The bait

Every time a lunatic from some country attacks America, American leaders are calling out for war against that country. Just imagine the strategy a smart enemy can use against this kind of responses. Soon America will have no countries left as friends. In the past and present such baits are planted by third parties in other parts of the world to create chaos. Careful response is required from American leaders in these troubled times.

Mathematicians on Linkedin

I regret the day I decided to join math groups of Linkedin. So much junk in there and I grew up with so much regard for mathematicians.

Bridges

Modern Architecture is limited in funds. Unlike the royal days when a king would build a Taj Mahal with public funds, rich men will not spend so much of their personal money on making fantastic public structures. So architecture is limited to being utilitarian optimizing on spending. And the only hope for fantastic public structures are bridges. Not surprisingly in many countries bridges serve as public attractions.

Dilly dallying

Republicans are wasting time on important issues. Dilly dallying in the hope of doing better in the next elections is not going to do them any good. Its best to get their acts together in these difficult times. The only things Republicans are fine with is winning some Don quixote wars.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen should concentrate on transfer of technology. Some countries have developed good models of limiting pollution. This does not mean China is asked to cut down on number of factories but discuss how the factories can keep pollution at minimum. Or perhaps India is told writing software or solving math problems creates global warming. This is what reading fine print means. On the other hand exchange of technology and having forum that provides help and discussion to keep the world beautiful is always a good thing. In fact developing countries should pay for such transfer of technology not because they are forced to but because they want to.

Copenhagen would have been a greater success if instead of laws and funds, the aspect of how technology could be made more earth friendly was given more focus. The experience of developed countries would have been handy. But Copenhagen was more about rich and poor countries. There are no poor countries. Earth is fascinating and provides plenty for all. There are only poor people. Behind great poverty there is always great exploitation.

Global problems

The best way to handle organized terrorism is to hold governments responsible. Terrorism is an unequal war and can survive only if the government is kind enough not to vanquish the fighters. It is time people who face oppressive regimes or conditions turn to more civilized way to fight for their causes. There will always be conflicts and guerilla fighters but very rarely have guerilla fighters won any wars. The Afghan conflict with Russia was won with American help. On the other hand civilized movements for justice have an unfailing way of winning on their own merit(example movements lead by Gandhi or Martin Luther King).

Ode to the soldier

When you see interviews of soldiers they often say that it is not their call to make decisions but it is their call to perform their duty. I admire these people who will sacrifice life and limb for duty without asking questions. Freedom of speech is not a cheap thing. A lot of people have died with the hope that people might express what they think and can ask questions. Words mean nothing, its actions that speak loud. Saying I care about soldiers and using them without plan or thought is indecent considering that a soldier speaks very less but acts all the time in a country's interest whatever they may be.

A Soldier’s Cemetery

by John William Streets (killed and missing in action on 1 July 1916 aged 31)
Connaught British Military Cemetery, Somme battlefield near Thiepval (copyright www.greatwar.co.uk)

Behind that long and lonely trenched line
To which men come and go, where brave men die,
There is a yet unmarked and unknown shrine,
A broken plot, a soldier’s cemetery.

There lie the flower of youth, the men who scorn’d
To live (so died) when languished Liberty:
Across their graves flowerless and unadorned
Still scream the shells of each artillery.

When war shall cease this lonely unknown spot
Of many a pilgrimage will be the end,
And flowers will shine in this now barren plot
And fame upon it through the years descend:
But many a heart upon each simple cross
Will hang the grief, the memory of its loss.

The climate change urgency

The climate change debate started with worrying about ice melting in Antartica. These are changes man can do little about. Man can do little about natural catastrophes like earthquakes, tsunamis, etc which is why we must understand that the opportunity to exist in this world is a golden one. So many factors have to be right so that man can grow and thrive. But the Copenhagen talks about environmental issues is a good idea. Living in cities is convenient but living among nature is serene and everyone who has taken a vacation in some national forest will vouch for that. You hesitate to return to the city and you feel you are missing something by not always living in such pristine sorroundings. But if you lived too long away from a city, you miss the city too. One is not worried that cities will vanish from the earth but pristine sorroundings can surely do. Its a horrible world where there are no forests but only cities but its okay if there were no cities but only forests. To preserve nature as much as possible must be man's goal so that not only man but animals, birds, butterflies, wild flowers etc. might have that fleeting chance to exist. So cities must be planned with spacing of nature between that so that humans can rest their tired minds and body time and again by escaping to nature. The so called rich nations giving money to poor nations to protect their own forests is tricky. These are deals where you must read the fine print. In hindi they say "lene ke dene pad jayenge" which means "taking can become having to give". Free money always comes with some kind of trouble. Free money given with even the best intentions are not good to accept for the moral health of a nation. Anyways, what is the definition of a poor nation? There are no poor nations but only exploited nations.

Arrest warrants issued in UK are a good idea

Arrest warrants against Israeli war criminals is one of the best diplomatic ideas coming from Palestinians. Since nazis are tried around the globe for their role in world war 2, it is time Israelis face the music too when they abuse human rights. It is diplomatic strategies like these that can finally lead Palestine out of occupation.
The very idea of arrest warrants getting issued in any country against war criminals is a good idea because it is a small world. This way war criminals are under country arrest that is they cannot leave their country. Palestinians must use this strategy more, that is, get other countries friendly to its cause to issue warrants against war criminals. There is a Nazi list, a terrorist list, and so on. Its time for a war criminals list. This is how countries that are wronged seek justice. It is good that every important person that visits Israel has to pay respects to people who died unjustly under Nazis. It is not that Palestinians must copy Israeli people but if palestinians do not truly respect their own people first, no one else will.

The American understanding

Americans have a different understanding of hardships. They think hardships are related to material goods. They look at Afghanistan or people from other parts of the world and think their lives are hard. But there is another truth. The Afghans or people from developing countries (calling these countries third world suddenly is out of fashion) look at the Americans and say they have hard lives. You could very easily do without an ipod but the rich family life that the Afghan children enjoy are not so pervasive in the US. Priorities are different for different cultures and that is what shows up when you meet a new culture. A long way to go before people truly understand each other without prejudice so that the human race can benefit by meeting each other.

Dialogue

The Iran's president while talking to an international audience invokes religious texts. The trend is so pervasive among muslim leaders that the US president Obama on his first visit to the middle east had to quote from religious texts. Yes all of us are who we are because of our backgrounds and religion plays a big part in it for most of us. But while communicating to a worldwide audience he needs to connect and he talks about things important to him that many people do not know anything about. He could well have been talking at home. So in dialogue connecting is important else you lose audience. Imagine if non muslim leaders around the globe talked about their religion every time they talked, it would feel strange. Muslim leaders have to play catch up in communicating.

Health care reform

If the politicians at Washington think people do not want health care reform and happy with the things as they are they are living in another world. There are some serious problems with how people can pay for health care. But it is all about good people who want to pay and not people who are all taken care of by tax money. Its amusing to hear a senator saying that health care reform can be passed if a few things are removed from the bill like the public option or buy in to medicare option. Then what are we reforming? May be he wants more art in hospital buildings. Who knows?

Three countries

Three countries that will change world eco-politics are India, Iran, and China. The Chinese people are not free and so perhaps will make less difference than the other two. Though by becoming the worlds manufacturing hub they will be in the limelight for some time. Manufacturing is a difficult job and China will not be able to provide the kind of service it does at this price forever. In history Chinese people have never tasted real freedom. The people of Europe have fought and earned their freedom and it is now in the fabric of their culture. Indians have a free press and have been free since they declared independence from Britain. Iranians are getting there too. It is the young that bring about changes. Even though Chinese students tried to bring more freedom to their country they failed. If China truly wants to become a super power then it has to focus attention on what they need as a country and people instead of becoming a service nation for the world. Because you can only go so far serving others.
When a nation's people are not free all progress recorded are a progress of a few (and ironically the few free people).

The war on the young

The many jails and rules fail to protect the young in advanced countries. In California you cannot barbecue in your apartment porch because its a fire hazard but drugs are available to the young everywhere. Effects of cigarettes are more talked about than drugs. The link of drugs to committing crime is quite a strong one and not explored much in the media or education. Berlusconi the Italian PM got smacked on his face by a youth and that is a sign of the young rejecting a flamboyant PM. They want a respectable leader at the top so that their girlfriends and wives will trust them and they can have a chance at real marital happiness which was so easy during Berlusconi's youth.

The stupid scheme of Climate change

Climate change is among the stupid schemes of the leaders of the rich countries of making fast money. Combating terrorism from oil rich countries is one too. No one is interested in combating terrorism in advanced countries or real poor countries. India and China are not taking short cuts to advance. The young people in those countries are ready to work hard to make the money they do. It is not that the young people in advanced countries are not ready to work hard but their leaders have lost confidence in the ability of the young and so are trying to assure a golden future by making fools of themselves by coming up with stupid schemes every day. Its a changed world and the countries that will take the top places are the ones that respect hard work and dignity of other human beings and countries. India and China has a long way to go in terms of human rights but compared to many advanced countries they are already ahead. It is best for developing countries with regards to climate change to follow by example. Tell the developed countries "lead the way, show us" instead of "come fine us if we do not do what you want". Remember developed nations have a way of twisting every global organization to their advantage.

Climate change

The entire aim of climate change debate is to sell certificates to pollute. Now you pollute for free, later you pollute by paying money to some rich country or a bunch of rich countries. Everyone must work towards keeping this earth beautiful. National parks and lands untouched by humanity offer sights that make us all want to do our bit. But making free money from such a noble desire is pathetic.

Academics

In the world of academics there is little discrimination. Across borders and cultures people communicate and connect in classrooms. There are some inefficient people who seek mileage because they hate working hard and are trying to change the classroom environment by bringing in social politics in to the classroom. Its disgusting and a recent phenomenon.

Jittery India

China takes aggressive stands against India and Indians do not know how to react. BJP asks whether America will come to the rescue if China encroaches on Arunachal Pradesh. I would say no. Why should they? India is on her own to fight her battles and she will provide a tough one to China. The secret is both India and China has nothing to gain by fighting each other. But China's aggressive stand raises many questions and India is better prepared than sorry. Sometimes its best to meet aggression head on than evasion. Ask for Diplomatic clarification from China about the speeches on Arunachal Pradesh and announce what the counter plan of India's will be. India expecting friendship from China is naive and India has already faced consequences in the 1962 war. No we do not want Hindi-China bhai bhai again.

Divisions

India should never have been divided in to states on the basis of language. The problems arising from this division is increasing day by day.

Jerusalem

Jerusalem is important to the Jewish people but it is also important to Christians and muslims. Religious importance alone do not give Israel the right to occupy all of Jerusalem. Just like the Arabs cannot wish Israel away, Israel cannot wish Palestinians away. It is shameful to support such a move. If Jerusalem really is the promised land of the Jewish people why is there so much strife and blood shed? In other religions lands where prophets, saints, or gods are born become important and reason to fight. If the United Nations took an active part in stopping Hamas from sending rockets to Israel, it is only fair that this institution stop Israeli settlements. Palestine's borders are sealed on the Egypt side and encroached upon from the Israeli side. Palestine is subject to Israeli bombings of the kind we saw in December 2008. I do not know about the world but I for one find it very distasteful.

The parallel world of Woods

Tiger Woods is now a marked man. But one wonders about this legal parallel nocturnal world that Woods frequented. No one paid attention to it till his car crashed. Marriage is a tricky situation. Now that he is black sheep for family ads he can do the night spot ads for Las Vegas. He makes a compelling case for such ads. An honest to good family man is comforting like apple pie. A night club visiting swinger is good for something like James Bond movies. I suppose it is fair enough if people brand themselves as types: Family person at this point of time, Family person forever, Not a family person, Temporary break from family life, etc. Public lynching of Tiger Woods for infidelity is weird in this era. Its bad enough he loses his wife and family. Nothing warrants that he lose his golfing career or honors related to golf. There are no connections to matters of golf and matters of family. In fact a lot of talented people have pathetic family lives in history. Expecting sports people to have a sparkling family life is unrealistic. Its not elections for there is no public appeasement involved on basis of personality but more so on basis of talent. At least we hope so.

Outcasts

The Taliban we remember fought with Americans against Russians. And so America had left behind a "trained armed force" namely the Taliban in Afghanistan not so long ago. And now America is going to leave another trained army behind after killing a lot of Taliban they had spend resources training. Its all a little confusing which "trained armed forces" work better for Americans. I guess Americans like messing up with armed forces of other countries.

The bloody religious wars

The purpose of religion is to teach people how to live their lives well. But in history the dirtiest wars fought are the religious wars. Religion never focuses on how to bring about death but cherishes life I would think. The religious leaders have failed miserably. Some advanced religions respect lives of plants and animals but most major religions respect human life. It is supposed to be of the highest order. But everywhere people die in the name of religion. This is because people who propagate crimes in name of religion feel righteous because they think that they are doing the work of god. Its best if the reasons of greed and mean mindedness are cited than religion. Intolerance comes from insecurity. The idea is to get a gang to look down on a concept that threatens you personally and hence feel stronger.

Who will bell the cat?

Women's rights are violated and its widely talked about. Children's rights are violated and not many people are making that a talking point. This is because women do have a voice in society as grown ups. That women can get the mike many a times. But the problem of women's rights abuse and children's rights abuse comes from the same reason namely financial. Who will provide for these two? A lot of grown women coming from affluent families get married and when they face abuse no one wants them back. It is too much to expect old parents to bear the financial burden of supporting a grown woman. The same as a child either has an abusive home or a foster home or an orphanage. One is not better than the other. And how about really talented and educated women getting abused? The job market is less kind to women than men assuming that men support families. Its a sham considering that so many homes across America are single parent homes meaning only mother as parent homes. Chivalry makes you respect these women more than women who compete in the science or political arena for they truly carry the burden of the well being of society on their tender shoulders. Women have hope to escape abuse by gaining financial freedom but to truly respect children's right the society has a long way to go.

Abortion

Sometimes abortion is necessary. These are issues related to women's health that a doctor understands and decides and politicians and priests must keep out of. Abortion is not a good thing and should not be indulged in indiscriminately but sometimes its necessary socially too. Its better to not bring a child to the world without preparing a good home for it first. Its best to focus and solve the problems of why such a home is not possible for those children who some women are thinking of aborting rather than abortion itself. Children's rights are abused in the world more than any other human right for there are few who will talk for them. The priests and politicians will pay attention only after they become eligible to vote or pay.

What America means

America meant a land where people who were religiously or politically persecuted could come and forget their troubles. A lot of people have come to this land to start life afresh, work hard, and succeed. Lets keep it like that.

A return to creativity

Americans must return to their creativity. Huge corporations leave very little room for creativity. At one point of time huge corporations provided job security but even that is becoming history. Americans must become ready to support American creativity at a slightly higher cost so that American creativity can survive. This does not mean deriding things better than what one can produce but producing things better than what every one else does. Healthy competition is when the competitors are besting the other instead of destroying each other.

Women of Afghanistan

The women of Afghanistan have opinions and that brings hope to the land. No matter how far women's rights have come today very few women in the world form any strong opinions. The loudest voices among women are mostly repetitions of someone else's ideas. It may be because women in general are forced to tolerate a lot of nonsense that men propagate.

Afghanistan

You cannot control terrorism with an increase in the army operations. In fact terrorism grows under the current conditions. What is the point in killing so many people? There has to be clearly stated goals. My guess is that there is a desire to return to colonization. But no one is happier because of these decisions of the past few years. America had more or as much control of oil before the Iraq war and also a lot more money. So even oil the oft stated reason for these stupid wars is not much of a reason any more.

Manmohan Singh (India's PM) has supported troops activity in Afghanistan. But he should know better. Army activities in Kashmir has alienated the Kashmiri people from India. Think of Kashmir of thirty years ago. It was the prime spot of vacationing for every Indian. If you have not been to Kashmir you have not traveled at all. But now traveling to Kashmir is impossible. Those peace loving people have turned radical or at least that is the image. If the Indian government had handled the Kashmir problem gently instead of agressively Kashmir perhaps would have been the same.

America had a chance with Obama. The muslim population of the world had expectations of change in American policy. But looks like Obama is going to handle the problems at hand like India did with Kashmir. There are situations where aggression works. It worked with Sikh agitation only because it is a small population and the dissent did not propagate. Thus what worked for Punjab did not work for Kashmir.

Radical Islam is the reason that prevents muslims all over the world from progressing and catching up with other cultures. But this change must come from within the community than outside. But there are conditions arising usually from exploitation that allow radical ideas to survive. And honestly we must all work towards changing those conditions. So that we may all look with peace at the moon where there is water and hope.

Smear campaigns

People who indulge in smear campaigns must be suitably punished. These are people responsible for disturbing the lives of people better than them. And perhaps that is the only reason for the hyenas to launch a smear campaign.

Domestic violence education

Britain is doing the right thing about teaching the definition of domestic violence at schools. And yes it should start at a very young age. The problem begins at home. Small boys grow up seeing their fathers abuse their mothers and it becomes a learned behaviour. Also women see their mothers adjusting to violence and in later life come to accept it as part of family life. Domestic violence is distasteful to people who never experienced it. But it is sad that many people in the world think that a home cannot exist without domestic violence. For me it is very gross to see a man wanting to hit a woman. In fact hitting children is gross too but the society seem to think its alright. But hitting children brings in the idea that a family member is allowed to physically hurt you and a child must learn to adjust to it. Goes to show how the laws have failed to protect the vulnerable. Yes at a very early age we must learn to say no to violence against ourselves and others. There are civilized ways to settle disputes. We must go to school to become educated not just literate. And perhaps this simple step by Britain schools will reduce wars in the long run. Yes, we jump at every sign of hope because we are very optimistic as a species.

Manmohan Singh

Manmohan Singh reminds one of all the good things India stands for. Perhaps he reminds one of a kind and wise father. India is lucky to have him as the Prime minister.

Copy cats

I do not see why India should copy China's style of development. India is growing slowly, steadily, and certainly. India is free so far and should not indulge in unnecessary competition with China. America makes the mistake of competing with everyone. Life gets miserable in such a state of competition. India's problems are internal discord among people. If the people of India hold together they go far else they will go no where and may even get colonized. Such is life.

And if comparisons must be made with China then it is this lack of discord among its people that India must envy rather than pace of development or affluence. On the other hand many in China will envy India's freedom. Yes! Freedom is a great prize to cherish.
In fact America will hold advantage over most countries for a long time because there is a sense or appearance of freedom here.

Communion

The holy communion is breaking of bread in the memory of Christ. Jesus himself requested that whenever people gathered in his name they should partake in communion. Communion has nothing to do with being a good catholic but it is about being part of a church that gathers in the name of Christ. It is a shame that the catholic church in America has made a political statement out of it. It is more sinful for a Bishop to deny Kennedy communion as opposed to a sinful Kennedy taking part in the communion. Let us remember that unlike other spiritual leaders Jesus Christ has asked very few rituals of his followers and lets not destroy the simplicity and sanctity of these rituals.

Expression

It is time Indian muslims openly declare Kashmir as integral part of India. Sometimes united nations has to pay attention to a region because sometimes there are gross violations of basic human rights. So it is important that all voices be heard. India is a preferred place to live by many people of all religions but this voice is seldom heard while the voice of dissent or discord is usually the loudest. And these voices create big problems for India.

Double standards

On the one hand President Obama is asking kids to study hard and on the other hand they hike fees in California. To what purpose should the children study if they cannot afford college? The countries that US competes with have subsidized education. Someone is waging a proxy war with American children. The students in America pay way too much for their education already. What happens to this money anyways? The teachers are not paid a whole lot. Someone else takes all the money. There are many questions that needs to be addressed here.

Children are fighting their own battles on the streets of the world today. Its a shame the grown ups are wimps.

Status quo

Every innovative and successful human enterprise eventually gets taken over by morons who like status quo. Farming is now controlled by people who like status quo and hate innovation. Similarly machining in industry, religion and philosophy are under the control of people who hate change. Academics is going that way too. Change or difference of opinions becomes blasphemy when morons control it.

Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan

Lal Bahadur Shastri gave India the slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan and it is perhaps one of the most relevant slogans of all times. Now with agricultural labor dwindling and even stigmatized it is time to remember this slogan. We need to give the same respect to the farmers who till the land as we do to the men who defend the land.

Hurting sentiments

Good questions hurt sentiments of people who have something to hide. Gestures and speeches do not serve the purpose of actions.

Dancing

Dancing is the search for finding something that is essentially you while trying to ignore the effects of the wrinkles of time and experiences on your mind and body.

Domestic Abuse

No matter how angry someone gets one rarely hits someone outside the house. Its a serious crime. But within a home children and women are abused. It is not that people cannot control their actions but they think they are not required to.

Language

When I write I double check my language not so much for spellings but for understanding. To my pleasant surprise I understood the words correctly in the first place. But many words that you do not often use bother you when you use them while writing.

Applying for jobs

Institutions ask you for transcripts and other stuff which costs money. I do not see why the candidates need to spend money to provide information for a job they are not guaranteed to get. I can understand the candidate spending money to prove something
that is required for an offered job. In fact candidates must be reimbursed for money asked to spend without providing a job. Fie on institutions that do not do this.

New era

Palestine must try to get a sovereign state as soon as possible. That is in their best interests. Status quo is only good for Israel. Palestine must come again and again to the negotiation table and push for their demands. Palestine would prefer that there be no Israel but that is not possible. Things do not go away by wishing it. Moreover, people of Israel are good people and will only add to enriching the culture of the region. So Palestinians need to see what they want with Israel as a state in the picture. That might be surprisingly a new approach to Palestinians. This is not the usual fight against colonization. Unlike colonization, Israel is home to the so called occupiers. They are not there to exploit the region and run but to live there forever.
Creating two states from one is easier said than done. When countries divide there must be some international laws that should be followed about property and life. What happens in practice is loot and murder. The division of India and Pakistan is an example that history should never forget. Unfortunately international history taught in schools is mostly about world wars which pertains to only Europe and couple other countries.

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.

Space tourism

Space tourism is good and must be encouraged. I guess I will take my vacation on the moon someday soon.

On reality shows

Reality shows that focus on family sometimes go out of hand. Oh yes a cheating husband with many young girls by his side may be interesting but one merely has to think of the children involved. Growing up in India I never had to deal with my father ever doing anything like that. I knew he will always be there for me. Now that is the kind of security a child wants. American children learn early to lower expectations from relationships and deal with all the step parents they will encounter. But to be totally insensitive to them on TV is inhumane. Television and movies have done irreparable damage to society. Of course no one can or maybe should impose on creativity but to create responsibly so that the society is served better by it is every artists duty.

Role models

Young women in competitive careers are willing to give up their careers after marriage without knowing what they are doing. And the elders (even women) do nothing to stop them from making these mistakes. Men on the other hand never think of slowing down after marriage and in fact marriage makes them work harder. In today's world no one can afford to be without a career whether it be a man or woman. Relationships are changing and a career is the best security a human can have.

Keep the fire burning.

Palestinians must make a memorial for their dead. In fact every country must have a memorial with a fire burning for every soldier killed.

Humanity

In some countries poor people are visible and in others they are not. In India humanity is on display. A country must have poor and rich people. In some countries the poor people are kept hidden. In rich countries charity never begins at home and helping the poor means helping people in some far away land and in some other country. Human beings get emotional but in some countries only certain emotions are allowed. So a man who is heart broken will use the gun before he sheds tears. In rich countries people are picky about everything and this inhibits experiencing life in its entire form. Certain jobs pay less and you are poor. But that is alright. You do that for a while and you or your children try to climb up. And this struggle gives meaning to life. But in rich countries such jobs are exported and unemployed people live on money given as handouts. Its better to be poor than live off handout money. Especially in India where Karma defines a person's life even after death. Some idiotic economists propagate the idea that sending jobs offshore is good. I do not think outsourcing jobs is good for anyone. Jobs outsourced to India limit creativity and people soon find themselves in a rut. It erodes the quality of life and aspirations. Self sufficiency and exchange of services is better.

Economics

A country that is at peace with most countries make the big bucks. America became the number one country because it stayed away from most wars that was raging across Europe.
It is a changing scenario now. Iran's missiles are more of a financial threat to America than a military one. Iran now will have a lions share of the weapons market in the middle east and other islamic countries and this market was mostly American (and European) before. And really missiles sell better than nuclear weapons. Like I have said before nuclear weapons are a waste of money (perhaps serves as a deterrent) and only mad men will use it.

Berlusconi Gaffe

Berlusconi thinks of Obama as a tanned white man whereas Obama is more like a black white man if we go by his origins. And I say Americans like him better for it Mr Berlusconi.

Iran

Iran is an interesting nation in the middle east. The anti-government protests involve so many women and I like that. Though women do not have equality there yet, Iran is a country where that is possible someday soon.

Competition is good but enslavement is not, whether it be of women, a nation, or a group of people.

The role of the army

Army's role comes in when the enemy is well defined. It is general rule that army must not be used to settle civilian issues. The army is not trained for it. The army is not expected worry about giving people a fair trial because their enemies are well defined. So if the army is in Afghanistan it is war against all Afghans. It is time to handover this job to the police and a court system. Terrorism is a crime that must be handled by the police so that innocent people are spared.

The recommendations net

The recommendations network in America is a killer. You cannot land a job unless you have recommendations and you absolutely need recommendations from some people you would rather have never met. I guess I cannot play along with such farce.

Sovereign nations

Sovereign nations have a right to defend itself. No one can tell them what to do. But of course peace agreements can be made and should be made. The western countries and US are going about Iran in a very wrong way. Especially with changing finances, every verbal threat ebbs respect away. The bone of contention is the refusal of Arab countries to recognize Israel. This must be addressed seriously. Israel is there to stay and the Arab countries better learn to live with it. Also Israel must realize that though they have the support of western countries and they are constantly threatened by Arab countries, it feels more like home where they are now, among the Arab countries, than in any other place in the world. A lot of dialogue and soul searching is what is needed to resolve this conflict.

Lets take a look at the financial world order today. China has nothing to worry for the next five to ten years and if they play their game right they will never have to worry again. They really manufacture for the world and very few countries like India and a few in Africa do not depend on imported services from China. By the time other countries change their policy (if they ever can) China already is going to be awfully powerful. India is reasonably independent and self sufficient and if China or some other big country do not attack India, India has big time promise. America has the software and weapons advantage which will allow them to get back to manufacturing in decent time so that they can maintain status quo. Germany and Japan has the quality advantage but their finances depend on how much they can export. Whereas India, China, and America because of their population size do not really depend on exports. Other countries that will lead the financial scene will be Canada and Russia. The middle east looks like will spend a lot of time defending themselves and playing catch up. Europe's finance depends on the middle east and looks like rough times for this part of the world.

Funding

Middle east is funding their own schools now. Before they paid Europe and America because almost all educated people in the middle east studied in these schools. But until the middle east countries realize that intellectuals are inherently liberals they will never be able to attract the best minds nor compete globally. You cannot tie down your mind and expect to explore the infinite possibilities science holds.

Peace

I do not understand what President Obama is saying when he talks about Nuclear disarmament. Is he saying the US is going to destroy all their weapons in a public way?
Depleted uranium was used by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan and is President Obama saying that this will not happen again? Gorbochev and Regan had made a great diplomatic stride by making the world to agree on giving up on nuclear weapons. The world is no longer the same and for such agreements to happen again using diplomacy alone will take many more years to come.

Chandrayaan finds water on the moon.

Congratulations are in order to ISRO's Chandrayaan for finding water on the moon. We never thought this was true did we? It is time to look at the moon closely again before going to further planets.

Audience

Though the room was almost empty during Ahmedinejad's speech, he did earn a big audience. Great speech though God and international politics do not blend well and I do wish the President gave sufficient thought to womankind as well as mankind for their aspirations are quite similar. But the overall message of the speech was brilliant.

Settlements

Israeli settlements seem to be on no man's land and looks like Palestine do not have much to lose by it. It is best that Palestine resolves the border dispute as soon as possible so that they can really defend something. As long as there is no real Palestinian state, Israel is free to take what they will with very little resistance. Its best to form the states and then deal with encroachments as every state should.
Anyways once the border issue is resolved any undesirable settlements will automatically cease to exist. Palestinians have to concentrate on the bigger picture.

The Israel Palestine conflict has to be resolved with a little bit of give and take. Some argue that it was wrong for Israel to happen at the expense of Palestine. But this was another era when boundaries were largely determined by the Britain. The map of the world today is still what Britain drew so many years ago. Boundaries are never permanent and depends on the politics of the era. At this point of time Palestinians need a real homeland where they can live with dignity and security. They need to negotiate and looks like the tide is turning in their favor lately. They must make best use of this opportunity.

Domestic disputes

The issues most couples have today is who will pick the trash and who will make the meals. Now these are problems easily solved. You could get somebody to cook for you and pick the trash too. But the problem is each spouse insists on the other to play traditional roles while ignoring many nontraditional roles the person is taking on. And so they nag and nag and nag. Such is life.

Community Colleges

Universities make you erudite but community colleges make you educated. I am glad I went to one.

Afghanistan

As long as NATO forces remain in control its a confusing war where the Afghans fundamental need is to liberate themselves from foreign powers. Once Afghanistan is self governing then terrorism is a police matter like it always should have been. And the world is safer for it.

Women Today

The pretense of opportunity for women is more frustrating than knowing that there are no opportunities. Its a stupid world.

Children

When children look stressed in a country its a sad world.

Israel

I do not see how Israel hating helps Iran. Moreover Israel should be an elite neighbor to have. Iran being one of the smartest country in the middle east should extend cooperation and exchange of ideas with Israel. Anyways Persians have mostly been good to the Jewish people in history and I do not see why that needs to change. Of course Palestine is another problem but that solution cannot come from Iran hating Israel. Israel today is the only Jewish country in the world and the world is better for it once some boundary problems are sorted out once and for all.

If there is a two state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, then hopefully the mistakes of India-Pakistan partition will not be repeated. The idea of the two state is what makes one group of people drive out other people with meanness because they see profit.

Warnings

Warnings only make you go more on the defensive. All these control posturing by the big countries is building up an arms race across the globe. But more importantly its building up animosity. All the little countries are in jitters and their defensive mechanisms are on high alert at this point of time. Every contact, good or bad, teaches people something. One wishes that contacts could be more peaceful.

Controversies

Making mountains out of mole hills is the job of the press with regards to President Obama. Someone shouting "You lie" on the house floor is not very dignified but to make such a fuss about it and bringing in a racial angle etc is not dignified either. If there must be noise then its better the noise be about more pressing issues. All the controversies appearing in the press seem to be some kind of attention diverting gimmick. Moreover calling dissent racial is not going to bode well considering that Republicans are a sorry minority in the house. As such their opinions need not count but if voicing their opinions becomes racial then this is going to become a one party government.

Colonized

Afghanistan is colonized thanks to NATO. Iraq has a chance at a real democracy at this point of time. NATO with self righteous goals have more determination to stay than US, where the govt all but say that the Iraq war is a mistake. A bunch of European countries want to develop Afghanistan as though the Afghans know no better. The world is going in circles. Dint we fight colonization in the last century? Looks like we are at it again.

Recommendations

I wonder why the culture of recommendation began. One might think it is to propagate nepotism. Time and again I am asked to write recommendations for someone. If I do not know them well the recos are standard bullshit and it serves no purpose. If I know them well and if I see a need I will recommend without being asked. A lot of documentation serves little purpose.

Non profit

One is always afraid of non profit organizations. Working for non profit voluntarily or involuntarily must be discouraged. There is some profit involved either it is fame, or religious satisfaction, or undercutting someone else. On the other hand an organization that works for profit following laws and fair practices is more trustworthy than one that is nonprofit. A public option that competes fairly with existing insurance companies is the way to go in health reform.

The charm of Austerity

Indians like austerity. Oh yes, so Rahul Gandhi travels second class and how much austerity was that? But some people like this. So Rahul Gandhi likes a bit of austerity and is much liked. Many holy sages of India like austerity and I have failed to see the point time and again. I say let more people travel first class and lets reduce austerity. I guess I agree more with Lalu who has a train called "Garib rail" or the "poor man's train" where all the compartments are first class.

Priorities

Looking at the Govt sites for jobs and one realizes that not much space is alloted to international trade. The American govt is more interested in international democracy than international trade. No wonder the economy is where it is now.

Losing temper in sports

Players lose their temper and the match thereby. Its best to teach athletes to consult someone before getting angry especially in tennis. Players seem to feel that umpires are unfair to them. Cricket is the same too. Sometimes umpires are unfair. But if the players can call timeout and check with someone, a lot of unpleasantness can be avoided. But perhaps the unpleasantness is as interesting or even more interesting than the game itself. Such is life.

The Palestine Israel conflict

The Israeli settlers encroach on Palestinian land. One understands that Israel is a very small country and they need more room. But it is easier for people from Israel to migrate. They could go to US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc. They are skilled and adds value to the countries they migrate to and perhaps they do not even require visas to go there. The Palestinians on the other hand have no where to go. Jerusalem let us recall was not given to the Jewish people by god but by America and its allies after World war 2. And I doubt that America is in the mood to help Israel expand its borders.

Semenya

South Africa must fight allegations against Semenya. The tests that claim Semenya to be both man and woman must be subject to scrutiny and the International Association of Athletics Federations must be penalized if any fraud is detected. Young athletes with stars in the eyes must be protected from jealous sports organizations who lack common decency. But Semenya must not withdraw from the race. She must run to win. She is good and that is why the competition is desperate enough to resort to insulting tactics. Insulting to the competition not to Semenya I say. Women who are athletes typically have athletic features and some people call it masculine. Athletics is not a man's domain and we sure are glad about that. The tests and treatment given to Semenya will be extended to other players as well. Remember these are international competitions and hence must be conducted with dignity. There is no reason some day a German female athlete will not be asked to take such tests and reports leaked. Germany, we recall is where this controversy began.

illegal immigrants

There should be no illegal immigrants. Why should there be anything illegal in the first place? Health care is humanitarian aid and in this time even animals have a right to health care. But yes, people need cheap labor and so illegal immigration is necessary but common human decency towards them is not. Its a sad state of affairs. Its best if illegal immigration is eliminated and temporary immigration and strict immigration laws are enforced. So that every one can be humane and kind towards each other. For if the poor people did not immigrate to here illegally, they would at least have doctors when they are ill.

Health care reform

If the public option for health care proposed by President Obama is viewed as Government joining the health care system instead of Government take over of health care, it will make a lot of sense. An alternate health care system offered by the govt with no unfair subsidies is a great option and maybe serve as a compassionate one too.

Great speech by Obama though a little unfairly punishing on the insurance companies. In a different economy the insurance companies were doing a good job. Times are different now. It is important that the insurance companies feel that they are facing a fair competitor in the govt insurance policy rather than a policy that will eliminate them completely.

The Republicans know that health care has to be reformed though now they might think why they did not do it while they had a chance. Not all the promises made by Obama in his speech seems probable no matter how well it is said. There are legitimate concerns, one that it might encourage unemployment. But reform is definitely much needed because a lot of hard working people have partial or no insurance at all. Surely even the republicans have met a few such people.This is because regular individuals cannot afford health care for themselves and their family. Only industries and that too only big ones can. Its time to fix the health care system.

Achievers

People (even little children) are pushed to accomplish. And the list of careers to follow are engineering, medicine, science, writing, politics, and so on. Some people never make it to this list like carpenters, clerks, laborers, farmers, etc. Interestingly, musicians, artists, and film stars do not make it to this list too.
Are these people lesser than others? So many parents want their children to become scientists, a field where jobs are spare and funds are low. Guidance from the elders unfortunately is cliche. They say automatically what they are supposed to say. It does not matter whether it is your president or your parent or a neighbor. The drift is the same.

So here goes some advice from me to the youngsters. That is "Be happy, Do well what you like best, learn to love, and be responsible". All else do not matter.

A golden era in Democracy?

Democracy is supposed to be all good. A country that has a democratically elected govt is supposed to be more elite than countries with any other forms of government. But think again, can there be a golden era with superb governance in a democracy? Will the opposition party allow this to happen, when it diminishes their chances at coming to power in the next election? Democracy cannot succeed if a different group of people has good reasons to undermine the current government. Perhaps democracy works better if individuals instead of parties get elected.

The goal

What exactly is the goal of the Afghan war and the Iraq war? It is often stated that this is to control terrorism. and why does this war strategy work? The leaders never explained this to us clearly, have they? And if the goal is something different do the soldiers know about it so that they may know what they need to do? At least the soldiers need to know the truth. It appears like the leaders are playing with people's lives hoping that the goal finds itself. Perhaps some countries like to show their bullying capabilities but whats the point? The Bullying mode is short term and needs to be switched off. Its all in bad taste.

Much ado about nothing

Why there should be a furor over students listening to their president is beyond me. Some people are beginning to lose it.

Ted Kennedy

The Kennedy family commands respect and love of most Americans. It is no mean thing to be cared so much about in this country where very few people can acheive this position. Americans are not much in to hero worship but more in to hero bashing. But the members of the Kennedy family are much liked by the public. May Ted Kennedy's soul rest in peace.

Censorship

Truth cannot be told about Jinnah in India nor Pakistan. Pakistanis put a stop to any hint of Jinnah being a secular politician and Indians do the same. Jinnah was an educated freedom fighter who fought along with Gandhi, Nehru, and others. If Jinnah is responsible for partition then so is Nehru because they all agreed to it. Sri Lanka happened but no one is angry with anyone though the tamils suffer. Pakistan happened and people were asked to move and that is the problem. If the division was geographical the hatred would not have lasted so long. This was the fault of Jinnah, Nehru, Gandhi, and all others involved in the decision.

Pakistan probably was inevitable. But if the geographical division was done first and people had migrated in an orderly fashion with passports and visas, the tragedy could have been averted. People could have sold their property for a fair price and moved to a place where they had something in store for them. What were the leaders thinking then? Free flow of people without any plans lead to the humanitarian disaster of loss of life and property. If the leaders had agreed to partition then they should have also planned how to go about it. Partition was not about who becomes prime minister, and where, which was all the leaders of India and Pakistan planned, for the greatest human migration of all human history. It was a pure administrative and political blunder and surely everyone cannot blame only Jinnah for it. Jinnah admitted that the partition was a mistake which is more than what a lot of leaders in India has done.

All memories of Indian independence is filled with the pain of partition of India and Pakistan. No one remembers Britain withdrawing. India ended making an enemy of a neighbor but remained great friends with Britain who exploited India beyond any invaders in Indian history.

Gender bender

The gender question in sports is getting murky. The sports authorities must test athletes before the competition not after they win. Its dirty tactics and reminds one of the Nazi era of denial. Goes to show that women while competing cannot only concentrate on the game but also prepare for mud slinging. Just because a female did awfully well raises questions about her being a woman is absurd.

School Attire

Controversies about what one can wear to school can be solved if everyone wears uniforms. If a college or school decides not to have uniforms then the institution must be mature enough to deal with surprises and variety. If there are no clear rules let us have no rules at all. Else the mean spirited find excuses to harass innocent students. The Indian constitution provides for practicing any religion in the country. But to expect schools to design uniforms that accomodates religious beliefs of all is too much. We just have too many hangups in India to make everyone happy. But a school must try to do that because a school is a place is where we must go to get educated and not just literate. A school showing respect and understanding cultural aspects of others is where kids must go to. Nevertheless, it is best people find schools where they are comfortable with the rules. Surprisingly the more stringent the rules the more popular the schools. Such is life.

Health care

It is good that people are debating public health care in America. It is sign that American democracy is getting vocal again and is working again. But unemployed people or disadvantaged people must get basic health care. That is the only morally right thing. Almost every nation in the world provides this option. They provide the care they can afford.

Clearly some people are arguing without thinking. Yes people can take individual responsibility if health care was affordable. Compare health care costs to all other costs an individual comes across in their life in America. The health care costs are quite unnatural and happens only in America. Remember, your trip to a dentist costs as much as your sofa set. If your insurance is not paying most of us could hardly afford to see a doctor.

Unrecognized

The airport authorities did not recognize Shahrukh Khan at the Newark airport. This is highly unlikely. Newark airport definitely has a lot of Indian employees and there might have been quite a buzz about Shahrukh Khan. To grill him for two hours because his name is Khan as a routine goes to show what other people with the name Khan must be facing. I sincerely doubt that Newark airport grills every Khan thus. It is time to find out who are the people behind trying to cut King Khan to size. Its quite childish.

The movies

The movies finally have no resemblance to real life. In the past movies were weird but there were a few sensible ones here and there. But now all of them have gone real fiction. Its almost like the movie makers are afraid of honest to good real life.

Obvious

Releasing Suu Kyi means the end of Junta. They will never do that. Suu Kyi has to set herself free. If she cannot do that she is not fit to lead. Such is life.

The spousal question

The wife of a successful man gets paraded around. In fact if someone asks about a man's wife he might be mighty pleased. Somehow women have a tougher situation about blending a husband with a job. Women like to disassociate the family from career perhaps fearing that they may appear unprofessional. More so because women in general are obsessed with family and relationships.

Health care

Almost every country in the world has health care provided by the govt. That is the sign of civilization. There will be public funded orphanages, old people's homes, and hospitals every time there is a civilized society. Private health care is usually better than Government hospitals but then they have to compete. And why not? After all they charge a whole lot of money. President Obama is on the right track. Choose what works best for you, a govt health care, or private care, or both as situation demands it. A robust private health care system with a minimal government one is what Americans should aim for. But right now private health care is quite minimalistic considering the money they charge for there are no alternatives. The only ones who will not like this plan should be the insurance companies. Health care is one of the primary reasons Americans work apart from housing. Removing this reason will encourage unemployment. Depending on free goods and services is never good.

Following your heart

The debate against discrimination against women is good. Women feel united in the experience. But discrimination never stopped people from achieving what they want and sometimes helped fire ambition. Following your heart and being passionate about things you do will see you through the rough times. And most often than not you leave people who bothered you so far behind that the rough times do not matter anymore. Discrimination is competition. Look carefully and what you think was discrimination is usually competition among women. And if you want the good jobs then you need to compete. Sometimes as a woman you are treated more than fairly and sometimes poorly. The dynamics between man and woman is complex and let it stay so. It is good to discriminate between man and woman else society will face real serious problems. Its best to follow your heart and do what you think you can do best. Everything falls in to place in the end.

Spreading out

People understand trade and do not like tirades. Trade and war are languages understood across cultures. It is good America is reaching out to many countries they did not care about before. All parties involved will benefit and that is quite clear. The pretenses are distracting. Diplomats must learn to stick to clear goals like mathematicians.

Creativity

The slogan these days is "Study, study, study". In America it is about getting better at math than chinese and Indians. In India and elsewhere it is about getting more people to do PhD. The jobs that did not require PhDs now are demanding it. This is true about most jobs. Apart from learning to read and write, education if it is not self driven, serves little purpose. There is no need to spend years learning to read and write. It is better to tap in to ones creativity and do what one likes best. Formal education system eliminated apprenticeship where one learned to be a carpenter, metal worker etc. and did nothing to replace it with a better system. Community colleges provide some sort of relief for this problem but is not enough. The mass is on a wild goose chase.

When in doubt

When in doubt its best to behave like you think is best. Bending over in all directions is not going to help. Some people say if you do this I am going to like you or not like you. But the loudest voices usually do not count at all. Such is life.

Sad hearts

Crime is never a good thing to hear about. But when a priest is murdered and you knew him personally it strikes you that how close criminals really are to you. A good man was murdered and we want answers and justice. For most of us criminals and police are to be kept away from but then comes one day that we feel the need for direct involvement.

The myth

The way people diet these days is astounding. Moreover they push you to do the same. The myth that skinny people are healthier is creating havoc and destructive tendencies. Watching the fish grow I realize the less you eat the lesser the chances of survival. In fact the very people who hesitate eating food are the ones who thrive on pills. I do not understand this recent tendency of the human race to annihilate themselves. Suicidal extremists, disappearing family life, chemical intake, starvation and other such trends are greatly disturbing.

Touchy

Some people are touchy that President Obama came out to defend Professor Gates. I am glad he did. He may be the president but he also is a citizen and has a right to free speech. In fact I do hope that it is not mere words but action that will stop or at least slow down such incidents. And there is not better time than now.

Much to be done

There are so many African American centers of study, but I doubt greatly that there really is a study of how many successful respectful African Americans have gone to jail for small offenses. It is time to ask what is the purpose or message behind such arrests. It is natural to loose cool if someone comes and asks you whether you are a burglar in your own house. There must be a marked difference in the conduct of a Harvard professor and a burglar. I am glad the professor is well and alive. God bless him.

India's new partners

Everyone has high expectations from India-US relationship in recent years. India after colonization from British is suspicious but is taking the risk. The British came as traders to become rulers. But nothing risked, nothing gained anyways. So this step is right for India. For America it sure is a win win situation. Make no mistake, Britain would have not gotten where it did if it had not discovered India.

Climate change

India does not like to be told to worry about pollution. But it is time India did. America has preserved areas and nature parks and India has very little of the same. A lot of land called forest land is really inhabited. In India people inhabit forest land and then the government tries to evacuate them. What were they doing for so many years when houses were built and communities formed in those lands? A lot more monitoring is mandatory and in a realistic way. Land which is not recorded does not make sense in this time and age. A lot of laws do not make sense and made to fuel corruption. Every country must take a serious look at pollution at every stage and there are no excuses to not do that. But you surely do not want big brother dictating terms to do that. Feels kind of childish. A green world is a better world though climate change, ozone depletion, and such terminology is distracting. They are slogans and perhaps people need slogans. Anyways the very standard of living is increased by cleaner air and sorroundings. Best things in the world are free or are they?

Women's groups in India

The groups for women in India like SriShakti and Seva are amazing. No, they are not women gathered to gossip or pray but to work and create cooperatives like milk society's that help everyone. These groups of mostly illiterate women do more than government committees and institutions for the nation. They are honest and hardworking and it is a pleasure to see them operate. They have had all my support for sometime now.

Exacting standards

Sonia Sotomayor faces heat for here "wise latino" speeches and that is a good thing. But the people who are holding her accountable to an innocent attitude are the very ones whose leaders call people across nations and cultures by names that cannot be mentioned in blogs. Double standards may be a better title for this post.

Enough is enough

Enough is enough. Any more smut about Michael Jackson is contempt of court.

Heal the world

Michael Jackson's song "Heal the world" is very contemporary. When he first sang this song the problem with the world was mainly poverty. Problems in the world has worsened since. Interestingly, abject poverty has diminished, with global financial crisis and all. Poverty has reduced because of years of focus by people like Michael. Other problems can be solved similarly by shedding light on it and getting involved.

The economy

Small is beautiful says Schumacher based on Gandhian model of economics. Gandhi believed that every village needs to be self sufficient and also in simplicity of living and equipment. There is nothing better than simplicity and even Christ has said “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Simplicity is a difficult thing to achieve. Imagine living in a self sufficient village. Everyone knows the tailor, the blacksmith, the baker, and so on and social life happens without effort. Its good but does not suit everybody including me. I for one love the big city and the grandeur that comes from living in one. A big city demands not imposing limits on capability. But eliminating villages completely is also not working. In America, for example, independent carpenters no longer exist. To earn a living as a carpenter they need to work for some big company leading to diminishing creativity and innovation. In small Indian cities carpenters and masons work for a contractor. And soon contractors will become so powerful that individual carpenters will not survive. There really are only two models in economics, the city and the village. The Gandhian model perhaps is a little far fetched for the modern society but completeness of purpose is not. A good conscience and work ethics will save the day in my opinion.

Unbridled

People place restrictions on others only when they feel threatened. No one likes restrictions on themselves but unbridled freedom for others is not good. Unfortunately the chains they put on others become laws and come back to haunt them. I quite like unbridled everything. Who will decide how much is too much? "Too much" changes for different people.

Listening

Too bad that we start listening to Michael Jackson seriously only after he is dead. But he did say a lot of things. MJ reached out to the world but the world also reached out to him is nice. His understanding of the world at large is amazing. The mourning of MJ seems to not end.

The future

The future is not oil. Oil is convenient. The future is space and nuclear energy. Space takes you to another dimension. If we conquer space we conquer nuclear energy because all nuclear experiments can be done in space. So really to my mind the energy problem is completely solvable in the most elegant manner.

Affairs of the heart

Over the years a definition of love forms in your head. Love like god is an abstract concept and people spend a lifetime finding it. Like religion people have strong ideas about love. Its not surprising that affairs of the heart is an important topic in religion. Finance never found room in religion like love hardly finds room in politics. Though law finds room in both. Love is about setting up a home and that is what nature teaches us. So if you have a nice home its best to not to ruin it by chasing a concept you do not understand. On the other hand if you do not have a reasonably pleasant home then love is not reason enough to hold on to it. Bringing up children and running a home is a lot more romantic and real compared to what romance is supposed to be in movies and books. I realize that scientists hardly comment on the matters of the heart and hence common sense is largely missing in this topic.

cyberbullying

A middle aged woman fought with a young girl on the internet with a false id leading the girl to commit suicide. I wonder whether this woman would behave similarly if she did not have access to a fake id on the internet. You behave on the internet in a way you do not behave in real life and one rarely thinks it can lead to serious consequences. But the internet is quite real. People are making friends, getting married, bullying, spreading malice and what not. Yet there are no laws and if there are its not that clear. I say it is time for an internet constitution. The Internet geography might elect their leaders and all and I wonder what the first country will be called.

Turn of events

One wonders how California which is considered one of the richest states in the united states is having a fiscal emergency now. Hollywood is still here and so is the Silicon Valley but what happened to the money Arnold?

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is no more. It has been long since he came up with any new albums but his death is like losing something you grew up with. Everyone knows Michael Jackson all around the world. The young in the 80s knew him because they liked his music and the old because the young did. To become a household name across cultures is surely no mean thing. Though people talk about his music and his legal troubles very few have spoken about Michael as a charitable person. Michael came to India and he did not charge anything for the concert. The concert was a lot of money but he did it for charity. He truly was generous. We grew up with his pictures always in magazines and newspapers. And boy! Did he stand out in a crowd! Michael has entertained with music and antics for a long time now. He will be missed.

Now every bit of music from Michael is valuable because it is certain that there will be no more. Michael sure was an entertainer and his job as an entertainer transcended his life. What lives of a man after he is dead is all that really mattered to others but very little to him. It is sad that such a good looking person spend a lifetime improving his appearance. There was no need for it but all that adulation from the crowds still did not convince him of that simple truth because of some childhood hurt is truly sad. Michael Jackson more than anybody else proved that no matter how he looked or what he did his talent endures.

Michael Jackson will rest in peace only when justice is done to him. I am surprised at how much I am affected by his death. It feels like some kind of personal loss. Musicians touch your soul more than you know they did.

Math books

As I finish writing my first math textbook I suddenly realize that there are no math textbooks written by women. In all my math career I have not read a math textbook written by a woman. It is strange indeed! Considering the thousands of intelligent women getting a PhD in math around the world it is strange that hardly any woman writes math books. Something surely is wrong here.

NRIs

The non resident Indians are growing in numbers. Every time you are in India there are people after you asking to invest your hard earned money in all sorts of schemes and causes. But for many years a NRI cannot vote, can be deported, and has to work awfully hard to keep a job etc. But there is not much sympathy or concern because you are supposed to be loaded with money. Time to burst some myths. Also it is time that India that asks NRIs to invest in India also do something to protect these investments. There is a growing feeling that NRIs are asked to invest only so that Indians in India can enjoy NRI investments. Actually there is a lingo called "Fleece the NRI".

Progress

Holding back the progress of women is holding back the progress of society. To let go of the familiar is difficult but is the best course to adopt. Everyone wants to be part of the mass humanity be it a man or a woman.

Dressing up

President Sarkozy do not approve of burqas. Perhaps he will next assign fashion designers to dictate what muslim women in France will wear. Will he stop there or will he dictate what all French women will wear? I wonder what proper dressing is for the French president. Perhaps the first lady of France is his ideal and we shall say nothing more about it. Is he trying to make first class citizens of perceived second class citizens or make second class citizens of regular citizens is the big question. Strangely enough its easier to ban burqas in countries with a muslim majority than in others.

Useless buildings

Catholics are increasingly forgetting this teaching from the bible. The way the church extracts money from people (especially poor people) to build big church buildings is surely not pleasing to god.

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
—Matthew 18:20

Creating jobs

Government cannot create jobs, people do. But confidence in the country's leadership is what helps people do it. In other words conditions are right to prosper when there is a good government.

Questions of a democracy

An election result is challenged then there are processes in a democracy to prove fairness like a court judge or recounting. One cannot get worked up about protests unless there is reason to be. Otherwise countries should do away with elections all together and save some money.

No matter what happens in Iran Ahmedjan's leadership is undermined forever. Now when he talks in world forums people will wonder whether he is talking for the Iranian people or for the clergy. That is the power of protests in a democracy. If he desires credibility then he has to prove by some democratic means that the elections were indeed fair.

The leader

The world watches Suu Kyi in jail. But if she is meant to lead she will lead herself out of jail. It is not enough to protest but protesting to victory is the true sign of a leader. We all want to "learn to win" not just "learn to try to win".

Recession

Economic depressions is not only about pockets but about minds. People just lose their desire to go out and give it a shot. It is more like nothing is going to work and all effort is useless. Maybe people must just get out and get busy with something. That might lift up spirits and hopefully the economy.

Domestic help abuse

It is bad enough people are poor but they are starved of dignity. The treatment of maid servants in India is derogatory. I do not think there are any laws in India that protect their rights for they have none. Though they are equal to anyone else for they can vote in a democracy. Young maid servants are beaten and assaulted and they are afraid to speak out to the society that has ill served them. It is high time such things stopped. How human beings live in derogatory conditions and do nothing about it is a topic of its own and something I constantly wrestle with.

Peace

Israel finally agrees to a two state solution. That is good. Jerusalem is now going to be a problem. Perhaps Jerusalem must given away to the united nations. A holy land is creating a whole lot of unholy problems. But Jerusalem must stay secular because a lot of people all over the world like to visit there.

Spirit of the game

In a game people lose otherwise games make no sense to play. If the outcome is predetermined a game need not be played. But India losing in cricket is a tough one for people. Dhoni's playing out of turn is not working. Dhoni finds out now that with great love comes a lot of criticism. To be placed on a pedestal is heady but always ends in bitterness.

Not funny

Jokes that involve children even children of celebrities are not funny. It is in poor taste. Leave children out of media muck.

Kashmir

One cannot divide countries geographically on the basis of religion. The west who governed most of the world at one time happily divided the world along the most flimsy lines. They have not tasted their own medicine yet. Jewish people were exported off Europe when they sought land based on their religious beliefs. Kashmir is an integral part of India and if it breaks away from India because of religion, minorities in other parts of the country will face problems because of no fault of theirs. It is clear that a land belongs to a country and the army will defend it. If you do not like it then you need to move to other places.

But then the question is does the majority inflict suffering on people who follow minority religion in an area. If this is happening we need human rights watch dogs and United nation surveillance. No, minority abuse is not a matter of internal affairs just like domestic violence. It is a crime and must be dealt with as such.

Reservations for women

Indian men are up in arms against women reservations for job posts in India. I say women do not need any reservations and reservations are an insult. A Woman is a multi tasker and usually better than a man doing the same work. In fact jobs are reserved for women to provide eye candy for men. I say talented women need no reservation.

The internet

China is implementing screening software on the internet to save its youth and that is a good thing. Way to go China! In the name of freedom of speech a lot of muck is served to youngsters that is fast changing drawing room culture and relationships. It is time for law makers to really sit down and look at the effect internet has on people's lives both good and bad. China has reasons to worry after facing the opium war yesteryears they obviously do not want an internet war.

With freedom comes responsibility.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Respectful Memories

The Jewish people have memorials for their dead everywhere. And every big leader visits it. That is the powerful influence of the Jewish people. Now fellow muslims are dying everywhere for many causes. They have protested injustice in ways they understand best. Not always in the most elegant manner. But protests were and are absolutely necessary under the conditions. Time for them to get their memorials too. Speeches do not give one respect no matter who gives them. If muslims do not learn to respect themselves no one will.

Hardening of hearts

Sometimes you watch people's behavior and wonder how they are so heartless. And you look in to their history and see that their hearts have hardened over time. There is sound reason in the past to their irrational behavior today. And sometimes outsiders do not linger long enough to see who the real victims are. Victims alternate in the history of time again and again. The Israeli-Palestine conflict is an example. And so if your heart is soft and kind then be glad that you have not been victimized yet. Or if you have been a victim, its best to realize that a soft heart is a real treasure to own than not.

Beautiful speech

Beautiful speech by President Obama in Cairo. A beautiful place too for the beautiful speech. America now has an educated leadership and hopefully soon it will be safe for Americans to traverse the world like the good old days. Educated is not the same as literate and I am glad Obama is educated. With so much good sense it is hard for America to not do well.

The great divide

The world gets divided more and more each day. Australians would not travel to Pakistan to play cricket because they did not feel safe enough. And now Australia is not safe at all for people from that part of the world. I wonder how international games will be played if the world gets divided thus. And so all of us will look for a country where everyone can feel safe.

Education

Now some people in India want to have foreign institutions opening schools in India. Of course Indians for a long time have given importance to an education from overseas. This is because during the British rule most people went to London for further studies. But there is added value in a foreign degree because of the travel involved. It is travel that makes a person wiser than the one who did not. So a degree from a foreign university in India will never be as popular as the one from foreign shores. What might work and is quite desirable is collaborating universities that allow students to travel to many countries. Purchasing knowledge that really matters rather than learning a offbeat curriculum is a far better thing to do. And now if traveling to a different country makes one want to migrate then that is something one cannot help. People choose what works best for them.

Shameful

Attack on Indian students in Australia are really shameful. Scholars like athletes travel the word to match their wits and skills. There are unspoken rules of treating scholars fairly and when these rules are broken it is truly disgusting. Imagine a country inviting brilliant students to their universities to simply eliminate them. It sounds monstrous and that is how Australia appears to Indian scholars around the globe.

But like many firsts the Indian students have gathered together and peacefully demanded justice. I must say I am proud to have Indian origins when I see such things. That is all that is needed. No special treatment nor promises of additional security. But plain justice suffices plenty.

Technical

3-d printing and powder metallurgy is the future of manufacturing.

Apartheid

Two state solution to Israeli Palestine conflict will end apartheid in that region. Israel must stop depending on cheap labor that Palestinian people provide and learn to live by the sweat of the brow. Israel has denied development to these people for too long now. Now it is time to set them free. I am glad good sense is at last prevailing in the world at large.

Straw that broke the camel's back?

Its funny how the international community has now reacted so strongly to Aung san suu kyi's extension of detention. The entire detention was a sham in the first place. Something about extending the injustice just seemed like the straw that broke the camel's back. Big question when does injustice overspill that people no longer will stand for it? Or perhaps the charm of the leader still endures through all the political buffoonery.

Fundamental changes

California budget cuts imply an upheaval of lifestyle. Short term budget problems should not destroy age old inheritance of culture like state parks. Some smart people made some good choices and build a foundation of good values over hundreds of years. Money cannot be a reason of giving all that up. Money never is.

Costly Peace

Srilankan peace came with a high price with many killed. But there really was no other choice. It is time for the Sri Lankan Government to quickly recognize legitimate Tamil demands. And for Sri Lankan Tamils to make their demands in a more civilized way. If the tamils in Sri Lanka wanted war they got it and were defeated. So an independent Tamil nation is out of question because they cannot survive. Its a lesson for states with separatist tendencies like Maharashtra and Kashmir in India. That a state survives because it is part of a nation.