During a dry spell of new non fiction

Alive Day - Tom Sullivan
A blind man and his dog. Does the dog understand that his friend is blind? What about blind animals? Atleast for rats, rabbits and dogs there doesnt seem to be much future if they are blind in both eyes. Their behaviour has been reported in popular science monthly Nov 1902 - Apr 1903
(Science gleanings in Animal Life - John Gibson)
Blind fish in mammoth caves. Flat fish. Is there really a cap on snakes venom production?
Proceedings of the society for Experimental zoology and medicine is a very easy to read science book.

Older adults

Recently I heard that IV therapy was not recommended for an elder person. I did wonder why. The V in it has the answer. With varicose veins and complications of overfluiding and haematoma, it does sound like more trouble. Growing up, paediatric is a much loved subject, but geriatrics seems like a field on its own.

Under test

I am undergoing a test now. Test for TB. I havent reached the quarter mark. An interesting day at the clinic. I learn a thing about my self. My left little finger does not pulse. Should I believe the Finger pulse oximeter? Mostly because its all bone. Its a pity that little fingers and toes get so undermined. Ever notice how the tiny toe gets squeezed and out of shape with no 'leg room'.
The doctor asked if I took BCG. If I were from my parents generation, I might have scars, the vaccination marks to tally. I just read of the small pox vaccination and the bifurcated needle. You dont want to know any more of it. If you thought this calls for the curtains, we should all throw a brownie party to whoever replaced
tine test with any other test. Why positively its like four dentists at work on your teeth. That experience is its own story.
I ask about BCG. I find it fascinating that there are ways to learn of vaccines administered, other than the marks. I have not thought much about vaccines other than that they need to be taken. But on careful pondering over it, it seems like staging a drill in your body for a fire or such adverse event. Its a watermark that stays in your body for as long as you live.


How about a scare tactic to make children learn their geography? BCG vaccine's efficiency varies with longitude.

A parent tried many visits to a government hospital for BCG to her kid, but they were always out of stock.

The Images we carry

long narrow roll of paper, Rene used as a stethescope

Stop and smell the flower?

is not a good idea for all
If a plant is on the left
on the lunch table and you
are leaning to the right,
with your nose suffused
with the natural smell
Now you know another reason
for the artifical in
the flower vase.

once for all you will know
to stop and smell the flower
or not
If the bees didnt swarm
the flowers, an allergic person
could help Solomon
sometimes bees swarm people

Gag gift

A colleague once gave me a pack of wood shavings claiming it to be a mensa puzzle. As kids, we marveled at a perfect peeling of a wooden pencil with the sharpener, hoping it wouldnt break off.

Habitational Expressionism

I came across this term in this book weird California. I have seen auto dealers offices each replete with a theme. One office was a mini Monroe museum. Another had a 5 feet model of an airplane hanging from the top. I am likely to store parts of a tree - seeds, pods, flowers - collected on walks.

Yesterday while taking the turn to Mission Viejo, I wondered what laguna Niguel on right had. This weird CA book had the answer. I heard of the annual event last July, but did not register the name of the place. In Old town San Diego, a look at 'Whaley House' had me thinking on the lines of what cuisine it might be while the building seems to be content haunted. Same is the case with Hotel del Coronado.