Random Thoughts - Freedom!!

What is freedom?

Freedom is the ability to act without restraint.

Photo: Y! Magazine

Drinking green tea could help in the fight against HIV

Issues on HIV has always been one of my interest. Being myself working in BCC (Behaviour Change Communication) and ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) field, also focuing on HIV, I always try to update myself on such issues. This news from BBC Online is really exciting in the fight against HIV. Read on and if you feel to write something, please go on.

BBC NEWS:
Scientists found a component called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) prevents HIV from binding to immune system cells by getting there first. Once EGCG has bound to immune system cells there is no room for HIV to take hold in its usual fashion. However, experts said the joint UK and US work, which appears in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, was at a very preliminary stage.

Researcher Professor Mike Williamson, of the University of Sheffield, said: "Our research shows that drinking green tea could reduce the risk of becoming infected by HIV, and could also slow down the spread of HIV. "It is not a cure, and nor is it a safe way to avoid infection, however, we suggest that it should be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected.

"Future research is also currently under way in order to determine how much effect can be expected from different amounts of tea."

More work needed

Keith Alcorn, senior editor of the Aidsmap web service, said tests on animals would be needed before any conclusions could be safely drawn on the potential protective effect of drinking green tea. "This study only looks at the ability of a chemical in green tea to block HIV binding to human CD4 immune cells in the test tube.

"Many substances shown to prevent HIV infection in the test tube turn out to have little or no effect in real life, so I think there's a long way to go before anyone should rely on green tea to protect against HIV infection." Lisa Power, head of policy at the HIV charity, Terrence Higgins Trust said: "Condoms keep HIV at bay. Anything that boosts your immune system is beneficial for people with HIV, but green tea can't be a substitute for proper medication and prevention techniques."

Green tea has been linked to a positive effect on a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's.

Why credit cards are priceless?

There are loads of advertisement of creditcards that says, like moments, cards too are priceless. Used to wonder why they call it priceless....in the sea of web, i found this reasyy cool article why credit cards are priceless. Go to http://bhupen.k6yar.com/ and see his more articles....till then enjoy this.

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Ask anyone, “Is having a credit card worth it?”

They will probably tell you, yes and no.

Yes:
if you would like to build your credit score and buy something online and also to use it in case of emergency.

No:
If you already have money in the bank.

If you are not following me, please read this : In developed countries such as the United States, UK, etc, a person’s creditworthiness is computed by agencies based on your history of purchases and bank balance. Banks work with agencies to secure their transactions such as giving someone credits / loans. Lets face it. Will you give your hard earned or even free money to someone for a while then expect them to pay back to you on time. In Nepal, only a handful of people have credit cards, the monthly payments on credit card bills are made by rich parents, fancy jobs, and corruptions. Nearly 99% of Nepalese do not own a credit card. In Nepal there are no credit agencies. Credit cards are issued by banks verifying bank balance and reference from employer.

Doing shopping online without a credit card is next to impossible, although there are some websites (such as amazon.com) that allows you to purchase items without using a credit card. It offers the option “pay on delivery”. But this is only limited to particular shipping destinations such as within the country; like United States or Canada. So most online transactions do require you to have at least a debit or credit card. So having at least one of them helps.

To build credit score, you start by giving your money to a bank. That amount remains as your credit limit. Your purchase and monthly payments goes to the credit agencies database. As your history is reviewed, they assign you a credit score. Nobody knows just how they do this or what kind of formula is set, generally speaking paying well ahead of the due date, purchasing costly items and paying them well ahead of the monthly due date gives better score. Getting the wrong credit card can have you pay bunches of interest, late fees, activation fees, etc. You know it was your money and that even makes you depressed! Terms and conditions of a contract are written using the smallest possible fonts - so it’s worth buying a magnifying glass to read it thoroughly before getting credit cards! You will be glad you did it! You might also use it to read other advertisements by such as Direct TV, Virizon, Cingular, and you name it. Anything that looks so unreal has a string attached to it and they are hidden in those tiny fonts!

Ok, lets come to the point. I thought this would be an interesting way to finish this post.
An Advertisement (Ad) that we all are too familiar with….

Activation Fee $ 49.99
Annual Account Maintenance Fee $ 99,99
Interest Amount $2451.25, Rate being 20%
Balance This Month : $10512.00
Must pay this Month $250.00
Interest Amount $2451.25, Rate being 20%
bla bla bla $0.99
bla bla bla $999.99

Credit Card… It’s priceless!