Politicians of a democracy

Politicians play with lives of people. Politicians play with lives of people who are more patriotic to a country than the leaders they elect, that they give up lives and limbs for it. Democracy like capitalism when practiced without heart leads to disaster.

Bloodshed

Bloodshed in Iraq is sad. Its time for all the holy men and women in the world to gather and go there so that this inhumanity will stop. There is no time like now for the muslim religious leaders, hindu leaders, Buddhists leaders, Pope, Dalai Lama, and other men of peace to act for peace. Its just too much. Spiritual balm for hurting souls may help.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
(Matthew 5:9)

The catholic church's invitation

If the Anglicans decide to become catholics because women are priests and Bishops in their church, then they better watch out. Its a matter of time or desire for women doing the same in the catholic church. Its not always what men want women not to do but mostly what women want to do.

Fox on the run

President Obama will get coverage fox or no fox. So grouping and forming unions is not going to help fox news. That will be the day when the American press will not cover news related to the white house because the white house did not like the reporting style of fox news or even marginalized fox news. Such a day will never come. Moreover, how free is fox news to really say its defending the freedom of the press? Two can play the game and to be impolite is within the law as the fox knows quite well.

Marriage and the catholic church

Priests are not allowed to marry in the Catholic church. This is not just a matter of faith but also finance. A person who has given up worldly desires and has decided to spread spirituality is supported financially by the church and the expenses are supposed to be minimal. If priests marry then their salaries need to substantially increase. If a man decides to have a family then he needs to support them with the sweat of his brow. Married men can serve in other capacities in the church and need not be priests. But some priests feel like getting married and that is fine. Instead of throwing them out as outcasts the church can surely have a better attitude towards them and help them make a transition to other jobs smoothly. On the other hand if the church decides to let priests marry then they better figure out a way to generate the extra money. Currently the church taxes the congregation quite a bit already.

Domestic violence shelters

Its a good thing that California is funding domestic violence shelters. The society is so arranged that women cannot immediately join a work force after their exodus to look after families. Women actually sacrifice their careers to make their homes a better place and thereby the society a better place. Its only fair for the society to take care of women in deep trouble. No person woman, man, or child must be subject to violence by another no matter who the other party is. That is the goal we must all work towards. Most problems begin and at home. Its best that societies work towards a healthy home and thus a healthy society.

Dictators

Frankly, America should stop dictating terms to other nations. A tone of cooperation is better to seek than coercion. A lot of people have said that they want to conquer the world and neither is the goal possible nor is the goal worth it.

To play or not to

Playing is important. Though many parents discourage playing its important children play and also adults play. Its a mood elevator and also provides exercise which are both key factors to good health.

Contempt

Familiarity breeds contempt and even disgust. The transition from awe and respect to pure frustration and disgust is quite a turn.

Missed targets

India says Pakistan is trying to destabilize it. Its true some Pakistanis are doing this but not Pakistan. I doubt the government is really involved. So the bickering is misplaced.

Gossip

Sometimes stories that spread about you reach you and you begin to wonder how such a story got associated to you. Sometimes it feels like everyone is telling stories about you. But no its a specialized group of people whose fairy tales are so convincingly told that the poor victim is completely nailed. Its mostly amusing but many times damaging. Gossip is among the ills of society that neither religion nor law paid attention to. One could say that gossip in the moral code is like lies but there is a difference. The ones who started the gossip are lying but the ones that believe it and spreading it are not. Its quite a tricky situation.

Get served!

Fox news is on the run. Fox news did not expect the white house to show its claws. Its time for the fox to face the music. Every journalist while training is asked to be objective (that is not taking sides ) while reporting but every journalist while practicing is asked to do away with objectivity. I do not think objective journalists will ever get a job at Fox news.

Publicity stunts

Using a little boy and the police force to pull out a balloon stunt is stupid. Making mockery of the law is what this is. Heene's reality shows are quite pathetic and no amount of publicity stunts are going to help the show. But maybe after their time in jail the Heenes can proceed to make commercials with their stupid balloons.

Politics of hate

What the world needs to do today is to reject the politics of hate. Respect others should be the only motto. Whenever there is no hate there is respect. And thats only natural because the human race has come a long way.

New Orleans

So they say there is progress in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Really? A lot of people have lost their homes and are not allowed to return. Is it progress if someone else takes over your land homes and develops it? I think not.

Images

Ralph Lauren digitally altered the image of a female model to make her look really thin. They could have as well drawn a disney character. Why do they have to use real people? Beats me. The ideal size for the woman today is size zero. For very few women in the world that is the normal size. And if you are not size zero the pressure you face as a woman from family and friends is enormous. And if you commit to making other people happy then you are on a starvation diet. Its clearly not healthy. All good food is bad for women. Men are not expected to be size zero yet but with geeks controlling the fashion industry it will be the new trend. According to fashion standards Schwarzenegger and Marilyn Monroe are fat. I wonder what the fashion industry has to gain by propagating this trend. Perhaps the fashion and food industry are at war. And the fashion industry is friends with the health industry. Eat lots of pills but no food is the slogan. This is fodder for conspiracy theory.

China's ambitions

China is in the mood for war to show case its military might. They will target India to do this. India needs to be careful. With the UN literally defunct and distracted India is quite alone in this fight. Its best to be prepared.

On resumes

Honest resumes are the best resumes you would think. But everyone tells you otherwise. From the advice I have had so far I am not surprised why there is a recession. Be dishonest and thrive is the motto. And why did we hear so much about truth when we were kids when grown ups clearly feel otherwise? Beats me.

Flouting School Rules

A six year old boy is in trouble over carrying a camping knife to school. I wonder whether a camping knife like that should be handled by a child who is only 6 years old. Forget hurting others, he might hurt himself with it. Its not he who should go to reform school but his parents who see nothing wrong with it. Sending a small kid like that for 45 days to a reform school is a bit too much. Someone really did not like him.

Comedians

Arnold Schwarzenegger is not known for comedy but for action movies. But he would have done great as a comedian in my opinion. The problems California face with him as governor is out of the world. Looks like scripts from some sci-fi movies.

Again we have an opinion

What does increase in troops mean? The demand comes from a general who guarantees nothing. Increase in troops means increase in bloodshed both American and Afghan. As long as foreign troops control Afghanistan, the fight continues. And people fighting will be really decent people defending their homes and family. But if the focus is on terrorists (who I think more as criminal businessmen who are profiting big time by these conflicts) then a temporary centralized police like presence which is awfully careful about civilian casualty is the way to go. In fact afghans are quite capable of preventing a terrorist take over. Its enough to hold governments accountable. One must remember that it was people from Saudi Arabia who made 911 happen and not people from Afghanistan. Afghanistan had no reason to attack America then though the scenario has changed now. These wars are ridiculous where there is no option of waving a white flag and declaring peace. The problem is that the Obama administration cannot let go of the colonial ambitions propagated by the Bush administration. But like I have said before it is almost impossible to form colonies today and the world is better for it.

Lets for a minute assume that the Obama administration is honestly trying to stabilize the region. Then out of misery comes opportunity. It is time to replace trouble makers. But the plan has to complete. If local rule is to be substituted with foreign rule it is unacceptable to people. So before the Americans go in to substitute a rule, they need to make sure that the new rulers are better and what the people prefer to what already existed. This is where conquering minds come in. You win hearts by making right moves and not by replacing water pumps after destroying them and killing a lot of good people in the process.

Making a difference

Hillary Clinton did not become president but she has made a difference for women in politics. Someone had to deal with the issues. When successful people say that they stand on the shoulders of giants its so much more true for women. Sometimes in ones struggles we forget to cherish what we leave behind for who will come after us.

The mess we create

People expect miracles from Obama about the messy situation he was handed over from a previous government. Its a tough situation. Some people want to bring troops back home and some people want to continue fighting. The only sensible strategy in a war is to never start one and if you are in one, then end it as quickly as possible as soon as the purpose is achieved. America do not have to train Afghanistan because training a foreign army makes no sense unless one is thinking of colonizing. But America needs to make sure that there are no extremists plotting to kick up trouble for that America needs to hold the government accountable for it. This is a police job and not an army job. Killing innocent civilians makes no sense and these wars are nothing but errors in judgment. Its a different world and if some countries are thinking of colonization as a purpose its simply not going to work. And I for one am happy about it. The fight against colonization like slavery is long since over and will never return.

Exiles in Indian epics

In Mahabarat and Ramayan the main characters go in to exile for many years before they return to claim their rights. Real life is a little like that too.

The real problem

The real problem is not religious or ideological extremism but criminals. Wherever there is unrest the criminals are there with equipment and man power adding to the existing chaos. Its big money for a group of thugs or even a group of countries. The goal or interest of the criminals is not to diffuse the problem but to add fuel to the problem so that their business continues to thrive at the expense of people's lives. The naive get exploited and there is no virtue in being so. Some of these problems are almost impossible to solve.

Nobel for Obama

A Nobel prize for peace to Obama is a little too early. It is true that a lot of people still look at Obama as representing hope, but Obama has to deliver on this expectation yet. On the other hand, he would have got this prize anyway at a later day. But getting the prize before the race is done is not quite right. But whenever a person touches base with his own soul he connects to the world because we are all fundamentally the same. Before you tell lies to others you lie to yourself first. Obama connects and we have to grant him that. Obama's policy of encouraging war crimes to be ignored is not the way a lot of Nobel peace prize winners choose. Usually these winners face hell to fight injustice and never make peace with injustice. On the other hand a president can only do so much. Perhaps the prize is for not being as bad a president as some others. Such is life.

It is time for the world to look outside maybe the moon and cherish the earth. We are here because we had the chance. Lets make the best of it.

Ambassadors

I must say an embassy job today is quite risky. Like soldiers they go to foreign lands risking their lives.

Referee comments

I wonder why referee comments to journal papers are anonymous. Sometimes I am so surprised at the language. Being anonymous brings out the mischief in people. Frankly, I find Professionalism lacking in scientific communities.

Rethinking Afghanistan

Its best Afghanistan is governed by Afghans. Never in the history of mankind could a foreign government govern a nation of people. Even Britain had local rulers in place. It is not easy to govern a group of people you understand nothing about. Among the thousands of people killed in Afghan some may be poets, artists, writers, who knows who they are, and what they mean to the Afghan people. Locally, Afghans are much liked. In India Afghans are considered our traditional friends though Indians in general have issues with Pakistan. Hopefully peace will return to this land soon. The solution to Afghanistan is that people of Afghanistan must understand that they cannot be governed or controlled by people who want to pick up fights with other countries. Then they are in the fight without asking for it. America needs to do a reality check about who they are fighting and why. I think Karzai can do the job well. Its time America helps him with a police (or intelligence) and not an army. There is no point in allowing a situation to exist where young boys get raped and people have no peace.

Letterman the cad

Letterman thinks he can get away with openly admitting to his romantic connections at work. It will be interesting to see his pattern of operation. A well established man making prey of struggling women working under him seems to be the case to me. In a work place if you are romantically involved the rule is to quit the job of being a boss to that man or woman. Its not fair to others otherwise. Falling in love happens and there are ways to get around it. Letterman probably thought nothing about his behavior. He has quite an insulting attitude to women in general, the cad.

Poverty and Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi is exploring poverty. Reminds me of Buddha who is handling the realities of life for the first time. Society or upbringing teaches us to be charitable. So usually it is poor people are to be sympathized with and we must give them some money, food, or clothing. And yes its a good feeling at the end of it all. You think you did something worthwhile. But over time I have learned that people who depend on charitable relatives or organizations invariably do not grow fully. They spend a lifetime being beggarly no matter how much money they have. There is a pride in being independent and the struggles towards it makes life hard but more fulfilling. But I like what Rahul Gandhi says about the difference between a rich man and a poor man is about opportunity. This is true. Every human being grabs at opportunities that takes them forward. And a person is only as charitable as long as the other person do not go ahead of him or her. And here comes exploitation and the story of poverty then follows quite clearly. As we all know behind great poverty is great exploitation. In fact I say behind all poverty there is exploitation.

Guiding light

Teenagers are getting violent in America and when someone dies it becomes news in America. But lately I watched a few teenager based movies and all the stories described teenagers as extremely violent. In fact the cool kids are violent and the geeks when they learn violence become cool. Movies about families are quite violent too. A step parent or an adopted kid is usually the embodiment of evil. There rarely is a movie where a poor orphan kid is quite a decent soul. Movies about newly married couples are graphically violent where one spouse is trying to kill the other. And these things play on TV all day. No one raises an eyebrow about it. So all feelings are kind of numbed in this society except violence. Physical pain is real and perhaps in an industrialized society the only pain that is comprehensible.

Sanctum Sanctorum

Iran may provide sanctum sanctorum considering that the mass stalking and harassment that innocent citizens like me face in the US and other countries.

Borders

The Dalai Lama presents the big question that faces the world today. Small countries that seek autonomy but cannot defend itself on its own are easily in peril. Who defends these countries? The united nations was a good idea but when it comes to hard cash and soldier lives very few nations will oblige unless there is a direct profit involved. Dalai Lama's strategy of asking the world to save Tibet from China is not working. In fact its hard to say what will work. If expressing solidarity by world leaders really worked suu kyi will be walking free. The only way Tibet can free itself is if Tibet makes China lose all interest in annexing it. Perhaps noncooperation (Gandhi's strategy) is its only option. Sometimes its the will of the people more than an army of people that do the trick. The increasing challenge Dalai Lama faces today is that people in Tibet may be happy with their chinese connection and do not want to return to old ways.

Kashmir

The Islamic conferences must leave Kashmir alone. India has too many muslims to divide the country on the basis of religion. Pakistan was formed but India still has a large number of muslims left in the country. Now if Kashmir is separated on the basis of religion, muslims in other parts of the country will be targeted as being separatists.
Kashmiri muslims never wanted to separate from India and they were quite a contend population till Pakistani militants stirred mischief in the valley. Now Kashmiris are not happy and they will not be if they stay under the control of militants.

2016 olympics

The IOC has lost it. How can they eliminate Chicago so lightly considering the US president is lobbying for it? They are acting too smug.