HOW TO MANAGE YOUR TRAVEL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS?

 

Memories aren’t perfect, and there’s no better way to capture a Parisian sunset, that breathtaking view of the pyramids, the magic of Aurelia Borealis, or your vacation in New Zealand and Australia than with a trusted camera. In this way, the things that you see and do can live forever. The problem is, as your digital photos and travel videos add up, and sooner or later you are going to run into an organization problem, if you have not done so already. A lack of space on your storage drives or storage in too many locations will make matters worse. Now add to this your printed photographs and your camcorder videos and you have a complete chaos in your hand!

 

You may be an MBA from the best management school in the world, or the most organized homemaker but when it comes to organizing your travel photographs ask yourself honestly, how well organized are you? I have been a traveler for more than 5 decades now and I have black & white printed photographs, coloured printed photographs, coloured slides, videos in tapes of all sizes, in compact disks, and digital images and videos all scattered in one camcorder, 3 digital cameras, 3 desktop computers, 8 pen drives, 4 phones and 4 laptops! Does that make me ‘disorganized’? It surely does, but like all the other desirable but uninteresting things in life, which I have shelved for another day, this is a job I have to do. So, where do we start from?

 

I have one advantage, I am a Plastic Surgeon and ‘planning’ is my middle name. All plastic surgeons always carry a camera to capture before and after surgery photographs and videos for future referencing. Right from day one I have stored all my patient related photographs and videos in a password protected folder called CLINICAL. I have organized them disease wise, procedure wise and patient wise for the last 37 years and this system helps me to recall any set of photographs by just a few clicks on my computer keypad. Armed with this experience I am embarking upon the strenuous task or organizing my travel photographs. Incidentally, storing clinical photographs and videos is a very serious business and an extremely responsible task for the sake of patient's privacy. if you want to know more about it please click: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4292101/

 

So, this is how we plan to go about organizing our travel photographs and videos:

 

Digitize all prints and videos

This is important for preservation and restoration of quality, ease of duplication, instant cataloging and social media sharing. The print photographs can be digitized by a scanner, a digital camera, an app to digitize print photographs and even a professional photo digitization service. PhotoScan is an app from Google Photos that lets you scan printed photographs and save them.

For digitizing videos you can connect your camcorder to your computer using a ‘middleman gadget’ – video capture card, RCA cable or HDMI cable. You can also record directly onto a flash storage device, such as an SD memory card or a USB stick. You can also use a DVD recorder or, as a last resort, record on a digital camera from a screen. Needless to say, you can always hire a professional service to do this for you.

 

Back up the chaos

Before tinkering with files on a computer, save everything to an external hard drive in case anything gets deleted by accident. What size hard drive you need depends on how much data you need to back up. Consider the amount of data already on your computer's internal drive, as well as any data backed up to the cloud. If you have photos on your smartphone worth backing up, add that data to your calculations as well.

 

Collect all in a silo (holding tank)

With everything backed up, you can start collecting images from the smartphone and online locations and place them in a silo. As you bring each set of digital images into this folder, try to keep events or months together instead of dumping a gazillion images from your camera roll. Use your smartphone’s built-in app to identify groupings like months, events or collections. This is also the time to review the images quickly and get rid of anything that isn’t a keeper. Once you have a group of photos in the folder, Next, create or rename a folder and give it a name that represents the group of photos that will go into it.

 

Sort and Discard

Then go through your travel photos and videos and delete all the ones that are dark and blurry (as well as the ones where your thumb is covering the frame!). This step is hugely important as it will keep your collection down to a manageable size.

This is not the time to edit your photos! That step can add days or even weeks and months to your organization process, so for now you just want to get your travel photos into a more manageable state by streamlining the collection into those that are even viable as good memories.

 

Rename and add context

Just as you organize everything into folders; it’s important to add detailed information about the individual photos in the actual file names. After all, the story behind the image is just as important as the picture itself. You’ll want to include who, what and where.

Renaming your images from your camera’s default setting to a consistent system such as trip_month_day_year.jpg, for example, will allow you to search by all four of those labels. Some applications offer batch renaming, which makes the process exponentially faster. If it seems daunting to rename all of your files one by one, then download Adobe Bridge, a free media management program that helps manage and organize images and other files. The batch rename features allows you to quickly rename multiple files in one fell swoop.

 

Arrange in a logical pattern

I have done it country wise and the folders get arranged alphabetically. Inside each country folder you can have State/City folders, Tourist highlights, Festivals etc. Thus in my Australia folder there is Victoria – Melbourne, M.C.G, Cricket, A.F.L, Ballarat, Wilson’s Promontory, Geelong, Great Ocean Road, Dandenong, Puffing Billy, Phillip Island, Penguin parade etc. Similarly my travel photos inside of a Thailand folder has subfolders such as: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Elephant Nature Park, Ayutthaya Day Trip, Thai Food. If you’ve been a couple of times, then it’s time to organize by year within the respective folder.

 

Back up

Plan a 3-2-1 backup strategy The “3” stands for three copies of your files saved in three distinct places. The “2” means that two copies of your data should be in two separate places, such as your computer and a hard drive, or on two hard drives if your archive is too large to fit on your computer. The “1” indicates one set of data should exist at a separate location in case of some unforeseen natural disaster, fire, flood or theft.

You’re already storing your photos on a hard drive of some sort, so now you need a duplication of that drive. Your best solution is likely a low-cost paid subscription to an online storage platform, like Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud. Pick a name you know to ensure that your pictures stay backed up for years to come—even if your hard drive or phone fails. If you’re serious about saving and even sharing your travel photos, you can use a service like SmugMug, which allows you to organize your travel photos into beautiful galleries.

Evaluate whether the service compresses your images and what kind of files it accepts. Read the security and privacy fine print — what safeguards will you have, and will you hand over any rights? And consider the company’s reputation and longevity. Many of the services allow you to search using face recognition, location and more, file labeling is also valuable for actually finding what you’re looking for. So choose one or two back-ups carefully.

Now, keep at it, don’t fall back into the old mess

Going forward, make things easier on yourself by organizing your travel photos as you take them, or soon after your trip. Keep only the “keepers," delete the rest, and back up your devices regularly. By following these simple tips, you'll have easy access to your photo bank and peace of mind. And before you grab backpack and head out on your next adventure, you’ll know that you have a plan for keeping all your future memories safe and sound.

 

Don’t just store, use them and enjoy them

Fortunately, there are some great ideas out there for making use of your travel photos in ways that are more effective and enjoyable than simply printing out a few highlights and placing them in an album, the way it always used to be done. In the digital age today if you have a modern television, then you already have the perfect photo frame – load your best shots onto a USB stick, plug it into your TV, and then follow the instructions to set your photos on a loop on-screen. If you would prefer not to use your TV, there are also many digital frames – that are small, framed screens that plug into the wall.

You can also create a book with your photos. It’s surprisingly easy and affordable to create something of high quality using brands and products such as Shutterfly, Snapfish, Mixbook and more. These websites all have simple-to-use software that will allow you to upload and arrange your photos on the pages, design the cover, and then send it off to the printers, with either a hardback or soft binding.

You can also turn your photos into fridge magnets. Companies such as Vistaprint can take your uploaded photos and post them back to you as fridge magnets in a variety of sizes, with or without borders!

You can also put your travel snaps on T-shirts, print them on arty canvas, turn them into posters or postcards, scan them onto sheet metal, make them into drinks coasters, or turn them into personalized passport holders, luggage tags, or even printed over your entire suitcase!

INDIA AND ISRAEL – A DELAYED BUT FRUITFUL FRIENDSHIP

 

 

India and Israel gained their independence from the United Kingdom within months of each other. From Morocco and Algeria in the west Indonesia and Malaysia in the east these are the only two non-Muslim countries, tormented by terrorism thriving in their neighborhood and should have been natural allies right from the word go. But such was the tryst of destiny that they found themselves headed in different directions for nearly four decades – India as a leader in the Non-Aligned Movement that maintained close relations to the Arab world and the Soviet Union; Israel which linked its future to close ties with the United States and Western Europe.

 

Our policy makers in the first four decades following independence felt that India’s large Muslim population was a major obstacle to building a relationship with Israel. Close relations with the Jewish State might somehow alienate and even radicalize our Muslim citizens, hurt their sentiments and those of the Arab world, they felt. This is just one of the countless minority appeasement policies of our predecessors, which kept us away from an intelligent, hard working and sincere bunch of people, who were progressing fast, and punching well above their weight.

 

Diplomatic relations between Jerusalem and New Delhi were established in 1992 and since then the bilateral relationship between the two countries has blossomed at the economic, military, agricultural and political levels. Both countries see themselves as isolated democracies threatened by neighbors that train, finance and encourage terrorism, therefore both countries also view their cooperative relationship as a strategic imperative.

 

It was not that before 1992 the two countries were not in talking terms. India just didn’t want to be seen talking and befriending Israel. India extended de-jure recognition to Israel in 1950 and allowed Israel to maintain a consulate in Mumbai to facilitate the voluntary immigration of thousands of Indian Jews to Israel. Many Indians have also traveled to Israel for special courses and training in agricultural technology and community development. Israeli supplied weapons aided India in winning the Kargil War against Pakistan in 1999. And following a devastating earthquake in 2001, Israel sent an IDF emergency response delegation to India for two weeks to provide humanitarian relief and treatment for the victims.

 

After 1992 both countries have benefited immensely from our increased mutual cooperation. India has become one of Israel’s largest trading partners, many of the world’s leading high-tech companies in Israel and India are forging joint ventures that are successfully competing in the tough international marketplace. Israel-India trade in 1992 amounted to $200 million; the figure was $4.13 billion in 2016. Israel exported $1.15 billion worth of goods to India in 2016, not including diamonds, amounting to 2.5% of Israel’s total exports for the year. In FY 2022-23, Indian merchandise exports to Israel was US$ 7.89 billion and Israeli exports to India was US $ 2.13 billion. In addition, bilateral trade in services stands at USD 1.1 billion. One only wonders where these figures would have been if we established diplomatic relations immediately after our independence.

 

During the visit of President Joe Biden to Israel in July 2022, the first leaders’ summit among Israel, India, the United States, and the UAE was held virtually. This I2U2 group agreed to deepen the economic ties between the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, to create new partnerships to tackle global challenges, like food insecurity and clean energy technology. Both bilateral and multi-lateral collaborations between our countries are proving to be strategically crucial for both of us.

 

Military collaboration

India is the number one export target of Israel’s defense industries. In the decade spanning from the year 2000 to 2010, the bilateral defense trade was estimated to be around $10 billion. In November 2011, India’s elite Cobra Commando unit bought more than 1,000 units of the Israeli X-95 assault rifle to use in counterinsurgency operations. Since then we have purchased Israeli Phalcon AWACS planes (airborne warning and control systems) which are capable of detecting hostile aircraft, cruise missiles, and other incoming aerial threats far before ground-based radars. We have also procured Sword Fish ground radar trackers, precision-guided artillery, and Spike anti-tank guided missiles and missile launchers from Israel and. Python and Derby missiles, that comprise the SPYDER system, which also features an onboard radar for increased offence accuracy.

 

Israel Aerospace Industries successfully tested a jointly developed Indian-Israeli Barak 8 air and naval defense missile system on November 10, 2014. Having successfully collaborated in high-profile areas to develop Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) and Long-Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM), both countries have also ventured into the domain of space. For instance, in 2008, India successfully launched an Israeli reconnaissance satellite TecSAR-1 in exchange for an X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) installed on India’s RISAT-2 (Radar Imaging Satellite with all-weather capability). In 2018, both countries signed an agreement to collaborate in Electric Propulsion Systems (EPS) areas for small satellites, atomic clocks and GEO-LEO (Geosynchronous Earth Orbit-Low Earth Orbit) Optical Link. Thus, from sales of weapons to technology transfer and from research and development to Joint Ventures (JVs), both countries have swiftly upgraded their relationship to strategic levels. 

 

The Indian Navy launched a new, Israeli-developed Integrated Under Water Harbor Defense and Surveillance System (IUHDSS), in February 2017. The system will enhance the security of above and below-water vehicles operated by the Indian Navy in the Mumbai Naval Harbor. The two navies regularly do joint naval exercises as is the practice with the two armies as well. In October 2022, India’s Centum Electronics Ltd. and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Systems Ltd. signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop an electronic warfare system for the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard.

 

The Indian military deployed an Israeli-developed comprehensive integrated border management system (CIBMS) along its border with Pakistan in August 2017. The fence will be monitored by sensors and security cameras and will alert people in monitoring facilities when a breach has occurred. Indian officials announced plans to seal all of their 6,300km borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh with the Israeli smart-fence.  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security service recruited 30 dogs from Israel in 2017, trained to attack, sniff for bombs and drugs, and track criminals.

 

Agricultural cooperation

The two nations started a $50 million shared agriculture fund, focusing on dairy, farming technology and micro-irrigation. In 2011, India and Israel signed an agreement to foster cooperation on urban water systems, which came after more than a decade of joint research, development and shared investment in the countries’ respective water technologies.

 

Israel helps India diversify and raise the yield of its fruit and vegetable crops under the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project, by offering the country its advanced technology and know-how. Vertical farming, drip irrigation, and soil solarization are some of the Israeli research that is being taught to Indian farmers in 28 centres of excellence across India. Farming at these centers focuses on mangoes, tomatoes, pomegranates, and citrus fruits. Israeli and Indian farmers are also collaborating in the field of growing and marketing flowers, beekeeping, and dairying.

 

A shared future

Our two countries are poised to improve economic, technological, military and agricultural collaboration in the future. The two governments signed an agreement to create the India Israel Innovation Initiative fund (I4F) on July 5, 2017, modeled after the US-Israel BIRD foundation. The two countries pledged $4 million per year each to I4F over a five-year period. The Israeli National Emergency Medical Service, MDA-Magen David Adom (Hebrew for Red Star of David) and the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), held a joint training program during July 2017 aimed at improving and upgrading the IRCS first-responder skills

 

A poignant and sensitive history

When the horrors of the Holocaust and WW II unfolded in Europe, Gen Władysław Sikorski–the first Prime Minister of the Polish Goverment-in-Exile and Commander in Chief of Polish armed forces–requested British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to protect the starving young children who were the ‘treasure of Poland’.Churchill didn’t oblige but Maharaja ‘Jam Sahib’ Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Jamnagar (Nawanagar) of Gujarat gladly did. Around 1200 orphaned Polish children for whom he was ‘Bapu’ (Father) during the Great War years of 1942-1947 never forgot “the good King” who created Little Poland for them and their parents in his Kingdom in Gujarat and in neighbouring Maharashtra – because he had the power and position to do so; and the humanism. There are almost 85,000 Israeli Jews of Indian descent. India is the only country where anti-Semitism has never been allowed to come up, where Jews have never suffered and lived as an integral part of our society. We should be telling the world proudly about the rich Jewish life in India and the two countries can work towards preserving the Jewish heritage in India. 

An estimated 70,000 Hindus in the Indian city of Kolkata marched in support of Israel on February 14, 2018. The rally was organized by the Indian organization Hindu Samhati, which promotes close India-Israel relations and provides services to poor Indians. Hindu Samhati organized a similar, 20,000-strong rally in support of Israel during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. Bollywood movies are very popular in Israel and the producers are incentivized to showcase Israel in their movies. It seems with changing time, and with a different government, India – Israel relations have turned a decisive corner and we can look ahead to all round development in our mutual relations – government to government, military to military, industry to industry and people to people.

IMEE-EC - THE OLD ECONOMIC TRADE ROUTE REVISITED

India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor announced at the G20 Summit will include shipping and railway links connecting India to Europe via Middle Eastern countries. The first-of-its-kind economic corridor will be a historic initiative on cooperation on connectivity and infrastructure involving India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, EU, France, Italy, Germany, and the US. The plan to build a rail and shipping corridor linking India with the Middle East and Europe is an ambitious project aimed at fostering economic growth and political cooperation.

 

This trade route however is not a new idea. There was an extensive maritime trade network operating between the Harappan and Mesopotamian civilizations as early as the middle Harappan Phase (2600-1900 BCE), with much commerce being handled by "middlemen merchants from Dilmun" (modern Bahrain and Failaka located in the Persian Gulf).

 

The Papyrus gives precise details of one particular cargo sent to the Egyptian port of Berenike from Muziris aboard the ship Hermapollon. The total value of the goods, calculated as worth 131 talents, “enough to purchase 2,400 acres of the best farmland in Egypt” or “a premium estate in central Italy” — is jaw-dropping. And a single trading ship such as the Hermapollon could apparently carry several such consignments, each worth a small fortune.

 

This ancient trade route later on served the same commercial purpose between the Indian subcontinent and the Roman Empire. Sir Mortimer Wheeler was digging south of modern Pondicherry at Arikamedu in the 1930s and 40s, and established the existence of Indo-Roman trade in the 1st century Common Era (CE). The existence of this trade, which peaked in the early centuries of the Common Era, has been known for long; however, evidence of its scale, eclipsing the more romanticized overland Silk Road, has only emerged strongly in this recently concluded G20 Summit. It was a raging back and forth trade with Roman merchants trading in gold and Indian merchants selling spices, ivory, cotton textile, and even exotic animals like tigers and elephants.

 

There was a great demand across the Roman Empire for luxuries from India: from the cinnamon-like plant called malabathrum, whose leaves were pressed to create perfume, to ivory, pearls, and precious gemstones. A famous ivory figure of a voluptuously pouting yakshi fertility spirit, found in the ruins of Pompeii, can be dated to this period. In fact, the city once had a shop which apparently sold nothing but ivory products.

 

India’s biggest export by far was pepper, large quantities of which have been found during excavations at Berenike, often in torpedo-shaped pottery jars, each weighing more than 10 kg. In fact, by the end of the first century, Indian pepper became almost as readily available as it is today. Around 80 per cent of the 478 recipes included in the Roman cookbook of Apicius included pepper. Nonetheless, it remained an expensive treat.

 

The flow of goods in the other direction was more limited. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) says it was mainly gold that went to India, which was a problem for the Roman economy because the balance of trade was firmly in India’s favour. Some Roman wines, olive oil and Garum, an ancient Roman fermented fish paste, like the Tabasco or garam masala also find a mention in history of imports from the Roman Empire.

 

Before the European Colonialism regions like India and the Middle East were economic powerhouses in the ancient and medieval era and a huge volume of trade passed through these regions. India’s strategic location at the crossroads of both these trade routes, the Indian Ocean maritime route and the Silk Road, it is not difficult to understand why India was a major trading power in those days. Indian ports like Kozhikode were essential for the trade and its maritime links to the Middle East and South-East Asia go way back in history.

 

With Qutub al-din Aibak, establishing the Delhi Sultanate in 1206, there was a significant increase in trade relations with the Middle East, given the Turkish origins of the dynasty. With five dynasties ruling under the Delhi Sultanate, and eventually the Mughals taking the reign, economic ties with the Middle East increased manifold. The Mughals started importing horses, velvet, gunpowder, dry fruits from the Middle East.

 

The emergence of European traders also helped to increase trade, not just between India and the Arab Peninsula but Asia as a whole. But, as European Imperialism grew and colonial powers like the British, Dutch and Portuguese tried to gain control of the markets, these traditional economic strongholds like the Middle East and India suffered in their hands. From dominating world trade and producing world-class products, these regions were reduced to mere suppliers of raw materials to feed the British Industries. As Shashi Tharoor says in his book 'An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India', in the 17th century, India met almost 25% of the world’s textile demand, which was reduced to almost 1% by the end of British rule.

 

Although economic ties and trade between India and the Middle East were hindered during the British period, the British viceroys established geopolitical ties with this region very strategically. Middle East was always a conglomerate of many princely kingdoms but Middle East as a regional construct was literally conceptualized and framed by British India. Lord Curzon conceptualized the security of British India by creation of a string of buffer states all around.  Thus, Tibet in the north, Afghanistan in northwest, entries to Arabian Sea through ports in the Persian Gulf and entries to Bay of Bengal from Malacca and Sunda Straits were all envisaged to protect British India.

 

In an interesting book named 'Inventing the Middle East' author Guillemet Crouzet claims that the term 'Middle East was coined in 1900 'to describe a critical geopolitical space on the world map, a kind of nexus of different grids of power, and a crucible through which there ran a series of routes connecting London and British India. So deep were the connections with British India with this region that several countries of this region used the Indian Rupee as legal tender even as late as 1960s.

 

Scottish Historian William Dalrymple rightly said that the announcement of an Indian-Middle Eastern Economic Corridor at the G20 Summit will give a global focus to the ancient Red Sea from India to Egypt, which he also mentioned in his new book called “The Golden Road".

BAD ODOUR IN BREATH – MAY BE THE TIP OF AN ICEBERG

 

Bad odour in the exhaled air may be a symptom of poor oral hygiene. Our mouth has many bacteria and food particles can remain lodged in between teeth and in pits and cavities. Our food has carbohydrate or sugar and when bacteria act on them and ferment them the form alcohol which contributes to the smell. So the best way of addressing this issue is better oral care, which can be done by:

• Brushing your teeth after you eat. Keep a toothbrush at work to use after eating.
• Flossing at least once a day.
• Brushing your tongue.
• Cleaning dentures or dental appliances.
• Avoiding dry mouth.
• Adjusting your diet.
• Avoiding gutka, tobacco and tobacco products
• Regularly getting a new toothbrush every 6 months
• Scheduling regular dental checkups.

 

Halitosis is a widespread condition, affecting approximately 1 out of 4 people around the globe. One research study, which combined the findings of 13 medical journal articles, found that halitosis affects about 31.8% of the population.

 

 

Everyone gets bad breath from time to time — especially after eating garlic, onions or other strong foods. But bad breath that doesn’t go away (chronic halitosis) could mean you have an oral health. However, bad breath or halitosis doesn’t necessary mean poor hygiene, but it could be the symptom of an untreated disease. The smell of your breath can tell you an awful lot about different health issues you might have and which type of doctor you should see. Be sure you go to a doctor or a dentist because a sinister villain may be lurking in your body.

 

These are the various reasons of bad breath

1. Acid Reflux or Heartburn – If your breath smells sour, then there is a condition associated with it – acid reflux. Antacids like Digene gel and H2 receptor antagonist (H2 blockers) like ranitidine are needed. Changing your diet and excluding trigger foods such as garlic, alcohol, hot and spicy food, and coffee may help.

 

2. Gum Disease – Rotting Teeth Smell If you have a rotten tooth, then your breath will certainly be letting you know that something is wrong. If this is the case, then you need to make an appointment with the dentist. Gingivitis and periodontitis are the two main conditions associated with rotting teeth and bad odor from your mouth.

 

3. Stomach Cancer – A metallic taste in your mouth with a similar breath odor is a typical sign of advanced stomach cancer. However, it must be noted that certain medications can sometimes give similar smelling breath.

 

4. Oral cancer – Cancers on tongue and alveolus have a very foul smelling breath – foetor, an offensive and unpleasant stench.

 

5. Diabetes – A fruity smell from your mouth wouldn’t be considered much of a problem if it weren’t for the fact that it’s a symptom of a much more serious issue. Such an odor only appears when a person is about to develop a diabetic ketoacidosis. Make an appointment with an endocrinologist if you notice that you have fruity breath.

 

6. Lung Cancer – Lung cancer is known to produce a certain odor in the breath that is often described as a rotting smell. Therefore, if your breath has changed and is smelling of something rotten, it’s time to visit the doctor.

 

7. Kidney Failure – If you have a fishy smell when you exhale then it might mean that you have kidney failure. If your face looks all puffed up and you have a fishy smell in your breath then putting off visiting the doctor is out of the question.

 

8. Lactose Intolerance – A sour milk smell is a definite sign of lactose intolerance, meaning your body can’t break down the protein in milk. Other symptoms include cramping and diarrhea.

 

9. Liver Failure – A sweet mold-like smell means that your liver is not working well. Another symptom of this condition is the yellowing of your skin, urine and the whites of your eyes. If you notice this, schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately.

 

10. Tonsil Stones – Tonsil stones accumulate in your throat on the tonsils, giving you breath that some people described as smelling like dirty diapers. One way to treat this condition is to visit a doctor – they’ll use a special medical instrument to get rid of the calcium and bacteria that has accumulated in your tonsils.

 

 

Prevention

When bad breath is because of oral issues then maintaining proper oral hygiene is the best way to keep your breath smelling clean and fresh. Here are some general guidelines:

·        Brush twice a day, for at least two minutes each time, and floss once a day. Remember to clean your tongue with your brush or a tongue scraper, which you can buy in the oral health aisle.

·        Use an alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash.

·        See your dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings. For some people, this may be every six months. But others may need more frequent visits to keep their oral health in check.

·        Drink a lot of water to help prevent dry mouth.

·        Boost the production of saliva by using sugar-free chewing gum, sucking on sugar-free candy or eating healthy foods that require a lot of chewing. Your dentist might recommend or prescribe products that can produce artificial saliva or help your body produce saliva.

·        Avoid alcohol, caffeine and tobacco products because they can dry out your mouth.

 

 

Don’t rely on mints, mouthwashes and other products designed to fight bad breath. These are only temporary measures because they don't address the cause of the problem. Always visit your doctor or your dentist. Try making lifestyle changes, such as brushing your teeth and tongue after eating, using dental floss, and drinking plenty of water, but only after you have been assured that there is no disease causing this bad breath.

A BIASED MIND IS AN INGNORANT AND DANGEROUS MIND

 

 

You must have noticed in your conversation with people or in the social media people often do not think rationally but have strong opinions and beliefs. Either you are with them or against them, there is no middle path. Either you are a Modi bhakt or a Modi hater, a Trump idolizer or a Trump slayer. Unfortunately this trend is also creeping into international diplomacy – either you are with the democracies or against them. As if all democracies are epitomes of virtue! Just as the Jihadis live in an impervious echo-chamber and believe that they are warriors of God, the irrational mind to is a warrior of its own God of ignorance.

 

Humans are not rational creatures. What, then, motivates us, if not the cold hard facts? Our minds are driven by bias. Once an initial bias has been developed, it is extremely difficult to change one’s mind. Think of it like wearing reality-warping glasses: once a biased person reads or listens to facts, they will either use the information they receive as reinforcement of their beliefs or dismiss it as being bogus and condescending.

 

Why are we irrational?

Our irrationality is deeply embedded in our anatomy through evolution and that we act on emotion rather than rational facts. Our lack of logic stems from our evolutionary desire to belong. Straying too far away from the herd, even in search of shelter or food, immediately lowers your chances of survival in the wild. By sticking to our opinions, we subconsciously signal to our surroundings that we are an inherent part of the herd. We belong. And in this respect, trying to convince someone to change their mind is equivalent to trying to convince them to leave their tribe. How would they survive without a community?

 

Another anatomical element of the irrational mind is the fact that our brain has mechanisms that constantly work to protect our ego, worldview, and sense of identity. When our worldview is challenged, the same part of the brain in charge of processing physical danger is activated. This may explain why arguments can sometimes become aggressive. This is especially interesting when you realize that the voice of reason was also developed through evolution. As Homo sapiens started to evolve language, it allowed them to cooperate. Cooperation is difficult to establish and sustain, and that's why reason developed not to enable us to solve abstract, logical problems or even to help us conclude unfamiliar data; rather, it developed to resolve the problems posed by living in collaborative groups.

 

Illusion of explanatory depth

This is a term used to describe a situation in which a person who is relatively ignorant or unknowledgeable in a certain field imagines him/herself as competent, masterful, and skillful- even though they are far from it. Think of it like that – you probably operate a zipper daily. You know how it works, don’t you? You grab the handle, you move it, and the zipper, well, zips. But how does it zip the two sides together? When you come to think of it, you realize that you don’t really know that much about zippers. So, people believe that they know way more than they actually do.

 

A confusion of ownership of idea

When it comes to everyday things, like operating a zipper, we know that another human designed it so that we can all operate it easily. Come to think of it, we have been relying on one another’s expertise ever since we figured out how to hunt together. But, do we collaborate rationally giving credit to those who legitimately deserve? Far from it; we can hardly tell where our own understanding ends and others begin. There’s no sharp boundary between one person‘s ideas and knowledge and those of other members of the group. When it comes to new technologies, this ignorance is actually empowering. When it comes to politics, it divides us and creates trouble. We can easily operate a zipper without knowing how it works, but we cannot favor a political stance without understanding it.

 

How to argue a different point of view?

Jack and Sarah Gorman, a psychiatrist, and public health specialist respectively found that processing information that supports our beliefs gives us a surge of dopamine – the happiness hormone. How to debate effectively to change someone’s mind by arguing and debating arguments is an art. A drastic ideological shift is not very realistic, and so your best strategy would be to tell someone they’re right before telling them they are wrong. Point out where you both agree on something, and then offer a gentle alternative perspective rather than a groundbreaking fact.

 

When you find common ground, you essentially communicate to the other side that you are, in fact, together in the same tribe, and if they change their mind, they won’t be alone. This is also a great way to dismantle aggressive behavior. The more you share beliefs with someone, the more likely they are to change your mind. The fact of the matter is that you already agree with them in most areas of life.  The closer you are to someone, the more likely it becomes the one or two beliefs you don’t share will bleed over into your own mind and shape your thinking.

 

How to avoid conflict and navigate group conversations gracefully

Try to knock some practicality into the argument if you run into a smug opposition. Ask them to describe the implications of their radical beliefs. What would life look like for all of us if we went with their radical idea? When using this form of simulation, it's very important to use facts only. Otherwise, the conversation would stray from the point. If the argument becomes heated, that's when you know someone is irrational.

 

Always try to consider the possibility that you may be wrong yourself- understand that what you know, think, or believe is only right based on what you know now and that your beliefs may change if you acquire new knowledge. Maybe the facts are not on your side, in which case, admitting it will help you show the other person that it’s okay to be wrong. When trying to convince, use impersonal language. Instead of saying “your argument,” for instance, say “the argument.” Your goal is to change minds, not criticize or attack. Use your curiosity and your kindness. Argue to learn, not to win.