And you think you are stereotyped

Well they claim that they are always stereotyped but hey the rest of the world might be right. No you wouldn't give it to us, well at least partly right. No you think we are khafirs and will burn in hell well we think that your thought process is acceptable but the bad part is you fucked with a crazy texan.

Human Spiderman

You might have seen this video before and if not it is worth watching.

2 

1 

T2 

T1 

World's Best Hotels

World’s best hotels as per Travel & Leisure

01. Four Seasons Resort Bali, Bali, Indonesia
02. Singita Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sand, South Africa
03. Oberoi Raj Vilas, Jaipur, India
04. Four Seasons Resort, Chiang Mai, Thailand
05. Chateau Les Crayeres, Reims, France
06. The Peninsula, Bangkok, Thailand
07. Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
08. Four Seasons Resort Jimbran Bay, Bali, Indonesia
09. Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
10. Four Season Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey

Very Funny 

What would you pay for a safety pin

I cannot believe that they are charging $53 for a safety pin. I understand some people want to be prudes but there is a limit and the people buying this pin are plain out nuts. That is what I spent per week on food and I thought I was wasteful.

Gandhi - A Different Perspective.

The below stated are not my views but I do agree with some of the commentary.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in 1869 in a stately and handsome three-storied home in Porbandar, grandson of the chief administrator of the small Princely State in coastal Gujarat. Acknowledging that he was born into a family of politicians, always involved in secret alliances and mutual promotions, in one letter, he wrote: "I knew then, and know better now, that much of my father's time was taken up in mere intrigue." In another letter to his nephew, Chaganlal, he acknowledged the notoriety of his political family: "...that is, we are known to belong to a band of robbers". It is to Gandhi's credit that he saw his family for what it was, and attempted to transcend it's narrow Modh Bania outlook; but often, subconsciously learned behavior dies hard. The tendency towards backroom wheeling and dealing did not entirely escape Gandhi himself as he rose to become the Indian National Congress's most influential political leader. (See Collected Works, vol. 24, p.170, vol. 12, p.381)

Although most biographies of Gandhi focus on Gandhi's political career after he returned from England in early 1915, and begin with his involvement in the Civil Disobedience Movement from the early 1920s, it is important to note that Gandhi arrived on the National Scene rather late, and in the first half of his political life was considerably beholden to the Raj. At a time when literacy in British India was barely 8%, Gandhi enjoyed the rare option of studying in Britain and spent the years 1888-1893 in London before taking employment in South Africa. Although Gandhi became politically active in South Africa, and led 'Satyagrahas' against unjust laws, Gandhi was hardly yet an anti-imperialist radical or revolutionary. In fact, in 1914, he was still very much in awe of the British empire, and Martin Green in his biography of Gandhi describes his state of mind as follows: "When Gandhi left South Africa, he still believed in the British empire. though tentatively. "Though Empires have gone and fallen, this empire may perhaps be an exception....it is an empire not founded on material but on spiritual foundations....the British constitution. Tear away those ideals and you tear away my loyalty to the British constitution; keep those ideals and I am ever a bondsman"." (See Martin Green, Gandhi: Voice of a New Age Revolutionary, p. 208)

It is especially notable that at the age of 45, Gandhi saw in the British empire a "spiritual foundation" - a sentiment many in the Indian Freedom Movement would have found astounding, even nauseating. As early as 1884, the most advanced Indian intellectuals were already quite clear that British rule in India was built on a foundation of economic pillage and plunder - and was devoid of any high social or moral purpose. "Nadir Shah looted the country only once. But the British loot us every day. Every year wealth to the tune of 4.5 million dollar is being drained out, sucking our very blood. Britain should immediately quit India.'' So wrote the Sindh Times on May 20, 1884, a year before the Indian National Congress was born and 58 years before the ''Quit India'' movement of 1942 was launched.

But in 1914 Gandhi was quite far removed from the most radical elements of the Indian Freedom Movement. In 1913, poor emigrant farmers from the Punjab in California launched the Ghadar Party and released their manifesto calling for complete independence from British Rule. Several years earlier, before his internment, Tilak had cogently described the Indian condition under British colonial occupation as being utterly ruinous and degrading. Tilak, Ajit Singh, Chidambaram Pillai and their associates in the National Movement saw few redeeming qualities in the British dispensation, and saw colonial rule as being entirely inimical to India's progress, asserting that the contradictions between the British oppressors and the Indian people were completely irreconcilable.

Although Gandhi was critical of specific aspects of colonial rule, in 1914, his general outlook towards the British was more akin to that of the loyalist Princes than the most advanced of India's national leaders. Particularly onerous was his support of the British during World War I. Even as the Ghadar Party correctly saw in WWI a great opportunity for India to deepen its opposition to the British, and liberate itself from the colonial yoke, Gandhi instead tried to mobilize Indians on behalf of the British war effort. Although many biographers of Gandhi have studiously omitted making any mention of such dishonorable aspects of Gandhi's political life, Martin Green makes a brief reference to Gandhi's attitude towards WWI when he was in England: "To return to London in wartime: Gandhi quickly raised his ambulance corps amongst the Indians in England. As before, he had offered his volunteers for any kind of military duty, but the authorities preferred medical workers". Martin Green also observes: "Many of his friends did not approve the project. Olive Schreiner, who was in London, wrote him that she was struck to the heart with sorrow to hear that he had offered to serve the English government in this evil war - this wicked cause". (See Martin Green, Gandhi: Voice of a New Age Revolutionary, p. 247)

Gandhi's ideas on non-violence did not then extend to the British Imperial War, and upon his return to India in 1915 attempted to recruit Indians for the British War effort. Gandhi's position echoed that of the Maharajas, many of whom (like the Maharaja of Bikaner) played a pivotal role in supporting the British, both in terms of propaganda and providing troops. Gandhi's attitude towards the empire emerges quite clearly from this statement of Martin Green: "Gandhi himself had twice volunteered for service in this war, in France and in Mesopotamia, because he had convinced himself that he owed the empire that sacrifice in return for it's military protection." (See Martin Green, Gandhi: Voice of a New Age Revolutionary, p. 267)

Gandhi's role in championing the British War effort did not however go unchallenged. At a time when Gandhi was still addressing "War Recruitment Melas'', Dr. Tuljaram Khilnani of Nawabshah publicly campaigned against War Loan Bonds. When Gandhi sought election to the AICC from Bombay PCC, the delegate from Sindh opposed his election in view of his support to the British war effort. The Ghadar Party was especially acerbic in it's criticism of Gandhi and other such political leaders in the Congress who had not yet been able to sever their umbilical chord to the British Raj.

But even as Gandhi was able to justify in his mind support for the imperial war, his attitude towards the revolt of Chauri Chaura (1921) brought about a very different and very harsh assessment. Labeling it a crime, he wrote thus: "God has been abundantly kind to me. He has warned me the third time that there is not yet in India that truthful and non-violent atmosphere which and which alone can justify mass disobedience....which means gentle, truthful, humble, knowing, never criminal and hateful. He warned me in 1919 when the Rowlatt Act agitation was started. Ahmedabad, Viramgam, and Kheda erred. Amritsar and Kasur erred. I retraced my steps, called it a Himalayan miscalculation, humbled myself before God and man, and stopped not merely mass civil disobedience but even my own which I knew to be civil and non-violent" . (See Collected Works, vol. 22, p.415-21)

Gandhi's Chauri Chaura decision created deep consternation in Congress circles. Subhash Chandra Bose wrote: "To sound the order of retreat just when public enthusiasm was reaching the boiling point was nothing short of a national calamity. The principal lieutenants of the Mahatma, Deshbandhu Das, Pandit Motilal Nehru and Lala Lajpat Rai, who were all in prison, shared the popular resentment. I was with the Deshbandu at the time, and I could see that he was beside himself with anger and sorrow." (quoted from The Indian Struggle, p.90)

To describe Gandhi's decision as a "national calamity" was indeed right on the mark. To lay such stress on non-violence - that too only three years after he had been encouraging Indians to enroll in the British Army was not only shocking, it showed little sympathy towards the Indian masses who against all odds had become energized against their alien oppressors.

For Gandhi to demand of the poor, downtrodden, and bitterly exploited Indian masses to first demonstrate their unmistakable commitment to non-violence before their struggle could receive with Gandhi's approval (just a few years after he had unapologetically defended an imperial war) was simply unconscionable. Clearly, Gandhi had one standard for the Indian masses, and quite another for the nation's colonial overlords. But this was not to be the first occasion for Gandhi to engage in such tactical and ideological hypocrisy.

Although Gandhi's defenders may disagree, not only were Gandhi's ideas on non-violence applied very selectively, they were hardly the most appropriate for India's situation. At no time was the British military presence in India so overwhelming that it could not have been challenged by widespread resistance from the Indian masses. Had Gandhi not called for a retreat after Chauri Chaura, it is likely that incidents such as Chauri Chaura would have occurred with much greater regularity - even increasing in frequency and intensity. This would have inevitably put tremendous pressure on the British to cut short their stay. As it is, British administrators were constrained to send back British troops as soon as possible, because many clamored to return after serving for a few years in India. Had India become too difficult to control, mutinies and dissension in the royal armies would have occurred more often, and the British would have had to cut and run, probably much sooner than in 1947.

Some critics saw in Gandhi's Chauri Chaura turnaround as indicative of his deep fear and distrust of the Indian masses - that Gandhi feared the spontaneous energy of the poor and the downtrodden more than the injustice of British rule. Certainly, the conservatism of Gandhi's tactics lends credence to such views. As late as 1928, Gandhi resisted Nehru and Bose, and campaigned for the rejection of a resolution calling for complete independence at the session of the Indian National Congress. And unlike other leaders in the freedom struggle, Gandhi often entertained false hopes about the British. In a 1930 letter, Motilal Nehru chided Gandhi for resting his hopes on the Labor Government and the sincerity of the Viceroy.

In much of Motilal Nehru's correspondence with his son, (and with others in the Congress), there are expressions of frustration with Gandhi's tendency towards moderation and compromise with the British authorities and his reluctance to broaden and accelerate the civil disobedience movement. There are also references in Motilal Nehru's letters to how large contributions from the Birlas were enabling certain political cliques (led by Madan Mohan Malviya - a close confidante of Gandhi) to "capture" the Congress. That Gandhi was close to the Birlas is now widely acknowledged, and it is not unlikely that his conservatism was either encouraged by them, or may have been coincidental but was compatible with their desire for restrained and moderate resistance to the British.

Motilal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose both complained of Gandhi's tendency to ignore party resolutions when they went against his wishes, and to work with cliques rather than consult and cooperate with all party members. In a letter dated March 28, 1939, from Manbhum, Bihar - Bose complained bitterly to Nehru of Gandhi's quiet campaign of non-cooperation with him. Bose had just won the Presidency of the Indian National Congress, defeating Gandhi's chosen nominee, Dr Pattabhi. At first, Gandhi had tried to talk Bose out of running for the post, and tried to work out a backroom deal for Dr Pattabhi's ascension (as he had done on many earlier occasions). But Bose was determined to seek the mandate of Congress activists, and won by a handsome margin in an election where the official machinery of the Congress had put all its weight behind Gandhi's hand-picked nominee.

Bose's historic election signified the mood of the Indian masses, who were becoming increasingly impatient with Gandhi's tepid nationalism. Bose had always strived to accelerate the freedom struggle, and the mass of Congress Party workers appreciated his sincerity and unswerving commitment to the national cause. In many ways, he was the best person to lead the Congress, with intellect and vision that exceeded Gandhi.

But Gandhi, along with Patel and Nehru formed a tactical block against Bose, and prevented him from functioning effectively as leader of India's preeminent national organization. In vain did Bose make his case with Nehru, who remained unmoved, and eventually, it led to Bose having to quit the Congress, and organize outside it's tedious confines.

One of the most problematical aspects of Gandhi's philosophical disposition was his emphasis on matters religious over practical. In a 1918 speech concerning India's future he espoused a position that truly secular Indians ought to find rather troubling: "I feel that India's mission is different from that of other countries, India is fitted for the religious supremacy of the world....India can conquer all by soul-force". (See Collected Works, vol. 14, p.53)

To this day, Western analysts continue to evaluate India as though its only contribution to world civilization is in matters of religious exotica and spirituality. And many Indians unquestioningly accept such one-sided formulations. But to pigeon-hole India as this exotic land - full of religious devotion and piety does great injustice not only to India's rich history of secular pursuits, but it also leaves many rational, scientific and technologically-oriented Indians bereft of any philosophical affirmation and intellectual leadership.

On more than one occasion, Gandhi would begin with statements such as "God has warned me", or "...spoken as such.....". Coming from any ordinary person, such claims would normally be viewed with great suspicion and skepticism because they can only be accepted on faith, never independently verified. In fact, any ordinary person who claimed as often to have a 'hotline' to 'God' might even be seen as a lunatic, as someone prone to hallucinations. But from Gandhi, such utterances were quietly tolerated or accepted.

That Gandhi espoused such religious-centric views is not surprising considering the milieu in which he was raised and educated. Most British-educated Indians were kept completely ignorant of India's rich history of rational thought and (pre-industrial) scientific endeavour. So it was inevitable that Indians would seek inspiration from religious texts - Hindus from the Gita, Muslims from the Quran, Sikhs from the Granth Sahib. But unlike Tilak who derived from the Gita, a call to action, a call to rise against injustice, Gandhi found in the Gita an appeal to pacifist idealism. In a world that was rife with violence, Gandhi's insistence on non-violent purity was, in practical terms, an exercise in infantile futility. Not only did it delay the onset of freedom, it led to particularly disastrous consequences during partition, and in Kashmir.

Whereas the Muslim League was armed, the Congress was not and entirely dependant on the British police and military apparatus. When the partition riots first began in West Punjab and East Bengal, the Congress had no means to defend the hapless victims. Being unable to prevent the slaughter and rape, or protect the stream of Hindu and Sikh refugees, it lost the moral authority to prevent a communal backlash in India. A similiar situation prevailed in Kashmir. The Muslim League sent in its armed hooligans even as Kashmir's most popular political party, the National Conference had decided to throw in its lot with secular India. In Baluchistan and the Frontier Province, majority sentiment was in favor of unity with India. Had the Congress been armed, it could have at least held out for for a better deal, and at least some of the horrors of partition may have been averted.

There were many other serious incongruities in Gandhi's world view. As one reads through Gandhi's letters and sundry writings, time and time again, he uses the term 'Dharma 'in the context of how Indians should behave vis-a-vis the British, and the term "right" in the context of what the British could do to their Indian subjects. In Gandhi's ethical framework, not only did the conquered have very limited rights, they were burdened with all types of duties under the rubric of 'Dharma '. Conquered Indians were repeatedly lectured on how they must be concerned with the highest morality when dealing with their British oppressors - even as the British conquerors were little restricted by any 'Dharmic' pressures, and enjoyed the ultimate authority to take away the life of Indians they chose to put on trial for 'sedition'.

In all other theories of democratic liberation, ethical and moral codes emanated from one essential principle - which is the fundamental right of enslaved people to be free from alien exploitation. But in Gandhi's moral framework, the need of the Indian masses to liberate themselves from a brutally unjust colonial occupation did not come first, it was subject to all kinds of one-sided conditionalities.

For instance, in the context of Bhagat Singh's hanging, even as Gandhi condemned the British government, he observed: "The government certainly had the right to hang these men. However, there are some rights which do credit to those who possess them only if they are enjoyed in name only." (See Collected Works, vol. 45, p.359-61, in Gujarati)

Whether Gandhi was confusing the term "right" with the term authority or might, or he actually granted the colonial government the "right" to execute Indian freedom fighters is hard to tell. But in general, it appears that Gandhi had not worked out in his mind the true essence of natural human rights, and desirable human duties in a civilized society. Nor had he come to realize that in any democratic dispensation, governments cannot be assigned any inherent rights, for they are only the proxies of the people who elect them, and they only have duties and obligations to ensure the rights of the people, and to prevent the exercise of those individual rights that might violate, restrict or inveigh on the rights of others.

In the context of Bhagat Singh, the British government was under no popular obligation to execute him. On the contrary, his actions had widespread support, and there were fervent appeals for the commutation of his sentence. In such a context, Gandhi could have only spoken of British authority - and that too a stolen and usurped authority to execute Bhagat Singh. Had he been truly moved against Bhagat Singh's death sentence, he would have spoken of how the British were able to execute him only because of their military might - that their action had no ethical or moral sanction.

A true revolutionary - (such as Bhagat Singh) would not have granted the exploitative colonial regime any "rights" whatsoever. In fact, it would have been the right of the Indian revolutionary to resist colonial rule by any means necessary. If Indians obeyed British orders, it was only out of practical necessity, out of an instinct to survive. But if some were prepared to risk their lives in confronting the British military occupation, it was their inalienable right to do so. Indians had duties and obligations towards each other, but none to the British occupiers and exploiters. From a revolutionary, moral, ethical, or national perspective, there was no necessity to grant the British colonial authorities any rights whatsoever, because their very presence was illegal and obtained without the democratic consent of the Indian masses. Indians, therefore, had no moral duty, or 'Dharma', obliging them towards obeying their orders, or respecting the lives of the Britishers who had occupied Indian territory by force.

But Gandhi was never completely able to overcome a deeply ingrained tendency towards tolerating or accepting the "rights" he saw intrinsically bound with authority figures. In the feudal order that Gandhi was born in, the masses had no inherent rights, only duties towards the sovereign. And Gandhi was never able to completely reject this iniquitous paradigm. He was never fully able to complete the transition to a democratic order in which citizens enjoyed inalienable rights in addition to bearing duties towards each other. He did not fathom that in a democratic society, the role of the state was to ensure the rights of the people, not to exercise any arbitrary hegemony over them. Moreover, in a democratic state, the masses could not be burdened with unnecessary duties, only those that obliged them to respect the rights of others, and required them to provide services in exchange for what they received from the state, or others in society.

While many of the qualities Gandhi sought to elicit from the masses were commendable and desirable qualities to strive for - one could not make such qualities conditions for granting the masses certain fundamental rights - such as freedom from hunger, homelessness and exploitation. And if the poor masses were enjoined to be more noble in character, then such requirements also had to be made mandatory for authority figures.

In these (and other such) ways, Gandhi's formulations were theoretically and practically inadequate.

While there will always be admirers of Gandhi, intimate contact with his record reveals him to be a seriously flawed leader, popular more due to the particular conditions and circumstances of colonial (or post-colonial) India (and his unwavering leadership during the Quit India Movement), rather than the visionary or enlightened nature of his general tactics and formulations. The India of the future might well need to look beyond the myth and mystique of "Mahatma Gandhi" if it hopes to build a more just and harmonious order.

The old farts are saints so they are preaching to us

This is another link (To read about the ban in Pune)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1930768.stm

This is what pisses me off about India. Who the fuck came up with “Operation Romeo”: So I cannot go to a park with my girlfriend or wife without risking police reprisal. Oh yeah the old rotten mother fucking politicians accept bribes and that is okay. They can molest young girls and that is okay too but the young people of the country cannot hold hands because we are insulting our culture. In the first place these old farts are the ones that drove us into poverty, lost wars, created religious divides and now they want to preach morality while spending (On themselves) our money. I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for my culture and my country but not for these people. I have always felt sad that I’m living away but I think these idiotic acts make me feel that I’m doing the right thing.
A lot people are blaming the police but I think they should be questioning the lawmakers. In the country of Kama Sutra displaying public affection should not even be an issue and Ashok Kolaskar shame on you, I think you are a bigoted dick head that suffers with Erectile dysfunction. You are an educator and supposed to be leading young students into the future and instead you are preaching like the pope. I hope the youngsters of India rise up against such outdated, bloated, selfish assholes and demand what we were promised FREEDOM.
PS: Sorry about the crude language and I have mailed a similar letter to the VC of Pune University Ashok Kolaskar.

Worst Telugu Movies I have seen in the last 2 years

As the year is close to ending I figured I should jot a list of the worst telugu movies I have seen in the last couple of years.
The reason I'm publishing this list is that you can suggest these movies to people you don't like.

01. Aaruguru Pathivrathalu
02. Kunkuma
03. No- Yes it is a Telugu movie
04. Koduku
05. Aithe Enti - Not to be confused with Aithe
06. Enjoy
07. Avuna
08. Goa
09. Sambhu
10. Vendi Mabbulu

Peace

Heart Broken

Whoever said that "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved" should reconsider.....

Just a question

This is such a remarkable and consistent coincidence that we cannot ignore it. I think there is a familiar trend on the behavior of a certain group of people. I cannot conclude the behavior of any certain group but here is the ethnic breakdown of the population of Australia (I think Sydney is consistent with the national percentages in this regard). The Chinese, Lebanese, Indian and Vietnamese people are non-Caucasian. Why is that we hardly hear the Chinese, Indian or Vietnamese communities get involved in these issues?

Total population: 21 million

Australian: 6.7m (38.7%)

English: 6.4m (36.5%)

Irish: 1.9m (11%)

Italian: 800,000 (4.6%)

German: 742,000 (4.3%)

Chinese: 557,000 (3.2%)

Scottish: 540,000 (3.1%)

Greek: 376,000 (2.2%)

Dutch: 269,000 (1.5%)

Lebanese: 162,000 (0.9%)

Indian: 157,000 (0.9%)

Vietnamese: 157,000 (0.9%)

Polish: 151,000 (0.9%)

Peace

Grandma Robin Hood dies

Ms. Bailey had a fascinating life. A moment of silence for the lady who made this world a lot more colorful.
Peace

Godse's speech

Nathuram Godse's speech at trial

" On January 13, 1948, I learnt that Gandhiji had decided to go on fast unto death. The reason given was that he wanted an assurance of Hindu-Muslim Unity... But I and many others could easily see that the real motive... [was] to compel the Dominion Government to pay the sum of Rs 55 crores to Pakistan, the payment of which was emphatically refused by the Government.... But this decision of the people's Government was reversed to suit the tune of Gandhiji's fast. It was evident to my mind that the force of public opinion was nothing but a trifle when compared with the leanings of Gandhiji favorable to Pakistan.

....In 1946 or thereabout, Muslim atrocities perpetrated on Hindus under the Government patronage of Surhawardy in Noakhali made our blood boil. Our shame and indignation knew no bounds when we saw that Gandhiji had come forward to shield that very Surhawardy and began to style him as 'Shaheed Saheb' - a martyr - even in his prayer meetings...

....Gandhiji's influence in the Congress first increased and then became supreme. His activities for public awakening were phenomenal in their intensity and were reinforced by the slogans of truth and non-violence which he ostentatiously paraded before the country... I could never conceive that an armed resistance to the aggressor is unjust...

... Ram killed Ravan in a tumultuous fight... Krishna killed Kansa to end his wickedness... In condemning Shivaji, Rana Pratap and Guru Govind as 'misguided patriots,' Gandhiji has merely exposed his self-conceit... Gandhiji was, paradoxically,
a violent pacifist who brought untold calamities on the country in the name of truth and nonviolence, while Rana Pratap, Shivaji and the Guru will remain enshrined in the hearts of their countrymen forever...

....By 1919, Gandhiji had become desperate in his endeavours to get the Muslims to trust him and went from one absurd promise to another... He backed the Khilafat movement in this country and was able to enlist the full support of the National Congress in that policy... very soon the Moplah Rebellion showed that the Muslims had not the slightest idea of national
unity... There followed a huge slaughter of Hindus... The British Government, entirely unmoved by the rebellion, suppressed it in a few months and left to Gandhiji the joy of his Hindu-Muslim Unity... British Imperialism emerged stronger, the Muslims became more fanatical, and the consequences were visited on the Hindus...

The accumulating provocation of 32 years, culminating in his last pro-Muslim fast, at last goaded me to the conclusion that the existence of Gandhiji should be brought to an end immediately... he developed a subjective mentality under which he alone was the final judge of what was right or wrong... Either Congress had to surrender its will to him and play second fiddle to all his eccentricity, whimsicality... or it had to carry on without him... He was the master brain guiding the civil disobedience
movement... The movement may succeed or fail; it may bring untold disasters and political reverses, but that could make no difference to the Mahatma's infallibility... These childish inanities and obstinacies, coupled with a most severe austerity of life, ceaseless work and lofty character, made Gandhiji formidable and irresistible... In a position of such absolute
irresponsibility, Gandhiji was guilty of blunder after blunder...

....The Mahatma even supported the separation of Sindh from the Bombay Presidency and threw the Hindus of Sindh to the communal wolves. Numerous riots took place in Karachi, Sukkur, Shikarpur and other places in which the Hindus were the only sufferers...

....From August 1946 onwards, the private armies of the Muslim League began a massacre of the Hindus... Hindu blood began to flow from Bengal to Karachi with mild reactions in the Deccan... The Interim government formed in September was sabotaged by its Muslim League members, but the more they became disloyal and treasonable to the government of which they were
a part, the greater was Gandhi's infatuation for them...

....The Congress, which had boasted of its nationalism and socialism, secretly accepted Pakistan and abjectly surrendered to Jinnah. India was vivisected and one-third of the Indian Territory became foreign land to us... This is what Gandhiji had achieved after 30 years of undisputed dictatorship, and this is what Congress party calls 'freedom'...

....One of the conditions imposed by Gandhiji for his breaking of the fast unto death related to the mosques in Delhi occupied by Hindu refugees. But when Hindus in Pakistan were subjected to violent attacks he did not so much as utter a single word to protest and censure the Pakistan government...

Gandhi is being referred to as the Father of the Nation. But if that is so, he had failed his paternal duty inasmuch as he has acted very treacherously to the nation by his consenting to the partitioning of it... The people of this country were eager and vehement in their opposition to Pakistan. But Gandhiji played false with the people...

....I shall be totally ruined, and the only thing I could expect from the people would be nothing but hatred... if I were to kill Gandhiji. But at the same time, I felt that Indian politics in the absence of Gandhiji would surely be proved practical, able to retaliate, and be powerful with armed forces. No doubt, my own future would be totally ruined, but the nation would be saved from the inroads of Pakistan...

....I do say that my shots were fired at the person whose policy and action had brought rack and ruin and destruction to millions of Hindus... There was no legal machinery by which such an offender could be brought to book, and for this reason I fired those fatal shots...

....I do not desire any mercy to be shown to me... I did fire shots at Gandhiji in open daylight. I did not make any attempt to run away; in fact I never entertained any idea of running away. I did not try to shoot myself... for, it was my ardent desire to give vent to my thoughts in an open Court. My confidence about the moral side of my action has not been shaken even by
the criticism leveled of against it on all sides. I have no doubt, honest writers of history will weigh my act and find the true value thereof some day in future. "

DEATH - A dead kid from the Union Carbide leak in India.

GRIEF 

PASSION 

COURAGE 

WAR 

HUNGER 

Dial a human

I don't have the link for this page but this was published by Seattle Times. The called a number of companies and compiled this table.


This information is based on a survey conducted by the Seattle Times. Unfortunately I lost the link for this page but I guess you can Google it.

Company/Company Web site
Phone number
How to reach a human
Minutes to reach a human
Notes
Banks
Bank of Americahttp://www.bankofamerica.com/
206-461-0800 or800-442-6680
Press 0 immediately.
1.5

KeyBankhttp://www.key.com/
800-539-2968
Remain on the line, press nothing.
1.5

US Bankhttp://www.usbank.com/
800-872-2657
Press 0. Ignore prompts through short menu of choices, then you're transferred to a representative.
2

Washington Mutualhttp://www.wamu.com/
800-788-7000
Press 0 immediately, then press 0 again.
1

Wells Fargohttp://www.wellsfargo.com/
800-869-3557
Press 0 immediately. Wait through prompt for account number.
1

Cellphone companies
Cingularhttp://www.cingular.com/
866-246-4852
Press 1, enter cellphone number or press 0 three times to be transferred to a representative.
2.5

Sprint Nextelhttp://www.sprint.com/
800-480-4727
After brief announcement in Spanish, press 1, then 2. Press 0 twice, then say "agent."
3
System warned that "time to reach a representative might be longer than usual" due to high call volumes. Predicted wait: Less than three minutes. Actual wait: one minute.
T-Mobilehttp://www.t-mobile.com/
800-866-2453
After announcements, press 2 for existing customers. Then say "representative."
4.5

Verizon Wirelesshttp://www.verizonwireless.com/
800-922-0204
Press 0 a total of four times, once after each prompt.
2

Credit/Financial Services
American Expresshttp://www.americanexpress.com/
800-528-4800
Press 0 a total of four times, once after each prompt. Ignore the "invalid entry" prompt.
2

Capital Onehttp://www.capitalone.com/
800-955-7070
Press 0 a total of three times, once after each prompt. Or simply wait through all the menu choices and press 0 at the end.
2

MasterCardhttp://www.mastercard.com/
800-622-7747
Press 1 for English, then press 0.
3.5

Safeco Insurancehttp://www.safeco.com/
800-332-3226
Press 1, press 1, press 0#. Pressing 0 alone automatically disconnects you.
2

Visahttp://www.visa.com/
800-847-2911
Press 0 three times, ignoring prompts that say it's an invalid option.
1
System warned of a high volume of calls, but a human answered in about a minute.
Government
King County District Courtwww.metrokc.gov/kcdc
206-205-9200
Press 6.
6.5
The county gets extra credit for publishing the phone shortcut on its Web site and apologizing in advance for the wait time.
State Department of Licensinghttp://www.wa.gov/dol
Call your local DOL office.
Press 1 after the announcement about the Web site, then stay on the line through a long menu to be transferred to a representative.
2

State Department of Labor and Industrieswww.wa.gov/lni
Call your local office.
Press 1, then 0.
0.5

Seattle Municipal Courtwww.seattle.gov/courts
206-684-5600
Press 1, then 0.
0.5

U.S. Passport Services Officetravel.state.gov
877-487-2778
When prompted to select English or another language, press nothing. The system assumes you have a rotary-dial phone and transfers you immediately to a representative.
1

Internet Service Providers
AOLhttp://www.aol.com/
800-827-6364
Press 0 a total of three times, once after each prompt, ignoring the automated voice promising that "it will be a lot faster if I can just keep asking you questions."
1.5
Points off for making it hard to find the customer-service phone number on the Web site.
Comcasthttp://www.comcast.net/
888-266-2278
Press 0 twice, after each time the system asks for your phone number. Press 1 for English. Then press 1 for English again. Press 1 again for existing customers. Press # twice when asked for your phone number.
2.5
Points off for not listing customer-service phone number on Web site.
EarthLinkhttp://www.earthlink.net/
888-327-8454
No easy escape from endless menu choices. It may be fastest to answer the annoying list of automated questions. For billing questions, press 2. For technical issues, press 4 and follow the prompts.
7
We were transferred to a system dead-end on the first attempt, cut off on the second attempt.
Phone
AT&Thttp://www.consumer.att.com/
800-222-0300
Press 1 for English, 0 each time you are prompted for your phone number, then say "agent" twice.
2

Qwesthttp://www.qwest.com/
800-244-1111
Say "representative" a total of five times, once after each prompt, or press # four times.
1.5

Retail products/services
Amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/
206-266-2992; 800-201-7575
Press 0, then stay on the line through the menu listings.
0.5

Best Buyhttp://www.bestbuy.com/
888-237-8289
Press 1 a total of three times, once after each menu prompt, then press # six times, ignoring prompts for your order number and telephone number.
2.5
Press 0 twice, and the system hangs up on you after saying, "I'm sorry you're having problems."
Circuit Cityhttp://www.circuitcity.com/
800-843-2489
Press 0.
1.5

Costcohttp://www.costco.com/
800-220-6000
Press 0 twice, ignoring prompts that say it's an invalid option.
0.75

eBayhttp://www.ebay.com/
800-322-9266
Press 0 twice.
0.5

Macy'shttp://www.macys.com/
206-506-6000
Press 0 three times, ignoring prompts and the automated voice telling you it can't understand you.
0.5

Nordstromhttp://www.nordstrom.com/
888-282-6060
Direct to human.
0
Representative answered so fast the phone hadn't even rung yet.
The Seattle Timeshttp://www.seattletimes.com/
206-464-2121
Press 0.
1.5

Starbuckshttp://www.starbucks.com/
800-782-7282 (card services); 800-235-2883 (retail)
Press 0 (either phone number).
16.5
Cool hold music. They warn that they're experiencing a high volume of calls and encourage you to go to their Web site instead.
Ticketmasterhttp://www.ticketmaster.com/
206-628-0888
Press 2, then 6, then 2.
3.5
Ads and announcements can't be bypassed. Ticketmaster wins the "most annoying computer voice" award for the nasal fake-female who greets callers.
Technology
Applehttp://www.apple.com/
800-676-2775
Press 1 for English, 2 if you're an existing customer. Wait for the next menu to start, then choose 3, then 2 to talk to an agent.
6
Automated voice blames long hold times on the new iPod Nano.
Compaqwww.hp.com
800-752-0900 (general questions)
Say "connect."
1.5

Dellhttp://www.dell.com/
800-999-3355
To bypass each of five menus you have to get through to reach an agent, press 0 twice after each begins, then ask to be transferred to customer service.
1 if you skip the menus.

Microsofthttp://www.microsoft.com/
800-642-7676
Press 0 five times and ignore the automated warnings that your option is incorrect.
0.5

Travel
Alaska Airhttp://www.alaskaair.com/
800-252-7522
Press 3.
8
Pressing 0 reroutes you to the beginning of the menu.
America Westhttp://www.americawest.com/
800-363-2542
Press 2 for America West, then 2. Then press 0.
2.5
You start with US Airways system.
American Airlineshttp://www.aa.com/
800-433-7300
Press 0 twice. When the automated voice comes on, say "agent."
2.75
Before transferring you to an agent, they warn that they'll charge you an extra $8 service fee if you buy a ticket over the phone.
Amtrakhttp://www.amtrak.com/
800-872-7245
Don't try to outsmart the automated voice by staying silent. It's quicker to say "agent," then confirm by saying "yes."
1.5

Continentalhttp://www.continental.com/
800-523-3273
Press 0 two times.
12

Deltahttp://www.delta.com/
800-221-1212
Say "agent" twice after the introductory menu.
4

Expediahttp://www.expedia.com/
800-397-3342
Say "agent" twice.
0.5

Northwesthttp://www.nwa.com/
800-225-2525
Press 0.
2

Sea-Tac Airportwww.portseattle.org/seatac/
206-433-5388
Press 9.
1.5

Southwesthttp://www.southwest.com/
800-435-9792
Direct to agent.
0.25

Unitedhttp://www.united.com/
800-864-8331
Stay on the line to get the automated system. Say "agent," and then "yes." They'll ask you what kind of agent you want, and if you say "agent" again, you'll end up with a reservations agent.
16.5

US Airwayshttp://www.usairways.com/
800-363-2542
Press 1 for US Airways, then 2, then 0.
0.5
___________________________________________________________________

TV

Comcasthttp://www.comcast.com/
800-266-2278
Ignore requests to enter your phone number. Press 1 for English, then 1 for current customer. Ignore requests for your phone number again, and they'll transfer you to an agent. If you plug in your phone number, you'll end up at another menu.
2
Points off for not listing phone number on Web site.

DirecTVhttp://www.directv.com/
800-494-4388
Press 1 for English, 1 for existing customers. Ignore requests for your phone number. Press 0, then either press 3 twice or 4, 0, to get an agent.
2
If you don't choose a reason for your call, it hangs up on you.

Dish Networkhttp://www.dishnetwork.com/
888-284-7116
Press 1 for existing customers, then press 0 when prompted for your account or phone number.
1.75
It said the wait would be two minutes, but an agent picked up in about 30 seconds.

TiVohttp://www.tivo.com/
877-367-8486
Instead of choosing from the menu, say "agent." When the automated voice repeats the menu, say "agent" again and the voice will relent, saying, "OK, agent."
6
While you're waiting, recorded voices try to talk you out of it, telling you it would be "much faster" and "faster and more convenient" to go online.
Utilities

City of Seattle garbagewww.seattle.gov/util/services/garbage/
206-684-3000
Press 3, then 0.
0.75

Puget Sound Energyhttp://www.pse.com/
888-225-5773
Press 0.
0.5

Rabancohttp://www.rabanco.com/
206-332-7777
Press 1.
13.5
That's the phone number for Seattle. Other numbers are on their Web site.

Seattle City Lightwww.cityofseattle.net/light
206-684-3000
Press 0 four times.
0.75

Snohomish Co. PUDhttp://www.snopud.com/
425-783-1000
Press nothing. The system assumes you're using a rotary-dial phone and transfers you to an operator.
0.75

Comcasthttp://www.comcast.com/
800-266-2278
Ignore requests to enter your phone number. Press 1 for English, then 1 for current customer. Ignore requests for your phone number again, and they'll transfer you to an agent. If you plug in your phone number, you'll end up at another menu.
2
Points off for not listing phone number on Web site.

DirecTVhttp://www.directv.com/
800-494-4388
Press 1 for English, 1 for existing customers. Ignore requests for your phone number. Press 0, then either press 3 twice or 4, 0, to get an agent.
2
If you don't choose a reason for your call, it hangs up on you.

Dish Networkhttp://www.dishnetwork.com/
888-284-7116
Press 1 for existing customers, then press 0 when prompted for your account or phone number.
1.75
It said the wait would be two minutes, but an agent picked up in about 30 seconds.

TiVohttp://www.tivo.com/
877-367-8486
Instead of choosing from the menu, say "agent." When the automated voice repeats the menu, say "agent" again and the voice will relent, saying, "OK, agent."
6
While you're waiting, recorded voices try to talk you out of it, telling you it would be "much faster" and "faster and more convenient" to go online.
Utilities

City of Seattle garbagewww.seattle.gov/util/services/garbage/
206-684-3000
Press 3, then 0.
0.75

Puget Sound Energyhttp://www.pse.com/
888-225-5773
Press 0.
0.5

Rabancohttp://www.rabanco.com/
206-332-7777
Press 1.
13.5
That's the phone number for Seattle. Other numbers are on their Web site.
Seattle City Lightwww.cityofseattle.net/light
206-684-3000
Press 0 four times.
0.75

Snohomish Co. PUDhttp://www.snopud.com/
425-783-1000
Press nothing. The system assumes you're using a rotary-dial phone and transfers you to an operator.
0.75
Would you rather talk to these machines or Indians?

CNN.com - American high schoolers receive help from India - Oct 26, 2005

I turned red with anger after I finished reading this article. After researching about "Growing Stars" and other similar companies I found out that a number of these etutors are also regular teachers. Namitha (The tutor) seems to be pretty understanding and considerate person. Now when I was in school (Which was not too long ago) my teachers were not so considerate or understanding and it was the same case with tuitions too. I know of a number of students who were not whacked but were also insulted. The worst part was that none of us were given a chance to justify our actions (Which by the way were acceptable most of the times). We were constantly put down and degraded by our teacher. At that point in time I thought it was their teaching methodology and compromised my way through school.
Now all of sudden we have the same teachers teaching rich American kids being all nice and cordial. So what was it that I or my peers did wrong? Being born in India? It is a sad story because the whole world admires our educational system and it's product but mind you there were a lot of sacrifices made on behalf of the students (Well not me but most of them). I think that one of the key reasons why Indian graduates are tremendously successful. The reason I'm making this point is because most of the credit goes to the educational institutions and the teachers but you know what it was the IIT kid who spent 18 hours a day for 4 years studying to become a marketable student. But hey! Who gives a shit the system works and it will keep functioning that way.

Peace

Have Fun

I'm in a euphoric mood today. Why is not the issue but I'm back on the block baby. Restored self confidence!!! Anyways I have had a strong urge to travel from early on and I think www.thisisthelife.com is a wonderful website. My perception of traveling is slightly different than that of most people. I not only want to see the pretty landscape but also try to get a better understanding of the local culture. For example visiting New York and LA would qualify as having seen US because the majority of Americans live in the Mid West and South. So unless you have seen Kentucky, Arkansas etc, you have not seen United States. So is the case with a number of countries including India (FYI: People wear clothes and drive cars not elephants). Fundamentally if you have been to a place that you think other people should visit please go this website and email your experiences and if you want to visit really cool places there are wonderful places that you can visit; If not at least know about.
Peace

CNN.com - Baghdad suicide blast kills 10 - Oct 6, 2005

The only positive outcome of this Iraqi situation is population control in Iraq as of now and when these guys get really pissed population control else where.

Hope for peace.

100 Most Frequently Challenged books

Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney

Most of these books were challenged because of strong sexual content or homosexuality or promoting religion or being racist.


Peace

Reading banned books

Have you read a banned book? I think the thought of acquiring forbidden information is exciting. http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm . Go this site for more information.

Peace

BBC NEWS | Business | Vancouver is 'best place to live'

I guess the news article itself if evidence enough that my desire to move to Vancouver is not logical. It has been cosnsitently rated among the top 10 cities to live in and moreover who can refuse the warm call of the pacific ocean as opposed to cold frigid stare of the Atlantic. I suggest that everybody take a look at these pictures and tell me if I'm wrong.

Peace

45 kids fall unconscious at Jayaprada's Gandhi Jayanti- The Times of India

Ask not what your country has done for you but ask what you have done for your country's leaders. I'm not writing this blog out of outrage at the improper treatment (Enough has been said about that) of kids but at the attitude of our teachers/parents (as a matter of fact whoever were involved in this issue and the rest of us too!). Why do we have this sense of hero/heroine worship for anybody and everybody? Is it because we have been taught to appreciate what we have and live within our means and consider it to be the will of fate. If that is the case I would have been absolutely happy with the Indian social scenario but we are driven by greed. So much greed that we are willing to sell out everything or anything. I'm a capitalist so I believe that if something goes wrong in a company the CEO is ultimately responsible and most importantly should FACE THE CONSEQUENCES. Fortunately in India due to our diligence towards our leaders we face the brunt of consequences. In an unrelated incident an MP managed to pass the security at the parliment building using a hologram from an underwear (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4300524.stm) and that actually gave me hope. Hope that some day we would be rid of these morons that rule (yes rule is the word, it is not govern) us and we the bigger morons would realize the fact and take the initiative. Till then happy living and peace.

Security

There have been a number of complaints that the Airport security is overblown and tedious as well but I had a very unique experience recently. I was at the security point where you have to pass the metal detector and there was this lady on the other side who was coordinating the process. I had removed all my metal items but as I passed through the scanner it beeped. Now that sent chill through my spine because although I knew that I did not have any prohibited items I’m just intimidated by authority. As I walked up to the lady she told that I had a large piece of metal below my waist. All of a sudden I realized that I was wearing a belt with a big buckle. The lady (who was quite attractive) was standing facing me with her metal detector when I decided to help her determine the cause of the beep. I instinctively lifted my shirt up, trying to show her my belt buckle, and said “Yeah there is a big piece of metal” glancing at my belt buckle. She all of a sudden became defensive and turned red. Then after she told me I was all set. Since I had about an hour to board the plane I decided to get some coffee at the overpriced coffee place. I was sitting there reading a newspaper when I saw the security lady along with her friend buying a cup of coffee (I assume it was coffee they were trying to buy because she too thin to be a donut consumer). The glanced at me and started having animated conversation interlaced with giggles which stirred my curiosity but because of my limited mental capabilities I decided not investigate the issue any further. Ten minutes before boarding time I decided to take a leak and in the bathroom I realized that my pants were not zipped up! All of a sudden I realized why the security lady was agitated (I thought of using the pleased instead of agitated but I figured that would be a highly unlikely case). I felt tinge of embarrassment but decided to place the incident in the dark room of my mind (along with thousands of others similar one’s) and hoped that I would never see her again.

Peace

New Winnipeg Forums - Canada vs Denmark: �The Hans Island War

New Winnipeg Forums - Canada vs Denmark: �The Hans Island War

I have always wanted to live in Canada and a number of times my friends found my choice to be quite odd. I mean most of the country is cold, a fairy flat economy especially when compared to United States or Europe. Well this is one of the reasons why. Hans Island is a small island, with nothing phenomenal to offer, off the coast of Greenland. Denmark and Canada have been claiming this island as their own. The Canadian soldiers decided to retaliate against Danish actions in 2002 on Hans Island, so what do they do - bomb the Danish? Hell no they planted the Canadian flag, built an Inukuk and left some Canadian whisky for the Danes. There are some people who would consider this Cowardice but I think it is a very logical way of dealing with issues. We as a society try to control violence using the threat of consequences and force but why don't we try to discourage violent behavior in the first place.
I think it is very difficult to act the right way although it might not be the popular way. I think this makes Canada better most of these aggressive nations. Don’t get me wrong I have tremendous respect for soldiers who fight for the right cause but I’m saying that these brave men should not have to fight in the first place. I know some of you might not agree with me but I would be happy if you atleast acknowledge that there is such a concept out there.

Peace

eHarmony - More Marriages Per Match than any Online Dating Personals Service

eHarmony - More Marriages Per Match than any Online Dating Personals Service

A few weeks ago I was watching TV during prime time and was surprised to see an advertisement for www.eharmony.com. I have seen dating websites ads but only at 3 in the morning along with the exercise video infomercials, but the timing (Prime Time) tickled my curiosity. When I googled the word “Dating Websites”, I got about 3,250,000 results in .14 seconds and a lot of them looked pretty believable too (You know what I'm talking about, websites that have ultra hot chicks claiming to be desperately looking for men). I believe that a lot of people are looking for soul-mates and are optimistic but using the internet for such purposes is a little too foreign to me. Moreover ever since the Chinese entered the market I have been able afford a girlfriend. The best part is that she comes with a pump and three interchangeable wigs. eHarmony uses the “Compatibility Matching System™” which matches personalities on 29 key dimensions. Fundamentally you will get a partner you deserve but I have a problem with the concept. I don’t want a girl that is on par with me; I want somebody who is better then me but just does not know it.
Fortunately because of my lackluster career I hardly have time or the opportunity to think about having a long term relationship and even if I do, I hardly have a chance of getting a girl because of my lameness. For all the rest of you, who are looking for true love good luck and hey minimal embarrassment in case of a rejection.

My inspiration

I haven’t updated this blog in a while because I have been busy. Well thanks to the Chinese my romantic life has taken off, I can finally afford a blow up doll. Actually it has been a dull social week for me in all honesty the most exciting thing during this week was visiting the DMV today. I don’t want to go into further details of my personal life but if you think “not only is his life pathetic but how does he have the stomach to tell people about this abomination he calls life”. Most people cannot but I happen to have a unique source of inspiration that not drives me to live through this wretched life but infact enjoy it. I want to narrate an event that happened in A’s (I’m not using his full name for privacy purposes and mind you this is a true story) life a week ago.

A happens to know a girl called Lauren, who he thinks is crazy in love with him. Lauren is one of the good things happening in A’s life right now. A calls Lauren to see if she wants to go out and she says that will give him a call if she feels like it. So A waits around a little and finally decides to get some coffee and she sees Lauren at the coffee shop with another guy. So when he walked up to her she gave him a lame reason that she just felt like getting coffee heading back home and the guy was a “friendly” neighbor. Well A decides to give her the benefit of doubt and heads back home. Around 11PM, A goes to a bar to hang out and lo! Behold he sees Lauren there again.

This time he decides to avoid her so tries to walk out of the bar through the back door but unfortunately trips on his way out and rips his pants wide apart. The loud thud, which accompanied his fall, attracted the attention of the drinkers including Lauren. A decided to act civil and not acknowledge the presence of Lauren. He walked out of the bar only see somebody had stolen all 4 of his tires (I don’t know how). A felt a surging pain in heart (he hates to spend money) but decided to take this calamity into stride. In the process of waiting for a tow truck he saw Lauren step out of the bar for a cigarette and to avoid any sort of embarrassing conversation/confrontation, A pulls out his cell phone acts as if he is having an intense conversation.

A was getting a little tired of his phone act when he sees the tow truck pull into the parking lot and thanked god for saving his last shred of dignity. A starts walking nonchalantly towards his car but unfortunately had to cross Lauren and her group of friends on his way to the car. So A carries on his phone act but as soon as he crossed Lauren his phone starts ringing (I guess I was the one who called him). A frantically tried to turn of the ringer as people looked at him strange. In the process of trying to turn off the ringer A drops the phone in a pile of puke (I suppose some kid had too much to drink).

A not only told me this story but laughed about it and so did I. “This guy is my inspiration to live life no matter how bad it gets” – usually you get to listen to heart warming stories of kids fighting cancer associated with this line but I’m a realist so I figured a dose of reality would be fun.

PS: This was written in jest but A’s story is real.

Manicures

In the present world of stress I have found a new sanctuary, no not Tibet but my hair dressing salon (I know it is a barber shop but I wanted to be politically correct). I was recently told that I was not paying attention to my hair grooming needs by a person of the fairer sex. Considering the impact that good looking women have on men I decided to respond by getting a hair although I thought it was not necessary. As I sat in the salon waiting for the hair dresser to finish off her lunch we started off a conversation (she was trying to be polite and I was trying to be hip). As she went on about the nuances of cutting hair she mentioned that they have manicures, pedicures, facials Blah! Blah! (This was when I faded off when a drop dead gorgeous girl walked into the room). As my eyes followed this stunning beauty (well more of her apple bum than her) they crossed path with what is know as “Manicure’.
I was fascinated by the range of services available there because I always thought you went to a salon got your hair cut and came back home. I still haven’t mustered the courage to get one but I have been told that it is a heavenly experience. I understand the implications if the word gets out that I have had a manicure but the fact that it is just about forbidden to get one makes it all the more enticing. I think men should develop some sort of a communal hair dressing activity rather than just getting haircuts. We have to overcome the conspiracy weaved by women that manicures (and the rest of whatever they have) are solely meant for women. Every great change demands great sacrifices and all I have to do is find a lab rat. I have started working on it and there are a few prospects. Well in end if I find out that this hoopla is not all it is made out to be, we will at least get a few laughs at the victim’s expense and then we can find somebody to test waxing. Will post pictures (No not of the waxing) as soon I get done with the undertaking.

Peace

room with a view

This is my room with's it view. No wonder I'm as I'm

view 

Lady of the night

I have this new found concept called conscience which is irritating me. I have considered myself to be a cold hearted human (it is just the biological name) and was content leading my life in that fashion. Yesterday we had a know prostitute sitting in the hotel lobby at 3 AM in the morning. It was cold and drizzly outside and I suppose she came into our lobby to avoid the possibility of contracting a cold or worse yet pneumonia. Our hotel has a policy of strongly discouraging people who are in this trade. I asked the lady if she wanted a cab and she suggested that she was waiting for the bus which starts running at 6 AM.
Here is the issue, I wanted to get the lady of the night out of our lobby but when I went out to smoke a cigarette I noticed that it was a very unpleasant night. I made the mistake of thinking about the plight of the lady if I forced her out into the cold. I was sure that she did not have money to get a cab and would have to rough it out. I knew that I would not get into deep trouble letting her stay in our lobby but at the same time did not want to encourage her to visit our hotel in the future. I know the story itself is very insignificant but I was worried because I have not been this way previously. I suppose I’m getting old and soft or probably starting to care about people. Either way it is not easy to be caring. I think there is a fundamental flaw in the way our social system is set up. I’m sure a lot of people know what is good and what is bad but have tremendous difficulty following the good path.
This is because the setup of our system presents a number of obstacles to those who want to follow the prescribed “Good Path”. Although there are promised advantages following this path, they always seem to be in the distant future and unfortunately for most of us – patience is not our greatest virtue. Sometimes I feel that the system is set up to make sure that most of us fail so that the few who actually follow the suggested rules feel good about themselves. Moreover if everybody acted as good humans then the bench mark of being a good person would be raised and we don’t want that. In the end I think there is no way of getting rid of good conscience and by the way the “Lady of the night” stayed in the lobby till the first bus started running.

Peace

Snowflakes

This year we had a record snowfall in Boston in the month of January. First snow is always fun but as it gets colder and greyer the general mood of the city becomes gloomy. Well that is what I have always associated with snow until I came across this website http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/ during one of my random browsing sessions. I suppose snowflake watching and snowflake photography is a hobby. After browsing through the website for a few minutes I was amazed at the science (yes it is a serious science and there is physics involved) involved in the process. I don’t know a whole lot about the hobby but I guess the least you need a magnifying glass (along with lots of patience) and you can graduate into more extensive equipment. It sounds like a cool hobby or at least would make good party talk.
I understand there are a lot of you who might still think it is lame so I have published some pictures ripped out the above stated website which should definitely arouse your interest. If you have a digital camera you can in fact try to get a few pictures as it would not cost you a whole of money to get a magnifying glass.

a2 

a1 

Holi3 

Holi 2 

Colors of India
In spite of all my negative comments about India, I would have to acknowledge the fact that India has one of the most exciting and colorful cultures in the world. It is a brilliant amalgam of deep philosophy laced with practicality and at the same time beats the blandness associated with most eastern cultures. Most Indians confuse their love of Indian culture and food with patriotism. It is sad that a country backed with such a great culture and religion is not exactly on the top of the world. I'm not talking about the economic state of the country but in fact the social aspects that have seeped into population. The obvious thought of an Indian reader would be "well you are Indian too and it is people like you that project a negative image of India". My rebuttal in this case would be that I don't care what the world thinks about us, I care about what we actually are and you and I know that India has a lot left to improve.
I did not post these pictures so as to discuss the present day Indian society but to fell good about it and moreover I miss it a little. Guess I'm getting old.

Peace

Bday's

Birthdays always put me in an emotional paradox. There is the concept that one should celebrate one’s existence in this world at least once a year. As a kid I was always excited to get up on my birthday because I was full of enthusiasm and hope; enthusiastic about what the world has to offer and hope that I would be able to get a part of it. But as years passed I have taken a different view of the issue, now a birthday to me is a sign of victory over logic and this is why I think so. For those of you who have not read my previous blogs need to understand that my contribution to the world is minuscule and it is a surprise that I have fared fairly well in the social system. The only way I contribute to anyone or anything in this universe is by not doing anything because any attempt on my part to do something useful would end up as a disaster. If all the people in world were to be letters (Not the alphabets but postal letters), I would be junk mail. There are a lot of us and we don’t serve any purpose. If this world were to be efficient and logical it should have discarded me a long time ago.
I consider it a miracle that I have existed so long but at the same time I’m sad that there are so many other living beings (I wanted to include animals) that are being deprived of what they deserve because some of the resources are being diverted towards me. This is the emotional paradox I suffer from. Some of you might think “How does he sleep at night knowing what he has done to the world” and to answer your question “very well”. I have also mastered the art of “repressing my self-dignity and conscience”, in-fact these are the fundamentals of my survival strategy. My final comment on birthdays – It is just another passing point in time whose only significance is to act as a benchmark to let you know how long it will be before the inevitable catches up with you.

Peace

PS. I’m not a gothic or a manic depressive.

Wolfowitz engages Bono in World Bank consultation - Mar. 18, 2005

Wolfowitz engages Bono in World Bank consultation - Mar. 18, 2005

It would interesting to see Wolfowitz interact with Bono. I'm sure this would be featured in Jerry Springer's new "Hippies Vs Red Necks". If you stir your imagination a little, a funny image of Bono and Wolfowitz going at each other would enter your mind but please make sure that you snap out of your little day dream or you might have to see Wolfowitz take his shirt off and flex his muscles. It is funny that such well traveled people like Wolfowitz (Yes he did go out of the United States and knows that Iraq is a not a country full of camels but has actual people) and Bono share such different opinions. If you took a look at their tastes, Wolfowitz is divorced (don't blame the wife here) and actually dates Shaha Ali Riza a Saudi bred world bank official (It was quite a surprise considering his general opinions) whereas Bono is married to Ali Hewson (Nothing much to say about her because I spent most of the time staring at her than reading about her).
I guess both men are with people who fall within their personalities i.e. flashy and radical respectively. The whole point of talking about their wives/girlfriends is to basically understand that these guys are human too. Overall I don't care what these guys do but hope that they can solve some problems and create exciting news at least through harsh verbal exchanges (Come on have you seen the news today, the headlines are "two women ask Peterson to marry them" and "Cops grill sex offender" and I need to feel a little smart while reading the headlines).

Peace

You cannot beat the odds

As I looked into the mirror trying to arrange my thinning hair a strange thought crossed my mind – “I’m getting old”. I have always been an under achiever but like most people I told myself that “It is okay, you will make a better life for yourself”. Now I’m in a situation where one wrong move can drive me into the depths of pittance for the rest of my life and this point I have decided to take on another worry. No it is not that of aging as looks have never been my forte, it is the concept of falling in love, getting married etc. Now with limited intelligence, minimal money, mediocre looks and past filled with failures my choices would be limited.

I think the concept of love is over-rated; it is what I would consider emotional investment. The reason one would want to love somebody else ( Even if we compensate for physical infatuation and social pressure) is that in case something goes wrong someday this person would stand up for you. There is also this case of “sense of belonging”. We all want to be wanted (I think it is a matter of ego) and we make an agreement with another person who would work with you to make you feel wanted. There might be a few cases of unconditional love which cannot be explained by my logic but most of the time we don’t know the whole scenario and hence I think it is safe to consider them as anomalies.

Although I find the concept of love hypocritical I don’t have a major problem playing along as it is the norm of the society. The fact that I have to work hard to make the girl fall in love with me and continue to do so in the future sounds like a tedious task. So I have to work 55 hours a week (Middle management works 55 hours although the job description says it is 40), help clean the house, raise kids and work towards the relationship – to achieve what? Well to be stowed away in an old age home. I don’t know about you but this does not sound enterprising to me. Here is my solution, screw the love aspect; marry somebody because we don’t know who is going to turn out as what in the future. There are too many variables to determine the partner’s character, so start by assuming that your life will be a living hell. Well if things go on normally you would be okay because this was what you expected and hey by chance you get really lucky life might be fun for you.

We have a very short life, so don’t waste time looking for the perfect person. Selecting a spouse is like playing the raffle and you cannot estimate the odds here because nobody tells the truth about their relationships. Just pick one and hope to god it works out for you. I figured this out and hence I have decided to write this stupid blog and play solitaire than look for my “soul mate”

Peace

BBC NEWS | South Asia | India looks to IT to take on China

BBC NEWS | South Asia | India looks to IT to take on China

The problem is that Indians refuse to acknowledge the bureaucracy problem which has hindered industrial growth in India. The few who do so either don't have the voice to make it a major issue or focus on the growth of the IT sector. We have to understand although we have a strong hold on IT services; one billion cannot make a living off of it. We need to have a good balance of manufacturing and service sectors. I'm not suggesting that India reach the level of China but become much more dominant in manufacturing. I think this will help us provide employment to the under educated and at the same time not destroy environment (which will be the case in China). Unfortunately the Indian government seems to be lethargic about resolving this issue. For example Manmohan Singh wants NRI's to invest in India like most Chinese do in their home country but did not make any changes to make India a lucrative location. The funniest part is that many people go ahead and play the patriotic card, come up with junk like "you are Americanized" etc. Well let my response to these people is "Yes I have". I have no love for India as a country atleast in the last two centuries. Don't get me wrong I have immense respect for my culture and traditions but not for the country. In a sense I got screwed because I was born in India (well I should be happy I wasn't born in Pakistan or the Middle East). Fortunately I was born into a decently well off family if not I would have been much worse off. I faced reservations, corruption, over education, limited jobs, difficulty in getting jobs etc, which if one thinks about are not very encouraging. Even now India has not changed as it should have although the younger generation is phenomenally better. I think it is time for the older people (anybody who has seen Indra Gandhi and thought she was good looking would be considered old) to retire and give way to the younger generation. The reason being these guys have tried to change the course of the country for the last 40 years and I don't think they have done a good job. Why not give us a chance?

Some of you might be offended by my statements above but unfortunately it is the truth. There are very few people who actually care about the country; I think patriotism is a matter of personal ego. This concept is okay with but the problem is a lot of times because of our defensive nature we don't take criticism constructively. I think we should encourage people to speak up against the set of the country so that we can strive to improve continuously. I'm upset with India for a reason, I mean come on 5000 years of history, brilliant scientists, outstanding religion and hardworking people; with all this behind us why are not at the top of the world? Don't blame luck; I think somebody should be held responsible for the present state of the country. I'm not Mahatma Gandhi so I want retribution; retribution for all the hardships all the people had to undergo because of our national leaders and you know what we can start with Lalloo.

Well I think that is enough of vindictive talk for a day but I want to end this blog on a positive note. India I think as of right now is a true epitome of religious tolerance. The strife in Gujarat is in-consequential when compared to the population and the religious mix. I don't think there is any other country in the world where such a model exists.

Peace