Thursday, November 29, 2012


Wednesday, October 31, 2012



Wednesday, October 17, 2012


Hey, it’s not about ‘spoiling the fun’. And if anybody tells you that, just turn around and say that ‘it’s all about the spirit of it’. So, let’s get our cool points on the fingertips...

Natural idols:  Using idols made of soil and natural colour will help to keep the rivers and lakes clean. Idols made of plaster of Paris (PoP) and painted with chemical colours do not dissolve easily and leave behind silt in water bodies. Chemical colours cause much damage to the ecology of water. All of us need to be aware that the most serious impact on the natural environment is due to the immersion in water bodies of PoP idols and polythene bags containing offerings.

Rice rangoli: Instead of using harmful chemical colours or paints for Rangoli design, you can substitute them with rice flour, pulse and leaves.

Gift them green: Our options include ecofriendly jute and wooden items such as photo frames, wooden kumkum box, wooden key holders, jute clips, etc. You can also make small purses out of small pieces of clothes.

Zero tolerance for noise: The noise produced by crackers, loudspeakers, traffic, etc., is extremely hazardous to health. You can get together with likeminded anti-noise individuals in your locality to take up all violations of the Environment Protection Act, with cooperation from the police and the municipality.

Save energy: Many of us decorate our homes by lighting them up. This places a huge load on the power supply system. We can save a substantial amount of electricity by opting for candles and diyas. Even though they consume oil, these lamps are usually used only for a short while.

Last but not the least, after the immersion ceremony on the tenth day of Navratri, encourage associations, NGOs, social workers and volunteers in your neighbourhood to participate in a clean-up drive.

Friday, October 12, 2012


On 14 June 2012, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) – the UK’s independent regulator of advertising across all media – published this ‘quick guide’ to assist brand owners in avoiding the common pitfalls of misleading advertising.  If an advertisement is likely to deceive consumers (by including ambiguous or false information, or omitting important information), and is likely to cause consumers to take transactional decisions they would not otherwise have taken (for example purchasing a product or visiting an advertiser’s website), they will be deemed misleading by the ASA.

Advertisers should therefore ensure they can substantiate any claims before they make them (other than claims which are obvious exaggerations and which are unlikely to be taken literally by the average consumer), and be as clear and honest in communications as possible.  Advertisers are also responsible for substantiating claims made in testimonials, and must hold documentary evidence and contact details for people providing the testimonials.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in its very recent whitepaper, entitled ‘Self-Regulation in Advertising in India — A Critical Evaluation’, has suggested that Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) co-regulate ad content along with bodies like Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, among others.

The whitepaper is in response to growing concerns of false and misleading advertising, which leads to unfair competition, litigation and increased resentment among consumers. Inevitably, there has been heated debates on whether the advertising industry needs to be muzzled, and how, to protect the legitimate interests of consumers. The paper also analyses the issue from an independent point of view, and evaluates the role and responsibilities of stakeholders such as regulators, industry bodies, activists and consumers. It also takes into consideration concerns raised by the DCA and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution seeking greater (and more stringent) government intervention.

Thursday, September 27, 2012



Tempted to get a tattoo? Today, people from all walks of life have tattoos, which might lead you to believe that tattoos are completely safe.

But there are health risks that can result in the need for medical care. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of United States (US) is particularly concerned about a family of bacteria called nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) that has been found in a recent outbreak of illnesses linked to contaminated tattoo inks.
  
M. chelonae, one of several disease-causing NTM species, can cause lung disease, joint infection, eye problems and other organ infections. These infections can be difficult to diagnose and can require treatment lasting six months or more.

FDA also warns that tattoo inks, and the pigments used to colour them, can become contaminated by other bacteria, mold and fungi. To raise awareness and make diagnoses more accurate, FDA strongly encourages reporting of tattoo-associated complications.

Strategies for Controlling Risks of Infection:

Tattoo artists can minimize the risk of infection by using inks that have been formulated or processed to ensure they are free from disease-causing bacteria, and avoiding the use of non-sterile water to dilute the inks or wash the skin. Non-sterile water includes tap, bottled, filtered or distilled water.

Consumers should know that the ointments often provided by tattoo parlors are not effective against these infections. NTM infections may look similar to allergic reactions, which means they might be easily misdiagnosed and treated ineffectively.

Once an infection is diagnosed, health care providers will prescribe appropriate antibiotic treatment. Such treatment might have uncomfortable side effects, such as nausea or gastrointestinal problems. However, without prompt and proper treatment an infection could spread beyond the tattoo or become complicated by a secondary infection.

If you suspect you may have a tattoo-related infection, FDA recommends the following:
  • Contact your health care professional if you see a red rash with swelling, possibly accompanied by itching or pain in the tattooed area, usually appearing 2-3 weeks after tattooing.
  • Report the problem to the tattoo artist.
  • Report the problem to FDA’s consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Why Tattoo Inks Go Bad:
Inks and pigments can be contaminated through:
  • use of contaminated ingredients to make inks,
  • use of manufacturing processes that introduce contaminants or allow contaminants to survive,
  • use of unhygienic practices that contaminate ink bottles or mixing with contaminated colors,
  • use of non-sterile water to dilute the inks, and
  • using tattoo inks past their expiration date.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Getting inked is no big deal today, especially when it comes to declaring love for someone. Sounds romantic, but what happens if the couple breaks up? Then follows a never-ending ordeal of covering up the tattoo either with expensive intricate designs or laser sessions to lighten it. Esha Deol displays her two tatoos. She has an ‘om’ sign tattoos on the top left of her back and the Gayatri Mantra on the top right side. Take 25-year-old Prashant Kale, who inked his girlfriend’s name on his nape on an impulse, but regrets it now ever since he has broken off with her.
The problem is that a tattoo cannot be completely removed. It can only be lightened by using laser technique or it can be camouflaged with more intricate designs.As Rajesh Khurana, president of Timpac Healthcare puts it: “To make a tattoo you invest Rs.2,000 but to remove it you have to pay more than Rs.20,000.”
“So, my advice is before anyone goes for one, think whether you are doing the right thing and going for the right design,” Khurana told IANS. Timpac Healthcare is known for offering clinical obesity management, cosmetology, medical aesthetics, wellness, medi spas and anti-ageing treatments.

Amrita Arora has gone for a romantic theme and has “Love Saves the Day” tattooed on her back. Tattoos are quite popular among celebrities too. Stars like Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan went ahead and got the names of their partners tattooed. While Saif Ali Khan’s relationship is going strong, Deepika has already broken up. But Deepika, who inked her ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor’s initials on her nape, doesn’t regret her decision and has no plans to remove it in the near future as it can be easily covered by her hair. In the case of Amrita Arora, her boyfriend Usman Afzal got her name inked on his arm but they later broke off. Though no one knows what happened to the tattoo, Amrita is happily married to Shakeel Ladakh. 
Sanjay Dutt has a huge penchant for tattoos.Delhi-based tattoo artist Aditi Naithani of Devilz Tattooz, says a lot of people come for cover-up tattoos and want to strike off the name of their ex. “Out of 30 clients in a month, at least five come for the cover-up. In most cases, they have a break-up and in some it’s a bad job done,” Naithani said. “We try to use complicated and intricate designs to do the cover-up. Also, we use darker colours to do the job in the right manner. The most popular cover-up design used is of a dragon as it is so intricate,” she added.
Saif got Kareena Kapoor’s name inked on his forearm. The cost of covering up a tattoo by re-doing it depends on its size.
The cost of covering up a tattoo by re-doing it depends on its size. Sometimes a tattoo design gets horribly wrong or one gets bored with it, and hence people want to remove or redo it.“In most cases people either dislike what they had or else the tattoo does not match their expectations. 
Then they want to remove it immediately. The number of such people who had tattoos done recently but dislike it is rising,” Jalandhar-based skin surgeon Mohan Singh said.“The incidence of people demanding tattoo removal is rising every year by double. More and more younger generation people are getting sucked into the desire to have tattoos while they are not that mentally matured to keep them,” he added. A laser session requires a minimum of four-six sessions within a space of one-two months, but it is not easy to completely remove the tattoo as it is deep into the skin. 
One session generally costs around Rs.3,000. Before getting a tattoo done it is important that the choice of design is right. “My advice is to be very patient with the procedure and take all needed sittings on time. Tattoo laser removal is a very highly technical scientific method. There are no quick rewards. Be patient with the number of sittings and the total time required and you will have very elegant and cosmetically beautiful results in the end,” said Singh. Khurana points out that being patient might not help in tattoos made with colours like green, blue, yellow and red as they are very difficult to get rid of, while black is easier.
So the next time you are tempted to get a tattoo, think twice!
Source: Shilpa Raina/IANS

Friday, August 31, 2012

Electricity is an essential element in today’s world. With the emerging enterprises and various institutions have set up their business, electricity is seen as in indispensable. However, the advantages of electricity are many, but it can prove fatal, if not used properly.
 
Every year, thousands of people gets killed or sustain serious injuries due to the misuse of electricity. Electricity is a part of every household, but it can land people in serious trouble, if not used with cautious. We must be aware about the hidden dangers involved in it and use the electricity run appliance carefully


Here are a few simple rules that should be followed when using electrical appliances:
 
  • Never overload or over work power points.
  • Avoid placing many plugs ("piggy-backing") in one socket rather use power board for a permanent solution.
  • Cover and protect power points. Plug protectors should be placed all over the power points for child safety.
  • Water is sources of energy, therefore, bear in mind not to use wet hands while switching on any electrical appliance. Ensure to keep hairdryers and shavers away from getting wet.
  • Always avoid using electrical appliances or extension leads on wet surface.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

“It takes a lot to eliminate a cockroach; even more to appreciate it.”
Which human does not shudder at the sight of a cockroach? The first reaction is to kill; the second, to chase it away. The presence of a cockroach also brings on feelings of guilt — that the house is not clean enough — or irritation, if you are in someone else’s house. The cockroach may be the most objectionable household insect. It consumes human food and contaminates it with saliva and excrement. It also produces secretions that impart a characteristic stinking odour.
Actually, the cockroach is an extremely useful scavenger. If you did not have cockroaches, no city could work, as they clean the drains into which every city human pours his filth. In the forest, the cockroaches eat the dead leaves and other decaying matter and turn it into mulch which is essential for the growth of new trees.
Let me tell you the marvels of the cockroach
If your children ever get to the moon they might find that the only inhabitants there are cockroaches. When the Apollo Space mission was going to the moon the astronauts noticed a cockroach in their spaceship. When they returned, the craft was thoroughly inspected and no trace was found of the cockroach. This has led NASA to believe that it crept out — with its usual curiosity and intrepidity — and was left behind. But how can a single cockroach populate a planet? Here lies the miracle. Some female cockroaches mate once and are pregnant for the rest of their lives!
Everything about the cockroach is amazing:
  • It can run three miles in one hour — the fastest insect alive.
  • It can hold its breath for 40 minutes.
  • It can live a week without a head, only dying of thirst because it has no mouth to drink water.
  • It can squeeze into cracks that are 1.6 millimetres thick — the equivalent of you trying to fit into a football.
  • It can survive temperatures as low as 0 degrees centigrade but when it gets really cold, it likes snuggling with humans or any other warm body.
  • It can recognise members of its own family just by their smell.
  • Its heart is a simple tube that can pump blood both backwards and forward and even stop at will without harming the insect.
  • The cockroach is the greatest escape artist of all time with an uncanny ability to sense danger, whether that of a live predator or a broom. How does it do that? With its hair (when was the last time your hair told you anything?)
Fine sensors
The cockroach has tiny hair on its back which are designed to bend easily. These hair grow in every direction and can sense changes in wind direction from all sides. For instance, when you lift a shoe from behind, the insect senses a slight change in the shift in wind pattern from behind as the hair on its back is pushed forward. It immediately darts off in a different direction. It has little claws on its feet so it can climb walls and of course it can squeeze itself under any door.
What is the role of a cockroach in helping the world survive: It is a scavenger. It cleans your sewers and other places by eating the filth that you create and which, if allowed to rot, would make disease unmanageable. It is eaten by other insects, frogs, snakes and birds. It has an important role in the decomposition of forest litter and excreta.
That doesn’t mean that you encourage it, only that you understand that its role in the world is more important than yours.
Never say die
Cockroaches are hardy creatures. The insecticides that have been invented to kill them are poisonous to human beings. Since they only kill adult cockroaches, they have to be sprayed several times a week. However, since cockroaches taste their food before eating it, they learn to avoid chemically-treated products. Therefore, most chemicals do not provide good long-term control.
There are several non-pesticide approaches to managing cockroaches, including food, water removal, natural repellents. The efficacy of each method may vary and combinations of methods may be necessary. Since cockroaches like to eat carbohydrates of vegetable origin, meat, grease, starch, sweets, and beer, the first act of cockroach control is to reduce or eliminate access to these foods. Here are some non-poisonous ways in which you can keep them away from your house:
Make a swab (pocha) of Eucalyptus oil — Two ounces per five litres of water and swab it daily. You can do the same with Peppermint oil — two ounces per five litres of water and concentrate on the areas where you think cockroaches come from. Rosemary oil — three ounces per five litres of water is another option.
Or Another option is:
  • Garlic oil but that will leave you uneasy as well, so use it when you really have an infestation and keep it only in the cockroach areas.
  • Okra (bhindi), raw or stewed. Place on a dish under sinks.
  • Stewed cucumber peel. Place one cup of the stewed peel in areas where cockroaches congregate.
  • Crushed bay leaves can be used to repel cockroaches. Put into cupboards, fridges.
  • Take some atta (flour), water, few drops of cedarwood, sandalwood and patchouli oil. Make little balls and place it in microwave oven, cupboards, drains etc.
  • Take camphor, carom seeds and some neem oil which can be sprinkled in drains to keep the cockroaches away.
  • Tie wild sage in bunches and hang around the house, around outdoor porches, terraces, window sills etc. Put basil, cayenne pepper, rosemary, dried root of khus khus.
  • Of course, the happiest thing is to keep chickens as pets — instead of as food. Chickens eat a wide range of insects, including ticks and cockroaches, and therefore can be used for insect control. Hence, in rural areas, chickens provide natural pest control.
Maneka Gandhi
To join the animal welfare movement, contact gandhim@nic.inhttp://www.thehindu.com/arts/magazine/article3791225.ece

Friday, August 17, 2012


Friday, August 3, 2012


Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Remember only coconut & banana are offered to gods & deities as propitiation (Pooja)!!!

Why?  Does anyone know?
For, Coconut palm & Banana plant is not regenerated from tasted & left over seeds of these two nut & fruit, by either human beings, animals, birds, reptiles, worms etc., whereas, all other trees, palms, plants, shrubs can be regenerated by virgin seeds as well as seeds which have been tasted & left over by  human beings, animals, birds, reptiles, worms etc.
Such being the case, when coconut qualifies as the only nut that can be offered to gods & deities, will it ever be harmful to human beings????!!!!

Answer is an emphatic NO!!!Further, it is scientifically established, coconut oil is the only cooking medium that does not disintegrate even if it is heated to 188 degree Celcius. No other oil remains stable at this temperature.If one inspects empty canisters of coconut oil & compares it with canisters in which other cooking oils were stored, one would be startled to find waxlike deposit in all canisters in which oil other than coconut oil was stored but, in the canister in which coconut oil was stored, will be clean.

So, which oil has insoluble wax?  Definitely all oils other than coconut oil!!!!
All oils in Ayurveda, coconut oil is used as base. However, Gingili Oil is used extensively mainly for two considerations. It is far cheaper than Coconut oil & film Gingli oil being viscous remains at the place applied for longer duration. However, coconut oil being  least viscous flows through the pores of ones body resulting in better drug delivery.
From coconut shell, a potent Ayurvedic oil is prepared known as Vishwamitra Kapola Taila.
Chips of coconut shell are added to various fleshes(fowl, mutton, beef, pork etc.) that are cooked  as anti toxic, anti microbial & anti viral.

That was why our forefathers used ladles, serving spoons, spoons. Rice servers made from coconut shell with bamboo handles!!!!
Coconut shells are used as idli cups !!!! to bake a serving known as Udarge in Tulu.
So, use coconut oil extensively! Remember Plastic in any variety & form is not a material  fit to store edibles & potables. So, do not eat or drink anything contained in plastic as it is highly toxic & carcinogenic!!!!
Buy coconut oil directly from OIL MILL & not the one stored in plastic stches, bottles, bags etc., Coconut palm is also referred to as Kalpataru or Kalpavriksha, owing to its varies uses to mankind; although Kalpavriksha is a mythological tree stated to have originated from Churning of sea of milk (Samudra Manthan) alongwith which wish fulfilling cow Kamadhenu was also stated to have been originated.
ASK YOURSELF; IS COCONUT OIL & ITS OTHER DERIVATIVES HARMFUL TO HUMAN BEINGS???!!! ANSWER IS AN EMPHATIC & AXIOMATIC  NO!!!
ONE SHALL BE BEMUSED TO BE CONVINCED, THAT IT IS A FAUX PAS CONCIEVED TO PROMOTE BASE OILS OF ALL KINDS WHEN, COCONUT OIL PRICES SOARED TO Rs.80 PER LITER IN EARLY 1980s.
SO, USE COCONUT OIL & DISCARD ALL OTHER OILS