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Pakistan Earthquake - How to Donate Online October 12, 2005

Posted by atharkhan in : Personal , add a comment

Here is a list of some web sites accepting donations online:

Mercy Corps
Unicef
World Food Programme
Kashmir International Relief Fund
Red Cross / Red Crescent
Pakistan Relief
Islamic Relief
Hidaya
ICNA

Credit/Acknowledgement:

The source for the list is my friend Aun’s website at www.casa26.com.
If you have any suggestions regarding other Earthquake related charities, please e-mail Aun at aun.raza at gmail.com.

Aun, thank you for the list.

Sinus Surgery … with a Mini-GPS? October 5, 2005

Posted by atharkhan in : Review, Tech , add a comment

I hear that one of the most enjoyable experiences one can have is to get Sinus Surgery. Well, if all the kids are doing it, I want to try it too! I have been living with messed up nasal plumbing for about 18 years now (1987 to 2005). I am pretty sure it was just as bad before 1987… but thats the earliest I can remember it being a problem. Anyway, after 18 years of suffering, denial and medication, I finally have to eat it… and like it!

….Fast Forward a few weeks and…

The first thing my surgeon did was to send me for a CT Scan which I find to be fascinating technology. This particular CT Scan was different than what I expected. I was asked to wear an “Automatic Registration Headset (ARH)” — and when I say “wear,” I mean that this thing clamps onto your face like an Octopus.

The Image Guided Surgery System combines:

  1. A Computer (hopefully NOT running Windows)
  2. Propreitary/Specialized software (hopefully NOT outsourced)
  3. Tracking Technology (I wonder if Garmin had anything to do with this.)

The actual movements of surgical instruments are correlated to the CT Scans and are displayed on the monitor. This gives a surgeon a 3-D layout of the skull.

I guess one way to think of it is that he will be using a GPS and wont really have to ask for directions :-)