Gambling : Good or Bad ?

As soon as we hear d word  'Gambling ' , immediately we visualise casinos, slot machines, poker, card games, night clubs in d movies, sports betting etc...it is not always that risky and harmful as it sounds..

In most Western societies, gambling is perceived as a harmless or low-risk social activity for participants of all ages. In many places around d world family & friends spend their week-ends playing poker, rummy, bridge, Black-jack ( card games ). Card games r also considered gambling if money is involved. According to some of my Friends in nd across India, it is their favourite  activity to relax and get away from all d worries of their work place & personal life. I m sharing the same Experience and Opinion as well. Even housewives prefer d same during their free time, just to avoid getting involved in any unnecessary Gossiping activities. 

Why do people gamble?

Gambling doesn’t usually start out as a problem. For many people, gambling starts out as pleasant pastime. People gamble for many reasons, including:

• fun,

- family  time-pass

• excitement

• to meet people

• to fill in time

• to win money

• entertainment

• time away from the pressures of work  and family

• depressing thoughts and feelings, lonelyness

• a way to get out and socialise

• hoping to pay off their debts and live their dreams through a big win. 

Gambling is fun as well as safe ; as far as money is not d main attraction. The Problem occurs when greediness & craving for money grab the main attention.

What is problem gambling ?

Problem gambling occurs when a person’s gambling causes harm to themselves and/or to those around them such as a partner, family, friends, or others in the community. When gambling begins to consume more money and time than a person can afford it can affect many parts of their lives, including physical and emotional health, finances, relationships, work , study, family.

The negative Impact of  problem  gambling  on families can include:

• Reduced income for household running costs (for example, food, rent and bills) due to money spent on gambling.

- Bankruptcy . 

• A partner or child having had to take over financial responsibility in the home due to excessive spending by the gambler on their gambling activities.

• Family members experiencing frustration due to continued absence caused by the person's gambling behaviour.

• Breakdown in communication between family members and the gambler.

• Ongoing family breakdown due to the gambler’s neglect of the family.

• Feelings of depression or sadness due to a family member’s gambling.

• Feelings of anger towards a family member as a result of their gambling behaviour or a loss in gambling.

• Inability to trust the gambler due to lies and broken promises about his or her gambling.

Finally,  it is a strong will-power to get out of this problem. If someone is going to casino doesn't mean he is going to bankrupt and if someone is playing card games at home doesn't mean he is playing safe, it depends upon the amount and self control of every individual. 

I always win a fortune but for me fortune is ; fun, ntertainment, relaxation, frndz, & socialisation. Develop this kind of thought nd be happy.

Worth to Visit ' Snake Farm ' in Bangkok.

Normally whenever we plan a tour or trip we usually end up wid some sight seeing, amusement park, shopping or hoteling. Seldom we think about visiting some Not-so-Famous spots or doing something Unusual. ' Snake Farm ' at Bangkok is one of dis kind of place to visit. 

A half day trip to a snake farm will be exciting and very educational for both children and adults. If you are not among those people who suffer with herpetophobia, and hv a few free hours to spend, don’t miss paying a visit to the world’s second oldest and Asia's 1st snake Farm located at Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute.

It is a well built and well maintained snake Farm i hv ever visited. The Outdoor Serpentarium is a walk-in garden that is a home to various snake habitats. the snake handling shows are also held. The newly renovated Si Maseng Building is a museum featuring with multimedia facilities.  Exhibitions including the life cycle of snakes, their anatomy, toxicology, mythology and how to do the first-aid for a snakebite victim. The Indoor Serpentarium exhibits 35 species of snakes, mostly indigenous.  My most Favourite was the White python. The ground behind the serpentarium is used for venom extraction demonstrations.

The best part according to me was, the snakes r not irritated, tortured or provoked unnecessarily and no monotonous stunts either which is usually done at such places just for the tourists entertainment. The show is purely educative. The museum and indoor serpentarium really needs guts to roam around especially if u r not accompanied by anyother visiter. The feeling of being surrounded by the deadliest snakes is very scary nd I hv a frank confession dat I was thrilled as well as scared too. To feel a shiver of excitement, don’t miss the deadly reptile shows.  Tourists can feel d thrill by handling a real python.

This snake farm extracts serum from venom of Thai poisonous snakes. However, venom extraction is obviously not the main activity here. The snake farm also provides knowledge about venom for medical students and interested people as well as raising non-poisonous snakes like the Indochinese rat snake, which are beneficial to our ecosystem. the copperhead racer, and some other non poisonous species r kept for educational purposes nd for the tourists. 

Showtimes

Snake handling and taking pictures with snakes: 2.30 pm on weekdays

11.00 am on weekends and holidays

Venom Extraction: 11.00 am on weekdays

" Doctor ! Pl Help...save me....I don't wanna Die !!!"

Recently i watched a movie based on Medical Malpractice. Due to d mere negligence of a Dr., a mother hs to face a gr8 loss of her only child. She sued the Doc. and won the case. The movie creates some unanswered questions in my mind. eg ; 

what exactly is considered as Malpractice?

Is it that easy to sue the Doctor & win d case?

is it fair to blame the Doctors if their best isn’t good enough? 

Fact: According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), medical negligence is the third leading cause of death in the U.S.—right behind heart disease and cancer.

Doctors have often been seen as some of the highly respectable N smartest members of society.. It takes years of training, constant hard work, and a lot more than just book smarts to be a good doctor. But they are still human, and humans are fallible. Mistakes are made every day, and while some of them can be insignificant, others can completely change lives. Suing doctors for less-than-perfect practice is becoming more and more common. Is it fair to blame the Doctors if their best isn’t good enough? Are they really careless or it's just because they r over stressed and hv over workload? Many a times it is seen dat in Govt Hospitals patients r overflowing. In such situations is it possible for d  Drs. to stay calm & stable wen  dey r busy Multitasking...???

Medical malpractice occurs when a hospital, doctor or other health care professional, through a negligent act or omission, causes an injury to a patient. The negligence might be the result of errors in diagnosis, treatment, aftercare or health management.

Medical malpractice can take many forms. Here are some examples of medical negligence that might lead to a lawsuit:

Failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis

Misreading or ignoring laboratory results

Unnecessary surgery

Surgical errors or wrong site surgery

Improper medication or dosage

Poor follow-up or aftercare

Disregarding or not taking appropriate patient history

Failure to order proper testing

Failure to recognize symptoms

It's not enough that your doctor made some sort of mistake. Before you can file a lawsuit, you have to be able to show that the mistake caused you damage or further harm. The amputation of the wrong limb, brain damage after an operation, a medical condition or disease got worse after treatment, or even death are d right examples of injuries or damage. In short, unless you've been harmed, there's no medical malpractice case.

You also have to prove that the injury is connected to the negligence. This is called "causation," meaning your damage or harm was caused by the doctor's mistake. This may be the most difficult - and expensive - part of any medical malpractice case. As a general rule, you'll need at least one expert witness to explain how the mistake caused your injury. These expert witnesses are almost always other doctors or medical professionals.

Getting Help

Medical malpractice law is highly regulated by a complex body of rules, which vary considerably from country to country, so it's often essential to get advice or representation from a lawyer.

As you can see, a medical malpractice case is usually complicated from the get-go, and usually takes some time to get through. You have a lot to prove. And the defense usually doesn't pay up without a fight. You can bet the doctor or medical professional you're suing - usually, it's that person's insurance company who defends the case - will do everything possible to show that the doctor didn't make a mistake or cause your injury. The defense will use its own experts to do this. It may take months or even years for the case to be over. And you can't wait forever to file the case, either. These cases aren't cheap, either. Experts cost a lot of money, especially if you need them to take off work and come to court to testify. Plus there are all kinds of other costs, like filing and other court costs.

Don't let the potential costs and complexity scare you away from a case. If you've been injured by a medical professional's mistake or failure to act, talk to an attorney to see if you have a good case. Not only can you get money or "damages" for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering, but you can help make sure the same mistake doesn't happen to another patient.

For other Health related Articles click the following links
Migraine
Side effects of soda
Amazing facts of Human Body

Platinum Memories of classic childhood Games...

Let's Dive  into  the memory lanes of the games, we enjoyed to play as kids. i observed lately that these Indian classic games are losing their significance as we are adopting the western culture in the name of technology.

Gen Y's time is now spent couched in front of TV, play stations, Xbox, probably surfing d net, social networking with their classmates and zero physical activity involved. Running back from school and joining friends to play a game of lagori or winning the most number of goti’s from other street kids is what our parents are often caught ranting about, and how the present generation is not as lucky as they were back in school. Sadly kid's dont hv spare time for all these actvts,  In their favor, most of the vacant spots are also taken up by buildings, malls or parks.

Let us read about and try to identify, how many of these games are still around us. Some of these are almost extinct games.

Gilli –Danda

Playing cricket or baseball with sticks instead of bat or ball is exactly what Gilli Danda is all about.  This sport is generally played in the rural and small towns of India. The game is played with a gilli and danda, which are both wooden sticks. The danda is longer (suitably handmade by the player) which one can swing easily. The gilli is smaller and is tapered on both sides. There is no standard length defined for the danda or gilli. Usually, however, the gilli is 3 to 6 inches long. This is a very popular game among boys in villages of India. It is similar to the most popular game cricket .The game replaces the cricket ball by gilli. The objective of the sport is to use the danda (used like a baseball bat) to strike the gilli (similar to striking a ball in the game cricket) and flew it in the ground.

Satoliya : Lagori: Two teams, seven stones, a ball and target of hawks eye are the elements to success in this game.

This game is loved by the maximum number boys and girls; it is a funny simple and inexpensive game. It needs seven small flat stones; every stone size should be less than the other stone. Put these stones over another in decreasing order its looks like a small tower then hit it by cloths made hand ball form a fixed distance. Any number of people can play it. 

Kancha (Goti) : marbles

Once famous as a Gully sport, kancha was favorite of many young boys in town and villages nearby. It has its own modus operandi; it is played using marbles called ‘Kancha’. The players are to hit the selected target ‘kancha’ using their own marble ball. The winner takes all Kanchas of rest of the players.

Hopscotch : 

Draw a hopscotch design on the ground. design with 7 or 9 squares. Chalk is the best drawing medium on asphalt, patio stones or concrete. Throw a flat stone or similar object (small beanbag, shell, button, plastic toy) to land on square one. Hop through the squares, skipping the one you have your marker on. Similarly complete all squares.

Carrom : 

A famous dialogue in a Hindi movie says “Carrom ramvanu, juice pivanu, majja nee life” means it is a jolly game. But a sport has to stand on its own feet. Carrom was a popular indoor game few years back. Its a game of geometry, concentration and hand skill.

Pakada  pakdi, Chupa-chupi ( hide & seek ),  langdi, chain,  chalak chalanu,, color-color, river or mountain, snakes n ladder, ludo, buissiness, chess

I guess, many of the terms or name of the game that I use may not be the same in other parts of India but more or less, I am sure that all our readers can relate to them one way or the other.

Traditional Games were not just games, they were designed in such a way that one can develop lot of skills like logical thinking, building strategy, concentration, basic mathematics, aiming, and lot more. Nowadays we develop these skills by paying money to centers that conduct personal development courses.

In any season, in open spaces or crowded city, slums, streets, children jump, run, hide, chase each other, play, sing and laugh, and this illustrates the universality of games. By means of games, the child is engaged not only in self-discovery, explorative and experiments with its senses, but also understands its relation with the concept of Universe. They gradually learn to get along with the big world outside. Games reflect the ideas and the personality of the child as a whole. Children get many benefits by means of games. There is an opportunity for the growth of the mind. There is a way to use the senses in the right way. One gets the opportunity to mingle with people of the same age, of the same cadre and same ambitions and desires. This helps in developing a social sense and the habit of working cooperatively.

Even we used to enjoy many indoor games with parents as well, as TV was not a common product in all d houses. We were blessed that way.

I really feel pity for todays Kids. They dunno what fun they r missing. All due to techno era, education system nd a lot of career oriented Competitions. 

I am sure after reading this; many of you would have gone down to those memory lanes and recalled those beautiful moments again.

Unique but helpful Websites

Hello Viewers,
We all love to surf d net all d time but many a times we really miss or unaware of so many useful stuff. Here i m listing some of very important and helpful sites from various fields & for related people. ; art lovers, patients, travellers, Moms, volunteers N social workers, knitters N crochers, New languages learners nd so on...check it out.. 
( all d sites r Linkable, click on d name of d site.)

cafemom : as the name suggests, CafeMom is an ad-supported social networking site which is specifically targeted at mothers and mothers to be. CafeMom is the largest and most vibrant meeting place for moms online. Moms come to CafeMom to connect, give and get advice, be entertained, and make friends. CafeMom brings moms together by hosting, programming and moderating hundreds of communities that reflect moms' personalities, passions and needs. Every day moms can connect in groups like Pregnancy, Love & Marriage, Recipes for Busy Moms, Military Moms, and many more! Whether a mom is looking for someone to talk to, a chance to laugh (or vent), or some advice, she can always find it at CafeMom.

dailystrength :  Medical & emotional support community - Physical health, Mental health, Support groups. DailyStrength is a social networking website centered around support groups, where users provide one another with emotional support by discussing their struggles and successes with each other. The site contains online communities that deal with different medical conditions or life challenges. The site is free for members and the members are encouraged to remain anonymous. The site provides members with continual support as someone is always available to talk. Medical professionals are also available to contact and treatments for a variety of illnesses and problems are also listed on the site.

Deviantart : DeviantART was launched in 2000 and is an online social network for artists and art enthusiasts. It is the largest social networking service of its kind. DeviantART aims to gather, entertain and inspire artists; it is there for them to showcase their work and discuss it with others. DeviantART also integrated chat capability features. As a registered user, you have your own profile, where your works are organized in a category-like structure including digital art, traditional art, photography and even movies. Moreover, you may download numerous stock photos and tutorials.

 Disaboom: People with disabilities (Amputee, cerebral palsy, MS, and other disabilities).  Disaboom is a social networking website, described by founder Dr. Glen House as a premier interactive online community dedicated to improving the way individuals with disabilities or functional limitations live their lives. The site serves as a comprehensive resource for those living with disabilities, as well as their family members, friends, caregivers, and employers.

Hospitalityclub  Internet-based hospitality service of appr. 300,000 members in 226 countries.  their aim is to bring people together - hosts and guests, travelers and locals. Hospitality Club members around the world help each other when they are traveling - be it with a roof for the night or a guided tour through town. Joining is free, takes just a minute and everyone is welcome. Members can look at each other's profiles, send messages and post comments about their experience on the website. Hospitalityclub.org

italki.com Language learning social network. 100+ languages. italki has a variety of features to support language learners: social learning, self-study, and paid professional lessons. The website currently has over 700,000 registered members, from over 200 different countries

LifeknotShared interests, hobbies.

 Meet people that share your interests. Meet new people, make new friends that share your interests and passions in any activity imaginable: outdoor activities, sports, arts, hobbies and more. Over 1,520 activities listed. You can suggest more.

Patients like me : Online community for patients with life-changing illnesses to find other patients like them, share their data with others, and learn more about their condition to improve their outcome. PatientsLikeMe is committed to putting patients first. They do this by providing a better, more effective way for you to share your real-world health experiences in order to help yourself, other patients like you and organizations that focus on your conditions.

Ravelry. :   Ravelry is a free site for knitters and crocheters. Ravelry is a place for knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners, weavers and dyers to keep track of their yarn, tools, project and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration. The content here is all user- driven; we as a community make the site what it is. Ravelry is a great place for you to keep notes about your projects, see what other people are making, find the perfect pattern and connect with people who love to play with yarn from all over the world in our forums.

Click here for more

Useful & informative web sites

Photo Garden

Hello All,

Once again I'm here with some Creation & innovation ....though after a long time but I m sure u wl really like it....

Valentine special.  

Decorative gift Envelope

Migraine : the BOSS of all d Headaches

Migraine is a moderate to severe unilateral headache lasting from 2 to 72 hours. Migraine headaches result from a combination of blood vessel enlargement and the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around these blood vessels. During the headache, an artery enlarges that is located on the outside of the skull just under the skin of the temple (temporal artery). This causes a release of chemicals that cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery. 

What causes migraines?

Some people who suffer from migraines can clearly identify triggers or factors that cause the headaches, but many cannot. Potential migraine triggers include:

• Allergies and allergic reactions
• Bright lights, loud noises, and certain odors or perfumes
• Physical or emotional stress
• Changes in sleep patterns or irregular sleep
• Smoking or exposure to smoke
• Skipping meals or fasting
• Alcohol
• Menstrual cycle fluctuations, birth control pills, hormone fluctuations during menopauseonset
• Tension headaches
• Foods containing tyramine (red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and some beans), monosodium glutamate (MSG), or nitrates (like bacon, hot dogs, and salami)
• Other foods such as chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, banana, citrus, onions, dairy products, and fermented or pickled foods.        

Triggers do not always cause migraines, and avoiding triggers does not always prevent migraines.

Pl click on the the link below to watch a video showing some simple massage techniques helpful in migraine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYvoWq9XodQ&sns=em

As per my personal Exp., regular exercise helps in some extent to control the strokes..avoid mental stress and try to be relaxed and calm..

Video from YouTube.com.

SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGES :

Research suggests that successful marriages have the following six components:

  communication, trust & honesty, appreciation & affection, commitment, time together, and the ability to cope with stress and crisis.

Fun.com

                                                         A GIFT TO REMEMBER

    Some gifts simply last longer than others. In reality the best gifts that we give aren't necessarily material gifts they are GIFTS FROM THE HEART. Listed below is a short list of gifts that you can give to your loved one that can last a lifetime.

1) A letter apologizing for the things you did that may have hurt your loved one and in future you will never repeat them.

2) A poem written to your loved one expressing your love for them.

3) A  hand made photo album of your most favourite memories with them.

4) A gift or present that they wanted as a child but never received.

5) Spending a whole day with them full of energy and enthusiasm. Avoid to accompany them just for  duty, this may  lower down their enthusiasm & interest.
6) send them gifts periodically to show your love if you are staying  away from them.

                                     10  THINGS TO BE GRATEFUL FOR

One way to show appreciation to your spouse is to take time and list 10 things that they do which you really appreciate. Some eg., for Husbands :
1) She gives you gifts periodically without fail. 

2) She is great with your children.

3) She knows your taste and cook for you with love 
4) She makes sacrifices to make your family work.

5) She gives of her time unselfishly.
6) She never demands expensive gifts more often.

7) She shows interest in your shopping & other tasks of ur interest.

8) She is good with your parents  and even advice you to do anything needful for their happiness.

9) She works hard to be a good mother.
10) She performs duty of mother as well as father for your child in your absence.

By doing these u wl realize how the other partner is contributing from her/his part. U may xchange the list with ur partner just to see how the other partner thinks and feels about u and both of u can make out where u should improve. Take it sportily and discuss open heartedly..

 Take a sincere effort if u really wish and u really should to nurture ur lifetime partenership.

So this is a simple formula to strengthen ur relationship...
Wish u all a happy and healthy married life... 

Useful & informative websites

                                                         Useful websites directory

Important Government websites

1. Government of India : www.india.gov.in
   
2. Railway Booking : www.indianrail.gov.in
   
3. Govt. of India Web Directory : http://goidirectory.nic.in/
   
4. India Post. :  http://indiapost.nic.in/login/login.jsp :
   
5. Agmarknet : http://www.agmarknet.nic.in/
   
6. Passport & Visa Services : http://passport.nic.in/ 
   
7. Online Income Filing :
   http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/eFiling/Main.asp
   
8. e-Filing in Supreme Court : http://tempweb97.nic.in/sc-efiling/login.jsp
   
   
9. 9. PAN Services : https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/pan/ form49A.html

                                                               General web sites

www.wikipedia.org 
www.indianngos.com 
www.unicef.org

                                                                     Education

www.ncert.nic.in
www.education.nic.in (Department of School Education and Higher Education)

@ HealthTap – A natural winner of in the best health website 2012 category is the excellent HealthTap. If you’ve got a medical query that you would rather not spend the money and time on a doctor’s appointment to answer, your first port of call will be the Internet. And among the best of the Q&A doctor/patient forums online is ' HealthTap'.

HealthTap’s moto is that they believe that everyone has the right to free, reliable, and independent health information. They offer a really useful service of medical Q&A that everyone benefits from: patients get answers

and doctors get more clients who are exposed to them through the platform. All in all it’s a sort of a medical social media where you reveal intimate details about yourself while remaining anonymous.

@ LOL Wall – quite possibly the perfect site to browse on your coffee break! ' LOL Wall ' is basically a huge, tiled page filled with funny photos uploaded by users. A simple idea, a simple site, and actually all born out of a Facebook page.

LOL Wall seems well moderated enough to be safe enough for work, so next time you feel yourself drifting off while staring at those spreadsheets, click here to spend 5 minutes “LOLing” at the LOL Wall.

@ Read Print

' Read Print '  is a free online books library for students, teachers, and the classic enthusiast. This is an amazing website with over 8,000 online books by 3,500 authors at your fingertips.

@ Webopedia

' Webopedia ' is a free online dictionary for words, phrases and abbreviations that are related to computer and Internet technology. Webopedia provides easy-to-understand definitions in plain language, avoiding the use of heavy jargon when possible so that the site is accessible to users with a wide range of computer knowledge.

@ Google For Educators

' Google For Educators ' support teachers in their efforts to empower students and expand the frontiers of human knowledge. They hv assembled the useful information and wonderful tools that you can find there.

@ Snip Any Tune to Ringtone Size : cutmp3

Sure, your smartphone can make a ringtone out of any song in your music library, but will it jump to your favorite line? Nope. ' CutMP3 ' lets you upload any song to its music editor and then trim it down to the portion you want for your ringtone. Once you've picked your clip, just save the track to your phone and set it as your ringer. Easy-peasy, and totally free.

@ Instant Messages to Everyone : meebo

If your friends are scattered across multiple IM platforms, get them all on the same page. ' Meebo ' connects to AIM, Facebook, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MySpace, Windows Live, Yahoo, and more--all through a single Web interface that you can access from any of your PCs.

@ An Endless Stream of Online News : topicfire

Tired of static online-news aggregators that force you into rigid content categories? ' Topicfire ' lets you choose categories of interest and then fills the page with fresh content constantly, so you always see the latest news that matters to you.