Letter-18: Campaign against Alcohol, Tobacco & Junk Food

Dr.Ramadoss (Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Health Minister) deserves our whole-hearted praise for his undaunted campaign against alcohol, tobacco and junk food in spite of the unfair criticism heaped on him by industrial lobbies. Women and children are the worst affected, directly and indirectly, by the three evils. Youngsters are increasingly taking to smoking and junk food, tempted by advertisements and lifestyles of their favourite heroes. - R.Ponnarasi, Vellore, Letter to the Editor, The Hindu, Madurai, May 14, 2008.

Grateful thanks to Ms.R.Ponnarasi and The Hindu.

Health Watch-14: Asian Tiger Mosquito

A Mosquito Goes Global
Martin Enserink

The Asian tiger mosquito is on a rampage. Entomologists are impressed, public health officials are nervous, and many of the rest of us are swatting furiously. How did Aedes albopictus become such a scourge?

Full story at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5878/864?sa_campaign=Email/sntw/16-May-2008/10.1126/science.320.5878.864

More about Asian Tiger Mosquite from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Tiger_Mosquito

Grateful thanks to www.sciencemag.org and Wikipedia.

A Thought for Today :

'Cactus-88[1]' by Paolo Nao
fromPublic-Domain-Photos.com

(www.public-domain-photos.com)

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily - Zig Ziglar

Grateful thanks to Paolo Nao and the Public-Domain-Photos.com for freely providing the above photograph.

S&T Watch-5: "Disposal of Dead Bodies: A New Option"

Since they first walked the planet, humans have either buried or burned their dead. Now a new option is generating interest – dissolving bodies and flushing the brownish, syrupy residue down the drain.

The process is called alkaline hydrolysis and was developed in the U.S. 16 years ago to get rid of animal carcasses. It uses lye, 150 degree Celsius heat and 60 pounds of pressure a square inch to destroy bodies in big stainless-steel cylinders that are similar to pressure cookers.

Getting the public to accept a process that strikes some as ghastly may be the biggest challenge.

Alkaline hydrolysis does not take up as much space in cemeteries as burial. The process could also ease concerns about crematorium emissions, including carbon dioxide and mercury from silver dental fillings – AP

Excerpt from “New Idea in Mortuary Science: Dissolving Bodies”, The Hindu, Madurai, May 10, 2008

About "Mortuary Science" from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortuary_Science
Grateful thanks to AP and The Hindu and Wikipedia.

Health Watch-13: '“New MRI System"

U.S.researchers have developed a potential magnetic resonance imaging system that is much faster and more sensitive than the standard MRI.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, May 10, 2008 (Newscape)

About MRI in detail from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRI

Grateful thanks to The Hindu and Wikipedia.

A Thought for Today : April 10, 2008

'Cactus-41[1]' by Paolo Nao

fromPublic-Domain-Photos.com
(www.public-domain-photos.com)

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain

Grateful thanks to Paolo Nao and the Public-Domain-Photos.com for freely providing the above photograph.

Osama bin Laden's Declaration of War from Wikisource

The English translation of the Declaration of Jihad Against the Americans by Osama bin Laden written in 1996.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Osama_bin_Laden%27s_Declaration_of_War

Biographic details of Bin Laden from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osama_Bin_Laden

Grateful thanks to United States Govt,Wikisource and Wikipedia.

Eyecatchers-73: "My Private Will and Testament" by Hitler

Here is another important and interesting historical document. ‘My Private Will and Testament’ written by Adolf Hitler on 29 April 1945.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/My_Private_Will_and_Testament

Biographic details of Adolf Hitler from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler

Grateful thanks to United States Govt, Wikisource and Wikipedia.

Health Watch-12: '“900 Persons die daily of TB!"

A PTI report quoting Union Health Minister, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, says 900 die every day due to TB in India.

About TB in general with more details from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis

Grateful thanks to PTI and Wikipedia.

Eyecatchers-72: "My Political Testament" by Hitler

Want to read the Political testament of Adolf Hitler given on 29 April 1945? It is just a click away. It is taken from the United States, Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality, Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression, 8 volumes and 2 supplementary volumes (Government Printing Office, Washington, 1946-1948), VI, 259-263, Doc. No. 3569-PS.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/My_Political_Testament

Full Text of Hitler's book, "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle) from MondoPolitico.com:

http://www.mondopolitico.com/library/meinkampf/toc.htm
Grateful thanks to the US Govt, Wikisource and Wikipedia.

Facts & Figures-30: "Copyright Basics" by United States Copyright Office

Contains useful and interesting details like What is Copyright, Who can claim copyright, Its Origin, What works are protected by copyright, What is not protected by copyright, How to secure copyright and facts like that are furnished. Worth reading.

Copyright Basics/July 2006, Click to read entire article from Wikisource:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Copyright_Basics/July_2006

Grateful thanks to United States Copyright Office and Wikisource.

Eyecatchers-71: "9/11 Report from Wikisource"

The 9/11 Commission Report, formally titled Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, is the official report on the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks. It was prepared by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States at the request of the President and Congress, and it is available to the public for sale or free download.
— Excerpted from 9/11 Commission Report on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Full Report, Chapter by Chapter:

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/9/11_Commission_Report

Grateful thanks to Wikipedia and Wikisource.

Facts & Figures-29 : "23,56.083 articles!"

As of date, Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, has 23,56,083 articles in English!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Thank you Wikipedia for your wonderful service!

A Thought for Today : April 9, 2008

'Cactus-208[1]' by Paolo Nao
fromPublic-Domain-Photos.com

(www.public-domain-photos.com)

Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity - Christopher Morley

Grateful thanks to Paolo Nao and the Public-Domain-Photos.com for freely providing the above photograph.

S&T Watch-4: "Changes in DNA discovered"

Scientists have spotted signs of recent evolution in the human genetic code, suggesting that diet and changes in habitat have had a lasting effect on our make-up… Among the most striking changes is the emergence of a gene now found in 90% of Europeans that allows them to digest milk into adulthood, a likely consequence of dairy farming. The gene will probably be found in everyone in a further 1000 years, the researchers say.

Excerpt from “Healthcare Today”, April 2008

More about "DNA" from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA
Grateful thanks to ‘Healthcare Today’ and Wikipedia.

Health Watch-11: '“Carcinogen found in Soft Drinks" – Healthcare Today

Traces of Benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, have been found in British soft drinks. Benzene levels are limited to one part per billion in UK water but have been found at eight times this level in some products.

Wikipedia articles on "Carcinogen" and "Soft Drinks":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinogens

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_drinks

Courtesy: Healthcare Today, April 2008 and Wikipedia.

Grateful thanks to Healthcare Today and Wikipedia.

A Thought for Today : April 8, 2008

'Cactus-194[1] ' by Paolo Nao

fromPublic-Domain-Photos.com
(www.public-domain-photos.com)

Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend - Albert Camus.

Grateful thanks to Paolo Nao and the Public-Domain-Photos.com for freely providing the above photograph.

Health Watch-10: '“Healthcare Today", a monthly magazine from UK

While surfing the Net, by chance came across a website: . Downloaded its publication, ‘Healthcare Today’, a monthly magazine published from UK, with Chris May as its Editor. This April 2008 issue, which is the first issue, has some interesting features and useful info. Furnished below a few ideas about ‘Healthcare Today’ in the words of its Editor:

“…our currently adopted policy at Healthcare Today is to report but not to comment – though we will report on the comments of others. The only exception – in the magazine at least – is this column (Editorial). However, we have found a crafty way round this by including a blog on the website where we can say what we want; it is absolutely free to view and can be found at www.hc2d.co.uk/weblogs. We are also rounding up all the best healthcare-related blogs on the internet and making them accessible from a single page; we will be constantly reviewing this to make sure you always have access to the best blogs the web has to offer.

Similarly, our live news page, www.hc2d.co.uk/livenews brings the very best healthcare news feeds from around the UK and across the globe to a single webpage – again access is completely free.”

Grateful thanks and all the best to Mr. Chris May and ‘Healthcare Today’.

Eyecatchers-70: Consumers' Rights

The Tamil Nadu government has launched a website to create awareness among consumers of their rights. The URL of this website is: www.consumer.tn.gov.in.

There is provision for consumers to lodge their complaints by sending e-mail to: consumer@tn.nic.in.

Also see, Wikipedia article on "Consumer Protection": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_protection
Courtesy: “Malligai Magal”, Tamil Monthly, March 2008 (“Useful News”) and Wikipedia.

A Thought for Today : April 7, 2008

'Cactus' by Paolo Nao
fromPublic-Domain-Photos.com

(www.public-domain-photos.com)

It is more blessed to give than to receive :

Acts 20:35b