Cure for Traveler's Diarrhea

Last updated on: June 12, 2008 at 3:46 pm By Desh Kapoor

Going to India? Worried about getting that perennial upset stomach while your mind craves for the chaats and the gol-gappas from the street guy? Well, the scientists in University of Texas, Houston may be able to help you. They have come up with a needle-free vaccine - through a patch - which can prevent that. The diarrhea occurs due to E. Coli and is called Montezuma's Revenge (or Traveller's Diarrhea). It happens to travellers to Latin America as well as to Asia from the Western countries. Simply because of difference in hygiene conditions. Traveler's diarrhea (in American English) or traveller's diarrhœa (in British English), abbreviated to TD, is the most common illness affecting travelers. Traveler's diarrhea is defined as three or more unformed stools in 24 hours, commonly accompanied by abdominal cramps, nausea, and bloating. TD is not directly harmful but the dehydration causes problems and inconvenience to a traveller. TD usually is a self-limited disorder and often resolves without specific treatment; however, oral rehydration therapy is often beneficial to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. Clear liquids are routinely recommended for adults. Water that is purified is best, along with oral rehydration salts to replenish lost electrolytes. Carbonated water (soda), which has been left out so that the carbonation fizz is gone, is quite useful. Read more

Tale of two politicians in two democracies – and their love of IT

Last updated on: June 12, 2008 at 3:25 pm By Desh Kapoor

The current US election has seen a lot of drama. It will see more on the way to the final day. What intrigued me a lot was the news that John McCain is IT ILLITERATE... and does NOT care about it much. When asked in an interview if he is a Mac or PC guy, McCain answered: "neither, I'm an illiterate that has to rely on my wife for all of the assistance I can get." So, the future US President will have no freaking idea as to what are the benefits and the strengths of IT as an enabler of a society and as a weapon on diplomatic or national warfare. He will depend on advisors who are opinionated in any case! On the other hand, in India, the guy whom you least expect to understand the power of Internet - the rustic and the crude Minister of Railways in India, Lalu Prasad Yadav - has started a blog! He is now writing his views on things like Price rise and agitations in the country. Granted he may not be writing it himself nor would be drafting the blog in English.. but he GETS IT! And that is what is most significant! The other day I was talking to a friend and we were reviewing the history of the world. He made an interesting remark. In the 1600's to 1900's Europeans virtually took over the world. Until 1500's India's share in world GDP was 25-30%. By 1947 it had reduced to single digits! Why? One of the main reasons, according to him, was that Europeans mastered the seas! Simply mastered the seas. Read more

Yahoo's India Maps also gives Auto fares!

Last updated on: June 11, 2008 at 4:46 pm By Desh Kapoor

Have you tried maps in India? Yahoo Maps has some excellent stuff in India for directions - and the site gives THREE types of directions: Walking, Driving (in a car) and Biking (believe its with a scooter!). And when you look up the driving directions it not only shows the specific directions, the time taken and the distance.. but also AUTO FARE!! Now, that is interesting and I am sure a blessing for people who are not from that town. I tried two address in Delhi and it worked really well! So, guys in India - before you start on to any destination, just check out the directions, time and the auto fare.. to haggle well with the auto rickshaw-wala!! Read more

Concentration is Hindrance to Freedom

Last updated on: June 11, 2008 at 4:32 pm By Desh Kapoor

In the cultivation of the mind, our emphasis should not be on concentration, but on attention. Concentration is a process of forcing the mind to narrow down to a point, whereas attention is without frontiers. In that process the mind is always limited by a frontier or boundary, but when our concern is to understand the totality of the mind, mere concentration becomes a hindrance. Attention is limitless, without the frontiers of knowledge. Knowledge comes through concentration, and any extension of knowledge is still within its own frontiers. Read more

Olympics visitors' laptops, PDAs, cell phones will be hacked by China

Last updated on: June 11, 2008 at 4:27 pm By Desh Kapoor

The level of impunity with which the Chinese Government goes about treating the world like dirt is amazing. I discussed in my last post how China is a major villain in Darfur. Now, here a news item in USA Today discusses how the electronic data of a security, political or business person visiting China for Olympics could be at risk of espionage! The methods could be wide ranging: - pushing bugs or hacks through the cell toweror ISP while accessing data via PDA or internet through broadband or - when left in the hotel unmonitored. The laptops and e-mail devices taken to the Beijing Olympics are likely to be penetrated by Chinese agents aiming to steal secrets or plant bugs to infiltrate U.S. computer networks. The stakes are high between US and China! I am not sure why the world would want to still appease Beijing by making it to the Olympics!!?? "There is a high likelihood — virtually 100% — that if an individual is of security, political, or business interest to Chinese … security services or high technology industries, their electronics can and will be tampered with or penetrated," Wortzel says. Read more

Genocide Olympics of 2008 in Bejing

Last updated on: June 11, 2008 at 3:12 pm By Desh Kapoor

My friend Vishwajit sent this message - which I wanted to share. It is about the role of China in Darfur! After watching the Frontline/PBS program on Darfur one feels disgusted with the UN and world governments including US and especially China - which supports the Sudanese govt (due to its oil investments in Sudan) and therefore vetoes all UN/International action to intervene in Darfur. A small group of people including yesteryears' actress Mia Farrow have asked that the 2008 Olympics be called the Genocide Olympics to highlight China's support of the genocide. Her efforts and of people like her have resulted in indictments of genocide perpetrators in the Intl Court of Justice, even though world governments do nothing. The US president which would be Bush does not have the balls to stand up to China. I ask your support in this cause. Read more

US think tank says ISI and Pak Army still using terrorism to counter India

Last updated on: June 11, 2008 at 3:02 pm By Desh Kapoor

A report by an influential think tank ("Counter-insurgency in Afghanistan" by Seth Jones) has said what I have always said since long - that the main protagonists in the powerplay within Pakistan specificallt the ISI and the Army are hand-in-glove with the terrorism infrastructure. These two institutions have been built and nurtured with an unwritten verity for them - that the only way to handle India is through terrorism and fake it as a human rights issue. It happened in 1948 in Kashmir when the Army came dressed as tribals to take over Kashmir through the back door before the king came to India for help! It also happened in case of the Khalistan movement. It has happened in Kashmir ever since 1948 and is going on still. It has happened else where as well. This policy was euphemistically called "Strategic Depth" in Zia ul Haq's time. Despite the efforts of the Government to work for the friendship and the efforts of the individuals to foster understanding, these hardened minds have not changed! Read more

Women's rights and Activism of Indian Judiciary

Last updated on: June 11, 2008 at 2:44 pm By Desh Kapoor

Indian Supreme Court is very pro women, which is excellent. In the last so many centuries, the Indian societal customs have taken away from women more than they have given her so this quiet but a definite movement for empowering the woman is very positive. These decisions which become precedents and defacto law have been accumulating over many years. The HIndu Succession Act of 1956 was the first time that by law in modern times, a woman was given the right to inherit property. Before that for the absolute right to be inherited to a lady, the will should have mentioned it in clear and unambiguous terms. After the HSA, 1956 however, a daughter and wife was treated the same way as the male heirs. A spate of judgments were administered by Supreme Court thereafter where the injustice that was prevalent before the HSA 1956 was reversed by saying that any will that did not explicitly give absolute rights to a lady but recognized a "relationship" with the owner that could inherit property, then property rights - however restricted - to such a relationship will blossom as absolute right automatically. Which means that if a wife was not explicitly given absolute rights in the will but rights to live and function in that property (or have any vestige of right to property) then automatically she gets absolute rights to that property. Absolute right to a property means the right of an owner with ability to sell, rent, and/or dispose of the property. I have gone through a law suit within my family where a will which unambiguously took away absolute rights from a wife was also in danger of being interpreted in the same vein - despite the fact that the will of the owner was made and executed in 1975 (almost two decades AFTER HSA, 1956). Such is the level of activism of Supreme Court in this area! Read more

Coffee and tea

Last updated on: June 10, 2008 at 5:42 pm By Desh Kapoor

If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee. Read more

Pakistan on daylight savings and the challenges in South Asia

Last updated on: June 10, 2008 at 3:39 pm By Desh Kapoor

Daylight Savings time is used in the US to save on energy - by making people work during the lighted hours and so needing less electricity to light up the work premises. Pakistan has also decided to do that. It is one of those decisions that create more mess than progress. Such decisions do not work like a switch.. off and on .. and there goes everyone following it. Critical to its implementation is the communication - through normal and innovative channels because 70-80% of the population is in the villages and small towns! And a country where the religion is inextricably linked to timing (prayer times) - such change in times can really get the entire system off the hook. This letter to editor summarizes the challenges very well: — More than 80 per cent people have no idea even how to change the time on watches, what to talk of having any clue about this concept of daylight saving time. — The new timings have disturbed the sleeping schedule of people, resulting into negative effects on their efficiency and output. Read more