AIDS | Bitter fruit | Economist.com

AIDS | Bitter fruit | Economist.com: "LIME juice is famous in medical history. Sailors—particularly British sailors—drank it to keep scurvy at bay. But the past few years have seen another use mooted. This is that, if applied to the vagina, it might protect a woman from HIV infection, and thus from AIDS. On April 24th a group of researchers met at the Microbicides 2006 conference in Cape Town to discuss the matter.

Though a lime-juice douche sounds a ghastly idea, women have been putting acids into their vaginas for millennia, in the hope of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Indeed, cleaning with lime juice is common practice in parts of Africa. Of 200 prostitutes surveyed in 2004 in the Nigerian city of Jos, 163 said they rinsed with lemon or lime juice before or after sex to prevent pregnancy and infections. The question is, are they sensible to do so?

Acids immobilise sperm and kill pathogens, including HIV. (Laboratory studies have shown that a one-in-five dilution of lemon or lime juice inactivated 90% of HIV in just two minutes.) And, in addition to its high citric-acid content, lime juice has a second attractive feature: it literally grows on trees."

China, Vatican Edge Toward Accord

China, Vatican Edge Toward Accord: "Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong, the senior Roman Catholic cleric in China, said the Vatican's readiness to drop ties with Taiwan represents a major gain for the Chinese government and is the main motive for Beijing's decision to soften hostility toward the church. Other analysts noted that the reconciliation talks also fit into a broad effort by China to establish normal trade and other relations with countries around the world, including heavily Catholic nations in Central America whose diplomatic loyalties now lie with Taiwan."

Sure looks like commercialisation of religion. The Vatican seems to be trading with the Chinese for converts. I have known religions like Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainsim, Zorashtrianism and some other probably who teach you how to live your life and be a staisfied. All of them have a common gist but implement it with different rigors. However none of these seem to have this overwhelming desire to impose their ideas all over the world. Frankly its like dealing with a pesky salesman calling.

Unagi !!

Hahaha .. I cant forget that friend episode where Ross is practicing Unagi (some asian art which makes you very aware of your surroundings).
Its not very difficult to understand that being aware of your surroundings/environment and of what you are doing at any point of time gives you more satisfaction and peace. I am am just re-asserting this to myself. The haelth-screen yesterday was an eye-opener in a way. It made me realze that I am not aware of most of the things that i do in life. Talk about free will huh :)) .
I dont know what i am eating, or doign towards being healthy.
I dont know how I plan to accumulate wealth.
borderline a losers life : )

I think its time for rennaissance.

Lessons in harmony, the Bengal madrasa way

Lessons in harmony, the Bengal madrasa way: "In Jalpaiguri district, about 500 km north of Kolkata, 14-year-old Julita is posting higher marks in Arabic tests than her Muslim classmates at the Badaitari Ujiria Madrasa.

'I like the subject very much and that fact that I am a Christian has never been a problem with my Muslim friends.'

Tapas Layek, the Hindu headmaster of a madrasa in south Kolkata has several co-religionists as colleagues. 'We are loved and respected by our Muslim students who are also friendly with their Hindu classmates,' he said.

Bengali Muslim scholars say that the view that madrasas are simply Islamic finishing schools is a corruption of their traditional role.

'Our madrasas are the perfect examples of what such institutes should really be,' said Dr. Mohammed Sahidullah at Calcutta University.

Renowned Bengali filmmaker Mrinal Sen, a former jury member at the Cannes festival, said the state's experiment should be copied across the country."


Awesome. These are things that make you proud to be an Indian.

Movies this weekend

After a long drought 3 entertaining movies , scary movie 4, cowboy del amor and bluff master.

cowboy del amor , is a documentary about this cowboy nut who helps lonely american guys find mexican wives. interesting to see how one of them had a serious marriage.