Tribute to Professor Nimal de Silva

The passing of Professor Nimal de Silva was conveyed to me by fellow students with whom I studied architecture.
My deepest condolences.

He is someone who cannot be forgotten in many ways—a calm and composed individual, always seen with a gentle smile, and someone who spoke with warmth and kindness. He was the one who taught us the subject Traditional Architecture, and he is also one of the reasons I eventually wrote the book on the city layout of the Nallur Rajadhani.

When he introduced me to the article The Town Planning of Ancient Anuradhapura by Roland  Silva, I was astonished. Anuradhapura is a sacred city for Buddhists—one of the earliest royal capitals of Sri Lanka—home to many renowned stupas.

Anyone traveling from Yal Devi (the Jaffna–Colombo train) to Colombo cannot help but see the stupas of Anuradhapura. According to Roland  Silva’s research, ancient Anuradhapura was centered around a marketplace, with stupas arranged in a circular formation around the city. The ancient city unfolded before my eyes and left me in awe.

Dr. S. Ramasamy's positive approach to heart diseases!

Dr. S. Ramasamy

This is not medical advice — it is merely my opinion."

Dr. Ramasamy's  insights regarding heart disease have deeply impressed me. I recognize him as one of the doctors who provide very health-conscious recommendations. Many cardiologists blindly recommend bypass surgery or stent placement. Through this video, I came to understand that it is wrong to recommend bypass or stents even to those whose hearts are in good condition and who have proper blood flow, simply as a way to prevent heart attacks.

I also realized that bypass surgery or stents can never truly prevent a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when a blockage ruptures and blood clots form, reducing blood flow by 100%. I have come to understand that, even when blockages exist, they can be kept under control through lifestyle changes, proper medications, and a healthy diet. 

In Tamil - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZSwTIxDfpc

Archive your website now at Archive.org and keep it safe forever!

 

Now, it’s possible to archive a website on archive.org. By becoming a member of the site, anyone can archive their websites. Many times, blogs, e-magazines, and various other websites disappear from the internet. When that happens, all the content they hosted disappears too.

Fortunately, it’s now possible to save those writings by archiving the websites. This is a great service offered by Archive.org. Thank you, Archive.org!

Poem: My Grandmother, Living Alone! – V. N. Giridharan -

Grandma's home – that's you!
It is from that very home
my grandma used to fry vadai.
I once asked my mother
why grandma was frying vadai
from over there.

My mother replied:
“She used to fry them here before.
But the crows became too much of a nuisance,
so she started frying from there.
Now, there are no crows to bother her there, right dear?”

President Trump's Policy on Illegal Immigrants

There are millions of illegal immigrants living in the USA. They are not stealing Americans' jobs. In fact, they work very hard to serve the American public. They work as kitchen helpers, dishwashers, farm workers, and in low-paying factory jobs. They are not competing with American workers who typically get the higher-paying positions—such as those in the automotive industry.

If you examine high-paying government jobs and top-tier factory positions, you’ll find that most of these are held by Americans—primarily white Americans. A census of those sectors would reveal the low percentage of minorities employed there.

Two Useful Cardiology Videos: An Interview with Cardiologist Dr. S. Ramasamy and a Video by Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, MD

I recently watched these videos. In them, cardiologist Dr. S. Ramasamy shares clear explanations about heart attacks and their treatment options such as angioplasty, stents, bypass surgery, blood vessel blockages, and blood clots that may result from them. He also discusses how to approach doctors’ advice when blockages are found in the coronary arteries. These are not my recommendations—I'm merely sharing the information. At times, I’ve also added my personal opinions, but they should not be considered medical advice—only my personal thoughts.

In general, when a patient has over 70% blockage in three arteries, most cardiologists will recommend bypass surgery without hesitation. If not, they may suggest angioplasty and placing a stent.

Poem: Kuruman Kaadu! by V. N. Giritharan

 * (Illustration – AI. Kuruman Kaadu was once a small village in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. Today, it has become a town.)

The Kuruman Kaadu I hold in memory
is not the one that exists today.
It now seems like a dream world.
At times, I even wonder—
did it really exist?
But alongside that doubt,
I also feel—
there's no need for such questions.
Whether it existed or not
is not important to me.
The memories of it
still stir within my feelings.
Those are what matter.