Cancer explained

Cancer is something close to my heart. For various reasons, it has for the longest time been the area that I wanted to study and do research in. And now that I am FINALLY in a cancer biology program, I realized how little I know. Not that I was ever arrogant in my knowledge of cancer, but I gladly admitted my ignorance about a disease that continues to kill so many people every year. The aspects of cancer are many, and to even explain everything is next to impossible. For a history of cancer and how current research stands from a clinical standpoint, there is an excellent book called 'The Emperor of All Maladies'. But for those who don't have the patience to read a 500 page book, here is a small explanation.

To make it more relatable, we will use India's current political situation as an analogy.

The day you were born is like India getting independence. The cells are the millions of people who saw our country celebrate its first independence day. There were the good people, the young, the old, the restless and that is exactly how a new born baby is too. As time progressed, there were new people, new ideas, new developments and progress very similar to a new-born growing up.

Much like India in the its infancy, there was a clear demaracation of power in the country. There were some families which were more powerful than the others. Ditto with cells, that some are more robust and can divide and take over the tissue. Like India learning its lesson after the emergency and not electing Mrs. Gandhi, sometimes the immune system wakes up and takes care of the cancerous cells and destroys them. However, just like we failed to eliminate corruption of power completely way back then, some cells escape this process.

Life seems normal again, and we get on with life. In the meantime, a corrupt politician is gathering his forces silently without grabbing too much attention much like a cancer that has formed. One fine day, we wake up to see another extremely corrupt person as our PM and that is pretty much how we will realize we have rogue tissue too. A scar that we ignored, a lump that dint matter, an infection we dint care about etc etc. We get the devastating news that person has cancer, and it is taking over more than just the primary organ.

Exactly how we bring an RTI or a Lokayukta to combat corruption, we seek our first line of defense by chemotherapy and other suitable treatments.Sometimes, this fixes the problem and the politician is sent to jail aka the cancer is controlled.

Control isn't elimination and there is always a chance that the politico gets bail, and comes out stronger and cleverer but most importantly with a hungrier appetitie for money. In cancer, the tissue metastasizes to other parts and shows more resistance and becomes that much more devastating. Like a politico finding other means to make money when one method lands him in jail, cancer cells seek other tissue to derive nutrition and grow incessantly.

When this goes out of hand, much like Anna Hazare, more radical treatments will be required. For those who followed the crazy circus that was the Lokpal, sometimes the corrupt government (like a metastasized resistant tumor) will not yield to any call for normalcy (treatments will fail).

In India's case, the Govt agreed to the terms, but tumor cells dont buckle as easily, and the result sadly is the demise of the person.

Note: 1. As a patriotic Indian, I would never wish harm to the country even from a scumbag politico, but this was the best analogy I could think of.
2. Not all cancer cells kill, just like not all politicos are corrupt.

Burrito in 10 min.. :) Grad-glad cooking

Ingredients:

Rice (brown or white, good recipe to finish leftovers)
Beans (soak and pressure cook or canned)
Salsa (store bought: Newmann's $2.49)
Sour cream (store bought $0.99)
Cheese (store bought)
Cilantro (optional)
Lemon juice (bottled $0.99)
Wraps (optional)
Salt
Paprika

Prep:
1. Mix rice, lemon juice, salt and cilantro. Keep aside.
2. Strain beans and add salt, paprika/pepper.
3. Arrange BURRITO!!
4. Bake wraps for 10 min at 325F (optional).

Makes 6-8 GIANT burritos in 10 min (under 10 bucks too!!)

Smokin'

I am currently reading a book about the history of cancer. A good 10% if the book is dedicated to explaining how tobacco increases risk of cancer and how difficult it was to convince the Govt to take preventive action. One of the ways to deal with this was to have a 'warning' on the packs. One can see this on Indian cigarette packs too. But here is the difference: Knowing something is harmful is not good enough! Check what an American company needs to print by law. Mention loud and clear that you can get cancer, you can cause harm to a fetus, DIE from smoking. THAT needs to be done! Statutory warning saying 'Smoking is injurious to health' does NOTHING!!
Oh well, looks like there has been a LAW to include 'Smoking causes cancer' on packs in India in 2008. But, read this..!!

Why I dont follow IPL

Cricket is a religion that everyone follows in India.. And Sachin is everyone's God.. Although everyone worships one cricketer more than the other, Sachin is the God-Supreme.. The God of Gods.. The creator of interest, the sustainer of the love of the game and the destroyer of the opposition ALL in one tiny, smiling piece of man.. That said, he unites the country when we play the WC.. The whole country comes together to watch a game that is in our DNA to love and follow..

So when the concept of IPL was thrown in, cities playing cities in the shortest, most aggressive and probably the most entertaining form of cricket, the Twenty20 version I was supposed to be intrigued.. But NOPE!! Never happened.. Somehow, the thought of cities playing each other did not work for me.. I watched EPL every year since 2001 and was hooked to it.. As a big ManUtd fan, I also could not stand a Chelsea/Arsenal/Liverpool supporter and could spend endless hours trash-talking..

Why was cricket different for me?? As a sport that brought the nation together, cricket would divide the country into 'city' supporters.. The sport that made everyone proud of being Indian (when we win), would start a rivalry based on which city you were born in and where you lived.. I did not care less than very few native Bloreans were part of Royal Challengers Bangalore..

Digressing a little here, what is with the name?? Royal Challengers?? So meh!! As part of popular culture, 'Royal' in Karnataka is almost always referred to Mysore.. Challengers?? The way we played in IPL 1.0, yeah RRRRIGHT!! More cricket-challenged than challengers.. Royal-challengers together does not even make sense.. The color of the team.. I wish I were colorblind (although technically, I can never be colorblind).. I remember some famous designed conceptualized the barf-inducing combination of reddish-pink and gold (or dirty yellow)..!! I am still confused whether it is Bengaluru or Bangalore.. But the Anglicized name stuck with the team..

Back to IPL.. So, auctioning of the players resulted in insane amounts of money poured into the 'league' and players selected to play for a team like toy being sold on eBay.. The buildup to the game was a heady mix of cricket, Bollywood, models, cheer-girls and politics.. And while the cricket was good, everything else also became equally important.. The team had its song/dance, foreign cheer-girls (fully clad in some cases to appease all the naysayers of skin-showin the country), numerous after-parties to celebrate 'cricket'.. Eessssh!! I would have punched anyone who compared IPL with EPL.. EPL is serious football.. And NOTHING else..!!

My BIGGEST pet peeve of IPL.. It does not breed healthy competition.. What started as a battle between cities for cricket soon transcended to an open war of your culture v my culture, your language v my language.. Cricket used to unite.. But I guess that news is soooooo last week when we won the WC.. Alright folks, get the war paint out.. Looks like my city is better than yours..

You know your lab has a sense of humor when...

...this little note is prominently displayed on the bulletin board meant for research papers!!

"Life is all about ass;
You’re either covering it,
Laughing it off,
Kicking it,
Kissing it,
Busting it,
Trying to get a piece of it,
Behaving likeone,
Or you live with one!!!"

My experiments with Shaadi.com: Part 3

This had to be a blog entry all on its own!! (Yes, he was on part 2 as well)

I am XYZ, got medical education in one of the BEST Medical Education Institute and apart from English-Hindi-Gujarati-Punjabi-Marwadi-Marathi, I know FRENCH-GERMANY-ITALIAN-SPANISH and I have friends every where and they are inviting me visit THEIRcountry coand that is the Intrest in my life and every year I have plan to visit -Travel.
I have plan to do resarch work on BLOOD PROCESSING SYSTEM, for BLODD CANCER, and this rearch work is very unique and not a single Individual or any Institute doing, and this does not attahch with any CHEMOTHERAPY / BORN MARROW/ and quiite different, and that can drive a big RESEARCH WORK and can give BIG NAME. and XYZ,


FAMILY :- My Father Dr YZ is MEDICO LEGAL SPECIALIST and MY Mom XZ is GYNECOLOGIST AND OBSTRECIAN both live permanently live in CHICAGO USA. i am only son and I have 2 sisters and both elder to me and married and well settled in usa.
X, is my elder sister she is Microbiologist and she work with one Well Known Pharmacy companyl and Her Husband A is computer Eng and doing GOOD BUSINESS, both from New Jersy but Now in CHICAGO USA.
W is Younger than X but Elder than me, and I am youngest, she is UNIVERSITY RANKER in BE[Electronics & Communication]MCA[ Master in Computer Application] and working with Duke Energy - and Her Huband B is accountant.
MY 2 cousine also live in USA.
UZ is computer Eng nd working with IBM and His Wife CZ is MICROBILOGIST and working with one MNC Pharma company and both live in-USA, My another cousine VZ is Civil Eng but she is totally devoitee for SWAMI ABC
and her husband is Computer Eng and live -USA.
Dr Z mbbs, ms, mch is UROLOGIST[My eldest cousine] and His wife is Mrs. Z mbbs, md, dgo GYNECOLOGIST AND and our JOSHI FAMILY is well knownin Gujarat
My parrents, my both sistesr and My both cousine all live in USA and enjoy FAMILY LOVE and if girl is from USA, she also can enjoy her family but not necessory. I remain INTERNATIONAL STUDENT I am the person with MODERN out look for life, and with MIX of INDIA-EURO-AMERICAN CULTUREand that is soemthing more than any INDIAN or AMERCIAN GUY, BUT sure I am NON SMOKER AND & NON DRINKER, BUTNOT ORTHODOX.
AS I am DOCTOR - MEDICO person and if girl is MEDICO -doctor will be prefere but not necessory.
AS I remain INTERNATIONAL STUDENT, My stetus in USA is not CITIZEN, and I am HOLDING, 10 years MULTI PURPOSE VISA, and MY immigration file is in process. and IF i need propmpt PERMANENT IMMIGRATION VISA it is BUSINESS VISA also, AS I have large CAPITAL to invest in USA, and I like some PRAPOSAL for INVESTMENTS IN USA
FURTHER, I got as LEGAL-GIFT from my NANA [ My mom father - and My mom is ONLY child ]
and AS per INDIAN INCOM TAX ACT what I get DIVIDENTD INCOME there in INDIA is totally INCOME TAX FREE and for that WE have kept one CHARTER ACCOUNT COMPNAY to look after. AND I also certified person TO DEAL/TRADE ON LINE /in CASH MARKET-FUTURE & OPETION AND also MONEY MOVER and I can LEGALLY TRANSFER MY CAPITAL IN ANY COUNTRY AND IN ANY CURRENCY , and that I AM DOING in practise. SO ANY TIME I CAN make descisson to INVEST IN USA and I CAN GET BUSINESS VISA if need. SO THERE IS NO PROBLEM for VISA, and MY DAD is not onlly MEDICO LEFGAL but HE IS expert in IMMIGRATION

My experiments with Shaadi.com: Part 2

Here is more..

Height: 6 ft. Partner height preference: 4 Ft - 5 Ft 9 In (Did you really write 4 ft???)

The age of the partner applicable so as to give birth to child. (WHAT? You don't put such things ANYWHERE!!)

I am XYZ, got medical education in one of the BEST Medical Education Institute and apart from English-Hindi-Gujarati-Punjabi-Marwadi-Marathi, I know FRENCH-GERMANY-ITALIAN-SPANISH and I have friends every where and they are inviting me visit THEIRcountry coand that is the Intrest in my life and every year I have plan to visit -Travel. (Pheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!!!)

I have plan to do resarch work on BLOOD PROCESSING SYSTEM, for BLODD CANCER, and this rearch work is very unique and not a single Individual or any Institute doing, and this does not attahch with any CHEMOTHERAPY / BORN MARROW/ and quiite different, and that can drive a big RESEARCH WORK and can give BIG NAME. (Ow, there was more?? Sorry, my BAD!!)

Age: 46 Partner Preference: 18 to 99 (EXTREME!!)

my hobbies are reading, driving, working out in jim and exploring new places (Huh?)

VERY BROAD MINDED WANTING TO LIVE LIFE FULL SIZE, ALONE, LOVE TO CIRCULATE AROUND (Socialize?)

Hobbies: talking to friends, dance, talking to my friends, site seeing, going out for tourism, internet (Alright!!! I get it!!)

STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT RELATIONSHIP IS BASED ON TRUST AND HONESTY AND COMMITMENT ( not compromise ). (Not you, I will say!!)

mein chahta hun ki saari duniya mein pyar hi pyar ho or sab log aman chain se rahe. (Wah wah!!)