What's in a name

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" ....

My dear Bill, how much more wrong could you be? Maybe you never met a couple who just became proud parents of a bonny kid. As a Chinese proverb correctly puts it, the beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names. So, if we wish to ensure a correct future for our progeny, the first step would be to give her the right name. So, how tough could it be?

Since the past month or so, apart from the medical aspects, the one very important thing that has been bothering me and Hub-e is what to name our child. The first step was to ascertain the gender of the baby. I did try to ask the Ultrasound expert on the sly, but he gave me a very knowing smile and gestured towards the board that said it was legally illegal to ascertain the sex of the unborn baby. Not to be the one who puts her weapon down, I tried the second and most effective step any sane person would use. www.google.com

Going through scores of webpages of mid-wives' tales, tell tale signs, Vedic astrology, Chinese astrology, Vulcan astrology and what not, I was beaming when each time it said, "Congratulations, its a girl!". Hats off to the amazing consistency of the web world. Informed Hub-e. He was overjoyed too ..... maybe coz now I wouldn't be bothering him about it. But alas, the poor guy didn't know what was in store for him.

Next day in office, he was bombarded by mails on names of girl child. And he had the mighty courage to Veto each one of them. He has a knack of bringing out some rhyming word to that name, which would make even my ancestors turn in their grave. Well, gradually, the excitement got to him also and I got to take my revenge by Vetoing his Genius ideas.

One fine Sunday morning, Hub-e woke me up with a sweet smile and asked, What if its a boy? Lets be prepared for that too. I felt good from within to know that he was also on the same plank as me. So, I asked, "Honey, thats so sensible. Do you have something in mind???"

A very innocent look and he replied "Meghnaad". My first thought went to the Dussehra ground where every year, the effigy on the right side of Ravana used to come down burning with a thud and everybody would clap and raise slogans about the victory of good over evil. Before I could voice my sentiments, Hub-e implored me to hear him out. Shocked and Shaken, I mutely nodded.

His theory : We Keralites are Dravidians, or to be precise, Assiriyas or Asuras. Whatever stories that we hear about the Devas and Asuras, are lopsided. Its always the version of one side that gets recorded. If one minutely analyses the history of Asuras, the story might turn out to be different (Hub-e has promised to blog his theory very soon). Anyways, he is mighty impressed by Ravana and his clan and would love to name our son Meghnaad. And if its a girl, we may find out some nice name from the Asura clan itself.

Ahem ... Ahem .... Bill might have said, "What's in a name?" ... But believe me, the future of my child depends on it. I have still not been able to counter the arguments of Hub-e. He is really good with his theory and may give the historians a run for their money. But we have another 2 months to go and by that time, I hope that his romance with Assiriyas is over. Till that time, I welcome all and everyone in my Quest for the bright future of my child. Suggestions for a name are welcome ..... (the baby is due in first week of March)

To reiterate my point .... " Words have Meanings and Names have Power"

Biting nails .... EEeeeeeeeek!

If a genie appeared and granted me one single wish, I would wish that Hub-e gets rid of Onychophagia. This habit of his has been an issue of grave concern between us since long and I guess, I would goto my grave with this unfulfilled wish. Cajoling, motivating, fighting, shouting, sulking ...... nothing has worked till now and I have lost all hope. Well, this has become the fodder for my next research ...

Onychophagia or nail biting is a common oral compulsive habit in children and young adults, affecting around 30% of children between 7 to 10 years and 45% of teenagers (as per Wikipedia). People bite their nails 'cos they are stressed out, nervous, hungry or bored. It can also be a sign of mental or emotional disorder (Freaky..... trying to guess where he fits in!). Nail Biters could also suffer from a poor self-image or could be punishing themselves for deeper-rooted problems or anxieties. Basically, nail biting is a rational substitution of one problem for another. In many instances nail biting is used as a tension reliever. Any kind of disharmony as a result of friends, family, work, or school can trigger the habit. 99% of nail biters have minor problems or a fixed biting habit. Fewer have a deep emotional problem of which nail biting is a symptom. Sometimes nail biting is just plain habit. Nail biting can also be symptomatic of some medical disorders.

Who bites their nails?

• People of all ages bite their nails.
• About 50% of children between the ages of 10 and 18 bite their nails at one time or another. Nail-biting occurs most often as teens are going through puberty changes.
• About 23% of young adults, ages 18 to 22 years, bite their nails.
• Only a small number of other adults bite their nails. Most people stop biting their nails on their own by age 30. About 10% of men over the age of 30 bite their nails. (Men ..... they never improve!!! HUMPH!)
• Boys bite their nails more often than girls after age 10. (My viewpoint is now reinforced .... )

Phew !!!! So many reasons and now let's see what all ill-effects this habit has. Obviously, damage to the cuticles and ragged nails. Have you ever looked at a person with ragged nails? Believe me, it is an ugly sight to behold. Where a nail has been bitten too far in, bleeding might occur at the grooves or cuticles. More extremely the constant wetting of the finger can lead to yeast infection of the nail and oral herpes can actually begin to grow on the finger. Ridging, nail deformity and even nail loss can happen. Bacterial infections can lead to severe dental problems such as gingivitis. Bitten fingertips can become very sensitive to pain, usually at the place the skin meets the edge of the nail. Hangnails are broken skin on the cuticle. When they are improperly removed, they are susceptible to microbial and viral infections producing whitlows. When the nails are infected with saliva the scratching of them makes the skin get red and infect the skin.

If this doesn't scare you enough, let me tell you about a research by Scientists at WITS university who have discovered that biting fingernails greatly increases the chances of heart disease. They also have seen a likelihood that life expectancy will be dramatically shortened to that of a heavy smoker.

The heart problems are caused by Bacterial Endocarditis which is an infection of the heart's inner lining (endocardium) and / or the heart valves. Bacterial Endocarditis occurs when bacteria enters the blood stream, either though Finger Nail Biting or dental procedures. The bacteria then lodges itself heart valves or other damaged heart tissue This will eventually lead to extensive heart damage which will in turn cause it to fail.

Hmmm ...... so, this turns out be a very very serious issue. There are many ways in which you can try to get rid of this life-threatening habit. I am going to enumerate a few here. Coz I am very sure that we won't be having any "Anti-biting nail" campaign even though this has the same potency as smoking. So, let me be the pioneer in this field. Follow the simple steps mentioned below and live a longer and healthier life.

• Eat foods rich in calcium and magnesium to help repair your nails and make 'em grow.
• Distract your mouth. Chew gum, suck on a lollipop, blow balloons or munch on carrot sticks.
• Distract your hands. Take up a hobby like playing video games, drumming, knitting, or painting.
• Cover your nails. Wear gloves, tape the ends of your fingers, rub on petroleum jelly or wear fake nails (for girls only please!).
• Apply a special nail polish that makes your nails taste gross!
• Get regular manicures. If your nails look good, you may be less likely to bite 'em off
• Write down where you are, what mood you're in, and what you're doing when you bite. Identifying triggers can help you stop. "People bite their nails for oral stimulation," and if you can identify what causes the need for oral stimulation, you can work to eliminate the trigger.
• Challenge yourself: how many hours can you go without taking a bite? When you break a previous record, get yourself a treat. Then see: can you go a day? Three days? a week? two weeks?

Well, try the above mentioned steps and see a sea-change in your social life too ......

Say NO to NAIL-BITING!