Mental Gym for Seniors: Sentences with progressive word length

Mental Gym for Seniors: Sentences with progressive word length

SSS-GLOBAL is a web based discussion group for senior citizens on Yahoo. It has 700+ members out of whom some 150 are active on daily basis. About sixty messages are exchanged daily. One member, Prof V Seshadri, sends out every day one puzzle or quiz question to solve. The query or question could be word / language based puzzles, arithmetic problems, logic based puzzles etc. Match the following, pick the odd man out, fill in the blanks etc are routine. Answers are sent to him and discussed next day in the group. This mental gym exercise is appreciated by many and on a daily basis at least ten seniors take part in answering the puzzles.

Recently he posed a task: “Construct sentences containing of increasing word length successively”.

First word must be of one letter; second one having two letters; third word having three letters and so on. How far can you go, he asked us. I guess that this was inspired by the famous quote about physicians scribbling of prescriptions:

I do not know where family doctors acquired illegibly perplexing handwriting nevertheless, extraordinary pharmaceutical intellectuality counterbalancing indecipherability, transcendentalizes intercommunications incomprehensibleness. 

Several members participated, each excelling the other in coming up with brilliant answers. Some of them are reproduced here.

1.      I do say that other rumour mongers' attempts backfired (RK chitrapu)

2.      I am sad that their Maruti crashed. (Jayanti Menon)

3.      I do not lend money.  (RV Rao)

4.      I am the best known writer  warrior. (Doraiah Babu)

5.      I do not want blank cheque anymore (RV rao)

6.      I do not like bland pickle  (P Vyasamoorthy)

7.      I do cry over nasty jokers (P Vyasamoorthy)

8.      'I am the best green garden traffic managing directory'. (V Seshadri)

9.      'I do not want other skills because teaching institute vandalised'. (VS)

10.  I am now well known Kerala Ayurved Hospital in-patient. (SV Ramana)

11.  I am not very upset person amongst cheerful gathering. (Anureeta Saigal)

12.  I am not very happy person amongst negative gathering. (Anureeta Saigal)

13.  I am not like saint living without ambition.  (Anureeta Saigal)

14.  I am too good child always admires /respects beautiful quotations. (Anureeta Saigal)

15.  I am one rare oldie having motions properly  (P Vyasamoorthy)

I liked item 10 most. It was sent by Sri SV Ramana from a Nature Cure hospital as he was admitted there for a knee problem. He wrote that sentence depicting his position. What an extemporization!

Senior Citizens and Union Budget 2017-18

Senior Citizens and Union Budget 2017-18

This year’s budget was majorly a disappointment as far as senior citizens are concerned. None of the appeals made through several channels to the Finance Minister have been heard. We had expectations regarding increase in minimum income that would be tax free, increase in FD interest rates, medical / health facilities through innovative insurance schemes, furth

er concessions in train travel etc—all these with special reference to the elderly population. None of them have been heeded to.

However a few benefits that have a consoling effect, have been indicated as follows:

1.      Senior citizens will be provided with Aadhaar based smart cards containing health information. It will be useful in enjoying financial benefits like collecting old age pension via digital payment system using biometric options – finger print recognition. To begin with this will be tested in 15 districts in 2017-18.

2.      A new version of Varishta Pension Bima Yojana will be introduced which will be administered through LIC. This scheme will ensure a guaranteed return of 8% interest for 10 years, thus protecting you from market fluctuations (reduction) of FD interest rates. A maximum of Rs 7.5 Lakhs would be accepted.

3.      Service charge on E-tickets bought through IRCTC has been withdrawn. Presently it is Rs 20 for e-ticket for second or sleeper class and rs 40 for all other upper classes.

4.      A great thrust has been made on digital (cashless) transactions. If seniors can take to using smart phones, lot of physical work like going to bank etc can be reduced.

5.      On basic income tax slabs, tax rate for 2.5 Lakhs-5 Lakhs, tax has been reduced to 5% from 10%. Rebate under 87A is reduced to rs 2500 and it is available for income up to 3.5 Lakhs only. If you take into account a deduction of 1.5 Lakhs under 80C then inome upto 4.5 lakhs is exempted from any tax.

6.      Following table gives details of tax slabs for 2017-18