The art of writing..

When I start reviewing a manuscript, it's almost like I'm in trouble. Bad "scientific" english bothers me. Extreme typos bother me. Papers which talk about Fig 3B before talking about Fig 1A bother me. Papers written by grad students where they submit a  draft of their thesis with words like "as shown in Section 3.2" totally bothers me. Seriously what or where is section 3.2 in a manuscript?
I'm reviewing one such paper right now. I'm quite frustrated with the paper (not that it's bad, but its just that I don't understand it since it's all about atherosclerosis and stuff...). So I turn to The Hindu, my favourite Indian newspaper to take a break. I read an article about Sowmya's kutcheri in Chennai and I must say the critic has totally bugged me. Here's what he writes .. http://www.thehindu.com/arts/article3331869.ece

Now, please read it and tell me, who writes like that? I'm really curious, WHY do people write like that? They take words out of GRE books /dictionaries and paste it together irrespective of whether it makes sense or not. Why can't people write proper, crisp sentences which are grammatically correct and simple to read and understand? Why this compulsive need to show off your vocabulary when it ultimately sounds like gibberish?

When you send something to be published, don't you read what you've written? Is it too much to ask for a simple article devoid of such blatant, annoying errors? I'm not asking for a perfect article/paper, but when I am able to pick up errors as they glare out loudly and blatantly at me, why can't the authors/editors/proof readers?? blah.

The Demi-Gods

What happens when 2 of your colleagues think they are Demi-Gods?? Not only do they think so, they are also treated so by some. They talk like they own the scientific world. I agree there is scientific rationale behind the questions they ask.. but somehow, some where the manner in which the questions are asked transcend from being just out of scientific curiosity to getting personal. When you're asked to critique a paper, is it okay for you to doubt and assume that the scientific credibility of the researcher is a whole load of crap?? And how does it fit if it's your own peer? Even as a neutral person watching this kinda treatment meted out from one 1 peer to the other, I'm getting weirdly uncomfortable. It's okay to give critical feedback, but it needs to be done in a professional manner. Yes, you're asking out of professional/scientific curiosity but it DOES get personal, if not to you, definitely to the researcher whose work you're beating the crap out of...
Professionalism.. that's what this whole thing lacks... my 2 cents..

How to write a paper without annoying the readers and driving them crazy

I am no expert in writing papers. I have not written too many of them either (just 8 in total, of which 2-3 were my writing). But I have read quite a few papers to know what is considered ABSOLUTELY annoying to the reader. A lot of scientists, when reviewing papers only look at the scientific content and the data. They don't care much about the writing. I on the other hand, care a LOT about the writing. The text of the paper. May be its because I'm too dumb to make sense of the figures directly without having to read through the text, but I think the text in the paper is an integral part. As an author you end up spending a LOT of money to publish your text.. also think of the trees getting chopped up to make paper to accommodate the text!! So my 2 cents is that an author needs to, and in fact most authors do, spend a LOT of time and energy "writing" and effectively communicating their findings to the scientific audience in a coherent manner.

We recently reviewed a paper for our journal club meeting and a colleague picked a very recent Cell - Stem cell paper for all of us to discuss. Before I go any further, for all of you "non-geeky" readers, if any, I must tell you that Cell - Stem Cell is a journal with one of the HIGHEST impact factors among life science related journals. It doesn't get any better or bigger than a Cell paper and getting it published there is extremely difficult. But this recent paper that I'm referring to was a piece of crap in terms of the writing. The first figure legend (for the non-geeks: it's the text at the bottom of the figure to tell the readers what the figure actually means, as in all the stuff about the type of cell used, the amount of drug/chemical/reagent added, the time, what the graph/picture shows and all that jazz goes in the figure legend) had 2 words in it. I'm not kidding. Figure legend 1A had 2 words "Colony size", with no explanation what so ever about what the colonies are, where they came from.. nothing!! I'm of the opinion that a figure legend needs to be so good that the reader needs to get most of the information about the experiment without having to read through the "Methods" section, or actually having to search through the entire paper for the explanation. But I did search through the paper since this was just figure 1 and I HAD to read through it entirely. And when I did search, I couldn't find it there. Later I figured that the explanation for figure 1A was after figure 3. Turns out that there were 3 authors who had apparently contributed equally to the paper, and my guess is they just sat and pasted each of their texts together and did not have anyone read through it. I have no idea what the PI (principal investigator) or other people in the lab did when they read the paper.. turns out the prof is quite big in the field which is probably why it got into Cell Stem Cell.
Anyways, I'm okay with authors getting confused with their drafts and accidentally using an older draft/version of the text while focusing on the figures entirely.. accidents happen...but seriously what were the REVIEWERS of the paper doing?? Did they only look at the name of the authors and the figures and absolutely ignore the text??? Did they not even skim through the text, if not read it word by word??? Do most reviewers do that?? I'm seriously wondering how stringent the review process is, especially with journals like Cell Stem cell. Totally drives me mad!

Mebbe I'm being too dramatic about this.. but I just think that when you're writing or doing something that other people will judge you for/about, you might as well put your heart and soul into it and do a great job and stop getting on people's nerves by communicating effectively and doing it the right way. And when you're asked to judge somebody else's work as a reviewer, please realize that it's your responsibility and your job to point out and clear up that somebody's crap before it goes into press and gets read by nitwits like me. That's the bottom line of this seemingly endless rant...

Tolerance...

Where does tolerance actually end? When you are tolerant towards people with their differences in caste, color, religion, race, sex, it's good. But suppose somebody makes a racist comment in front of you, although not directly at you, are you still supposed to be tolerant? Does it count as intolerance to open your mouth and say that its wrong/politically incorrect/unethical to say things like that??

Just wondering.. I'm telling myself to let it go and be tolerant of other people's flaws..But am I on the other hand being tolerant of somebody else's intolerance??
If people in Nazi Germany hadn't been so tolerant of one dictator's intolerance, could 60 million people's lives have been saved??

Hmmmm.. where and how does all this figure.. I wonder... :S And where does tolerance actually end??

Mahabharat ravings

Last summer, I realized that Mahabharat was actually there on youtube. All 94 episodes in excellent print! Watch it here if you please! (If the link doesn't work, just go on to youtube and type Mahabharat episode 1 and so forth!) These episodes were such an integral part of my thesis writing! I don't think I would have written my papers/thesis without it! Here's why -
1. Its never ending. Trust me, a PhD dissertation thesis will end quicker than Mahabharat.
2. Somebody's always talking and it gives you perfect company even in the middle of the night while you burn the midnight oil.
3. It peps you up immensely. The pandavas go thru a lot of suffering but they end up victorious, thank God for that! It reminds you that all the 'struggles' that you have gone/going through is/will not be futile.
4. It teaches you to surrender! Now, I'm a hugee believer of this philosophy and I've had many a posts preaching (to myself!!) the importance of surrendering.

Here's a few other reasons why B.R Chopra's series is simply wowing!
1. Its so true to what you've studied/read. This series sticks to what you'd learned in school as a kid and ANY movie/televised program which is true to its text/book version is very dear to the heart!
2. Every single character has done a fabulous job. Nitish Baradwaj (Krishna), Gufi Paintal (Shakuni), Puneet Issar (Duryodhan), Pankaj Dheer (Karna), Arjun (Arjun), Mukesh Khanna (Bheeshma), Girija Shankar (Dritarashtra) are some of my favs. I actually thot Pankaj Dheer would have made a great Arjun, but he's awesome as Karna too! Nithish Baradwaj is Krishna just as you might have imagined him with a smile that can enchant you and make you do whatever he wants. In the making of Mahabharat (can be seen here - ) (again simply type out every single part if it doesn't show up), Puneet Issar very aptly says that every single character in the epic is a shade of grey. There's nobody whos pure white or pure black! It's just that some have more white than black! Even Krishna has shades of grey and even Duryodhana has shades of white, when he embraces the son of a charioteer as his close bud, while the rest of the world refuses to see beyond his caste/community!
3. You hindi language and vocabulary improves a LOT. Seriously!
4. Very highly nostalgic. Reminds me of Sunday mornings as a kid when I used to run to Hindi class to finish the weekly tests early and run back home just in time to watch Mahabharat!

So after last year's thesis/paper writing phase, I started watching the series again this year for the second time and I got done with all 94 episodes a coupla weeks back! Hooked Amma to it as well. Its supremely addictive. Never lets you feel lonely and its a lot of culture/moral values packaged beautifully. Try it, its really worth it. (Ps: some of the parts need to be ottified!!)
Many thanks to the Chopras for making some thing like this, to Rajshri videos for bringing it out on youtube and to guys like Chad Hurley and Larry Page for youtube and google!

Right Ho!

Just finished - "Right Ho, Jeeves".. audio book and the actual book in parts owing to the lack of time to read the full textual book. Loveeeee, Loveeee, LOVED it. Hilarious to the very end.
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (P.G. Wodehouse) is one of those authors whose stories don't have much of a plot. They seem the quintessential masala that's seemingly familiar to many a Desi and Pardesi alike. But what's amaazingg about his books is his choice of words.. the language he uses. His typical Brit wit and humor can really make your day, while actually improving your vocab.
The stories of the wild combination of Bertie Wooster and the perfect gentleman's gentleman Jeeves make a really good read. If you are new to Wodehouse, then this might be a great place to start.

Thank God for Project Gutenberg, which has a great collection of Wodehouse's works.. and Audio books!

Since my last post, my opinion about audio books has changed a lot! They give you perfectt company when you are working on editing figures for a paper, drawing stuff, compiling data, driving alone on a long drive, cooking.. or even when you need someone to read out to you at night.. like those perfect bed time stories for kids! It's a great experience. And for those that don't like to read or don't really read books, audio books work great. Plug in your ipod and listen on. Right Ho, then!

PS: This book goes in my list of favourites. Lovedd it so very much :)

The Audio Book Experience

Listening to my first audio book - "Eat, Pray, Love" it is. Reallyy liking the book and the author's voice so far. It is quite an amazing experience to listen to someone read out to you... especially when its the author herself.
But I must say, it's definitely not easy to multi-task while doing this. I usually listen to music while I work.. but no, listening to an audio book is not the same. It's FAR more absorbing than music.. mebbe bcos I'm listening to it for the first time. You can't just hear the book.. u've got to listen.. and well that wont go very well when you are "working"!

Am done with 6 chapters of the book. I think I'll enjoy the book till the end. Have heard mixed reviews though.. some say the ending of the book is not even half as good as the beginning.. Let's see.

I honestly think "READING" the book is better.. (although I'm enjoying this first time audio book experience). Mebbe bcos while you read, you let your OWN imagination emote! You are not confined by another person's tone and voice, in the emotions you associate with the words. Mebbe im not describing it well enough.. It's a different feeling altogether to visually be able to read something and imagine it.
But on the other hand, listening to the book does have its advantages.. with practice perhaps I could start multi-tasking while listening to it... Also, listening is a lot faster than reading, I think. Ya ofcourse, needless to say, the pace at which I read books (amidst all the work that I have to get done) is pretty dismal..

I really hope I can get done with this book soon. I wanna watch the movie this weekend. Stars my fav heroine.

PS: Justt listened to the book on the way back home! Awesome combination..a good audio book and a nice drive on the road! Woww :)

My views on a Review

Just finished writing my first ever review paper for a journal. Oh God.. I never realized writing a review will be soooo very difficult. It's SO MUCH MORE harder than writing your own research paper.
When you write a review, you have to read pretty much all the papers and be absolutely up-to-date with the literature. Usually if you read just one paper in a particular topic, then you are very likely to paraphrase/plagiarize what's written in it. And since that's a STRICTT NO-NO and considered highly unethical by the scientific community, you must read multiple papers in the topic just to broaden your perspective and to give you a clear understanding of the subject and matter. And then when you sit down to write after reading everything, you are so lost and confused that you need to start re-reading again! I had this problem a LOT. So for several days, I was glued to my laptop for hours at a stretch. And at the end of 4-5 hours of paper chasing and reading (and of course multi-tasking off and on.. ahem!)..I could finally write for less than a half hour before packing up for the day!
I always thought writing your own research paper was harder, especially when you have to make sense and beautifully package all those years of good and junk data! But this experience proved me wrong.
I'm satisfied with the outcome... mebbe because I haven't heard the prof's verdict and seen those red marks yet!! but still, a pretty tuff first-time experience its been for me!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Just got done with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". Everybody seems to be reading it. You board a flight or take a subway, you'll find atleast 2-3 people reading this book or another in the "Millenium series" by the late Stieg Larsson.

My 2 cents: A very dark book that deals with sex related crimes in Sweden. I found the first 300 pages of the book a little too long and too much of a drag, except for the characterizations of Ms. Lisbeth Salander. Just when you think you can imagine her character, the author brings in new twists to her attitude towards life and people, which keeps the first half of the book a little interesting. But the last 300 pages is really fast paced. Totally "unputdownable". Reminds you a lott of "The silence of the lambs"...

Ok.. I'm not gonna say more, because I don't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't read it. But if you don't mind a dark book, then you can try reading it. I must warn you that in parts it is really bewildering and does punch your perplexes!!

I initially wanted to read the other 2 books in the series as soon as I finished this, but now I think I'll take a break after this one.. get back to fantasy a little bit.. or read a witty Wodehouse and then get back to the others in this series.
And so the next one in my book-shelf is "Wicked: Witch and curse" by Nancy Holder.

I wonder..

Ever wondered what it would be like if the Mahabharata were written with Draupadi as the narrator and the entire story being her perspective?
I've been thinking about it for the past few days.. musing over all the incidents that actually happen to Draupadi and all the predicaments she faces as a woman. How did it feel to be soo close to God? In my opinion, she is an epitome of pure devotion to God and she is the perfect example of true surrender. Lord Sri Krishna was her best friend and mentor. Apart from that, how would she have felt when, in her Swayamvar while several kings could not lift up the bow, Karna, the son of a "mere" charioteer managed to lift it and string it? What was it like to be treated like an object and introduced to her mother-in-law as bheeksha..and what did it feel like to be cheated and married to 5 men, while she garlanded only one? What must have been her mental trauma when she realized that she was pawned again like an object in a game of dice.. and was called a whore that slept with 5 men and nearly stripped in a court despite her husbands and grandfather and the king being present?
Draupadi, I think is the real heroine of the Mahabharath. She is a very strong and powerful character.. vain, proud, strong, wanting to avenge the injustice meted to her and highly devoted. When her husbands lose focus of the war towards the end, she reminds them of her promise that she will not wash/comb her hair until Dushasan's blood touches her tresses. She is an icon of feminity and female strength.
I think it may be interesting to read a feministic view of the great epic!

The saga goes on and on and ON.. WHY??

What started off as an amazing talent show for brilliant singers is now going on as an never-ending saga! I'm talking about Airtel Super Singer. Season 1 was in 2006 and Season 2 was for kids under 12, in 2007. I started following the show on youtube in 2007, as I heard Krishnamoorthy and Vignesh croon away in the finals for the juniors. When I got to know that there was some good-hearted soul who was working over-time to upload the videos of Super singer 2008 on the net, I began following it every week right from the auditions of 4000 odd contestants in Chennai, Kovai, Tiruchi zones. I saw how Mahathi, Mathangi and Srilekha called Ravi's singing "flawless".. how Raginishri wept in one of the auditions with Deepen Chakaravarthi even after she was selected.. and even Chinmayi asking the camera man to get out while she was crying. All of that was earlier on in 2008. It finally came down from 4000 to 60 to 20 contestants by mid August 2008. And oh my God.. its been at that stage ever since as the contest for the final super singer is going on.. and well its March 2009, and there are still 6 singers left. I understand that the super singer really needs to be "super".. has to surpass several rounds of screening and testing. But this is like stretching the reality show to another remake of "Kyonki Saas bhi...."It never ends. The producer of the show, I guess, is thinking of this as the hen that lays golden eggs. He/She is trying to make as much money as possible.. wat with the high TRP ratings and the amazing viewership. But I think this needs to be in moderation. It gets annoying if the show does not move on. You've seen the top 10 singers show their versatality in different rounds. And just when you think its moving ahead and in 10 weeks hopefully you will know who the super singer is.. they have a recall round.. first to be judged by the contestants itself.. and the next week to be judged by a panel of judges. And eventually the people that got eliminated come in.. only to be eliminated sooner or later. I know its rather mean on my part to say this.. but that is really not my intention. Its just annoying to see that the show is stuck with no significant happenings. Its going as slow as an inebriated turtle that decides to rest after taking 2 steps!! Not to forget the masala that the producers are adding to it.. Oh did I forget.. its a REALITY show.. ofcourse it has the masala. But please have mercy on the viewers and the contestants and let this show move on a little faster!! A few sensible people who have realized that a lot is lost with the never-ending saga that this show is becoming, have quit. Chinmayi who was the hostess of the show quit early January saying she had to focus on other things.. primarily her singing. And last week, it was a contestant Rohit. He said he had to get back to his academics and his attendance was at stake. Yes, he could have said this earlier and could have given up his spot for another contestant.. but who can blame him. Its the first quarter of 2009 already, and we have no hopes of knowing who the super singer is going to be until summer probably! Or maybe even that is very early for the crew at Vijay TV. I actually pity the contestants and the judges.. I'm guessing atleast a few if not all will be dying for this show to end.. so that they can get on with their lives!
Please dear producers.. get the show moving on. Get to the finals. The juniors are waiting for the auditions for airtel super singer 2009. Have mercy on dumb viewers like me.. who'd rather crib about the show.. than quit watching Ravi, Vijay, Prasanna, Renu and the others croon away!

Of life, actors, family and America..

Am coming back here after a while. Been planning to blog about random stuff, but haven't found the time. Neways heres a gist of sum of the things Ive been thinking about in the recent past..
1. Life's been beautiful. Attended a good conference. Did a lot of fun stuff in the name of attending the conference.. Kayaking, Horse back riding, Bungee trampoline jumping (NO, its NOT the same as bungee jumping!!), White water rafting in the Colorado river. Had a prof ask me to come to his lab for a postdoc!! :) And lot of such stuff. After a really hectic 2-3 months, finally caught up on sleep and relaxed and lazed around in the beautiful Keystone, CO. All the relaxation has finally made me catch up on my spirits and made me realize that life always has been splendid!
(PS: Its a fabulous place.. its famous as a ski resort.. its just one of the reallly awesome places to visit.)
2. I just realized I really like to watch heroines like Kajol, and Tabu. I really like Konkana Sen too, but Kajol and Tabu are my favourites. Kajol is just very naturally instictive, and Tabu is just immensely talented. I think every other heroine is a turn off. To see Bipasha Basu, katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor and the whole herd of them shaking their boobs and butt around is such a turn off. Not that Kajol and Tabu havent done that ..but sumhow I think these 2 can really ACT. And I feel none of the other females in bollywood can even come close. Its just sick to see them dance around in skimpy clothes and do what they claim to be sexy. If there is any woman whose Matkas and Jhatkas I can look at, it is only Madhuri Dixit. Bcos hers were original. I guess she is the one and only 'Dhil Dhak Dhak' queen and I think all of these current heroines follow her style of doing it and it just seems so cliched to watch em all. I just turned on the TV this morning and incidentally saw a Bollywood program and I realized its quite repulsive bcos of all these semi clad heroines who are just all over the place.
3. Been wanting to blog about how it is to be brought up in a family of women. I wanted to write a detailed post, but realized I dont have the patience or the tiem for it. I realized that when you are raised in a family with 2 other women (my mom and my sis) and only women, you are just very naturally told to be strong and to feel strong in ur head. There is no room for weakness of mind. You learn to be both a son and a daughter to ur mom at times just like how she plays the role of both parents to u. U are made to feel that nothing is impossible in the world just bcos u are a woman. U look around you and u find 2 living examples of sensible, mature, strong, level headed women who know what they are doing with their lives and with the lives of those dependent on them and u very naturally and instnictively try and emulate them. U are just very naturally an independent person. At the same time u are also taught to be flexible in thoughts cos a woman plays a very important role in holding the family together. When u grow up with only women around u, u forget how exactly the male species can be with their thoughts and actions and it can just totally puzzle u. They like more emotionally dependent women while on the contrary ur thought to be a fighter.. atleast emotionally.. to be strong. They want u to be a little more romantic, while right from the beginning (especially with folks like mine) ur just by nature taught to be more practical and sensible.. not to be the dreamy eyed princess of the skies, but the go-getter who should try hard to find a place in the male dominated world. And it is quite a task if u waana change sum of those things to fit in with men. -phew!!- :)
4. To America.. I think one of the best things Ive learnt after coming here, is to be open minded about people and customs and religion. When u see universities and companies taking pride in saying "We are an equal opportunity university. We show no discrimination based on color, caste, sex,creed or religion", you actually realize that is the right way to live, to give everyone an equal chance. My thoughts and priorities changed a lott after coming to this country.. just the very way I look at different religions and they way I let that affect my life has changed with time and exposure. What I feel and believe in is quite difficult for my own mom to comprehend, but thats just the way it is.

So thats all the rambling I'm gonna do now. Ill probably let the cobwebs rest here for a while... or mebbe not. Lets c.

Just a thought..

A thought after random searches on google and wiki...
I found that people in some parts of China (Southern China ) eat snake meat and a LOT of other different types of meat... eel, quail, snake, turtle, dog, (cat .. not sure). Actually I think they eat any animal they can lay their hands on. And well if they do practice any religion in their country, then it is Buddhism, for the most part of it.
Hey, but wasn't Buddha's main teaching and principle compassion to ALL creatures and ABSOLUTE nonviolence to any living being? So how come it is that countries which strongly follow Buddhism, or atleast claim to do so, do not follow this?

I guess the same question can be turned on us. Hinduism preaches the same thing.. compassion to all living creatures. But do all Hindus refrain from eating meat?
I guess its all changes thatve taken place with time. Its difficult to track 'em down.

I got the answer to my thought while I was writing this post.

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake

- Rabindranath Tagore's Geetanjali

I remember reading this poem as a school kid...trying to analyze Tagore's depiction of India as a utopia. Well, when I read it in the 8th grade..it din't mean much to me, but now, over the past few days, this poem's been ringing in my head...espply the last few lines.... and I've been thinking a lot about India. I'm not the kinds who appears very patriotic on the outside...infact I'm quite sure none of my friends know that side of me...and I prefer not voicing it out to people....bcos the immediate reaction that ppl give me is..."oh yaa rite...u are sitting there in the US of A...and u talk about patriotism and coming back to India....who u kidding????? "Some are'nt this blatant..but they jus end up smiling to themselves and thinking...."ya here she is...am sure shes gonna get married to sumone there and end up living there the rest of her life!" So I'm pretty much closed up about what I think of India. But today, I really waana pen my thots down...mebbe im a ltl home sick & am jus longing to make a trip to India. Almost always it's only when u dont have sumthing that u've had for a really really long time, that u end up missing it. Its the same thing with staying away from the country... only when u stay far away from it, do u think a lott about it and think of the people there and feel concerned about it too.

During my stay in the USA for the last 2 years, I've had several opportunities to interact with ppl from different nationalities. Some seem to be happy to be out of their motherland and be in the land of opportunities, while there are a few others who want to learn the maximum possible from here so that they can use the experience & exposure when they go back home and work there. Over the last month and a half, I've been working in a Japanese lab and have been in close association with Japanese scientists and researchers. And I've honestly been very impressed and definitely inspired by them. Most of them seem very patriotic and conscientious of their responsiblities to their own country. It actually is a great pleasure to meet and work with people like them. They take real pride in everything thats their own, from cars to reagents and protocols used in the lab. They simply like & trust anything n everything thats Japanese..its quite amazing.
Anyways.. Im not writing this blog to simply pen down how patriotic the Japanese or other nationals are. But what has triggered me to think about this is a simple conversation I had today with a postdoc in the lab. We were talking about airlines and flights and travel deals to go back home...and he was telling me (obviously with a lot of pride) about Japanese airlines.. that they have special deals and their service is classy... And when he asked me about airlines of Indian origin that operate internationally...and why they dont give us the best of deals or why their service isn't of the best quality.. I had very few words to say. All through the dicussion I just wished I could do something about it. Why is it that India lacks a good international airline, despite a large portion of her population flying to/from different countries? That was the smaller picture. On the larger note, I had this raging desire...Why can't our country be the best in something....in anything, but atleastt Something... And well I must point it out here...this desire or thot was NOTT one of accusation about the country...but one of a strong aspiration out of concern. As I said..I reallly wished I could do something about it. I felt as if I should jus go back home to India the very minute and start a world class airline!!!!!
The more I think on the same lines about India... the more I realise that there's soo much one can actually do for her, to make her one of the best. Be it education, science, defense or pharma n bio research...theres soo much that can possibly be done. I think the more important question is how many people are willing to do it and how many CAN do it. Even if most of us , if not all, realise that we owe the country a lottt....considering we've had atleast 21 years of education from her... then that can help us focus better, with respect to our careers and priorities. Offlate, there are a lot of people who have realised that and want to go down to India and do their best with the knowledge they've gained abroad...and Ive learnt that there are some organizations which help such ppl focus too and also give them ideas about what they can do and how they can do it...
Neways...I'm hoping this blog remains as a reminder to my own self, about my ambitions....about those raging desires and aspirations. I shall strive to fulfill it and hopefully I will.

Give it a thought...

Dedicated specially to the bitsian fraternity of smokers:

Note/Disclaimer: This post contains some technical details that could really help make a healthier you. A lot of the scientific details have been taken from different websites and papers. I don't claim any of the scientific information or pictures as my own. As this is just a blog...and not a technical paper written for school, I havent listed all of them out as references!

Definition: "A cigarette is a euphemism for a cleverly crafted product that delivers just the right amount of nicotine to keep its user addicted for life before killing the person.'' World Health Organization director-general Gro Harlem Brundtland.

Cigarettes have always been something that have completely annoyed me. ..the very smell just puts me off, not to forget the wheezing and coughing I'm almost immediately subject to when someone smokes around me. And beyond a point it turns into a splitting headache, by when I actually lose it completelyyyy and end up either sulking or screaming or getting totallyyy pissed. But well, quite ironically, most of my friends smoke...even those reallly close ones whom you know will understand if you yell at them for their disgraceful habit. Tried as I have over the last 4-5 years to convince them to quit, it hasnt been quite successful. I've tried everything a person could possibly do....advice them, caution them, scream/yell at them, throw a fit, walk away with a cold face,and to some...Ive even broken down in tears asking them to quit....but as I said, they havent been received very well. So with time, I've become accustomed to their habit and have also learned to like my friends just the same. And heck..they are my friends (which is why Ive been begging them in the first place!!)..but come on..Im sure they have their own justifications for doing what they are doing. And I know it can get really annoying if someone is at your back all the time telling you what is right and wrong. So as I said, Ive just learnt to remain silent and have got used to their habit.
However, over the last one year as a grad student in a PhD program, there have been these courses and lectures covering the different ill-effects of smoking, and I've had several chances to reflect upon the damage cigarettes and smoking beget. In this post, I have attempted to list some of them. I think every smoker should know what they are doing to themselves...to every single part of their body, and then decide if thats the value they have for their own life and health.

Disclaimer: I'm not writing this blog in an attempt to convince anyone to quit....although it'd do you a whole world of good, and me a lot of happiness, either directly or indirectly, if you did.

CANCER: Cancer cures smoking! (No..I havent written that wrong..jus re-read it.) Almost everyone is just aware of the fact that lung cancer is predominantly caused by smoking. Not many know that smoking is a major cause of several other cancers, including larynx (voice box), oral cavity, pharynx (throat), and esophagus, and is a contributing cause in the development of cancers of the bladder, pancreas, liver, uterine cervix, kidney, stomach, colon and rectum, and some leukemias (blood cells).
87% of lung cancer is caused by smoking and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women alike. Its difficult to detect at the early treatable stages, but its a disease that can be largely prevented. I just found a good pic online with the caption "Healthy lung vs smokers lung. You decide."


Here are a few others... (they might look a little scary..but as I said..a smoker MUST know all that the body is put to simply bcos of inhaling smoke off the cancer sticks.) This one I really want to state the website..
http://freehosting.tomaweb.com/QuitSmoking/scarystuff.htm
The first picture is that of a neck tumor caused by excessive smoking, where the cancer can spread from the lungs to the neck. The second is an X-ray which shows how it can happen, and the third is the image of a person with oral cancer.





If a person stops smoking, the risk of lung cancer reduces drastically. Yearly the abnormal cancerous cells are replaced by normal cells. 'After 10 years, the risk drops to a level that is one-third to one-half of the risk for people who continue smoking.

HEART: Please visit http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/heart.htm when you get a chance. It does not have any scary pics ( I guess..), but has a lot of scientific details that make a good read, espply if you are interested in your heart and its healthy functioning.

Within minutes of inhaling cigarette smoke, the heart rate begins to rise, almost by 30% in the first 10 minutes. It raises the blood pressure and causes the heart to work harder to pump blood to the rest of the body. Smoking also increases the blood cholesterol levels and makes the arterial walls sticky. In Australia, government health campaigns use TV images of fatty deposits being squeezed out from an aorta (VERYYYY important artery in the human body, that carries pure blood or oxygenated blood to the rest of the body). Smoking causes fat to be deposited in the walls of the aorta to an extent that it can clog it up entirely. So when a person consumes food or a dish rich in fat, what would otherwise be not very unhealthy to a normal non-smoker, becomes catastrophic when the person is a smoker.
Below is the pic of fatty deposits being squuezed out of the aorta of a 33 year old smoker, who used to smoke since he was 23. The red tube like structure is the aorta.



So if you are in your 20's and are a smoker, and if you think, you can consider quitting later on in your life, cos now you are just too young to quit...afterall you jus started...you might want to reconsider the thought. I dont intend being pessimistic, but I think its important to know this instead of being regretful later. The nice thing is that its never too late to quit. So go ahead and use your common sense and do the thing that seems more logical.

Smoking also causes the blood to become more sticky (by causing raised fibrinogen levels and platelet counts). Carbon monoxide (CO) which is one of 4000 different toxic compounds identified in tobacco and tobacco products, reduces the ability of blood to carry oxygen, reducing the amount of oxygen available to the tissues. All these contribute to a smoker developing atherosclerosis, a condition where an artery carrying blood becomes blocked or narrowed 'cos of fat deposition. This causes lesser blood flow and as the atherosclerotic plaque progresses a clot or an occlusive thrombus can develop, which can lead to a fatal heart attack or myocardial infarction. In some cases, the clot can undergo 'embolism' and migrate to the brain, blocking blood flow to the brain and thus lead to a stroke or cerebral thrombosis. In some smokers, a condition called aneurysm can also develop, which is the ballooning of the arterial wall with an increased risk of bursting/clotting leading to catastrophic results.
To those folks interested in cardiovascular research: 'Smokers are very much more likely to die from a ruptured aneurysm of the abdominal aorta than non-smokers'.
Some statistical details I found interesting...check 'em out..espply the second one.

"One cigarette can impair circulation for up to 45 minutes by constricting the small blood vessels. (The narrow vessels in the feet are particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects). (Hara Podiatrist Group, Covina, Ca., Prevention magazine, Dec. 1987)"

"In the winter, smokers may be at an increased risk of heart disease due to higher blood pressure and heart rate, say researchers in Israel. Although winter blood pressure readings are typically higher for most people, in smokers the average increase in systolic blood pressure was twice the increase in non-smokers. (“Cold Weather Raises Heart Risk for Smokers,” heartinfo.org - June 2001)"

OTHER ORGANS: As I was surfing the net for the ill-effects caused by smoking, I came across this really scary disease, that most people dont know. And I thought I should list it down here... I know it is quite a lot of technical jargon, but if you've read thru till here..I'm hoping youll be interested in knowing more about the damages cigarettes cause..and so I hope you wont mind the technical details.
Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger's disease). This is a peripheral vascular disease caused by heavy cigarette smoking. It involves an inflammatory condition of small vessels that leads to blocking of the arteries and the gangrene. It is a disease caused in young males(20-40) who are heavy smokers. Offlate, however women have also been found to aquire the disease. This disease is most common in the Orient, South east Asia, India, and the middle east. The disease is characterized by excessive pain caused by insufficient blood flow to the extremities of the hands and feet, leading to numbness and tingling sensation resulting in amputation of the limbs.

http://vasculitis.med.jhu.edu/typesof/buergers.html - This is where you can find lots of info on the disease. Here are some pics (again, might be scary!)





Apart from these, smoking causes diseases like bronchitis, emphysema, severe pneumonia. Tobacco is also a teratogen (a substance known to cause detrimental effects in the development of a baby), and has damaging effects on a woman's reproductive health...being associated with increased risk of miscarriage, premature delivery, still birth and infant death. Also, cigarette smoking causes impotency apart from affecting the beauty & looks of a person by causing darkening of lips and teeth, increased wrinkles, increased features of aging, etc.

So all of you smokers out there.. think, and think well. Is it worth soo much torture?..the smoking that is done, jus outa peer pressure, or jus to act cool or jus to impress ppl, or jus for the heck of it.. You might have started with a reason, a reason that seemed perfectly justifiable to you, but now you have more than 1 health reason to quit. This blog is just a small description of the real damage smoking does to you, but theres definitely a LOTT more to it...simply giving key words like "damage/ill effects caused by smoking" etc on search engines like google gives tonnes of information. So read up and see what you are doing to yourself and then decide if this is what you really want to do. Reason out rationally and do what is healthy and what is right.

PS: I individually thank every one of you, who've read this blog till here! Thanx guys!