Fredpereira's Blog

New Rules For Employment December 4, 2012

SICKNESS AND RELATED LEAVE: We will no longer accept a doctor statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

SURGERY: Operations are now banned. As long as you are an employee here, you need all your organs. You should not consider removing anything. We hired you intact. To have something removed constitutes a breach of employment.

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE:This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, Relatives or coworkers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend to the arrangements. In rare cases, where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early, provided your share of the work is done enough.

YOUR OWN DEATH: This will be accepted as an excuse. However, we require at least two weeks notice as it is your duty to train your own replacement.

RESTROOM USE: Entirely too much time is being spent in the restroom. In the future, we will follow the practice of going in alphabetical order. For instance, all employees whose names begin with ‘A’ will go from 8:00 to 8:10, employees whose names begin with ‘B’ will go from 8:10 to 8:20 and so on. If you’re unable to go at your allotted time, it will be necessary to wait until the next day when your turn comes again. In extreme emergencies employees may swap their time with a coworker. Both employees’ supervisors in writing must approve this exchange. In addition, there is now a strict 3-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, and the stall door will open. Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternations, or input should be directed elsewhere. Have a nice week.

Thank you,

The Management

Tea : The disadvantages of a TEA BAG April 26, 2012

Are the usage of tea bags safe? below are some hard facts of certain disadvantages of using a Tea Bag.

What are Teabags Made From?

First teabags were made from silk and muslin. Nowadays, teabags are mostly made from paper, produced from a blend of wood and vegetable (hemp) fibers. Both wood and vegetable pulp are usually chlorine-bleached, meaning that small amount of toxic chlorine compounds may end up in teabag paper.

To avoid chlorine toxicity, today some tea sellers use only teabags from non-chlorine (oxygen) bleached teabag paper, completely non-bleached paper, or teabags from synthetic fibers (1). 

Paper Production and Bleaching

Wood consists of about 50% cellulose fibers, 30% lignin fibers, and 20% of other easily extracted substances (2). Lignin gives wood its strength and color. In order to get white paper (almost 100% cellulose), lignin and other substances have to be removed. Pulp cooking removes the most lignin from the pulp, and remaining lignin can be removed by bleaching.

Chlorine Bleaching

The aim of using chlorine is to remove lignin from pulp (delignification), and thus bleach it.

Chlorine

Up until the late 1990s, elementary chlorine (Cl2) was used for pulp bleaching (3). Chlorine pulls lignin out from the pulp. Some chlorine binds to lignin, resulting in toxic organochlorine byproducts like chloroform, dioxin, furans etc.

Chlorine Dioxide – Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) Bleaching

Nowadays chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is used in pulp bleaching instead of elementary chlorine. Chlorine dioxide does not bind to lignin but breaks it down, resulting in by far the less amount of dioxins in wood pulp (3). However, paper bleached with chlorine dioxide is still not completely chlorine free as some paper manufacturers may claim (3).

Extended delignification with ozone, oxygen or other non-chlorine whiteners, can furtherly reduce the amount of dioxins in the pulp (3).

Non-Chlorine Bleaching

Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) Bleaching

Processed Chlorine Free bleaching uses totally chlorine free processing, but includes recycled paper, which must be assumed as previously chlorine-bleached. Both the recycled fiber and any virgin fiber must be bleached without chlorine compounds (3). Before the fibers are made into new paper, they are thoroughly washed many times, so it is unlikely that chlorine will still be attached to the fibers after PCF bleaching. But minute amount of dioxins may still be expected to be found in the pulp.

Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) Bleaching

Totally Chlorine Free bleaching uses no chlorine compounds in bleaching procedure and only virgin wood pulp is used. Bleaching chemicals used – peracetic acid (CH3COOOH), oxygen (O2), ozone (O3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) – produce no chlorine byproducts (3).

Dioxin

The chemical name for dioxin is 2,3,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzo para dioxin (TCDD). The name ‘dioxins’ is often used for the family of chemically related polychlorinated dibenzo para dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). TCDD is the most toxic dioxin (4,11).

Common Sources of Dioxin

A human, in average, ingests most of dioxin with meat, dairy products, fish, shellfish and eggs (4,11).

Dioxin in Teabags

2,3,7,8-TCDD has been found in teabags at concentrations up to 4.79 ppt (6, page 83)

Bleached containers and filters can leach dioxins into milk, coffee, and other foods with which they come in contact (7). 

Health Risk of Dioxin Exposure

Once dioxins have entered the body, they are absorbed by fat tissue. Their half-life in the body is estimated to be seven to eleven years (4). The study performed on Princeton University, USA, in y. 2003, has shown that there is no safe dose below which dioxin will not cause cancer (5).

After ingestion, dioxins accumulate in fatty tissues and disrupt the hormone system. EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) scientists warned in 1994 that minute exposures to organochlorines can lead to cancer, loss of reproductive capabilities, endometriosis, developmental and behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, birth defects, and damaged immune systems (4). Fetus may absorb dioxins across the placenta and infant through their mother’s milk (8). However, TCDD does not affect DNA (4).

Who Is Sensitive to Dioxin?

All people may be harmed by small amounts of dioxin, but at most risks are:

• Developing fetus
• Newborn with rapidly developing organ systems

Chlorine Free Products Association

The Chlorine Free Products Association certifies papers that meet their criteria for chlorine free. It awards its PCF symbol(Processed Chlorine Free) to papers that contain a minimum of 30% recycled fibers, have not been chlorine-rebleached, and use TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) virgin pulp that did not come from old growth forests. Its TCF symbol (Totally Chlorine Free) is awarded to virgin papers meeting the same criteria (3).  PCF and TCF symbols may be found on some paper products including tea bags.

Customer Awareness

Because of increased customers awareness, many tea selling companies now use oxygen-bleached teabags instead of chlorine-bleached ones.

It is hard to say from the look of the teabag, is it bleached or not. If in doubt, and if you find this as an important issue, call the tea seller company and ask. They are usually willing to answer all questions. 

Final Words about Bleached Teabags Health Risk

The following conclusion may be made from currently accessible online sources:

1. Dioxin was found in teabags in small amounts (6).
2. There is no minimal dose of dioxin which will not be able to cause cancer (5).
3. There is no known study showing that people using bleached teabags actually get cancer or other diseases more often than others. For comparison, FDA (US Federal Drug Administraton) estimated that an amount of dioxin consumed by people using bleached coffee filters would theoretically generate no more than one excess incident of cancer in one million people (9).

2012 January 17, 2012

AS WE bid goodbye to 2011, we do not only ponder and reflect on the year that is about to end. It is also that time of the year when people start to roll out their predictions to unveil what’s in store for them on the upcoming year.

The Chinese Zodiac indicates that the Year 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. In Ancient China, the celestial Dragon also called Lung, the fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac, represented power and authority. Nowadays, the Chinese people and Feng Shui experts associate Dragon with victory and happiness.

However, despite the success and bliss denoted by Lung, thousands of people fear the coming of 2012 as predictions have linked this year to the end of the world. The movie 2012, which was based on these prophecies and was released on November 2009, gained a lot of attention and has ignited debates among different sectors.

These are the speculations, predictions and prophecies that have equated the upcoming year to doomsday.

The Mayan Calendar

History reveals that Mayan people were Native Americans who had one of the most advanced civilizations in the western hemisphere before the coming of the Europeans. The Mayans were known for their achievements in astronomy and as well as their pair of interlocking calendars they used to schedule their rituals and ceremonies. The calendars were made by Mayans based on cycles within cycles.

The Mayan Calendar has received a lot of attention as researchers concluded that important dates on the said calendar coincided with astronomical phenomena astronomers anticipated after studying the solar system.

Many scholars believe that the Mayan calendar depicts 2012 as the end of the world. However, some researchers said 2012 marks the end of a major cycle which Mayans called the Great Cycle. The Great Cycle, which according to the Mayan Calendar started on 13.0.0.0.0, happens within 5,125 years. Based on several studies, the Mayans predicted that from 1999, people will have 13 years to change themselves and prepare for the end of the whole cycle of civilization. The Mayans expected that the 5,125 years Great Cycle will come to an end on December 21, 2012 A.D. From this prophecy, media practitioners tagged December 21, 2012 as 2012 Doomsday.

The Inca and Aztec Prophecy

The Incas and Aztec people were Native Americans who lived in South and North America respectively. They were both known for building cities, bridges and roads. Aside from these contributions, the Incas and Aztecs are controversial for their 2012 prediction.

The Aztec prediction states that on the winter solstice on December 21, 2012, “the noonday Sun exactly conjuncts the crossing point of the sun’s ecliptic with the galactic plane, while also closely conjuncting the exact center of the galaxy.” Therefore, the Aztec people believed that our solar system seems to belong to another galaxy which crashes, bumps and collides with the Milky Way.

Moreover, the Aztec prediction explains that all the natural phenomena, which are experienced from 2011 to 2012, are all products of the said collision and solar explosions. These events, according to Aztec prophecy, could cause the destruction of the Earth.

Astronomers’ Predictions

Researchers and astronomers are amazed that the Mayans were able to predict important events in the solar system despite the absence of high technologies during their time. Astronomers support Mayans’ prediction that on December 21,2012 a significant event in the solar system will occur. Astronomers anticipated on the same date the occurrence of a rare planet alignment in the Milky Way which happens once every twenty five thousand years.

Prophecies also show that the world will vanish after being struck by asteroids and comets in 2012. Yet, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) cleared that the Apophis, the large asteroid they’ve been monitoring, might hit the Earth by 2036. However, NASA admitted that there is still a big possibility that the path and movement of the asteroid might change anytime. If we’ll look at geology, Earth’s collision with an asteroid 65 million years ago led to the extinction and disappearance of dinosaurs on the planet.

Although there are no scientific proofs yet, astronomers believe that there seems to be a missing planet from the orbital rotation. They fear calamities might happen if the so called Planet X’s orbit interferes with the solar system. However, NASA objected the prediction that the phenomenon will happen in 2012.

The Apocalypse

The Book of Revelation, the last Book of the New Testament, continues to be the subject of different interpretations and debates if it should be taken literally or symbolically. It was written not to scare people about tragic calamities in the future but to “prepare the Church for the last intervention of God in human affairs.”

The book discloses God’s revelations regarding future events through numerical symbolism. According to the Book of Revelation, “the judgments are released upon the earth in the form of seven trumpets, two witnesses, a dragon (the devil), the beast (the antichrist), the false prophet and the seven golden bowls.”

The apocalyptic writings are viewed by many people not just as Good News about the coming of Jesus Christ but also as a warning that the world might end soon. Because some of the signs mentioned in the book such as plague, earthquakes, hailstorms, fire, famine, meteor storm and lack of potable water have already happened, many people feel that the end of the world is fast approaching.

Year 2012 continues to be shrouded by lots of mysteries. Nobody knows what exactly will happen on December 21, 2012 or at any time in that year. Our human minds might not have the power to see the future, but this does not mean that we’ll just allow ourselves to be continuously haunted by our anxieties and fears of dying.

Let us stop worrying about things we have no control over. Let us stop bothering ourselves about how much time we have and what’s in store for us on the coming days, weeks, months and years.

Instead, let us focus on setting our personal goals that will help change others’ lives for the better and will make 2012 not our worst but our best year ever!

Global economy unprepared for disaster January 8, 2012

The global economy could withstand widespread disruption from a natural disaster or attack by militants for only a week as governments and businesses are not sufficiently prepared to deal with unexpected events, a report by a respected think-tank said.

Events such as the 2010 volcanic ash cloud, which grounded flights in Europe, Japan’s earthquake and tsunami and Thailand’s floods last year, have showed that key sectors and businesses can be severely affected if disruption to production or transport goes on for more than a week.

 “One week seems to be the maximum tolerance of the ‘just-in-time’ global economy,” said the report by Chatham House, the London-based policy institute for international affairs.

The current fragile state of the world’s economy leaves it particularly vulnerable to unforeseen shocks. Up to 30 percent of developed countries’ gross domestic product could be directly threatened by crises, especially in the manufacturing and tourism sectors, according to the think-tank.

It is estimated that the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Asia cost businesses $60 billion, or about 2 percent of east Asian GDP, the report said.

After the Japanese tsunami and nuclear crisis in March last year, global industrial production declined by 1.1 percent the following month, according to the World Bank.

The 2010 volcanic ash cloud cost the European Union 5-10 billion euros and pushed some airlines and travel companies to the verge of bankruptcy.

“I would like to think we can learn from those experiences and be more resilient for longer but it won’t happen unless governments and businesses are better prepared and put in place different supply chains which can be relied on when disasters strike,” said Alyson Warhurst, chief executive of UK-based risk analysis company Maplecroft.

‘Be Prepared’

Costs can escalate quickly when transport or major production hubs are disrupted for more than a few days, which can in turn threaten food and water supplies and energy and communication networks, the report said.

In the event of prolonged disruption, some businesses would be forced to cut investment and jobs or consider closing down, leading to a permanent reduction in countries’ growth.

In general, governments and businesses are under-prepared to respond to high-impact, unpredictable events, with worst-case scenarios rarely factored into their contingency plans.

“Contingency and business planning often assumes the return of status quo ante post-crisis. But this approach will be inadequate in a world of complex economic and social risks, when there is no return to business-as-usual practices,” said Bernice Lee, the report’s lead author.

 “Industries – especially high-value manufacturing – may need to re-consider their just-in-time business model in an interdependent world,” she added.

Climate change and water scarcity will only add to risks, putting even more pressure on infrastructure and resources.

Experts have been warning governments over the past few years that they are not properly prepared to deal with national crises.

The UK government came under fire in 2007 for its lack of preparation and response to severe floods, which cost the economy 3.2 billion pounds.

The think-tank recommended various ways to improve responses from governments and businesses to extreme events.

It particularly highlighted social media networks as a useful “one-stop shop” for information in the event of a crisis. In the London riots last year, social networks such as Twitter proved invaluable for many people to track the rioters’ movements across the UK capital and take precautions.

Are you a J in the office? November 29, 2011

By Bikram Vohra
Have you noticed how, in any organisation (including yours) only thirty per cent of the people on staff pull their weight. The rest goof off, duck the load or simply pass the buck.

What makes it worse is that the bosses at each level start to shovel the work to a select few whom they trust.

Actually this trust thing is load of rubbish, basically, they know that that specific individual will deliver so they use the ego massage route.

“Trust you.” “Know you can do it.”  “Give it to old J, he knows what he is doing.”

Oh yeah. So old J is stuck with three nights work to ensure that the corporate report is ready for the big meeting in London and his wife is angry because they have had to cancel two functions and the kids are saying, Dad who? But old J, he can be trusted and he can deliver so he slaves away and produces this gem of a report and then what happens.

J stays home while boss and half a dozen mini bosses trot off to London for three days of fun and frolic and the report plus six copies that J wrote is the centrepoint of the meeting and the deal is made on the strength of it and everyone pats everyone on the back and goes off to celebrate even as old J is sitting in front of the bank manager requesting a loan for a second hand car.

What compounds the situation is that J will be called upon the next time a decent piece of work has to be done and he will go and do it because that is the way he is made.

You might ask what exactly is this ‘way he is made.’

He is susceptible to blandishment. Naturally disciplined, he responds to authority and praise from a superior becomes a command. Good old J, he’ll do it. And good old J, he will.

This suits everyone else because they can bask in reflected glory, play golf, socialise, sharpen their networking skills, play interoffice games, build their careers, map out options, throw malice, plot, have working lunches, pass judgement on the work done by the other few mini- Js in the office and fine tune all their hard work and research and even take the credit for it.

Touched up the report, Sir (to the man on top.)

Not bad, J, I just cleaned it up a bit, good effort ( seeing as how you did 99 percent of it and I added two lines.)

Bosses have been known to use the praise bait with ruthless abandon. The moment they spot a J in the ranks they know they have a winner who doesn’t want the spoils and is happy just being vaguely acknowledged. The trick lies in feeding him occasional dollops of praise like feeding a horse a handful of peppermints.

Now, all this wouldn’t be so bad, after all one takes a job to work and work well, but what makes the Js different is that they seldom get reward. Along with their promotions come leg ups for goof offs, apple polishers, the office politicians, the survivors, the acolytes, the outright crooks.

No difference. Each gets the bonus, the increment, the promotion. All too often J brings up the rear because though he is seen as the dependable one he is not always recognised as a leader. His profile is muted.

Naturally, he is the only one too busy working to create the right images.

Then what happens. Since he is overloaded he short circuits and can’t handle it all. One day, he falls down on the job. All the others have no track record to maintain so when they fail it doesn’t stand out. In the case of a J the failure is glaring. It shrieks its presence.

Disappointed in you, says the boss.

J cringes with shame.

Depended on you always, says the boss, and you let me down.

J dies a thousand deaths.

You are my man, I have always backed you, now you do this to me.

J flip flops on the floor in disgrace.

Now, he will work twice as hard to redeem himself and settle for even less reward while the majority sit around being judgemental.

Sometimes I wonder if life would function in an office if there were no Js around.

What is LOKPAL BILL August 23, 2011

MERA DESH MAHAN…Jai Hind August 10, 2011

Sir Winston Churchill wrote 64 years ago about India : “Power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low caliber & men of straw. They will have sweet tongues & silly hearts. They will fight amongst themselves for power & India will be lost in political squabbles. A day would come when even air & water would be taxed in India.”

The Top Scams in India

1) 2G Spectrum Scam

We have had a number of scams in India; but none bigger than the scam involving the process of allocating unified access service licenses. At the heart of this Rs.1.76-lakh crore worth of scam is the former Telecom minister A Raja – who according to the CAG, has evaded norms at every level as he carried out the dubious 2G license awards in 2008 at a throw-away price which were pegged at 2001 prices.

2) Commonwealth Games Scam

Another feather in the cap of Indian scandal list is Commonwealth Games loot. Yes, literally a loot! Even before the long awaited sporting bonanza could see the day of light, the grand event was soaked in the allegations of corruption. It is estimated that out of Rs. 70000 crore spent on the Games, only half the said amount was spent on Indian sportspersons.

The Central Vigilance Commission, involved in probing the alleged corruption in various Commonwealth Games-related projects, has found discrepancies in tenders – like payment to non-existent parties, will-ful delays in execution of contracts, over-inflated price and bungling in purchase of equipment through tendering – and misappropriation of funds.

3) Telgi Scam

As they say, every scam must have something unique in it to make money out of it in an unscrupulous manner- and Telgi scam had all the suspense and drama that the scandal needed to thrive and be busted.

Abdul Karim Telgi had mastered the art of forgery in printing duplicate stamp papers and sold them to banks and other institutions. The tentacles of the fake stamp and stamp paper case had penetrated 12 states and was estimated at a whooping Rs. 20000 crore plus. The Telgi clearly had a lot of support from government departments that were responsible for the production and sale of high security stamps.

4) Satyam Scam

The scam at Satyam Computer Services is something that will shatter the peace and tranquillity of Indian investors and shareholder community beyond repair. Satyam is the biggest fraud in the corporate history to the tune of Rs. 14000 crore.

The company’s disgraced former chairman Ramalinga Raju kept everyone in the dark for a decade by fudging the books of accounts for several years and inflating revenues and profit figures of Satyam. Finally, the company was taken over by the Tech Mahindra which has done wonderfully well to revive the brand Satyam.

5) Bofors Scam

The Bofors scandal is known as the hallmark of Indian corruption. The Bofors scam was a major corruption scandal in India in the 1980s; when the then PM Rajiv Gandhi and several others including a powerful NRI family named the Hindujas, were accused of receiving kickbacks from Bofors AB for winning a bid to supply India’s 155 mm field howitzer.

The Swedish State Radio had broadcast a startling report about an undercover operation carried out by Bofors, Sweden’s biggest arms manufacturer, whereby $16 million were allegedly paid to members of PM Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress.

Most of all, the Bofors scam had a strong emotional appeal because it was a scam related to the defense services and India’s security interests.

6) The Fodder Scam

If you haven’t heard of Bihar’s fodder scam of 1996, you might still be able to recognize it by the name of “Chara Ghotala ,” as it is popularly known in the vernacular language.

In this corruption scandal worth Rs.900 crore, an unholy nexus was traced involved in fabrication of “vast herds of fictitious livestock” for which fodder, medicine and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procured.

7) The Hawala Scandal

The Hawala case to the tune of $18 million bribery scandal, which came in the open in 1996, involved payments allegedly received by country’s leading politicians through hawala brokers. From the list of those accused also included Lal Krishna Advani who was then the Leader of Opposition.

Thus, for the first time in Indian politics, it gave a feeling of open loot all around the public, involving all the major political players being accused of having accepted bribes and also alleged connections about payments being channelled to Hizbul Mujahideen militants in Kashmir.

8) IPL Scam

Well, I am running out of time and space over here. The list of scandals in India is just not ending and becoming grave by every decade. Most of us are aware about the recent scam in IPL and embezzlement with respect to bidding for various franchisees. The scandal already claimed the portfolios of two big-wigs in the form of Shashi Tharoor and former IPL chief Lalit Modi.

9,10) Harshad Mehta & Ketan Parekh Stock Market Scam

Although not corruption scams, these have affected many people. There is no way that the investor community could forget the unfortunate Rs. 4000 crore Harshad Mehta scam and over Rs. 1000 crore Ketan Parekh scam which eroded the shareholders wealth in form of big market jolt.

It one notices most of the SCAMS are politically driven or some politician involved, yet we don’t have any any law in India to punish them, infact all the politicians involved in scams are today roaming free and having Z-Security in India and the common man who pays for all this is suffering WAKE UP MY FELLOW INDIANS ….. And, can we live a scam-free life in India for a while now?

Only one thing I would like to say to all our Corrupt Politicians and the Ruling party, PLEASE DO TAKE CARE OF US INDIANS IN THE SIMILAR MANNER YOU HAVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF TAJ MAHAL HOTEL ACCUSED CALLED KASAB.

We are indeed an incredible NATION; we have worked very hard and we have indeed proved Sir Winston Churchill right…..

JAI HIND.

Hangover Cures June 19, 2011

Time for vacation and its time for – er – carousing and … heads get sore! Sadly, good time is often hard to have without alcohol. So here’s a list of the best hangover cures. If we were all sensible we would avoid hangovers by not drinking at all! But where would be the fun in that?

Here are some other tips to keep you feeling bright and breezy the morning after the night before…
Prevention is better than cure
Don’t drink. It’s BAD for you….
Well?
Ok, that advice didn’t work.

Eat before you go out
Holiday times are cool, office parties and free booze etc, so who wouldn’t be tempted at a little over indulgence?
To keep that hangover at bay, you should eat loads before you get your glad rags on and go to that party.
On this occasion (and only this occasion!), a fatty meal is beneficial – as fat is digested slowly, and will protect the stomach from the irritating effects of alcohol.
A glass of fatty milk slows down the absorption of alcohol.

But don’t make the basic mistake of thinking you’re safe now.

Fat slows down intake; it does not negate intake!
And when you’re there? … Lighten up
Avoid drinks that contain large amounts of “congeners”, as these tend to cause more severe hangovers.
Generally, these are dark-coloured drinks such as red wine, brandy, and port.
Have some soft drinks too.
If you have a non-fizzy soft drink or water between each alcoholic tipple, you’ll drink less booze and ultimately have a less severe hangover. It’s a way of kidding yourself basically. Fizzy drinks do help to speed up the amount of alcohol going into the bloodstream.
Also alcohol is very dehydrating (this is the main cause of a hangover headache) so if you drink water between vodkas you’ll be more hydrated and less likely to wake up with a splitting headache! Yippee!
Get some fresh air
If it’s safe for you to walk home then the activity and the fresh air will help you sober up and to feel better in the morning.
Drink… something else!
Next time you roll out of the pub, thinking you barely have the energy to brush your teeth before you go to sleep, pause for a second and think about gulping some water before you to sleep. You’re hung over because you’re dehydrated. Water combats dehydration.
This is the best way to cure your hangover then: drink a pint of water before you go to bed. You won’t feel so rubbish in the morning.

Drink some orange juice, because the vitamin C speeds up the metabolism of the alcohol by the liver. Have some toast – a lack of sugar is responsible for that wobbly trembling feeling, and it will settle your stomach too, so whack up your blood sugar level by eating, well, almost anything! A sports drink contains everything you need and is a convenient alternative.

If you still wake up with a hangover?
Taken all the advice above and still feel like someone’s dropped a ton of concrete on your head?  Well here’s what to do (and what not to do) to make yourself feel a tad better…
Fry-up
After a hard night’s boozing, your digestive system is under a lot of strain, so bacon, sausages and the works may cause indigestion, but fat contains lots of calories, so you will get a much-needed energy boost.
And eggs and meat are rich in the amino acid, cysteine, which is thought to be good at clearing out toxins.
So does it work?
Yes, but it wouldn’t hurt to get some of the food grilled.
Painkillers
You’re better off avoiding painkillers altogether if you can.
Paracetamol gives your liver even more work to do. And since you’ve already spent the night giving your liver a good solid kicking, popping pills should never be seen as the easy option.
Hair of the dog?
There is scientific evidence to prove this works, but only in the short term!
While your body is busy dealing with a new intake of booze, it suspends its torture until you’re done drinking again – and then it’s back to hangover hell.
So basically by doing this you’re just avoiding the inevitable, so don’t bother!
Caffeine
Some people swear by a can of coke, cup of tea or black coffee. However, these will only make you feel better for a short time. A hangover is a sign of dehydration… caffeine causes dehydration… ER, work it out dude! It’s a combination destined to make your head hurt.
Water
As above.
You’re hungover because you’re dehydrated. Water combats dehydration. So, if you didn’t drink water before crashing out, then drink a pint of water every hour of the day.
Fruit Juice
The best sort is freshly squeezed and works because it replaces lost vitamins.  The fruit sugar boosts your energy levels and may help your body get rid of toxins. If it feels too acidic, water it down, add it to a smoothie with banana and yoghurt, or try less acidic vegetable juice.
Sleep
Try to get as much sleep as possible. Your body is working extra hard to rectify the mess you’ve made of your internal organs. This will make you sluggish. If your banging headache’s not keeping you awake – go back to sleep!… so your poor neglected body doesn’t have as much work to do.

SO HAPPY DRUNKING……..

How One Should Eat Fruits…… May 22, 2011

Eating fruit

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It’s not as easy as you think. It’s important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

It means not eating fruits after your meals!  Fruits should be eaten on an empty stomach.

If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.
Fruit is the most important food.

Let’s say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so. 
In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil….  So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining — every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc — actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!
Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice – drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don’t even drink juice that has been heated up. Don’t eat cooked fruits because you don’t get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it.

You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI

Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE
An apple a day keeps the doctor away?
Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants   & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke

STRAWBERRY

Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits  & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE
Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON
Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene — the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA

Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content.. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer!

Can u believe this??
For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this ‘sludge’ reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal. 

A serious note about heart attacks
(THIS IS NOT A JOKE) !

Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.. Sixty percent of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let’s be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive. 

How snakes lost their legs May 4, 2011

Some, if not all, snakes used to have legs, and now new research suggests snakes lost their limbs by growing them more slowly or for a shorter period of time.

The research, outlined in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, strengthens the belief that snakes evolved from a lizard that either burrowed on land or swam in the ocean.

In either case, its legs must have become less useful as the animal evolved over time.

“If something is not useful it can regress without any impact on the (animal’s) survival, or regression can even be positive, as for here if the leg was disturbing a kind of locomotion, like for burrowing snakes or swimming snakes.”

For the study, the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, analysed a fossil snake named Eupodophis descouensi. The prehistoric snake lived during the Cretaceous Period in what is now Lebanon.

To better examine the snake, the scientists used a new imagining technique called synchrotron-radiation computed laminography (SRCL). With an intense, high-energy beam of x-rays, the SRCL deeply penetrated the fossil as the researchers rotated it. The result was thousands of two-dimensional images that were later compiled into a three-dimensional model of the ancient snake’s hips and ultra tiny two centimetre long legs.

“Synchrotrons are enormous machines and allow us to see microscopic details in fossils invisible to any other techniques without damage to these invaluable specimens.”

The new 3-D model determined that Eupodophis, in its lifetime, had two small regressed hind limbs and no front limbs. The leg visible to the researchers was bent at the knee, possessing four ankle bones, but no foot or toe bones. The high tech imaging further showed that the internal architecture of the leg bones strongly resembled that of modern terrestrial lizard legs.

“The legs were very regressed” in this snake, which is not the world’s oldest snake, but it comes pretty close. “The oldest snake remains are dated to 112 to 94 million years ago, and this snake is dated to around 90 million years ago.”

Searching for a common ancestor

Yet another snake from the same time period, Najash rionegrina, is also thought to have had two small rear legs, strengthening the theory that snakes once had legs and evolved from a lizard with limbs. Hussam Zaher of the University of Sao Paolo in Brazil, and a colleague found Najash (which means ‘snake’ in Hebrew) at the Rio Negro province of Argentina.

Najash retained a sacrum, a bony feature that supported the pelvis. Zaher believes this feature was lost as snakes evolved from lizards. The fossil snake from Argentina is also thought to have lived on land, since it was found in what was once a terrestrial environment. Zaher says its anatomy suggests this snake lived in burrows.

“The question of snake origin should not be resolved in the next 10 years.”

However, hopeful that all of the separate teams working on this puzzle can one day pinpoint what species was the common ancestor of all snakes.