India may record its first human bird flu cases if five persons in West Bengal, under observation for displaying "clinical symptoms" associated with the infection after handling backyard poultry, are confirmed to be afflicted with the disease. All five are residents of Murshidabad, one of seven West Bengal districts to have been hit by the […]
Cheap and Cheerful: Venezuelans Cling to Right for Petrol at 42p a Tank
There is a world where oil costs $100 a barrel, where motorists wince as they fill up the tank and where energy efficiency is a mantra. And then there is Venezuela. At a Caracas petrol station last week, Gloria Padron, a paediatrician, ticked off items that would cost about the same as the 60 liters […]
Go Slow and Change Your Life
If we go slow we can change our life. When we do anything that we’re not used to, physical, mental or emotional, we’re going to experience discomfort. About 40 years ago I realized the lifestyle choices I was making weren’t compatible with the overall life I wanted to lead. I realized the things I really […]
Online Banking: Security Issues for Online Payment Services
Online Banking Online banking allows customers or users to conduct financial transactions on a secure website operated by their banks, credit unions or building societies. Online banking has grown rapidly using today’s computer technology thereby providing the option of online payment bypassing the time-consuming, traditional banking in order to manage the finances more quickly and […]
US Economy-Recession, Depression, or Collapse?
“For Consumers, the Hits Keep Coming” a recent banner headline in a New York Times-owned daily newspaper here in Northern California reports. The article misses the main points. If we continue to understand ourselves as primarily passive consumers, rather than as active citizens, the US economy will enter at least a recession, probably a depression, […]
Causes, treatment and prevention of food poisoning
Food poisoning is a common, usually mild, but sometimes deadly illness. Typical symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhoea that come on suddenly (within 48 hours) of consuming a contaminated food or drink. Depending on the contaminant, fever and chills, bloody stools, dehydration, and nervous system damage may follow. These symptoms may affect one […]