Tuesday, January 30, 2007
What hindustan really does not need is Bal Thackerey.
MSN news dutifully informed me of this shameful remark Mr Thackerey made:
Mumbai, Jan 28 - Asking Hindus to break linguistic barriers and unite, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray today said his dream was to see a "Hindustan of Hindus" that would bring "Islam in this country down to its knees."
Addressing a massive rally at Shiv Sena stronghold Shivaji Park, Thackeray said, "it is my dream that we would create a Hindustan of the Hindus. Maharashtrians or Punjabis alone cannot fight against Islam. That is why, I appeal to all Hindus to break the linguistic wall around them and come together, so that we can bring Islam in this country down to its knees..."
"...Thackeray, who jointly addressed the rally with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in a campaign for the Sena-BJP combine at Mumbai civic polls on February 1, also had words of praise for Modi describing him as "a staunch Hindu."
"When the Godhra riots happened, knives were out for him but nobody spoke about the Godhra incident itself. If the reaction of the Babri masjid demolition could reach Mumbai, then there is nothing wrong if the wave of Godhra incident reached Ahmedabad. It was a spontaneous reaction and there is nothing wrong with that," Thackeray said.
The gall of this man.
MSN news dutifully informed me of this shameful remark Mr Thackerey made:
Mumbai, Jan 28 - Asking Hindus to break linguistic barriers and unite, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray today said his dream was to see a "Hindustan of Hindus" that would bring "Islam in this country down to its knees."
Addressing a massive rally at Shiv Sena stronghold Shivaji Park, Thackeray said, "it is my dream that we would create a Hindustan of the Hindus. Maharashtrians or Punjabis alone cannot fight against Islam. That is why, I appeal to all Hindus to break the linguistic wall around them and come together, so that we can bring Islam in this country down to its knees..."
"...Thackeray, who jointly addressed the rally with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in a campaign for the Sena-BJP combine at Mumbai civic polls on February 1, also had words of praise for Modi describing him as "a staunch Hindu."
"When the Godhra riots happened, knives were out for him but nobody spoke about the Godhra incident itself. If the reaction of the Babri masjid demolition could reach Mumbai, then there is nothing wrong if the wave of Godhra incident reached Ahmedabad. It was a spontaneous reaction and there is nothing wrong with that," Thackeray said.
The gall of this man.
Labels: Politics
Monday, January 29, 2007
I believe in Love-By Don Williams
A cry for help!
This song is so cloying. The Good southerner with his belief in viginity and more and more children.
But at one point he say s that he dosen't believe that 'Gasoline is in short supply, the rising cost of getting by'. and before that "I don't believe the price of gold" [look out for the italicized and bold portion below].
"I don't believe in superstars,Organic food and foreign cars.
I don't believe the price of gold;The certainty of growing old.
That right is right and left is wrong,That north and south can't get along.
That east is east and west is west.And being first is always best.
But I believe in love.I believe in babies.
I believe in Mom and Dad.And I believe in you.
Well, I don't believe that heaven waits,For only those who congregate.
I like to think of God as love:He's down below, He's up above.
He's watching people everywhere.He knows who does and doesn't care.
And I'm an ordinary man,Sometimes I wonder who I am.
But I believe in love.I believe in music.
I believe in magic.And I believe in you.
Well, I know with all my certainty, What's going on with you and me,
Is a good thing.It's true, I believe in you.
I don't believe virginity,Is as common as it used to be.
In working days and sleeping nights,That black is black and white is white.
That Superman and Robin Hood,Are still alive in Hollywood.
That gasoline's in short supply,The rising cost of getting by."!!!!!
Somebody explain to me whether,
He dosen't believe in the rising costs of getting by because he dosen't believe that gasoline is in short supply. Which means that gasoline is really not in short supply and thus
1) believes that the prices are artificially kept high and thus does not justify the rising cost of getting by. So he is in denial in some sense.
2)gasoline prices are really quite low(but we don't realize it for some reason) and hence the cost of getting by is really quite low. In this case he needs to take econ 101.
Sorry! I'm sure my logic is highly flawed..but if someone could explain to me what Don Williams was thinking when he wrote that song, I can listen to it next time in peace.
And what's with the price of gold issue. He's questioning basic economic laws of demand and supply. This matter will not be taken lightly. I f there is another dimension to his thoughts, somebody explain.
A cry for help!
This song is so cloying. The Good southerner with his belief in viginity and more and more children.
But at one point he say s that he dosen't believe that 'Gasoline is in short supply, the rising cost of getting by'. and before that "I don't believe the price of gold" [look out for the italicized and bold portion below].
"I don't believe in superstars,Organic food and foreign cars.
I don't believe the price of gold;The certainty of growing old.
That right is right and left is wrong,That north and south can't get along.
That east is east and west is west.And being first is always best.
But I believe in love.I believe in babies.
I believe in Mom and Dad.And I believe in you.
Well, I don't believe that heaven waits,For only those who congregate.
I like to think of God as love:He's down below, He's up above.
He's watching people everywhere.He knows who does and doesn't care.
And I'm an ordinary man,Sometimes I wonder who I am.
But I believe in love.I believe in music.
I believe in magic.And I believe in you.
Well, I know with all my certainty, What's going on with you and me,
Is a good thing.It's true, I believe in you.
I don't believe virginity,Is as common as it used to be.
In working days and sleeping nights,That black is black and white is white.
That Superman and Robin Hood,Are still alive in Hollywood.
That gasoline's in short supply,The rising cost of getting by."!!!!!
Somebody explain to me whether,
He dosen't believe in the rising costs of getting by because he dosen't believe that gasoline is in short supply. Which means that gasoline is really not in short supply and thus
1) believes that the prices are artificially kept high and thus does not justify the rising cost of getting by. So he is in denial in some sense.
2)gasoline prices are really quite low(but we don't realize it for some reason) and hence the cost of getting by is really quite low. In this case he needs to take econ 101.
Sorry! I'm sure my logic is highly flawed..but if someone could explain to me what Don Williams was thinking when he wrote that song, I can listen to it next time in peace.
And what's with the price of gold issue. He's questioning basic economic laws of demand and supply. This matter will not be taken lightly. I f there is another dimension to his thoughts, somebody explain.
Labels: Music
Sunday, January 28, 2007
An Interview with Joseph Stiglitz:
JERE VAN DYK: You once said that Europeans subsidize cows to the tune of $2.00 a day.
JOSEPH STIGLITZ: It’s such a resonant number because that’s the way the World Bank measures poverty, less than $2.00 a day. It’s better to be a cow in Europe than to be a person in most of the developing world.
JERE VAN DYK: You once said that Europeans subsidize cows to the tune of $2.00 a day.
JOSEPH STIGLITZ: It’s such a resonant number because that’s the way the World Bank measures poverty, less than $2.00 a day. It’s better to be a cow in Europe than to be a person in most of the developing world.
Labels: Poverty
Saturday, January 27, 2007
A went clubbing yesterday.. and danced the night away to some live latino music. Not really though danced as much as shaked a leg(maybe two sometimes) because I obsessively carry my purse, umbrella and waterbottle everywhere with me. So there was not much I could do. But it was fun..the singer on stage at one point took my purse from me to help to do a temporary jig. Was fun..My first clubbing experience in Singapore. Good. Thank you Vivek!
On the flip side, my first exposure to general party behaviour was a mixed one. Too many whites with asian women.
I just cannot stand the way south east asian women compromise to please the western men. It's a little depressing. Apparently this Xeno-anglo-american-philia is greater in Japan.Women in South east Asia I'm told look for much older men with lot of money. I cannot prove it, but thats the general opinion. Some choose not to follow that path and not marry at all. I ve been told that women marry so late here, that even though they may want kids, they cannot have them. So the Government is trying very very hard to intervene in the social life of people to get them to marry early.
That brings me to political freedom versus economic freedom.
Which is more necessary? Can both be has simultaneously? The lessons we learn from east asia is though political freedom is compromised, not many complained. Because they got economic freedom. Their standards of living changed drastically over one generation and the people here have nothing but respect for their Government. Atleast those of the 30+ age group. The younger one's in their 20's are probably a little more critical, because they didn't see the hard life. They didn't see how one man's vision made such a difference.
We indian's have one freedom that countries like Singapore don't have. Political freedom(not in it's entirety though..and not everywhere) You switch on the TV, or pick up TOI-the Hindu, use limewire to download anything.. you can be as biased as you want. You can criticize or applaud or lambast or satirize..do as you please. But that's we have and that's all we do. But we don't have economics freedom. Offshoring has helped us, but helped some of us. We have a great degree of wealth inequality. Are we then better off than the Singaporeans or the Chinese?
No.
Thats the problem with India. When nations here try to promote unity. They ban mosque from conducting their prayer and disturbing the peace of the city. They have banned (forced) evagelizing . The state does not cater to religion. Every low income area has an even ratio of chinese, malays and Indians..to prevent something like what happend in Paris.
In India we pander to diversity. We emphazie our differences. We am pro hindu. We are pro the lower caste...thats whats wrong. bigotry.
Are we happy? I cannot imagine now if any of these freedoms of mine are taken away. Because I value them. But I've stopped feeling contempt for countries like Singapore who placed economic freedom over political, because when you are so poor you don't care about your right such things as long as your next meal is in place.
But certainly now is the time to relax these restrictions. MAybe not on the ethnicity part..because the world is burning due to that. But the right to protest and the right to question.
And India..well..economic freedom seems a long way off. I don't see a solution except maybe the NGO-citizen way. people start making good of their surrounding in their own little way. As this year nobel peace prize winner Yunus did. Maybe thats the only way forward for us. Because our leaders have lost our faith.
On the flip side, my first exposure to general party behaviour was a mixed one. Too many whites with asian women.
I just cannot stand the way south east asian women compromise to please the western men. It's a little depressing. Apparently this Xeno-anglo-american-philia is greater in Japan.Women in South east Asia I'm told look for much older men with lot of money. I cannot prove it, but thats the general opinion. Some choose not to follow that path and not marry at all. I ve been told that women marry so late here, that even though they may want kids, they cannot have them. So the Government is trying very very hard to intervene in the social life of people to get them to marry early.
That brings me to political freedom versus economic freedom.
Which is more necessary? Can both be has simultaneously? The lessons we learn from east asia is though political freedom is compromised, not many complained. Because they got economic freedom. Their standards of living changed drastically over one generation and the people here have nothing but respect for their Government. Atleast those of the 30+ age group. The younger one's in their 20's are probably a little more critical, because they didn't see the hard life. They didn't see how one man's vision made such a difference.
We indian's have one freedom that countries like Singapore don't have. Political freedom(not in it's entirety though..and not everywhere) You switch on the TV, or pick up TOI-the Hindu, use limewire to download anything.. you can be as biased as you want. You can criticize or applaud or lambast or satirize..do as you please. But that's we have and that's all we do. But we don't have economics freedom. Offshoring has helped us, but helped some of us. We have a great degree of wealth inequality. Are we then better off than the Singaporeans or the Chinese?
No.
Thats the problem with India. When nations here try to promote unity. They ban mosque from conducting their prayer and disturbing the peace of the city. They have banned (forced) evagelizing . The state does not cater to religion. Every low income area has an even ratio of chinese, malays and Indians..to prevent something like what happend in Paris.
In India we pander to diversity. We emphazie our differences. We am pro hindu. We are pro the lower caste...thats whats wrong. bigotry.
Are we happy? I cannot imagine now if any of these freedoms of mine are taken away. Because I value them. But I've stopped feeling contempt for countries like Singapore who placed economic freedom over political, because when you are so poor you don't care about your right such things as long as your next meal is in place.
But certainly now is the time to relax these restrictions. MAybe not on the ethnicity part..because the world is burning due to that. But the right to protest and the right to question.
And India..well..economic freedom seems a long way off. I don't see a solution except maybe the NGO-citizen way. people start making good of their surrounding in their own little way. As this year nobel peace prize winner Yunus did. Maybe thats the only way forward for us. Because our leaders have lost our faith.
Labels: India
Friday, January 26, 2007
The worst plotline in the world
Movie name: Tatawo.
The Plot:
Hippies Simona (Mercedes Ortega) and Francis (Miguel Molina) return from India to Barcelona, where they set up a bar they named Tatawo. At the bar, Simona dances to attract customers, showing off her tattoo-covered body. Francis, feeling his spiritual work is not yet done, returns to India. When a one-eyed Cuban Mariel (Alexis Valdes) is released from wrongful incarceration for drug-dealing, he takes over the bar and falls in love with Simona, even though Bicho (Paulina Galvez) loves him.
Movie name: Tatawo.
The Plot:
Hippies Simona (Mercedes Ortega) and Francis (Miguel Molina) return from India to Barcelona, where they set up a bar they named Tatawo. At the bar, Simona dances to attract customers, showing off her tattoo-covered body. Francis, feeling his spiritual work is not yet done, returns to India. When a one-eyed Cuban Mariel (Alexis Valdes) is released from wrongful incarceration for drug-dealing, he takes over the bar and falls in love with Simona, even though Bicho (Paulina Galvez) loves him.
Labels: Entertainment
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
I'm listening to the "State of the Union Address" by Bush. I wish I were motivated to watch any address given for India. I read that the governments wpproval rating have gone up. Good..sometime back I was all for BJP. But now I don't know who's in the BJP. Shibu Soren's apparently gotten some more time. 7 witnesses have died int he process of his trial and the rest have turned hostile. don't we have some sort of witness protection law. I'm guessing not. Not in UP for sure. UP what a shame. The nithari case is just so horrific, and all mulayam is worried about is how it will affect his party's standing. TRAI has brought roaming costs down. I guess that's good. Maybe more long distance relationship will work out now. I couldn't care. My friend srinivas has let me use his Wall street online account and I'm fairly regular in devouring it. Not my mention of India. I think it's been forgotten. Many talks I attend, say India is no longer a contestant in the next "superpower". I interacted with the chinese and I know the indians are no match. Why? because we are not patriotic enough. You have people like me writing disillusioned posts like this. People I know ashamed of their Indian Passport. It brings nothing but trouble. India- the country of 1.2 billion that at one point had lesser gold medal tally than singapore in the Asian Games. I think we beat them in the end. But i had to face my friends when that news flashed. Indians always looking for a way out of the country. I came here for a better system of education. I am ashamed of the education system in India. Where you don't have the freedom to choose what you want to study. I have come across singaporeans who have a degree in computer science, economics and philosophy..while I learnt how to by hart last minute. Chinese and Indian engineers are replacing the fast depleting american engineers. Good..they need us. Lets all go.
I read out Tagore poem to my friend the other day. I type it out here. I'm sure we've all studied it. Even Shibu Soren. Even Manu Sharma. Even the Serial Killer in the Nithari Case. After all he's a history major form Stephen's. Read it and see if how you feel about it. I remember another poem I studied at school. By Henry Loius Vivian Derozio-"To India-my native Land". I can't find it on the net. But that should become our motto now. Movies like Rang de basanti inspire us temporarily. Tomorrow we go to give our GRE. A change is what we need. A change..when will it come? Do something yourself, you say. I'm thinking what. But I definitely will one day. Hope that day comes soon.
Here's that hope that Tagore had for us. Look at us now...
WHERE the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Rabindranath Tagore
I read out Tagore poem to my friend the other day. I type it out here. I'm sure we've all studied it. Even Shibu Soren. Even Manu Sharma. Even the Serial Killer in the Nithari Case. After all he's a history major form Stephen's. Read it and see if how you feel about it. I remember another poem I studied at school. By Henry Loius Vivian Derozio-"To India-my native Land". I can't find it on the net. But that should become our motto now. Movies like Rang de basanti inspire us temporarily. Tomorrow we go to give our GRE. A change is what we need. A change..when will it come? Do something yourself, you say. I'm thinking what. But I definitely will one day. Hope that day comes soon.
Here's that hope that Tagore had for us. Look at us now...
WHERE the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Rabindranath Tagore
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
What can I write about today..
Post holidays I've taken a little longer than usual to get back into the mood so to say. Today, finally, I've stopped sleeping 8 hours a day and plan to hit the gym on saturday.
I am slowly converting to an east asian. I reply in "can" and "cannot" whenever I'm a little distracted.. and my break these days, in addition to reading blogs and watching comedycentral, is watching this Korean TV series called "Jewel in the Palace". It sort of reminds me of "Chandrakanta" but ofcourse treated with a little more elegance. No 'yuckooo's' flying around.
Many of us at under and graduate school level, try to find our place in the world. especially with regard to political and religious beliefs.
My classmate was an atheist when he came to singapore a few months back but now he's "trying out" christianity. He has enough christian influence around.
I sometimes participate in discussions on crucial matters like, "what was the need for Jesus to come down and die for us, he could have died up there", "is there one common moral law"(martin's favorite question), "can confidence and pride be mixed up" etc. etc. to These I give my practical answers, uncontaminated by religious theory so to say.
But on matters of pre marital sex, gay rights, individual freedom, right to abort, I am as liberal as they come. So I generally consider myself a libertarian. I pursue my own interest and must have full freedom to do so as long as I make sure I don't come in the way of someone else.
An excellent view point on Libertarian-paternalism is up at the Becker-Posner blog. Go check it out
http://www.becker-posner-blog.com
I watched the movie Guru. Was good, but didn't match up to the hype..I went with a lot of expectations
Post holidays I've taken a little longer than usual to get back into the mood so to say. Today, finally, I've stopped sleeping 8 hours a day and plan to hit the gym on saturday.
I am slowly converting to an east asian. I reply in "can" and "cannot" whenever I'm a little distracted.. and my break these days, in addition to reading blogs and watching comedycentral, is watching this Korean TV series called "Jewel in the Palace". It sort of reminds me of "Chandrakanta" but ofcourse treated with a little more elegance. No 'yuckooo's' flying around.
Many of us at under and graduate school level, try to find our place in the world. especially with regard to political and religious beliefs.
My classmate was an atheist when he came to singapore a few months back but now he's "trying out" christianity. He has enough christian influence around.
I sometimes participate in discussions on crucial matters like, "what was the need for Jesus to come down and die for us, he could have died up there", "is there one common moral law"(martin's favorite question), "can confidence and pride be mixed up" etc. etc. to These I give my practical answers, uncontaminated by religious theory so to say.
But on matters of pre marital sex, gay rights, individual freedom, right to abort, I am as liberal as they come. So I generally consider myself a libertarian. I pursue my own interest and must have full freedom to do so as long as I make sure I don't come in the way of someone else.
An excellent view point on Libertarian-paternalism is up at the Becker-Posner blog. Go check it out
http://www.becker-posner-blog.com
I watched the movie Guru. Was good, but didn't match up to the hype..I went with a lot of expectations
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Holidays!
What a waste of time. Only those with tremendous will power make good use of them. I read a couple of books inbetween meeting a lot of friends(i was surprised I had that many). Some Paul Krugman(whose meaty-easy to read books for the layman belie his incomhensible papers. Tried reading one yesterday, got a headache which hasn't yet gone) and T Friedman's, the world is flat. Lot of publicity for Nilekani and his like. All the nice stuff about bangalore relevant for the books intentions, completely avoids the mess my poor city is in. Honestly as capable bangalore is technology wise to attract more business, otherwise wise it's a tragedy. 2 and a half hours to travel to office everyday is not a joke. Tata's should manufacture cars fitted with video conferencing so half the business can happen en route to work.
All except 3 of my classmates are placed in bangalore. As happy I am that I can always meet up with them, my heart bleeds at the thought of more congestion on the roads. Well I'll continue my lamenting a little later. Got class now..
What a waste of time. Only those with tremendous will power make good use of them. I read a couple of books inbetween meeting a lot of friends(i was surprised I had that many). Some Paul Krugman(whose meaty-easy to read books for the layman belie his incomhensible papers. Tried reading one yesterday, got a headache which hasn't yet gone) and T Friedman's, the world is flat. Lot of publicity for Nilekani and his like. All the nice stuff about bangalore relevant for the books intentions, completely avoids the mess my poor city is in. Honestly as capable bangalore is technology wise to attract more business, otherwise wise it's a tragedy. 2 and a half hours to travel to office everyday is not a joke. Tata's should manufacture cars fitted with video conferencing so half the business can happen en route to work.
All except 3 of my classmates are placed in bangalore. As happy I am that I can always meet up with them, my heart bleeds at the thought of more congestion on the roads. Well I'll continue my lamenting a little later. Got class now..
