Pages

Friday, March 23, 2012

Aspirin Risks

The Risks

1. It may throw off test results for prostate cancer.

In a 2008 issue of the journal Cancer, researchers reported that men who used aspirin and other NSAIDs regularly had about 10 percent lower levels of prostate-specific antigens. The researchers suggest this may hinder the detection of prostate cancer in regular aspirin users.

2. It may increase the risk of hearing loss.

In 2010, researchers reported in the American Journal of Medicine that regular use of aspirin—at least twice weekly—upped the risk of hearing loss by 12 percent in men. Those younger than 50 had a 33 percent increased risk of hearing loss. Use of other NSAIDss or acetaminophen also increased the risk of hearing loss.

3. People with diabetes might not get some benefits.

In 2008, the British Medical Journal published research that suggests diabetics taking aspirin to prevent a first heart attack are no less likely to experience an attack than those taking a placebo. People with diabetes are at least twice as likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke as the general public.

4. There is such a thing as "aspirin resistance."

A 2008 research review published in the British Medical Journal found that nearly 30 percent of people with cardiovascular disease who took prescribed aspirin were resistant to its effects. Such "aspirin resistance," the study found, makes such patients four times as likely as those for whom aspirin had an effect to have a heart attack, stroke, or die.

5. In some cases, it may be less effective in women.

In 2008, a research review published in the journal BMC Medicine found that earlier studies showed a large benefit in men taking aspirin to reduce the rates of fatal heart attack, but women did not receive the same advantage. A 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation suggests some women may benefit from aspirin's action against ischemic strokes, however.

6. It may cause stomach troubles.

People taking aspirin or another NSAID are at higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and stomach ulcers—particularly with long-term use of the drug.

7. It may increase the risk of bleeding.

Aspirin makes the blood's platelets less sticky, and the blood less likely to clot. This is especially risky if bleeding occurs in the brain, which can be fatal.

Health Benefits of Aspirin

The Benefits

1. It could lower cancer risk.

The three new cancer studies support long-term daily aspirin use. Overall, researchers found that aspirin reduces the risk of dying from cancer by 15 percent—with notable benefits seen within three years for those taking a high dose (more than 300 mg a day) and within five years for low doses (less than 300 mg a day). Long-term use was particularly striking. After five years of regular use, risk of dying from cancer dropped by 37 percent.
Aspirin benefits were most strong with daily use or usage three to six times a week, and were less clear-cut for use only once or twice a week. The research shows "quite convincingly" that aspirin reduces cancer incidence and death ... with an apparent delayed effect," according to a commentary published alongside the new studies.

2. It may even lower risk for breast cancer.
Aspirin may lower a woman's risk of breast cancer recurrence, or possibly even its development. A 2010 report based on data from the Nurses' Health Study suggested that women who had breast cancer and took a low-dose aspirin two to five times weekly were 71 percent less likely to have a deadly recurrence than those who took little or no aspirin. And a research review published in 2008 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found a 13 percent relative risk reduction in women who used aspirin regularly, compared with those who did not. The findings found an overall reduced risk of 12 percent for regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in general. Previous research on breast cancer risk and NSAID use had shown conflicting results.

3. It could help during pregnancy.

A research review published in the Lancet in 2007 suggested that pregnant women who took aspirin or other antiplatelet drugs were 10 percent less likely to develop pre-eclampsia, which involves high blood pressure and potentially serious complications for mother and fetus. Aspirin therapy during pregnancy should definitely be discussed with an obstetrician.

4. There is some hope for Alzheimer's protection.
Research has been inconclusive, but a 2008 review published in Neurology found that people who used aspirin had a 13 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's. The study added to an ongoing debate about whether certain types of NSAIDs—say, ibuprofen versus aspirin—were more beneficial.

5. It may help prevent strokes—unless you also take ibuprofen.

A small study published in 2008 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that stroke patients who took daily aspirin to prevent another stroke and also took ibuprofen—say, for their arthritis—reaped no antiplatelet benefit. After a patient stopped the ibuprofen, the aspirin became effective. The Food and Drug Administration warns that aspirin's benefits may be diminished by ibuprofen use.

6. It may protect against Parkinson's disease.

A 2007 study published in Neurology suggests that women who used aspirin regularly (defined as two or more times a week for at least a month at any point in their lives) may be 40 percent less likely to develop the disease.

7. It may prevent asthma in middle-aged women.

A 2008 study published in Thorax found that women 45 and older who took 100 mg of aspirin every other day were 10 percent less likely to develop asthma over the next decade than women given a placebo. The study authors noted that aspirin could exacerbate symptoms in about 10 percent of people already diagnosed with asthma.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Job Interviews

Dumb Things People Have Said During Job Interviews


We've all experienced it. That sinking feeling that occurs when the job interview that was going so well suddenly goes off track. Maybe it's the expression on the hiring manager's face, or the awkward pause that ensues, but there is little doubt when it happens.

Common interview mistakes, of course, include bad mouthing your former employer, failing to adequately research the company or the position and just plain talking too much. Careerbuilder.com, a job posting site, publishes an annual list of interview blunders, including asking the hiring manager for a ride home or flushing the toilet during a phone interview.

Thanks to the rise of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, dumb interview moves are taking on a new character. The urge to share everything about one's life with friends and strangers via cyberspace is invading the very private atmosphere of the recruiter's office. Moreover, the need to stand out in the information cacophony of the Web has increased the pressure to seem unique and special.

"We've been socialized to assume that we have to stand out in some way, and we're encouraged to be bold," says Roy Cohen, author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide" and a New York City-based career coach. "But that is not necessarily what people are looking for in candidates to bring on board. They want people who fit in."

Oversharing has now become an occupational hazard of the job hunt. Here are 5 examples of when too much information was, well, really too much information:

"I'm in anger management because I hit a former co-worker."

"I've had candidates share with me their anger management problems, views on gender, age, and other things that can be damaging in an interview," says Shilonda Downing, owner of Virtual Work Team, which helps business owners find remote workers. "One candidate recently mentioned that he was going through anger management for hitting a co-worker in corporate America, and that is why he would like to work from home going forward."

Major character flaws, particularly when they are of the physical-harm variety, shouldn't be brought up in an interview. Bringing up disagreements with colleagues or managers as a reason for leaving a former employer doesn't bode well that you'll be reliable and reasonable in a new position--even if it is a remote one. "Mentioning this is typically deemed as someone who is unable to handle situations professionally and without violence," Downing says. Unless you're required to disclose that you're undergoing some kind of psychological treatment, find an honest way to work around it.

"Oh, that's because I just took a Xanax."

"I interviewed someone who swore she'd be great at the job, but she was talking incredibly slowly," says Chenofsky Singer, the career management coach. "A single word would take forever. I wanted to pull them out of her mouth." Concerned that the applicant might be suffering from a legitimate medical issue like low blood sugar, Chenofsky Singer asked if this was the candidate's typical rate of speaking. "'Oh, yes,' she replied, 'I take a Xanax before a meeting or a presentation because I get so nervous. I don't think I'm doing poorly, do you?'"

Having some nerves before an interview is normal, but before medicating, be sure of the effects on your personality and disposition. "More than trying to pick on her individual interviewing style at the time, I was concerned that there was something I should know," Chenofsky Singer says, which served as a distraction from a discussion of her qualifications.

"Just a little itch."

"I was recruiting for a sales director position for my employer," says Dany Bourjolly Smith, who's a recruiter with a professional services firm selling to C-level executives. "I was thrilled to have this candidate in for a live interview based on his resume. During the interview, he was saying all of the right things. Suddenly, he takes his right hand and sticks it inside his sock and shoe and begins scratching under his heel furiously."

Bourjolly Smith described the itching as "aggressive," and the candidate continued it while he was talking and answering questions unfazed. "At the end of the interview, I did my best to be subtle and not shake his hand. This amounted to an awkward bump of elbows. He definitely noticed that I didn't shake his hand."

For a client-facing position like the one this candidate was interviewing for, but really, for any position at all, behaving in a strange and unprofessional manner--particularly when it's hygiene-related--is a big red flag. "Naturally, I declined him for the position," Bourjolly Smith says. "If he would behave like that in front of a recruiter, I can only imagine what he would do in front of our clients during a sales meeting."

"I locked a mentally ill patient in a room to teach him a lesson."


"A few years ago, I was hired by a nonprofit that provided services for the homeless, the majority of whom were developmentally disabled, to find them a facilities director," says Bruce Hurwitz, author of "A Hooker's Guide to Getting a Job: Parables from the Real World of Career Counseling and Executive Recruiting." Hurwitz prescreened one well-qualified candidate who didn't raise any red flags, and sent the applicant forward to his clients for a full interview. When asked for examples of how he had interacted with people with psychiatric issues, "he told my client that there was a person living at his facility who refused to stay out of the library.

"One day, the candidate waited for the man to enter the library and locked him in. The man called him numerous times begging to be let out of the room. He refused until the man was about to soil himself. When he promised never to enter the library again, my candidate released him."

When asked for real-life examples of your skills and expertise, it is best to refrain from bringing up wild, controversial examples, like ones of abusing people to keep them in line, particularly when they're developmentally challenged. "The sad part? My candidate actually thought he was telling the client positive things about his judgment, and had no idea why they didn't want him," Hurwitz says.
 
"Oh, he was killed in a drug deal."

"I had a woman do an excellent interview," says Holly Wolf, who's currently the chief marketing officer with Conestoga Bank in Pennsylvania, but was formerly responsible for hiring staff for an emergency clinic. At the end of the interview, when she asked why the woman wanted to be a nurse, she explained that she had gone back to school after her husband passed away, and she wanted to serve as a good role model for her young girls.

"She was about 33 so that was an incredible accomplishment," Wolf says, "so I said, 'I'm sure your husband is proud of you and what an excellent role model you are for your daughters.' She looked at me and said, 'He really wasn't a good role model for our children. He was killed in a drug deal that went bad.'"

Bringing up losses of friends or family members in an interview can be a touchy subject. Bringing up the illicit and illegal dealings of your late friend or family member is an example of taking it too far. It can be acceptable if you're careful to bring it up in a casual way, and without so much detail that it makes someone uncomfortable. Despite it being an excellent interview, the candidate tainted it by sharing more than was necessary.




Monday, March 12, 2012

Non Profit Fraud

NEW YORK - A nonprofit organization hired by New York City to help residents find employment locally faked 1,400 job placements and possibly many more, investigators said Friday.
Officials at the local Workforce1 centers run by Seedco — a nonprofit that operates in 14 states and Washington, D.C. — ordered subordinates to collect information on past and present employment from potential and current clients, then used the data to falsely report that they had placed the individuals in jobs, the city Department of Investigation found.
At times, the organization claimed credit for placing people in jobs they'd lost before seeking help, investigators said. The investigation covered a period from 2010 to 2011, but a city policy permitting the shredding of many documents means that an untold number of additional false claims may never be uncovered.
The inquiry followed an August 2011 New York Times column that detailed the allegations of a whistleblower who was a former deputy director at one of the centers. Bill Harper's complaints to his managers had earlier led to an internal audit in April 2011 that didn't uncover much of the wrongdoing. Investigators said that audit had examined only inconsistencies with start dates.
City officials said they didn't learn of the depth of the allegations until they surfaced in the newspaper, when they quickly referred the matter to city investigators.
"Seedco was engaged in fraudulent practices, which is completely unacceptable and won't be tolerated," Rob Walsh, commissioner of the city Department of Small Business Services, said in a statement. "SBS has taken immediate action to end contracts with Seedco and to strengthen our job placement validation process."
The agency's contracts with the nonprofit — worth $22.2 million — are to be reassigned over the next two months.
Barbara Dwyer Gunn, president and CEO of Seedco, said in a statement that the organization "deeply regrets" what happened at the local centers.
"Seedco takes full responsibility for its contractual obligations to the city and in no way tolerates deception by any of its employees," she said. "Seedco separately conducted a broad review of its operations, removed staff from the Workforce1 program, and implemented significant policy and programmatic changes to ensure that our data is accurate. These measures were designed to ensure that this does not happen again."
According to the report, the Department of Small Business Services found 12 false placements by the organization made as recently as February 2012, despite the ongoing investigation. Following that incident, one of Seedco's employees was fired.
A number of other Seedco employees mentioned in the investigators' report have been fired or have left the company.
The other states where Seedco operates are Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.


Saturday, March 10, 2012

Cardamom

cardamom


Cardamom nutrition facts

Cardamom is a seed pod, known since antiquity for its culinary and medicinal properties. The spice is native to evergreen rain forest of southern India and now grown in only few tropical countries. Botanicallay, it belongs to the family of "zingiberaceae" and consists of two genera; elettaria and amomum.
Genarally, the plant grows up to 4 meters in length and starts bearing fruits known as seed pods after about two years of implantation. Each pod measuring about 1-2 cm in length.

cardamom pod cardamom seeds
Green cardamom pod Close up view of seeds


Both varieties of cardamom feature three sided pods with a thin papery outer cover and small black seeds that are arranged in vertical rows. Elettaria pods are small and light green in color, while Amomum pods are larger and dark brown. The pods are being used as flavoring base in both food and drink, in cooking recipes and as well as in medicine.
black cardamom
Black cardamom pods.
Note for bigger sized dark brown pods.

Black cardamom (Amomum subulatum) also known as Nepal cardamom is relatively big sized pod of same zingiberaceae family. The pod has dark brown rough outer coat, measure about 2-4 cm in length and 1-2 cm in diameter. The pods have camphor like intense flavor commonly used in spicy stews in sub Himalayan plains of India, Pakistan, Nepal as well as in China.

Health benefits of cardamom

  • This exotic spice contains many plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have anti-oxidant, disease preventing and health promoting properties.
  • The spicy pods contain many essential volatile oils that include pinene, sabinene, myrcene, phellandrene, limonene, 1, 8-cineole, terpinene, p-cymene, terpinolene, linalool, linalyl acetate, terpinen-4-oil, a-terpineol, a-terpineol acetate, citronellol, nerol, geraniol, methyl eugenol, and trans-nerolidol.
  • The therapeutic properties of cardamom-oil have found application in many traditional medicines as antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, digestive, diuretic, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic and tonic.
  • Cardamom is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.
  • It is also an excellent source of manganese and iron. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Iron is required for red blood cell formation.
  • The pods are rich in many vital vitamins including riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-C that are essential for optimum health.

See the table below for in depth analysis of nutrients:

Cardamom, Nutritional value per 100 g.
(Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)
Principle Nutrient Value Percentage of RDA
Energy 311 Kcal 15.5%
Carbohydrates 68.47 g 52.5%
Protein 10.76 g 19%
Total Fat 6.7 g 23%
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Dietary Fiber 28 g 70%
Vitamins

Niacin 1.102 mg 7%
Pyridoxine 0.230 mg 18%
Riboflavin 0.182 mg 14%
Thiamin 0.198 mg 16.5%
Vitamin A 0 IU 0%
Vitamin C 21 mg 35%
Electrolytes

Sodium 18 mg 1%
Potassium 1119 mg 24%
Minerals

Calcium 383 mg 38%
Copper 0.383 mg 42.5%
Iron 13.97 mg 175%
Magnesium 229 mg 57%
Manganese 28 mg 1217%
Phosphorus 178 mg 25%
Zinc 7.47 mg 68%

Selection and storage

Fresh cardamom pods as well as its powder are available in the markets year around. Both varieties of pods are available in the markets. "Elettaria" pods are small and light green in color, while 'Amomum" pods are larger and dark brown. Fresh pods feature heavy and give sweet aroma when scratched with finger tip. Avoid pods that appear light and that are stain or spots which may feature mold.
Store the pods in airtight containers in cool, dark place. They remain fresh for longer period when placed in the refrigerator. Powdered form should be kept in airtight containers and used as early as possible since it may lose its flavor rather quickly.

Medicinal use

The therapeutic properties of cardamom oil have found application in many traditional medicines as antiseptic and local anesthetic, antioxidant and; health promoting and disease preventing roles.

Culinary uses

Cardamom pods are usually split and seeds are crushed using hand mill just before their use.
  • This delicate spice is being used as flavoring base in both food and drink, as well as in cooking spices.
  • The pods have been in use in the preparation of sweet dishes in many Asian countries.
  • It is used as a flavoring base in the preparation of tea, coffee, and liquors.


Monday, March 5, 2012

Do not get upset .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .!

Do not get upset with people or situations. 
Both are powerless without your reaction..

 
Reflection cannot be seen in boiling water.
The same way, Truth cannot be seen in a state of anger."
Analyze before you finalize


Every tomorrow has two handles. 
We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith...


"If somebody does not like you do not get upset because 
you were not put on earth to entertain everybody"


The person who risks nothing, has nothing and 
achieves nothing and is nothing.


Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Rediscovery of India

10 Years of Phenomenal Growth & 10 Years of Scavenging
Are death anniversaries celebrated? “Celebrated” is an unfortunate choice of word to use in the same breath as “death.” And no, that word choice is not mine. It is the media’s. Somebody’s death anniversary is not celebrated unless that person is someone like Stalin. Speaking of which, Jawaharlal Nehru was the only head of a democratic state in the world who mourned the death of “Marshall” Stalin. Death anniversaries of the truly great and noble people rightfully deserve the label Memorial Day. Does anybody “celebrate” Jallianwallah Bagh? If the answer is yes, then he/she is celebrating General Dyer’s unmitigated cruelty.

Yet, for that filthy conglomerate of human scavengers who make up the Gujarat Riots Cottage Industry, the 700-odd dead Muslims presented them a lifetime opportunity to feed off their deaths. What else explains such shameless, and almost sadistically gloating headlines as this sample Google search shows?

Let’s call it by its name: not one black heart in that sullied secular-liberal galaxy genuinely bleeds for those who were murdered: in Sabarmati Express or in the riots that followed as a consequence. They simply want to continue their cushy lives built over the foundation of these dead bodies by keeping the issue alive and by relentlessly attacking Narendra Modi. Actually, if there’s anybody who really cares about getting justice to the victims, it is the man who is unfairly accused of unleashing the riots: Narendra Modi. You call that a stretch? Answer these questions honestly:
  • Which political party was in power for the longest time (both in state and centre) in the long history of communal riots in India?
  • Under which political party’s rule has the maximum number of riots occurred across various Indian states?
  • What was the average response time in each case to quell the riots?
  • How many of these riot-tainted politicians have even faced an inquiry of the kind Narendra Modi has been facing for the last 10 years? Jagadish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar don’t really count. Hell, the whole “getting justice for 1984 riots victims” is yet another cruel joke played by the Congress party.
There’s not a single instance in these 10 years where Modi has refused to comply with the law or tried to influence or scuttle inquiry proceedings in any manner. And inquiry after inquiry has yielded the exact opposite result of what these Riot Scavengers continue to allege.

Even a very cursory look at Modi’s timeline from 2002 to the present explains it all:
In other words, the discourse around Narendra Modi has done an almost 360-degree turn within a decade. Today the same people in the selfsame media that had casually painted him in the ugliest of hues is finding it increasingly difficult to use words like mass-murderer, fascist, and the rest. In the past, a media hitjob on Modi was as easy as breathing for these Scavengers of Human Misery. But now, a hitjob—like the one the motivated moron at Caravan did recently—has to be carefully couched by taking recourse to secondary sources, and hearsay, and quoting allegations against Modi by X person who heard a similar allegation by Y person who thought Modi was a bad man. Despite this, there’s not one solid, provable fact that Modi was behind the post-Godhra riots.

If the court judgments exonerating him is one strong reason for this drastic shift in affairs, there are also other important reasons. Several influential business houses, retired bureaucrats and other people with social standing and influence have shown a favourable tilt towards Narendra Modi in light of new facts emerging over the years about the post-Godhra riots. It was a little late in the coming but it has occurred. Another prominent reason is Narendra Modi’s tremendous success in making Gujarat an economic superpower state in India. A state that was first torn by the Bhuj earthquake in 2001 almost immediately followed by large-scale violence had to recuperate its finances quickly. That under Modi’s Chief Ministership, it not only recuperated but made astonishing gains in a short span speaks volumes about his leadership. Modi’s economic success is not on paper: it has been demonstrated, and demonstrated repeatedly. Apparently, Congress-ruled states run their economies on the strength of secularism on paper and in speeches and hoardings. It is a truism that an accomplished politician is one who improves (and increases) the wealth of his subjects by wise and farsighted policies. It’s not surprising that Kautilya said that wealth was the root of dharma (Dharmasya moolam arthah). The Congress party’s numerous “poverty-alleviation” schemes are simply evil designs to create more and more vote banks not to mention that they’re primarily blueprints for large scale corruption. In contrast, Modi created his “vote bank” by fattening the wallets of Gujaratis more and more through well-thought policies. As an exercise, compare the issues and promises on which UP elections and Gujarat elections are fought. You don’t need an advertisement or scholarly paper to show that creating the Golden Quadrilateral boosted the economy in myriad ways.

That 2002-2012 is truly Gujarat’s Decade of Peace and Prosperity is hardly an exaggeration. For a state that is supposed to be a Fascist Hindutva Laboratory intent on exterminating Muslims, there hasn’t been a single communal riot or organized violence since the post-Godhra riots. That Modi has managed to accomplish all this in the face of extreme, and relentless hostility is truly a marvel. In the excellent Atanu Dey’s words,

Modi is [a] study of how to meet adversity and overcome them with grace, intelligence and single-minded dedication to the goal of advancing the national interest. He epitomizes the strength that a warrior gains from the attacks by his opponents. The greater his achievements, the larger the threat he poses for those who want India and Indians to be backward and poor, and the more intense their vicious attacks on him.

If you look at the vast world of Modi-bashers, you’ll find that all roads finally lead to 10 Janpath. It is not so much Modi-hate as much as it is Modi-fear among his political and other opponents. The Congress party’s Dynastic leadership thrives because—as I explained in my political ecosystem piece—it wants slavish people under it both within the party and even among its political opponents. The BJP is no exception to this. It willingly plays the game by the rules set by the Congress party and routinely falls into traps set for it by the Congress party. Narendra Modi is perhaps the lone exception to this. He takes the Congress party’s threats headon but refuses to bite their bait. He doesn’t talk to the media in English, a fact that only annoys them all the more. He refuses to give them interviews not because he wants only good things to be written about him but because he knows the exact nature of the English media.

The most important reason why he has earned a groundswell of support from tens of thousands of people who want to see him as India’s next Prime Minister is because you cannot say “corruption” and “Narendra Modi” in the same breath. He has demonstrated that it’s possible to achieve prosperity without corruption and by using the same administrative machinery the rest of the country uses. Small wonder that tons of ordinary Indians have created fan pages and similar initiatives on various social media networks devoted to Narendra Modi. Small wonder that he attracts huge crowds wherever he goes. These aren’t people who come to attend because they’re promised biryani meals + 500 rupees. The underlying sentiment behind all this can be described in exactly one word: hope. If you want to call it blind belief in and hero-worship of the man, so be it because the alternative—UPA 3.0—is truly frightening.

This blind belief applies in equal measure to the legions of Modi-haters who seem to be glued to a fraudulent stuck record. No matter what proof, no matter what amount of proof, the Devotees of Secular Fundamentalism and Scavengers of Human Misery prefer to side by the likes of the Banerjee Report prepared at the behest of a known thug and conman like Lalu Prasad Yadav. It doesn’t matter to them if you point out the fact that the 2002 riot cases are the only ones where speedy and fair trials have been conducted and convictions have taken place. These blind Secular Fundamentalists number few and their noise-making quotient has reduced over the decade but they still remain in circulation. And will continue to remain until a final judgment is pronounced by the court on the riots. Which is exactly what they don’t want. The day the Gujarat riots case sees a closure is the day a permanent source of dead meat for these Human Misery-Scavengers will dry up. It is the day Communalism Combat, Tehelka and similar outfits of gutter journalism will scamper for newer miseries to exploit—and wind up in the process. Hell, you know Modi is doing something right when Genocide Suzie has stopped talking about him.

And there lies a lesson, and a truth reinforced: never trust the Indian English media. Because if you do, all you would still see is 10 years of relentless Human Misery Scavenging with a grudging and obfuscated mention of Narendra Modi’s achievements.

Postscript: The Gujarat Riots of 2002 marked a definitive turning point for this blog. It was truly the episode that made me realize a simple truth: that a coin has two sides. It made me look at this other side and examine every word that the English media used—words whose meanings were twisted beyond shape and their usage was taken for granted as the Truth. It was a really remarkable and shattering discovery, one that continues. The next few posts will be dedicated to the memory of the unfortunate people who died in the riots. And most of all to do shraaddha to the souls of all those unfortunate kar sevaks whose only fault was to believe in Lord Rama. And about whose justice nobody ever talks.