humour

The Trick Played By Christopher Columbus…

NatarajanLeave a comment

 

This Day In History: February 29, 1504  

 

On this day in history, 1504, Christopher Columbus convinced a group of Native Jamaicans that his god was angry with them for ceasing to provide his group with supplies and that god would show his anger with a sign from the heavens.  The sign was a lunar eclipse that Columbus knew was imminent.

This event occurred on Columbus’ fourth and final voyage to the Americas, which began in Cadiz in 1502.  Columbus landed near the north coast of Jamaica on June 20, 1503 with only two of his original four caravel ships still afloat, but barely sea worthy due to a shipworm infestation.  At first, the natives welcomed Columbus and his crew, providing them with food and other supplies in exchange for various trinkets, generally welcoming the sailors into their community with open arms.

This arrangement didn’t last very long. Over the next several months, the natives became discontented with the guests of their island.  Columbus’ crew repaid the generosity of the natives by frequently stealing and cheating them, as well as raiding villages for supplies, among many other indiscretions committed by the crew (murder, rape, etc.).  As a result of this, by January of 1504, the indigenous peoples decided to stop supplying the stranded Europeans, regardless of what they might offer in trade.

Without a significant source of food or means to leave, Columbus’ expedition was in serious trouble.  Luckily for his crew, Columbus had certain astronomical tables with him including the ephemeris compiled by the German astronomer Johannes Müller von Königsberg, better known today by his Latin name, Regiomontanus.  In this almanac, Regiomontanus predicted there would be a total lunar eclipse on the evening of February 29, 1504.  He also gave an estimation of what time it would occur, though this start time was based on Nuremberg, Germany time, so Columbus had to do a bit of estimating.  Regiomontanus even included fairly accurate information as to how long the eclipse would last.

Armed with this knowledge, which Columbus was choosing to gamble would be extremely accurate, he called a meeting with the chiefs of the nearby tribes shortly before the eclipse was to take place.  In this meeting, he told them his god was angry with them for ceasing to give him supplies.  As a result, his god would take away the moon as a sign of his anger and subsequently punish them for their actions.

Luckily for Columbus, the predicted lunar eclipse took place more or less on schedule and according to Columbus’ son, Ferdinand, who was 13 and had made the voyage with his father:

The Indians observed this [the eclipse] and were so astonished and frightened that with great howling and lamentation they came running from every direction to the ships, laden with provisions, praying the Admiral to intercede by all means with God on their behalf; that he might not visit his wrath upon them…  and promising they would diligently supply all their needs in the future.

Columbus agreed to take their case before his god and went into his cabin to “pray”.  What he actually did in there was watch an hour glass.  Columbus knew the moon would stay completely in the Earth’s shadow for around 48 minutes, so he waited for the appropriate time for the moon to begin to emerge.  Shortly before this took place, he came back out and told the natives that he had asked his god to forgive them and god had acquiesced.  The moon began to reappear and Columbus no longer had trouble getting the provisions he needed. He and his crew were picked up a few months later when a ship from Hispaniola arrived in Jamaica on June 29, 1504.  They arrived back in Spain on November 7, 1504.

source:::: Today i foundout.com

natarajanChri

படித்ததில் பிடித்தது… சிரிப்பொலி !!!

NatarajanLeave a comment

நல்ல மழை.வானம் தூறிக்கொண்டே இருந்தது. மின்சாரம் வேறு இல்லை. ஒரே இருட்டாகவும் இருந்தது.கைத்தொலைபேசியில் மணியை பார்த்தான் சுப்பையா. அது எட்டை காட்டியது.

‘காலையிலிருந்து ஒரு போன் வரல. இதுக்கு வேற அப்பப்போ காசு போட வேண்டியிருக்கு. மணிபாக்கத்தான் இது லாயக்கு, இனிமேல் யாரு நம்ம கடைக்கு வரப்போகிறார்கள்’ என்று நினைத்தபடி கடையை அடைக்கும் முயற்சியில் இறங்கினான்.

சுப்பையா ஒரு நடுத்தரவாதி. ஊர் ஒதுக்குப்புறத்தில் ஒரு பெட்டிக்கடை வைத்துக்கொண்டு பிழைப்பை நடத்துபவன். அவன் கடையிலிருந்து ஒரு கிலோமீட்டர் தூரத்தில்தான் அவன் வீடு. மனைவி, பத்தாவது படிக்கும் ஒரு மகன் என்று குடும்பத்தை வைத்திருப்பவன்.

மாலை வீட்டிலிருந்து தேநீர் வந்த தூக்கு வாளியைஎடுத்து ஒரு துணிப்பைக்குள் வைத்தவன், மழையில் நனைந்து விடுமோ என்ற கவலையில் தன் அலைபேசியையும் ஒரு பேப்பரில் சுற்றி கவனமாக அந்த துணிப்பைக்குள் வைத்தான். வெளியில் வந்து தன் சைக்கிளை நகட்டினான். சைக்கிளில் காற்று இறங்கி போயிருந்தது.

‘சே….இந்த நேரத்தில் இப்படி பழிவாங்கிவிட்டதே’ என்றவாறு சைக்கிளை கடையிலேயே வைத்து பூட்டிவிட்டு நடக்கலானான். இருட்டைப் பார்த்ததும் ஒருவித பயம் அவனுள் தொற்றியது. இன்று மதியம் இவன் பார்த்த இறந்து போன ஒரு குழந்தையின் சவ ஊர்வலம் வேறு நினைவிற்கு வந்து அவனை மேலும் பீதிக்குள்ளாக்கியது.

நடையை இன்னும் வேகமாக்கினான். திடீர் என்று ஒரு குழந்தையின் சிரிப்பொலி மிக அருகில் கேட்டது. ஒரு வித கலக்கத்துடன் ‘மதியம் பார்த்த சவ ஊர்வலத்தையே நினைத்துக்கொண்டு நடந்ததால் பிரம்மையாக இருக்கும்’ என்று நினைத்தபடி சிறிது நேரம் நின்றான்.

இப்போது சிரிப்பொலியை காணோம். மறுபடியும் நடக்கலானான். சிறிது தூரம் சென்றிருப்பான். மீண்டும் அதே குழந்தையின் சிரிப்பு சத்தம். இவன் பயத்தில் ஓட ஆரம்பித்தான். கூடவே வந்தது அந்த சத்தமும். ஒரு வழியாக வீட்டை அடைந்தான்.

“என்னங்க…. சீக்கிரமே கடையை அடச்சுட்டீங்க போல”

“மழை வேற… கரண்டும் இல்லை ஒரு மண்ணும் இல்லை. அதான் நேரத்தோட அடச்சுட்டேன்”

“அதாங்க…. வரும்போது மெழுகுவர்த்தி வாங்கி வரச் சொல்லலாம்ன்னு உங்களுக்கு போன் அடிச்சேன். எடுக்கவே இல்லை. ஏன் போன கடையிலேயே வச்சுட்டு வந்துட்டீங்களா?”

“இல்லையே நனைஞ்சாலும் நனைஞ்சுரும்ன்னு பையில்தான் இருக்கு. நீ போன் அடிக்கவே இல்லையே”

“நான் அடிச்சேன் உங்களுக்கு விளங்கல போல….”

“இல்ல… நீ போன் போடவே இல்ல… நான் பக்கத்துலதான வச்சுருந்தேன்.”

“இல்லைங்க காலையில நம்ம பய உங்க போன எடுத்து என்னவோ பண்ணிட்டு இருந்தான். அதான் ஏதும் ஆச்சோ… எதுக்கும்… நீங்க போன எடுத்து பாருங்க தெரியும்.”

“அப்பா நான் ஒண்ணும் பண்ணல. ரிங் டோன் தான் மாத்திவச்சேன்” என்றான் அவன் மகன்.

“எதுக்கும் இப்ப ஒரு தடவ போன் போடு. பாத்திடலாம்.”

போன் அடித்தாள். அங்கே ரிங் டோனாக வந்தது அந்த குழந்தையின் சிரிப்பொலி.

Keywords: கதை, நகைச்சுவை, சிரிப்பொலி, ரிலாக்ஸ்
Topics: சமூகம்|

 

source::::: THE HINDU…TAMIL

Natarajan

Joke of The Day !!!

NatarajanLeave a comment

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. As they lay down for the night, Holmes said:” Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see?”

Watson said, “I see millions and millions of stars.”

Holmes: “And what does that tell you?”

Watson: “Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorogically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?”

Holmes: “Somebody stole our tent.”

 

source::::: joke a day.com

natarajan

Joke of the Day !!!

NatarajanLeave a comment

> THE WATER TRICK
>
> A woman goes to the doctor, worried about her husband’s temper.
> The doctor asks, “What’s the problem? The woman says, “Doctor,
> I don’t know what to do. Every day my husband seems to lose his temper for no reason. It scares me.”
>
> The doctor says, “I have a cure for that. When it seems that your husband is getting angry, just take a glass of water and start swishing
> it in your mouth. Just swish and swish, but don’t swallow it until he either leaves the room or calms down.”
>
> Two weeks later the woman comes back to the doctor, looking fresh and reborn.
>
> The woman says, “Doctor that was a brilliant idea! Every time my husband started losing it, I swished with water. I swished and swished, and he calmed right down! How does a glass of water do that?”
>
> The doctor says, “The water itself does nothing. It’s keeping your mouth shut that does the trick.”

 

source:::: input from a friend of mine

natarajan

Joke of the Day !!!

NatarajanLeave a comment

 


The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying

to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. “Just think

how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say,

“There’s Jennifer; she’s a lawyer,’ or “That’s Michael, he’s a doctor.'”

A small voice at the back of the room rang out, “And there’s the

teacher!!!                 She’s dead.”   

 

source:::: joke a day.com

natarajan

” I Laugh and You also Laugh ….” !!!

NatarajanLeave a comment

 

 

 


 You Scratch My Back I’ll Scratch Yours
There is the old expression that says,
 “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”
Meaning, “You do a favour for me, and I’ll do a favour for you.”
But this is the first time I have seen this so perfectly illustrated!
source:::  input from a friend of mine
natarajan

Laughter …The Best Medicine… Learning to Live … !!!

NatarajanLeave a comment

There was a farmer who had a horse and a goat.


One day, the horse became ill and he called the veterinarian, who said: Well, your horse has a virus. He must take this medicine for three days. I’ll come back on the 3rd day and if he’s not better, we’re going to have to put him down.

Nearby, the goat listened closely to their conversation.

The next day, they gave him the medicine and left.

The goat approached the horse and said: Be strong, my friend. Get up or else they’re going to put you to sleep!

On the second day, they gave him the medicine and left.

The goat came back and said: Come on buddy, get up or else you’re going to die! Come on, I’ll help you get up. Let’s go! One, two, three…

On the third day, they came to give him the medicine and the vet said: Unfortunately, we’re going to have to put him down tomorrow. Otherwise, the virus might spread and infect the other horses.

After they left, the goat approached the horse and said: Listen pal, it’s now or never! Get up, come on! Have courage! Come on! Get up! Get up! That’s it, slowly! Great! Come on, one, two, three… Good, good. Now faster, come on… Fantastic! Run, run more!

Yes! Yay! Yes! You did it, you’re a champion!!!

All of a sudden, the owner came back, saw the horse running in the field and began shouting: It’s a miracle! My horse is cured. We must have a grand party. Let’s cook the goat!!!!

Lesson: Management never knows which employee actually deserves the appreciation thro appraisal !!!

 

source:::: unknown…. input from a friend of mine

natarajan