Get down to earth

             In human imagination, the sun once circled a planet housing man’s soul, locus of a cosmic tug-of-war between good and evil. Over time, man was disabused. The Copernican revolution dethroned earth as the universe’s centre. The Darwinian revolution toppled humans as God’s elect. Truth turned out relative.Reality’s fundamental units, subatomic particles, acted playful, shifty, ungraspable. Insight into the earth’s fine ecological balance wrecked the notion of nature as a backdrop, and of history as a man-centric Grand Narrative. Now genes research is unveiling needling likenesses between man and worm. Yet humans navel-gaze. They refuse to accept that they could be a transitional species like any other, that their existence is a contingent fact, not a cosmic necessity. 

            Blessed with formidable intelligence, man dreams of brain-powered survival: technological advance, space colonisation, even a radical alteration of his own nature as future man-machine. Sadly, from this heroic optimism, it’s but a short step to narcissistic pessimism. Haunted by life’s intrinsic fragility, humans obsess about calamities. Yet even when panicking about Hiroshima repeats or global warming, man exults in his own mastery: destroyed or self-destructing, he thinks he’ll take the world down with him.
           The ecosystem, similarly, is viewed only in terms of its capacity to sustain human life. Natural disasters are seen in terms of human casualties and damage to property. It’s as if human life and all that’s living on a planet cradling millions of species were one and the same. The conflation is in keeping with an anthropocentric concept of divinity: God is made in man’s image, His grace denied other life forms. Man doesn’t bother with a scientifically valid question a poet once asked: if fish dreamed of heaven, wouldn’t their god resemble a fish?
           Shedding political correctness, some scientists wonder aloud if puzzlingly destructive humans aren’t an evolutionary aberration on a planet that’s billions of years old. More, if their ceasing to be might not be a blessing for biodiversity. Arguing from the other end, paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould said the earth – survivor of ice ages, meteorite hits and mass extinctions – had enormous capacity to withstand man’s assaults. When disaster strikes, humans could be discarded by a planetary shrug.
          For most people though, it’s unthinkable humanity’s extinction can be a cosmic non-event. How can earth survive the moral calamity of man’s absence? This illusion has a long intellectual lineage. Philosophers have said the world is Will and Idea, both human monopolies. They’ve claimed reality consists of phenomena as perceived by consciousness. The world, called into being by the mind, cannot exist independently of it. Only, taken to its logical end, that’s to argue that the fact the earth predates human life is itself an embedded mental construct!
         As humanity builds knowledge, philosophy, religion and science seem to converge at one point: reality as ‘thing-in-itself’ is elusive. So far, quantum physics, probing the quirky subatomic world, endorses that. Macro-reality has reference points but it’s a question of scale. As Pascal wrote, the vast and the infinitesimal both escape the intellect, which is capable of grasping the ‘part’, not the ‘totality’ which can only be apprehended spiritually.
              Can the natural order, then, be tamed by meanings imposed by men? The nature of its sovereignty, its resistance to forced penetration, is radical. Just as the nature of human freedom, in the existential sense, is radical. The one reinforces the other. Accepting the universe’s indifference to human concerns requires intellectual courage. And apprehending its cosmic force demands a liberating intuition that helps overcome the limits of human understanding. Both efforts are necessary if man is to spare the earth thoughtless depredations.
             If man thinks he alone is the measure of all things, he can know neither reality’s true measure – nor his own possibilities of transcendence. When such a man ceases to be, no wiser dead than living, the sun will go on shining. Distant stars will still be born and decay. Nearer home, creatures big and small will regain a terrestrial heaven from which they had been banished. And the earth may even be better off for it.

International Literacy day

Lets get rid of this illiteracy.

Virus Science

Adware
Adware is software that presents banner ads or in pop-up windows through a bar that appears on a computer screen. Those advertising spots usually can't be removed and are consequently always visible. The connection data allow many conclusions on the usage behavior and are problematic in terms of data security.

Backdoors
A backdoor can gain access to a computer by going around the computer access security mechanisms.

A program that is being executed in the background generally enables the attacker almost unlimited rights. User's personal data can be spied with the backdoor's help, but are mainly used to install further computer viruses or worms on the relevant system.

Boot viruses
The boot or master boot sector of hard drives is mainly infected by boot sector viruses. They overwrite important information necessary for the system execution. One of the awkward consequences: the computer system cannot be loaded any more…

Bot-Net
A Bot-Net is collection of softwarre bots, which run autonomously. A Bot-Net can comprise a collection of cracked machines running programs (usually referred to as worms, Trojans) under a common command and control infrastructure. Boot-Nets server various purposes, including Denial-of-service attacks, etc.., partly without the affected PC user's knowledge. The main potential of Bot-Nets is that the networks can achieve dimensions on thousands of computers and its bandwidth sum bursts most conventional Internet accesses.

Dialer
A dialer is a computer programm that establishes a connection to the Internet or to another computer network through the telephone line or the digital ISDN network. Fraudsters use dialers to charge users high rates when dialing up to the Internet without their knowledge.

EICAR test file
The EICAR test file is a test pattern that was developed at the European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research for the purpose to test the functions of anti-virus programs. It is a text file which is 68 characters long and its file extension is ".COM" all virus scanners should recognize as virus. 

Exploit
An exploit (vulnerability) is a computer program or script that takes advantage of a bug, glitch or vulnerability leading to privilege escalation or denial of service on a computer system. A form of an exploit for example are attacks from the Internet with the help of manipulated data packages. Programs can be infiltrated in order to obtain higher access.

Grayware
Grayware operates in a way similar to malware, but it is not spread to harm the users directly. It does not affect the system functionality as such. Mostly, information on the patterns of use is collected in order to either sell these data or to place advertisements systematically.

Hoaxes
The users have obtained virus alerts from the Internet for a few years and alerts against viruses in other networks that are supposed to spread via email. These alerts are spread per email with the request that they should be sent to the highest possible number of colleagues and to other users, in order to warn everyone against the "danger".

Honeypot
A honeypot is a service (program or server), which is installed in a network.

It has the function to monitor a network and to protocol attacks. This service is unknown to the legitime user - because of this reason he is never addressed. If an attacker examines a network for the weak points and uses the services which are offered by a Honeypot, it is protocolled and an alert sets off.

Keystroke logging
Keystroke logging is a diagnostic tool used in software development that captures the user's keystrokes. It can be useful to determine sources of error in computer systems and is sometimes used to measure employee productivity on certain clerical tasks. Like this, confidential and personal data, such as passwords or PINs, can be spied and sent to other computers via the Internet. 

Macro viruses
Macro viruses are small programs that are written in the macro language of an application (e.g. WordBasic under WinWord 6.0) and that can normally only spread within documents of this application. Because of this, they are also called document viruses. In order to be active, they need that the corresponding applications are activated and that one of the infected macros has been executed. Unlike "normal" viruses, macro viruses do consequently not attack executable files but they do attack the documents of the corresponding host-application.

Polymorph viruses
Polymorph viruses are the real masters of disguise. They change their own programming codes - and are therefore very hard to detect.

Program viruses
A computer virus is a program that is capable to attach itself to other programs after being executed and cause an infection. Viruses multiply themselves unlike logic bombs and Trojans. In contrast to a worm, a virus always requires a program as host, where the virus deposits his virulent code. The program execution of the host itself is not changed as a rule.

Scareware
The term scareware refers to software which has been designed with the intent to cause anxiety or panic. The victim could be tricked and feels threatened and usually accepts an offer to pay and have the inexistent threat removed. In some cases the victim is seduced to cause the attack himself by making him think this intervention will successfully remove the threat.

Script viruses and worms
Such viruses are extremely easy to program and they can spread - if the required technology is on hand - within a few hours via email round the globe.

Script viruses and worms use a script language such as Javascript, VBScript etc. to infiltrate in other new scripts or to spread by activation of operating system functions. This frequently happens via email or through the exchange of files (documents).

A worm is a program that multiplies itself but that does not infect the host. Worms can consequently not form part of other program sequences. Worms are often the only possibility to infiltrate any kind of damaging programs on systems with restrictive security measures.

Security Privacy Risk (SPR)
The term "SPR/" ("Security or Privacy Risk") refers to a program which can damage the security of your system, trigger program activities you do not want or harm your private environment.

Spyware
Spyware are so called spy programs that intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the user's informed consent. Spyware is designed to expolit infected computers for commerical gain. Typical tactics furthering this goal include delivery of unsolicited pop-up advertisements. AntiVir is able to detect this kind of software with the category "ADSPY" or "adware-spyware" .

Trojan horses (short Trojans)
Trojans are pretty common nowadays. We are talking about programs that pretend to have a particular function, but that show their real image after execution and carry out a different function that, in most cases, is destructive. Trojan horses cannot multiply themselves, which differenciates them from viruses and worms. Most of them have an interesting name (SEX.EXE or STARTME.EXE) with the intention to induce the user to start the Trojan. Immediately after execution they become active and can, for example, format the hard drive. A dropper is a special form of Trojan that 'drops' viruses, i.e. embeds viruses on the computer system.

Zombie
A Zombie-PC is a computer that is infected with malware programs and that enables hackers to abuse computers via remote control for criminal purposes. The affected PC, for example, can start Denial-of-Service- (DoS) attacks at command or send spam and phishing emails.

Indian government online grievance

Share this message with as many as possible.
For more information please go through this website.
Can you imagine this happening in INDIA ?
Government of India has an online Grievance forum at http://darpg-grievance.nic.in/
The government wants people to use this tool to highlight the problems they faced while dealing with Government officials or departments like Passport Office, Electricity board, BSNL/MTNL, Railways etc.

I know many people will say that these things don't work in India , but this actually works as one of our colleague in CSC found.
The guy I'm talking about lives in Faridabad . Couple of months back, the Faridabad Municipal Corporation laid new roads in his area and the residents were very happy about it.
But 2 weeks later, BSNL dugged up the newly laid roads to install new cables which annoyed all the residents including this guy.
But it was only this guy! Who used the above listed grievance forum to highlight this concern. And to his surprise, BSNL and Municipal Corporation of Faridabad was served a show cause notice and the guy received a copy of the notice in one week. Government has asked the MC and BSNL about the goof up as it's
clear that both the government departments were not in sync at all.

So use this grievance forum and educate others who don't know about this facility.
This way we can at least raise our concerns instead of just talking about the ' System ' in India . Invite your friends to contribute for many such happenings.

The dilemma of a liberal Hindu

              I was born a Hindu, in a normal middle-class home. I went to an English-medium school where I got a modern education. Both my grandfathers belonged to the Arya Samaj, a reformist sect of Hinduism. My father, however, took a different path. While studying to be an engineer, he was drawn to a kindly guru who inspired him with the possibility of direct union with God through meditation. The guru was a Radhasoami saint, who quoted vigorously from Kabir, Nanak, Mirabai, Bulle Shah and others from the bhakti and sufi traditions.
             Growing up Hindu was a chaotically tolerant experience. My grandmother visited the Sikh gurudwara on Mondays and Wednesdays and a Hindu temple on Tuesdays and Thursdays; she saved Saturdays and Sundays for discourses by holy men, including Muslim peers, who were forever visiting our town. In between, she made time for Arya Samaj ceremonies when someone died or was born. Her dressing room was laden with the images of her gods, especially Ram and Krishna and she used to say in the same breath that there are millions of gods but only one God. My grandfather would laugh at her ways, but my pragmatic uncle thought that she had smartly taken out plenty of insurance so that someone up there would eventually listen.
              I grew up in this atmosphere with a liberal attitude — that is a mixture of scepticism and sympathy for my tradition. Why then do I feel uneasy about being a liberal Hindu? I feel besieged from both ends — from the Hindu nationalists and the secularists. Something seems to have gone wrong. Hindu nationalists have appropriated my past and made it into a political statement of Hindutva. Secularists have contempt for all forms of belief and they find it odd that I should cling to my Hindu past. Young, successful Indians, at the helm of our private and public enterprises, have no time or use for the classics of our ancient tradition.
             A few years ago, I told my wife that I wanted to read the Mahabharata in its entirety. I explained that I had read the Western epics but not the Indian ones. She gave me a sceptical look, and said, “It’s a little late in the day to be having a mid-life crisis, isn’t it?” To my chagrin, I became the subject of animated discussion at a dinner party soon after. “So, what is this I hear about wanting to go away to read old books”, asked my hostess, “aren’t there any new ones?” She gave my wife a sympathetic look. “Tell us, what you plan to read?” asked a retired civil servant who had once been a favourite of Indira Gandhi. He spoke casually as though he was referring to the features of a new Nokia phone. I admitted I had been thinking of the Mahabharata. “Good lord, man!” he exclaimed. “You haven’t turned saffron, have you?”
             I think his remark was made in jest, but it upset me. I found it disturbing that I had to fear the intolerance of my “secular” friends, who seemed to think that reading an epic was a political act. I was reminded of a casual remark by a Westernized woman in Chennai who said she had always visited a Shiva temple near her home, but lately she had begun to hide this from her fiercely secular friends, who she feared might paint her in saffron.
               With the rise in religious fundamentalism around the world, it is increasingly difficult to talk about one’s deepest beliefs. Liberal Hindus are reluctant to admit to being Hindu for fear they will be linked to the RSS. Liberal Christians and liberal Muslims abroad have had the same experience. Part of the reason that the sensible idea of secularism is having so much difficulty finding a home in India is that the most vocal and intellectual advocates of secularism were once Marxists. Not only do they not believe in God, they actually hate God. As rationalists they can only see the dark side of religion — intolerance, murderous wars and nationalism and cannot empathize with the everyday life of the common Indian for whom religion gives meaning to every moment. Secularists speak a language alien to the vast majority, so they are only able to condemn communal violence but not to stop it, as Mahatma Gandhi could, in East Bengal in 1947.
             Part of the problem stems from ignorance. Our children do not grow up reading our ancient classics, certainly not with a critical mind as youth in the West read their works of literature and philosophy in school and college. In India, some get to know about epics from their grandmothers; others read Amar Chitra Katha comics or watch them in television serials.
             If Italian children can read Dante’s Divine Comedy in school, English children can read Milton and Greek children can read the Illiad, why should “secularist” Indians be ambivalent about the Mahabharata? It is true the Mahabharata has lots of gods and in particular that elusive divinity, Krishna, who is up to all kinds of devious activities. But so are Dante, Milton and Homer filled with God or gods?
           We cannot just divide Indians between communalists and secularists. The average Indian is decent and is caught in the middle. To achieve a secular society, believers must tolerate each other’s beliefs as well as atheism.

Obligation – ‘help to others’ improves internal power

I am seeing Goddess in Mother Teresa.

Obligation or helping hands to others is not proprietary of any person or religion. When Obligations are done without any receiving back attitude, it improves power to face obstacles. There is one incident of mother Teresa. She wants to built ‘Nirmal Day ’ bhavan (hall) near kalighat, kolkatta to help enables, poor and aged people. They were inaugurating the construction with their supporters at that time the persons who opposes her gathers there and started shouting against them. Mother Teresa weren’t afraid even a bit and stood there without any hesitation.

With great bravery she told the mass that kill me if you want. My death is not issue on way of Ishu masih, but stop this and let enable and poop people leave with peace. Issue goes to police commissioner, and he told that he will go to the place himself and then will take the decision that nirmal daya bhavan will be constructed or not. When commissioner reached to the place, then he was amazed by seeing mother Teresa and her followers deeds, all were serving poor and enable peoples.

As fast as commissioner reached there, opposite groups people became happy. The commissioner asked that I will asked Mother Teresa to leave from here on one condition, you and your family need to start serving those poor peoples. I am seeing godess on mother Teresa. Obstructer group was stunned, and commissioner gave permission to build bhavan. Lesson of the story is only that, Obligation or helping hands to others is not proprietary of any person or religion. When Obligations are done without any receiving back attitude, it improves power to face obstacles.

care aged persons as much as children

                   'The Book of Mirdad' is the collection of Good sayings to own friends and folowers by Midrad. Mirdad has pointed towards many of recent time's issues. One of them is about our behaviour towards Aged peoples in Society. He told that we shows extensive care towards children, we take care of little things, we grew them with so much love. Why do we need to take care of children? Its because he is dependant upon us, so we need to take care of him.But take care of aged peoples in society is as important as our care towards childrens.

                    There is one very famous line from bollywood movie, and i would like to translate it for you. It says: "Parents took care of child as a precious diamond in as small house as one room, but that child dont want to give a single room in his wonderland to his parents".

              Do you thing the point of view of the generation before us, for us is right? Are we really such stupid? Are we really dont care about our parents? I am very sorry to say but yes, almost 90% of us people dont want to takre care of our parents. Children and aged peoples need support of other equally. But fact is that everyone is ready to help children, but people wont help aged ones. And sometime rather then showing your love and gratitude, our generation shows hatred and carelessness. We take care of our dog or cat more than our old peoples. Is it what they deserve? we shouldnt forget that if they wont be there, we would not have been here.

                Mirdad critisized by saying that, parents are very eager for his children to grow up, and more than that childrens are eager in worrying that when those unwanted and unrequired peoples in corner of your house dies. saint of bebolon, Mirad says that - today who are old, and who wants your hand for your love, affection. what they havent done for your life to be happy? How can you forget the mother who has taken care of you for nine months inside her body? How can you forget who might had sleept empty stomach, so that you can take your food well. who have done everything they can to fulfil your desire. Today thay are aged, not as strong as they were, can not take care of themselves... so will we leave them?

               Just dont forget, what you do in this world, almighty has made arrangement to gave it back to you in this very world. You are also going to grow aged one day.

How to track your lost mobile?

Track Your Lost Mobile Phone

                Here is an interesting fact to share. Now a days each one of us carry Hi Fi Mobile devices and always fear that it may be stolen.

                 Each mobile carries a unique IMEI i.e International Mobile Identity
                  No which can be used to track your mobile anywhere in the world.
                 This is how it works!!!!!!

                 1. Dial *#06# from your mobile.

                 2. Your mobile shows a unique 15 digit.

                 3. Note down this no anywhere but except your mobile as  this  is the number which will help trace your mobile in case of a theft.

                 4. Once stolen you just have to mail this 15 digit IMEI no.  To cop@vsnl.net

                 5. No need to go to police.

                 6. Your Mobile will be traced within next 24 hrs via a complex system of GPRS and internet.

                 7. You will find where your hand set is being operated even in case your number is being changed.

                 Pass on this very important message to your friends and relatives, and do share your experience , fi this informations has been helpful to you.

Why we hesitate in Condoms use?

A day ago one sms came to me, it says: "Only xx people dies because of swine flue, still everyone is wearing mask, But millions of peoples have died because od AIDS, still everyone is not wearing condoms".

Well that was a funny SMS, but think carefully about it, was it only a joke? Why we hesitate in Condoms use? I never thought I'd be asking this question. But I have been compelled to after a particularly appalling incident and several more narrated by my gal pals.

So here's what happened:

I walked myself to the "most popular" chemist in my area to buy a pack of condoms! And yes it was the first time I had ventured to do the same… Considerate that I am, I thought I'd let my partner off the hook and take responsibility this time around. Considered one of the most advanced and biggest medical shops in the area, I was hoping to getting it easily and flit out in a breeze. Boy, was I wrong!

Condom please!

After I managed to catch the attention of a female shop assistant and asked her for my partner's choice of brand [I was getting the male condom!], the fiasco began.

Apparently flabbergasted by what I wanted to buy, she asked me to repeat my request. I nonchalantly did the same - only to be told to wait. She scurried off to a corner and whispered something in the ear of a fellow shop assistant and both the girls giggled and glared at me!

Pretending to be busy, the twosome then sent another assistant to ask me what I wanted. This one deserved the Oscar for playing the "I'm-hard-of-hearing-nitwit-shop-assistant" and asked me to repeat my request for the third time.

Enraged by the petty arrogance of these excuses-for-chemists, I repeated loudly the brand for the last and final time (or so I thought!). All the shop assistants - and there were around 7 of them - froze. I was "exhibit A" and all eyes were on me, including those of the other patrons. The young boy who had come for cough medicine blushed, the aunty cursed me under her breath and an uncouth looking man gave me a dirty smile.

The news that I was there for the "rubber" spread like wild fire!

I was finally handed very reluctantly the pack by the male shop assistant who was waiting for an explanation or an excuse. They weren't going to get any.

The fact that I was getting it for my husband was none of their business. And this very regressive attitude is what has stopped many others like me from doing the right thing - protecting ourselves.

Pharmacy: Humiliation hot-spot

In a recent survey, one out of 10 men said they have had unprotected sex because they were too embarrassed to buy condoms from a pharmacy. What's more, the results confirmed that the high street pharmacy was a 'humiliation hot-spot' for people.

So if the men were toe-curlingly embarrassed by the same, women obviously couldn't be left behind! What's worse was that almost 50 per cent of the population had suffered a health problem like thrush in silence rather than facing the embarrassment of seeking medical attention according to the online pharmacy mastersdirect.com.

Most simply walked out of a pharmacies because they were too embarrassed to ask for a particular health product, revealed the survey.

"The men will get it"

Most women depend on their male partners and trust them blindly to protect them against any sexually transmitted disease. A friend of mine got her partner to get a year's supply of condoms just so that he doesn't make excuses and she is not forced to go to a chemist.

While there are a handful few who do take the initiative like 30-year-old Priyasha Seth who always carries a pack and makes a point to buy it herself, even she has had to contend with embarrassing situations at the chemist.

It's all in the mind!

Most male friends of mine don't have any qualms walking up to a chemist and picking a condom. In fact, one of them "feels proud doing it, and especially likes discussing the different flavours, sizes, types at the chemist.... it freaks the shop assistants out completely".

29 year old Ad executive says, "All you need to do is head to a supermarket and dunk a pack or two with your groceries. Who's to know?!"

Make condoms accessible

Sociologist Nandini Sardesai says, "NGOs and the government have done enough. It's the attitude of the people that needs to change."

"There is a need to introduce new and novel ways of making condoms more accessible. For eg: Thailand's 'Condom King', Mechai Viravaidya - so-called due to his extensive work promoting accessible contraceptives - introduced the concept of giving condoms out instead of candy when you pay your bills."

All said and done, wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry? So, don't let chemists make you regret doing the right thing.
Inspiration taken from idiva Indiatimes.
Have you been through embarrassing situations at the chemist? Leave us a comment and let us know.

First Rape and the capital Punishment: Is this Humanity?

All girls declared to be given capital punishment and who are vergin, are brutally being raped before their execution in Prison of Iran. Iran's Baisli Milishiya, does such sort of inhuman conduct with vrigin woman prisonors. And do you know why girls are raped? They are raped because its their reliegion's rule that vergin girls can not be executed in capital punishment. This scandle was exposed by a gard of Milishiya prison.

He informed a daily newspaper editor that, when he was 18 years old, he was getting married with virgin gilr who was sentensed capital punishment in prison. And then he was asked to have sex or rape her. According to islamic rule of Iran, Virgin girls can not be executed in capital punishment. So a day ago that girls is forcefully, got married to some one and then forced to have sex with him, and on second day she has been executed.

Guard also informed that this marriage is legal. He added that, the thought of rape before her execution of capital punishment itself, make the mental condition of victim very bad. Forcible sex that she had to do with someone is worst then capital punishment. Guard told that, he remembers an incident with such virgin girl, when he raped that girl before the day she was to be executed, he became so angry with himselft that he started cursing himself and punished his body.
In no holy book of any religion, this can be legal. I am hindu, but accordign to one of my old friend, islam gives so much respects to women. There can never be such legal rule about the execution of virgin gilr, which allows some psycho people to rape a girl. I am asking to user about their views for this inhuminitarian act.

Preventative steps for H1N1 - from a doctor from AIIMS

Preventative steps for H1N1 - from a doctor from AIIMS

Most N95 respirators are designed to filter 95% particulates of 0.3µ, while the size of H1N1 virus is about 0.1µ. Hence, dependence on N95 to protect against H1N1 is like protecting against rain with an umbrella made of mosquito net.

Tamiflu does not kill but prevents H1N1 from further proliferation till the virus limits itself in about 1-2 weeks (its natural cycle). H1N1, like other Influenza A viruses, only infects the upper respiratory tract and proliferates (only) there. The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/ throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps - not fully highlighted in most official communications - can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1.  Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2.  "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3.  Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4.  Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5.  Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6.  Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

All these are simple ways to prevent, within means of most households, and certainly much less painful than to wait in long queues outside public hospitals.