Finally-- after 100 years of attempts---transformation

Who needs missiles, guns, or nuclear weapons when chilis can defeat the enemy

Indian military to weaponize world's hottest chili
By WASBIR HUSSAIN, Associated Press Writer Wasbir Hussain, Associated Press Writer
Tue Mar 23, 7:19 am ET

GAUHATI, India – The Indian military has a new weapon against terrorism: the world's hottest chili.

After conducting tests, the military has decided to use the thumb-sized "bhut jolokia," or "ghost chili," to make tear gas-like hand grenades to immobilize suspects, defense officials said Tuesday.

The bhut jolokia was accepted by Guinness World Records in 2007 as the world's spiciest chili. It is grown and eaten in India's northeast for its taste, as a cure for stomach troubles and a way to fight the crippling summer heat.

It has more than 1,000,000 Scoville units, the scientific measurement of a chili's spiciness. Classic Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units, while jalapeno peppers measure anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000.

"The chili grenade has been found fit for use after trials in Indian defense laboratories, a fact confirmed by scientists at the Defense Research and Development Organization," Col. R. Kalia, a defense spokesman in the northeastern state of Assam, told The Associated Press.

"This is definitely going to be an effective nontoxic weapon because its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them out of their hide-outs," R. B. Srivastava, the director of the Life Sciences Department at the New Delhi headquarters of the DRDO said.

Srivastava, who led a defense research laboratory in Assam, said trials are also on to produce bhut jolokia-based aerosol sprays to be used by women against attackers and for the police to control and disperse mobs.

link to article here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100323/ap_on_re_as/as_india_chili_grenades

Tip # 17-Communicating Effectively With Global Partners--from GlobalWaysUSA.com

Avoid Using American Slang, American Idioms, Acronyms, American Sports Trivia, and American Humor

Practice universal English language. Avoid the use of any terms or idioms, jargon, buzzwords, military or sports analogies, colloquialisms, acronyms, or euphemisms that might be confusing to someone who is not from your region of the world. Also, shy away from sarcasm or innuendo. You will probably be the only one who understands your meaning. Using these confusing terms only create barriers to effective communication

Sports metaphors and analogies are very commonly used in the US. You will completely lose your audience if you pepper your language with these idioms in other countries.

Think locally. Try to find a few topics that are important in the local popular culture. Remember, most people in the world have little or no interest in the World Series or the Super Bowl. (Think about what it means for us to call it the World Series-- when only we are involved) remember, what we call “soccer” is football everywhere else. And it's the most popular sport on the planet. Next year, watch the World Cup!

Humor is the last aspect of culture to translate across cultures. In fact, humor is so culture specific that some humor is only understood by certain individuals in a subcultures, even inside the US. For example, unless you are a biker, you probably would not understand biker humor. Often when Americans attempt to use humor, especially when they tell jokes from the podium, foreigners in the audience will laugh along yet have no clue of the meeting of the message. Typically, they are instructed to laugh when everyone else laughs-- in order to save face.

Avoid using humor that is uniquely American. Steer clear from making fun of other groups-especially as it relates to characteristics they have no control over such as ethnicity, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Take the lead from your host when engaging in humor.


Finally, learn the metric system.

International Women’s Day-Not For The Weak In the Congo

Where Women Do Most of the Hard Work…By NICHOLAS KRISTOF of The New York Times

One of the puzzles of the developing world is that women frequently do some of the hardest physical labor. Hauling water, for example, is “women’s work” in culture after culture. And anybody who has tried to haul a couple of buckets of water four miles from the nearest well know how excruciatingly heavy water becomes after a few hundred yards.

So on the occasion of International Women’s Day (which was 3 days ago), I’ve posted a video * about the Congo Exercise Plan (which is essentially to do a Congolese woman’s work). But, frankly, I’d rather work out in a gym… So check out the video, and I’d welcome your thoughts about why it is that some of the hardest physical labor in poor countries is reserved for women.

* http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/03/08/opinion/1247467297119/what-are-you%20-carrying.html