India won the world cup today. Dint think I will be able to sy that in my lifetime after the seniors had made so sure that the baggage of history would be carried for generatins on. but this is different. This is a generation of of irreverents, who dont give a rats ass to the history of cricket or for anything else and who just do what is to be done. So Mr. Dhoni you just did it. Take a bow. you deserve it. You will talk about this for the rest of your life just like ol' Kapil and inshallah you will have the other world cup in your belt too. but today you have helped me enjoy my beer. Like Amitabh said in his ad" Kya waqt hai hai zindagi jeene ka" what a time to be an indian.
I saw Shahrukh Khan there today and was wondering - where are are the rest of our senior players. Probably tending to their injuries or their 'commercial' commitments. its quite a shame that a film star has the time to be preseent in a crucial final a\while our seniors spend the time at home balancing their accounts. Guys have a life.
I guesss Shahrukh was there because it was his fitrat - his nature. At short notice to cal up a few of his friends for dinner, say chak de india alound and ask for tickets for himself and his son. But it was a good gesture. At least he was there. just like that - almost. I wish I could do that someday. God you are listening right.?
But my pet grouse for today or atleast till this hangover lasts is - Where the F@%^k are the seniors? Tending to their injuries? Shame. Howeer, having said that, this much is for sure. I, am priviledged. I thank God for giving me this opportunity to enjoy my team's win and that too after beating Pakistan, England, South Africa,Australia and Pakistan again.
God - Bless my team. May there be consistency of the Australian kind.
As for me, I will tend to my hangover tommorrow and chart some course for myself for the day. Like they say 'in the end its you and your toothbrush the next day in the morning'
Over and out
PS: this piece has been writtwn in half euphoria and half beer influence at 00:30 in the morning.
Any spelling/grammatical mistakes may please be excused.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Survival of the sickest
A Medical Maverick discovers why we need diseases
Dr. Sharon Moalem
Jonathan Prince
Just started this but straightaway a recommedation. This book talks about something that many of us realise intrisically - that sickness and disease is by itself a very complex operation of the body and the pathogen. What this does is try to look at the root of our diseases froman evolutionary point of view. The central tenet that this starts from is quite simple - If evolution weeds out the undesirable trait over generations, why is it that certain hereditary mass killers still remain? The strongest case in point - Diabetes or for that matter obesity. Why is it that evolution has still not found a way out for these or to be more exact, why havent our bodies evolved to make us resistant to diabetes and obesity?
What he does move in to do then is to track the history of these hereditary conditions. Starting from Hemochromatis (excess absorption of iron by the body) to Diabetes and moving on to the other hereditary conditions.
Taking the case of diabetes, his postualation is that the current conditions of diabetes might be an evolutionary response to the rapid freezing during ice ages wherein the body would have to increase the sugar concentration in the body to avoid the effects of freezing. While it makes for good enjoyable reading, it still begs many questions.
a. why is that diabetes is prevalent even in populations not traditionally exposed to the Tundra climate. South India is a good case in point. The one plausible reason I can think about is that these communities, by the nature of their climatic and working conditions tended to be heavy users of carbohydrates and glucose. This would normally be used up quite quickly as one went about the dialy grind. But the rapid development in the way of living - a clear sedation of working atmosphere means that the bpdy does not do its share of work in removing the excess sugar from the system. and hence the problem of diabetes.
Additionally, all symptoms of diabetes point to a response of the body towards freezing. The body starts removing excess water through urination, the concentration of sugar increases in the blood. This is intriguing as the body apparently starts acting in a freeze response mode. Is it a case of the body's radar malfunctioning or just something else.
Dr. Sharon Moalem
Jonathan Prince
Just started this but straightaway a recommedation. This book talks about something that many of us realise intrisically - that sickness and disease is by itself a very complex operation of the body and the pathogen. What this does is try to look at the root of our diseases froman evolutionary point of view. The central tenet that this starts from is quite simple - If evolution weeds out the undesirable trait over generations, why is it that certain hereditary mass killers still remain? The strongest case in point - Diabetes or for that matter obesity. Why is it that evolution has still not found a way out for these or to be more exact, why havent our bodies evolved to make us resistant to diabetes and obesity?
What he does move in to do then is to track the history of these hereditary conditions. Starting from Hemochromatis (excess absorption of iron by the body) to Diabetes and moving on to the other hereditary conditions.
Taking the case of diabetes, his postualation is that the current conditions of diabetes might be an evolutionary response to the rapid freezing during ice ages wherein the body would have to increase the sugar concentration in the body to avoid the effects of freezing. While it makes for good enjoyable reading, it still begs many questions.
a. why is that diabetes is prevalent even in populations not traditionally exposed to the Tundra climate. South India is a good case in point. The one plausible reason I can think about is that these communities, by the nature of their climatic and working conditions tended to be heavy users of carbohydrates and glucose. This would normally be used up quite quickly as one went about the dialy grind. But the rapid development in the way of living - a clear sedation of working atmosphere means that the bpdy does not do its share of work in removing the excess sugar from the system. and hence the problem of diabetes.
Additionally, all symptoms of diabetes point to a response of the body towards freezing. The body starts removing excess water through urination, the concentration of sugar increases in the blood. This is intriguing as the body apparently starts acting in a freeze response mode. Is it a case of the body's radar malfunctioning or just something else.
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