தடுப்பூசிகள் தேவையே!

தடுப்பூசிகள் தேவையே! அரசு இலவசமாக வழங்கும் எம்.ஆர். தடுப்பூசி மிகவும் பாதுகாப்பானது மற்றும் பயனுள்ளது. MR (Measles  Rubella) தடுப்பூசி இரு கொடிய நோய்களில் இருந்து உங்கள் குழந்தைகளை பாதுகாக்கும். பணக்காரர்கள் மட்டுமே பெற்று வந்த MMR ஊசி போன்ற இந்த தடுப்பூசியை இன்று நம் அரசு அனைவருக்கும் இலவசமாக்கியுள்ளது. இதற்க்கு நாம் அரசுக்கும், இதை முன்னெடுத்த எல்லோருக்கும் நன்றி சொல்ல வேண்டும். ஆனால் நடப்பது என்ன?

இன்று கையில் செல்போன் மற்றும் ஜியோ தரும் இலவச இணைய இணைப்பை வைத்துக்கொண்டு ஒரு கூட்டம் தடுப்பூசிகளுக்கு எதிராக எழுதி வருகிறது. இவர்களில் யாரும் (முறையாக மருத்துவம் பயின்ற) மருத்துவர்கள் இல்லை. இவர்களில் பெரும்பாலானோர் போலி அறிவியல் துணையோடு பிழைப்பு நடத்தும் அற்ப ஜந்துக்கள். சிலர் மத/ஆன்மீக வியாபாரிகள். இவர்கள் அனைவரும் நம் நாட்டு அரசையும் அறிவியல் மற்றும் மருத்துவ சமுதாயத்தையும் கேள்விக்குள்ளாக்குகின்றனர். யாரும் கேள்விகளுக்கு அப்பாற்பட்டவர் கிடையாது. ஆனால் கேள்வி கேட்க ஒரு தகுதியும் நியாமமும் இருக்க வேண்டும். சந்தேகம் வேறு, அவதூறு வேறு. நேற்று நான் ஒரு கடைக்குச் சென்றேன். அருகில் இருக்கும் குழந்தைகள் மருத்துவமனையில் ஒரே கூட்டம். கடைக்காரரிடம் கேட்டேன். அவன் கூறிய பதில் என்னை அதிர வைத்தது. எம். ஆர் தடுப்பூசி அறிவிப்பு வந்த நாள் முதல் இங்கு கூட்டம் அலைமோதுவதாகக் கூறினார். மக்கள் அரசை விட, மருத்துவர்களை விட, அறிவியலாளர்களை விட வாட்சாப்பையும் பேஸ்புக்கையும் நம்பும் காலத்தில் நாம் வாழ்கிறோம் என்ற சிந்தனை என்னை இப்போதும் நெருடுகிறது.

அலுவலகத்தில் அருகில் இருந்த நண்பரிடம் பேசினேன். அவர் சொல்கிறார் "எல்லா வைரஸும் நிலவேம்புக்கு சாகும். எனவே தடுப்பூசி போடா வேண்டாம்" என்று. நான் கேட்டேன், "போலயோ, பெரியம்மை போன்ற நோய்களை நிலவேம்பு அல்லது இயற்க்கை மருத்துவம் மூலம் முற்றிலும் அளித்திருக்க முடியுமா?" என்று. அவர் "கண்டிப்பாக!" என்றார். எனக்குத் தூக்கிவாரிப்போட்டது! பொறியியல் படித்து, 3ஜி, 4ஜி என்று சுத்தும் மேதைகளின் பேதைமை இப்படி! முயற்சியை விடாத நான், "வெறி நாயிடம் கடிபட்டாலும் ஊசி போடா மாடீர்களா?" என்றேன். சுதாரித்த நண்பர் "உங்கள் விதண்டாவாதம் தவறு" என்று முடித்துக்கொண்டார்.

என்ன நடக்கிறது இங்கே? இதை எழுதும் நான் கிறிஸ்தவ மிஷனரி என்றோ (என் பெயரை வைத்து), ப.ஜ.க. கட்சிக்காரர் என்றோ (மத்திய அரசு திட்டத்தை ஆதரிப்பதால்), மருந்துக் கம்பெனிகளின் ஏஜென்ட் என்றோ, ஏன், இல்லுமினாட்டி என்றோகூட முத்திரை குத்தப்படலாம். இவர்களைப் பொறுத்தவரையில் உலகத்தில் நடப்பது எல்லாம் சாதி. எல்லாம் பெரிய சூழ்ச்சியின் பகுதி. கேட்டல் "தனி ஒருவன்", "பூலோகம்" என்று ஜெயம் ரவி படங்களை மேற்கோள் காட்டுவார்கள். ஜல்லிக்கட்டு விஷயத்தில்கூட தமிழர்களின் கலாச்சார உரிமை என்ற நேரடி வாதத்தைவிட ஏ1, ஏ2 புரளிவே போராட்டம் வெடிக்க உதவியது. மீத்தேன் திட்டம், கூடங்குளம் அணுஉலை, நியூட்ரினோ ஆராய்ச்சி, ஹைட்ரோகார்பன் திட்டம் என எதை எடுத்தாலும் ஒரு அறிவியல் புறம்பான நிலைப்பாட்டை நாம் எடுப்பது சரியா? தக்க பாதுகாப்பு அம்சங்களும், நியாயமான நிபந்தனைகளுடன்கூடிய ஒப்பந்தங்களும் வேண்டும் என்று கேட்டால் பரவாயில்லை. நம்மாழ்வார் சொன்னார், செந்தமிழன் சொன்னார், ஹீலர் பாஸ்கர் சொன்னார் என்று ஏதாவது ஒன்றைப் பிடித்துக்கொண்டு நாட்டின் வளர்ச்சியை முடக்குவது சரியா?

நீங்கள் செய்யாவேண்டியது ஒன்றே! துறைசார்ந்த வல்லுநர்கள் கருத்தைக் கேளுங்கள். அதுவும் ஒருவர் இருவர் கூறுவதை மட்டும் அல்ல, பெரும்பான்மை வல்லுநர்கள் என்ன சொல்கிறார்கள் என்று பாருங்கள். அதை உங்கள் அடிப்படை அறிவைக்கொண்டு அலசி ஆராய்ந்து பாருங்கள். பின் ஒரு முடிவுக்கு வாருங்கள். தடுப்பூசி என்றால் மருத்துவர், அணுஉலை என்றால் அணு விஞ்ஞானிகள் என்று எல்லாவற்றிற்கும் படித்த வல்லுநர்கள் நிறைந்த நாடு நம் நாடு. அவர்களை விட்டு விட்டு தெருவில் போகும் குடுகுடுப்பைக்காரன் அளவுக்கே அறிவு உள்ள, பயத்தையும் பொய்களையும் மட்டுமே விற்று பிழைப்பு நடத்தும் ஆட்களை நம்பினால் நாம் எப்படி வல்லரசு ஆவோம்?

பல லட்சம் குழந்தைகளுக்குப் போடும் ஊசியில் சதி செய்யும் கேவலமான அரசும் மருத்துவர்களும் உள்ள நாடா இந்தியா? இன்னும் உங்களுக்கு இந்த நாட்டின் மீதும் இங்குள்ள அறிவியல் ஆய்வாளர்கள்மீதும் நம்பிக்கை வரவில்லையா? வர வேண்டாம்... குறைந்தபட்சம் உங்கள் குழந்தை விஷயமான தடுப்பூசியை உங்கள் பேஸ்புக்/வாட்சாப் புளுகு மூட்டைகளை ஓரம் கட்டி வைத்துவிட்டு அருகில் உள்ள மருத்துவரையோ அல்லது துறை சார்ந்த நிபினரையோ கேளுங்கள். அவர்கள் தங்கள் பிள்ளைகளுக்கும், தங்களுக்கும் இந்த ஊசியை போடுகிறார்களா என்று கேளுங்கள். அப்போதாவது உங்களுக்கு புரிந்தால் சரி. எக்காரணம் கொண்டும் உங்கள் மூட நம்பிக்கை ஒரு குழந்தையின் ஆரோக்கியத்தில் விளையாட அனுமதிக்காதீர்கள்.

மீன்களில் பாதரசம்

மீன் ஒரு நல்ல உணவு. உடலுக்குத் தேவையான புரதம், இதயத்துக்கு இதமான ஒமேகா-3 (ஒமேகா-3) என்னும் நல்ல கொழுப்பு, வைட்டமின் பி  வரிசைச் சத்துக்கள் என்று மீன் உணவு உள்ளடக்கியுள்ள சத்துக்கள் ஏராளம். ஆனால் ஒன்றில் நாம் கவனமாக இருக்க வேண்டும். மீன்களில் சிலவற்றில் பாதரசம் அளவு அதிகம் இருக்கும். அவ்வகை மீன்களை கர்ப்பிணி/பாலூட்டும் பெண்களும் 15 வயதுக்குக் கீழ் உள்ள சிறுவர்களும் அரைவே தவிர்ப்பது நல்லது. மற்றவர்களும் அளவுடன் சாப்பிடுவது நல்லது. இதைப் பற்றி விரவாகப் பார்ப்போம்.

பாதரசம் - ஒரு பார்வை:

பாதரசம், இதளியம் அல்லது இதள் (mercury) ஒரு உலோகம். அறை வெப்பநிலையில் திரவமாக இருக்கக்கூடிய உலோகம். தூய பாதரசமும் அதன் பெரும்பாலான வேதிச் சேர்மங்களும் கொடிய நச்சுத்தன்மை கொண்டவை. இந்திய பாரம்பரிய மருத்துவ முறைகள் இதை மருந்தாகப் பார்த்தாலும் அறிவியல் இதை நஞ்சு என்று சந்தேகத்துக்கு இடமில்லாமல் நிறுவியுள்ளது. குறிப்பாக மீனில் உள்ள மெத்தில் மெர்குரி (methyl mercury) என்னும் சேர்மம் நம் உடலிலேயே தேங்கி இருக்கக்கூடியது. நம் அனைவரின் உடலிலும் வெகு வெகு சிறிய அளவு பாதரசம் உண்டு. ஆங்கிலத்தில் இதை trace amount  என்று கூறுவர். அதே போல நாம் உண்ணும் அனைத்து மீன்களிலும் பாதரசம் உண்டு. ஆனால் பெரும்பாலான மீன்களில் அது பாதுகாப்பான அளவிலே இருக்கும். சில மீன்களில் அது தீங்கு விளைவிக்கக்கூடிய அளவில் இருக்கும். இதனால் மூளை மற்றும் நரம்பு மண்டலம் பாதிக்கப் படலாம். ஆகவே மூளை மற்றும் நரம்பு மண்டலம் வளரும் நிலையில் இருக்கும் சிறுவர்கள் மற்றும் கருவில் இருக்கும் குழந்தைகள் பாதரசத்தால் அதிகம் பாதிப்படைய வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது.

எவை எல்லாம் ஆபத்தானவை?

பொதுவாக நன்னீர் மீன்களைவிட கடல் மீன்களே பாதரசம் அதிகம் உள்ளவையாகக் காணப்படுகின்றன. குறிப்பாக கடலிலும் தாவர பட்சி மீன்கள் பெரும்பாலும் மிகக் குறைந்த பாதரச அளவு கொண்டவையாக உள்ளன. அதேபோல பெரிய மீன்களில் சிறிய மீன்களைக் காட்டிலும் பாதரசம் அளவு அதிகமாக இருக்கும். அதற்கான காரணம் பின்வருமாறு.

நன்றி: விக்கிமீடியா

1. எல்லா மீன்களிலும் பாதரசம் உண்டு. அது மெத்தில் மெர்குரி வடிவில் இருக்கும்
2. ஒரு மீன் மற்றொரு மீனைத் உண்ணும்போது உண்ணப்படும் மீனில் உள்ள மெத்தில் மெர்குரி உண்ணும் மீனின் உடலில் சேருகிறது.
3. ஏற்கனவே சொன்னதுபோல ஒருமுறை உடலில் சேரும் மெத்தில் மெர்குரி உடலிலேயே தங்கிவிடுகிறது.
4. அதிகமான மீன்களை உண்ண உண்ண, நாட்கள் செல்லச் செல்ல, அளவு வளர வளர அதிக அளவு மெத்தில் மெர்குரி சேர்ந்து விடுகிறது.

நெய்மீன்(கடல் மீன், நெய் கெளுத்தி மீன் நன்னீர் மீன்), வஞ்சரம், சுறா, ஊளி, சீலா, முரல் போன்ற மீன்களில் அதிக பாதரசம் இருப்பது கண்டறியப்பட்டுள்ளது. இவற்றை கர்ப்பிணிகள், பால் கொடுக்கும் பெண்கள், 15 வயதுக்கு உட்பட்ட சிறுவர்கள் உண்ணக்கூடாது. மற்றவர்கள் அளவாகவும் இடைவெளி விட்டு உண்ண வேண்டும் (மாதம் 2-4 முறை, 100-200 கிராம், அளவுகள் மீனின் வகை மற்றும் பருமன் பொறுத்து மாறலாம்!).

இறால், நண்டு, விலை, பாறை, மத்தி, வாவல் போன்ற தாவரம் உண்ணும்/சிறிய மீன்கள் மிகவும் குறைந்த அளவே பாதரசம் கொண்டவை. இவை பாதுகாப்பானவை.

கட்லா, மிருகால், ரோகு, சிலேபி, கெளுத்தி, அயிரை போன்ற நன்னீர் மீன்கள் அனைத்தும் பாதுகாப்பானவை.

**பால் கொடுக்கும் தாய்க்கு சுறா மீன் கொடுப்பது மரபுவழி வழக்கமாக இருக்கலாம். ஆனால் அறிவியலின் பார்வையில் அது ஆபத்தானது. ஆகவே உங்கள் வீட்டில் அதுபோல யாரேனும் சொன்னால் அவர்களுக்கு நீங்கள் விளக்கிக் கூறுங்கள். மரபை விட மனிதனின் நலமே முக்கியம்!

முடிவாக

மீன்கள் நல்ல உணவாக இருந்தாலும், அவை சில சமயங்களில் உடலுக்குத் தீமை செய்யும் நச்சுப் பொருட்களையும் கொண்டிருக்கலாம்! ஆனால் அறிவியலின் துணையோடு ஆராய்ந்து சரியான மீன்களைத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்து உண்டால் நலமும் வளமும் நமதே!

It Works!!! Really??!

I am really fed up with the ways in which so called "educated" people act.

Incident 1:

A girl in my apartment had some viral fever and was taken to a homeopath. He said that it is typhoid and gave "medicines" (sugar pills) for three days. After 3 days, the viral fever has gone and the girl is doing fine. But her mother says that the homeopath is like god and she fell on his feet for saving her child from typhoid. The problem here is the mother and the homeopath. The homeopath cheats people with a fake system that has been banned in many countries. He also claims a normal viral fever (just on day 1) as typhoid fever without proper tests and methods. He gives some sugar pills and charges Rs. 500/- for it. The girl is prevented from seeking proper medical care. The mother becomes foot soldier for the homeopath, telling everyone in the apartment and in the neighborhood to stop taking "allopathy" medicines with side-effects and start taking homeopathy which can cure all diseases. She also claims homeopathy cures once for all. If a disease is cured by homeopathy, it will never come again in lifetime.

Incident 2:

There is a small clinic in my neighborhood. A doctor who works with a reputed hospital visits the clinic and treats people with diabetes for a nominal fee (Rs. 100/-). Just four shops afar, there is a Siddha clinic. There is a board in front of it which says, diabetes can be cured in 6 months. Now, some people are consulting both these "doctors". Some even say that they will stop the "English medicines" once Siddha medicine starts taking effect. The point here is, there is no cure for diabetes (except gastric bypass in some cases) and no legiyam or kashayam or herbal powder can cure it. Second, the unregulated Siddha medicine may contain mercury, lead or other hazardous chemicals/plant extracts. The patients who are taking both "medicines" are feeling better due to the prescribed medicines given by the doctor. But they attribute it wrongly to Siddha medicines and once they stop the prescribed medicines, their conditions start to worsen. If that Siddha practitioner in the street corner can cure diabetes, why can't he just publish it in medical journals and claim a Nobel Prize?

Incident 3:

I was in a park and saw some people walking on a floor embedded with pebbles. I have seen that area of park earlier and thought that it is for decorative purpose. But people were taking off their shoes/slippers and walking slowly on the pebbles. I was curious and asked one of them. He said, it is acupressure treatment and walking on that small patch of pebble for 15 minutes is equal to jogging for 2 hours. He also claimed various parts of foot have links to various organs of body and by stimulating them we can cure diseases. I asked what is he doing. He said that he is a retired bank manager. Most of his retired life is spent on TV and sleeping. Instead of walking an hour or so to maintain an active lifestyle, he is diverted to this fake-science. The strip of floor is so small (around 10 meters) and over-crowded. Brisk walking is out of question and these people also walk very slowly pressing every step hard on the floor to stimulate "acupressure points".

You might have seen similar incidents . And if you refuse to believe and criticize these stupidities, you will be labeled as an agent for big-pharma and corporates. And when you get a severe fever or problems like knee pain, these people will come back to you and make fun of you and ask you to concede the defeat of "science" and embrace the truth of tradition! But it is your brain that finally gives you the courage to show them the middle finger!

Reliable Source

Introduction

What is a reliable source for any information? Anybody with an Internet connection can write anything they want. Even this blog is one such thing. I have no qualification to write on any subject with authority save for some "public static void main". But still I am writing. So if a thousand blogs say that something is correct and only few "unknown" sites say the opposite, democratically, is it not correct, because that is majority? Is truth is what we feel and experience or something that is proven beyond doubt? Is truth is what works for me and may not for you? Is there no ultimate truth that is objective instead of subjective "feelings" or "experiences"? Is that coffee is hot for me and cold for you? But is there not a thermometer that says the coffee is 67C? What if someone sounds like a genuine skeptic while questioning the caliberation of the thermometer itself? I have seen people questioning moon landing and vaccines like true skeptics. Does questioning something makes you a skeptic while questioning something else makes you an idiot?

People who believe Coco-Cola and Mentos can produce cyanide without a question suddenly start to ask millions of question if you say that it won't. People who don't even have a doubt that solar eclipse causes birth defects become "Doubting Thomases" when you say that mercury in shark is harmful for lactating mother and label you as a foreign agent who questions their native wisdom! The source for the Coke-Mentos story may be a blog written from Brazil and the source for mercury in shark is FDA's own website. It doesn't matter. Both are websites. And some even argue that it is better to trust the Brazillian blogger as he has no financial interest than the FDA site which is influenced by corporate lobby! So whom can we trust?

History of Writing

Back in the old days, people who were educated alone could read and write. And only a minority of the educated minority wrote books. Majority of the population never had a chance to read something or express their ideas to a wider audience. Hand written copies of books were costly to produce, hard to maintain and almost out of reach for the public. Some countries allowed only the rich elites to possess books. Even worse, in some other countries only those people who were born in to particular castes were allowed to read and write.

Then came the printing press which allowed mass production of books. Books became cheaper and were within the reach of public. At the same time, industrial revolution and political changes allowed majority to get education. As literacy rate grew along with the increase in number of books, we saw a boom in creativity, inventions, discoveries and critical thinking. But there was a problem. Even though almost anyone could read a book, not everyone was able to publish a book. You can have your own manuscripts on your desk. Else you can even print a copy for yourself. But hitting market was out of question.

Even today, to reach a good number of audiences, you need a publisher. And the publishers lay out certain rules and restrictions to the buyers as well as to the writers! Writers are asked to surrender the copyright to publishers. Readers are restricted from creating derivative works. Even reselling of books and photocopying are becoming "offences" in the eyes of corporate publishers. On one side, quality books are becoming costlier and costlier. Also on the other side, whoever has money can publish anything they want. The books cover, paper quality and print, everything will look exactly like an encyclopedia from a renowned university, yet the content will be no better than "Weekly World News". On the third side, rise of Internet provides costless (apart from what you pay for data) information. Again in Internet, most of the serious researches and information are pay-walled, and anyone with a connection can write anything (they don't even need the power of money!) the picture is becoming very complex.

Let me categorize them vaguely.

1. Really Good Books

These are books that are product of serious research or study or skill. They are genuine works and they can be verified scientifically. They are written by scientists and researchers who invest their time, money and effort on their fields. These books are meant to be consumed by public and increase the awareness, ignite discussions and pave way for improvements or rectification of existing ideas. But the sad facts about the books are as follows. They cost more. They are "dry" and uninteresting for general public and most people seldom know the titles of these books! Add to this the threats and violent opposition to such books which dare to question existing beliefs or status quo!

2. Bad Books that Resembles Good Books

Majority of books sold in railway stations or book fairs etc. are of this category. They have polished covers, colorful photographs, shiny paper, good quality print, cost you a fortune and authored by a famous writer/activist you often see on TV or in movie credits. They resemble the "good books" in every aspect from ISBN to Best Seller endorsements. But they are nothing more than self-help crap, new-age rap, astrology bullshit, biased history batshit or mumbo-jumbo on any subject. Go to any book shop. You can find at least a dozen of books on Homeopathy but you can't get a book that explains Homeopathy is fake! As the free market neutrality and voting-with-your-wallet democracy "naturally selects" the "fittest for survival", you have books that endorse Homeopathy, Crystal Therapy, Astrology etc. widely and cheaply available, while a good book on astro-physics or bio-chemistry is out of stock (never been in stock) or out of budget!

3. Good Sites

Enter the Internet! There are some sites which are actually continuation of international science journals and serious magazines with genuine journalism from the printing era. They have made their way in to the Internet. But most of them are pay-walled. Even some of them are not pay-walled but they are unpopular among masses. Again, these sites serve articles that are not so "interesting" to read. Even though serious efforts (like this) are taken to make books that are already in public domain freely available to people in digital format, relatively new and fresh information is blocked by subscriptions, pay per view etc. Also attempts like Facebook's Internet.org (FreeBasics) will add another layer in between people and these sites. If you have to pay Rs. 200 every month for a full-fledged Internet connection while FreeBasics comes for Rs. 0 (I won't say it is free of cost! It costs your privacy and freedom of choice), most people will choose to stick with the few sites provided by Facebook. As far as Whatsapp is working, who cares to do a data recharge?

4. The Other Sites

The rest of the Internet is nothing but the noise you hear in the market. Absolute democracy! Everyone has their say! From flat-earthers to neo-Nazi racists. All are given equal opportunity to write and spread their "message" to the world. Whatsapp messages, Youtube videos, Facebook updates and retweeted blog links can enlighten us on GM diet, while nobody cares to check what it is actually. Even some widely read news sites publish unethical articles (see example below) and distance themselves from questioning by a lame disclaimer that the opinion expressed is the writer's and not of the publisher's. Again the genuine idiocracy democracy of the Internet wins! abchomeopathy.com has Alexa rank of 72,613 and quackwatch.org has a rank of 193,968. You know what it means right? People at abchomeopathy.com are 267% correct than people at quackwatch.org. If 100 blogs say that vaccines contain poisonous chemicals and cause autism and 3 or 4 sites say vaccines are needed to prevent diseases like polio or mumps, then surely those 3 or 4 sites are run by corporate funded doctors who have no idea about vaccines while those blogs are run by highly concerned citizens who are rightly qualified in UFOlogy or Tarot reading.



This article from The Hindu (Tamil version) claims that a single Siddha medicine can cure diseases cold, diabetes, cancer and AIDS. How can a Newspaper like The Hindu publish an article like this without moral responsibility?

Screen grab from the The Hindu's article titled "தொற்றுநோய்களை விரட்டும் மகா சுதர்சன மாத்திரை"

What’s My Problem?

People are choosing what they want to believe and it is their choice and their life. How can you say what you believe is correct and what I believe is wrong? What is your problem? Do you know whatever you say is 100% correct? Nobody is 100% correct. Unless you experience it yourself, you won't believe.

These are the usual response people give when confronted that what they believe is pseudoscience or hoax.

An engineering graduate believes that a pulse check by a naturopath is equally valid as an ECG and a glass of coriander juice is equally good as angioplasty. He even said that former is better than later as it is fully natural, safe and without side-effects. You don't see a problem?

A person with pain due to gall stones ignores it and goes for acupuncture to treat the pain. He is rushed to ICU with severe jaundice. No problem yet?

A project manager enrolls his son in mid-brain activation class for a hefty sum of money against his son's wish to join Karate or Swimming. Still no problem?

An MBA gold-medalist spending Rs. 8,000 a month on red-mushroom powder and Spirulina capsules and genuinely believes that it can cure any sort of disease.  Not a problem at all!

Magnetic necklace, pyramid schemes, water therapy, energy treatment, de-tox diet, positive vibrations, vaasthu fish, snake oil, faith healing all are real. Thousands of people are saying it worked for them. So I am just trying it out. Nothing is wrong in trying that. If it fails, I may lose some money or time. But what if it works? And we should fight the "leftist conspiracy" to infect our children with evil ideas like evolution, germ theory of disease, astronomy, physics, chemistry, history, biology and English grammar (their r grammer Nazis r8? Dey cn’t evn tolrite ma Whatsapp msg!). Also we should fight the right wing corporates who are trying to kill the people by vaccination, anti-biotics, fertilizers, cellphone radiation, chem-trails, GM food etc. We should rely on our UFO masters, spirits of nature, kundalini energy, water memory, cosmic waves and organic foods to save us!

Absolutely no problem! Go ahead!

Solution?

What is the solution? Am I the expert to ask? Not so. But here is my opinion. Researches, studies and serious work of science, history and politics should be made cheap or free of cost for the public. Government and rational intellects should encourage people to read and share that information. Sharing, derivative works, collaboration etc. should be encouraged rather than being met with lawsuits in patent courts. On the other hand, people who knowingly circulate unscientific and unethical ideas, misinformation, rumors etc. should be banned and punished. Yes. I hear you crying that I am for censorship and against freedom of speech. But for your kind information, spreading misinformation about vaccine or endorsing a home-made cure for cancer is harmful. It is not freedom of speech. It has direct impact on people who are foolish enough to fall for it. Lives are lost. Damages done in irreversible ways. Yet these people are walking free on pretext of free speech! Scientific community with the help of volunteers should set up a universal review panel to review and rate sites based on the content. Again, these may result in censorship. But we should think a way to make it impartial and honest system rather than giving every retarded view an equal opportunity to corrupt the minds of public. If there are sources with 95% truth and 20% truth, both are logically partial truth. But practically they are not equally valid. It is our duty to ensure the 95% truth grows to 99.999% and 20% truth (80% false) obscured from the public. Long live democracy! Long live freedom of speech!

Sympahty for Homeopathy?

I am deeply saddened by the death of three students of SVS college. But what bothered me more is, the college taught Homeopathy. Homeopathy is proven to be a fake system of "beliefs" and unlike Siddha and Yoga there are no way to explain the working of Homeopathy. Traditional medicines like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Chinese medicine etc are all having some or other active ingredients. Again Yoga as a stretching exercise has a basis for efficacy. But Homeopathy? How can a system without any explanation of its working can be approved by government to be taught in colleges? How can people who are trained in this fake system be allowed to practice as "doctors"?

First to make some points clear, I support only science based medicines i.e. medicines that are proven effective by proper studies and trails (be it garlic or statin). Also I strongly believe that there is NO divine touch on any medical system. All the traditional systems are developed by continuous observations,experiments with whatever methods available at that time, trail and error, blind luck, guess etc. That is why unless studied, tested and proven, it is safe to exclude "traditional cures" for any problem, let alone serious problems. But my problem with Homeopathy is that it is plainly false. 100% lie. 0% true. Fake! Bullshit!

Homeopathy Principle:

Like cure like - Any substance that causes a symptom in large dose will cure diseases with the same symptoms in smaller doses.

This is the basis of Homeopathy. There is no germ theory of diseases. It doesn't deal with nutrients and their deficiencies. There are no room for hormone imbalances etc in Homeopathy. For example, this website of Homeopathy advocates says that germ theory is wrong. Compare this with Siddha. If you look at Turmeric, it is proven anti-septic (type of disease: germ induced). Siddha has clam-shell powder to treat Calcium deficiency (type of disease: nutrients deficiency). There are drugs in traditional medicines to regulate bile secretion, acidity etc (type of disease: imbalance of secretions). But Homeopathy has no such system to address any of the above said type of diseases. It again and again claims that "Like cure like".

Also Homeopathy has no equivalent to vaccination or physical exercise or surgery, which even traditional systems have! But still there are success stories for Homeopathy as people are assuming Homeopathy cured their self-limiting diseases. Some diseases come and go by themselves and some others wax and wane over the time. People wrongly assume that Homeopathy is working! Their "anecdotal evidences" are the "proofs" Homeopathy has!

When the concentration of a drug drops below a certain limit, there is literally no chance to have even a single molecule of the supposed "cure" in the medicine. But Homeopaths claim that water has "memory" to hold the effect of the cure! If so, why water has forgotten all other impurities it came in to contact before it got distilled? And the funniest part is that, they claim, the more you dilute, the more potent the cure will become!

A Typical Homeopathy Medicine (DIY):


Here I am going to explain two Homeopathy Remedies that you can do it yourself! (Disclaimer for stupid enough people: Don't take the following remedies seriously and try them on yourselves or on others! Serious harm may happen! If you have any health problem go to a properly educated doctor!)

1. Insomnia

Ask some 5 to 10 of your friends or family members. At least two or three will complain that they have problem in sleeping. So here is a quick and easy Homeopathy remedy for them! You can prepare it in the kitchen itself. All you need is some coffee powder, distilled water, clean ink filler, clean vessels and sugar pills.

We all know that coffee in higher doses hinder with sleep. So according to Homeopathy, coffee in minute doses can cure insomnia!

Step 1: So take a pinch of instant coffee powder. (Important Note: If you are a Surya fan, use Sunrise or if you are a Karthi fan, use Bru. Else use any other brand you like!) Mix it well in 5 liter water.

Step 2: Now with a clean ink filler pick one drop of the coffee solution and mix it in another 5 liter water. Now stir well. Again

Step 3: Repeat step 2 for any number of time! The more you do, the more potent the drug will become. Now take the sugar pills and spray some "cure" on them.

Call in your friend and ask him to take 5 pills. If you have done the dilution enough, he may fall in coma immediately! Does that sound funny? But before you laugh, take a look at here. They claim the same. But people are believing what they say, while laughing at me?!

2. Indigestion

Now instead of coffee, you can grind a pizza or a scoop of briyani or a piece of chicken 65 and dilute it as explained above and spray on sugar pills. That will treat indigestion. As all these foods cause indigestion in large doses, they ought to treat the same in minute doses. Good luck with that!

Conclusion:

As you can see, a system that is based upon flawed understanding of both disease and drug will not work! Then how can government allow colleges to teach Homeopathy as a medical discipline? Is it not counter-productive to other medicinal systems bundled with Homeopathy? Won't it impact their validity negatively? In my opinion, severe action should be taken against the people who are responsible for the deaths of the students. At the same time, similar action should be taken on all Homeopathy practitioners, hospitals, colleges etc. They should be shutdown and banned immediately. Who knows how many people are being mislead by this fake system and not getting proper treatment?

Rain Rain Go Away?

It is rainy season again. A good rain is what farmers need to grow crops, forests need to sustain the flora and fauna, people in cities need to replenish the ground water, power-plants need to supply us with electricity and the list never ends... The purest natural source of water, "The Elixir of Life" as told by Sir C V Raman, is rain. Nature itself distils the water! Removing salts, killing germs and leaving behind sediments, Sun works as a huge boiler that provides us with pure water. Whenever scientists look for life in other planets/moons they look for liquid water. As Valluvar said, "The world can't sustain without water!". But what our people think about rains? Some people like the "Little Johnny" want their life to go on as usual and feel rain as a spoiler! But for a "regular" life 365 days, we have to happily receive rain for at least 15 days!

Bad Roads?

A subway, completely submerged in water.

We should not be angry with the rain for bad roads. We should raise our voices in proper forums to repair the roads regularly before the winter begins. Also the sewer system should be prepared to handle rainwater and waste water efficiently. Rainwater falling on highways and other places like bus stands and railway stations can be harvested easily. Already government has started some initiatives like that, but due to bad maintenance, these systems are barely working. So stop accusing rains for bad roads!

Mosquitoes?!

Mosquito repellents are secondary!

Rains are not the "cause" of increased mosquitoes and mosquito borne diseases. It is human inefficiency to keep the surroundings clean of stagnant water which creates suitable breeding havens for mosquitoes. And one more thing, mosquitoes that cause diseases mostly breed in fresh water. They don't breed in drainage or murky waters usually. Also the water on roads usually dries in few days, hence mosquito larvae can't grow to mosquitoes in road side puddles. But on the other hand, water stored in tanks, pots, vessels are where these mosquitoes find fresh water to breed. Also places like AC machine cases, discarded tyres, broken plastic/glass articles can hold clean water for many days providing suitable space and duration for mosquitoes to breed.

Fever and Diseases

Maintain cleanliness!

With rain, we get more fever and diseases. It is not the rain water itself that causes the diseases. It is the germs which utilize the moisture in air and on surfaces to survive for longer periods and easily spread from person to person. Sunlight, which kills many germs in sunny days of summers is also scarce. So what can we do? By maintaining clean habits, one can protect himself and others from catching infections. Frequent hand washing, avoiding touching face/eyes/mouth/food without washing hands, sneezing in to kerchiefs, wearing shoes, avoiding urination and defecation in open etc can prevent lot of infections. Taking brooms in hand is not the only way to create a "Clean India"! Every person maintaining a good personal hygiene is a soldier in this fight against diseases.

Conclusion

Some believe that if people are upset due to rains, there will be lesser rainfall! I am not one of them. We can neither summon rain through rituals nor we can send rain away by wishful thinking. But what I mean by this article is, if we take proper steps and remain well prepared, rainy seasons are enjoyable. It is a chance to thank the Almighty for the divine providence. Next time when it starts raining when you are half way to office, just find a teashop, have a hot tea/coffe and enjoy the love of nature poured upon us!

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Here comes another weekend! So let us cook some different food to enjoy the weekend rather than ordering or eating out. Here is a simple recipe of "Creamy Mushroom Pasta" which you can easily prepare with stuffs available in a typical Indian kitchen or at least with stuffs available in a nearby shop.

Things you need to serve 2:

For Pasta:

Pasta - 200 g
Water - 1.5 l
Sea Salt - 1/2 tablespoon
Olive oil - 1 teaspoon

For Creamy Mushroom Sauce:

Mushroom - 150 g (washed and chopped in to large pieces)
Cheese cubes(small) - 2 (shredded)
Onion (large) - 1/2
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves (finely chopped)
Milk - 150 to 200 ml
Pepper powder - to taste
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves - for garnishing
Olive oil - 1 to 1.5 tablespoon

How to Prepare:

Pasta:

Pour 1 litre water in a large vessel and bring to boil. Add 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt and stir till it dissolves. After that, add 200 grams of pasta. I prefer pastas made of durum wheat as they are stiffer and non-sticky. But normal pastas are also possible candidates. Keep in medium flame and cook till the pasta becomes floppy. Try eating one small piece and make sure that it doesn't stick to teeth. Once it comes to this state, turn off the stove and cover the vessel with a plate and filter out excess water. Immediately add two tumblers of cold water and drain it is too. Now you have the cooked pasta at a warm temperature. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of olive oil and gently mix it (with hands or carefully with a spoon). Your pasta is ready!

Creamy Mushroom Sauce:

To begin with, mince onion and ginger in a mixer grinder and keep the paste ready in a cup. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add finely chopped garlic and onion-ginger paste. Stir fry form some time with low flame. Now add mushroom and stir occasionally. After 1 or two minutes, add the pasta prepared earlier and mix well. Now add milk, shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Add salt with caution as the cheese already contains salt. Also, don't add too much pepper. A pinch or two is enough, as pepper is only for flavoring and this recipe is not a spicy one. With medium flame cook for few minutes. Ensure that no cheese is left as chunks. Usually it will melt within 2 minutes. Now add washed coriander leaves and gently mix it. Your Creamy Mushroom Pasta is ready. Please ensure that the stove is turned off before you start eating ;-)

Conclusion:

This is easy yet tasty recipe. It is healthy compared to those hotel foods and also costs you lesser. If you want to know how it will taste, try Maggi pasta of the same flavor. I have really imagined and worked out this recipe on my own. The photo in this blog is the one I cooked yesterday. It came out well and everybody in my family liked it. Please share your improvements and suggestions in comments. If you try this, let me know how well it came and whether you like it or not. Thanks for reading!

I Love Pathaneer (பதநீர்)

Summer is approaching with the mercury levels raising everyday. On the other hand, water and electrolyte levels in our bodies are falling every hour. It is very important to keep yourself well hydrated and to maintain the electrolytic balance during summer season to avoid a lot of health problems and tiredness. So here is a sweet and affordable solution from Mother Nature! Pathaneer!

What is Pathaneer?

Pathaneer is a sweet beverage extracted usually from palm trees (sometimes also from coconut trees, but in Tamil Nadu, they are almost always from palm trees). It is a non-alcoholic beverage. But without proper preservation techniques, fermentation will kick in due to airborne yeast/bacteria, which will turn it in to alcoholic toddy. Pathaneer has a unique taste, which is predominantly sweet with a hint of astringent taste. It a translucent, white, watery liquid in pure form.

How it Is Extracted?

Pathaneer is collected overnight from palm trees by scrapping/cutting the tender spathes on top of the tree and keeping a collection pot. Usually the collection pots are coated with calcium carbonate to reduce the risk of fermentation. Tree climbers climb the trees during evening and prepare for the collection. Before daybreak, they again climb the trees and collect the Pathaneer as raising temperatures after sunrise may accelerate fermentation. They may need to climb 40 to 50 trees every day and most of the times, they work overnight. At this point, I take pride in remembering my ancestors who were such tree climbers (toddy tappers). That might be a job forced on them; but still, they didn't cheat or steal or forced others in to slavery!

Health Perspective

I can falsely claim that Pathaneer can cure all known diseases from hairfall to obesity. But the truth is Pathaneer is good at treating a major disease that affects almost everyone during summers. Thirst and dehydration. They may sound silly. But they can bring a host of health problems even before you become aware. Head aches, fatigue, increased blood pressure, decreased electrolyte etc can be caused by excessive sweating. So Pathaneer is an easy way to replenish the water and essential electrolytes in your body with a punch of carbs to keep you kicking throughout the day. Carbohydrates are the major nutrient, followed by calcium, phosphate, Vitamin B, Vitamin C and other trace micro-nutrients. It is surely a better choice than sugary sodas or packed fruit juices (which are nothing but chemical flavors and sugar). Only other alternate is tender coconut.

Where to Buy?

Pathaneer is packed and sold by Tamil Nadu State Palmgur Cooperative Federation in 200ml plastic pouches (like curd or milk packs). It costs around Rs. 10 and available in shops near you. They are cheaper than tender coconuts which are sold at a higher price around Rs. 30 to Rs. 40. Pathaneer packs are refrigerated and hence you can get a cool and refreshing drink without any hazardous chemical or excessive sugar for just 10 bucks. They are processed and packed to ensure that no fermentation happens and shoul be stored in optimal temperature. So don't buy if not stored in refrigerator.

What Else?

Pathaneer is just one product of palm nectar. It can be allowed to ferment to produce alcoholic beverage (toddy – கள்ளு). Fermented toddy can be distilled to produce arrack (பனஞ்சாராயம்). The nectar can be further boiled and processed to produce palmgur (கருப்பட்டி /பனைவெல்லம்), palm sugar (பனஞ்சீனி) and palm candy (பனங்கற்கண்டு). There are hell lot of other products/by products of palm tree, but they are not relevant to the Pathaneer which we are discussing here. So those who are interested can check “Additional Links” section.

An Appeal for Toddy!

I hear by humbly appeal both the Indian Government and Tamil Nadu Government to lift the ban on toddy and regularize the sale of the same as they have done with Pathaneer. If Pathaneer sales can be standardized, regularized and monitored to ensure quality, then why not toddy? Also, the government is allowing the sales of hard liquors, which contain more than 40% alcohol manufactured by corporates. But toddy contains only 4 to 5% of alcohol. By banning other liquors and allowing naturally brewed toddy, wine and beer, we can ensure that the livelihood of farmers are improved while the livelihood of drinkers are protected from excess alcohol consumption and economy drain.

Conclusion

So, enjoy Pathaneer this summer and be a proud Tamilian by drinking this palm elixir which is part of our cultural heritage. Also please appeal to government in whatever democratic ways you can to ban sales of hard liquor and allow toddy to be sold in a regularized and controlled way through cooperative societies or Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC). And when it comes to alcohol, my personal advice is to avoid it altogether than becoming an addict. Because “Perfect moderation is harder than total abstinence!” as told by St. Augustine.

Additional Links:

http://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/பனையிலிருந்து_பெறப்படும்_பயன்கள்

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

Walking Tips

According to America Heart Association, we should get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity every week. That is the bare minimum. Each segment should last at least 15 minutes. This activity includes swimming, brisk walking, aerobics etc. But all things cost or need special location/trainer except walking. So I do this easy and effective exercise everyday.

WARNING: Walking for exercise (especially prolonged and brisk walking), like any other exercise have some limitations. You may need to consult your doctor if you have existing medical conditions or common problems like knee pain.If you are a healthy, normal adult in prime age, you can assume walking is safe for you.

Moderate walking means 100 to 120 steps per minute. It may vary with your age, weight and other health factors. Also, you should wear comfortable dress, shoes and well hydrated while walking.

According to experts, walking 10,000 or more steps a day makes you a person with "active lifestyle". 10,000 steps is around 8 kilometres. You may think it is too much. But that is required for your health, especially if you are working at offices, sitting all day long.

1. Morning Walking:

When you wake up in the morning, after bowel movement, drink a glass of water, put on your t-shirt, track suit and shoes and start walking in a nearby park or street or roads without traffic. This walking can be very brisk and if you feel like, you can also jog. Walk for at least 30 minutes. That will give you an initial start of 3,000+ steps for the day. You can enjoy the birds singing, sun rise, fresh morning air for free of cost. Except few rainy days, this is the best way to start your day. By this you will get 210 minutes of activity every week, which exceeds the American Heart Association guidelines of 150 minutes!

2. Use Public Transport:

Park your car/bike. Else better sell them off. Take a walk to your nearby bus-stop or railway station. Board a bus or train. Also walk those few blocks to your college/office from the bus-stop or railway station. By this you can add 1,500 to 2,000 steps to your count and you have covered 5,000 steps (yes! that is 50% of your daily target) before you reach office. Also you can be proud about you for being a socially responsible person by reducing the carbon emission and traffic.

3. After Lunch Walk:

Recent studies show that walking after meals can reduce your blood sugar levels and as well as provide three times benefits of usual walking. So after taking lunch, call your friend/colleague and walk slowly in a shaded place for 20 minutes. Chat with them about Free Software, music or just about anything you love. This will add another 1,000 to 1,500 steps to your count. Wow! That is 6,500 steps. Keep going! This walk also makes you brisk and refreshed and your afternoon work will be productive as good as in the morning.

4. Returning Home:

As we discussed early, returning home using public transport will again add 1,500 to 2,000 steps. So it will make the overall count to 8,000 steps.

5. Night Walking:

After having supper, call your wife/kids/parents and walk in your street for some 20 to 30 minutes slowly, talking about the day and other stuffs that relaxes your mind. This will add some 1,500 to 2,000 steps, making the total 10,000 steps per day within your reach. This walking will aid you to get a good sleep which will prepare you for an energy packed day ahead!

6. Hidden Extras:

Walking to shop to buy milk, walking inside home/office etc are not counted here. These will come around 1,000 to 2,000 steps. These extra steps won't harm you but benefit you! Count them as bonuses!

7. Other Tips:

If you are worried about days missed due to rain, you can invest on a treadmill. You can also install mobile apps that use GPS or accelerometer to measure the distance you cover. Else you can invest in pedometers to capture exact numbers of steps you walk a day.

Conclusion:

Walking is a good exercise for all ages. But it should not be considered as sole exercise. If you are fit enough, you can include other activities like jogging, cycling, aerobics, weight training, swimming etc. Also eat a balanced diet. Walking can't be an excuse to eat that extra samosa or chili bajji. Drink enough water. Avoid refined sugar, reduce salt intake and consume less fast-foods.

All these things, you can't do alone. You will get bored and start sliding in that slipper slope back to sedentary life-style. So encourage your family and friends to join you. By this, you are forming a team which will encourage you back, when you are down. With all these practices, you can improve your health and stay fit.

References:

• http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/StartWalking/American-Heart-Association-Guidelines_UCM_307976_Article.jsp
• http://www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps.html
• http://www.healthline.com/health-news/aging-walking-after-meals-to-control-blood-sugar-spikes-061213
• http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/12/diabetes-walk-after-meals/2408753/
• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090317094719.htm

February 23rd 2014 - Pulse Polio Immunisation Campaign

India is proudly Polio free for three years now. But the battle has just begun. With neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan still registering Polio cases, it is our duty to fight against Polio as Indian citizens. So, if you or anyone in your circle have a child below 5 years, please take them to nearest Polio vaccination centre set-up by government.

Vaccination @ a railway station

Points to note:

When? February 23rd, 2014. It is a Sunday, and no silly excuses!

Where? Nearby railway stations, bus stands, airports, primary health centers, Government hospitals, Government Schools and other places like places of worship, libraries, shopping malls. Check your local administrative office for more information.

Who? Children below age 5.

How? Take them to the center. Tell the medical staff/doctor there about your baby's current health, age, previous vaccination date and other details you feel important in this regards. They will decide whether to give vaccine or not (in some rare cases, it may be advised against giving, such as a very high fever or taking any other medication) The vaccine is offered free of cost by Indian government. So make use of it.

Trivia:

Jonas Salk - Inventor of Polio Vaccine

When Jonas Salk (inventor of Polio vaccine) was asked in a televised interview who owned the patent to the vaccine, Salk replied: "There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?"

Swine Flu Vaccination

There is an unwanted panic about swine flu among the public. But still, if you want to make sure your you or your beloveds will not be touched by these virus, please visit King's Institute near Guindy railway station for vaccination. This is where they provide subsidized vaccines and the vaccine's effectiveness and safety are guaranteed.

Don't buy in to advertisements like herbal cure, yoga therapy etc. There are some groups spreading false messages like this to milk some cash out of people's fear. So only go with what Government or approved medical practitioners advise. Don't take risks by listening to unauthorized sources. They may or may not work well and may have adverse effects.

So far, the disease seems not so bad. For example, in Germany, there are thousands of confirmed infections, but no deaths. I am not downplaying the risk. But don't worry much. Our tropical climate and hot weather can make the spread difficult for the virus. Let us hope for the best.