Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Milk vs Cola

The Cola banning wars continue as each day some state in India gets ready to ban sale of cola.
The CSE report states that colas contain pesticide content. Why are we worried more with the cola's containing pesticide issue. Does everyone India really get potable water?. Cola does not even quench your thirst. Nimbu paani tastes even much better is really a refresher during summer.
This article in the TOI brought another point to the fore. Milk and other food vegetables contain more pesticides than in cola.
Swaminathan Iyer argues that milk and other food products which are recommended by nutritionists contain more pesticide than in cola and the as recommended are given to children who are in danger of contracting diabetes, anaemia in the future. He also points out that
" Humans are the only species to drink milk after being weaned from the breast. How do they achieve this feat? By drinking the milk of other creatures, something no other species does. Not surprisingly, drinking alien milk produces allergies and a host of other health problems."
I agree to this but India has an ancient connection with milk. Mothers have always coaxed children to drink milk due to its nutritional content.
Can milk be banned and can we resort to drink cola instead of milk?
Can the god drink cola instead of milk?
This will not happen atleast in the near future. Till then I will have my cola mixed with my favorite drink and hot milk with horlicks or drinking chocolate tastes yummy.

Monday, September 04, 2006

Seven point something(7.)

Recently finished "Five point someone" by Chetan Bhagat. I would rate it at 7.1/2/3 hence the title of this post. I found the book a good read and as it is by an Indian author and I could easily relate to the story although I am no IITian. Also it is the first book I have read by an Indian Author as far as I can remember.
The next book on the block is "The Search" about Google. The are many books though (7 to be exact) -non techie i.e fiction and biographical lying in my house to be devoured when I get time.
I found these Amazon reviews for 5.someone where the book is ranked 1,007,629 in sales as of today.
Mediocre, like a hindi potboiler,abysmal
Interesting,Fun to read (agree with these).
The writing is surely school story book style but that is why it is readable and yes there is no backtracking(going back several pages while reading a book and tracing a character or event who has been sidetracked in the plot/story-I might have coined the term myself). Backtracking has some other connotations also.
I havent read any other Indian authors and surely need to try some others like Vikram Seth/Chandra,R.K.Narayan....etc
I found this link through the kitabkhana blog which mentions a book reading and signing event by Dr. Manjiri Prabhu who has written 2 books named
The Cosmic Clues and The Astral Alibi. The books are unique in the sense that "Scientific Indian Vedic Astrology" is coupled with investigative techniques in the stories.
Should be a good read I believe