Pun Fun…
How do you make a Pirate angry?
Take the P out of him.
**
Weird world…
Chicago declares 'potholepalooza'
The Chicago Department of Transportation has declared this weekend "Potholepalooza," a three-day festival of reporting potholes. Officials encouraged motorists to report as many potholes as possible on Friday, Saturday and Sunday via its official website.
(Me: Not to a bad idea to emulate in amchi Mumbai. If the city rail networks can observe mega blocks almost every Sunday, why not put this idea into practise, too?)
**
Health tips..
Honey is proven to have an antibacterial effect. It can be used for wound dressing.
**
Our democracy, their democracy: a lesson..
Karan Thapar writes in HT today, 7/4/13
"Three weeks ago I spent an eye-opening half hour at the Australian House of Reps. It witnessed Question Hour on the 19th of March and what I was almost unbelievable. Yet every word of what follows is absolutely true. Check it their official website, if u need confirmation..
It began when he PM, Juila Gillard, responded to a question from the Opposition leader with another snide remark about alleged misogyny. This brought the manager of opposition business to his feet demanding she withdraw. However, he shouted out his last few sentences. Immediately, without even a second's hesitation, the Speaker ordered the MOB to leave the Chamber. Without demur, he instantly did. Then, turning to the PM, the Speaker asked her to withdraw her comment. This was the PM"s response: "If the leader of the Opposition is upset in any way then I withdraw." Unsatisfied, the Speaker sternly rebuked the PM: "The PM will withdraw unreservedly." The PM, however, hesitated. "Order!" the Speaker barked. "Would the PM withdraw.?" Admonished, she did. Softly, but unequivocally, the PM said: "I withdraw". The Speaker thanked the PM and continued with the business of the day.
I couldn't believe the way the Australian Speaker had handled not just the Opposition front bench but the PM herself. Could such a thing ever happen in India, I asked myself. The amazing this is that in the next 20 minutes it happened again. Not once. Not twice. But three times!"
Read HT for the full report.
(Comment: Does vibrant democracy – that we tomtom about at every conceivable occasion - mean frequent slanging matches, pandemonium, coming to blows or stoppage of pressing business? One has no idea. If we sow seeds of oranges, you can't get mangoes; in a democracy after all elected members are PEOPLE's representatives, hai na?)
**
From the world of medical science…
Coffee may not be that harmful…
Heavy coffee consumption may protect men who drink alcohol from liver damage. The researcher measured blood levels of a particular liver enzyme – gamma-glutamy (GGT) – and found coffee intake to have a possible protective effect on those who consumed alcohol. People with liver disease show higher blood levels of GGT. Men who were heavy drinkers and also had five or more cups of coffee daily had a 50% reduction in GGT compared with men who drank no coffee. How the coffee was prepared – whether it was filtered, boiled or served as espresso – did not make a difference.
**
Eating fish could help you live longer…
Eating fish twice a week could help you live at least two years longer.
**
Cough into sleeve to stop flu from spreading.
It is best to cough or sneeze directly into a tissue. The next best solution is to use your sleeves. In fact, coughing into your elbow is better than coughing in to your hands, where flu viruses can survive for minutes and spread to any person or surface you touch. On cloth, paper and tissue, the viruses survive for up to 12 hours and for up to two days on some hard surfaces.
**
Walnuts can lower risk of Type II diabetes in women..
Though the anti-diabetic effects of walnuts were known, a new study reinstated that regularly snacking – at least twice a week - can help curb the risk by 24%.
**
News of the day…
TOI reports:
"Katju's 20-year-old beacon verdict embarrasses Supreme Court.
A 20-year-old Allahabad high court judgment left the SC bench red-faced before it ordered the Centre and the states to take steps to limit list of dignitaries entitled to use red beacon with siren on official cars. The HC judgment, which was co-authored by Justice Markandey Katju, had gone to great lengths in justifying how HC judges as constitutional post-holders were dignitaries, should not be stopped by traffic police. The 1993 order of the HC had expressed horror at the temerity shown by 2 traffic constables in stopping the official cars of two other judges and contemptuously inquiring whether they were entitled to use red beacon. The HC issued a caution to the UP govt to inform all authorities not to impede or stop a Judge's car.
(For over a month the TOI has been a running a campaign to drastically prune the list of dignitaries who can use the "lal batti" as it greatly hampers traffic flow in the already congested city roads. For the high-minded Katju who has been issuing one comical statement after another day in and day out on what the government should or shouldn't do, it's like cooking in one's own juice…)
No comments:
Post a Comment