Mumbai Blasts stories/links

• US, UK, Israel ramp up intelligence aid to India
  
• US intelligence expert says Patil is incompetent
  
• Patil goof-up, TV cameras ‘compromise’ rescue
• The ISI and Terrorism: Behind the Accusations
  
• Trapped inside the Taj -- a first person account
• Terrorists have smashed India's innocence, writes Steve Waugh
  

Power of user-generated content

Check this video out. It is amazing. Just gives you a insight into the power of user-generated content. Its coming, its happening, baby! As the quality gets better, I think we are not far away where people will end up paying for user-generated content. With awesome work like this, who woudnt? And when I talk about "User-generated Content", I not only talk about video/music, it covers a broader spectrum. I am working on a little project myself, which is tangible to something similar. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Now about this video. The lead guy is Aziz Ansari. He is talent at its best. I think hes not far away from getting a break in hollywood(again the power of internet/user-generated content). He is super hilarious. He's got amazing talent and will go a long way. Look at the expressions on his face, will crack you up. The direction is pretty slick too. Kudos to folks who came up with this.

You run Girl! :o)

I have always commended girls for not only walking all day long in those high heels, but dancing all night long in those shoes. And then they can run too. O yes!! They can run alright. The "Stiletto-Run" (aka sprint dash on heels) is testimony to that fact. Nadine Sonnabend was the proud winner. Well guys catch her if you can.

Boys this race is for real. Here's a quote from cnn - "Women hit the pavement running in high heels on Saturday in Berlin. In the “Stiletto-Run” -- organized by publishing company Conde Nast for the Global Fashion Festival -- 100 Glamour Magazine readers sprinted in spike heels down Kurfuerstendamm Avenue."

I guess it was only a matter of time that someone came up with this. How about men competing with the ladies ;). Well I guess there's at least one thing that women will win after all. Just kidding, no hate mail please :)

Oh BTW, so now you know, what a WHEEL is - Woman on Heels ;)

What's the fuss about President Bush's visit to India?

I have been reading reports about the protests in India with regard to President Bush's visit there. The protests have been mainly lead by the communist party. Its been really widespread and what I have seen on TV, its been outright ugly sometimes. Burning of effigies, portraying Bush as some evil vampire with blood in his mouth is all disgusting and it doesn’t end here. I heard red's have called for a strike. Strike for what? Strike which will have the economy suffer. People with daily wages don’t get food to eat for the day, is this not evil. Why are we not protesting against this?

This quote from a JNU (where else?) student - "Mr. Bush is responsible for the terrorism and deaths that’s being observed around the world". Well just reading this little statement, seems like someone just plucked this out of thin air and said it out loud. It's based on no facts. Would love to sit down with this gentlemen and go behind the facts of this statement. Their thoughts are clearly being fed by people who are walking the stage.

Bush is definitely not the most sane leader. I, for one, will not give him a clean chit. Some of his policies have been more controversial. But that doesn’t make him evil. He had to make some tough calls after 9/11, he could have chosen to remain less controversial and take some easy decision, but he choose the tougher side of things. Have all his decision been based on facts and a truthful judgment call, not at all. We all know the oil lobby. But let there be no doubt that he has more munition to defend his decision morally. Was Taliban good for Afghanistan? Was Saddam good for the people of Iraq? The sane answer is clearly a emphatic "no" in both cases.

Going back to the fuss in India. The communists would rather have the Taliban ruling the Afghanistan which far from being in Afghanistan's own interests, was a regime that did not do any good to India. The communists have probably erased the Kandahar hijacking out of their minds. Thousands of terrorist that have shed Indian blood in India and the Kargil war, were trained in Afghanistan(by Pakistan) using the terrorist infrastructure created by both Taliban and Pakistan regime. Yes, America did not go to Afghanistan because of that, they went there because of 9/11. Some might call this self-interest. I will say it was self realization. They went there because they realized the kind of radical regime Taliban was. Its sad it took 9/11 and thousands of their own lives to realize that. But the important fact is that they took the evil regime out. Let the red's have a open debate in trying to defend the Taliban and Saddam regime, I can bet they don’t have the back to do that. I don’t blame them, which sane human being can defend such regime's. Wait a minute, may be they after all can?

I never saw the red's (and the neo-liberals) protesting against the beheading of a woman by the Taliban, who dared to step out showing her face or who dared to talk to a man, other than her own husband, brother etc. I never saw them painting Bin Laden's face in blood or Mullah Omar’s face in blood.

If they call Bush's policy as extremists, I will say the kind of rhetoric that’s out there in the protests is extremism too. Bush as a evil vampire, the worlds number one terrorist, if this is not stretching the limit, I don’t know what is? What exactly has he done, to be shown in such poor light? Well lets see, he kicked out Taliban out of Afghanistan and Saddam out of Iraq. Were innocent lives lost in the effort, yes. Would I have been peeved if the life lost was of someone close to me, yes. But why forget the lives that were being taken by these rogue regimes. Why forget the kind of inhuman treatment that was being given out the people living under these regime’s.

Yes, America aggressively looks for its own interest. Well the question is which country doesn’t. Are we not looking for own interests as a nation. Does the communist party not look for its own interests, pockets. And by the way, they do that at the cost of this nation, its own people, the people they claim to represent. I will say this is evil. The fact is millions of Indian are still below the poverty line, under these very politicians. American’s are not running the state of West Bengal. West Bengal has been under the red rule for years, that’s what people should be talking against.

Coming to Iraq. Yes Bush's decision to go into Iraq wasn’t the most prudent move. In retrospect it was bad decision, bad planning and bad execution. But who can argue that Iraq with Saddam was better. Saddam was a tyrant, who killed his own people. The pictures of Saddam’s torture chambers are as shameful as the Abu Ghraib Prison photos. He used chemical weapons against his own people. Thousands died as a result in a matter of hours. If you look at the pictures after the chemical attack, you would wonder why people are not on the streets protesting that. When the insurgents killed local Iraqi kids, for accepting candies from US soldiers, where were the protests. If killing innocent children for accepting candies is not inhuman and evil, I don’t know what is. The terrorist there want to create a Taliban like state in Iraq, which is unstable, has no government and which then can be used as a staging ground for terrorist operations, planning. So the terrorists will again have a country of their own, just like Afghanistan was until 9/11.

So why the red's not protesting against all this? Well because, that’s not the red's agenda.

It appears they did not even like the PM breaking the protocol and receiving Bush at the airport. How shallow can someone get? If this is not hypocrisy, I don’t know what is. Just a month back, PM received Saudi Arabia King Abdullah at the airport. What were the red's doing sitting cozy in their home. Why were they not in the streets, protesting that. If Saudi Arabia does not have a imperialistic agenda, it definitely has a terrorist agenda. Thousands of camps and madrasas in Pakistan are indirectly funded by the country. It is in these madrasas that students are preached hatred against Indians and the west and made to walk on the Indian and other western flags. It doesn’t end here. Talk to the Indian intelligence agencies experts and they will tell you the utter lack of support from the Saudi establishment on nailing the Mumbai mafia, that continues to hide in that country. There might be incidents of support here and there, but by and large its been no support at all. I never heard the communists party walking up to King Abdullah and letting him know politely on what’s going on, forget the protests.

As far I remember sometime back, the Indian PM received a Chinese leader at the airport. No word from the red's on their human rights record or their intention with Taiwan. Now I am definitely not advocating that the red's and neo-liberals should have done anything to other leaders mentioned, that they are doing to Bush. The respective leaders were on business, we did and should welcome them and if there are any difference, they should be brought in a "fair" and dignified manner. I am just trying to bring out the hypocrisy that exists among the communist party. These double standards don’t end here, but stretch as far as in their policies and agenda.

President Musharaf conversation was on tape, played out to the entire world in which he was heard calling the shots in the Kargil war. Here's a head of state who attacked India and the communists forget to utter a single word on his visit.

That brings to my point, what is the red's agenda? Its definitely not “India” agenda. Its their own petty "party" agenda. There agenda is hypocrisy. That’s what they stand for. Their own political interests. Being critical of the Saudi King on valid issues is not in their political interest. That may not create enough news and more importantly votes, for them. They continue to support investment in West Bengal, while oppose the same policies in the centre. If they have differences, well they are most welcome to voice it. Our freedom and democracy allows them to do so, I guess very different from the countries the red's would like to support and emulate. The differences need to be voiced in a sane and dignified manner and not the ugly venom that's being spit out by them.

But then dignity is not a word that can be associated with the India political system.

My tribute to Asha Aunty

Feb 11, 2006 will remain as one of the saddest days of my life. I lost someone who I had known probably since the day I was born. Her name is Mrs. Asha Mongia. She was my Aunt, one of my best friend's mom, my mom's best friend and just so many other things. Its hard to imagine she's not there anymore with us to share our sorrow's, sad times and most importantly the joy and happiness.

The Mongia family have been our long time family friends. The kids almost same age, we grew up together, moved to different neighborhoods, changed houses together. Both us and the Mongia family have been in the same neighborhood for many many years now. The bond between the families is very hard to explain. They were just like family, to such an extent that our respective families knew each other very well. I would say the Mongia family knew our side of the family much better, because I will admit, the Mongia's just happened to be more friendly and probably the nicest people I have met.

Aunty, she was commonly known as Mickey 'ki' Mummy (Mickey's Mom) in our house, was definitely one of the most friendly person. She always carried herself with a big smiling face. Every time I think about her, I remember that smile and her trademark glow on the face. She has 2 kids in their late 20's and looking at her, you could easily miss that fact.

Loosing Aunty, was the first time I came close to loosing someone really close. Its the first time I realized, how people around you are affected when you are gone. To know a person all your life and then to have that person taken away from you suddenly is devastating.

Personally, its been very very emotional so far and I know its been the same for my family. Its probably a bigger loss for my mother. My mom lost her best friend. Everyone who knew my Mom and Aunty will tell you, they were inseparable. Whether it meant taking those long evening walks, going shopping, the gossip, discussing family issues, they were always together. Their names are separable by just one character. My Mom's name is Usha. I guess its only appropriate.

I know, I will miss her as I am sure my entire family will and so will the many number of people that knew her. Its been 5 days, since she passed away and its still difficult to comprehend that I wont be seeing her ever again and its only her pictures and memories that remain with us. The fact that next time I go to her house and I wont have her to greet me with that big smile of hers, is a really tough one to absorb. I cant even imagine how it must be like for her family, having to come home every evening and not seeing her around. I guess that’s what life is about and we just need to move on.

There are some people around us, we take them for granted. We think they will always be around for us, to share our good times and bad times. She was definitely one of those persons. Never imagined a time, when Aunty wont be around. In retrospect, I will admit I probably did not miss her presence so much, but now I definitely miss her absence. Now that she’s gone, its been a tough few days to think about times ahead, knowing shes not around anymore. Such are some relationships.

Asha Aunty was a nice and kind lady. I can remember a few people who have been personally affected and probably idebted by her kindness.

Writing this has been another emotional experience for me, but I really wanted Aunty to know, that she will always remain in our minds, hearts and memories and someone who will be missed for ever.

Who could have imagined this?

Indian helping rebuild an entire American town devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Read this...

Its heartening to see an Indian helping the folks in the gulf coast, who have probably seen the worst.

A new twist to a story...out of middle east

Well I guess there's a new twist to the story related to former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri assassination in February.

I thought its only fair to mention this, since my earlier blog, refers to a story which presents a totally different theory.

Hopefully we are getting closer to what exactly happened...

The battle over H1-B visa program

My two cents ...or may be a bit more ;) ....on this posting on news.com