This is for Ashwini
Update: Maybe this isn’t so far from truth after all!
There is something about the so-called multiculturalists that really grates on my nerves. Mind you, I can spot them a mile away - buzzwords being, “cultural sensitivity”, “cultural pride”, “heritage” and such. Not that taken separately these words mean anything bad. Nope, there is nothing wrong with being sensitive to other cultures or being proud of your culture and heritage. What bothers me is when someone else is proud of your culture.
You heard me right. It is extremely irritating for me to hear how proud someone else is of my culture and heritage, to the point that they won’t condemn or worse, let me condemn even the bad things about my own culture or about other cultures I see around me. What is wrong with this attitude - here is what! It makes me feel like I am in a damn showcase. I feel like I am this doll placed real carefully into this “cultural” setting and the mcs (multiculturalists) think it is so cute, they’d rather have me stay in the hut in the setting than disturb it and let me move into a mansion.
What really gets me of course, is that these mcs always think they are out doing good for us stupid natives. They think we have no idea how pretty our “culture” is and don’t care about protecting it, so they can see pictures of it on TV and feel good about themselves. It doesn’t matter if the so-called culture makes woman cover their bodies in thick, black veils in hot, scorching summer or burns brides for not bringing enough dowry. Nope, it doesn’t matter since these are people are sooo enlightened, see? They can see all the rich goodness of your culture that you are too stupid to notice. It is like a rich man telling a poor one that he is better off poor, because the rich man’s life isn’t really perfect and having the poor man around will make for a much diverse experience.
Whenever a fellow Westerner challenges these mcs though, the challengers are usually dismissed quickly as ignorant, insensitive and rednecks. As a third-worlder, try talking to them sometime and try telling them how good their people - their women especially - have it, as opposed to the oppressed women of most of the third-world countries. All you will see is a blank face for a minute - you will be able to literally hear the buzz in the mind and a synthetic voice going “doesn’t compute!” - only for a minute. Then they wake up and zombie-like start regurgitating pap about diversity and culture and humanity as if you never said a word before. Isn’t it funny how the so-called champions of the third-worlders are the ones who end up hurting them as much if not more than the supremacists, by brushing away quickly any criticism or call for reform in the “culture” they are trying to preserve!
Update: This is what I am talking about - A trap for Muslim women in EuropeOSLO: Western Europe is increasingly a house divided against itself. While non-Muslim Europeans live in democracies, most Muslims in the same countries inhabit theocratic enclaves where they are expected to tread a narrow path or suffer the consequences. Muslim women have it worst. Not only are they subject to the often tyrannical authority of husbands, fathers and community leaders, if they seek to escape that authority, they cannot necessarily expect support from the police and other government agencies, which often feel that “intruding” in such matters would show disrespect for immigrant culture.(emphasis mine).
I am still having trouble believing this bit of news, but apparently it has been verified by NASA. If true, I guess we have figured out the solution to world hunger and the obesity problems…
‘Solar-powered’ Indian invited to NASA for ‘food’ research : HindustanTimes.comHira Ratan Manek, aka Hirachand, has not eaten in eight years. He lives on sunlight. But skeptical (and perhaps long-suffering) Indians should read on a bit before going - bah, another scam. This 64-year-old mechanical engineer has been tried and tested by US space agency NASA. In June 2002, NASA verified his claims when he spent 130 days with its scientists drinking only water. They have even named such subsistence - water and solar energy - the ‘HRM (Hira Rattan Manek) phenomenon’.
Ashok has a really funny story about his encounter with an (ex) Indian bigot at The indian rocket program you did not know about! @ Unganisha.Org - what can I say, you handled him really well, Ashok! :)
An ‘ape-like’ beast nearly 1.65 metres tall has been sighted in the forests of central China, a media report on Monday said. The grayish ‘mythical ape-like animal’, suspected by locals to be a ‘bigfoot’, was reported to have shoulder-length black hair, it said.
Phew! It has not been easy so far, hosting the Iraqi lady at Real Women Online. It has also been fun and informative and exasperating :) I agree I was caught a little off-guard, since I was not expecting Zaineb to post for atleast another week or so. I realized something was up when I went to RWO as usual in the morning and saw there were 14 other people online with me. Of course, that was just the beginning. By the end of yesterday, we had 4000 unique visitors, 14000 page views, 6700 views on Zaineb’s post, over 240 comments (after I deleted more than 20, mind you - Ashwini deleted some too) and 30 users registered in one day.
I expected response for an Iraqi woman expressing herself online, but this was something hugely unexpected. For the most part, it has been a good learning experience - if all this helps make even a little positive difference in someone’s life, I will consider all this completely worth it. If this makes a few more women come out and speak up and be heard, I will go through everything gladly all over again :)
The FIRST IRAQI WOMAN blogger, Zainab is now writing for us at Real Women Online - Real Women Online - first post - this was what our big, big announcement was supposed to be. Go read her now!
Subject: Bidwai’s article:Don’t sacntify US empire……Nothing to add. really. nope. absolutely nothing. blechh! Ok, I am fine now! I think Shinde is the kind of guy who must have been really happy to see IK Gujral hugging Saddam during the Gulf War. Of course, anybody whose idea of a hero is Prafool Bidwai is not fit to be taken seriously.Dear Sir,
Posted by Pradeep Shinde. on 24-JUN-03
An eye opening initiative taken by Bidwai is laudable.His singlehanded struggle against inhuman policies and programmes affecting the poor addresses issues which concern the common peoples.Truly,American invasion was a shamless act and an exibhition of ruthless power against the weak.It has nothing to do with the welfare of the common Iraqis.The American interests for oil were at stake.As the largest number of cars in the world is used by Americans.The filthy,disgusting,and belligerent show of superpower is inhuman.Now Bush wants our soldiers to die who have nothing to do with the oil.Advani,a self styled statesman,who should be tried in the court of law for fomenting riots causing killings of innocent muslims,spreading the venom against the minority,creating a perpetual divide between Muslims and Hindus for coming to the power,wants to put innocent lives of our soldiers in danger in the name of Kashmir.No way!!It must be opposed tooth and nail.The opposition party should not give in to the pressure in the name of Kashmir.This is the right time to show the US that it can’t take us for granted.Instead of snubbing the US the RSS Govt is seeking the mandate.It’s obnoxious
A very perceptive post from G in Baghdad (Salam’s friend) about the situation there and the difference between the people while talking to outsiders and between themselves (channel of reality and channel of rhetoric) - G. in Baghdad - read the whole thing. Very interesting.
I don’t see what is the big deal about this. Yes, it is great and wonderful for immigrant Indians to want teach their children languages of their (ex) homeland, but it is ridiculous to expect the South African government to pay for it. If these people love the languages so much, they can teach it to their kids by speaking them at home, reading to them from Indian books and teaching them how to read. I really don’t think a foreign government is in anyway obligated to teach the myriad languages Indians speak, at their own expense.
SA Indians irked over language issuePeeved at the South African government’s decision to phase out Indian languages from the school curriculum, Indian Community leaders have threatened to move the constitutional court and also meet President Thabo Mbeki to register their displeasure. The National Education Ministry’s decision to cull out foreign languages lacking sufficient enrollment means that Indian communities in South Africa who want to promote their mother tongue languages such as Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Urdu and Gujarati will have to find their own funds after 2006.
If JK Rowling created the New York Times, then she would have described Maureen Dowd of Could Thomas Be Right? as the second coming of Rita Skeeter. Heh.
This week’s “Women in the words of women” features Imshin, who writes a nice little fairy tale - Real Women Online - The Witch and Prince Charming. A fairy tale - with a particularly contemporary twist :)
Whether this attack was intended towards a Muslim or a Hindu or anybody, I think it was extremely cruel and horrible. I hope they lock the perpetrators up and throw away the key. Such people are not fit to live amongst other human beings.
Indian tortured, stabbed in BostonIn a gruesome incident of hate crime against expatriates, an Indian graduate student was robbed, beaten, burned with cigarettes, stuffed in a trunk, stabbed and dumped in the middle of road by four men after he made a food delivery to them in Boston. …“It’s probably one of the most vicious robberies I have ever seen, but it’s not unheard of,” Fairhaven Police Chief Gary F Souza was quoted as saying by a city daily.
…The men originally intended to rob Bhalerao, but intensified their assault thinking he was Muslim, continuing to beat him even as he tried to explain that he was Hindu, Souza said.
“He pleaded with his attackers… They were telling him he should go back to Iraq,” the police officer said. In addition to the beatings, the suspects burned Bhalerao’s face and ears with a lit cigarette.
A Single Guy in the South has the Carnival up - check it out! No practical jokes, just good fun :)
It is fun tracking flights online - especially when the flight I am tracking is carrying my husband back to Dallas from India after a month-long vacation :) I suspect it is probably off by a little, since he is still over Michigan right now according to the tracker, while he should be arriving in less than 2 hours according to American Airlines.
Oh well, all this is to tell that tomorrow is going to be really light blogging day - I am taking off from work, so we can…ahem…”catch up” on stuff. In the meantime, stay happy y’all :)
Update: Oh, I saw a bunch of people with placards in front of the INS building this morning, on my way to work. Some of the placards read “Families First”, “119 days and waiting” and “INS, do your job”. Anyone knows what this is about?
ESPN.com - Page2 - The List: Most overrated athletes
Loved the rankings - my favorites -1. Vince Carter The second coming of Michael Jordan? Not quite. To quote one ESPN editor who’s seen this country through a bagful of undeclared wars, “Vince Carter is the most overrated athlete of my lifetime.”…
10. Chris Webber
Doesn’t battle it out under the basket. Averages 60 games per season. Hasn’t done what it takes to move from “very good” to “great.” It’s all been said before, and it’s all true. Page 2’s Charley Rosen, who’s forgotten more about basketball than we’ll ever know, once ran through a list of the league’s clutch players. Was C-Webb in there? You bet. As a “decoy.” Ouch.
Well, I finished it a little while ago - gotta say it took me by surprise and really needed a little getting used to. The style of writing is different, the world is different and so are the characters. I guess it is to be expected, since the people are now older and their world is in a lot more turmoil, what with the return of Lord Voldemort and all that. The world in Hogwarts is a lot darker, less action and a lot more oppression. One prominent change in the outlook at the school can be seen in not so much emphasis placed on the Quidditch matches as before. In the previous books, the matches were really important events - now, they are kinda there, that’s all.
Another interesting feature is the moral ambiguities surrounding some of the main characters - no one is plain evil or good anymore - there are more shades of gray and a questioning of things that were accepted as facts. Dumbledore seems strong and feeble and old - Harry seems intelligent, stupid, vain and heroic - Hermione seems overbearing and courageous - Ron seems befuddled and leader-like. It is really nice to see the characters coming on to their own and spreading their wings.
I think this book has clearly moved out of the childrens’ book realm. It is a lot darker - it wasn’t as much fun as the fourth book even, but I think that was the idea. This wasn’t supposed to be as funny, hyper or innocent. there isn’t much humor in a world that is bracing for a war with the dark forces of Lord Voldemort that might wipe them off completely or worse, leave them as slaves to the evil. I wasn’t that stricken by the much-hyped death, I should say - maybe because I had expected it (of course, I expected each one of the main characters to die at one point of the book or the other) - it was also much too sudden and there isn’t much building up of dread to the point of the death, so you don’t exactly linger on it until a while after.
On the whole, the book has been a very interesting read. For some weird reason, it seemed like a preview for the sixth book than something that stood on its own. Everything is buildup for what is certainly coming, the ultimate showdown between the forces of good and evil. One thing I can say, is that I cannot wait for the sixth book now. I have got to add that there is absolutely nothing triumphant about this book’s ending - nothing like the previous books, where you closed the book with a big smile on your face, bec ause Harry won the Quidditch cup or the House cup or the Triwizarding tournament or such. Nope. There is only despair and the tremendous burden of what is coming.
p.s. It is amazing how much the Hogwarts school under a certain person turns more and more into a communist state behind the Iron Curtain.
I am still waiting for my new Harry Potter book…..still waiting…..USPS says it was shipped on the 19th from KS and is still EN ROUTE….Oh, and I think it is Ron’s parents who die in the book - don’t ask me why - I am reading the fourth book to keep me occupied and I just feel so!
Scott Ott has more related news!
Update: Just got it! No more posting till I finish the book :)
Update: Got through 451 pages - must say not as much action as the 4th and a lot more depressing. Oh, and for further discussion, go here - I have set up a forum to discuss the book, so we don’t have to spoil it for those who don’t want to be spoiled :)
Update: Just finished reading the book - Ashwini, what about you?
The whole column was a piece of junk, but these passages stood out to me not for the audacity of their claims, but the author’s arrogance in asking his readers to accept the claims without providing a shred of evidence to back them up. I would have given it a little more thought if he could actually come up with reasons show why it isn’t in American interests to let India and Pakistan negotiate bilaterally. Obviously, America wants a counterweight to China, but only a stable and prospering India can do that. Just to counter China, does this guy really think America wants to “colonize” the billions-of-people-filled India? Is he nuts?
The author keeps coming up with nightmare scenarios of America’s colonizing Russia(?), Pakistan(?) and all kinds of crazy ideas, without checking the plausibility of such things happening or even if it would be in American interest to do so. He breathlessly says it is the born-again Christian leading them all american barbarians to conquer the world! Oh, the sky is falling! They got rid of a tyrant in the cradle of civilization! (I guess tohim, it was a bad thing (?)).
I put so many question marks above, because he mentions the good things America did and spins out nightmare scenarios - I really don’t understand his thought processes. Did he ever consider the possibility that America elects a new leader every four years and the people can easily replace George Bush if they so choose to in a year? My God! talk about fomenting hysteria - of course, if you read the comments, you will find there are people who actually agree with this. I guess as long as you bash America and make ominous noises about Pax Americana and imperialism (I think he forgot hegemony), that is enough to warm the cockles of some hearts.
America’s great gameToday, the sad truth is America is inextricably involved in Kashmir, whether India likes it or not. America is merely waiting for the opportunity to pounce and hijack the entire Kashmir issue and resolve it under the auspices of the international community — another American euphemism for the USA and its satellite state, the UK. American interests lie not in a bilateral settlement (which is practically an impossibility) but in an American brokered peace, where American arms ensure freedom and peace in a nominally autonomous Kashmir.
All I have to say to people who cannot even enjoy a freaking childrens’ book without throwing a bunch of PeeCee babble into it is….Piss off! Seriously, it isn’t like JK Rowling ever claimed this book to be some kind of multicultural, kumbaya-inducing epic. If every single book has to have every single race and every single festival or none at all, where is the diversity in that? Me thinks someone needs to get off his moral high-horse and not buy the book if he doesn’t like it. I doubt JK Rowling would really miss the income! Oh, and how stupid is it to try to impose PeeCee limits on creativity! Bah! One last thing, isn’t it a typically lefty position to insist on a diversity of colors in the book, but will not allow for a diversity of opinions, since his position is the only right one, Damnit! How is this guys stupid indignation any different from the religious right, who were burning the Harry Potter books, claiming they taught witchcraft? Little difference between ideologues on both sides, ain’t it!
Harry Flips His WhigThe new Harry Potter novel will become available at midnight. But I am afraid that in their excitement to devour it, U.S. readers may miss the nuances of J.K. Rowling’s peculiarly British take on issues of class and status. Here is what you need to know: Despite the books’ reflexive bow to political correctness and gender equality, Harry Potter is, in fact, an old-fashioned Tory, a conservative.
Abbas has said he will not launch a crackdown for fear of triggering a civil war.Read the above again carefully, Abbas doesn’t want to rein in the terrorist SOBs of Hamas, but he wants Israel to release all Palestinian prisoners and make umpteen concessions to transform herself into a partner of peace? What crock!After meeting with Powell, he demanded Israel take immediate steps to ease restrictions on Palestinians and “change itself from an enemy into a partner.”
Abbas also said Israel should release thousands of Palestinian detainees, lift travel restrictions, end settlement building and stop demolishing Palestinian houses.
Mr.Abbas, maybe your peoplw would have been a little more oriented towards peace if their textbooks did not call the Jews pigs and apes and idolize as martyrs, suicide bombers who blow up moms and babies and old men and teenagers. May be the general population wouldn’t look up to terrorists so much if the PA wasn’t such a bunch of petty thugs and crooks who funneled billions of dollars into their own accounts and lived in luxury, while their people starved - just a thought you know!
Well, got an email from Amazon this morning that my order has been shipped - I expect to get my “deluxe” edition of the book sometime tomorrow. There will be a review up as soon as I am done with it - don’t worry I won’t spoil anything for you :)
Sameer does an awesome job of hosting the weekly digest of good posts from the Indian side of the blogosphere - ..::supersam blogs::.. - go check it out!
Yazad Jal will be hosting next week on his brand-new MT-powered site.
Go check out the latest installment of the Carnival of Vanities at - Real Women Online - Carnival of Vanities is here!. I promise it is fun reading! (no, I am not biased at all….ok, maybe a little bit)
Fatimah writing at Disaffected Muslim takes issue with the Muslim Personal Law in India, that as I completely agree with her, discriminates against Muslim women by applying the Sharia to them instead of the secular freedoms that other women in India enjoy. I see every single point she makes and I am on her side on all the issues - so what is the problem? The problem is the way Muslims act and secularists treat them in India.
Anyone who says anything remotely resembling Uniform Civil Code (which is supported by the Indian Constitution, of course) send most Muslims into a frenzied victim mode and the people who mentioned UCC are labeled Muslim-haters and Hindu-Fundamentalists. It isn’t like it is a small population - India has the world’s second largest Muslim population. How is anyone supposed to go against the majority of a 200-million-strong community?
Rajiv Gandhi tried that during the Shah Bano case - worked out real good, didn’t it? Of course, rest of the people in India are pissed about it, but what can they do? We have to pretend it only affects the Muslims and keep quiet if we want any peace. Isn’t it ironic that the so-called seculaist parties of India don’t like the UCC at all, but the only party that harps on it during every election is the “Hindu-fundamentalist” BJP?
Another point to think of is that change in a religion such as Islam in which religion is all-important and more important than even nationalistic feelings, has to come from within. No one can shove change down one’s throat. If the community and the Muslim women are not interested in change and like their lives as they are, isn’t it easy to ignore or be apathetic about their laws? Look here in the comments to see how strongly some Muslims feel about the UCC. For more fun news, here is a movement afoot to impose Sharia on Canadian Muslims and here is Sharia for South Africa.
(Thanks for the link, Mr.Anderson! ;))
Well, watch this space and Real Women Online for a really big announcement coming before this Friday :)
Maybe these people haven’t heard of all the “thousands of civilian casualties” in Iraq, or they wouldn’t ask for the US help in achieving their dream of democracy now, would they?
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iranian protesters remain resoluteThe Iranian people have shown their urgent tendency for freedom. Now the US must start to support the demonstration by warning the Iran government not to act against the people. This enforcement from the outside and people’s demonstration inside, will finally down the Iran regime. We are waiting for immediate support of the US. Farshad, Iran(link via Instapundit)
To be more specific, what did Canadian Intelligence people know and when did they know it? Why are they keeping everything quiet? Why did it take Canada this long to extradite the accused in the case and what about the allegations of destruction of tapes and other evidence related to the case? I smell something very fishy here.
Canadian govt refuses probe into Kanishka bombing
The Canadian government has rejected demands for a probe into what the country's intelligence agency, whose agent had infiltrated a Sikh militant group prior to the Air India bombing in 1985, knew about the tragedy.Solicitor General Wayne Easter on Monday said he wouldn't comment on allegations that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service knew about the Air India bombs ahead of time except to reject them.
"Obviously, they were well aware that the bombing was going to happen," says Canadian Alliance MP Randy White. "The question then is: Why wouldn't they have passed that information over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, possibly preventing this whole bombing disaster in the first place?"
Just finished watching the movie, The Deer Hunter. What a movie! It was just so touching and moving, it was incredible - especially so, since I was absolutely prepared to NOT like the movie. I think "Apocalypse Now" turned me off of all Vietnam movies for good. I went into this movie expecting Apocalypse Now Redux, but at the end I am pleasantly surprised.
I think the difference between both the movies is like the difference between art that you can see and appreciate and art that you need to "interpret" and appreciate. AN (Apocalypse Now) seemed like a long, meandering, unfocused saga in which most of the time you didn't understand why someone was doing whatever it was they were doing. You needed to take some things on faith - oh, it is vietnam, so it turned men into monsters. Period. Maybe not to everyone. Doesn't matter. Coppola said so and that is the abject truth. Another thing about AN was that everybody in the movie seemed bad or destined to be a monster. There were no good guys. There might have been a few here and there, but I had switched off my interest by then probably, and finished the movie for the sake of finishing it. Nope - the movie completely failed to draw me in.
DH (Deer Hunter) on the other hand, isn't necessarily short - a few minutes short of 3 hours - but held my interest through the last scene. It wasn't pretentious drivel where I had ponder on universal truths to get a movie. Michael Cimino doesn't take himself too seriously, and there is genuine love for the characters of the movie. They have been through the horros of the war too - and they are horrors, nothing less. But they still have some humanity left in them - enough at least to want to comfort and help each other.
I think to put it succinctly, DH doesn't leave you wanting to kill yourself. There is hope for the future and the message is that regardless of what bad stuff happens, life moves on and people survive. Don't miss it if you get a chance to watch this movie.
I have seen some people complain too much on IMDB about the length of the wedding scene, but I think it was an attempt to portray the bond between the friends before they left for the war. It really set up the characters, their personalities, their ways of dealing with things. It puts the latter actions of the characters in context. The friendship is probably the only thing that actually saves the Deer Hunter's characters from becoming monsters like in Apocalypse Now.
Ok, so the birthday celebrations lasted a little longer than usual - it was really a girlfriend and me sitting at home and sharing two bottles of good chardonnay and frozen pizza, but we managed to yak it up till 2:00AM. So, I went to bed at 2:30 and woke up at 6:00, since I needed to get to work. All this might cause me to post or not intermittently.... But then it is Friday, so who cares? Have fun and party on, y'all!
This can turn the trial into a big mud-flinging-fest if true. Take it with a huge grain of salt, but this does provide a more plausible motive for the murder (not that I would ever defend murdering anyone, let alone two innocent children) of Graham Staines.
Staines tried to outrage my modesty, says witness : HindustanTimes.com
A woman defence witness in the Graham Staines murder case on Thursday alleged before a trial court that the Australian missionary, under whose influence she had been converted to Christianity, had tried to outrage her modesty.
Actor Gregory Peck has died at 87
Gregory Peck, the lanky, handsome movie star whose long career included such classics as "Roman Holiday," "Spellbound" and his Academy Award winner, "To Kill a Mockingbird," has died, a spokesman said Thursday. He was 87.
Lileks makes points similar to what I said yesterday, only a lot more eloquently.
The top-of-the-hour radio news played today's news just as you'd expect - everything shoved through the tit-for-tat template. Israel attempts to take out a terror leader; Hamas "responds" with a bombing. As if they're equal. As if targeting the car that ferries around some murderous SOB is the same as sending a blissed-out teenager to blow nails and screws through the flesh of afternoon commuters so he can bury himself in the heaving bosom of the heavenly whorehouse. Cycle of violence, don't you know.They don't have helicopters, we're told, so they use suicide bombers. If they had helicopters, they would have strafed the bus and everyone waiting at the corner. Give them a nation where Hamas runs unchecked, and they'll have helicopters. They won't be Apaches. The bill of sale will be calculated in Euros and the manual written in French. By then the excuse for the terror won't be oppression; it'll be "the legacy of oppression." Sometimes I swear the mainstream media won't take a look at the Palestinian's horrid death-cult subculture until we learn that a suicide bomber played "Doom" at an Internet cafe for five minutes. And then they'll blame Intel.
I turn 29 today :)
Check out the latest in the series of posts on Real Women Online about "Women in the words of Women" - RealWomenOnline.com - The tale of two women.
ScrappleFace: Bloggers Claim Credit for Bringing Down Sun - no points for guessing who the "unnamed" blogger mentioned in the article is.....Heh!
Go check out the Carnival here - Overtaken by Events: Nobody Expects the Carnival of the Vanities!! - pssst, I have an entry too :) Once you are done checking out, start sending your entries in to me - we are hosting the next week's Carnival at our sister blog, Real Women Online.
Israel tries to kill a homicidal SOB standing in the path of peace, so the peace-loving Palestinian terrorists blow up more women and children. Bravo! Good Job!
Explosion rocks central Jerusalem
June 11 - An explosion rocked downtown Jerusalem on Wednesday as recent progress in the Middle East peace process appeared to have all but halted. Israeli radio reported that a bomb was detonated on a bus, killing several people.
I guess Iran would know Iraq better than anyone else, being as they are neighbors and all.....But this definitely helps the US Administration's story and kills Hans Blix's credibility - again - if confirmed. I haven't been saying much about this issue for the same reason - Saddam Hussein didn't exactly act like a guy with nothing to hide. I am sure he has something and I am also sure he will be found out sooner or later. Of course, it doesn't exactly tell us much about the people who will latch onto any straw they think they can beat up Bush with - remember the brouhaha over the looting in Iraq? turns out it wasn't 170,000 artifacts looted, but 33 - how about that, huh!
Iran agrees Iraq hid arms -- The Washington Times
NEW YORK - An Iranian government official with ties to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Tehran sides with the Americans on one big issue - Saddam Hussein's weapons."Yes, we agree with the Americans. Our intelligence indicated that Iraq did possess weapons of mass destruction and was hiding them from the U.N.," the official said.
Horrible and disturbing, to say the least. What a fall Japan has taken, from being the leader in everything electronic and technical at one point in time to this! Chilling stuff!
Japan's chilling Internet suicide pacts
June 10 - The discovery Sunday of the bodies of four young Japanese men in a car at a vista point near Mount Fuji appears to be more evidence of a grim new trend in the prosperous country - group suicides of strangers who meet over the Internet. The suicide pacts, which have resulted in at least 18 deaths since February, are shocking to experts, even in a nation plagued by an astronomical suicide rate.
...by taking a trip down the catwalk ??! Read on for more....
For the first time in the last 13 years of turbulence, Kashmiri youth broke a taboo and organised a fashion show here thus setting new standards in the world of modelling and fashion.
ASI fabricating evidence in Ayodhya: WAQF Board : HindustanTimes.com
The Sunni Central WAQF Board (SCWB), one of the main plaintiffs in the Ram Janambhoomi -Babri Masjid title suit, and Muslim parties have accused the ASI team engaged in carrying out excavation work at the acquired land in Ayodhya of "fabricating" archaeological evidence there.
LUCKNOW: The Archaeological Survey of India has submitted a progress report to the Lucknow High Court that so far it has found no concrete evidence of any structure below the disputed Babri Masjid site at Ayodhya.
HoustonChronicle.com - Van Gundy says yes to coaching Rockets
Jeff Van Gundy performed his first coaching miracle on Monday.With just a few words, Van Gundy agreed to become the Houston Rockets' next coach and inspired the team's 65-year-old general manager, Carroll Dawson, into youthful leaps.
I don't care about her politics or policies - they make no difference to me. What bothers me is her sticking with her husband, even after he has admitted over and over again publicly, how many times he has cheated onher, with how many different women. How can a woman take that and still claim to be a feminist or strong and independent? What sort of a role model is she setting herself up to be for the other women? I come from the land where men are Pati Parmeshwars (husband Gods) and women, Charandasis (literally, foot slaves). Still, if my husband cheated on me, he wouldn't live to tell teh world if he "had relations with" any other women.
I despise Hillary Clinton's weakness. I hate her trying to make it out into some kind os strong love, shared bond issue. It ain't that, honey! Any self-respecting woman might take a man back after maybe one or atmost two incidents of cheating, but not after something like this. To me, that says Hillary Clinton is either a coward afraid to try and strike it on her own, or an opportunist who will stick with her husband for political expediency.
So, first comes an email with this link forwarded to me by "John Doe" - Bush falsely claims "we found the weapons of mass destruction" (6/1) - and then there is "amused" saying I am "still an idiot", because I support Israel. I am not much of a conspiracy theorist, but it makes me wonder if this is one of the banned S'Pore trolls or some others who swore they will never post here because of the "comment policy".....
Hey, if you really want to get back and comment here, just give us your real name and apologize in public - we know you have a blog - maybe we will consider letting you back in. Heh!
Some very positive and encouraging news of Muslim activism in India via Varsha Bhosle!
Cure is possible only after detection
Now for the good news. And I mean, REALLY GOOD NEWS: A new organisation called the Muslim Youths of India is preaching to Muslims that it's time to break away and debunk the "anti-national" stereotype. Syed Khan, the 32-year-old convener of MY India, says, "What we are saying is that for long people have put religion over nation and it's time to change that... Community, whosever it is, should not come ahead of nation."Khan says the organisation became a necessity after Mumbai police busted the 2 Mumbai jihad camps run by SIMI; word had spread that young Muslims attended the camps in large numbers. "What we are saying is that Muslims have for long been misled in the name of religion. These forces are destroying the very fabric of our community, which is lagging behind anyway." He plans to start the movement in Mumbai, taking it to other cities and then finally to the villages. The 250-odd members will intensively campaign to keep Muslims away from the "gun and religion trap."
"There are many who are asking me 'why are you conceding that Muslims have taken up the gun or are joining the SIMI -- it will only increase the atrocities against us.' But I tell them that this has to stop... I tell them that I offer namaaz five times a day. I love my religion but I will not let my country disintegrate... MY India will tackle the adversity because we are convinced this movement is for the good of everybody," Khan says.
Finished the book yesterday. I have got to say this is one of the best books I have read in recent times. I liked it so much, I am going to read it again, once I get it back from the friend who borrowed it. I am neither a horse person or a racing person, but the book still managed to grab my attention and hold it. Lauren Hillenbrand did an excellent job of almost resurrecting in front of the readers' eyes, each moment from the life of Seabiscuit and his humans - Howard, Smith, Pollard and Woolf - each of them somehow finding themselves and holding on, relying on the horse's tenacity.
The book is action-packed with Seabiscuit's races - each one of them described pulse-pounding moment by moment, so much so that you literally feel like the jockey. The lives of the jockeys are described enough that you feel like they are your friends. Even now, 60 years of the Biscuit's epic races, it is extremely easy to see what made the whole country of America root for the horse that looked like a "cow pony", but the had the heart of a champion.
I laughed aloud in many places, almost cried with happiness in races that the horse won and lost. Great book! get it now and read it, before the movie comes out. If the movie is half as good as the book, it is sure to take the country by the storm again. Oh, and almost as inspiring as Seabiscuit's story is the author's story. She had to battle Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Vertigo while writing the book, and what a product she has made!
Blogger will not let me link to the exact post, so go to this blog - The B. Files - and read the post dated, "Sunday, May 11, 2003". And then, read the comments - I have got to say I am thoroughly impressed by Gaurav's arguments. Those are some of the really well-thought-out and well-argued debate points I have seen about religion. Same goes for Adnan - call me a bigot, but I was pleasantly surprised to see him and Ubaid, two very open-minded Muslims participating in the debate. It was enlightening to say the least. Well said, Gaurav!
Reading through Ooma's archives reminded me of myself - maybe a couple years ago - maybe now. I am one of those hopeless romantics - I write long, desperately loving letters to my husband when I have to be away from him. I have written my share of crappy poems and still do, occasionally. I have an extremely fertile imagination and can day-dream myself to death :)
Note: Only the good tyhings in the post apply to Ooma! I wouldn't wish my craziness on any one :p Oh, and we DO like you, Ooma! :)
Most of all, I think I have an enormous capacity to love - I am passionate about being in love - kinda explains why I was dating since I got into High School, till I found my man in Engineering College. I know that each of the people I dated, I loved them like they were my everything. Call me a fool, but I loved each and every single one of them with my all. I betrayed some and some betrayed me, but the love was always consummate and completely focused on the person in question.
I might have scared a few people with the mad intensity of my emotions :) I may have suffocated a few in the relationships with me. Now when I think back, I chalk some of it down to immaturity and insecurity. I wasn't confident enough in myself or settled enough in my skin to take the world on, on my terms. I still give my all to the person I am in love with - the difference now, is that I know how to be loved back the same way :)
If I were the violent sort, I would shove this into the faces of all those hypocrites worrying about the "cruel, imperialist USA" killing hundreds and thousands of Iraqis and their children in the war with Iraq. I would make all those who hid behind the one injured Iraqi boy to try to get their mind around 200 children! Imagine it! TWO HUNDRED children - some still holding their dolls - BURIED ALIVE!!! Now tell me how your stupid candle-lit vigils were supposed to help these kids in any way! Tell me, how your marching with signs of "No blood for oil!" helped this innocent blood from being gratuitously spilled! Do you really give a flying fuck if we find WMDs or not? After these hundreds of mass-graves being unearthed, after these gruesome stories of death, humiliation and torture that the Iraqis faced daily for decades, do you still think Saddam should have been left alone?
On second thoughts, don't speak! Some of you are so blinded by hatred for Bush and America, you don't give a damn.
KurdishMedia News - Daily Kurdish news updates
"Citizens were discovered on May 30, 2003, in a communal grave close to Debs, in Kirkuk. However, this mass grave was different from other mass graves discovered since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s terrorist regime since it contained the remains of 200 babies, victims of the repression of the Kurdish uprising in 1991," Al-Taakhi noted. "Even the dolls were buried with the children," it added.It is believed that the babies were buried alive. It was also reported in the local media that an adult female person had also been found in the mass grave. It was suggested that she could have been their minder.
Of course, I could also have called this why the Palestinian idiocy pisses me off, but I am trying to stay positive here, alright?!
I had a very devout Christian Personal Trainer seeing a Palestinian Muslim guy a while ago. This lady showed symptoms of emotional abuse. She positively loathed her boyfriend and everything he did to her - we had long conversations during workouts - but couldn't get rid of him and kept taking hiim back time and time again. She spouted his ideology every possible time and it was just disgusting the excuses she made up to defend him. It was eery - it seemed very similar to the way the Europeans and the lefties defend the Palestinian cause - not out of real sympathy, but just because....
Strangers in a Strange Land / A fork in the Road Map
Nevertheless, the plight of the two refugee populations -- the Jewish and Palestinian -- is a comparative study in refugee resettlement. Israel absorbed 600,000 Jewish refugees. They now comprise over half the population and hold top positions in Israeli society. Other refugees went to the United States and Europe. We rapidly integrated in our new host society.By contrast, many Arab countries to this day refuse to integrate Palestinian refugees into their own societies. Why is it that the Palestinians continue to live in squalid refugee camps -- a people homeless and on welfare for 54 years, even under their own Palestinian Authority?
I guess it took the combined force of the Jayson Blair issue, Rick Bragg and Maureen Dowd to get Raines to step down. I think this is the right thing happening for the wrong reasons. I would be happier if these editors took some responsibility for the intellectual dishonesty and ideological bigotry that the paper became home for during Raines' term.
HOWELL RAINES stepped down as executive editor, while Gerald Boyd resigned as managing editor.Joseph Lelyveld, a former executive editor, was named interim executive editor. No one will be named interim managing editor, the Times said in a statement.