HEALTH

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

Q: ? I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.




Q: ? Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!



Q: ? How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.



Q: ? What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!



Q: ? Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?



Q: ? Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.



Q: ? Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO??? Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!



Q: ? Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me!



Q: ? Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!



Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

C H E E R S !!!!!!!!!!!!

On Being an Architect - Written by Laurie Baker

On Being an Architect - Written by Laurie Baker

Most people have very differing ideas about what an architect is. The dictionaries say that an architect is one who practises architecture and architecture is the art and science of building! After I qualified as an architect I worked in two or three well known architects' offices but it was deadly dull work. I was relieved when World War II broke out and I was posted, after a time, to China , of all places. After a few years there in medical work I tried to return to England via India but I had to wait for a boat for three months. Everyone was telling me to quit India , which was very foolish because if anyone tells me to quit, I stay.

Looking back I realise that my architectural education was very different from that which is given to the architectural students here. My school of architecture was allied to the school of art and shared the same building. We rubbed shoulders with painters, sculptors, potters, fabric designers, stained glass window makers. Not only did we rub shoulders but in the evenings we budding architects had to take art courses. I did pottery, ceramics, stone carving and so on. Our engineering professors came to us from time to time and did what they had to and went away again. But here in Trivandrum the college of architecture is a branch of the engineering college, and as far as I know they have no connection with the college of art. I preferred my way and I have never run a proper architect's office. I have close to my bed a small, old drawing board— the same one I had in school. I broke my tee square quite a long time ago and never bought another. I have an old brass pair of compasses which belonged to my older brother and it was passed on to me when I first went to school. So I don't look the part at all!

To me probably the most interesting part of designing a building is dealing with the clients— getting to know them, how they live and work and finding out what sort of a building they dream of. It is exciting to put on to paper what you think is in their heads, and then to go on altering or adding or deleting until you think you have put down what they want. We were taught very firmly and consistently that the client should always be our prime consideration and, indeed, our inspiration. 'You will be putting up their building not yours,' we were often told. An equally interesting and absorbing part of practising architecture is translating your two-dimension drawings into three-dimension buildings. I have to be on the site to enjoy this transition from drawings to buildings. Not to be involved in building would be, to me, as foolish as buying a camera and film, viewing and clicking the trigger, getting a negative done, but not getting the print.

From a practical point of view also, while I clamber about on the scaffolding, I suddenly realise that I will get a much better view, or more breeze, if I move the window or make it bigger. And so on. I like to make the most of the colour and texture of materials, rather than to plaster everything over and then paint on colours. To do this I have to work with the masons and other workers to show them how I want them to use materials— not necessarily the same way in each building. So, to me, involvement in the construction work is a must and far more important than desk work.

Another aspect was drummed into us as students: we were told we were the only ones who had a complete overall view and understanding of our building— a unified product. 'You are not just doing a plan or an elevation, you even know how you hope to see your clients in their building after it is up and finished.' Our professor likened us to the conductor of an orchestra. He has the full score and he knows the musical item being performed. Each instrument player only has the music he is to play and the conductor controls his playing. Most famous conductors can even take over almost any instrument and show how they want it to sound at a particular time and place in the performance. Likewise the engineer may have perfect knowledge of his bit of the design— his specialized knowledge may be essential— but he knows nothing of the client's needs and desires, or of the total effect the whole completed building will have on its surroundings and on all who pass by. Similarly, with the plumber and sanitary man, the electrician, the paving expert, but overall, and' controlling and using to good effect all these, is the architect— the conductor.

Finally, in my day it was rubbed into us that the architect should have and show good manners and his architecture should be similarly good mannered! Very occasionally we are invited to design an isolated monumental building, all on its own in the middle of a park or campus with its own special surroundings. But 99 out of every 100 buildings we do will be in a row, or a block, or a nagar. The other buildings may be new, or indifferent, or good, or commonplace but we have to take our place among them and we must not show bad manners by competing or showing off, or by being defiant.

Again we were told, and how true it is, that a painter or sculptor will produce his masterpiece and it will be bought by someone and put in a room or a gallery— but only those who desire to will go and see it. But our artistry is there before all who pass along that road and they have little option but to look at what we have done. So we architects have to ask ourselves— is the building we have created going to stick out like a sore thumb? Or will it give joy and pleasure? Will it add to our culture? There's an old saying: manners make the man. I think they also make good architecture.

- By Laurie Baker

with a new idea !!!!!

Ant & Grasshopper

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house andlaying up supplies for the winter.The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays thesummer away.Come winter ,the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food orshelter so he dies out in the cold.

Indian Version

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house andlaying up supplies for the winter.The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays thesummer away.Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demandsto know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while othersare cold and starving.NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshoppernext to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled withfood.The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poorGrasshopper is allowed to suffer so?Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house .Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding thatGrasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter .Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Indian Government fornot upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to theGrasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt supportas against the wrath of God for non-compliance).Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh" inWest Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard inthe heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants andGrasshoppers.Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian RailwayTrains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath '.Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention of TerrorismAgainst Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of thewinter.Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in EducationalInstitutions & in Government Services.The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing leftto pay his retroactive taxes,it's home is confiscated by the Government andhanded over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.Arundhati Roy calls it ' A Triumph of Justice'.Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden 'Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly .Many years later...The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollarcompany in Silicon Valley ..100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewherein India ...As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding theGrasshoppers, India is still a developing country !!!-- You can judge your age by the amount of pain you feel when you come in contact with a new idea. -

Extract from a mail i got ...