Friday, August 31, 2007

CALVIN and HOBBES!!


Two contemporary gurus, Calvin and Hobbes, sum up our situation:

Hobbes: Whatcha doin?

Calvin: Getting rich!!!

Hobbes: Really?

Calvin: Yep. I'm writing a self-help book! There's a huge market for this stuff. First, you convince people there's something wrong with them. That's easy, because advertising has already conditioned people to feel insecure about their weight, looks, social status, sex appeal, and so on. Next, you convince them that the problem is not their fault and that they're victims of larger forces. That's easy, because it's what people believe anyway. Nobody wants to be responsible for his own situation. Finally, you convince them that with your advice and encouragement, they can conquer their problem and be happy!

Hobbes: Ingenious. What problem will you help people solve?

Calvin: Their addiction to self-help books! My book is called, "Shut Up and Stop Whining: How to Do Something with Your Life besides Think About Yourself."

Hobbes: You should probably wait for the advance before you buy anything.

Calvin: The trouble is, if my program works, I won't be able to write a sequel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_and_Hobbes

The broad themes of the strip deal with Calvin's flights of fantasy, his friendship with Hobbes, his misadventures, his views on a diverse range of political and cultural issues and his relationships and interactions with his parents, classmates, educators, and other members of society.

If you have not read Calvin and Hobbes...It is never too late!!!

How FBI can wiretap - Eavesdrop your communications

Documents recently declassified under the Freedom of Information Act indicate that the FBI has constructed a point-and-click surveillance system capable of instantaneously tapping into almost any communications device. The Digital Collection System Network (DCSNet) links FBI wiretapping stations to switches run by landline operators, Internet-telephony providers, and cellular companies. The system consists of software that captures, filters, and stores phone numbers, calls, and text messages, and directly connects FBI wiretapping rooms throughout the nation to a wide-ranging private communications network. The outposts are connected via a private, encrypted backbone that is independent of the Internet and is run by Sprint for the government. Telecoms' installation of telephone-switching gear that meets wiretapping standards was mandated in 1994 with the passage of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), thus giving the FBI the ability to log directly into the telecom's network. CALEA's coverage was recently extended to require broadband ISPs and certain VoIP companies to enable their networks for federal wiretapping. Since telecoms became more wiretap-friendly, the volume of criminal wiretaps rose 60 percent from 1,150 to 1,839 in the past 10 years, and in 2005 92 percent of those wiretaps targeted cell phones, according to a 2006 report. CALEA wiretaps and the processing of all calls collected by DCSNet have racked up substantial costs, and security experts are worried that the system introduces new vulnerabilities to the telecommunications network. The declassified documents point to numerous flaws in DCSNet that Columbia University computer science professor Steven Bellovin finds appalling, especially because they indicate the FBI is ignorant of inside threats. "The underlying problem isn't so much the weaknesses here, as the FBI attitude towards security," he says.

For more information visit
Source URL http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2007/08/wiretap

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Firearms - America's Internal Chaos?

Which came first? Is this a case of the chicken/egg scenario? Why does American society carry a lot of guns? Have the number of guns increased because of crime rates OR have crime rates led to the increase in the number of guns? 90 guns per 100 people is not just another yawnable statistic....according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies "published in Yahoo".
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens, making it the most heavily armed society in the world, a report released on Tuesday said.U.S. citizens own 270 million of the world's 875 million known firearms, according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies.About 4.5 million of the 8 million new guns manufactured worldwide each year are purchased in the United States, it said."There is roughly one firearm for every seven people worldwide. Without the United States, though, this drops to about one firearm per 10 people," it said.
This seems like a necessity based on seemingly false dangers and the insecurity and fear created in people's minds. Well, but isn't American society the land of the free, where dreams are fulfilled?
Gun control laws have really gone out of control or have they. What is the solution for this? To find a solution, there has to be a cause. Seems like the mindset is clearly an-eye-for-an-eye approach. So basically this is about consciousness and how we have to adapt ourselves to the increasingly chaotic society. If a society has to advance in all ways, there has to be more tolerance, understanding and respect for the fellow human being. This statistic indicates that people wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger if there is something even remotely indicative of danger. Who do we blame? The Govt or the people?
(Pic Courtesy - Neaca)

What is an Almudo???

An Almudo is a young boy (generally aged 8 to 15) He lives in a large city in a poor West African country. He is dressed in ragged shorts and a T-shirt, most likely many sizes too large. He is barefoot with one infected toe. The city streets are hard on toes. At night he sleeps on the street and wakes at dawn to begin the day begging for his breakfast.

Generally he is kindly treated in the streets and is given food enough to survive, but his health suffers. He is underweight and under-sized for his age and has intestinal parasites and skin problems such as scabies and ringworm. When he has more serious diseases such as malaria and schistosomiasis, they remain untreated. More...

And You would think Almudo is some kind of.....??

Please Do anything to help!!


Conversation b/n two humans in our Current System...

From our friend Packiyanath, Chennai, India.
Since I'm working in Shifts, our company provides me Cab for pickup from house and also drops me back.
Today morning when I was traveling in the Cab, the cabdriver and myself struck into a discussion about Money-Rich People-And how people are suffering. The discussion started when we saw a lady carrying a small kid (probably 6 months old) in a traffic signal today. You know Chennai... It was so hot outside, and that lady was carrying that kid..exposed to the hot sun and was asking money to every person on the signal. And no one was responding to her. Even though it was very obvious that the lady was not the kid's mother(Usually that's the case...you know that it happens here)
One thing that immediately struck us was 'what did the KID do to suffer like this?'
and...this is where we started talking about Money. There are so many people who have so much money and are not ready to come out and do something to the people around them who need it. We were talking about us (Software Engineers Job...where just for money we spoil everything... life, family, health)...and all.
It is the invention of Rupees and Coins; which made everything to change. That is where all discrimination and distinction between rich and poor, Being greedy all those things came up. We started talking about a world which didn't have currencies. No Dollars, Rupees..nothing. In actual if you see that was how it was, earlier in our olden days when kings used to rule the earth. Everything was just one Currency...Gold Coins. No 100Rs. 500Rs. or 100$. But now everything has changed.
Then suddenly the cab driver told me something.... that literally shocked me, to see how much he was affected because of money for which everyone of us are behind it and which made him think so much and ...
He told :
"Sir... there is only one way to get all the money which these rich people, politicians etc are having illegally(Black Money). Indian Government has to announce publicly, "From so and so date to so and so date, we are making all the current India currencies(Notes) invalid and we are going to change them to a different type of Currencies -No worries .... with the same value(New appearance or something like that)." Every one who is maintaining all this black money have to come out to change their currencies/money they are having and then they will be now accountable to show how they got so much money." But they cant do it and probably at least at that point they may give all the black money they have to the poor.
I could see tears in his eyes. He told something after that...he told: Even then, these filthy rich people wont give the money to the poor...they will dump it or burn it.".
Suddenly the Cab stopped and our discussion stopped and I saw I was before my office building. The Cab Driver smiled, said "Good Day" and left. I had to get down and go into office again "for the sake of money". The whole day I was thinking about this.
I really dont know... my mind was so blank.

Photography - Elements- Water!




Photography - Elements- Fire!



Photography - Elements- SKy!






Monday, August 27, 2007

WORLD STREET CHILDREN NEWS...

What can i say about this?? Action has to be taken...by all of us, COLLECTIVELY!!
It is so depressing that there are so many of our children on the streets...I recently came across this blog where there is so much information about children who are on the streets from various countries...I could not believe my eyes when I saw the list of countries with such children...This blog has all the possible news about street children from all over the world and it has been collected with utmost responsibility for whoever wants to research or help these children..take a moment and ask yourself this question...
Isn't this our collective responsibility??
please take action in whatever way you can...and please help spread the word...
Streetkidsnews

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Events of postcard sharing in NY,NJ...


Dear wonderful people...for the past two days, i have been doing the postcard painting with a few kids at the comfort of their homes because they were so excited about the WWPCS
which we conducted and wrote about it in our kids blogspot called Children of the World Unite
Two of them Dani and Ally at New York and three kids Alec, James and Alen from New Jersey...It was such an inspiring experience for me to have seen these kids draw and paint for kids in other parts of the world...
So, parents or anyone who knows kids who will be interested in doing this in your house can contact us at vconverge@gmail.com and we will make sure your kid connects with another child in a different part of the world...
We are here to connect kids..and bring them all together...their innocent yet powerful minds which can perceive the greatest of truths with utmost simplicity...
CHILDREN OF THE WORLD, UNITE!!

Short films from Pangea.org

Hey everybody..there is a list of movies in the Pangeaday.org website...enjoy and have fun watching them...I have watched only 2 of them..we intend to submit our shorts too...
to view the movies CLICK HERE...
and go to the sample films page...
ENJOYYYYYYY....and submit your own film if you have something interesting to share with the world...

WINGS OF EVOLUTION - TRAILER!!

Shangai Superkids Empowerment Program...

I met these two wonderful humans Janet Fink and Kathy Miller of Shanghai Superkids
who have unconditional love in their hearts for the children of the world...and believe whole heartedly that a family is not only formed from blood ties...but also from the heart...from the love that we have for the beings around us...and once we realize this, there is boundless happiness for us to experience from the magnificent universe...
Jeanie's Story... By Janet & Stephen Fink
In February 2005, we traveled with our son to Shanghai to adopt our daughter, Jeannie. Jeannie was a special needs orphan living at the Shanghai Children's Home (SCH), one of China's nicest and largest special needs orphanages. Jeannie was placed in SCH at age three months because her eyes flickered rapidly and crossed (her eyes are now straight). Jeannie’s special needs status made her difficult to place for adoption, and we received her referral when she was almost two years old.On February 16th we went to SCH to take Jeannie home. As we entered her nursery...for more click here...
Shanghai Superkids is a non-profit organization that sends therapists and volunteers to Shanghai, China to work in the Shanghai Children's Home (SCH). Our therapists and volunteers—specializing in pediatric physical, occupational, speech, and play therapy—spend approximately one week at the orphanage working directly with the children and their caregivers. Their main purpose is to train caregivers to incorporate easy, fun therapy exercises into the daily orphanage routine. With the use of specialized therapy toys, we can teach caregivers how to strengthen children's gross and fine motor muscles as well as improve their sensory integration. Our goal is to make exercise rewarding for both child and caregiver!
For more click here
We wish them good luck with all their genuine efforts and hope that the Universe will find a way to help them through this...If anyone wants to help they can always contact Janet Fink...

PANGEA - SUPERCONTINENT!!!


Pangea our super continent and PANGEADAY....makes the senses and the spirit feel so good!!
A friend of mine recently sent me this wonderful link and told me about Pangeaday...
Let me tell you all about the chain of events that the universe put in front of me...in the past 3 days...
on August 22nd we went to rent a foreign film from a rental store called Blockbuster...and rented this movie called PARADISE NOW....
On August 23rd, i had some work in Pleasantville and a friend told me about this theater called Jacob Burns and she said that we should submit our film to them...
On August 23rd evening when I came back home, I saw this email from a friend telling me about the PangeaDay...
When i was watching the trailer about Pangea Day, I saw this presentation of Jehane Noujaim
and she mentioned about Paradise Now...and the Jacob Burns theater was mentioned it...PANGEA DAY...what can i say about it!!!
The reason all this happened...for us to come together...all of humanity...on one ground..for one cause...for Peace...
It is so overwhelming to see how many souls are in the path towards oneness and Peace...
take time to go through the website...and be a part of the PANGEA DAY!!!
Picture Courtesy: http://www.ig.utexas.edu/research/projects/plates/images/pangea.jpg


Wednesday, August 22, 2007

FRANCE-wwpcs!!

Hey guys! We just got the cards from the kids in France...As you all know this could not have been possible without our dear friend and teacher Lalitakumari and her wonderful school kids!
Check out the beautiful postcards at the WORLDKIDSUNITE Blogspot...we have not uploaded all the postcards...we will upload it soon and post the link so you all can enjoy the kids' artwork....!!
We are so glad that WWPCS is spreading its wings...Come join us!
You can view the initial footage from here...

Did-Geri-doo? What's that?


While reading an article about Maya MIA Arulpragasam, the underground music star, I came across this beautiful wind instrument. Very unique, at least, this is new to me. Enjoy!

The didgeridoo (or didjeridu) is a wind instrument of the Indigenous Australians of northern Australia. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe". Musicologists classify it as an aerophone.

A didgeridoo is usually cylindrical or conical in shape and can measure anywhere from 1 to 2 meters in length with most instruments measuring around 1.2 meters. Generally, the longer the instrument, the lower the pitch or key of the instrument. Keys from D to F♯ are the preferred pitch of traditional Aboriginal players.

There are no reliable sources stating the didgeridoo's exact age, though it is commonly claimed to be the world's oldest wind instrument. Archaeological studies of rock art in Northern Australia suggests that the Aboriginal people of the Kakadu region of the Northern Territory have been using the didgeridoo for about 1500 years, based on the dating of paintings on cave walls and shelters from this period. A clear rock painting in Ginga Wardelirrhmeng from the freshwater period (1500 years ago until the present) shows a didjeridu player and two songmen (source: Journey in Time, George Chaloupka, p. 189).

Monday, August 20, 2007

Kannitverstan by Johann Peter Hebel

A very interesting short story...happy reading...!!
Man indeed has the opportunity every day, in Emmendingen or Gundelfingen as well as in Amsterdam, to speculate, if he wants to, on the inconsistency of all earthly things and to become satisfied with his fate, even though there aren’t many roast pigeons flying about in the air for him. But, through an error, a German artisan in Amsterdam arrived at the truth and its recognition by the strangest roundabout way. For when he had come to this great and rich commercial city full of splendid houses, swaying ships and busy people, his eye was at once caught by a large and handsome house, such as he had never yet experienced on all his wanderings from Tuttlingen to Amsterdam.
For a long time he contemplated this luxurious building in astonishment, the six chimneys on its roof, its beautiful cornices and its tall windows, larger than the door of his father’s house at home. Finally he could not refrain from addressing a passer-by. “My good friend,” he said to him, “couldn’t you tell me the name of the gentleman who owns this wonderfully beautiful house with its windows full of tulips, daisies and stocks?” But the man, who presumably had something more important to do and unfortunately understood just as much of the German language as the questioner of Dutch, that is to say nothing, said shortly and brusquely, “Kannitverstan” and buzzed past.
Now this was a Dutch word, or three if you want to be exact, and means in German as much as “Ich kann Euch nicht verstehn.” (“I can’t understand you.” ) But the good stranger believed that this was the name of the man he had asked about. He must have been an awfully rich man, this Herr Kannitverstan, he thought and went on. Out one street, in another, he finally came to the bay they call there Het Ey, or in German, the Y. There stood ship beside ship and mast beside mast, and at first he didn’t know how he would manage to see and contemplate his fill of all these marvels with his two eyes alone, until finally his attention was caught by a large ship which had recently arrived from East India and was now being unloaded.
Whole rows of boxes and bales were already standing on and beside one another on land. But more kept being rolled out, and barrels full of sugar and coffee, full of rice and pepper and, pardon the expression, mouse droppings too. But when he had looked for a long time, he finally asked a fellow who was just carrying a chest on his shoulder for the name of the lucky man for whom the sea was bringing all these goods to shore. “Kannitverstan” was the reply. At this he thought, Aha, is that it?” No wonder, a man for whom the sea floats such treasures ashore can well afford to put such houses into the world and such breeds of tulips in front of his windows in gilded flowerpots.
Now he went back again and began a really sad speculation in his mind, what a poor man he was among so many rich people in the world. But just as he was thinking, if I had it as good as this Herr Kannitverstan, only once – he turned a corner and saw a long funeral procession. Four horses, draped in black, were drawing a hearse, which was likewise draped in black, slowly and mournfully, as if they knew that they were taking a dead man to his rest. A long train of friends and acquaintances of the deceased followed, pair by pair, enveloped in black coats and silent. In the distance a lonely bell was tolling.
Now our stranger was seized by a melancholy feeling, which never passes a good man by when he sees a corpse, and he stood there devoutly with his hat in his hands until they had all passed by. However he went up to the last man in the procession, who was just then calculating silently how much he would profit from his cotton if it went up ten guldens a hundredweight, gently took hold of his cloak and innocently begged his pardon. “That must have been a good friend of yours,” he said, “for whom the bell is tolling, that you are following the procession so sadly and pensively.” “Kannitverstan!” was the reply. At this a few big tears fell from the eyes of our man from Tuttlingen, and he suddenly felt heavy and then again light about his heart. “Poor Kannitverstan,” he exclaimed, “what profit do you get from all your wealth now” What I will get from my poverty some day too: a shroud and a sheet, and from all your beautiful flowers – perhaps a sprig of rosemary on your cold chest or a rue.”
With these thoughts he accompanied the corpse to the grave as if he belonged to the party, saw the supposed Herr Kannitverstan lowered to his rest and was more moved by the Dutch funeral oration, of which he did not understand a word, than by many a German one to which he paid no attention. Finally he went away with the others with a light heart and ate a piece of Limburger cheese with a good appetite at an inn where they understood German, and whenever he was again threatened by the sad thought that so many people in the world were so rich and he so poor, he merely thought of Herr Kannitverstan in Amsterdam, of his great house, his rich ship and his narrow grave.

Johann Peter Hebel (1760-1826) was a clergyman and educator. He published many anecdotes and didactic tales under the title Schatzkästlein des rheinländischen Hausfreundes (Little Treasure Chest of the Rhenish Family Friend). The book has remained a classic because of Hebel’s narrative power and his dry wit.

Courtesy: http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/hebel.htm

What will happen to the Earth??



I found this in the comic strip of a newspaper years back and have saved it to remind myself of the state of our Earth and what man is doing to Nature....and this is depressing, not funny!! It hides such a horrible truth within...of how mankind is exploiting Mother Earth...and her inexhaustible beauty...!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

1st Event on IDEALIST.ORG

Accessible Horizon Films, now part of the Idealist Groups is hosting an event at Johnson Park Rd, Johnson Dr, Piscataway NJ , at the junction of Johnson Park Rd and Rose Dr, Highland Park, New Jersey, United States, on Saturday, August 25th, 2007.

This event will bring together like minded individuals who care about the Earth and the existing society. This is the first time Accessible Horizon Films is hosting an event...and welcomes anyone who can provide creative, caring, loving, non-violent solutions to the current problems in this world to achieve Peace in the Planet ! Anyone who is interested in meeting people and who are concerned about the current society and the world are invited to join!!

This event is for anyone interested in bringing a Positive change in this world!

Become a member of the Idealist.org and connect with thousands of Idealists who want to make this world a better place!

Mules as libraries: a novel approach


How far can a book go? How far can it take us? The answer is "very far," according to this BBC story about the Bibliomulas Project in Trujillo, Venezuela.
The bibliomulas – mules carrying loads of books, laptops and projectors – trudge for hours over mountain trails to remote village locations, accompanied by human participants from the Universidad Valle del Momboy. When they reach their destinations, children gather to hear stories read aloud by the university students. This is more than a few hours of story time: project leaders Christina and Juana explain that they're not only spreading the joy of reading, but helping to improve the quality of life in these communities through environmental education and internet access. Student volunteers help the children to plant trees, while adults can utilize the laptops to tap into wireless connections.
Tap into your creativity...there is more to this world than all the negativity we face every single moment...we can find a solution to all the problems that exist currently...with the positivity and creative potential!
Courtesy: Idealist.org
Picture courtesy: BBC

UNICEF's Make a difference - Contest winner

I accidentally came across this website UNICEF - Voice of Youth. This has lots of interesting information and especially the Approaching the Issues got my attention.

They do have lots of interesting contests, forums and more. Here is the link to the winner of the video contest. Winner of the video contest. Enjoy the movie and get ready to MAKE a DIFFERENCE.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

HOLISTIC QUANTUM RELATIVITY (HQR)


Holistic (H) E8 Vector Visualisation in String Theory (Q+R) like the 1,000 Petal Sahasrara Lotus in Spirituality
Source: The Atlas Project -- American Institute of Mathematics -- National Science Foundation, USA.

While going through the blog site www.intentblog.com I came across this series of posts...The connection I feel with the rest of the beings in this universe...the collective purpose...the parts that form that infinite whole...
The previous post on Maulana Rumi, the great Persian poet is the beginning of the link to the whole series of Holistic Quantum Relativity...
Enjoy the energy of the articles...and the discussions on the interpretations...healthy conversations between humans trying to unravel the mysteries of this beautiful universe...
For further details on this topic of HQR...
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/holistic-quantum-relativity-hqr/web/?hl=en&hl=en
http://www.intentblog.com/archives/2007/03/holistic_quantu_5.html
Courtesy...www.intentblog.com

Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi- Persian Poet

I swallowed
some of the Beloved's sweet intoxicant,
and now I am ill.
My body aches,
my fever is high.
They called in the Doctor and he said,
drink this tea!
OK, time to drink this tea.
Take these pills!
OK, time to take these pills.
The Doctor said,
get rid of the sweet intoxicant of his lips!
OK, time to get rid of the doctor.

It is your turn now,
you waited, you were patient.
The time has come,
for us to polish you.
We will transform your inner pearl
into a house of fire.
You're a gold mine.
Did you know that,
hidden in the dirt of the earth?
It is your turn now,
to be placed in fire.
Let us cremate your impurities.

When we talk about the witness in our verse,
we talk about you.
A pure heart and a noble demeanor
cannot compete with your radiant face.
They will ask you
what you have produced.
Say to them,
except for Love,
what else can a Lover produce?

By day I praised you
and never knew it.
By night I stayed with you
and never knew it.
I always thought that
I was me--but no,
I was you
and never knew it.

This is a gathering of Lovers.
In this gathering
there is no high, no low,
no smart, no ignorant,
no special assembly,
no grand discourse,
no proper schooling required.
There is no master,
no disciple.
This gathering is more like an intoxicated party,
full of tricksters, fools,
mad men and mad women.
This is a gathering of Lovers.

I wish I could give you a taste of
the burning fire of Love.
There is a fire
blazing inside of me.
If I cry about it, or if I don't,
the fire is at work,
night and day.
People make clothing to cover their intellect,
but the heart of Lovers
is a shroud,
inflamed in golden hues of His Love.

For more...http://www.intentblog.com/archives/2007/01/maulana_rumi_ti.html

Courtesy...www.intentblog.com

Friday, August 10, 2007

Photography - Parallel World!!!

Am under the Illusion that...
A better world exists in a Parallel World...
My instincts say I am wrong...
and have made me realize that...
Parallel Worlds exist only to inspire...
me to change this world into that!!

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Part & the Infinite Whole...

Change of State - SDaS

Change of State Performance Project was founded in 2005 by Andrea del Moral and K. Qilo Matzen. The mission of Change of State Performance Project is to fuse improvisation, theatre, and somatic techniques to create precise and absurd live performance. As the vaudevillian duo careens across the dance-theatre spectrum, looming socio-political issues seep into the performance space. For more click here...
I met Andrea and Qilo at Gesundheit this June...the simplicity and genuineness in their dispositions inspired me...they are humans with a purpose to stir some inspiration into the minds of people watching them...their play TAKE THIS HOUSE AND FLOAT IT AWAY
was a many layered piece of art shared with us at the Summer School for Designing a Society
We had a good discussion on a lot of issues after their play...the many layers consisted of society's alienation with every single element, the disjointedness of humans with the community and themselves, the ignorance that is made to prevail in the minds of the existing society, how much humans are trained in drowning of their reason in almost anything they can find...etc etc
The world needs humans who dedicate themselves to a cause and make everyone realize their place in this magnificent universe...
keep up the loving work...humanity needs you to remind them of everything they have pushed to oblivion!!


Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Significance of a Country's Independence...

Anyone capable of understanding the word "Independence" will know how much it means to the soul...well, Independence is that word which comes into context every time humans think they are threatened in some way or the other...
They say India struggled a lot to request the British to grant them the Independence...and this was possible through non-violence...what an awesome word! Hardly makes sense to a lot of humans in the current society who think otherwise...
After so many years of the Indian Independence and telling people all around the world the story of how we got that, etc etc....
India = Bollywood for a lot of Indians and friends here in the U.S...I find it so hard to even explain to people that there is more to India than bollywood...
and this comes up...Some bollywood actress is going to lead the Independence day March in NYC...and some other actress had done that last year...
A million questions rise in my mind...
Why an actress?
Has she done anything socially significant for the people of India?
Aren't there a lot of socially committed people who could lead the march?
Why do Indians in U.S. welcome such ideas?
Does no one have anything to say or protest?
and...and...??????????
So, people please....India is much more than bollywood!!

Obama at Odds - His Inexperience

Recently, Obama gave a Speech on Terrorism as part of his ongoing campaign which seems significantly different from Hillary's approach. Well, that's not the point.
More importantly his rhetoric - about using violence in Pakistan's peripheral regions (NWFP - North West Frontier Province) if Musharraf didn't cooperate to clean out 'terrorists' -
has created a furor. But why wouldn't it?
I read in Ultrabrown blog extolling Obama's declaration, or should I call it an Adrenaline-invoked, ill-thought-out statement like:
There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plotting to strike again. It was a terrible mistake to fail to act when we had a chance to take out an al Qaeda leadership meeting in 2005. If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will.
Though Obama differs substantially from Bush's policies, the above statement clearly indicates an inexperience and foolhardiness in dealing with foreign policies. The following is my response to the blog entry. Read this Ultrabrown blog entry before you read the following response.

My Response
It seems more like he’s acting on his adrenaline than a balanced state of mind. Just because contextually he says something agreeable doesn’t mean you can declare to act like a rogue. You CAN’T just declare you will use violence to ’save’ America and get your revenge. This is purely an extension of Bush’s agenda except that it has a contextual subtlety.
First of all, this kind of a war rhetoric HAS to stop. I mean, how long are you gonna be using the fact - that America has lost 3000 lives over and over again - to advance your agenda. Yeah right, everything has to revolve around fear and America. When America bombs the bajeezus out of other countries and kills thousands of people it’s never a matter of aggression…because America supports democracy and all that bull.
Foreign policy is not something that just comes out of a unilateral viewpoint or a few seemingly intelligent nerds who claim to know every damn thing about every country that poses a threat. And what the hell does he mean by “actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets”, I mean, isn’t that BS especially since we all know how “actionable” the “intelligence” of US was in the case of WMDs. Who is this intelligence? Who verifies? Who cross-checks?
There has to be a paradigm shift in the way we think of foreign policy. We have to move away from using FEAR to instill peace and security. Obama seems controversial just for the sake of it and even if he did mean whatever he said about using violence, and he becomes the President, America has a long way to go before it can salvage whatever’s lost.

Contd. Response
My point about what the world thinks of American policy has to do a LOT with American interests…it’s far from tertiary. Especially when the world has become much much smaller in terms of information exchange, porous borders, immigrants’ cultures who have become part and parcel of countries they immigrate into and much more. Whatever you do unto someone comes back with the same intensity to you - think of it as global karma in this case.
You can’t really separate America in terms cultural influences because it is becoming a global melting pot and this is exactly when it has to be more tolerant. You see, foreign policy is not just something that can be taken at face value. You can’t declare statements aggressively when you haven’t even tried multilateral diplomacy in the first place. Especially not when you are not even in office.
In fact, if you truly want security/peace in the long-term then there are specific ways you approach the problem. See the Israel-Palentine issue, where did they reach until they were using an eye-for-an-eye approach? But what’s happening now, a multilateral peaceful approach, at least both the parties are open to talks.. You don’t want to learn things the hard way when somebody has already done it for you.
Look at Britain now, where there are so many home-grown fundamentalists popping up. Where do they all get their ideas? Where do they get the hate? It’s directly or indirectly related to the foreign policy that we adopt. In the current world scenario, you can’t talk about unilateralism again when you have failed miserably at it. Learning from mistakes is what should shape foreign policy.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

This ball of energy....

where does the strength for action comes to a human?? i feel this huge ball of frustration go up and down my throat whenever i think about the condition of the world around me..how hostile?? what all do i have to change here?? this ball seems to increase in size like the snow ball that rolls downhill and gets bigger in size...i feel like it is consuming me from within and what can i say about that??? i feel that i do not deserve to live while so many of my own are in so much pain....where do i collect the strength of mind from?? i used to think it came from the nature around me..but now i feel even the nature around me is as helpless as i am and does not any answers to anything....i see a lot of other humans trying their best...but for what??? maybe they got this ball too...sometimes i just have to ignore the presence of this ball...and swallow it in...but i hope it does not kill me from within..and take away my strength...to do things...what can i say about it??????????
the ball has no mercy and does not care what i do...it wakes me up in the middle of the night and then asks me what i am doing to end all the suffering...and then i ask myself...and whenever i have no answer...it gets bigger only to suffocate me from within...when will i reduce this to nothing ??? i have to do something about this...what am i supposed to do?? when every single person around me is as ignorant as me??? maybe they are ignoring their balls of energy too???
are yu????

Where is the EDGE for each human??????????

I cannot explain how so very disappointed i am with the humans around me...what pushes a human to the edge to actually get down to do something?? i wonder where the threshold for each person lies?? does it lie in the personal realm of things ??? or maybe it lies in the realm of selfishness?? maybe somewhere deep down in the abyss of the so-called day-to-day practicality which offers a perfect excuse??? or maybe in the darkness of the soul..if there is any???
what can i say??? why do humans change only after they themselves are affected by something?? what is that one factor that pushes a human to actually start doing something about anything??? when more than half the humans are dying by war or hunger or some injustice how can we sleep?? i just cannot seem to sleep tonight...pls help me someone...why is it that humans want to be personally affected every time they have to be pushed to take some action..each human so self-absorbed in his/her own achievements and practicalities...thats really a perfect example for a lame excuse...what can i say?? my blood boils..because i see humans are drowning reason in any way that they can...no matter what...they just need to be pushed to that EDGE to help...someone or anyone in need...this is like a never-ending search...where do i find that EDGE which is common to all humans ????where do i find the perfect moment that will drive these humans to actually do something...i feel so helpless and anxious...how can humans not do anything??? at this time of anguish how can i think of relaxing my mind and think that everything is the way it has to be...??? how can i say that the humans who are suffering are suffering because it is their destiny or some other ____________?????????
why don't we do something about all this??? is it not enough for a few humans to undergo so much pain and share it with the others??? have we lost the trust or have we become too individualistic and proud that we wait for the living experience to feel everything???
WHAT IS IT?? IF SOMEONE FINDS THAT COMMON EDGE....PLEASE DO LET ME KNOW....PLEASE...

Friday, August 03, 2007

Language...and its effects! SDaS

Ain't this NOT-COOL??

I met this teenager in one of my friend's place and started a conversation with her...after a while she confessed that she was so scared of her driving test the following day...I first thought she was scared of driving and so tried to tell her that it was ok for her to be anxious for the first time...but all she had to concentrate was the road...I also told her it was all about co-existing with the rest of the humans and moving with an understanding on the road...admiring the patterns..and to see how the flow was so organized...(at least in some countries haha)
I went on and on about all the concepts of driving while she still remained anxious...so i asked her what was bothering her...
She then said that there were around 4 cars in her house... and how she had read about Global warming... and how she felt that driving was not very interesting to her...but how her friends and siblings made fun of her that she said all that because she was not good enough for driving...and she did not have the nerve to drive..and she was not cool...etc etc...
I suddenly was pushed to the harsh reality the youngsters were facing today...
When did driving become a matter of pride or anxiety? When did it become an issue of prestige? Maybe the actual spirit of driving does not exist anymore....
What is the big deal about getting a license to drive? The amount of stress that a teenager developed and the pressure from friends and family about obtaining one was so enormous...It was now more a matter of pride, ego, style etc etc.....maybe like a lot of other things in this world...it too has lost its purpose...
I tried so hard to sit and talk with the teenager that it was absolutely ok for her not to get a license if she did not want it and she could tell her friends and siblings the real reason and that she preferred to take trains or public buses...she felt so confident after that and said that she was not going to take her test the next day and was going to stand up against it...she also confided that she preferred to walk any distance and disliked the very idea of sitting in cars for long drives...
Happy that I had helped her out with what she actually wanted, I left her with some more suggestions on how-to-not-use-so-many-cars in a single house...and asked her to observe the understanding between drivers on the road and how they communicate...
After a whole month i remembered about her and called my friend's house to ask about the teenager...my friend's sister said, "she got her driving license recently...Isn't that cool?"
The purpose behind so many things in this world are losing their values...Where do we start to set things right?
On a one-on-one basis? or group campaigns..well, someone could make a short film out of this concept and post it as a PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Bringing Cities & Countrysides together...


If Cities and Villages are close enough, then the people can interact and have more new and varied experiences which will reduce the day-to-day stress which drives the people towards exhaustion. Let us together try and reduce the gap between the cities and the countrysides!
How do we do this?? Like, take kids on trips to nearby villages? pls suggest my fellow humans!!
Courtesy: Pattern Language