in Telugu, and  "Heel  Bath" in Sinhalese.
 
.
>
> An American Nutritionist, dietitian and scientist had researched on the
> food practices among various regions in the world and concluded that
> the South Indian tradition of consuming the previous day's cooked rice
> soaked in plain water overnight, in the morning next day, as
> break-fast, is the best.
>
> For centuries, this has been the staple food of many South Indian
> families, particularly of the low income groups. It is, of course, now
> replaced with fashionable hot break-fast.
>
> It is found out that previous day's cooked rice soaked in plain water
> is very compact and complete break-fast. It has the rare B6 B12
> vitamins which are not otherwise easily available in other food
> supplements. This rice generates and harbours trillions of beneficial
> bacteria that help digestion and has many disease fighting and immunity
> developing agents. The bacteria that grow in the intestines due to this
> rice safeguard the internal organs and keep all organs battle fit and
> ready. Consuming this rice helps quicker digestion and wards off
> ageing, bone related ailments and muscular pains.
>
> It is worth giving a try. The cooked rice can be soaked in an earthen
> vessel or vessels made of natural clay or rock. (In Tamil families,
> vessels made of natural rock, called as "Kalchatti" was used. Many
> South Indian families also use this even now though it is called by
> different names in other languages. Some families use this "Kalchatti"
> that is handed down to them since generations even. It is found to be
> free from harmful bacteria and other normal disease causing harmful
> elements.
>
> Brown rice is the best for this as its nutrients are retained intact.
>
> You will be happy to know that the American Nutritionist had listed the
> following benefits that accrue to the body if you stick to the practice
> of consuming such soaked rice.
>
>
> 1. Consuming this rice as break-fast keeps the body light and
> also energetic.
>
> 2. Beneficial bacteria gets produced in abundance for the
> body.
>
> 3. Stomach ailments disappear when this is consumed in the
> morning, as, excessive and harmful heat retained in the
> body is neutralized.
>
> 4. As this food is very fibrous, it removes constipation and
> also dullness in the body.
>
> 5. Blood pressure is normalised and hypertension subsides
> appreciably.
>
> 6. Body feels less tired due to this food as a result of which
> one feels fresh through out the day.
>
> 7. This removes allergy induced problems and also skin
> related ailments.
>
> 8. It removes all types of ulcers in the body.
>
> 9. Fresh infections are kept at bay due to consuming this rice.
>
> 10. It helps in maintaining youthful and radiant look.
>
> Once you consume this, the body does not crave for tea or coffee. In
> the olden days, people who worked in the fields used to leave their
> houses in the early morning after consuming this soaked rice and worked
> hard for over 8 to 10 hours non-stop.
>
>
> ______________________________

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