The Stranger ( a short story )

The earliest memory of meeting this guy was when I was in my first grade. I was a competitive kid and I still remember the high I was in, when my friends and teachers praised my handwriting. That was the time I met HIM. For some reason, when he smiled and praised me, I was doubly happy. I wanted him to praise me. Slowly I realized that he responded only when I performed well in life. And when I saw him down, that was the worst feeling I had ever felt. I didnt want him hurt ever. We had become best friends.

My college days had more highs than lows. And HE became more important in my life although I never thought of it - i assume i was mechanically working to please him. When I did something bad, it somehow hurt him a lot. And the “worst feeling” got really worse with age.

And then I got married. My lover and my best friend. Really ? Here I had a friend who gave me the highest highs ( and lowest lows ) since I can remember, and I choose a new ‘best’ friend. The good part was that, HE was fine with that. Maybe HE knew that this was not possible. But HE was in for a surprise. Slowly I got tired of these lows and highs. I wanted median. And my new best friend taught me that median can be good too. Well, not as good as the highs but there were fewer lows. I told HIM this. And HE did not react at all - as usual. But I knew he realized that I am slowly seeing through him.

Now I am getting to the second and final innings in my life. I am now convinced that median is great. But HE is still there. I am still talking to him to leave me. But HE doesnt want to. Maybe HE doesnt know where to go. Maybe HE is addicted to me, and his situation is worse than me. I have sweet talked, yelled, threatened but He just smiles it off. And I am scared and worried that I might end up hurting myself if I try to physically cause harm to him. But now I hate him. And He doesnt like that. He does show up once in a while when I behave like a child. Maybe He is just a child still. I am confident He will go away and He told me He is confident He will still be around till my time comes. I just laugh it off.

I realized I never knew his name for a very long time. He was such a good friend and foe that this simple question never arose for a long time. But now that I dont for the most part depend on Him, I took a step back and asked him his name. He took a deep breath, as if he didnt even want me to know this. He started fading back from my view. But I ran after him asking him his name. He whispered - for some reason, all my friends call me Ego.

Doctors in India..cheats...

Dr.B.M. Hegde has written two books and it is a must for every one to read. 'What doctors do not study in Medical colleges' Now he is bold to reveal all these. This is from Dr. B M Hegde. Wonder how much is widespread and how many are merely a few black sheep. How Indian Doctors Loot Patients. Most of these observations are either completely or partially true. Corruption has many names, and one of civil society isn't innocent either. Professionals and businessmen of various sorts indulge in unscrupulous practices. I recently had a chat with some doctors, surgeons and owners of nursing homes about the tricks of their trade. Here is what they said

1) 40-60% kickbacks for lab tests. When a doctor (whether family doctor / general physician, consultant or surgeon) prescribes tests - pathology, radiology, X-rays, MRIs etc. - the laboratory conducting those tests gives commissions. In South and Central Mumbai -- 40%. In the suburbs north of Bandra -- a whopping 60 per cent! He probably earns a lot more in this way than the consulting fees that you pay.

2) 30-40% for referring to consultants, specialists & surgeons. When your friendly GP refers you to a specialist or surgeon, he gets 30-40%.

3) 30-40% of total hospital charges. If the GP or consultant recommends hospitalization, he will receive kickback from the private nursing home as a percentage of all charges including ICU, bed, nursing care, surgery.

4) Sink tests. Some tests prescribed by doctors are not needed. They are there to inflate bills and commissions. The pathology lab understands what is unnecessary. These are called "sink tests"; blood, urine, stool samples collected will be thrown.

5) Admitting the patient to "keep him under observation". People go to cardiologists feeling unwell and anxious. Most of them aren't really having a heart attack, and cardiologists and family doctors are well aware of this. They admit such safe patients, put them on a saline drip with mild sedation, and send them home after 3-4 days after charging them a fat amount for ICU, bed charges, visiting doctors fees.

6) ICU minus intensive care. Nursing homes all over the suburbs are run by doctor couples or as one-man-shows. In such places, nurses and ward boys are 10th cl-ass drop-outs in ill-fitting uniforms and bare feet. These "nurses" sit at the reception counter, give injections and saline drips, perform ECGs, apply dressings and change bandages, and assist in the operation theatre. At night, they even sit outside the Intensive Care Units; there is no resident doctor. In case of a crisis, the doctor -- who usually lives in the same building -- will turn up after 20 minutes, after this nurse calls him. Such ICUs admit safe patients to fill up beds. Genuine patients who require emergency care are sent elsewhere to hospitals having a Resident Medical Officer (RMO) round-the-clock.

7) Unnecessary caesarean surgeries and hysterectomies. Many surgical procedures are done to keep the cash register ringing. Caesarean deliveries and hysterectomy (removal of uterus) are high on the list. While the woman with labour -pains is screaming and panicking, the obstetrician who gently suggests that caesarean is best seems like an angel sent by God! Menopausal women experience bodily changes that make them nervous and gullible. They can be frightened by words like " and "fibroids" that are in almost every normal woman's radiology reports. When a gynaecologist gently suggests womb removal "as a precaution", most women and their husbands agree without a second's thought.

8) Cosmetic surgery advertized through newspapers. Liposuction and plastic surgery are not minor procedures. Some are life-threateningly major. But advertisements make them appear as easy as facials and waxing. The Indian medical councilhas strict rules against such misrepresentation. But nobody is interested in taking action.

9) Indirect kickbacks from doctors to prestigious hospitals. To be on the panel of a prestigious hospital, there is give-and-take involved. The hospital expects the doctor to refer many patients for hospital admission. If he fails to send a certain number of patients, he is quietly dumped. And so he likes to admit patients even when there is no need.

10) "Emergency surgery" on dead body. If a surgeon hurriedly wheels your patient from the Intensive Care Unit to the operation theatre, refuses to let you go inside and see him, and wants your signature on the consent form for "an emergency operation to save his life", it is likely that your patient is already dead. The "emergency operation" is for inflating the bill; if you agree for it, the surgeon will come out 15 minutes later and report that your patient died on the operation table. And then, when you take delivery of the dead body, you will pay OT charges, anaesthesiologist's charges, blah-blah-Doctors are humans too. You can't trust them blindly. Please understand the difference.

Young surgeons and old ones. The young ones who are setting up nursing home etc. have heavy loans to settle. To pay back the loan, they have to perform as many operations as possible. Also, to build a reputation, they have to perform a large number of operations and develop their skills. So, at first, every case seems fit for cutting. But with age, experience and prosperity, many surgeons lose their taste for cutting, and stop recommending operations.

Physicians and surgeons. To a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Surgeons like to solve medical problems by cutting, just as physicians first seek solutions with drugs. So, if you take your medical problem to a surgeon first, the chances are that you will unnecessarily end up on the operation table. Instead, please go to an ordinary GP first

Prof. B. M. Hegde, MD, FRCP, FRCPE, FRCPG, FRCPI, FACC,

A morality test...

With all your honor and dignity what would you do? This test only has one question, but it's a very important one.

Please don't answer it without giving it some serious thought. By giving an honest answer you will be able to test where you stand morally. The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation, where you will have to make a decision one way or the other. Remember that your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous. Please scroll down slowly and consider each line - this is important for the test to work accurately.

You're in Florida...In Miami, to be exact... There is great chaos going on around you, caused by a hurricane and severe floods. There are huge masses of water all over you. You are a CNN photographer and you are in the middle of this great disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless. You are trying to shoot very impressive photos. There are houses and people floating around you, disappearing into the water. Nature is showing all its destroying power and is ripping everything away with it. Suddenly you see a man in the water, he is fighting for his life, trying not to be taken away by the masses of water and mud. You move closer. Somehow the man looks familiar. Suddenly you know who it is - it's George W. Bush! At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take him away, forever. You have two options. You can save him or you can take the best photo of your life. So you can save the life of George W. Bush, or you can shoot a Pulitzer prize winning photo, a unique photo displaying the death of one of the world's most powerful men.

And here's the question (please give an honest answer):



Would you select color film, or rather go with the simplicity of classic black and white?

I was mad that I lost some money in the stock market ( just like most people )...then I read this...just mad eme realize I am one lucky son of a....

I havent still got the Haloscan comments to work inspite of following the instructions exactly as said at their web site. When I find some time, I will try to fix this. Until then the shoutbox is the only way to comment.

Saw "Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction" and "Along came Polly". The first one was so gory, I told my wife to not enter the room I was watching in. Polly was a chick flick - but ok. Havent seen any Tamil movie in a long time. So busy with school and work...

History of Middle finger
I don't know about the accuracy of this explanation but it sounds good... XXX

Well, now......here's something I never knew before, and now that I know it, I feel compelled to send it on to my more intelligent friends in the hope that they, too, will feel edified. Isn't history more fun when you know something about it?

Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore they would be incapable of fighting in the future.

This famous weapon was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew" (or "pluck yew").

Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won a major upset and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying, "See, we can still pluck yew! "PLUCK YEW!"

Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'F', and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute! It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows used with the longbow that the symbolic gesture is known as "giving the bird."

And yew thought yew knew everything.

I am trying to move to Haloscan for comments. Let us see if this works...

Have been very busy with school work and office work ( finally working and not blogging ).

"When Sorenstam added Kraft to her sponsor list last year, her hat, shirt front and sleeve were already taken by other sponsors. All that was left was the shirt collar, but that spot also gets prime exposure, earning Sorenstam an extra $400,000 a year." - Golf Tour's top money earners...

Have been reading history books and related info of late...Israel-Palestine conflict...who to blame...


Not far in the future!

Operator : "Thank you for calling Pizza Hut. May I have your order?"
Customer: "Hello, can I order a ......"
Operator : ".........can I have your multi purpose card number first, sir?"
Customer: "It's eh..., hold on....6102049998-45-54610"
Operator : "OK... you're Mr. Sheehan and you're calling from 17 Meadow Drive. Your home number is 494-2366, your office 745-2302 and your mobile is 2662566. Would you like to have the delivery made to 17 Meadow Drive?
Customer: "Yes, but how did you get all my phone numbers?"
Operator : "We are connected to the system, sir"
Customer: "May I order your Seafood Pizza..."
Operator : "That's not a good idea, sir"
Customer: "How come?"
Operator : "According to your medical records, you have high blood pressure and even higher cholesterol level, sir"
Customer: "What? What do you recommend then?"
Operator : "Try our Low Fat Soybean Yogurt Pizza. You'll like it"
Customer: "How do you know for sure?"
Operator : "You borrowed a book entitled "Popular Soybean Yogurt Dishes" from the National Library last week, sir"
Customer: "OK, I give up... give me three family sized ones then, how much will that cost?
Operator : "That should be enough for your family of 10, sir. The total is $ 49.99
Customer: "Can I pay by credit card?"
Operator : "I'm afraid you have to pay us cash, sir. Your credit card is
over the limit and you're owing your bank $3720.55 since October last year." And that's not including the late payment charges on your housing loan, sir."
Customer: "I guess I'll run to the neighborhood ATM and withdraw some cash before your guy arrives."
Operator : "You can't do that, sir. Based on the records, you've reached your daily limit on machine withdrawal today"
Customer: "Never mind just send the pizzas, I'll have the cash ready. How long is it gonna take anyway?"
Operator : "About 45 minutes, sir, but if you can't wait you can always come and collect it on your motorcycle..."
Customer: " What the..?"
Operator : "According to the details in system, you own a Harley,...registration number E1123..."
Customer: "@#%/$@&?#"
Operator : "Better watch your language, sir. Remember on July 15, 1987 you were convicted of using abusive language to a policeman...
Customer: (Speechless)
Operator : "Is there anything else, sir?"
Customer: "Nothing... by the way... are you giving me the three free bottles of Pepsi as advertised?"
Operator : "We normally would, sir, but based on your records you're also diabetic."

CLICK..

People in the Boston area are spending half their time talking about the weather. I dont blame them. It is 40 below zero in the night. Never happenned in the past 50 years. I had to walk half-a-mile last night at school out in the cold. Oh..boy...it takes only 5-10 minutes to get frost-bites...i have no idea what that means...but I did feel that I was going to get one...because i could feel my nose for a few minutes. Hoping to survive till Sunday...

The next big thing in wireless...but this means an individual with a wireless device can potentially be traced anywhere in the world, if every lamppost has a wireless hub...


Zen Thoughts...

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
Some days you are the bug; some days you are the windshield.
Don't worry; it only seems kinky the first time.
Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

Here's Help In Understanding Democrats

If you don't understand the Democrats' version of tax cuts (and you are not
alone), this will explain it for you:

50,000 people go to a baseball game, but the game was rained out. A refund
was then due. The team was about to mail refunds when the Congressional
Democrats stopped them and suggested that they send out refund amounts based
on the Democrat National Committee's interpretation of fairness.

After all, if the refunds were made based on the price each person paid for
the tickets, most of the money would go to the wealthiest ticket holders.
That would be unconscionable.

The DNC plan says: People in the $10 seats will get back $15, because they
have less money to spend. Call it an "Earned" Income Ticket Credit". Persons
"earn" it by demonstrating little ambition, few skills and poor work habits,
thus keeping them at entry-level wages.

People in the $25 seats will get back $25, because that's only fair.

People in the $50 seats will get back $1, because they already make a lot of
money and don't need a refund. If they can afford a $50 ticket, then they
must not be paying enough taxes.

People in the $75 luxury seats will have to pay another $50, because they
have way too much to spend.

The people driving by the stadium who couldn't afford to watch the game will
get $10 each, even though they didn't pay anything in, because they need the
most help.

Now do you understand?

If not, contact your Democrat Party representative for assistance.