Monday, August 17, 2009

My name is Khan! So what?

The self styled King Khan aka, Shahrukh Khan also has FiM syndrome (FiM - Foot in Mouth). The sad part is that media is hungry for news that they will lap up anything. No matter how crappy the topic.

Shahrukh made such a big noise for a delay at Newark Airport. Ask other Indians (without the Khan on their name) who have no contacts with the Shuklajis of the world and hence cannot call up or afford to create a ruckus with the immigration staff. They have at some point gone through the security scanner (could be due to profiling) and frankly no one minds although it is a hassle. This is a security principle and it does not matter if you are a Khan or a Tripathy or a Powel.

The security staff did their job. I remember even our Ex President Dr. Kalam being frisked in India and he never complained. What's wrong with Shahrukh? You are no real king? And even if you are, when it comes to security, you better stop dreaming and be a commoner.

In one of my flights from Boston to Miami, I was asked to go through the same procedure and my name does not have a Khan. My friend who is an American Citizen and has a last name of Balmer (he is not Steve) had to go through the same procedure upon arrival at Toronto. This is regular work for the security staff. I think one should appreciate it rather than complaining about it.

You know, when I was speaking to a friend on this, she had two possible explanations for Shahrukh Khan's behavior.

01. His show in the US was not sold out, hence he wanted to get some media hype so that he and the promoters can make money
02. This is one of the poorest or campaigns for this forthcoming movie ...my name is Khan...

FiM Syndrome catches on fast!!!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Help yourself from H1N1

Swine Flu!!! H1N1 Virus!!! Media has blown it out of proportions. Politicians are playing their cards - to be politically correct. Everybody blames the Government as we always do - 'no rains? Yeah the govt. is responsible for that as well!!!' What we do not see is passing out the right information, mobilizing testing for H1N1,

I found an interesting forward today and thought it would be of help all those who are worried about Swine Flu and the H1N1 virus. Here are some tips for prevention from an AIMS doctor. I am quoting the forward:

"Thanks to media hype about H1N1, several people who trust me have either approached or called me to advise. The hype in media about the utility of face masks and N95 respirators as a tool for general protection against H1N1 can't be deplored enough. Yesterday, a friend who listened wanted me to write down briefly what I advised so that he could tell others in similar words. Hence this short email to friends whom I have advised recently (and others whom I haven't yet). Please realize that this is not an official advice, especially the one about face masks or N95.

"Most N95 respirators are designed to filter 95% particulates of 0.3µ, while the size of H1N1 virus is about 0.1µ. Hence, dependence on N95 to protect against H1N1 is like protecting against rain with an umbrella made of mosquito net.

"Tamiflu does not kill but prevents H1N1 from further proliferation till the virus limits itself in about 1-2 weeks (its natural cycle). H1N1, like other Influenza A viruses, only infects the upper respiratory tract and proliferates (only) there. The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/ throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

"While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps - not fully highlighted in most official communications - can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms.
4. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
5. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
6. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
7. Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

"All these are simple ways to prevent, within means of most households, and certainly much less painful than to wait in long queues outside public hospitals. "

Happy Breathing!!!

How much are we ready to pay for Azmal Qasab?

This one beats me. Quasab wants meat, biriyani, and a Rakhi. All these is food for media who keeps making it sound like its funny. We have a whole host of police, security

and courts involved in a hearing - we have to go by the rule book! Today you will find it difficult to drive across the jail road in Bombay as it can cause a security lapse for

Qasab - that what someone told me.

Who is paying for all this? Why is my tax money being used? Who is accountable for this?

The other day I read on paper that Pakistan has accepted that some of the perpetrators who were killed during the Mumbai attacks were citizens of Pak. However, they are

not ready to take their bodies back!!! We bore the cost of them being alive and now we bear the cost of them dead!!! Why?

Why are we being so naive? This is not Gandhigiri, this is pure foolishness.

Should we have to wait for another 5 or 10 years to get a sentence given to Qasab and work to his whims and fancies? He is clearly seeing this as an advantage for him?

And he is playing to the stands.

We in turn are spending our hard earned tax monies to help him play his game. I understand this is a small fee for showing Pak in bad light to the international community. But as recent history has it,

what if we have to hand over this guy to the terrorists in exchange for a favor? Where do we stand?

How long are we ready to spend? What is our budget for the spend?

Do we have answers or is it a black hole?