Cheap Natural Drinks for Summer

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The simplest of drinks the people used to consume in some tropical countries like India to combat the heat in summer is the milk of rice fermented for two to three days making it tarty and smelly and diluted with water. When the drink is taken enormously to fill the belly no amount of atmospheric heat outside in these summer days can be able to dent the body. This is the age old practice, a culture that has been in profound use in most of the tropical countries where rice is the favourite dish. But due to advent of modern life styles to make such a drink from the rice is very difficult. First of all extracting the milk by cooking rice in earthen pot and its fermentation is not possible; as fermentation can be achieved essentially in earthen bowls which are a very rare commodity in these days. The earthen pot makers have lost their profession to other sundry jobs as there is no such market to provide them the earning for their livelihood. Secondly the processing of the rice is not only to be done in a earthen pot to extract the milk but the fuel is preferably required to be wood. As these ingredients are impossible to get abundantly the practice of preparation of such natural drinks has been lost to oblivion. The coming generation will be wondered to hear the existence of such delicacies in our society. This is a civilisatonal loss. When the civilisation moves forward these drinks yields to its modern corporate formats like Pepsi, Limca and a host of other formatted, bottled drinks.
The Pepsi culture has unobtrusively intruded into the lives of the poorest of the poors as one can see every remotest village shop popping up the canes of empty bottles in its front veranda.

Some days ago there was a vehement counter campaign against these bottled drinks by some environment concerned NGOs showing the unacceptable pesticide levels contained in these drinks, but the marketing strategy has defeated the campaign and the sale is soaring high since then.Surprisingly it never reduced.

Here I venture to suggest a natural and cheap drink that can be easily homemade and can be consumed by mass with much more health benefits. It is the lemon water. There are a number of health benefits besides to quench the summer thirst.
Lemon is a citrus fruit grown in tropical countries. It harvests through out the year. In summer the demand outgrows the production hence it becomes a little expensive but much less than all other citrus fruits in the market. Preparations of the drink is very very easy. Just cut the lemon horizontally into two parts and squeeze to drop the juices into the water kept in the glass jar, remove the seeds by filtration and add sugar or salt to provide a palatable taste. The drink is ready.

The innumerable health benefits it provides can be seen here.

in reference to: Top 10 Health Benefits of Lemon Water health and fitness (view on Google Sidewiki)

Pune Bakery Blast

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While the world is abuzz with valentine day greetings and celebrations the tragic news of an powerful explosion in one restaurant in Pune broke the headlines. It was 7.30 PM Saturday that one package deliberately kept abandoned in one corner of the Bakery while some Indian as well as foreign tourists were busy in celebrating their day inside. While the restaurant menial tried to unpack to see what was inside the package it detonated. Some six persons were died on the spot Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the mischief but it surely points to an deliberate attempt to jeopardize the process of peace talks now programmed to be revived from 25th Feb. The peace process is to normalize the relation between the two rival countries of India and Pakistan after the gory incidents on 26.11.08. Hence the purpose of the blast is obviously to destabilize the process. It might certainly be triggered by the terror stake holders from the Pakistani land. In short time the investigations will reveal it.

But how far its effect is able to disrupt the normalization process taking place right now? Mr SM Krishna is now silent on it. Mr G. K. Pillai Home Secy busy to establish the links of the blast to the perpetrators and prevaricates to comment.

The incident is tragic no doubt. As some 57 persons succumbed injury including some four to five foreigners. but in no case the peace talks should be postponed. These type of events should be dealt with brave hands and brave minds and should not be allowed to vitiate any diplomatic process.

NO ALIBI - Can we ignore developments in Myanmar where Chinese prowl?

NO ALIBI - Can we ignore developments in Myanmar where Chinese prowl?


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How to Prevent Head and Neck Cancer

As we live so we make ourselves amenable to continous disease attacks, some of whic curable we tend to care less than those for which there is no proven therapies. Cancer is one of the disease that instills a sense of fear in us as it over and above is termed as an incurable disease. No medical therapies found out for it. But still the health doctors tell us that attack of cancer is not at all a death sentense. Though in curable it can be checked, prevvented if detected early. Among various cancers Head and Neck Cancer seems to be most common cancer that claims a heavy toll every year. Aout 20,000 persons each year die in US alone. As most other cancers Head and Neck Cancer associates with some of the envirnmental and behavioural factors like smoking and chewing tobocco, consumption of alcohol and certain strains of the sexually tansmitted human papillomavirus. Head and Neck Cancer refers to a group of cancers originating in the upper respiratiory and upper digestive tract, the lip, oral cavity(mouth) nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx.
As there is no therapies to cure it one has to immune oneself by preventing some of the risk factors like consumption of alcohol, smoking etc and practicing some of the protective practices like regular excercise and a healthy diet.
To follow some of the steps precisely are as under:
1) Don’t smoke or use any other tobacco products
2) Don’t drink alcohol frequently or heavily
3) Don’t combine alcohol and tobacco use
4) Don’t go back to smoking or drinking after treatment
5) Have a healthy diet comprising fruits and vegetables and induct regular exercise into your daily regimen
6) Avoid long sun exposure
7) Maintain good oral hygiene and see your dentist regularly
8) Be aware of the danger of HPV (human papillomavirus)"

The Dream of a Nuclear free World

 The recent Prauge Speech of Mr. Barack Obama  has since evoked a serious and much concerned  debate on the crucial issue of nuclear disarmament. The is not new to a president of United States. Before him some of the presidents has tried to address the issue in their own way. Mr Bill Clinton has tried to ratify the CTBT( Comprehensive Test ban Treaty) and talked much on disarmament. Though in Mr. Bush's time the issue never took off it was not dead. From Henry Kissinger onwards so many western personalities have been echoing  the same language for a nuclear free world

 

In this present scenario of non-nuclear states acquiring nuclear war heads( N Korea testing rockets having war heads, satellite launch) the speech of Obama gets significance. He calls for a world rid of nuclear arsenals. Though he becomes a victim of  the apprehension of not achieving the goal within his life time. How true it is! The complete destruction of such a huge compilation of nuclear armaments is simply not possible in near future.  But the President's concern , his sincerity, his vision is to be felt everywhere.

 

If Mr. Obama is so serious he should concentrate on thre most important things for the interim, however.First, he would reduce the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. national security strategy. Secondly, he was committed to the “immediate and aggressive pursuit” of Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty as the first step towards pushing for the CTBT’s entry into force. Thirdly, a verifiable ban on the dedicated production of fissile material for the manufacture of nuclear weapons would be a top priority.

 

Here again the speech is definitely a step forword from the position maintined by the previous Bush administration. To make it mor meaning ful, not only ratification of CTBT but also  Washington needs to end all work on the design and refinement of new nuclear weapons, whether of the “mini nuke” or the Reliable Replacement Warhead variety.

Ideas 15.3.09

 

Since last Oscar Ceremony India particularly slum India and Rural India got the attention of the World at large. Slumdog Millionaire and Smile Pinki the two plots are the required tickets t our India, the slum and rural India.

 

While roaming through the dusty bylanes and the beten tracks of the sub-urabn and the countrysied nearby the place I reside I am now on look out of such plots, such charatcters, I am deeply observing every nook and corner of the places I happen to visit on my official tour etc to ferret out the unique characters, situations to be a good potrayal object. At least some plots will definitely fit for the generalised blogs. Even specialised blogs can also be fed with some of the rural plots.There are a lot of activities waiting to be captured by photoclicks and put togather in shape of one story are aboud. Just to find out the time and place and separate the special characters and fabricate into one full story.

Dateline Orissa

For three days from 11th march there is a raucous in Orissa now. The support base of the ruling party, the BJD, has since been weakened after the withdrawal of support of its allied partner BJP. I was unknown t this dispute until I got a sneak in one of the popular newspapers one day morning and from the net. I thought it as a ploy of the

Congress the main opposition Party ad the BJP which tries to prove its significance to make the Govt. survive.

To-day I went through one of the article in Indian Express, by one Goa Assembly Secretary. It has analysed the issue in its entirety considering all the aspects, the role of HH Governor, the speaker, and the beleaguered CM. First of all, he clarifies, The Governor should not ask for any trial of strength at this time when the term is about to end in three months and Madel code of conduct due to the ensuing elections is full in force and the Govt. discharges only the bureaucratic role. Secondly the Speaker instead of recording the vote opted I mean ordered for voice vote. Why he did not want to record? To evade the identification of defectors from the BJP? And why does the CM , more beleaguered now a days, shy of facing a recorded vote?

Dear Naveen Patnaik, we confess we are charmed so far by your sagacity and alacrity, care to reply and face the vote.

Ruminations

 

Elections for the15th Lokasabha has, as expected for some days before, been announced abruptly on 2nd Mar 09 as I am home. Some office works that required to be finalised before the election process gets started is still undone. BDO as well as dev. clerk is seemd to be xtremely busy in writing some 100 work orders overnight on the recommendations of the peoples representatives. What a situation!

 

On elections, commenting in Business Standard newspapers editors have remarked some vital observations. For some days there is a growing debate about the efficacy of parliamentary democracy in India. Considering the diversity in social, economical geographical persepectives the comment argues that the so called presidential system that requires that the vast power is concentrated in one hand is not suitable in India, insted the power needs to be diversified/ devolved into verious hands selected democratically. For the clear grasp of the points see Business Standard 5.3.09

But fervently believe decision making process that is seen in a democracy in India is too tardy , unbeilivably slow which make us loose the edge. Look China, the power is vested in one single hand or rather the decisions are made so fast to catapult the country to its present heights.

Technorati Tags     system,Elections,Democracy,Parlimentary

Morning notes

 

The lastest editorial in Daily times Pakistan that appeared to-day makes interesting reading for me. The editorial commments on the visit of Mr. Halbrooke to that country. His mission is to mainly solve the Afghanistan imbroglio. He has not been to go far to issues with India and Kashmir, which makes the state of Pakistan a little disappointed. At every forum Pakistan tries to link Kashmir with the problem of Taliban and terrorism that flourish in that country. It always tries to keep the issue live, insisting that the only way to solve all the terrorism issues by rosolving the Kashmir, which is purely a bilateral issue, through the International Fora.

 

Please see here how the editorial skirted the direct references to Kasmir and India here by just referencing about the regional stability.

 

A state that is central to a solution to the problem of terrorism and regional cooperation in general must be accorded the importance it deserves. And “importance” translates into an understanding of Pakistan’s security concerns and the resolution of those disputes that have so far prevented states in the region from extending cooperation to each other. The proposal by Bangladesh to have a regional force to deal with terrorism is a good one but its actualisation requires the degree of trust and confidence that the region currently lacks. Mr Holbrooke’s task is therefore cut out for him. He did a good job in Bosnia but the Balkans, despite Serb savagery, were still much easier than this part of the world where at least two states are armed with nuclear weapons and that fact reduces the ability of external actors, even one as powerful as the United States, to influence their behaviour. *

Obama and the laymans like me

There was great moment for Obama to be the 44th President of USA on 20th Jan'09. He as usual made a speech, which some have expected to be stunning and have quotable quotes to be remembered by the world. To some it was to be historic. As like as Obama made the history of becoming the first Black Afro-American to rise to the post of President of US. If you consider the inaugural speech is the blue print and introduction to the next four years of his presidency there is nothing in it to consider it as radically different from the usual speeches. The lay mans like me tend to wonder how Mr. Obama will manage to bring the much publicized change he is stood for. It is extremely difficult for him to usher in some new methods and processes overnight or over year. Got the lay mans like me it is going to be a tough period.

India and Pakistan

India and Pakistan are two neighbouring countries always fighting with each other since their being two soverign nations in 1947 bifurcating one country that was governed under British India for about 150 years.Since its inception Pakistan is constantly in fighting with India under one or other pretext. Over Kashmir, a piece of land annexed to India in 1947 after its ruler decided to remain in India Pakistan is making various kind of allegations against India. It has attracted the attention of International Communities on several occasions claiming the Kashmir and its people to get an opportunity to self determine whether to be annexed to India or Pakistan. It mantains still now after such a long gap that the people of Kashmir have not been consulted before ceded to India hence a plebiscite is still necessary in that region. But the recent democratic processes like elections held so many times there have shown that the people have responded in participating in the process indicating that they have accepted the decision to be amalgamated with India.
Meanwhile Pakistan has been torn apart giving birth to a new country called Bangladesh in 1971. Since then Pakistan has vociverously engaged in a smear capaign against India, as it thinks that creation of Bangladesh is the handiwork of India. It is since then engaged in creating disturbances in India in one or other sorts. In the name of Jehadi it is engaged to train up terrorists to infiltrate into Kashmir and other parts of India. On so many occasions in the past, in most of the terrorist activities its hands were traced. Some fire brand Indian born terrorists have taken shelter in side its territory. In spite of credible evidence Pakistan used to spurn the evidences handed over by India and no action is taken against the persons engaged in these activites from its soil. India is making allegation the State agencies like ISI and Pakistan Army/ Navy are colluding and giving support to these terrorists.
Since Mumbai attack there is a different kind of tension between the countries. The ghastly activity perpetrated on the innocent people in Mumbai in two posh Hotels and the CST the railway station was masterminded by some persons in Pakistan. It is accepted by Pakistan now, in spite of initial denials, after the world community shown it to Pakistan. Now it seem India has carried out a diplomatic attack on Pakistan without resorting to any military action. Now the Pakistan State is in a quandry. How to offset the dilomatic offensive?

Requirements of a Good Blog

I have been neglecting the blogger since some days uncremeniously, why I could not understand. Meanwhile it has transformed a lot introducing more facilities I realise. I always to have more and more practice in blogging. I want to make it my prime hobby. I always try to connect to web and surf blogs of others as I find time. But there are a number of constraints on this context. At most of the time my service provider ( of the Dial-up Service) does not seem to co-operate, the streaming is so slow that no page is opened. I have registered with so many platforms now. I occasionally write some useful stuff on wordpress and blog.com platforms. Blogging is a business depending upon various elements/factors. A right mental balance and sufficient information on the chosen topic is a must.You might have the capability to type and have a good diction to write extempore.
What are the requirements of a good blog? What I realise 1) It should have a good topical issue 2) It should have a clear vision with lucid elaborations 3) It should have to be accompanied with pictures as far as possible lastly 4) It should be posted in a right platform to attract a wide audience.

Frogs are my favourite animals, especially in this rainy days. What I know they are from amphibian community, but they live in water. They have various sizes and sub groups. Almost all over the world it can be found. In our part of the world they multyply in numbers in this rainy season only. So we come to see all the stage of its life cycle in this time of the year.
Actually it was very useful in our science classes, just collect a big sized frog, tear it apart vertically and go through its inner parts that resemble as that of mammals. The first thing a new college goer to do is to collect a frog, a prised catch mainly in the rainy season. This is to note here that at the time of commencement of the new biology classes it is the rainy season around in our part of the world.Frogs were common with the rain. Most of the time they become a nuisance at night with their never ending sounds they create. In the dark of the night in our small village the only audible sound is the frogs sound in the thick filled mud on the road and with out a trace of light, when e used to move form one house to the other to fetch some bare necessities for the home kitchen. It is costomery in those days to ask for something or the other to the neighbour invariably everyday and we the childern were ordered to perform that part.Now at this ripe age I am away from the village life and presumably away form the menacing frogs. It is the town life? Everything is almost the same, but the rain without the usual frogs. Where all the frogs have gone? Is it one example of environmental degradation?

No Moon's Day of Jyesta(Jun 3, 2008)

The day broke with some clouds , I mean cloudy sky, after a long wait to lose ones forbearance of the scorching Sun in this pick month of summer. Little to say some other parts of the state mainly in coastal belt, a good rain has cooled the sunny atmosphere for the last fortnight. The temperature in this region is so high that the mercury touched almost 47 degree Celsius. Today happens to be the day of a main festival in Orissa, a state in eastern region of India. The two most celebrated festivities that concern women and girls in Orissa are Savitri and Raja in local languages. And to-day is Savitri.
The festival is celebrated to commemorate one princess who has shown much courage and val ore in being loyal to her in-laws and husband as well as her strong resolve not to deviate from her vow once made to marry a prince in exile while he was in forest engaged with cutting a tree. ( It was strange for Savitri to select such a person to be her spouse, when she was given freedom to choose her own). After marrying him ( Satyaban) she was so devoted to him and his father and family that the King of Death Yama gave her a boon, appearing in person in front of her, on her husband's death. When the boon was approved by Yama, Savitri asked to be the mother of hundred sons, which is possible only if her husband come alive again, and Yama ultimately gave her husband the life.
This is only a legend, so to say impossible. Perhaps the story has been framed to perpetuate the system of subjugation of woman. She has to be loyal to her husband come what may is the only dictate the legend portrays. The woman celebrates it with joy by re-reading the story from the scriptures in front of the congregation of married women taking part in the puja in the mid day wit some offerings of flowers etc to Savitri to be of a Savitri to serve her husband and his family. This is a yearly ritual which renews the sentiment year after year.

Sunny afternoon nap

Life is actually unbearable with the mercury rising so high, to 45 degrees Celsius in my locality now a days. All the sources of water has been since dried up coming to a trickle. My cooler is old obsolete enough to render it partially unworkable. Still I could manage to sit before the computer continuously for hours together to-day. Some letters celebrating Mothers Day has just arrived from no other than my friend from France, Bigina. I wonder she takes it so seriously but in my part of the world there is no such concepts of celebration. A cultural difference?

I was actually obsessed with some tasks in the computer which ultimately postponed due to mainly the slow Internet connection. A page in my connection takes a long long time to open. What does Mothers day signify? Is this to symbolise the Love and Affection we are apt to seek from our Mothers? But I think the relationship of a mother with her progeny is so pristine, so ebullient and so above all worldly conceptions that to mark the day will definitely diminish the sanctity of that relation. No amount of marking can match that immeasurable. It is precisely intangible. So not to diminish that sanctity perhaps , in our locality no such a day as a Mothers day.

Name and the First Name

Names have definitely certain and essentially significant funtions. The shakspearian view that names has nothing to contribute to ones attrubutes has since been proved wrong. Tne name indicates ones significance in a proper perspective. There are certain examples where changing name has resulted a cchange in certain characters. Moreever the name of a person has much more significant effects on his/her personality.It describes the personalities attributes in a single word. This is his / her first name bequethed by his/her paents. But the title is to signfy the clan. Any how to identify a person and his/her place in society the name with title are to be commonly used.
Recently I happened to come across a blog about the names of the US Presidential candidates used in their respective poll campaigns. The respected Blogger narrates that names , and so to say first names has certain significance in the societal parlance. Generally First names are rserved especially to mark as a symbol of respect, hence Juniors have been barred from clling their Seniors by their first names. He/She cites the example of reports calling Democrat candidates as Hillary and Barak, which , in her view should not be , in stead, these should be as Mrs. Clnton and Mr. Obama. Yes the blogger has the right feelings, hs/she respects the societal norms.
Though the feelings he/she exhibited is of significance, there rightly a predicament crops up while identifying properly a person by merely his/her titled name( as Clinton or Obama here in this example) You can find a host of personalities associated with the same type of works with the titled name, and hence there is bound to be an amalgametory confusion. If you simply call the present presidential candidate as Clinton, you cannot avoid confusing her with her husband. I can cite one titled name Gandhi in India. If you use the name of Gandhi even in a political arena, there a number of Gandhis you have encounter in the same field such as Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi all in top slots in political horisons in India. You can take Mr. Bush in US. There are at least two equally important nad equally ranked Bushes, one junior and other senor. So I hareby venture to point out that to properly identify a personality his / her unique name may be first, last or middle is utmost necessary, however respectful or disrespectful it may be. So here the learned campaign managers of the predential candidates have rightly planned their Mast Heads using the first names. No question of condescending to a lower grade, rather the social respect booster, by enabling a proper representation of the personality with out confusion.

Just a biginning

This is my first foray into this blogging business , of course out of sheer curiosity. At the outset I want to experience what this blog is,how it can influence me, my thoughts, temperament ,on the whole my personality.